Urban Survival – What You Need To Know

Can You Survive

No mater how much I bitch and moan, some of you just don’t listen, letting my advice go in one ear out the other. I tell you to get out of the major population areas, but you refuse, thinking you will pack up and head for the hills moments before the first flames light the night and the mushroom cloud hovers overhead.    

Even if you are fortunate enough to have a retreat out in the country getting to your safe haven maybe impossible during upheaval. Roads blocked by wrecked and fuelless vehicles will stop most bugouters in their tracks. Maybe you were born lucky and can make it out safely before the balloon bursts, then what?    

People in rural areas, will start shooting if threatened by mobs of refugees fleeing the city. Don’t expect to be welcomed with arms outstretched. Most country folks don’t trust outsiders; you will likely be greeted with a load of buckshot and not the cup of fresh coffee and meaningful conversation you hoped for.    

After the cities are in ruins, criminal gangs will start to migrate to the country where they will continue their business of stealing and terrorizing in more fruitful territory. If you can stay hidden and survive the first weeks after a collapse you may at some point have the entire city pretty much to yourself. If you can’t or won’t get out NOW at least start making plans to survive where you are.    

Food    

You should store enough food to last at least six months. This means enough food to live on without leaving home. Food stables include, rice, beans, honey, wheat, sugar, tea, coffee, salt, pepper, baking soda, cooking oil etc. Also canned soups, meats, fruits and vegetables should be included for verity. The food storage calculator is an excellent tool for approximating needed qualities of foods and is a great help here.    

Sprouting seeds will keep you supplied with fresh greens even in the winter. Sprouts are germinated seeds of vegetables, nuts, grains and legumes. Sprouts are nutritious, inexpensive and high in protein. Sprouts should be included in your survival food plans. All that is needed is a couple of quart mason jars, a squire of nylon window screen, rubber bands and viable seed stock.    

If you decide to include whole grains in your diet, you will need a grain grinder. Grinders should be steel-burred, not stone. Some people suggest that steel-burred grinders cause heat that could damage the nutrient content of the grain. Don’t buy it. Hand grinding doesn’t cause enough heat to cause damage. Don’t waist your money on stone grinders or combination steel and stone, get the much cheaper but entirely functional steel-burred grinder.    

Next you will need something to cook on. I recommend one of the Colman multi fuel camp stoves. I have the Peak1 which burns both Coleman fuel and kerosene. These stoves are small, light weight and very energy efficient.    

Remember, when using stoves like these indoors the fumes must be vented to the outside, if not carbon monoxide can build up and kill you.    

If you don’t have one already go by your local shopping center and pick up a Stanly Aladdin narrow-mouth thermos bottle. You will use the thermos as an energy efficient appliance for cooking. Don’t get a wide-mouthed thermos; if you intend to use it for cooking, these are less efficient at holding heat.    

It is best to use a different bottle for cooking then your everyday thermos. Coffee smell for instance, tends to leach into whatever you are cooking, even if the bottle has been cleaned.    

Thermos cooking is in no way difficult or complicated, all you need is some simple directions.    

Water    

Without a source of clean drinking water most of us will die within seven days, three during extreme weather conditions. The problem with water is it’s difficult to store enough to last through an extended emergency. Most of us just don’t have the space required to store the volume of water needed.    

The water from a waterbed can be used in an emergency if you have a method of purifying the water before drinking. The average waterbed will hold approximately five hundred gallons; a family of four could have two thousand gallons in waterbed storage.    

Collecting rain water on the roof could be a solution in areas that receive an ample amount rain fall. Use plastic sheets, tarps etc, to funnel the life giving liquid into clean trash cans, buckets or other containers.    

When I lived in an apartment building in the late 1990’s I bought several “kiddy pools” just for this purpose. They can be stored neatly one inside the other and slid under the bed out of the way until needed.    

Some urban areas have lakes or streams near by. Never drink directly from the source; there is no way of knowing if the water is contaminated without proper testing. Don’t take chances; invest in a good water filter to be sure. The best filters filter out Bacteria, Organic Chemicals and Protozoa (Giardia) Viruses.    

Shelter    

I hated living in an apartment. I felt like I had no privacy what so ever, I could literally hear every word, whimper, moan or scream through the walls, ceiling and floor. I am sure every one in the building felt the same way. If you are stuck in the city an apartment is likely the situation you will need to deal with despite its limitations.    

There are a few things you can do to make your place more secure. The first thing I did was replace the front door with a steel security door with dead bolt and peephole. I hid the old door in the closet and replaced it when I moved. I also replaced the door leading into the bedroom with the same type door, lock and peephole set up for an instant safe room inside the apartment.    

Don’t forget smoke and carbon monoxide. Keep at least two fully charged fire extinguishers on hand at all times. Also the magnetic break door and window alarms work well when used to guard the windows and doors leading into the apartment.    

If you are above the second floor an escape ladder or rope should be put back incase of fire. A proper mask should also be considered.    

When we pay rent we are always faced with the possibility of eviction. If possible keep the rent paid up at least six months or more in advance. If you have no other way of paying in advance, borrowing the money from the bank will keep you sheltered during hard times. I hate debt but this is on area where it could be to your advantage depending on your personal circumstances and how you work the situation.    

Going mobile could be an option for the city survivor, but fuel would become a problem post peak-oil. Like everything else in life we must weigh the good against the bad and make our choices based on that knowledge. If you are interested in this, a great information can be found here.    

Weapons    

Defense in the city will likely be a short range engagement. For city work I recommend a good pump shotgun and a handgun. The Mossberg 500 or Remington 870 with 18 inch barrel are both excellent choices. The double barreled coach guns should also be considered. For versatility put back a verity of shot shell loading as well as buckshot and rifled slugs.    

Handguns should be at least .38 caliber or above. I like both revolvers and automatics, in skilled hands both can be effective. Stay with what you know and practice. If you have had little or no training in this area seek out a competent instructor and become qualified. If you are fortunate enough to live in a state that issues concealed carry permits, you should apply for yours as soon as possible.    

My favorite foraging tool in urban areas is the Springfield Armory M6 scout. It was developed for the U.S. Air Force as a survival tool for downed pilots and works quite well in that role. I think the main advantage this little rifle has over others is the fact it can be broken down or folded up and hidden in a backpack until needed.    

Wild Game    

As the human population continues to decline, look for a huge increase in the number of wild and semi-wild animals. Mostly small game such as rabbit and squirrel but what most people fail to realize is that the outskirts of most urban centers harbor a good number of whitetail deer.    

Small game can be taken with traps, air rifles, slingshots or ever killed with a club or rock. When I lived on a lot in a small city I shoot squirrels that found their way into my back lot with a .22 caliber single rifle loaded with CB caps, (down-loaded .22 rimfire ammo) the little rounds are very quiet and can take most small animals out to about ten yards. Deer can easily be snared or shot.    

Look for huge numbers of semi-domestic dogs and cats to populate urban areas after a collapse. If you can get past the thought and your own limitations these can be good sources of meat. Dogs can be caught in snares and cats are easy to trap using homemade box traps.    

Most cities have an abundant pigeon population. It is a simple matter to follow the flock to their roost at dusk. Shinning a light into their eyes they tend to set still where they can be caught or killed with little trouble. Air guns and sling shots work well.    

Without a doubt the most abundant source of meat in any urban environment is the common rat. They have thrived under even the most challenging circumstances. It is almost a certainty if there are human survivors after any catastrophe rats will be in abundance. Like most small animals they can be trapped in homemade box traps or shot.    

Gardening    

Don’t expect to support yourself entirely from a city garden, at least not at first. I have raised tomatoes in a window box and hanging baskets on the terrace. Perhaps in time large community gardens would spring up that could be worked by groups of survivors.    

During the first months preceding a collapse gardens will need to be hidden and out of site. A lot of vegetables are easily mistaken for weeds and are not all that difficult to keep hidden from passers-by.    

The first rule of avoiding detection is to never plant your crops using the traditional roll method. The three sisters gardening method comes to mind, the some North American Indian tribes used this technique to grow corn, beans and squash to great effect and it acts as a natural camouflage.    

When it comes to survival gardening, obviously we must start with seed; therefore it becomes a necessity to have a source of viable seed on hand. Look for non-hybrid (“heirloom” varieties, you want to be sure the seed saved from year to year will breed true and continue to do so. Hybrid varieties for the most part are unpredictable and seem to only do well during the first year of planting.    

Most garden varieties should be included in your stock. Include such vegetables as: artichoke, asparagus, beans, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chives, corn, cucumber, eggplant, garlic, gourds, kale, leeks, lettuce, mustard green, onions, parsley, parsnips, peanuts, peas, peppers, pumpkin, radishes, soybeans, spinach, squash, sunflowers, swiss chard, tomatoes, turnip, watermelon, zucchini etc; In general put back seeds that grow well in your area and of foods you like to eat.    

Conclusion    

Even in the most populated areas after the rioting, burning and looting subsides there will be survivors. The most difficult part is surviving the first few months after the crash, and then the rebuilding can begin.