Urban Survival

[Tyrkon Lawson]

It's not hard to find some really good recommendations for books, classes, etc... on wilderness survival. However, I am curious as to how many people/organizations offer similar skills classes on surviving in an urban situation through some natural disaster. I don't mean an apocalyptic end of the world scenario. Just important skills. tips, etc... for us city folk.

As an example, in one of Cody Lundin's interviews he talks about waste treatment and disposal as being extremely important in urban survival. And I can see how something that seems a non-issue in the wild (away from huge populations) could be a real big problem where we are packed together like sardines.

From all the reading and video watching I have done it seems like there are many skills that would overlap in both settings. Starting a fire should be pretty much the same and perhaps even easier in the city where we have so much "stuff". Purifying water is probably similar as well. But I am sure there are things that are more of an issue in cities -vs- wilderness settings.

If you guys have any good recommendations on classes, books, videos, etc... related to urban survival please feel free to post them. Or just add tips of your own or thoughts on the matter. I plan on ordering a book Cody Lundin wrote a while back and see what he has to say. Gear is great but skill is my focus here. I already have lots of gear. I really like stuff I can practice myself. I do not prefer to just watch or read but like to actually practice skills and share with my wife and kids.

Thanks in advance for any input.

 

[Mistwalker]

It's not hard to find some really good recommendations for books, classes, etc... on wilderness survival. However, I am curious as to how many people/organizations offer similar skills classes on surviving in an urban situation through some natural disaster. I don't mean an apocalyptic end of the world scenario. Just important skills. tips, etc... for us city folk.

As an example, in one of Cody Lundin's interviews he talks about waste treatment and disposal as being extremely important in urban survival. And I can see how something that seems a non-issue in the wild (away from huge populations) could be a real big problem where we are packed together like sardines.

From all the reading and video watching I have done it seems like there are many skills that would overlap in both settings. Starting a fire should be pretty much the same and perhaps even easier in the city where we have so much "stuff". Purifying water is probably similar as well. But I am sure there are things that are more of an issue in cities -vs- wilderness settings.

If you guys have any good recommendations on classes, books, videos, etc... related to urban survival please feel free to post them. Or just add tips of your own or thoughts on the matter. I plan on ordering a book Cody Lundin wrote a while back and see what he has to say. Gear is great but skill is my focus here. I already have lots of gear. I really like stuff I can practice myself. I do not prefer to just watch or read but like to actually practice skills and share with my wife and kids.

Thanks in advance for any input.

Sanitation is a very big issue. When I lived off of the grid here in an urban setting for a while...when I was younger...I set up collection barrels at my down spouts to collect rain water for different uses. I had 80 1 gallon jugs stored in 20 milk crates and every time it rained...which is pretty often here...I would fill up all of my empty jugs while it was raining, then tie a screen over the top of the barrels with a bungee cord. I would filter and boil any I consumed or bathed with but mostly I used that for sanitary uses. I would use a small bucket to carry water from the barrels to the commode and use up the barrel water first.

 

[shangchi108]

It's not hard to find some really good recommendations for books, classes, etc... on wilderness survival. However, I am curious as to how many people/organizations offer similar skills classes on surviving in an urban situation through some natural disaster. I don't mean an apocalyptic end of the world scenario. Just important skills. tips, etc... for us city folk.

As an example, in one of Cody Lundin's interviews he talks about waste treatment and disposal as being extremely important in urban survival. And I can see how something that seems a non-issue in the wild (away from huge populations) could be a real big problem where we are packed together like sardines.

From all the reading and video watching I have done it seems like there are many skills that would overlap in both settings. Starting a fire should be pretty much the same and perhaps even easier in the city where we have so much "stuff". Purifying water is probably similar as well. But I am sure there are things that are more of an issue in cities -vs- wilderness settings.

If you guys have any good recommendations on classes, books, videos, etc... related to urban survival please feel free to post them. Or just add tips of your own or thoughts on the matter. I plan on ordering a book Cody Lundin wrote a while back and see what he has to say. Gear is great but skill is my focus here. I already have lots of gear. I really like stuff I can practice myself. I do not prefer to just watch or read but like to actually practice skills and share with my wife and kids.

Thanks in advance for any input.

I have seen several courses being offered in LA on the subject, so I know they exist. I haven't enrolled in any of them.

Speaking of Cody Lundin, you might want to check out his book "When All Hell Breaks Loose". Excellent book on survival, urban or otherwise, when natural (or man made) disasters strike.

 

[SirJames]

I got When All Hell Breaks Loose and it's a good book.

I also have Extreme Simplicity: Homesteading In The City by Christopher Nyerges and his How To Survive Anywhere: A Guide for Urban, Suburban, Rural, and Wilderness Environments but it is more for those with a house and a large yard rather than apartment dwellers. Chris is also about living the lifestyle now and not living high on the hog until disaster strikes.