WHERE WILL YOU GO WHEN SHTF? PART 1: CITIES
Photo: Henning Witzel @henning
Where will you go when shit hits the fan? How much thought have you given this? How deep does your plan go? What type of SHTF event are we dealing with? Here are a few scenarios to consider.
CITIES
Think about where you are living, or spending the majority of your time. If you answered Manhattan, London, Toronto, or any other major urban centre, tough times ahead. You are either some major bad ass motherfucker with a vast network of like minded individuals with resources or you are not. Cities will become violent and dangerous. It is hard to defeat entrenched urban combatants. Think gang, but on a whole new level. Alpha bad guys with guns.
Another point to consider depending on how you view the geo-political order of the day…cities are pre sighted for nuclear war. All major urban centres in the western world (think NATO) are targets. Your SHTF event could be totally different.
What about transportation, trying to flee, to get away from some major event or quickly deteriorating situation.? Imagine the chaos, the traffic jams in a city of panic, free fall.
What happens when the power goes down, food runs out, police stop showing up for work. The hospitals no longer controlled by doctors and nurses. There is no fuel, no petrol. Heat is gone in the winter as is air conditioning in the summer. No more iPhone telling you everything you need to know about what you now realize you don’t know.
Here is what I would do if I was living in a city right now.
I would be keeping my self in the strongest, best built for strength and endurance body I could. I would be doing this through eating a clean high protein diet, complete with carbohydrate and fat. I would be exercising everyday for strength, endurance, mobility, and flexibility. I would be investing in my health, taking care of myself. My eyes, teeth, general health, everything. Be in the best condition you can be. No smoking!
I would be training with weapons, and meeting other people in my community that train with weapons. I would be seeking profession instruction. The military will give you this and more. So will the police force. Aside from service, take time to learn and then train regularly to maintain combat arms training, unarmed combat (Krav Maga or Jujitsu), shooting - rifle, pistol, shotgun. Knife combat is a very useful investment of your time if you anticipate close quarter encounters, both as defence and offence.
I would be doing everything I could to live below my means while investing the excess income. Investing, as in myself, my health, my training, my equipment, my resources, my preps as they say. Goes without saying this extends to my family as well.
My network, my community, this is what keeps you alive when shit goes crazy and you are in a city. How much strength can you gather around you. How many people are willing to help you. How quickly can you mobilize, move. I would use this community to build force strength. I would use my network to move as much as a group as we could. Perhaps build a relay network along my expected corridors of travel. Places to shelter, recover resources, supplies. Knowing and coordinating with other people who share a survival mindset. Trust will always be an issue for people facing drastic times. Choose wisely and stay alert (Jeff Cooper - Code Yellow)
Much of my time would be spent mapping the part of the city where I spend the most time. By mapping I mean where things are, access points, back doors, resources, people, metro stations, underground routes, parkades, every building, specific rooms. I would be taking visual stock of everything around me. I would know where the exits are. What route to take. Where alternative transportation is - bikes, boats, other vehicles. I would have a destination to go to and I would know multiple ways of getting there without GPS.
Consider big dogs, Shepherd, Rottweiler, Giant Schnauzer. Dogs suck in the city, especially big dogs.
Two well trained big dogs in a city gone to shit could offer a big advantage, offence and defence. Add their needs to your preps.
I would keep go bags - at home, in my cars, where I work. Inside: water, food (meal packs, cookies, nuts, chocolate bars, energy bars, dried fruit), perhaps a pistol depending on your jurisdiction or conviction, maps, money, first aid, compass, combat or field knife, important documents (passport, birth certificate…) a set of lock picks, tie wraps, duct tape, emergency radio, lighters, rope, change of socks, a hat, gloves, a change of clothing, toothbrush and paste, soap, hand sanitizer, N95 masks, somethings to barter (alcohol, tobacco, weed, chocolate, other lighters…) Everyone in my family would have one of their own.
I would fortify my home. I would re-enforce my doors, windows, all access points. (Door Security Bar, Get a Solid Door, Single-Sided DeadBolt Locks, Change Door Screws - 3-inch, longer strike plate) I would have a 12 gauge. I would have food and water, a sanitation plan if I needed to shelter in place for a while. I would have a family medical kit packed in a grab bag of it’s own. I would have a pistol. Night vision or thermal optics if possible.
I would leave the city whenever it was feasible to do so. I would move to one of many predetermined locations. Alternate shelters. I would leave if it was possible to do so with some degree of my attempt being successful.
Cities will become extremely dangerous. The odds will be against you. Unless you are a bad motherfucker, an alpha bag guy with guns. You might want to think about moving out of the city now.
Northern Survivalist
Cover Photo: Luke Michael @lukemichael