Here's my situation. I carry a pretty extensive set of survival stuff in my car. I have a pretty comprehensive survival kit packed in a fairly generic-looking, non-tacticool backpack, plus other items like basic tools, both repair and rescue type, firearm. Most of my travels are in semi-rural areas with lots of woods, etc., so my survival pack is somewhat biased toward "wilderness" rather than "urban" survival. I'm in the disaster response business, so I've acquired various survival/disaster related training, as well as tactical/defensive training.

But sometimes I travel to the big city, sometimes by my car, but sometimes by airline, which limits what and how much stuff I can bring. So my questions are, what should I carry in a small air-travel friendly urban survival kit; what knowledge, skills or techniques should I a acquire; and what should my strategy or thinking include beyond the basics or obvious things; in the event of urban emergencies like widespread civil unrest or power outages, or any other advice you'd care to offer for when I am in an unfamiliar major city?

My laptop bag always contains a small TSA-safe survival kit, with other things added when I'm not flying.

• first aid pouch, including boo-boo kit, small OTC med kit, and small trauma kit, including Combat Gauze, SWAT-T, gloves, duct tape, Z-pak dressing
• flashlights: a NiteCore EC20 (2xCR123A) and an iTP EOS A3 (1xAAA) on a neck lanyard in the main kit, a Preon 2 (2xAAA) in the admin pouch
• spare batteries (2xAAA and 2xCR123A)
• small amount of cordage
• Fox 40 Micro whistle on a neck lanyard
• more duct tape (separate from trauma kit)
• Aqua-Pouch (1L)
• small sewing kit
• button compass
• a couple rubber bands holding together a few bobby pins and paper clips of various sizes
• sunscreen wipe
• small dual-band ham radio transceiver with earbud and antenna, suitable for listening to broadcast FM as well as ham use
• mini-Bic in a keyring holder that protects the valve and is itself flammable
• spare pair of sunglasses (when I'm wearing my contact lenses)
• spare pair of prescription glasses with magnetic clip-on sunglasses
• small hygiene kit

All this stuff takes up surprisingly little room and weight. The TSA never gives me any hassle about any of it. I carry a keyring Leatherman Style PS when I'm flying which gets inspected about one out of every three flights.

Laptop bag items used for work that might be useful in an emergency:

• smartphone/tablet charger (this is a place where I see too many people buy cheap and later regret it, mine is a good one)
• cables for everything you imagine and some things you probably don't
• compact travel power strip (THIS is what you use to be a hero at the airport)
• admin pouch that includes a notepad, pens, markers, and the aforementioned Preon 2 flashlight
• laptop and power brick

When I'm not flying, I also carry:

• LM Wave
• Screwdriver kits, large and small
• spare magazine for my carry pistol, to supplement the spare mag that I carry on-body (only where legal)

My previous post was dedicated to gear, I'll try to answer the other questions.



I grew up in a very bad neighborhood of a major city. I have learned both experientially and later through study what to look for in terms of urban danger. I have defused any number of situations by early detection and evasion, and when appropriate by making potential assailants aware that I was aware of their intentions. Most assailants are looking for unaware victims, if you're aware and ready to run or fight you're more likely to escape unscathed.

Situational awareness is in my opinion the most important of urban survival skills.

You should also be ready to walk long distances, ride a bicycle, use public transit, use taxis or private vehicles, navigate, blend in, stand out, know where to go and know where not to go, as the situation demands.

I cannot stress how important a good pair of walking shoes can be. It's also critical to have outerwear appropriate for the weather, not just for whatever vehicle you plan to travel in.



Cash. Carry cash and be ready to use it.

I tend to have four "bailout" plans if things in the city go sour. Plan A is to get in my car or rental and drive away. Cash can really help here, as if you're parked in a lot where the credit card readers go down, you could get stuck before you begin. I never park in the city without at least half a tank of gas. Plan B is to take a taxi, Uber, or (if all else fails) public transit to get out of Dodge. Plan C is to buy or rent a bicycle and ride away; I look up bike shops near where I plan to be. Plan D is to hoof it. I'm in good shape and have good shoes for walking, I could make 10-20 miles in a day depending on conditions.

If the smart move is to stay in town, cash might be able to get you a hotel room and/or a hot meal.

Chaos magnet's advice is so excellent and comprehensive, I have only one thing to add: consider Fed-Exing to your destination the items you'd like to have but can't/don't want to deal with TSA on.

Great thread.



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Great reply, Chaosmagnet!
I would add a neat looking, round, no sharp points (important to pass TSA, so file off the ends if need to, as anything sharp will glow wildly on the scanner's screen, triggering manual search!) hunk of stiff stainless steel wire, preferably in an insulating sleeve, instead of paperclips - zillions of uses in any environment, but especially in an urban one, for survival tools/solutions improvisation.

Also you may consider a couple of N95 or better dust masks, pen sized high voltage detector (especially if you are in the city with a subway).

And it is always a good idea to buy a paper city map when you just arrive. It's not only for navigation (I'd prefer my smartphone for that), but it will help to blend easier with tourists if necessary, and it's a good large piece of paper to sit on, cover with, write on, and burn

By the way, if unsure of the outcome of TSA search - keep at hands a large sturdy self addressed, envelope and a book of post stamps (to match the weight). Agents are often nice enough to drop it at the post office, which is usually nearby.

True in all situations, but IMO critical in urban survival.

Many years ago, an old time street Cop told me that he could spot both potential victims and potential bad guys on the street by the way they walked. Victims had their heads down, walked tentatively, etc. Bad guys looked like they were hunting and tracking prey, waiting for an opportunity (I guess they were).

For a guy who likes hard cold facts, I find it strange, but true, to say "trust your gut." If something does not feel right, or someone doesn't seem right---believe it and get away.

John Astin (the actor) once was asked how he got along in one of the worst sections of NYC when he lived there as a starving young actor. He replied that when on the street, he put on his best "crazy" expression, and no one ever even approached him. Body language and attitude are key.

Don't make eye contact. Walk like you own the place and know where you are going; don't dawdle and look confused.

Don't stop and get into a conversation with anyone about anything. Keep moving. If possible, move into a crowded area; not because they might help, but because the bad guy doesn't want to take the risk that they might, and/or there are too many witnesses.

Remember, they want to prey on the weak---safer and more profit. So don't walk around looking like prey.

A friend and co-worker of mine once explained how he managed to safely live in one of the most gang-infested neighborhoods of Washington D.C. Basically, he called it "attitude" (my word). This quiet, soft-spoken accountant then proceeded to show me his "street" persona, and he scared the heck out of me. He never had any problems with the street gangs.

I had one in my kit when I was commuting by rail; I don't any more. I'm going to reconsider that decision.



I don't think there's any way to safely test for train voltage with gear that isn't at least a yard long.



Agreed, especially in a city you don't know well. Keep in mind that most of the time you don't want to look like a tourist.

It's only around 600-700VAC - nothing supernatural for a non contact detector, they are easily up to 1000V standard, I believe. Surely, be cautious, not ground yourself too effectively



True. But in a distressed city there could be benefits to pretend or demonstrate that.

Perhaps consider what types of emergency you want to survive? That will determine your choice of equipment. In most situations, you don't have to worry about food or water, at least in the short term, if you're in an urban environment, as long as you have money. Anywhere you go, a cell phone with a backup battery seems like a good idea.

Below I is my cursory response. Please correct and add as necessary.

Common emergencies:

Medical (car accident, sickness, assault, etc.) -- If you are flying, I don't know that you can carry much more than a basic first aid kit, which is probably going to be woefully inadequate. Cell phone for calling 911.

Fire -- Some sort of mask/bandana for the smoke. Flashlight. Cell phone can serve as a light source, too. Also, know where the exits are!

Transportation outage/disaster -- Flashlight, FAK. If you survive the initial event, a pair of walking shoes and money will eventually get you back to your hotel. Some sort of map

Power outage -- This could be cell outage or internet outage as well. Flashlight, FAK... What else? I'm drawing a blank.

I'm sorry I don't know how to put my NY Metro, EDC/GHB detailed list into this post. But if you look back at my post of 2/28/14, in a thread titled, " Building A Get Home Bag GHB", you will see my take on a kit fitting your described need. Their are other relevant posts/ lists in that same thread. If you have the time, please give me your views on my kit, pro and con. I appreciate critiques and testing my concept against other's critical thoughts.