Urban survival is a huge topic. There are so many things to consider, including how you might react in an emergency, how to store food and water for when you need it most, and what supplies you might need to keep yourself safe.

The list of things that can go wrong in an urban environment is long and scary but there are also steps that you can take now to help prepare yourself for the worst-case scenarios. Read on for our ultimate urban survival checklist:

What To Pack In An Urban Survival Kit!

Takeaways
Understanding the importance of urban survival skills and preparation
Knowing the essential items to include in an urban survival kit
Learning the best strategies and techniques for surviving in an emergency in an urban environment
Staying up-to-date with the latest urban survival gear and equipment
Connecting with community resources and support networks for added safety and security

Know Your Enemy

You’ll need to know the enemy in order to survive an urban disaster. You have to know its strengths and weaknesses, as well as your own strengths and weaknesses.

You also need to know its intentions, because without that knowledge you won’t be able to plan out how you will deal with them.

Know what doctrine (the rules) they follow and what doctrine guides your own actions so that you can use this knowledge during any conflict or confrontation with them.

Having the right gear is essential during emergencies, especially in urban areas where resources may be scarce. Get familiar with our recommendations on the top 10 urban survival gear items to stay prepared and ready for any situation.

Have a Plan

If you’ve ever been stuck in traffic, waited in line at the DMV, or had a friend who was late for a flight, then you know that sometimes life can be unpredictable.

As such, it’s important to plan for everything from the best-case scenario to worst-case scenario when it comes to urban survival. But how?

First things first: Your plan needs to be flexible enough to account for different scenarios (and people’s abilities).

If your house catches on fire and you have access to one car—which one of these would work better in that situation: going straight across town or driving around back streets? That’s what we call planning ahead!

Second thing second: Don’t be too rigid with your plans so that they don’t change when needed. You may think something like “if I’m trapped inside my apartment building during an earthquake” sounds like a good idea…but what if there are no working elevators? Or no one else is running around screaming “earthquake”? In cases like these, flexibility is key!

Planning for Emergencies

Planning Steps	Description
Identify Potential Risks	Make a list of the potential emergencies that could happen in your area such as natural disasters, power outages or civil unrest.
Develop an Emergency Action Plan	Create a comprehensive plan of action that outlines what steps you and your household should take in the event of an emergency, including evacuation routes and meeting places.
Assemble an Emergency Kit	Gather essential supplies and gear for emergencies, such as First Aid Kit, water and food supplies, multi-functional tools, communication devices and personal protective equipment (PPE).
Practice Your Plan	Test your plan with your household members regularly to ensure everyone knows what to do in case of an emergency.
Stay Informed	Keep track of the latest news and updates related to potential or ongoing emergencies through news reports, mobile apps, and weather alerts.

This table provides an overview of how to plan for emergency situations. By taking the steps outlined, you can be better prepared for emergencies and increase your chances of staying safe.

Store Water

An important first step to storing water is determining how much you’ll need for each member of the family. The CDC recommends 1 gallon per day for drinking, cooking and cleaning. If you’re worried about an emergency lasting longer than three days, they recommend 1 gallon per person per day.

How will you store your water? You can use containers such as plastic bottles or metal cans that are approved for food storage.

Don’t reuse old milk jugs or soda bottles; these aren’t designed to hold liquids safely over time and could be contaminated with bacteria or other contaminants that could make people sick once opened again (and even worse if left sealed).

Avoid glass containers because they’re heavy and fragile; instead use tough plastic ones like those used in juice boxes or water bottles.

Also avoid cardboard containers because they will break down over time (even if unopened), allowing chemicals from laminates and glue inside them into your drinking supply; same goes for wood barrels since these may contain toxic substances from varnish used on their exterior surfaces during manufacture

In emergency situations, having a well-equipped survival kit can make all the difference. Check out our step-by-step guide on how to create a 72-hour urban survival kit to keep you and your loved ones safe during a natural disaster or other crisis.

Get Food Storage

Food storage is an essential part of any emergency preparedness plan, but it’s also one of the most important things to get right.

The first question you need to ask yourself is how much food should you store? While there isn’t a specific number of days’ worth of food that will work for everyone, there are some guidelines:

Make sure you have enough non-perishable foods on hand to cover your family’s needs for at least three days (one week if possible).

Any preparedness plan should include a mix of dry goods like beans and rice as well as canned goods that can be rotated through the pantry (think soups and stews).

This will ensure that everyone has access to meals throughout the week and keep in mind that many canned foods are shelf stable for years after their expiration date!

A good rule of thumb when shopping at home or online is buying items with two-year shelf lives that way they’re guaranteed fresh until needed.

Stocking Up on Food for Emergencies

Food Storage Tips	Description
Calculate Your Needs	Determine how much food your household will need for an emergency period, such as 72 hours, 1 week or a month. It’s typically recommended to store at least a 3-day supply of non-perishable food and water per person.
Choose Nutritious Foods	Select non-perishable foods that are high in protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats, such as canned fruits and vegetables, nuts, dried fruits, granola bars, peanut butter, and canned soups.
Store Food Properly	Keep your food storage in a cool, dry place away from sunlight and pests. Don’t forget to label and date your food so you can track their expiration dates.
Rotate Your Stock	Use the FIFO (first in, first out) method to rotate your stock and ensure you consume the oldest foods first. Be sure to restock your food storage on a regular basis.
Consider Pre-packaged Emergency Food	Supplement your food storage with emergency food kits from brands like Augason Farms, Wise Company or Mountain House. These pre-packaged meals have long shelf-lives and are designed for emergency situations.

This table outlines important considerations when it comes to food storage for emergencies. By following these tips, you can ensure that you and your household have adequate food supplies during a crisis.

Get Off-Grid Power Source

A power source is by far the most important part of a survival kit. You cannot survive without electricity, period.

You can get your hands on one of these in a number of ways; solar, wind and hydroelectric generators are all viable options. Solar panels are great for charging batteries for other devices (if you have any) as well as powering them directly with the help of a charge controller.

However, they do not work at night unless you have a battery hooked up to them so make sure you always have enough juice in your battery bank before going out into the wilderness!

If you already own an RV or other off-grid vehicle then this will be very easy for you since most RVs come equipped with both solar panels AND batteries already installed inside their compartment just remember to keep everything charged up!

If not then start looking around at local flea markets or garage sales where lots of people sell used trailers; many older trailers used propane tanks instead of fuel cells which means they could still run if there was no power grid available anymore…but I wouldn’t count on using one if I were you

Urban areas can present unique challenges during emergencies that require different approaches and responses. Learn the best ways to cope with the most dangerous urban survival scenarios by reading our expert tips and recommendations for staying safe in the city.

Practice with Weapons

Now that you know the basics of urban survival, it’s time to get some practice in. You can start with weapons and ammunition, but you’ll also want to focus on your skills, mindset, and environment.

Practice with Weapons

You should be able to use a weapon effectively as soon as possible when an emergency strikes. That said, there are many different types of weapons out there that require different skill levels and training which means you may need some practice before you feel comfortable using them in an actual survival situation.

Your best bet is to pick one type of weapon (or two) that will work well for your circumstances and train with it regularly at home or at the range until you feel confident using it under pressure.

If possible, bring friends along on these excursions so they can see how effective these techniques are firsthand!

Have Communication Devices That Can Work Off the Grid

The ability to communicate with other people is something nobody can do without. In an emergency, it’s important to have a way to reach out and let people know where you are, what resources are available, and how they can help you.

There are several ways to do this:

Cell Phones and Satellite Phones – If your cell phone works off the grid (by itself), great! You can use it as your primary means of communication during an emergency. If not, then consider getting a satellite phone that will work during disasters when cell service goes down.

Ham Radio – Many homes have ham radios in them for emergencies like these since they don’t require electricity or any other power source beyond being plugged into an antenna outside the home or apartment building.

You might want one if you live somewhere with bad reception or high winds that might knock out cable signals on top of everything else going wrong with power lines being down due to storms or earthquakes etcetera…

When disaster strikes, even the smallest hacks can help you survive. Find out the top 10 urban survival hacks that can potentially save your life, from using a car as a generator to making a water filter from sand and charcoal.

Build a Community of Like Minded People in Your Area

It’s important to have a community of like-minded people around you, especially in an emergency.

You should be able to trust your neighbors and feel comfortable standing up for them when they’re being picked on.

This will make it easier for everyone to trust each other, which is essential if you want to stay safe during an emergency.

Here are some tips on how to find like-minded people within your area:

Join local groups or clubs that share common interests with you (such as hiking, sports teams or book clubs).

This will give you the opportunity to connect with people who have similar interests and values as well as help foster a sense of community within the group itself.

In addition, these types of organizations often hold events where members can get together outside of normal business hours so that they can build relationships with one another outside their regular lives – this can include picnics where families get together after work/school each week or weekly dinners where everyone brings something different from home at each gathering (i.e., baked goods).

This will allow more opportunities for bonding between individuals within each group which leads us into our next point about making friends fast!

Building a Support Network in Your Community

Strategies for Building Community	Description
Get Involved Locally	Join local groups or volunteer organizations that align with your interests or values, such as community centers, religious organizations, or charities. You can also attend neighborhood gatherings or events to meet new people in your area.
Connect Online	Use social media platforms like Facebook groups, Nextdoor, or Meetup to connect with like-minded individuals in your community. These platforms also allow you to join groups or start your own around shared interests or hobbies.
Attend Workshops or Classes	Participate in classes or workshops related to survival skills, first aid, and emergency preparedness. This way, you can connect with others who share your interests while also learning valuable skills for emergency situations.
Organize a Community Emergency Response Team	Consider forming a community emergency response team (CERT) in your area. This team can be trained to respond to emergencies and assist local authorities in disaster situations.
Organize a Neighborhood Watch	A neighborhood watch program can enhance the safety of your community by identifying and reporting suspicious activities or potential threats.

This table provides a list of strategies for building a support network in your community. By utilizing these methods, you can connect with others who share your interests while also building a support network that can help you during times of crisis.

Stock Up on First Aid Supplies and Use Them for Practice

Stock up on first aid supplies. You can never have too many bandages and antiseptics.

Learn how to use them in an emergency. Even if you’re not a medical professional, it’s important to know how to use things like bandages and tweezers so that you can help others in need of assistance during an emergency or natural disaster situation.

Use them to practice on others! If you don’t have anyone else handy who’s willing to let you practice using your first aid supplies, consider using mannequins or animals instead (yes, this is absolutely okay).

Just make sure whatever creature is involved has been sedated before practicing on it—you don’t want your patient moving around while they’re being treated!

Practice makes perfect! In addition to practicing with mannequins and animals at home, try taking some classes at the local community college so that by the time something bad happens in real life there won’t be any surprises when it comes time for action shots!

Preparing for an emergency in an urban environment requires a different set of skills and knowledge. Check out our beginner’s guide on surviving in the city to learn the basics, including how to navigate the city, stay safe, and access essential resources.

Conclusion

The best thing you can do is be prepared. You don’t know when the next emergency will hit, but by following the steps outlined in this article, you’ll be ready when it does.

The most important thing is to have a plan and know how to use the supplies that you have on hand. It’s also important that you practice with them so that when an emergency situation arises, everything flows smoothly

FAQs

What is urban survival?

Urban survival refers to the skills, knowledge, and preparation required to survive and thrive in urban environments during times of crisis, including natural disasters, civil unrest, and other emergencies.

What are some essential items to include in an urban survival kit?

Some essential items for an urban survival kit could include water, food, a first aid kit, tools (such as multi-purpose knives and flashlights), communication devices, and personal protective gear (such as respirators and gloves).

How can I prepare my home for an emergency situation in an urban area?

Preparing your home for an emergency situation in an urban area can involve a variety of measures, such as stocking up on non-perishable food and water, creating a shelter-in-place plan, securing your home against potential intruders, and having a well-equipped emergency kit.

What are some common mistakes people make when it comes to urban survival?

Some common mistakes people make include not having enough water or food supplies, underestimating the importance of having a backup communication plan, not having alternate evacuation routes, and not considering the potential risks and threats in an urban environment.

Where can I learn more about urban survival?

There are many resources available for learning more about urban survival, including books, online forums, survival schools, and emergency response organizations. It’s important to seek out information from reliable sources and to practice your skills as much as possible to be well-prepared for any situation.

Hellen James

Hi! I’m Hellen James, and I am the founder of Unified Survival. I have a deep passion for the wilderness and everything that goes along with it. I’ve been hiking since I was a child, and I grew up camping in state parks all over the country. But it wasn’t until recently that I learned how to survive in the wilderness.

The Ultimate Urban Survival Checklist: What To Do In An Emergency