Tip #1 – Move fast before exit routes are clogged or
closed
There is a clear first-mover advantage when evacuating a highly-populated area. Once everyone around you gets the same idea, getting through the exits – bridges, tunnels, highways, or train routes will become hopelessly clogged. To ensure a speedy exit:
Make sure your survival kit is packed and ready to go. While the 10 C’s of Survival matter even in Urban settings there are a few other things you might want to have. Plan now to have them on-hand to get you home from the office or to get you from your home out of the city.
Make sure everyone you are bugging out with is on the same
page for when to initiate your bug out plan and where to meet
When in doubt MOVE! Don’t wait for everyone around you to
agree, get going. Be a survivor, not a statistic.
Tip #2 – Be prepared for environmental hazards
The modern urban landscape if full of dangers that become
exposed in any type of disaster.
Damaged buildings put all manner of dangerous debris in the air from asbestos and concrete dust to broken glass and toxic smoke. We need to be sure that our bug out bag has the proper protective gear to keep us moving through such hazards, you never know what you will need to scramble over or through to get to safety.
Sturdy shoes, and well-made pants and a long sleeve shirt
should be your default bug out clothing even in summer to protect you from
jagged or burning debris.
Additionally, consider having environmental protection gear
to protect the rest of your body:
- Eye protection
- Hearing protection
- Respiratory/lung protection
- Hand protection
Tip #3 – Be a Grey Man or Woman
The idea of being a “Grey Man” (or Woman) is based around
being fully prepared but inconspicuous as to not draw unwanted attention to
yourself.
This serves two purposes:
Being a Grey Man will help you blend in with a crowd if
people are being singled out or if you are trying to evade a pursuer
It will make you seem like a regular person instead of a
target of opportunity for aggressive people who are less prepared than you
There are many ways to be a Grey Man and a lot of them just
come down to common sense and not advertising your presence:
- Wear normal looking clothes, not camo or other tactical looking gear
- Remove any military style logos, or anything that might indicate you are armed
- Do not open your bug out bag in a public area where others can see that it is loaded with food, water, and survival gear that they may need.
- Avoid staring or unnecessary eye contact, but do be aware of your surroundings
- Conceal your most important survival gear on your person, that way if you become separated from your bag, you will still have basic necessities on your person. This could be a simple as a knife and someway to start a fire.
Tip #4 – It’s better to look like a threat than a target
In an urban scenario, you are inherently more likely to
encounter other people. Some of these people may be aggressive, desperate, or
seeking to take advantage of others in the chaos. It is best to deter such
advances before they even start by making yourself look like more trouble than
it is worth to bother you.
Travel in a group if you can, single people are far juicier
targets than two or more people who are obviously together
Have a self-defense weapon ready to deploy if you are
approached, this can be pepper spray, a firearm, knife, or another hand weapon.
Showing you are armed and ready to defend yourself shows that you are not a
target of opportunity
Be aware of your surroundings – If you are being followed or
possibly entering a dangerous area keep your eyes open and change course
immediately
Keep in mind the Grey Man tips above to keep off the radar
of inquisitive people
Tip #5 – Follow your instincts, not the mob
When a disaster hits 99% of people are completely
unprepared. Since you are reading this you are obviously of a mindset of
preparing for the worst BEFORE it happens. Stick to your bug out plan and
improvise when necessary.
If a mob of people is heading one way it doesn’t mean that
is the best way for you. You don’t need to go in the opposite direction as
everyone else but look for the safest way for YOU to reach your destination.
Follow your instincts when faced with a hard choice, not
just the path of least resistance.
