Okay, I can believe the scenario about an earthquake in Seattle taking down an office building. Admittedly, a tragic scenario, but still not one in which I'm convinced one would find themselves desperately needing to purify puddle water, erect a tube tent on-site, or snare pigeons. If you survive the quake, you're simply not going to die from thirst, hunger, or exposure in the middle of a major metropolitan area. You're just not. It's not like being in remote wilderness. If you're trapped in the rubble, none of your survival gear that involves roaming for food, water or shelter is going to help. The whistle would be the most important piece of gear at that point. After tending to victims with the best of your ability until the professionals arrive, you walk out (unless you're one of those professionals). Get away from the epicenter. The point is that even an earthquake does not immediately vaporize every molecule of civilization surrounding the disaster. Adequate water, food, and shelter will be in walking distance - not necessarily a short walk, but not one of sufficient length to kill you. I definitely agree that planning is essential and that the tools are easy and fun to learn, I'm still just not convinced you need some of them in an urban situation.