In the Mid-West, we've got water towers that (depending on the town) hold a day or three supply for the town they're in. The water's pumped into the tank on the tower from wells, and before it comes out the tap, it runs through the treatment plant (most still use chlorine, I think), through supply lines, and up to the individual faucets.

Troy

Gravity. Water towers will last until they run dry, then w/o power to pump more water up them, no water.

I can think of many situations where others may not be so willing to help out their "neighbors" in an emergency situation. Storms, hurricanes, floods, fires, riots, terrorist attacks... pretty much anything that affects a large number of people. I could go on for a long time with examples. The possibilities are endless. I would say in almost any emergency situation it is a very realistic possibility that people will be more concerned with themselves and their own families than with you and yours. I have been to the store trying to buy candles or batteries or matches when a hurricane is coming. People aren't grabbing the last package of matches on the shelf and then getting in checkout line and telling the person next to them "Oh here, you take these matches. Even though my family needs them, you need them too so here you go. My two year old son can just sit in the cold when the power goes out."

This head-in-the-sand mentality makes two very dangerous assumtions. First it assumes that people are going to come to your aid and that you need not be as prepared since to can count on others to give you what you need. Second it assumes that amoung those who are actually willing to help, that they will actually be prepared and equipped with what you lack and what you need and that they will not need it themselves. I'm not to saying that people in general are all selfish, and/or unprepared and refuse to help each other out or never have extra stuff that others need when there is an emergency. However it's a big gamble to bet my life and well being or that of my wife and son on the assumptions that someone else will have the stuff we lack and the stuff we need to survive and also be both willing and able to share it with us.

Furthermore, would you rather be productive member of your community and have all the gear you need to get through an emergency and perhaps even extra so you can help out others who are less prepared, or would you rather be a burden to the community and have to rely on the preparedness of others to help you out and thus be putting yourself in a situation where not only are you consuming supplies that could be used for someone else but you are also less likely to be of as much use in helping others?

This "someone else will have what I need" mentality is the absolute antithesis of preparedness!

I don't believe I ever stated that I "think you do need the same gear for urban EDC". As a matter of fact I made no comments at all about my own gear. I did however say the following:
...and yes I do carry a source of firemaking equipment as part of my urban EDC. I carry a Bic lighter in the cold months and either Bic lighter or a ferrocerium rod in the warm months. As far as water pruification equipment goes. I have carried it at times and I have omitted it at times also. Currently I carry 4 crushed MP-1 tabs, an oven bag and a tiny bit of duct tape (to repair the bag if needed) on a daily basis. In all honesty water purification equipment is something that I myself have many times questioned the usefulness of in an urban environment. That is the whole point of this thread beyond just expressing my own opinion (which is cetainly subject to change)... to get other people's opinions and the reasons behind them so I (and others) can have help in deciding what is needed and what is not.

My current Urban EDC::

Blackberry Cell Phone/PDA
Small Leather Wallet containing
-- credit card/check card/health insurance cards for me and my son/800minute phone card/driver's license/aaa card
Keys (work/home/vehicle)
Timex Expedition Watch (w/ compass)
Inova Microlight Flashlight
Bic Lighter
4 crushed MP-1 Tabs
Small Reynolds Oven Bag
12" Duct Tape
Knife or Multitool which is always one of the following:
-- BM ACFK, BM RSK, LM Wave, CRK Shadow III containing the KSK listed below)

My current Wilderness EDC:

Everything from my Urban EDC plus the following:

KSK (This is a Chris Reeve 4" Fixed Blade knife with the following items in the handle)
--------------------------------
Modified Sparklight
5 Tinderquick
1 Katadyn MP-1 Tab
1 Mini Diamond Rod Hone
1 SAS Compass

PSK (This is a wallet-sized belt pouch containing the following items)
--------------------------------
Small Black Nylon Belt Pouch
- 20' Paracord
- 2 Alcohol Pads
- 2 Anticeptic Wipes
- 2 Regular Bandaids
- 1 Large Bandaid
- 2 Strips of Medical Tape
- 2 Butterfly Sutures
- 2 Sting Relief Wipes
- 2 Blister Pads
Altoids Tin (lives inside the above-mentioned belt pouch and contains the following items)
- 2' Duct Tape
- 2 Tylenol
- 2 Anacin
- 25' 80# SPiderwire
- 45' 10# Thread
- 1 Large Oven Bag
- 1 Tojan Condom
- 1 Sterile #22 Scalpel
- 1 True North Compass
- 1 Modified ACR Whistle
- 1 Green Sparklight
- 1 Red Mini Bic
- 1 Green Bobber LED
- 1 Red Bobber LED
- 8 Katadyn MP-1 Tabs
- 8 Tinder Quick Tabs
- 4 Small Fish Hooks
- 2 SPlit Shot

As you can see there is a difference between my urban and rural EDC though I see no reason why my Rural EDC belt pouch and all of its contents would not also benefit my (and perhaps others as well) in an urban environment. For example, those fish hooks are good for a lot more than just fishing.

Heck the more I thought about it as I typed that enormously detailed reply, maybe I should just add my Wilderness PSK (the belt pouch with the altoids tin and the other stuff) to my urban EDC. It really is just the size of a wallet though it looks like a lot more when it's all listed out. I do like to travel light though. Hmmm... something to ponder.

"I have been to the store trying to buy candles or batteries or matches when a hurricane is coming."

Really? I have plenty of matches etc in my home. I think that really is the main presumption: not just urban versus wilderness but how far are you from home. My EDC/PSK mostly has to carry me for a few hours. If I'm caught in a fire or a riot or a terrorist attack, I'm going to be running away, not stopping to make a drink or building a shelter. Water and fire are a concern over longer time periods, 3+ hours. If you want to worry me, you first need a scenario that prevents me getting home.

And second, you need a scenario that prevents me moving onto the next town and checking into a hotel. The UK is quite densely populated. Even if something did take out my home and everything near by (and somehow failed to take out me at the same time), civilisation still isn't far away. Unless you are talking about The End Of The World As We Know It?

I should also say that it's more about emphasis. I do carry fire-making tools, but they are not as important for me as they would be for someone in a wilderness. I don't understand why people think water purification tablets are important. If you can make fire, you can boil water (at least, if you can scavange a tin can to use as a pan - easy in an urban environment). Plus, you can drink dirty water and probably be OK, and even if you're not, it'll be days before the problem matters. Unless you are talking about the breakdown of the national infrastructure including hospitals, which puts us back in EOTWAWKI.

Here, for the record, is my current core EDC:

• Keyring with:
• Keys.
• 2m parachord.
• Proton III LED torch.
• Compass.
• Whistle (modified Fox 40 extreme).
• Serbertool M4 (a very small multitool).
• Safety pins and paper clips (can be bent and cut by M4).
• Spy capsule with 2 tinder and the flint mechanism from a lighter.
  
  Mobile phone (SE P900).
  Handkerchief.
  Vic Rambler (small swiss army knife).
  
  Wallet with:
• Money, credit cards etc.
• Contact info, next of kin, doctor's details.
• Mirror.
• Fresnel lens.
• Waterproof writing paper.
• Fisher Spacepen refill.

That's what I have on me as I sit at home typing this. It's what I cannot leave the house without. As it happens, I also have a small lighter on me, but often it gets forgotten. It's a recent thing for me; I'm still tweaking my EDC (I might try oven bags next - thanks for that tip). I can start a fire with the contents of the spy capsule but I'd have to be desperate. If floods or riots or hurricanes were imminant, I'd carry more.

I'm not going to list my PSK because I don't have separate PSKs for different environments. Suffice it to say that I do carry more stuff when I am travelling more than two miles from home, and then there is more emphasis on fire etc.

Food for thought about water:

Last year, while living in a major suburb of Chicago, a "boil order" was issued by the city. The water supply became contaminated with E. coli.

All water was unsafe for almost three weeks - three weeks. All water was contaminated. Everything was affected: drinking water, cooking, washing dishes, washing clothes, taking showers, brushing your teeth.

Hospitals scrambled, restaurants closed down, people panicked. There was a mad rush for bottled water - people were going in and wiping out store shelves buying 20, 30, 50 gallons of water at a time. Stores ran out - in a matter of hours.

Emergency shipments of water were being sent in on 18 wheel trucks. The stores didn't even bring the water inside. They were selling pallets of water right off of the trucks. And they ran out - every shipment, everyday.

And nobody knew how long it was going to last.

So, needless to say it was a huge eye opener.


I called the nice people at Katadyn/PUR during the crisis and they were extremely helpful. Here are a few of my safeguards:

I thought something like that would happen during / after the hurricanes last year. As I understand it, there was a possibility that the wells and pump stations could be flooded because of all the rain, causing the contamination. I remember several places had boil water orders, but I don't think it was wide spread. Still, something like the filter is probably more convenient than storing water or boiling it each time.

Yes -- an on the tap water filter is cheap and easy to use.
About $20- 30 at Target.

I agree with that.

During the ice storm of 1998 there was a shortage of candles in stores and convenience stores in no time. Shortage of candles, flashlight batteries, generators, stoves, kerosene and firewood.

And the owners took advantage of it by rising the prices very high.

BTW in this scenario many people suffered from hypothermia and carbone monoxide poisoning even if surrounded by houses.

Frankie

I remember hearing about that. Certainly is an eye opener. Also an excellent point in support of water purification even when not out in the woods.