Admittedly my thoughts are UK bias, I'm open to input from across the pond and I hope some of you might find something of use or interest.
For better or for worse many of us live within the urban sprawl, whether by choice or circumstance this is where many of us make our first stand in any SHTF scenario.
Chances are if you can make it through the first 28 days (it’s where they got the idea for the title of the story 28 days later) then your long term survival prospects increase significantly.
Security if the watchword for the would be “ Urban Survivalist”, everything you do could have a negative impact on your security and that of your group.
Cooking, Light, Smell, Noise can give you away and compromise your security.
Heating, Light, Smell, Noise can give you away and compromise your security.
Light, being seen after dark while everyone else is stumbling/slinking around can compromise your security.
Movement/Being seen, obviously you don’t want to bar the door and be done with the outside world until yourself imposed quarantine of 28 days is over, you’re going to want intel if nothing else during this period. You don’t want to stand out from the crowd so forget your gucciflage and shiny kit, you want to look like Joe Average, if others are looking scruffy and grubby that’s what you need too, try to keep your distance from people as you don’t want to stand out as looking well fed and healthy while everyone else is suffering from malnutrition.
HEATING:
It’s better to keep one room heated than try and heat a whole house for obvious reasons. Given as most homes face onto a road of some description, a room at the back of the house away from prying eyes and hungry mouths would probably be the ideal.
Paraffin Heaters are an option, even if just getting one of the small greenhouse heaters, these usually do well on fuel (the greenhouse heaters really well) although they require ventilation due to the build up of fumes and from memory don’t give out an enormous amount of heat but they will take the chill off a room.
Blankets are good too keep around either the cheap thermal/fleece or better merino wool type if you can get them. You gain a surprising amount of heat just sitting on a blanket wrapping yourself up just adds to your comfort level.
Gas Heaters, I don’t have too much experience with these, some time in a caravan while in my teens and the big industrial ones while working in a factory, so I honestly couldn’t comment on fuel efficiency or consumption (Anyone throw me a bone?). Fuel storage is one thing you’ll want to take into consideration though you won’t want gas canisters laying around the house, so somewhere secure in an out building away from main residence would be better.
Wood/Multi Fuel Burners, these things are great
although they’ll burn anything remember security, smoke and smell will give you away. With that in mind I’d suggest a supply of smokeless fuel be added to your stores enough to cover at least 2-3 weeks.
You don’t need acres and acres to grow enough food to feed you, you can with careful planning grow enough food to feed you on your average suburban plot, fruits, herbs, salads, staples and meat. Weeds, herbs, flowers, fruits and other non easily recognizable foods at the front if OPSEC is a concern. Snail Farm, ducks, chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs and fish are all relatively easy to keep in a small area and will provide good sources of protein (yeah bugger all fat on rabbit I know, work with what ya got).
Foraging, trapping and for the lesser part hunting are all possible in an urban environment, parks and waste grounds are great for foraging and trapping.
Most if not all older cities and towns are built on old trade sites which were all on or around water, water was important for trade both travel and consumption. How clean it is for drinking……. That’s down to you, there appears to be a popular train of thought in some quarters that in a SHTF scenario people are going to be throwing their rubbish and dead bodies in the rivers and canals, when pressed no one has yet to come up with anything to support this line of thought. I’m of the opinion it would soon become apparent to even the most brick stupid of chavs they’re going to be needing that water the phrase “don't s**t on your own doorstep” springs to mind.
Food:
Lots of people go overboard on rice, I can understand why though. You can store a large amount in a small area, it fills you up and it’ll feed quite a few people, it’s easy to prepare and there's a variety of dishes that can be made up or added to rice. The down side is the amount of water it takes to prepare, cooking, washing, reheating, I’d suggest pasta as an alternative bulk food.
Initially it might be a good idea to avoid foods that require too much water to prepare. This is where tinned foods and inventiveness come into their own. Now this sucks for people like us who don’t eat/store allot of tinned stuff, (store what you eat, eat what you store). Quite allot of tinned stuff is quite edible cold so if fire or heating runs the risk of compromising your security.... at least your belly will be full.
Water:
Although I don’t foresee the taps going off overnight in most SHTF scenarios, it doesn’t hurt to be prepared (that’s why most of us are here after all). I won’t go over water too much as its a subject done to death because it’s so vital to survival. Water in an urban environment presents its own challenges. Going with the initial 28day period I’ll just add these thoughts for you to consider,
How much water can you/do you need to store? (Washing, cooking, drinking)
How do you gather/collect more?
How are you going to clean it for consumption/use?
I have my answers that pertain to my location/ situation, yours depending on location and resources available may vary greatly.
Ease of access to emergency services (crime historians not included) but fire, ambulance, doctor, hospital.
Ease of access to employment I used to be within an easy 30minute walk, now its an easy 30(ish) minutes drive (something I’m trying to fix) but with multiple routes access is still relatively easy, even without the car then the tram, train and bus are all there.
Any disaster hits a nation, cities and large towns are the first to receive aid, obviously being a prepper/survivalist means we takes steps to not be reliant on outside aid, but the aid will get there first:
It’s the cities and towns the lights will go back on first.
It’s the cities and towns the water will go back on first.
It’s the cities and towns the medicinal aid will get to first.
TBH I’m of the opinion that for most realistic SHTF scenarios the city (outskirts of) could be pretty hard to beat. Obviously TEOTWAWKI is another discussion but all bets are off on that one and it’s a subject for another thread.
Put yourself in badguy mode, your choice is urban environment where there will be plenty of witnesses the best way is hit and run before your disturbed or seen. OR the country where you have crops, livestock, fuel, machinery few witnesses and plenty of time due to remoteness. Either way badguy runs the risk of having a fight on his hands but in a remote location he can take his time. As seen with Ann Timson on the news (Supergran) it only takes one person to stand up to goad others into action the city provides that buffer. Look at Argentina SHTF in 2001 when the economy tanked, according to ferfal (blog made some interesting reading) home invasions in the country increased because of remoteness and isolation. Being mugged and robbed on the street is one thing but someone moving in for the weekend holding you as prisoner in your own home, your sanctuary…………. Man that’s something else.
Selco writes about survival in an urban environment during the Bosnian conflict of the 90's as much as gangs and snipers were a problem in the cities, you had gangs and troop movements in the country whole villages were laid to waist.
Country?
Every year it seems we have news reports of villages being cut off and snowed in, usually followed with how food and fuel is running low. Wouldn’t happen to you because your prepped? What about your neighbours? Gonna help em or jack on em? (I'm all right jack sod you) If you're going to jack on your neighbours your neighbours could be a problem just like in a city and you negate the small town values everyone pulling together scenario so many think is going to happen.
During a prolonged SHTF or TEOTWAWKI scenario gangs won't stay in the city, we have commuter thieves, poaching, stealing livestock, stealing farm equipment and fuel and crop theft NOW while law and disorder are the norm throw in a little SHTF action and it’ll only get worse.
For better or for worse many of us live within the urban sprawl, whether by choice or circumstance this is where many of us make our first stand in any SHTF scenario.
Chances are if you can make it through the first 28 days (it’s where they got the idea for the title of the story 28 days later) then your long term survival prospects increase significantly.
Security if the watchword for the would be “ Urban Survivalist”, everything you do could have a negative impact on your security and that of your group.
Cooking, Light, Smell, Noise can give you away and compromise your security.
Heating, Light, Smell, Noise can give you away and compromise your security.
Light, being seen after dark while everyone else is stumbling/slinking around can compromise your security.
Movement/Being seen, obviously you don’t want to bar the door and be done with the outside world until yourself imposed quarantine of 28 days is over, you’re going to want intel if nothing else during this period. You don’t want to stand out from the crowd so forget your gucciflage and shiny kit, you want to look like Joe Average, if others are looking scruffy and grubby that’s what you need too, try to keep your distance from people as you don’t want to stand out as looking well fed and healthy while everyone else is suffering from malnutrition.
HEATING:
It’s better to keep one room heated than try and heat a whole house for obvious reasons. Given as most homes face onto a road of some description, a room at the back of the house away from prying eyes and hungry mouths would probably be the ideal.
Paraffin Heaters are an option, even if just getting one of the small greenhouse heaters, these usually do well on fuel (the greenhouse heaters really well) although they require ventilation due to the build up of fumes and from memory don’t give out an enormous amount of heat but they will take the chill off a room.
Blankets are good too keep around either the cheap thermal/fleece or better merino wool type if you can get them. You gain a surprising amount of heat just sitting on a blanket wrapping yourself up just adds to your comfort level.
Gas Heaters, I don’t have too much experience with these, some time in a caravan while in my teens and the big industrial ones while working in a factory, so I honestly couldn’t comment on fuel efficiency or consumption (Anyone throw me a bone?). Fuel storage is one thing you’ll want to take into consideration though you won’t want gas canisters laying around the house, so somewhere secure in an out building away from main residence would be better.
Wood/Multi Fuel Burners, these things are great
although they’ll burn anything remember security, smoke and smell will give you away. With that in mind I’d suggest a supply of smokeless fuel be added to your stores enough to cover at least 2-3 weeks. Food and water.
You don’t need acres and acres to grow enough food to feed you, you can with careful planning grow enough food to feed you on your average suburban plot, fruits, herbs, salads, staples and meat. Weeds, herbs, flowers, fruits and other non easily recognizable foods at the front if OPSEC is a concern. Snail Farm, ducks, chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs and fish are all relatively easy to keep in a small area and will provide good sources of protein (yeah bugger all fat on rabbit I know, work with what ya got).
Foraging, trapping and for the lesser part hunting are all possible in an urban environment, parks and waste grounds are great for foraging and trapping.
Most if not all older cities and towns are built on old trade sites which were all on or around water, water was important for trade both travel and consumption. How clean it is for drinking……. That’s down to you, there appears to be a popular train of thought in some quarters that in a SHTF scenario people are going to be throwing their rubbish and dead bodies in the rivers and canals, when pressed no one has yet to come up with anything to support this line of thought. I’m of the opinion it would soon become apparent to even the most brick stupid of chavs they’re going to be needing that water the phrase “don't s**t on your own doorstep” springs to mind.
Food:
Lots of people go overboard on rice, I can understand why though. You can store a large amount in a small area, it fills you up and it’ll feed quite a few people, it’s easy to prepare and there's a variety of dishes that can be made up or added to rice. The down side is the amount of water it takes to prepare, cooking, washing, reheating, I’d suggest pasta as an alternative bulk food.
Initially it might be a good idea to avoid foods that require too much water to prepare. This is where tinned foods and inventiveness come into their own. Now this sucks for people like us who don’t eat/store allot of tinned stuff, (store what you eat, eat what you store). Quite allot of tinned stuff is quite edible cold so if fire or heating runs the risk of compromising your security.... at least your belly will be full.
Water:
Although I don’t foresee the taps going off overnight in most SHTF scenarios, it doesn’t hurt to be prepared (that’s why most of us are here after all). I won’t go over water too much as its a subject done to death because it’s so vital to survival. Water in an urban environment presents its own challenges. Going with the initial 28day period I’ll just add these thoughts for you to consider,
How much water can you/do you need to store? (Washing, cooking, drinking)
How do you gather/collect more?
How are you going to clean it for consumption/use?
I have my answers that pertain to my location/ situation, yours depending on location and resources available may vary greatly.
Ease of access to emergency services (crime historians not included) but fire, ambulance, doctor, hospital.
Ease of access to employment I used to be within an easy 30minute walk, now its an easy 30(ish) minutes drive (something I’m trying to fix) but with multiple routes access is still relatively easy, even without the car then the tram, train and bus are all there.
Any disaster hits a nation, cities and large towns are the first to receive aid, obviously being a prepper/survivalist means we takes steps to not be reliant on outside aid, but the aid will get there first:
It’s the cities and towns the lights will go back on first.
It’s the cities and towns the water will go back on first.
It’s the cities and towns the medicinal aid will get to first.
TBH I’m of the opinion that for most realistic SHTF scenarios the city (outskirts of) could be pretty hard to beat. Obviously TEOTWAWKI is another discussion but all bets are off on that one and it’s a subject for another thread.
Put yourself in badguy mode, your choice is urban environment where there will be plenty of witnesses the best way is hit and run before your disturbed or seen. OR the country where you have crops, livestock, fuel, machinery few witnesses and plenty of time due to remoteness. Either way badguy runs the risk of having a fight on his hands but in a remote location he can take his time. As seen with Ann Timson on the news (Supergran) it only takes one person to stand up to goad others into action the city provides that buffer. Look at Argentina SHTF in 2001 when the economy tanked, according to ferfal (blog made some interesting reading) home invasions in the country increased because of remoteness and isolation. Being mugged and robbed on the street is one thing but someone moving in for the weekend holding you as prisoner in your own home, your sanctuary…………. Man that’s something else.
Selco writes about survival in an urban environment during the Bosnian conflict of the 90's as much as gangs and snipers were a problem in the cities, you had gangs and troop movements in the country whole villages were laid to waist.
Country?
Every year it seems we have news reports of villages being cut off and snowed in, usually followed with how food and fuel is running low. Wouldn’t happen to you because your prepped? What about your neighbours? Gonna help em or jack on em? (I'm all right jack sod you) If you're going to jack on your neighbours your neighbours could be a problem just like in a city and you negate the small town values everyone pulling together scenario so many think is going to happen.
During a prolonged SHTF or TEOTWAWKI scenario gangs won't stay in the city, we have commuter thieves, poaching, stealing livestock, stealing farm equipment and fuel and crop theft NOW while law and disorder are the norm throw in a little SHTF action and it’ll only get worse.
) It's what was done in times of winter hardship - slow down the body, keeps watch in rounds, get through the winter.
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