Becker Skills and Information Thread 06 - October 2014 - Urban Survival

[DerekH]

Been quite some time, but the last Gathering has me revitalized, and I think it high time we got the knowledge flowing again. This month we are going to take a look at Urban Survival skills and see what we can come up with. If you find yourself in a situation where you are stranded in an urban setting, if things head South fast while you are in a city or town, what will you do?

Now the picture above is a huge overdramatization of that scenario, post-apocalyptic and way beyond what we are talking about, but it is commonly what we think of when someone mentions "urban survival". Bear Grylls had an episode where he had free reign in an abandoned Soviet city, but even that was a massive dramatization of what survival in an urban setting would be.

Typically, we are looking at smaller, simpler situations. City-dwellers reliant on public transportation may find themselves without a way to work, an incoming storm may cause people to strip clean the shelves of your local grocery store, or maybe a passing derecho leaves your town without power (and subsequently all the other services that rely on electricity). All of a sudden something happens, and then you end up stuck, without power, or someplace you have never been before and all you have is your edc. Because the contest is going to stem from this thread, we need two things here:

First, if you wish to participate in the contest (to be divulged next month) then you need to post up here, in full picture detail, what your EDC is that you carry. List the info about your stuff, it will be important.

Second, we need input, we need ideas, tips, tricks, and all the knowledge you have acquired over the years. Spill your guts people, we need it all.

The contest is going to be... interesting, so bring your A-game, people.


To get it started I am going to post up some pics of my daily EDC for folks to get an idea of just what I am talking about.

POCKETS

• Wallet, Zebra Pen, Lens Cloth
• Fenix E11
• Paracord Bracelet with Slatts Recue Weave
• Casio Pro-Trek PRW 3000
• Keychain with Folding Nail Clippers
• Keys
• Peanut Lighter
• Titanium Whistle
• Keyless Entry Fob for my Jeep
• Titanium Capsule with 32gb USB Thumb Drive
• 3' x 3' Bandanna
• Leatherman Skeletool CX
• Chinese Knock-Off Pocket Knife (Yes I am terrible for buying a knock-off, I am aware of this.)

EDC BAG

5.11 RUSH MOAB 10 Go Bag

SMALL BACK SECTION

• Emergency Blanket
• Battery Holder (AA & CR123A)
• Fire Kit (In the Bracken Tin! RIDE THE BRACKEN!!!)
• SkullCandy Earbuds in JVC Headphone Case
• DMT Medium and Fine Diamond Folding Sharpeners
• American Kami Titanium Spork
• Titanium Nail Peg Tent Stake
• 50ft Type I Paracord
• Aluminum Straw
• Large Ziplock Bag
• Energizer Portable AA Charger with Micro USB COnnector
• Folding Torx Multitool
• Multiple Pens, Sharpies, Stanley Engineers Screwdriver
• Modified BK24 in Kydex Sheath, County Comm 4" Widgy Bar, County Comm Tick Tweezers, 2x Tension Wrenches
• Commando Precision Screwdriver with multiple Lock Picks

HIDDEN POCKET BEHIND BACK COMPARTMENT

• BK17 in Kydex

MAIN COMPARTMENT

• Lenovo Ideapad Yoga 13 Laptop/Tablet
• Logitech Mouse
• Charger for Laptop
• LG USB DVD Drive
• Rain Poncho
• Plano 3449 Waterproof Storage Case - First Aid Kit
• Plano 3449 Waterproof Storage Case - Assorted USB Cables, SD Cards, SD Readers, etc...

SUNGLASSES POCKET

• Surefire Sonic Defender Earplugs
• Highgear Soloscope Monocular
• Dual Magnification Lighted Jewelers Loupe

SHOULDER STRAP POCKET

• Princeton Tek Headlamp

HYDRATION COMPARTMENT

• Reusable Emergency Blanket
• Sea to Summit Collapsible Bowl

Maxpedition 12 x 5 Bottle Holder

INNER COMPARTMENT

• Guyot Backpacker Stainless Steel Bottle
• Stanley Adventure Camp Cook Set Pot
• Pathfinder Nesting Cup

OUTER POCKET

• Robogrip Pliers
• Vice Grips
• Diagonal Cutters

Voodoo Tactical 5.56 Single Magazine Pouch

• Safety Orange Electrical Tape

Maxpedition 7x5x2 Vertical GP Pouch
-Maratac Diplomat Pocket Organizer

• Many smaller tools, screwdrivers, super glue, scalpel, wrench, hemostats, etc...

Usually if the weather looks like it will be less than stellar, I throw my jacket on the outside of the pack, which has gloves and a watch cap in the pockets.

Luckily, I work in a military environment, so carrying a pack laden down with gear is nothing out of the ordinary, and I am able to keep this stuff by my side daily. While it is a lot, this is the end result of removing things I don't use and adding things I need over the course of the last several years. It is constantly in flux, but some of the essentials always stay the same, and it has given me the ability to be prepared for a very wide spectrum of situations.

So there you have it. Post em up if you got em. Again, to enter into the contest next month you MUST post up a picture of your EDC within this thread before the end of October.

As far as tips, tricks, and information, we need the info that you have. In a city or large town, where can you get water if you have no money, if the power is out and the credit card machines aren't working. How can you stay warm if you don't have a place to go using only what you can find or what you have on you? How can you stay out of the elements? Any ideas, tips, tricks, suggestions, anything of helpfulness, post it up, and let's all get to some learnin.

 

[DerekH]

]reserved[

 

[ironborn]

Reading through these posts, I'd agree with most of what has been said, especially helpful seem the insights from those who have had experience living on the streets.... IIRC, the native tribes that survived off of the land in my neck of the woods, did so by understanding the natural cycle of foodstuffs that would be ready to harvest at any given point on the calendar. Thus, they would have seasonal camps that would follow the food as it became available--game in the fall, winter crops over here, etc etc. Essential to their survival then would be a knowledge of the local resources and timetables, and mobility. The same themes carry over into the urban setting--
Mobility--keep your gear light and have multiple known bases of operation
Understanding your environment--know when and where resources become available
Of course, much can change based upon how much of a social superstructure is still in place and functioning. For instance, it may do me all the good in the world to know that the local bread shop will reliably throw a bag of bread out the back door after close every night, but what if all of those businesses I rely on are no longer functioning? Similarly, a "grey man" approach may be most suitable for avoiding LEO attention, but if LEO is no longer functioning, then having an appearance that might be more dissuasive of people messing with you could be preferable. The last thing you want to advertise is that you are a walking grocery store.
I tend to put together plans based upon escalating degrees of societal collapse. And with that consideration, tiered preps. To the extent that society ceases to function, the less I want to find myself in the city. Period. Most urban resources will cease to offer themselves as the superstructure collapses. And I can also assume a consequent increase in danger to my person and property. Thus, my preps are layered and pre-caiched to offer a maximum amount of resources while urban living remains tenable, but ultimately designed to facilitate exiting the urban. My edc is designed to get me back home to my 3-day pack and rifle, which I can further supplement with modular truck bags/boxes, which can get me out of town to pre-staged rural caiches....
Current edc:


3V Gear Maxpedition Sitka clone
BK5
G23 + extra mag
Leatherman Super Tool 200
Various rollerball pens
Sharpie
Xacto knife
Lighters
Extra battery
Zip drive with critical docs
Bk24
Fire kit with pitch wood, Vaseline balls, striker
Small Sterno stove
First aid kit with space blanket, hot hands warmers, and various pharmaceuticals
Surplus first aid kit, individual
Matches
Insect repellent
SS water bottle
Eyeglasses cleaner
Chapstick
Decongestant inhaler
Extra pair of glasses
Local area maps
Books on local wild edibles
Notebooks
Iphone 5s (not pictured--and will be 1st thing thrown in the river should the SHTF)
iPhone charger and headphones

Also of interest--some snazzy ideas....

http://vinjabond.com

 

[Chameleonbear]

Ok, this is JUST my day pack, it isn't including my car based pack or stuff in the car. That will probably be done on Thursday/Friday.

First up:

My "altoids tins" My small one rides in the front pouch of the BK-16 that rides in the back of the pack and can get pulled out and ride on my belt separately. In that is Duct Tape, button compass, emergency whistle, cotton balls and fishing kit. In the larger one, is a mischmetal striker, saw blade for striking it, a sparker, a couple cotton balls, a button compass, and some fatwood.

Sawyer mini with spare pouch, 32oz nalgene with coffee cup, playing cards, 2 spare batteries, spare charger, and spare power block, gerber multi-tool, BK-16, and emergency blanket.

Claritin, Antibiotic cream, vaseline, krazy glue, gloves, Ka-Barley, Pen, Rite-In-The-Rain Notebook, Zippo, Beater stick, Foaming hand sanitizer, small snips, moleskin, steri-strips, eye drops, tweezers, burn cooling cream, and hydro-cortisone cream.

Alcohol prep pads, bandaids, benzo(...) cleaner, Antihistimine, antidiarheal pills.

All this along with a shemegh from Willow on the Esee forum.

This is going to take a while... I have LOTS of pockets and stuff.

Life Fire paracord. This stuff is KIND OF the (...)!
ETA: Do we also get use of our vehicle based packs?

 

[DerekH]

Something Gutsy mentioned to me is that the homeless would have a wealth of knowledge on this subject. Not to capitalize on their misfortune but it is accurate.

As a for instance, we had a homeless person that had broken into the boiler room at my last place of employment. Turns out that it was incredibly warm there, and there was running water and a light and a power outlet. Pretty much a win all the way around. If they had been more discrete and managed to get in without kicking in the door they could have done it indefinitely if they had left in the mornings and only come back at night. It was completely separate from the security system, so the only giveaway was the old donut wrappers and the boot print in the dented door.

}{Reserved}{

This is going to take a while... I have LOTS of pockets and stuff.

ETA: Do we also get use of our vehicle based packs?

If you have it with you every day, like every single day, then yes.

Limited to packs. If you have a box of food and tools and crap like that then it is out, it has to be something you can throw over a shoulder and bail with.

 

[wisers]

Edit.

 

[spikebot587]

this is what i carry 98% of the time

-first is my new Era Cardinals hat, i wear this very single day so i count it as part of my EDC
-my Columbia wallet
-Benchmade Bone collector, this is my all time favorite EDC knife
-Streamlight Micro stream, perfect EDC light IMO
-Casio Forester
-Iphone 4 in a magpul case
-keys, with my library card, my dads dog tag, and a random SAK
-spare change
- and i had just gotten back from the range when i took this picture so i also had some spent brass(38 S&W) and a couple bullets that i picked up after words(.45APC)

 

[DerekH]

reserved.

also technically i dont have a system that i carry every day due to the fact that im in school. so if i post what i carry when im not in school will that count?

Yeah that is fine. I realize that there are going to be limits as far as what some people carry at work or school vs the rest of the time. Really just use good judgement here folks, I want people to be honest with what they have and the potential they can achieve with it, and at the same time I do not want people trying to slip a winnebago in their EDC.

 

[DunkEm]

Hmmm...gonna have to put some thought into this and do some modifications. Right now my edc bag has me well prepared for anything I can do with a BK24, a catastrophic failure of our library system, or any crisis requiring plenty of paper and pens - as long as it doesn't involve elementary school. No construction paper in there. But FWIW - I do actually carry it the bag just about every workday.

 

[Chameleonbear]

Around here we have QT gas stations, they charge a dime for a 32oz fountain of water, but if you bring your own cup they don't even charge that.

If you are freezing go to a fire station or other "Safe Place" they will let you in and warm up, I've known a few that will even offer a meal.

These, granted, are based in our current socio-economic situation and if there was a collapse there is no telling what would be going on.

 

[Zuluninja]

this is how my desk looks today

I brought some more blades to work from home today. My top drawer is kinda heavy. I do have stuff in my truck, but I just realized that I don't have a bag ready to go, will have to work on that in the next few days.

 

[DerekH]

I like the dynamic this whole theme adds. Water is plentiful in our society, clean, drinkable water, available at water fountains so many places, but how awkward would you feel walking into walmart and filling up your bottle? Fire isn't needed to purify water, and if you look hard enough it isn't needed to keep you warm as there are numerous places that stay open 24/7 where one could warm up. Shelter, same thing. But the big question is where? What would you do? Would you try to find an abandoned spot and carve out your own place in the concrete jungle, or would you rather frequent the gas stations and 24 hour grocery stores?

Something of import I think is hygiene. Where are you going to go to get cleaned up? These are the things that are necessary, the daily processes that we take for granted, and now in this kind of situation, where do you go to take care of those needs?

Keep the thoughts flowing people, this is all good stuff and eventually we can build upon the knowledge and all benefit.

 

[DerekH]

Well that was an odd double tap. Oops.

 

[Chameleonbear]

Updated earlier post... Pictures are posted.

 

[ocnLogan]

Wow... You guys have some really impressive setups. Mine will be nowhere near as extensive as these, partially because I don't drive nowadays (bike to work), so I have to have everything on my back (got some gear in the jeep, but that is either at home, or with the wife, so I can't count it as my edc).

As a "city folk" I'm glad to see that this contest is one that I should be able to do. That said, I have some time to formalize what I normally carry before I "enter" correct? Or an I locked in with what I had in my edc bag before I saw this thread?

The good news is I have some ideas for things to carry that I think I already have, I just hadn't thought of carrying until I saw some of the photos of other peoples kits. So that's a small win right there.

 

[Mrknot]

This is what I have on my person, every day.

Rat-1, (mix this one up from time to time, always a 3.5-4" folder though)
Leatherman Wave
SAK Huntsman w/ about 2' of 550 cord.
Bic lighter
Wallet
Streamlight Microstream
Car keys w/ nail clippers, (extra battery for fob in fob sleeve, that thing dies when I least expect it).
Shemagh in this photo, but it's usually a 12X12-ish bandanna.
iPhone 5 in an Otterbox, (used to take the photo).

This is just what I always have on my person, will pull and photo the small car kit tomorrow.

 

[Mrknot]

As far as SHTF in my urban environment:
Water would not be too much of an issue, huge river runs right through the middle of town, coffee filter or two, sand, and a quick boil would suffice...plus, it rains alot here.
Within that, staying warm and DRY in the winter would be a challenge.

There are a couple of large community gardens within easy walking distance of my home, so at certain times of the year, we could stay relatively well-fed, if they weren't guarded too closely...
For an urban area, my city is still pretty "wild", I see coyotes on my block pretty frequently. Lots of squirrel, racoon, the dozen or so feral cats my crazy neighbor lady feeds...meat wouldn't be an issue I for the short term...

The thing that concerns me the most about urban survival is security. My city has a fairly sizeable homeless population. It is very common for acts of violence within this community to occur. Oftentimes it is a small group, (3-5ppl), attacking an individual and taking what he/she owns. These types of crimes typically go unreported as these folks live outside of the law anyway, but they happen every day.
This would only get worse as things became more desperate.
So, I think that any scenario involving a large-scale breakdown of ROL would necessitate an exodus from urban areas.

 

[daizee]

Oh, I GOT this:

Plus I know all the best unlocked private bathrooms in the City. My survival strategy? Not sharing that secret map!

Turns out that when power goes in NYC, refrigerated food gets really cheap and ice-cream becomes free. Everybody gets friendly, turning the whole island into a block party. You can trade rides to the bridges for goods if you've got a car with gas.

 

[budazz]

When i was younger i lived on the streets alot and did some unsavory things ..please remember that was a life time ago...and in a urban SHTF scenario...the main threat will be OTHERS followed closely by yourself being the next main threat...the time i spent living that life here is a list of what i have..this list may seem a little minimalist and there is a reason for that...everything i have can be concealed..like i said the main threat is others they want what you have..the less you look to have the better off you are..
Lock picks (learn to use them)
Small pry bar
Water Tablets
Lighter and small ferro rod
Small flashlight (AA are easiest batteries to get)
FAK (bandages and alcohol pads mainly..the streets are terribly dirty)
Money.(1×10 1×5 5×1s kept seperate on your body)
Good knife resonable sized (not bigger than a bk16/17)
An appropriate multi tool i use the leatherman wave with the full bit kit
Cordage
2 old gift cards (one with duct tape around it)
Small peices of a broken spark plug (carrying this could be a felony in your state be careful) these are used for breaking vehicle windows
Zip ties
Fishing line (used for trip lines or alarms)
The rest..unfortunately we live ina world where people are pigs and litter is every where..scavaging, trash digging, dumpster diving what ever you want to call it becomes another skill same as trap building and fire making

 

[DerekH]

When i was younger i lived on the streets alot and did some unsavory things ..please remember that was a life time ago...and in a urban SHTF scenario...the main threat will be OTHERS followed closely by yourself being the next main threat...the time i spent living that life here is a list of what i have..this list may seem a little minimalist and there is a reason for that...everything i have can be concealed..like i said the main threat is others they want what you have..the less you look to have the better off you are..
Lock picks (learn to use them)
Small pry bar
Water Tablets
Lighter and small ferro rod
Small flashlight (AA are easiest batteries to get)
FAK (bandages and alcohol pads mainly..the streets are terribly dirty)
Money.(1×10 1×5 5×1s kept seperate on your body)
Good knife resonable sized (not bigger than a bk16/17)
An appropriate multi tool i use the leatherman wave with the full bit kit
Cordage
2 old gift cards (one with duct tape around it)
Small peices of a broken spark plug (carrying this could be a felony in your state be careful) these are used for breaking vehicle windows
Zip ties
Fishing line (used for trip lines or alarms)
The rest..unfortunately we live ina world where people are pigs and litter is every where..scavaging, trash digging, dumpster diving what ever you want to call it becomes another skill same as trap building and fire making

This is what I want, first hand knowledge is great. Can you elaborate more on the experience gained while you were on the streets?