Ive been located in some urban areas in the past. Once you identify the most likely threats, either fire, smoke, terrorist attack, earth quake, flood, riots or what have, you can balance a decent kit taking into account your local ordinances and restrictions. For about a year, I was doing a lot of traveling to several different cities. One of the first things I did was pick up a decent map for navigating and identifying alternate routes. Somebody at one point mentioned a topographical map, even for urban areas; in flood prone areas, its still good to avoid natural drainage areas and identify the highest ground.
Another aspect is sanitation. In a densely populated area, you really have to focus on potable water, avoiding blood borne pathogens, smoke often will contain chemicals and other contaminants and flooding or any type of societal breakdown will exacerbate the sewage and garbage situation. Having potable water, dust/smoke mask, both leather and latex gloves are prudent additions.
There are a lot of hazards in an urban area; glass, falling debris, ankle-breaking rubble, potential exposed rebar or other metal objects, exposed electrical wiring, dim or unlit areas during power outages, etc.
Of course the about all assumes a situation that occurs without time to react. Getting out an urban area would be a top priority, but you always have to assess weather conditions, traffic and even physical safety before throwing your backpack on and heading down the street. Speaking of hitting the street, if a serious situation did occur, chances are vehicular transportation would most likely be impossible. Having a decent mountain bike or motorcycle (road legal enduro-type) is a very good insurance.
A quick word on safety, we often refer to our protective apparatus as Personal Protective Equipment or PPE. These include protection for your eyes, head, hands, feet and even flash fires with fire-retardant clothing. What I like about having a mountain bike is that you can use your biking helmet to avoid falling or flying debris. I would also invest in a decent pair of ballistic-rated eye-wear. Oakley has some decent eyewear that has exchangeable lenses; polarized for day and clear for night. Having clear lenses is essential if you plan to travel at night (urban or rural). Ive already mentioned gloves, but if you have to dig or maneuver around debris, protecting your hands against sharp metal, concrete, glass, etc. is another essential.
Urban environments can present some serious challenges when trying to navigate, traverse or even when conducting a hasty escape. Vertical obstacles, breaching doors or walls are all realistic challenges. Take a rock climbing course and learn the basics of rappelling. You can rig up a very compact rappel kit to get you down a three or four story building. If you can avoid the legal issues, a decent breaking tool is a good idea. If I was still in a larger city, I would invest in something like the
Paratech Beil Tool. What I took with me on a trip to a larger city in Texas was my little TOPS Max the Mini Axe. A multitool should be mandatory for your EDC, but a good set of fencing pliers, mini pry bar, adjustable pliers, insulated handle wire cutters, hack saw, bolt cutters (in the vehicle), etc. Granted, lugging all those around are heavy and could present a problem with law enforcement if they discovered them
its all dependent upon your own personal assessment and situation.
Here is a kit I put together and took to work with me. I couldnt carry a concealed pistol when on duty, but I did have one accessible. Self defense could be a concern, but staying alert and avoiding dangerous situations go a long way to self-preservation. If you can carry a firearm, I would stick with a concealable pistol. During a larger crisis, a rifle or shotgun would just attract unwanted attention. I hiking stick or cane would be a good alternative along with pepper spray or even a taser device would extend the distance for self-defense if needed. The Practical Tactical sub-forum would be a much better location to get an in-depth discussion on low-profile, urban self-defensive tools.
ROCK6
shoulda lived with the hole. :grumpy:
(and natural disasters are uncommon)
