This is the first in a series of posts about urban survival. Guides, skills, tips and gear for travel, crises and everyday life. – view all survivalist posts
“Survival in any form for any environment is an act of prevention and or recovery.” -John Cain
INTRODUCTION //
Most people relate the word “survival” to the wilderness and the animals within it but rarely to where we spend most of our lives, the cities and the people within it.
Half of the world’s population live in urban areas with the other half in rural and a nominal fraction in the wild. Whether you’re always home, working or traveling, chances are that it will be spent in the urban.
Meaning a scenario in which some sort of survival skill will be needed will occur in an urban environment.
This is why the methods of the urban survivalist is as important as it is practical.
“Urban survival” is not limited to city disasters or isolated life-threatening situations but to day-to-day life. Enduring hard times, thriving through the difficult or just increasing lifestyle effectiveness and efficiency.
The practice of wilderness survival makes sense because most modern humans have no concept of surviving in the wild, it’s just too unnatural. Whereas functioning in any urban environment is an easy concept to grasp, no matter how foreign the culture may be.
So why bother with urban survival?
Because people cause trouble, the wilderness does not. People commit crimes, the wilderness does not. Natural disasters happen in both cities and the wilderness but terrorist attacks only occur in cities.
People are the most devious and violent element on earth and urban areas by definition are locations of the highest human population densities on earth.
Do. The . Math.
// Urban Survivalist: Introduction
[ditty_news_ticker id=”33264″][The featured photo was taken in New York City.]
7 Comments
Great post, I concur with your idea of urban survival. Can’t wait for more posts.
You raise a good point on how humans are the most dangerous thing in the world and urban places have the most of them.
Keeping my eyes peeled for this series.
First time visitor and must say this is one of the sickest blogs I’ve encountered! I look forward to your urban survivalist knowledge and travel inspiration posts.
Keep it up!
Another great lecture or sharing of your experience but I have a question. For those of us not blessed with the genetic makeup to be from almost anywhere, what advice do you have for the over 6′ tall, Blue eyed, dark haired man trying to blend in anywhere besides Northern Europe or North America. I speak several languages and I’ve spent many years in the Middle East and Northern Africa as a Ranger but outside of the bases I stick out like a red haired Irishman in Africa
Not much more than what you’ve learned from your own experience in the Middle East. Grow out (or shave) your beard, get tanned and dress as the locals do. Other than prosthetics or surgery, what more you can do is mannerisms and accents/dialects.
Please do more urban survivalist posts please 🙂