Urban Survival Knife

cgmblade said:
It's obvious you guys have given this subject a lot of thought. I'm glad I asked the question here and I appreciate the responses. I've learned a lot and am much better informed thanks to your input.

It seems I need to prepare at least two and perhaps three different layers of equipment/supplies. 1) Those I carry on my person. 2) What I might keep in a bag near me. and 3) stuff I keep in my vehicle.
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look at it this way:

WHERE do you work? how many floors up? how many exits? is your vehicle accessible? how much water is on each floor? how many EXITS? how many people do you work with? how many of them are prepared? how many miles between your work and home? how many ROADS between you and home?
electrical hazards? creeks (flooding???) , obstacles between you and home? disaster plan at work?

etc
 
cgmblade said:
It's obvious you guys have given this subject a lot of thought. I'm glad I asked the question here and I appreciate the responses. I've learned a lot and am much better informed thanks to your input.

It seems I need to prepare at least two and perhaps three different layers of equipment/supplies. 1) Those I carry on my person. 2) What I might keep in a bag near me. and 3) stuff I keep in my vehicle.
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I go on the principle that its always on me (belt & day pack) any additional gear will be within arms reach as access to gear in a vehicle or elsewhere may not be possible for a variety of reasons.

Also, given the restrictions on carrying fixed blade knives and pry bars in the UK (they're illegal) I need to ensure that whats on me is adaptable and legal. It would be worth checking if your university has a list of restricted items.

I avoid anything which looks 'military' or 'tactical' as these tend to not suit my application/preferences/environment.

Appearance wise, subtle and relaxed is preferable to tactical and equipped. It works for me.
 
I carry a SuperTool or SuperTool 300 and a SAK Farmer on me at ALL times. I also keep a lighter and a flashlight and a supersmall FAK in my backpack while at school. I always carry a water bottle at school as well. With that in hand, I am 100% able to make it to my truck, which is much has much more substantial equipment, and GTFO.
 
I really think you guys are on the mark about the need for N95's, eye protection and gloves. I remember watching the debri/dust fallout from 9/11 on TV and in and urban/city enviroment, believe these could be crucial items to have.
 
gadgetgeek said:
As far a knives go, I think discrete is the word in urban environments, especially for EDC
I often use transit, so everything is always on me, and though sometimes a bag has to be left behind a desk, I'm sure I could retrieve it. What do you do when you get out of your evac'd building to find the street your car is on is blocked off?
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This is the crux. What's your situation? Some places, I've carried decent sized fixed blades and in others I was a little nervous with a folder and multitool.

It is good advice to break it down into layers with your EDC being layer one and the essentials that are always on you...again this is different for everybody and their situation, but there are so many ways to carry the minimal essentials it just takes some imagination and ingenuity.

Second layer should be something that you carry to and from your vehicle and either leave in the office or travel with (laptop bag, backpack, shoulder bag, etc.)...especially if you can't get back to your car.

Lastly, you could have more specialized gear in your vehicle if you can get to it or a crisis hits when you're traveling.

I had a work pack dedicated to more a more urban environment a while back:

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Gadgetgeek and Bushman provided some excellent extensive lists of equipment.

ROCK6
 
Given the legal issues, the only "knife" I can get away with carrying is a Gerber Artifact, actually quite useful.
 
In my case, one of the most serious risk is being trapped in underground tunnel
after a big earthquake. To be prepared for that, I carry a head lamp, medium sized
towel, a prier and a fixed blade knife.
 
I always have either my spyderco paramilitary or Strider SNG on me. I figure there are few tasks those knives could not handle either in an urban or wilderness environment.
 
The knives in my urban small daypack are a RAT HEST and a Victorinox Locksmith (same tools as a Trekker, but with the large metal saw/fie).

My larger BOB in the car has a Gerber LMF II.
 
jackknife said:
For urban survival a Leatherman or sak with a saw blade will be great to have. Being in an urban environment, you have all sorts of materials to harvest, and a saw may be invaluble.

If you're going to be in a college campass or job environment, you want something low profile untill you need it. Something that can be kept right on your person without getting attention.

With a multitool, you can make most of what you need from stuff around you.
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Yup, Scrapheap Challenge mentality and tools, and no gimmicky ninja stuff.
 
For "knives", I'll say the city is one place a multitool really rules. One of those and a good folder or fixed blade is a good start.

Problem with full B&E kits is that a [Breaking and Exiting] kit looks identical to a [Breaking and Entering] kit.
 
I carry a becker necker in my bag, at least one locking folder and a SAK on my person, Leatherman ALX in my bag, along with a FAK, small survival kit, lighter, pain meds, lip balm, and firearm, OC Spray, Cliff Bars, iPhone, granola, allergy meds, low dose asprin, hemestatic sponge (quick clot), ear plugs, water bottle, LED flashlight, keys, extra pair of gloves in winter, handwarmers all the time. I occassional add another can of oc, an asp, and the knife loadout can change on occasion. I figure these things are barebones+. I can get home or spend an overnight with what I have.
 
I'm really enjoying this thread. I've read some good thoughts and have several of my own....I hope I remember to post something here later when I have more time...I bookmarked it so I wouldn't forget lol.
 
jackknife said:
For urban survival a Leatherman or sak with a saw blade will be great to have. Being in an urban environment, you have all sorts of materials to harvest, and a saw may be invaluble.

If you're going to be in a college campass or job environment, you want something low profile untill you need it. Something that can be kept right on your person without getting attention.

With a multitool, you can make most of what you need from stuff around you.
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+1
I carry a swisstool spirit in my bag at all times (and an SAK farmer in my pocket). You can make all kinds of improvised stuff with that in an urban setting. If you're really up against it, the file can be used on scrap metal to make a cutting edge, driver heads can be used to pry, etc.
 
For the OP, that smith & wesson knife reminds me of Böker Reality Based knife wich would be much better choice:

RBB_Fixed_300x300.jpg
 
I firmly beleve that a good Multi tool would be not only the best thing to have , but really it would be the only tool, that I would need.
 
- Klein insulated wire cutters/pliers
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I can vouch for those babies. I ruined a pair of insulated Klein Lineman's Pliers because of a half-asleep husband.
Used to work for a plumbing & electric company as a sub-contractor/journeyman electrician.
Was installing a control panel for city sewage at a house in another county. I told the wife to kick the main breaker in the house (she didn't know which was to the line I needed to be on).
What I didn't know was that she'd left and her husband had awoken (third shift worker) to no power in the house. Kicked the breaker right as I clipped into a 220 amp line.

It blew a hole in the pliers and went off like a twelve gauge. I was fine, other than shaken up. I was still standing there just looking at the pliers. The other company that was there digging the hole for the sewage tank were scared shitless. They were screaming: "MAN, ARE YOU ALRIGHT, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?! THAT DUMB SON OF A B**CH ALMOST KILLED YOU!"

I never even got the first jolt.
 
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