Understanding Urban Survival

The world has proven to be a dangerous place, and the need to survive and evade can occur at any time. Whether you’re a family man, a prepared citizen, or just someone who values personal safety, understanding the art of urban evasion is crucial. Check out Garand Thumb’s thought-provoking and serious YouTube video as we delve deep into the tactics and techniques behind mastering this art.

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Crowd Management

Moving through or blending in with a crowd to get to a safe area can be a key skill needed to get home safely.

• Act as if you supposed to be where you are, you can avoid negative attention.
• Blend In: Avoid drawing attention to yourself. Dress in a way that doesn’t make you stand out, and move with the flow of the crowd.  Avoid standing out with military styled clothing or backpacks, it can draw unwanted attention.
• Situational Awareness: Pay attention to your surroundings. Be aware of potential bottlenecks, exits, and areas where the crowd might become congested.
• Escape Routes: Always have an escape plan. Identify alternative routes and exits in case the situation escalates or becomes chaotic.
• Non-Verbal Communication: In crowded spaces, verbal communication may be ineffective. Learn and use non-verbal cues to convey your intentions or assess the crowd’s mood.

Securing High-Rise Locations

In most urban settings you tend to be in some type of apartment complex, being able to know how to secure them can be important to your safety and the safety of others.

• Access Points: Identify all access points to the high-rise building. Understand how to connect them and, if necessary, fortify them to prevent people you don’t know or want from getting in.
• Emergency Evacuation Plan: Know where and how you will need to go to escape the building if the time arises. Exit plans are just as important as entry plans and sheltering plans.
• Communication Systems: Being able to communicate with those you trust in the building is necessary to relay important information to one another to know what’s going on and what needs to be done. Beats running up and down stairs constantly too.
• Resource Stockpiling: If you have the height, use it. Just like when you’re camping you toss your food bag over a tree for bears, use the floors as just that. A lot of people will give up at a certain point trying to take your supplies if they have to go up 10 flights of stairs. Plus you can have multiple layers of fortifications to make the trouble of it even worse acting as more of a deterrent.
• Fires: Knowing how to start a fire wherever you are located at especially when power is gone can save you’re life. Make sure you have some tools to start a fire if need be.
• Access To Water: Getting a Sillcock Key will help you acquire water anywhere in the city. Look at any municipal building and you will find a faucet that has the shape to be used with one of these keys.

Navigating Urban Survival Chaos

Surviving in a city means being prepared for chaotic situations. Stuffed lanes and sidewalks, blocked roads, even down buildings, all of these can be variables when it comes to getting in or out of a city.

• Familiarization: How many times have you walked or driven home knowing how to get back without a map but one day you come in from a different direction, weather, time of day or even an environmental change threw you off? Having a map digitally or paper can make that confusion disappear. Being able to have that map is great but combining that with you properly seeing your landscape can make it even easier to navigate especially if a lot of your old landmarks are destroyed. Your brain can piece things together pretty well. Having a paper map of the city or urban surroundings can help you make decisions faster than trying to use a digital device.
• Stealth and Discretion: Practice moving discreetly through the city. Avoid unnecessary attention and choose routes that offer cover and concealment. Also, vary your routes to increase personal security.
• Self-Defense Training: Whether it be use of force with firearms, hand to hand, knife fighting or other means, being able to know just 10% more than the general population and being proficient at it will get you very far.
• Emergency Kits: Carrying and planting multiple kits of medical, ammo, water, food, navigation, and general emergency kits in locations on you and near your car can come in clutch when you need it the most.

Building Community Networks for Urban Survival

In times of crisis, a strong community network can be your greatest asset.

• Neighborhood Watch: Join or establish a neighborhood watch group. Collaborate with neighbors to share information about potential threats and ensure collective safety.
• Skill Sharing: Identify the skills within your community and put them to use accordingly. Some people may be better off as the medicine man and you wouldn’t want them in harm’s way guarding the building. Being able to have friends in the building you’re in and the community at large can help you and others survive.
• Communication Channels: Set up reliable communication channels within your group, whether it be physical meets or mutual communication.
• Mutual Support: Foster a spirit of mutual support. In times of crisis, communities that come together are more resilient and better equipped to face challenges and work together to achieve goals.

Surviving in urban environments requires a unique blend of skills, adaptability, and preparedness. By understanding the nuances of crowd management, securing high-rise locations, navigating through urban chaos, and building community networks, you enhance your chances of surviving and thriving amidst a crisis city. Preparation is always key to survival, you’ll only get so far winging it.