Urban Survival Kit

[DaleW]

I commute with a day pack, so I can get as crazy as I want with PSK items. I have a small wilderness kit that I keep in my pack anyway, and I edc some sort of folder and my keychain has a mini led, SAK Classic, CountyComm mini prypar and some matches in a spy capsule. An eyeglass case makes a great low key PSK case. I got one with a flip-top and pulled the foam padding out to make more room. You can get a real load of stuff in one and it looks just like... an eyeglass case.

 

[Bare Rib]

If I lived in a major city that could be a terrorist target I would add the following items. A couple of good disposable dust masks. These would be necessary if a "dirty bomb" was set off. The radioactive contamination would mostly come from wind carried particulates. Also it would give you some protection if someone spread some bio-agent. Heavy duty disposable rubber gloves and lab type goggles for additional protection. These items could be carried in a brief case or lunch box. You could even go as far as carrying a set of disposable paper coveralls use by painters to prevent contamination of your clothing. You could dump all of these items as soon as you left the area.

Acctually all of these items would be pretty much completly usless and a waste of space in any type of dirty bomb, radiation, or bio-agent situation.

Masks/Resperators/Breathers-unless it has the proper type of filter on it for what the "problem" is its usless and at times can make things worse. The only thing a dust mask is good for is well dust.

Gloves-While there might be some uses for gloves it pointless to protect your hands from "the bad stuff" if the rest of you is improperly protected. If were to get gloves you would need to get Nitrile as they are really the only type of glove that is going to give you any type of protection from chemicals

Lab goggles- Lab googles are just a splash guard for your eyes they will not prevent any type of gas or air-born pathogen from getting into your eyes, they have vents on them. You would have more sucess with a diving mask.

Disposable Paper (painter's) Coveralls-Well all of these are going to do is keep your cloths free from dirt, greese, grim, & um paint.

If you want protection from these types of agents they make specific types of protective clothing for these types of senerios ie gas masks and radiation suits.

 

[Bare Rib]

With that all said...how many of you posting what you would carry around in an "urban" enviroment actually live in an urban enviroment?

Cause I do live in an urban envirment, Philadelphia PA, USA (and I live in a pretty sh*ty part of town too,) and let me tell you what for those of you who have the laundry list of "gear" they are toting around is rather impractical. Walking 30+ blocks through-out the day with a bucnch of stuff I need for that days activities weighing you down can get pretty tiresome (esp when its the summer & 90+ degrees) add in all that extra stuff...oh boy. The sice thing about cities is you can stock-up as you go. In my opinion a good bag is towards the top of the list for things to have as part of an UPSK

As far as guns go concealed carry permit or not if a cop finds you carrying a gun around your day is about to suck cause I've found most cops don't like poeple carrying around guns playing cop. With all my time in the city I've never had the need for a gun, and I've only once had to pull out my knife and all I did was pull it out and that did it.

That all said what do I carry around?
1. my bag is a custom made very large (I can fit a copy box in it + more) messanger bag that I keep all of this in.
2. a small very bright Dorcy lithium powered LED flash light (this thing lights up a room) & 2 extra batteries
3. Leatherman Wave multi-tool this is my EDC unless I'm going to a really sh*ty part of town then I might carry my CRKT Crawford Kasper folder (full sized not the small one)
4. run of the mill basic FAK + 10 asprine & 10 excendrine & some anti-diarreal tablets & 2 pairs nitrile gloves
5. small role of duct tape 50' no core
6. I've always got my 32 oz Nalgene of H20
7. a couple of CLIFF bars (I eat these things daily)
8. a Bic & some wooden matches
9. extra bandana (always keep one in my back pocket)
10. a $10 roll of quaters taped shut=money+hammer fist+put it in the bandana & swing it around (ouch)
I also always have my mobile and pda with me too
Well that's about it from this city dweller.
Cheers
Ronan

 

[STAGE 2]

Urban survival kit = my 230 grain lead chucker with some extra mags.

 

[enderwiggin]

:thumbup: +1 to the cell phone, and first aid kit

always having a bit of money is a good idea too

For those with only one cell phone, a Cellboost battery would be a great item to stick in your kit. It's a plug-in battery that allows you to use your cell phone even if its' battery is dead.

I carry one when I go running, with my phone.

While I'm no survival expert, urban or otherwise, I almost always have:
a Locking knife
a Flashlight
a Bandanna
a few Cliff bars nearby
Water (SmartWater, or the regular Dumb variety)
an LED light attached to my car key
Burt's Beeswax chapstick--kind of a vanity item, but I'm sure someone can come up with more than a few uses for bees wax in a kit!

I'm a little lucky when comes to a car kit, seeing as my tool bag is in my car when I'm working, which is most days. It includes screwdrivers, an electrical meter, pry bars, a hammer, etc. I also always keep a travel blanket and jacket stored in my car.

The tool kit reminds me: if you really want to add a little 'power' to a portable kit you're carrying or leaving in the car, I'm extremely impressed with Bosch's small driver.

I use mine for light to medium-duty tasks, but it can keep up with larger drills and drivers easily, and holds a charge even with plenty of use for about three days.

 

[dante]

Dare I suggest the creation of a sub-forum dedicated to the "Urban Jungle" something like Urban Skills/Concrete Jungle skills. I like this because where I live basically there is no wilderness and although I read the wilderness survival post and day dream, it's is not something I can even begin to comprehend. An urban survival forum would be great, we can have discussions from basic equipment to carry, the intricacies of the urban jungle (9-11, Katrina creates a different set of situations than a forest or jungle) and dealing with the worst of all predators (urbanized mankind!), basic self defense, legal, tools, engineering details of the modern society, electronics, food management, conceal carry. I purchased the Hood Woods DVD Urban Master and my mind was shifted from the classic fire/shelter/water mentality. When you are in the "city" your multi-tool becomes your pocket knife, your pry bar becomes your machete, the hammer becomes your axe, electricity becomes your fire etc.

Sort of like a lessons learned not a survivalist forum in the cliche fashion.

 

[jackknife]

With that all said...how many of you posting what you would carry around in an "urban" enviroment actually live in an urban enviroment?

Cause I do live in an urban envirment, Philadelphia PA, USA (and I live in a pretty sh*ty part of town too,) and let me tell you what for those of you who have the laundry list of "gear" they are toting around is rather impractical. Walking 30+ blocks through-out the day with a bucnch of stuff I need for that days activities weighing you down can get pretty tiresome (esp when its the summer & 90+ degrees) add in all that extra stuff...oh boy. The sice thing about cities is you can stock-up as you go. In my opinion a good bag is towards the top of the list for things to have as part of an UPSK

As far as guns go concealed carry permit or not if a cop finds you carrying a gun around your day is about to suck cause I've found most cops don't like poeple carrying around guns playing cop. With all my time in the city I've never had the need for a gun, and I've only once had to pull out my knife and all I did was pull it out and that did it.

That all said what do I carry around?
1. my bag is a custom made very large (I can fit a copy box in it + more) messanger bag that I keep all of this in.
2. a small very bright Dorcy lithium powered LED flash light (this thing lights up a room) & 2 extra batteries
3. Leatherman Wave multi-tool this is my EDC unless I'm going to a really sh*ty part of town then I might carry my CRKT Crawford Kasper folder (full sized not the small one)
4. run of the mill basic FAK + 10 asprine & 10 excendrine & some anti-diarreal tablets & 2 pairs nitrile gloves
5. small role of duct tape 50' no core
6. I've always got my 32 oz Nalgene of H20
7. a couple of CLIFF bars (I eat these things daily)
8. a Bic & some wooden matches
9. extra bandana (always keep one in my back pocket)
10. a $10 roll of quaters taped shut=money+hammer fist+put it in the bandana & swing it around (ouch)
I also always have my mobile and pda with me too
Well that's about it from this city dweller.
Cheers
Ronan

That was one of the most intellegent posts on this thread. As a city dweller just outside Washington D.C. I could'nt agree more with Ronan that half the stuff listed here by folks is totally impracticle for carry around the city.

Being in the city, stuff is easiely scavanged, shelter is plentyfull, (ask any homeless person) and you won't need a knife for self defence, and if there is an emergency on the level of 9-11, the leo's are going to go ape over somebody with a gun. A sak or multi-tool is going to be invauble. Scavanged food is going to be in cans, you'll need a good opener. Also most Federal buildings and museums here have metal detectors at the door. No blades over a couple inches. Never have a problem with a sak.

Durring 9-11, cell phones were completely useless, as well as durring Katrina.

Always carry at least a couple of bandanas for alot of uses. Dust cover for mouth and nose, bandages, tieing up a bundle of scavanged stuff, uses limited by imagintion only.


Cities are places of indoors or out. Anyplace indoors is going to be black if there is no power. You will need two flashlights, small and convienent to carry, with spare batteries. We've been through two emergencys on the D.C. metro system, one a breakdown and the other a derailment last winter. In both cases we had to walk out using the emergency cat walk on the side of the tunnel, and the metro driver had a weak two D cell rayovac. Lucky for us and the rest of the 40 to 50 passengers Karen and I had our daypacks and each had a AA mini-mag with the nite-eze conversion in addition to the keychain flashlights. We had to help the metro personel guide the people out. Cities get real dark underground or in windowless buildings like museums when the power goes out. Gives real meanng to "can't see your hand in front of your face". Two good flashlights may be more important than all the cutlery you lug along.

As far as guns go, I have never needed a firearm downtown. Contrary to most widly held opinions, not every city goblin has a gun. Most of the gangbangers travel in groups, and they will be about 50% armed. If one of them pulls a gun on you and you are dumb enough to pull yours, you're most like to be shot by 4 or 5 of their buds using anything from Glocks to a Davis .380's, to Raven .25's. The regular street punks rarely carry anything much exept if they are out hunting, and then a cheap kitchen knife they have shoplifted from a discount store or the home kitchen will do to intimidate a victim. they travel in twos and three's, but only one of them will have the "show" weapon in case of attention from "the man".

Stick. Nobody has brought this up yet. A good stout walking stick or cane is valueble. If its dark or inclement weather, or your making your way down a ruble filled stairwell, a third leg is a handy thing to have. Same as walking out of a subway or metro tunnel. Can serve as a defensive weapon for the kitchen knife armed street punk, or dog. More sticks can be gotten quickly with your pocket knife to arm those with you in at basic level. Mop handles, tree limbs from any hardwood, all will make a hiking/walking stick.

Maybe at my age I just don't feel like carrying alot, but then when I was younger I did'nt carry much anyways. When my Karen and I go down to the Smithsonian or the art gallerys we both carry the same kind of small nylon daypack. In it are just the following.

Water bottle.
small first aid kit.
Sil-pancho
small ball of jute twine
leather work gloves.
two spare bandanas
flashlight, and extra batteries.
extra bic lighter ( I smoke a pipe so one is always in my pocket)
space blanket
large 55 gallon trashbag folded up and rolled very small.
One spare pair Smart-wool hiking socks.
spare sak.
compass

On my person-
sak
two rolled up bandanas
bic lighter
small LED flashlight
Blackthorn walking stick

eagle creek wallet containing the following-
small diamond hone for pocket knife
small roll of dental floss
cut down pencil and paper to write on
good amout of cash

Alot of cities are on some kind of waterway. Bay, river, lake. If its a real emergency, I would consider swiping a boat to evacuate the area.

Think outside the box. Your mind is the most important tool you have.

 

[dante]

I got a lot of new ideas from the previous posts (i'm getting a handkerchief or bandanna), this is what I'm talking about!

Urban Dwellers and City Slickers unite. :thumbup:

 

[akennedy73]

This is good stuff.:thumbup: I was in NYC during the blackout and it was DARK in the streets and no one knew anything (even the leos were pretty much uninformed). Very few people were driving in the city and a police cruiser or firetruck would pass by every 10min or so with bright lights on and illuminate everything briefly.

The three things I wished I had then were a small flashlight, an AM/FM radio, and a water bottle. I was completely unprepared at the time, but I was with friends and SD wasn't an issue since everyone was pretty well behaved (wouldn't always count on that).

+1 :thumbup:

I had a nalgene water bottle with me during the 2003 NE blackout and it came in real handy during the two hours I spent walking home.

But I didn't have a flashlight or a radio - and I sorely missed having a radio.

Needless to say I always have all three now (and a bunch of other stuff as well) as my EDC. If you live in an urban environment and the grid goes down or there's a major attack, your PDAs and cell phones aren't going to work. The networks will overload and it'll be hours before you have a communication link. Your radio will work and it'll be an invaluable source for whatever information is available. Get one.

 

[Ron53]

"If one of them pulls a gun on you and you are dumb enough to pull yours, you're most like to be shot by 4 or 5 of their buds using anything from Glocks to a Davis .380's, to Raven .25's." - jackknife

Are you then supposed to let them do what they wish to either you or a loved one, and stand by with no action whatsoever? I admit that I have had a fair amount of training with firearms, cutlery, and what is euphemistically called "improvised weaponry" in certain circles. Total inaction is simply something that has never crossed my mind in such a situation, but then, I have lived in a different world than most.

Ron

 

[Don Rearic]

Are you then supposed to let them do what they wish to either you or a loved one, and stand by with no action whatsoever?

Ron,

In a word, YES. Seems to be the de-fence du jour...however the hell it is spelled. The omnipotent po-leese will come to your aid. They chalkline you and take nice pictures and shit after it's over. Then they ship you off for a free autopsy from the same government that doesn't care if you have cancer.

Sorry...cynic.

 

[jackknife]

"If one of them pulls a gun on you and you are dumb enough to pull yours, you're most like to be shot by 4 or 5 of their buds using anything from Glocks to a Davis .380's, to Raven .25's." - jackknife

Are you then supposed to let them do what they wish to either you or a loved one, and stand by with no action whatsoever? I admit that I have had a fair amount of training with firearms, cutlery, and what is euphemistically called "improvised weaponry" in certain circles. Total inaction is simply something that has never crossed my mind in such a situation, but then, I have lived in a different world than most.

Ron

No, you use your head to avoid such situations. Keep a watch on who's around you, keep to the street away from doorways and alley openings. If you do get in a jam, toss your dummy wallet on the ground in front of them and run like hell. Fighting it out with a bunch of gangbangers who have you outnumbered four or five to one is plain macho stupid.

I never stated inaction, just not the wrong action.

Maybe I'm just lucky to have survived living as many years in and around Washington D.C. and never had to have a serious situation needing a gun. The only trouble I had got solved with a blackthorn stick and I was on my way. Too many people have too many unreal mall ninja fantacies about "I'll pull my .40 such and such..." Macho fanticies don't have a place in the real world. Level headed thinking does.

 

[Don Rearic]

You know, people like Marc "The Animal" MacYoung get a lot of mileage out of calling people "What-If Monkeys." As in, "What if I am surrounded by the Ethiopian Olympic Running Team" or whatever other stupid shit he said a couple/few years back on Kelly Worden's radio show.

NEVER ask people who live in anti-weapon/anti-self-defense areas their opinion on defensive problems...ever.

My Wife was in a car accident back in 1991 and she broke her pelvis in several places. They never thought she would walk again, she has. She can trot, she can run...not far or fast enough to get away from a bunch of punks that would be dead anyway if the system worked...or not even in the country...

I love people who have no kids...no other considerations in life.

There is a word for them...it is beyond me now but I know you usually have to wipe it once a day...assuming your regular.

 

[STAGE 2]

Too many people have too many unreal mall ninja fantacies about "I'll pull my .40 such and such..." Macho fanticies don't have a place in the real world. Level headed thinking does.

Yes, but level headed thinking should also consider that in most cases, merely pulling a gun ends any potential conflict.

This is blade forums, so undoubtedly many here are partial to slicing and dicing any potential threat, but in reality thats not safe. With a firearm I can control the situation from a safe distance. The old adage of "if they're in range, so are you" applies just as well to street fighting.

I'm not going to fool around with my hands, a stick or a knife, because no matter how good I may be, there is always the chance someone lands a lucky shot. I may eventually fight off the mugger, but its not going to do me much good if I have that cheap kitchen knife sticking in my side.

A firearm is no less of a tool than a knife. To advocate that one is needed while the other one isn't seems very short sighted to me.

As far as guns go concealed carry permit or not if a cop finds you carrying a gun around your day is about to suck cause I've found most cops don't like poeple carrying around guns playing cop. With all my time in the city I've never had the need for a gun, and I've only once had to pull out my knife and all I did was pull it out and that did it.

I'm going to call baloney on this. A cop does not have the right to disarm a valid CCW holder just because "they don't like people playing cop". No doubt there are cops who harass ccw owners, but the farthese it ever goes is a ticket for what you were pulled over in the first place (if you are carrying concealed then they would have no idea you were armed when the encounter began.

I'm happy you've never needed a gun. Of course if I said that I've never needed a knife outside of the kitchen so people shouldn't carry them, everyone here would think I was stupid. Thats why we have the saying, better to have and not need, then to need and not have.

The day you need it and don't have it, I'm fairly sure you'll change your mind.

 

[Bare Rib]

I'm going to call baloney on this. A cop does not have the right to disarm a valid CCW holder just because "they don't like people playing cop". No doubt there are cops who harass ccw owners, but the farthese it ever goes is a ticket for what you were pulled over in the first place (if you are carrying concealed then they would have no idea you were armed when the encounter began.

I'm happy you've never needed a gun. Of course if I said that I've never needed a knife outside of the kitchen so people shouldn't carry them, everyone here would think I was stupid. Thats why we have the saying, better to have and not need, then to need and not have.

The day you need it and don't have it, I'm fairly sure you'll change your mind.

Nope no lunch meat here! First of all I never said they would take your toy away i just said that your day would suck. Second there is a good chance they will temporarily dissarm you unitl they verify your permit and id and then give it back as they send you on your way.

That said, yes a cop can remove a firearm from a ccw permitted person in situations
1. it is a fedral offense to bring a firearm into a bank, post office, educational facilities, some forms of mass transit (try walking onto a plane with your gun and tell them its ok I've got a ccw and see what they say), any fedrally owned building (courthouse for example)
2. if they feel that an individual is a threat to themselves or others
3. If you are intoxicated

It is also important to note that Local laws supersede state laws regarding weapons possession. Your state may say its ok to carry a 5" fixed blade but in XYZ major city you may not be able to carry anything more than a 3" folder.

Also I carry a knife because I have fighting exp with knives and swords (I competitively fought for some years) I do not have combat firearms training.
With that said I don't think that someone should carry anything for sd if they are not trained with that implement to do so that's just asking to make a bad situation worse.
So unless you are trained in comabt firearms don't carry a gun you might be a good shot at the range but being in a defensive situation is diffrent when the paper targets fight back. Even if you are trained I feel guns are not a good idea, why you may ask? The police are trained to deal with this type of situation, ever see footage of a shoot-out involving the police you see how many shots are fired and how many make it to their intendid target.

"Yes, but level headed thinking should also consider that in most cases, merely pulling a gun ends any potential conflict." -stage 2

Or piss the person off more; and unless your quick draw mcgraw what do you think your chances are of getting out your gun and using are before the person(s) whom already have theirs out stop you from doing so with their gun.

Another thing to think about. If this situation erupts into gunfire don't forget in a city you are now also endangering the lives of others from both your and the other persons weapon fire. Remember this is a city a populated area not the middle of no-where woods, there are always people around. I hear about more people getting hit from stay bullets on the news than I do about would-be attackers getting thwarted from a gun carrying citizen (you can try to blame the media for that but I'm sure there is another reason why.) Also let's say you do get jumped mugged whatever and do get out you gun and shoot your attacker(s) but you also send a stray bullet thru a window and someone or someones kid. While shooting you attacker may be ruled as sd you'll more than likely get charged with invulentary manslaughter for the bystander.

And to whomever is all about carring guns around for city sd take from this what you will but please don't blow-off what I say. I took time and put thought into this response and would appreciate it if you took time and thought about what I had say.
Cheers
-Ronan

 

[STAGE 2]

Nope no lunch meat here! First of all I never said they would take your toy away i just said that your day would suck. Second there is a good chance they will temporarily dissarm you unitl they verify your permit and id and then give it back as they send you on your way.

I guess you need to clarify what "making you day suck" means. I've run into plenty of police that were perfectly fine while I was carrying and i've run into some total jerks when I wasn't. Listening to some special forces reject lecture me about why I shouldn't carry is annoying, but I don't qualify that as making my day suck.

Bottom line, he can't arrest me, take my weapon permantly, or increase a fine because I'm carrying.

That said, yes a cop can remove a firearm from a ccw permitted person in situations
1. it is a fedral offense to bring a firearm into a bank, post office, educational facilities, some forms of mass transit (try walking onto a plane with your gun and tell them its ok I've got a ccw and see what they say), any fedrally owned building (courthouse for example)
2. if they feel that an individual is a threat to themselves or others
3. If you are intoxicated

Ok, but none of those are really what we are talking about and some of those aren't even correct. What we are talking about is a responsible person interacting with the police for non-criminal reasons, or at teh very worst a minor traffic violation.

It is also important to note that Local laws supersede state laws regarding weapons possession. Your state may say its ok to carry a 5" fixed blade but in XYZ major city you may not be able to carry anything more than a 3" folder.

And what does this have to do with the practicality of carrying a gun?

Also I carry a knife because I have fighting exp with knives and swords (I competitively fought for some years) I do not have combat firearms training.

Ever hear about what happened to the guy who brought the knife to the gun fight?

So unless you are trained in comabt firearms don't carry a gun you might be a good shot at the range but being in a defensive situation is diffrent when the paper targets fight back. Even if you are trained I feel guns are not a good idea, why you may ask? The police are trained to deal with this type of situation, ever see footage of a shoot-out involving the police you see how many shots are fired and how many make it to their intendid target.

Wow. I don't quite know what to say. Ignoring all the constitutional rights you just pushed aside, let me say that by in large (as with everything there are exceptions here) police are some of the worst people regarding firearms. They qualify once a year, don't take care of their weapons, and really aren't gun people as one would expect.

Of course this all presumes that the cops will be there to stop whatever is going on, which we all know is never the case.

Or piss the person off more; and unless your quick draw mcgraw what do you think your chances are of getting out your gun and using are before the person(s) whom already have theirs out stop you from doing so with their gun.

I think its safe to say that if someone is going to assault/mug me whether I piss them off "more" is pretty much irrelevant. A far as my chances go, I'd say they are no worse than standing there and letting them do what they will.

Another thing to think about. If this situation erupts into gunfire don't forget in a city you are now also endangering the lives of others from both your and the other persons weapon fire. Remember this is a city a populated area not the middle of no-where woods, there are always people around. I hear about more people getting hit from stay bullets on the news than I do about would-be attackers getting thwarted from a gun carrying citizen (you can try to blame the media for that but I'm sure there is another reason why.) Also let's say you do get jumped mugged whatever and do get out you gun and shoot your attacker(s) but you also send a stray bullet thru a window and someone or someones kid. While shooting you attacker may be ruled as sd you'll more than likely get charged with invulentary manslaughter for the bystander.

Two things. 1) You're quite the sarah brady poster boy. 2) You don't know much about the law in regards to self defense. If use of deadly force was justified, there is no court in the land that could criminally prosecute me for an unintended death by a stray bullet, or one that over penetrated. Its just not going to happen. There's always the civil suit, but the odds of you losing that are slim as well.

And to whomever is all about carring guns around for city sd take from this what you will but please don't blow-off what I say. I took time and put thought into this response and would appreciate it if you took time and thought about what I had say.
Cheers
-Ronan

Thats the problem though. You may have taken the time to write, but you obviously haven't taken the time to do any research. If you had any idea how many violent crimes and home invasions were stopped every year by firearms, most without ever firing a shot, you wouldn't be writing what you did.

If you had any idea what the CCW laws were, you wouldn't be writing what you wrote.

Carrying is a personal choice. However statement like "you don't need one", or "its too dangerous to others" just shows a complete ignorance of reality.

And whatever you do, please don't ever, EVER talk about your professional knifefighting skills to a gunny. I'm doing you a favor with that one. Trust me.

 

[nemoaz]

Maybe at my age I just don't feel like carrying alot, but then when I was younger I didn't carry much anyways.

I don't know what your age is. I'm not as young as I used to be, and I as a matter of practice these days I don't wrestle with thugs, whether or not I'm armed with a stick/baton or not. I don't think this is abnormal. Don't take this as an insult, please. You obviously don't have the mental determination to defend yourself. I'm not trying to be demeaning by saying that. It is in fact very common. People for various reasons, including religious beliefs or personality, have the same disposition. Even though I am opposed to your outlook, if you are not mentally prepared to defend yourself by using deadly force then it is smart to admit it to yourself. If you aren't sure you could defend yourself and your family using deadly force, you probably shouldn't consider carrying a defensive firearm or knife.

 

[koyote]

With that all said...how many of you posting what you would carry around in an "urban" enviroment actually live in an urban enviroment?

Cause I do live in an urban envirment, Philadelphia PA, USA (and I live in a pretty sh*ty part of town too,) and let me tell you what for those of you who have the laundry list of "gear" they are toting around is rather impractical. Walking 30+ blocks through-out the day with a bucnch of stuff I need for that days activities weighing you down can get pretty tiresome (esp when its the summer & 90+ degrees) add in all that extra stuff...oh boy. The sice thing about cities is you can stock-up as you go. In my opinion a good bag is towards the top of the list for things to have as part of an UPSK

Ronan

I do live in an urban environment, though this one is a bit more rural on the edges than when I lived in philly, santa monica, san diego, etc. My daily carry around backpack weighs in (as of this moment on a scale) at 13 pounds and I can walk and bicycle all day in it. If you can't carry that much around with you... well, obviously you can.

Your list isn't really ALL that much different from mine. I have a few more tools and knives on me all the time, but given the work I do (bike mechanic, knifemaker, and construction) I guess carrying 2 leathermen makes sense. and my first aid kit is a bit beefier than some, but I use it *every day* (my recurring theme- a psk that isn't a daily living kit gets stale)

I don't walk around with a firearm all over the place, nor do I feel the need to in my current environment. I don't carry "combat" knives all that much, either. I do carry diapers, though

one of the best things about stocking as you go is that in a daily used kit, you can feel free to use stuff that some people might take weeks to replace.

 

[koyote]

"If one of them pulls a gun on you and you are dumb enough to pull yours, you're most like to be shot by 4 or 5 of their buds using anything from Glocks to a Davis .380's, to Raven .25's." - jackknife

Are you then supposed to let them do what they wish to either you or a loved one, and stand by with no action whatsoever? I admit that I have had a fair amount of training with firearms, cutlery, and what is euphemistically called "improvised weaponry" in certain circles. Total inaction is simply something that has never crossed my mind in such a situation, but then, I have lived in a different world than most.

Ron

Depends the situation. my "wallet" (which has very little in it) isn't worth a gunfight, nor is my watch.

Rape and torture are a different story.

There's two types of- well, trained response- to a situation. At one level, which you get in a lot of your milityary and (presumably, I did the former) police schools is CONTROL. One is observation. Look, you don't walk into ANY part of a SERE scenario with guns blazing, you watch and wait and make the most of your opportunities. that CAN include immediate offensive action, but not "choosing" a berserker response doesn't equate to trusting tyhe police to solve all your problems, either.

 

[koyote]

Dare I suggest the creation of a sub-forum dedicated to the "Urban Jungle" something like Urban Skills/Concrete Jungle skills. I like this because where I live basically there is no wilderness and although I read the wilderness survival post and day dream, it's is not something I can even begin to comprehend. An urban survival forum would be great, we can have discussions from basic equipment to carry, the intricacies of the urban jungle (9-11, Katrina creates a different set of situations than a forest or jungle) and dealing with the worst of all predators (urbanized mankind!), basic self defense, legal, tools, engineering details of the modern society, electronics, food management, conceal carry. I purchased the Hood Woods DVD Urban Master and my mind was shifted from the classic fire/shelter/water mentality. When you are in the "city" your multi-tool becomes your pocket knife, your pry bar becomes your machete, the hammer becomes your axe, electricity becomes your fire etc.

Sort of like a lessons learned not a survivalist forum in the cliche fashion.

A subforum might be nice, but there's a lot of overlap that people overlook. I've spent a lot of time doing urban foraging and even sneak camping along suburban creeks and such, and most places I've lived (none as good as the west DC suburbs, that was awesome) have had quite a lot of wilderness tucked into the urban landscape- or well within an hour bike ride.