Your Kit for a Walk in the City

For the city, the most important thing you need is cash.

If you can carry a concealed weapon, great. Thats a bonus. I try to carry whenever I am stateside. Abroad I do not have that luxury. Carry your everyday folder/multitool and some other items depending on the city you are in. For example, in Mexico City I carry iodine tabs as well because if I can't buy a bottled water, I'm going to need to purify whatever comes out of the tap.

If you don't smoke, you won't really need to build a fire, so a fire kit isn't essential unless you live in a more rural area.

Honestly, the biggest thing will be cash. Carry at least $100 cash in multiple bills, then carry multiple credit cards. In the city, money is your greatest tool. I've had to get out of a few nasty situations and the most important thing was cash to pay for taxi's and to bribe the locals- be they police, military or a-holes.
 
Bushman5 said:
aw but lets say your inside a building, an office tower elevator, the power craps out, the back up gen set craps out and you are stuck for 10 plus hours, hey you got a source of light to help see or to help others out..............or maybe your on a bus and i breaks down on Hwy 91 in the bitter cold, you got food/water and a heat sheet............or maybe SHTF the subway tunnels caves in and your stuck on the train waiting them to dig ya out...or maybe your walking along and a cop gets ambushed and shot....hey you have a FAK on board, your good to go etc etc etc ,

all hypothetical and highly unlikely, (well, the elevator one is routine...) but your get the idea.

My uncle escaped from Tower one and he later commented that he wished he had the gear i do, he could have used the shemagh as a eye/mouth mouth, could have used the Israeli bandages to help some of the fireman he saw injured etc etc.

Its the Boy Scout in me, go prepared. :D:D
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I also don't wear a hardhat in case objects fall off of buildings and hit me while, or steel toed boots in case something heavy falls on my foot, nor do I carry a jerry can of gas in case I run in to a friend who is trying to get out of town and is almost out of fuel, nor do I keep a life jacket with me in case of flooding...

There are all kinds of highly unlikely scenarios you can prepare for - and in my opinion one of the less ridiculous ones is actually something falling off a construction site and hitting you, especially in Vancouver.

But there is a risk threshhold here...I am not going to walk around in a hard hat 24 hours a day in case somebody drops their hammer.

I don't object to any gear that anyone wants to pack around. But EVERYONE draws the line somewhere, because NOBODY is prepared for EVERYTHING. So you assess your threshhold of risk and determine the amount of safety equipment you need to process that risk.

Sometimes people confuse a high risk threshhold with low risk awareness...but you can actually be highly risk-aware, and just mentally comfortable with running those risks.

One of the risks I am prepared to run is the possibility that I will suddenly require the ability to put a makeshift bandage on a guy, or that I will need something to breath through but be unable to make do with my t-shirt. I will never mock anyone for their desire to carry any of their survival gear, but I just don't feel the need.

To each his own!
 
I almost forgot something that I always carry with me- a CPR breathing screen.

If you are trained in CPR and are willing to help someone that goes down, buy one of the little one way valves that you can put on your keychain. I had a guy have a heart attack when I was at the bank and........well lets just say it was repulsive. I pulled his shirt over his face to use it as a screen but I would have preferred the valve. As a firefighter I use to do CPR all the time with a hand bag, and i'd say........eh......60% of the time you get vomit coming up.
 
jlouis976 said:
I almost forgot something that I always carry with me- a CPR breathing screen.

If you are trained in CPR and are willing to help someone that goes down, buy one of the little one way valves that you can put on your keychain. I had a guy have a heart attack when I was at the bank and........well lets just say it was repulsive. I pulled his shirt over his face to use it as a screen but I would have preferred the valve. As a firefighter I use to do CPR all the time with a hand bag, and i'd say........eh......60% of the time you get vomit coming up.
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I can't remember the last time a Bladeforums post completely eliminated my appetite like that. Well done sir! :D :barf:

All the best,

- Mike
 
"a walk in the urban jungle" is a daily occurence.

Usually a Glock with 2 magazines. A Blade-Tech or SAK. Sometimes a cell phone. And as noted above cash money!
 
I live in a city of 60 - 70,000 which has the highest crime rate for a city it's size in the nation.

When I go out and about I generaly have either my HI R-10 carried horizontal across my back, or my Harsey T-3 in a front jacket pocket or soewhere close at hand. I have an Olight which puts out 180 lumens close at hand on my weak side.

Along with the regular wallet keys etc. I also always have a firesteel, matchcase w/compass and basic survival gear with me. mMainly due to the fact that those items are always in my jacket pockets.
 
SAK, multitool, bandana, photon microlight, and a small plastic box (somewhat smaller than an altoids tin) with a couple of band-aids, fabric-based adhesive tape, sewing kit, hand sanitizer and matches.

Of course, I also carry a cell phone, wallet and a separate card-wallet with the bank cards, ID's and some spare money.


Jaime Orozco.
 
I work in the Northern end of Times Square and commute by subway.
Most important for me is a flashlight and back up flashlight.
Underground dark is as dark as it gets.
:D
Other stuff in the Max/fatboy:
Dust mask
Hardware store leather unlined leather work gloves
Cordage
A 2' coil of heavy wire
Batteries (camera, flashlight both use AA)
Notebook
Swisstool
Disposable poncho
Tissues
Gerber Sharpmaker
Hand wipes

Most of the above are everyday use items that'll help in a pinch.

Second to the flashlight I'd have to say good footware.
When stuff happens most times you're better off walking.
 
On my person, I carry the same as I do in woods. When going urban, I add a Kelty shoulder bag with HD dust mask, leather gloves, safety glasses, watchcap, water bottle, poncho, TP, coffee filters, notebook/pen, extra batts (AA), wipes, camera and pocket binoculars.
 
Misanthropist, lol....... your right one cannot be prepared for everything. But the gear i carry is BASIC handy stuff that i have used . Not all at once, but at least once a day i use parts or tools from my kit. Wire clippers, pry bar, FAK, flashlight, SAK, cup, candy, maps, TP etc.

and yes i have been stuck in elevators for long periods of time, i have been in blackout situations. Those are common in any urban area...

sure one can use a shirt to improvise. dunno about you, but i like my clothes. and sure as heck am not taking them off in this weather to fashion a bandage. Not when i can simply pull a Israeli bandage out of the Blow Out Pouch and apply it.

i have been stuck on our transit system, 6 hours on Skytrain over the Fraser, and on a bus to White Rock. I had food, reading material, water, and was able to give a Bendyrl to a passenger who had bad hayfever.

my EDC is not heavy, i hardly notice it. I LIKE carrying stuff with me, i'm always thinking ahead as to where i'm going, how i'm getting there, contingency plan if i'm delayed, or if transpo falls thru, etc etc. Then i pack according to my anticipated needs for the day. Sometimes i'll tweak my EDC kit 2 - 8 times a day, adding, removing gear, switching bags to a pack, clothing swaps etc. I also wear custom made leather steel toes everyday, always have since i was seven. i like the weight and foot protection of them.

I could spend hours with my EDC stuff. Its good times

:)
 
Bushman5 said:
Misanthropist, lol....... your right one cannot be prepared for everything. But the gear i carry is BASIC handy stuff that i have used . Not all at once, but at least once a day i use parts or tools from my kit. Wire clippers, pry bar, FAK, flashlight, SAK, cup, candy, maps, TP etc.

and yes i have been stuck in elevators for long periods of time, i have been in blackout situations. Those are common in any urban area...

sure one can use a shirt to improvise. dunno about you, but i like my clothes. and sure as heck am not taking them off in this weather to fashion a bandage. Not when i can simply pull a Israeli bandage out of the Blow Out Pouch and apply it.

i have been stuck on our transit system, 6 hours on Skytrain over the Fraser, and on a bus to White Rock. I had food, reading material, water, and was able to give a Bendyrl to a passenger who had bad hayfever.

my EDC is not heavy, i hardly notice it. I LIKE carrying stuff with me, i'm always thinking ahead as to where i'm going, how i'm getting there, contingency plan if i'm delayed, or if transpo falls thru, etc etc. Then i pack according to my anticipated needs for the day. Sometimes i'll tweak my EDC kit 2 - 8 times a day, adding, removing gear, switching bags to a pack, clothing swaps etc. I also wear custom made leather steel toes everyday, always have since i was seven. i like the weight and foot protection of them.

I could spend hours with my EDC stuff. Its good times

:)
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Well, there you go...I am all for people doing whatever they like as long as nobody hurts anybody else. If you enjoy carrying your kit around, that's good enough for me.
 
I've been meaning to take pictures of my daily carry kit for a while now. I go to school in downtown KC and I have a small Osprey bag with some essentials:

Sigg bottle filled with water (Don't laugh, rksoon! :D)
Small collapsed Platypus pouch
4 water purification tablets
1 Clif bar
2 Starburst packs
1 map of the KC area
Leatherman Skeletool and bit kit
glucometer
wool hat
small AMK first aid kit
headlamp
2 spare 123As for my EDC light of the day
1 small AMK heat sheet
2 chemical hand warmers
a small firestarting kit
 
I'd say cash money is very important in urban survival---that's an excellent point that many don't think of when you say "survival."

There's all sorts of things both little and big you can pack, but that would probably be the most important nowadays.
 
I too live and work in Toronto, Canada's biggest city, and I spend a lot of time walking/biking/running/riding the subway all over the place. Pretty much every single day, rain or shine or like today, snow, I'm out there at least walking my dog.

Generally, the only piece of 'survival' equipment I carry is a sheeple friendly SAK soldier.

I'm not going to discuss weather appropriate clothing.

If I'm actually doing some sort of excursion, not just going to work or running usual errands, I add water and some snacks. Years ago I used to bring a daypack of 'just-in-case' gear, but in my experience in the city you never need any of it.

I now know the city well enough that I don't need a map; when I didn't know it as well I did carry a map (and tried to look at it discreetly, not to advertise my knowledge 'weakness').

Too, I find it advantageous when in the urban landscape to avoid looking like the cliched traveler/tourist. Years ago I was in Amsterdam for work, and I walked all over the city like a madman (I was alone and had little to do outside of work obligations). I didn't carry any bag or camera, etc.

The funny thing? I had people asking ME for directions because I looked like I knew where I was going.

Matt
 
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Lawlor69 said:
I too live and work in Toronto, Canada's biggest city, and I spend a lot of time walking/biking/running/riding the subway all over the place. Pretty much every single day, rain or shine or like today, snow, I'm out there at least walking my dog.

Generally, the only piece of 'survival' equipment I carry is a sheeple friendly SAK soldier.

I'm not going to discuss weather appropriate clothing.

If I'm actually doing some sort of excursion, not just going to work or running usual errands, I add water and some snacks. Years ago I used to bring a daypack of 'just-in-case' gear, but in my experience in the city you never need any of it.

I now know the city well enough that I don't need a map; when I didn't know it as well I did carry a map (and tried to look at it discreetly, not to advertise my knowledge 'weakness').

Too, I find it advantageous when in the urban landscape to avoid looking like the cliched traveler/tourist. Years ago I was in Amsterdam for work, and I walked all over the city like a madman (I was alone and had little to do outside of work obligations). I didn't carry any bag or camera, etc.

The funny thing? I had people asking ME for directions because I looked like I knew where I was going.

Matt
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The same thing happened to me in Chicago a couple of months ago. A few people at the bus stop asked me for directions. I try to study my route before I leave, never look at the map in public, and always act like I know exactly where I'm going.
 
Snow said:
and always act like I know exactly where I'm going.
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Even if you don't :thumbup:

Keep moving, don't stand still and search.
Even if you have to circle around the block to find your way.
Or cross the street and make a U-Turn.
 
most people who wouldn't forget to carry their cell phone in an urban area will never consider carrying a radio. but if a real emergency happens, the cell phone networks will go down for hours when everyone tries to call someone else simultaneously. it's a sight to see - crowds of people holding their cell phones to their ears and then holding them in front of their faces with a puzzled look - and then back to the ear and then more puzzled looks. over and over, hundreds upon hundreds of people - there's something kinda funny about it :D

when the 2003 Northeast blackout occurred and I had to walk home, the one thing I wished I had with me was a radio. needless to say i carry a small AM/FM radio with me if I'm leaving my neighborhood. so that's my recommendation :thumbup:
 
akennedy73 said:
most people who wouldn't forget to carry their cell phone in an urban area will never consider carrying a radio
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That's a good point. If you dont want to carry a separate FM radio, this is still something you might wanna consider when buying a new cell phone or mp3 player. Some of them have a radio in them.

Also, even if you usually dont use the internet via cell phone, but you have that feature in your phone (most models do nowadays), make the settings and try it out. This way you'll have one more possible source of information available if you need it.
 
Geez all geared up to go to the big city and you all forgot to pack the condoms. tsk tsk I thought you were prepared.
 
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