New York City - What to Carry ?

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maury

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Sep 24, 2000
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I live in Manhattan - used to be able to see the WTC from my front steps...... Anyway, have been considering and re-considering just what is practical to carry on a day-to-day basis around the city.

Backpack or large belt pouch is out for practical reasons, so have come down to a small pouch with: SAK Champ, Leatherman Supertool, whistle, Photon II and small BIC lighter, a few safty pins, a small pencil, a sheet of waterproof paper and 20' of light nylon cord. This is in addition to wallet w/phone card, cash, ID, etc. I also try to carry 1 or 2 bandannas and a pair of leather work gloves in my pockets.

I don't have a carry permit for firearms - wouldn't have helped much if I had been nearer to ground zero anyhow - and we still have a 4" limit on blade legnth. Usual survival items like snare wire and fishing gear somehow don't seem all that practical either.

So - any suggestions on what to add/change? Thanks!

PS: For any of you in the NY/NJ or Conn. area, please check out the sites for the NY Fire and Police Departments (search under FDNY or NYPD). You will find a list of funerals and memorial services. If at all possible, try to get to one. It may not seem lie a lot,but your presence will mean a great deal to the members of the srvice and to the famalies.
 
Originally posted by maury
I live in Manhattan<snip>
Backpack <snip>
So - any suggestions on what to add/change? Thanks!

<snip>
Click to expand...

If you look at my "Urban Bug Out Bag" stuff you'll see what I carry into Manhattan EVERY day

I carry a Mid sized Knapsack, but that's because of the work related stuff I have to carry. My "Bag" part would fit in a SMALL knapsack, or large beltpack

On Key Ring - Photon III
On Belt - Present EDC Knife - right now a DC Munroe "Chimera"

In Pack:
Bic Lighter
50' or so of 550 cord
Knot card (Not for me, to hand to friends)
Leatherman
Pad, Pencil and Sharpie Marker
Surefire E2 with spare set of Batteries
Small clean towel in ziplock bag (about 1 foot square)
2 cylume sticks - 10 minute red, 6 hour green
1 bottle water
$2 in change
2 Hand wipes (I use Rough Touch (tm) Scrubs (see your machine shop supply house))
1st aid kit (see below)

Seaonal:
Knit cap
Thin emergency blanket

Contents of 1st aid kit (In it's own ziplock bag):
3 bandaids
Moleskin
1 Roll Gauze
1st aid tape
1 Kotex in zip lock bag - they make great trauma bandages
New wrapped single edged razor blade
Needle & Thread
Iodine
Medication - Benadryl, Ibuprofen, plus my HBP meds
Toilet Paper
Spare ziplock bag
50 feet or so of 10 lb fishing line (Happens to fit well in the metal tin that the kit is in)

The whole first aid kit fits in one small side pouch of the knapsack, and if you don't count the ziplock bags, kotex, gauze or tape, the whole thing fits in an Altoids tin!

One thing I also did - I labeled the pocket on my knapsack "First Aid" just in case I ever need help, I can direct the person to that pocket!
 
I posted this concept originally on Razor's Urban Survival Forum (link below); and thought it was definitely applicable here to Maury's question "NYC - What to Carry?.


I have a 3-Layered Urban Survival (UrbSurv) Kit approach.

'Why 3 layers', you ask?

Well, my job doesn't permit me to carry my ALICE pack of UrbSurv gear with me everywhere I go. And, I'd be willing to wager a good percentage of you couldn't carry one with you everywhere either. And even if you could carry your kit with you (i.e. in your car, truck), you wouldn't be carrying it with you into a restaurant, bank, or business appointment--thus having no immediate accessibility to your kit.

So, I hedge my survivability odds with a 3-layered approach as follows:
Layer 1) ALWAYS on my person
Layer 2) ALWAYS accessible (i.e., within "easy" reach)
Layer 3) OPTIMALLY accessible (i.e., available to me in best-case scenario)

So, to give you an idea of what I'm talking about:

Layer 1: always on my person
- bandana
- cell phone
- folding knife (CRK Sebenza)
- glowring (on keychain) (by traser, 10 year radiance
- info "cheat sheet" (bank acct numbers, important tel. numbers, insurance acct./tel. info, etc.)
- money (plenty of cash)/ID/credit cards
- phone card, pre-paid
- photon-II micro light (on keychain)
- sas compass (in wallet, fully functional and only 5mm wide, 15mm diameter!)

Layer 2: always accessible, in my briefcase, coat pocket, etc.
- ham radio ht (yaesu vx-5r with spare li-batt & aa-batt)
- multi-tool (leatherman wave)
- USGI "keyring" sharpener
- survival mini-kit in altoids tin (container for following)
. butane lighter (bic mini)
. condom (for water storage)
. bandaids (9 assorted sizes)
. duct tape (2"x3" taped to outside, 10 ft. 1/2" strip "sealing" the tin around the perimeter)
. iodine sterilization pads (4 pc.)
. iodine water tablets (6 pc.)
. jig saw blade, high carbon (3" section)
. internal strands from paracord (5 - 7-ft. lengths)
. matches, waterproof (with striker) (7 pc.)
. paper (waterproof) (3 3"x5" pg.) & pencil
. reflective mylar (from kiddie balloon, taped to inside lid of tin top for use as signal mirror)

Layer 3: optimally accessible
- This is the "full" Urban Survival Kit that everyone should have at their ready--whether at home or in the office (wisely both). I don't want to start another thread UrbSurv Kit-thread, so go here to see what others have wisely suggested:

For the full discussion on "My Urban Survival Kit: Improvement suggestions sought", check out this thread in the Bladeforum's Wilderness & Survival Skills Forum:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=170078

The link to the full thread on the "3-Layered Urban Survival Approach" on Razor's Urban Survival Forum can be found here:
http://pub82.ezboard.com/frazorsredoubtfrm6.showMessage?topicID=7.topic

Finally, have your loved ones adhere to a Contingency Communications Plan; since Cell towers may be damaged or down. Know how to leave AND retrieve messages off your answering machine; or ideally have a machine with 2+ "boxes"--and know how to use it!

Stay safe,

Ron (guncollector)
 
I would add a cyalume to your kit. Also, an old credit-type card or slightly larger piece of stiff plastic to use as an, ahem, "master key" on entry doors. A professional reascue tool known as a shove-knife also fits this use. Along this line, get a cheap 6" prybar (available in $1 stores). Unlimited uses for things you should not use your knife for. Also, an automatic center-punch for breaking glass.

Be advised, I see these items as rescue tools, and carry them in my briefcase. In another context, they may be viewd as burgular's tools.
 
Lots of interesting ideas - thanks to all! One iterm in particular was a grabber: the suggestion of a prybar - seems like one of those "Now, why didn't I think of that?" ideas - a most appropriate addition to any urban kit. Found a 12" (shapped like a smaller version of a standard crowbar) model at local .99 store. Wrapped the sharp ends in yellow duct tape to keep them from cutting through my bag (and maybe make it easier to find in low light situation) and wrapped about 10' of para cord around the long part - a convenient way to carry a bit of extra cordage and a good grip. Should I find a few extra bucks im m'jeans at the end of the month, might consider one of those titanium models to save a bit of weight.. Also, in a pinch it'd make for a nasty little back-up weapon - seems that it might do some serious damage.......... Thanks again!
 
maury,

Might want to consider one of the Camelbak small backpacks or fanny packs that includes a water bladder. The fresh water could come in handy, for many reasons. Also, I carry a bottle of PolarPure water treatment rather then tabelts. The crystals will purify several thousand gallons of water, and won't go bad like iodine crystals can. Other suggestions here look great.

Best,

Brian.
 
Prybar is a great idea. But for equivalent weight a medium sized fixed blade knife from Jerry Busse (mine is a Badger Attack) would do prybar chores and offer other capabilities as well. I recognize that legality may be an issue in some places.
 
A bandanas may not be the single most useful piece of equipment in an urban emergency, but will come in a close second to just about anything else - ask anyone in the area of ground zero. Most important will be to cover nose and mouth to filter out dust - wet it if possible. I have also used one as an emergency bandage and tourniquet; wrap it around your fist to punch thru a window; use it to secure an emergency splint, as an arm sling or as a support bandage for a sprained ancle or wrist; a bright colored one can be a signal flag. That's just the stuff I have used one for. Combined with a padlock or a roll of coins it might make a nasty weapon. Oh, yeah, you can blow your nose in it too!
 
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