Urban Survival Gear: 8 Tools Designed for Urban Survival

When it comes to survival books, T.V. shows, and survival websites, far too much attention is paid to wilderness survival issues. While these silks are important for people who spend time in the outdoors, for a vast majority of people these are not the skills they need to focus on.

Urban Survival & Wilderness Survival are two very different things.

Survival Gear is another area where people get caught up in the wilderness survival mentality. If you’re heading out into the wilderness, then by all means, stock up on gear for that environment. But if you’re planning to face most modern day threats, you need to really consider what those threats are and where you will be when they happen.

Most commercially sold survival gear is geared towards a wilderness audience.

With the popularity of so many recent survival television shows, a lot of people now have a really warped idea of what it takes to survive during a disaster. I mean how many people are really going to find themselves stranded, naked and afraid on a deserted island?

Let’s get real here. When disaster strikes, you will likely by at home, at work, or somewhere near your normal everyday environment. These are the places you need to be ready to survive in.

Here are 8 Pieces of Gear, Specifically suited for Urban Survival

Keep in mind these are only suggestions, some of these items are pretty expensive and are only highlighted because they are designed specifically for an urban setting. The main purpose is to get you thinking about the difference in gear types, and what types of items might be helpful during a long-term urban disaster.

Ka-BAR Becker Tac Tool

The Ka-BAR Becker Tac Tool is a rescue and rapid entry knife designed by Ethan Becker of BK&T and John Benner of TDI. The Tac Tool is the knife of choice by rescue workers, special response teams, and military operators.

The knife is specifically geared towards urban survival issues and has a number of design features that would come in incredibly useful during a big city disaster.

• The knife is designed to smash, bash, pry, chisel, hammer and cut.
• It is great for lifting hinge pins and hammering out glass.
• Most relevant for urban survival, something most wilderness style knives would fail at, is its ability to be used as a pry bar. The knife features a blunt chisel pry-bar tip for prying open doors and windows.

Four Way Water Key

During a long-term disaster situation, water is going to be one of your most important considerations. In an urban environment, the ability to find drinkable water could mean the difference between life and death.

In an urban setting, this one tiny tool could be a game changer. A water spigot key is designed to gain access to both commercial and residential water faucets. This is especially helpful in getting water from commercial buildings, which usually remove external water handles or have recessed outlets to keep the homeless from using their water.

Tactical Flashlight

A flashlight is an essential piece of survival gear that everyone should be carrying as part of their everyday carry kit; but don’t just settle for any crappy little flashlight, you want to look for one that can serve multiple survival purposes – enter the Tactical Flashlight.

A good tac light will not only provide light, but can double as a self-defense tool in times of crisis.

Goal Zero Guide 10 Adventure Kit

During an urban survival disaster, there is a pretty good chance the power grid will go down. That’s why the Goal Zero Adventure Kit made the list of urban survival gear.

From recharging your AA & AAA batteries to powering up cell phones, GPS devices, and emergency radios, the Goal Zero is one of the best portable emergency solar chargers on the market. Check out our complete list of portable solar chargers.

SOG PowerLock Multi-Tool

What would an Urban Survival Kit be without a good Multi-tool?

The SOG Powerlocks are some of my favorite multi-tools on the market. They feature an interlocking gear system, which not only makes the tool extremely smooth to open and close, but more importantly it minimizes the amount of hand pressure that’s required to get the most torque out of the tool. In my opinion, it has the best, most robust pliers I’ve ever seen on a multi-tool.

Yaesu VX-6R Multi-Band Submersible VHF/UHF Amateur Radio Transceiver

When the grid does down, and communication systems stop working, there is one mode of communication that will still be alive and well: Ham Radio.

These small Yaesu radios are one of the most popular choices on the market; don’t fall for the cheap Baofeng radios often pitched on prepper websites. Take it from a real Ham Radio operator; I’ve bought the Baofengs and they suck! Spend the extra money and go with a quality radio, one that Ham radio operators have been using for years, and one that you know you will be able to trust during an emergency. The dual band VX-8DR covers the 2 meter, 1.25 meter & 70cm ham bands (50/144/222Mhz/440Mhz), making it the perfect choice for any Bugout bag or EDC.

A Skateboard

I know, you’ve probably never seen a skateboard on any other list of survival supplies; well, I can tell you from experience that this is probably one of the most versatile and multi-purpose pieces of urban gear you can carry.

From being able to quickly make your way through a city to being one bad-ass undercover self-defense tool, a skateboard is one of my top pieces of urban gear. I can strap it to my pack or keep one in my vehicle, and in a pinch it’s right there waiting ready to roll!

The Ultimate Situational Survival Guide: Self-Reliance Strategies for a Dangerous World

This is not another Wilderness Survival Book! I wrote The Ultimate Situational Survival Guide specifically to help people prepare for real-world disasters and threats.

From surviving natural disasters, man-made disasters and disease outbreaks, to essential tactics and step-by-step instructions for surviving urban disasters, crime, social unrest, and criminal/terrorist attacks, the book will help you learn the self-reliance strategies you need to survive in just about any urban survival situation.