The bug-out bag is a vital piece of kit, and a core concept, of prepping. The BOB is going to be the first piece of gear that you reach for when things get really bad, and even if it isn’t time to hit the road quite yet when disaster strikes you’ll want to have it by the door so you are ready to go.
The bug-out bag is a sort of lifeboat for preppers, and there is nothing you would rather have with you when you are forced to flee a nasty situation.
The bug-out bag is seen as mandatory for anyone who lives in a rural or remote area, but is sometimes underemphasized for those of us living in the urban jungle.
As it turns out, the challenges and travails inherent with surviving or bugging out from an urban environment are no less demanding of being properly prepared than those endemic to less developed areas. They call it the urban jungle for a reason!
Like any other environment, there are unique and specific requirements to be met and obstacles to be overcome in an urban environment, and this will affect both your choice of BOB as well as your loadout.
Adapting to these requirements will give you a leg up over everyone else, whereas ignoring or failing to meet them is only going to hinder you.
In this article, we will be bringing you the best bug-out bags and bug-out bag concepts for urban preppers that are the culmination of exhaustive research and years of experience.
The Quirks of Surviving in Urban Areas
When it comes to survival necessities, you’ll find that the importance of any given resource does not change no matter what environment you are in, but the priority might.
This is as true for urban environments as it is for the Arctic Circle, the high desert, or any place else. Failing to take this into account could see you ill-prepared indeed at the moment of truth.
You could create an enormous list or hierarchy of human needs, but speaking strictly about survival you can boil them down to the “Big 5” of air, shelter, water, food, and security.
No matter where you go, no matter what the situation and what caused it you must have those five things or you are not going to be long for the world.
Note that these Big 5 survival necessities are in generally descending order of importance: a human can survive for only minutes without air, a few hours without adequate shelter in harsh conditions, a few days without water, and a few weeks without food.
Security, well, you have as much time as the situation allows; the bad guys and mean critters get a vote, too!
Now let us look at some examples of how the priority of these necessities shift based on the environment.
If you’re surviving near a massive and remote fresh water lake, water might be among the least of your worries.
Similarly, food is not going to be much of a problem if you are sitting on top of a store room or pantry packed to bursting.
Air is often the most plentiful survival resource in any given situation, but if you are surviving in space, by way of a fun “for instance”, it would be incredibly precious and pressing indeed!
Shelter would be priority number one if you were in an arctic environment but less of a concern in a pleasant, temperate one. And so on…
Despite surviving in an urban environment you’ll still need all of the above, but compared to more traditionalist survival scenarios that postulate survival in remote or pristine natural areas your priorities will change.
Air will be in no short supply in a city, but many disasters both man-made and natural could quickly result in air so contaminated that asphyxiation will be a grave and imminent concern.
Security will also take on new and prime importance when surviving in an urban environment.
Being surrounded by hundreds of thousands or millions upon millions of other people means you’ll have to be constantly on guard against human threats.
Our other survival necessities are far from guaranteed, also. It is easy to think that food will be among the last of your worries in a city, but consider that those hundreds of thousands or millions of other mouths will quickly be scarfing up any food there is to be found.
The only way cities get more food is through their reliance on ceaseless, around-the-clock deliveries from elsewhere in the country.
Water, too, is far from guaranteed despite the countless taps and faucets that surround you in the city.
Public water works are incredibly intricate systems that depend on legions of trained workers maintaining and operating the system.
When that system breaks down or gets damaged contamination may make that water unsafe to drink, if it appears at all when you turn the handle.
In short, any survival scenario worth the name is going to be just as difficult if not more difficult in an urban environment than elsewhere and that means both you and your bug-out bag must be up to the task, and your BOB along with its load should reflect the specialized nature of the environment you’ll be surviving in.
Bugging Out of Urban Areas
Since this article is about bug-out bags, and bug-out bags support bugging out, we should consider what our bug-out is going to look like when we are starting out in a built-up, urbanized area.
What disadvantages will that force on us? What advantages will we have, if any? What special characteristics could trip us up or cause unforeseen problems?
The two most obvious and iconic characteristics of an urban area are the sheer population density and the avenues of approach and departure. Let us consider the latter, our paths for movement in or out, first.
Movement Considerations
Cities are designed to handle massive amounts of traffic, but how well they handle that traffic is always a precarious balancing act that is usually just on the far side of the tipping point.
A slight rise in volume or any sort of accident or other mishaps that slows or stops traffic quickly causes a domino effect that can lead to total gridlock.
Natural or man-made choke points like bridges, tunnels, and major thoroughfares are particularly vulnerable to this effect.
And this of course refers just to vehicular traffic and the adjacent sidewalks for pedestrians.
Any area that is not comprised of roadways is likely going to be buildings, and buildings are basically giant concrete beehives with many, smaller paths and corridors leading into, under, and through them.
Accessing buildings and other man-made paths means you’ll need to enter through a door, window, or some other portal.
These smaller paths offer many more opportunities for free movement when things get clogged on the street but also many more opportunities for obstacles and barricades to be put in your path, be it a locked door, gate, security shutter, or just an improvised blockade.
The smart urban prepper will have a plan for dealing with all of these so that your progress is never totally halted.
Also, consider that being in either cramped confines or just jam-packed streets means an opportunity to be snagged or tangled will be high, and your bug-out bag should be kept correspondingly compact and lean to help offset this.
Population Considerations
And what about that population density, how does that affect our bug-out?
Simply stated all of the problems attendant with huge numbers of strangers taking action in an emergency will now be your problem.
These people will be moving to and fro, doing whatever they think they must improve their chances of survival assuming they are acting accordingly.
They will be gobbling up resources, jamming thoroughfares with bodies and vehicles or just acting in a panic, making them irrational and possibly dangerous.
Of course, mixed in with all the mundane survivors will be opportunistic predators that you’ll have to be on the lookout for.
Security becomes a very high priority in any urban environment, at least compared to less populous, rural environments.
Major urban centers are infamous for their high crime rates even in the best of times, and these crime rates are only going to explode in times of chaos and pandemonium, especially when law enforcement is busy with bigger problems.
Opportunistic thieves and those that are desperate to equip themselves might target you for what you carry, and you’ll need both a plan and tools to deal with them.
Air Quality is a Major SHTF Concern for Urban Areas
The last thing you should consider is that, more than almost any place else, you will need equipment that can ensure you have clean, or at least cleaner, air to breathe while bugging out.
There is hardly any natural or man-made disaster that does not create a substantial risk of fire, and fires in cities are particularly dangerous, not just because they can spread with frightening rapidity but also because they will churn out a frankly unbelievable amount of toxic smoke, quickly poisoning the air.
Also, any collapsing buildings or parts of buildings will clog the air with fine dust to the same effect.
You will need some sort of mask to filter this debris and smoke should you encounter it. We’ll talk a little more about that in the loadout section.
Picking the Best Urban Bug-Out Bag
Any BOB must meet a certain standard and fulfill certain requirements. As you might expect this definitely applies to the urban-centric bug-out bag.
Below are five important criteria you should consider prior to selecting your urban BOB, and when we get to our list of recommendations later you will find that each of them more than ably fulfills all of these requirements.
Capacity
Any BOB that is worth the name is going to be sizable enough to carry a good assortment of gear, but on that note, your average urban-oriented BOB will not be as large as one that is destined for a life of service in the remote backcountry.
Also consider that capacity and size go hand in hand, with a larger pack able to haul more stuff but also have a greater overall footprint and weighing more.
You definitely do not want to be carrying a massive backpack in an urban environment. As mentioned above there are just too many snag hazards both inside and outside buildings.
Urban BOBs must be just big enough to carry what you need and no bigger.
Fit
No matter the environment and no matter the situation a BOB must work with you, not against you, and that makes fit, good fit, critical for getting good results out of your BOB.
Your BOB, whatever its configuration, should ride comfortably and carry the weight how you want it while remaining easy to adjust and maneuver when you need to.
Pay particular attention to sometimes ignored creature comforts like strap and belt padding and texture, as these can quickly become make-or-break items when wearing the pack for a long period of time.
Remember that anything annoying about the way a pack carries in the beginning will turn intolerable after mile 20, so take fit seriously!
Durability
Always remind yourself that your bug-out bag is a piece of emergency gear, not gear to facilitate a hobby or something for fun, no matter how enthusiastic you are about the endeavor.
Your BOB must endure and perform under the same circumstances you’ll be enduring, and that means it has to be durable.
Rough handling, snatch attempts, snags, abrasion, heavy loads and more will put all the materials of your pack and its construction to the test.
You cannot risk losing your pack or, even worse, suffering a blowout that spills your gear all over the sidewalk where it will be quickly hoovered up by teaming masses of panicky people.
Whatever pack you choose make sure it can go the distance under hard use.
Organization
Organization is an important but highly nuanced factor for BOB selection. You want enough compartments inside the pack that will allow you to store and protect your gear in a useful and meaningful way, but not so many that it slows down your access or eats up those ever-valuable cubic inches of capacity.
Similarly, while you don’t want the exterior of the pack festooned with barnacle-like pouches or gear strapped to it openly like you’re some sort of nomad, quick access compartments that you can open up without breaking into the main compartment or even taking the pack off can keep your quick-use or emergency items close at hand ready to use when you need them.
Color/Pattern
Urban environments make choosing the correct color and or pattern of your BOB challenging.
On one hand, choosing a BOB that is in a bright, obvious, and non-threatening color or pattern will help you blend into a sea of similarly colored bags of all sorts in the hands of other people, especially during everyday life. This is a sort of “blend into the herd” mentality.
On the other hand, there will definitely be times you need to go low profile or avoid observation, and those aforementioned civilian colors and patterns will work against you.
What is a clever prepper to do then? This is a decision you’ll have to make for yourself, though I would be inclined to choose a color that could work in either direction, like a seal gray or loden green.
Alternately consider a camouflage cover for a brightly-hued pack so you can hide it in an instant.
Great Urban BOB Choices
Grey Ghost Gear Gypsy
Grey Ghost Gear has a well-earned reputation for making tough, intelligently-designed, and tactically-oriented backpacks.
The Gypsy lives up to that reputation and then some but based on appearance alone it is not a pack one would typically expect to find in a tactical or bug-out setting.
It looks like one of the traditional overlanding packs from years gone by, but make no mistake, despite its traditionalist looks and ageless canvas construction this is a bomb-proof pack that can put up with anything while looking as unassuming as possible.
The Gypsy is what you might call an old-school flat top pack, and this classic aesthetic is married to an equally classic material: waxed canvas.
The canvas is used wherever they can get away with it but Grey Ghost switches to the expected tough ballistic nylon where it is needed in order to add even more strength or versatility.
Regarding storage, you will want for nothing, with a large main compartment featuring a divider as well as a concealed bank of PALS webbing for pouch attachment.
The main compartment can be completely unzipped and laid down turning the pack into an easy-access front loader when required.
A secondary compartment has the expected velcro field which allows you to modularly organize the interior with mating pouches or a holster for concealed carry.
The exterior of the pack gives nothing away in appearance, with no webbing and no tactical-looking design choices, just a couple of zipper pouches and a few pockets for commonly used or small items, and the lower section of the outside has a load-bearing panel that can allow you to hang larger or awkward items.
When it comes to retro trendy appeal, the Gypsy pack earns top marks while sacrificing nothing in regards to strength or storage. A winner!
Eberlestock Secret Weapon
Eberlestock, as a luggage company, built its fame and fortune on their ingeniously designed tactical packs that feature a deployable scabbard for a rifle or similar long gun, allowing the user to easily stash and deploy their weapon without the aid of a sling.
They know a thing or two about building packs around carrying a weapon and that insight is obvious in their Secret Weapon pack, a clever and unassuming daypack that looks like it belongs on an office commute or at the yoga studio but is intended for concealing a short barrel rifle or shotgun.
Nothing about the exterior of the pack screams “gun” or “tactical”, as it is designed with a clean aesthetic that looks at once modern and timeless.
Exterior storage is minimized but internal storage is ample and intelligent, featuring two main compartments, with the “public” compartment giving nothing away upon opening while still providing plenty of room for customization, organization, and stowage.
The second “private” compartment securely holds your weapon or other gear safe from prying eyes.
Note that the Secret Weapon is the largest of the packs in this category and is still intended only for holding a mid-length short barrel rifle or a larger weapon with a folding stock.
This is one pack that looks great and appropriate to a civilian setting on the outside in pretty much any color thanks to its conspicuous lack of webbing, bungee cords, and other tactical accouterments.
It is entirely adequate as a BOB on its own if you don’t use it to carry a long gun, or as a BOB for a minimalist prepper if you are packing.
Moving a long gun around securely and without drawing attention in an urban environment is a difficult trick to manage for most of us, and this pack can definitely help you achieve that with a minimum of fuss.
Maxpedition Entity
Most of our readers are probably already well acquainted with Maxpedition, makers of thoroughly tough and reasonably priced packs for all purposes.
Though the company has long depended upon tactical styling and accouterment for their packs their latest lineups have been trending more towards a civil or “gray man” appearance more than overtly tactical, while still giving up nothing in the way of features and capability. The Entity series of packs exemplify this new direction.
These packs were designed from the ground up for hard use in urban environments, with a clean aesthetic that will draw no attention from any passersby.
Even the exterior storage is accessed via concealed or hidden zippers or flaps held shut by magnets. Clean, slick and unobtrusive is the watchword.
Inside, the Entity features more to celebrate with multiple access points, plenty of compartments, dedicated power bank routing, and Maxpedition’s ubiquitous concealed carry compartment that is ample enough to hold a full-size handgun and several spare magazines.
The CC compartment is also ideal for stashing thin items in an unobtrusive way. The Entity packs are available in three sizes, but we find the 35 liter version is entirely adequate for an urban bug-out bag.
Some users might miss the ability to configure the pack to their heart’s content thanks to the lack of PALS webbing and other connection points but this is a very small price to pay for such a clever and capable urban BOB.
Maxpedition Lithvore
Maxpedition’s second entry on this list is more of a fusion of their older, tactical or military aesthetic with their new, sleek low-profile civil aesthetic.
The Lithvore series of packs feature more options for expansion and customization thanks to a lattice-style attachment system, expandable compartments, and water bottle holders, and an administrative organization system for small tools and commonly used items.
The pack is typical Maxpedition quality with YKK zippers and oversized no-slip pulls. Reserved but ample amounts of webbing are excellent for external load carriage and the main compartment features plenty of cells for organization including a laptop compartment.
Mesh pockets inside and outside allow you to see what you have stashed where and the main zipper opening and primary exterior pouch or in a clamshell configuration.
Creature comfort has not been sacrificed with padded, textured shoulder straps and plenty of adjustment for precise control of the load.
The only thing that holds this pack back is a lack of loud and proud civilian colors, and the interior primary compartment does not feel particularly cavernous thanks to its emphasis on organization and compartmentalization.
5.11 Covert 18 2.0
5.11 needs no introduction for our readers, and one of their latest packs, the Covert 18 2.0 combines their prowess for tactical pack design with an extremely low-profile street-smart aesthetic and ample storage, making this possibly the ultimate urban BOB.
The Covert 18 is notable for its minimalist aesthetic, consisting of a spacious main compartment, a smartly organized exterior admin pocket built into an external cargo flap, and as always, a concealed carry compartment ideal for hiding a handgun and ammo.
Other features abound, including dual water bottle pockets, concealable logos, detachable ID panels, low-profile slip pockets, and a travel-friendly laptop compartment.
Internal storage pockets are mesh fronted making locating your stored gear a cinch.
Perhaps best of all are the colorways, on outdoorsy black on tan with high-viz orange zipper pulls and a black-on-black that features lunar gray zipper pulls and accent color.
Both colorways are not what I would call ostentatious, but they also don’t scream tactical in any sense of the word, instead appearing predominantly as a civilian, if rugged, backpacks.
The Covert 18 pack is priced right, especially spacious and wonderfully low-profile. This one might be my favorite of all the urban-centric BOBs on the market right now.
Vertx Transit Commuter XL
Vertx is a maker of soft goods with some very forward-thinking designs suitable for survival purposes or clandestine tactical action.
One of my favorite bags they have produced in the past was the Transit Commuter series, a hybrid sling and satchel pack that was remarkably adaptable to a variety of purposes but one with a grievous shortcoming in the BOB role: It was simply too small!
It seemed destined to remain an EDC or special purpose bag forever.
But no longer, thanks to the introduction of the Commuter XL. Just as capable, nearly as light, and sacrificing nothing in the way of capability and now capacity.
This bad boy is now big enough to carry a compact long gun and all of your other gear besides.
The main compartment is completely velcro lined from stem to stern and concealed by a privacy panel that keeps your serious hardware safe from snoops or inadvertent observation alike.
The panel is itself festooned with additional pouches and compartments for storage.
But you don’t have to configure everything yourself, because the external and secondary built-in pouches are low profile and unobtrusive so you will avoid the pouch cancer look that is so indicative of a prepper that is “packing heavy” or somebody with a tactical job.
This is a pack that can be carried under one arm, like a satchel, or across your back as a sling pack.
An integrated ‘Y’ strap provides more stability that you’ll need when moving quickly or carrying heavy.
These ingenious bags even feature a full-length insert designed to hold ballistic panels that can allow you to use the pack as an impromptu cover against gunfire.
Although oriented predominantly towards the carry and employment of firearms this is another extremely slick, aesthetic-forward pack that would make a fine choice for an urban BOB.
Urban Survival Gear Checklist
So we have picked out our bug-out bag based on factors and considerations that are endemic to the challenges we will encounter in an urban environment.
That’s great, but the pack isn’t going to be worth much unless it is full of the gear, tools, and provisions we will need for the task ahead!
The following section contains your urban survival packing checklist that will contain universally helpful items as well as detailed breakdowns with other considerations and the following subsections.
Don’t depend on having neither the time nor the clarity of mind to gather the things you need when disaster strikes.
Time is always a precious commodity in a survival situation, especially in urban environments.
Make your list, check it twice and keep that BOB packed and close!
- Shelter – Lightweight, adaptable, multipurpose.
- Emergency blankets or lightweight camping blankets
- Tarp or flyweight bivy
- Accessory cord or paracord for securing, if needed.
- Air Quality/Breathing Aids
- Half-face respirator
- Dust masks, at the minimum
- Gas mask might be warranted
- Filters and cartridges must be appropriate and rotated
- Water Supply
- Water bottle
- Portable filter
- Steri-tabs or other chemical purification agents
- Food
- Shelf-stable
- Requires minimal prep
- Easy to eat
- Clothing
- Suitable outerwear for weather/season
- Gloves, sturdy
- Sunglasses
- Headwear
- Spare pair, socks + underwear
- Footwear, sturdy (if not worn habitually)
- Defense
- Pepper spray
- Knife
- Firearm (see discussion below)
- Tools
- Flashlight and/or Headlamp
- Roll of duct tape, small
- Super glue
- Pad and pens/pencils
- Jumbo sharpie
- Lighters, x2
- Vise grips
- Entry tools (see discussion below)
- Medical
- First-aid kit
- Trauma kit
- Power
- Batteries for all devices/tools
- Wall/Vehicle chargers + cords
- Solar charger
- Power bank, charged
Shelter
Urban terrain typically provides some advantages, especially when it comes to shelter, as there will be no shortage of buildings that can afford you some protection against bad weather and make it easier to warm up when it is cold or cool down when it is hot.
Accordingly, the urban bug-out bag does not unduly burden itself with tons of shelter gear.
A sturdy tarp or a flyweight bivy in conjunction with an equally lightweight camping blanket or even foil emergency blankets is probably going to be all you need. Make sure you include some accessory cord or paracord to secure the tarp if required.
If you are packing heavy, or at least heavy for an urban environment, you might include a lightweight sleeping pad or even an inflatable one to save even more space and ensure you’ll remain off the cold floor or ground.
Whatever you decide, don’t make the mistake of thinking you can omit shelter supplies entirely just because you’re in an urban environment.
Air Quality/Breathing Aids
More than most other environments and across the widest variety of events urban terrain will force you to prioritize air filtration equipment as part of your complement.
The reason why is that fires or just general destruction will quickly choke the air in and around cities with smoke and dust, making breathing difficult, aggravating existing conditions and possibly creating long-term health risks.
You can’t afford any of those things, and you definitely can’t afford to asphyxiate when you were trying to get clear of what darkened the skies in the first place.
Everyone has an opinion on what is best when it comes to breathing aids, and the default option, a simple disposable dust mask, is the lowest common denominator choice.
Though usable and nominally useful they don’t seal well and they wear out quickly. You should include a few of these things as a contingency option, but don’t depend on them.
Much better options are half-face or full-face respirators with appropriately rated cartridges of N95 or better. These offer substantial protection against all kinds of airborne particulate hazards.
Some preppers have a preference for legitimate gas masks, but these are likely overkill unless you are dealing with a bonafide chemical or biological agent release.
Nonetheless, whatever you choose ensure that you obtain and rotate the appropriate filters as they do not last forever, and bouncing around in your bug-out bag will degrade them over time.
Water Supply and Food
No big surprises here. You’ll want a reliable water bottle so you can start off with a quantity of safe drinking water and also have a vessel for holding what water you collect during your travels. A high-efficiency, portable water filter is a necessity as are chemical sterilization tabs.
Food should be of the minimalist ration type, calorie-dense, long-lasting, and easily eaten with minimal preparation.
You don’t want to be busting out a camp stove or figuring out a way to get water on a boil in an urban environment.
Though the likelihood of finding safe, ready-to-eat food in an urban environment is much higher than in a wilderness environment, the food supply will diminish geometrically as time goes on during the situation as survivors comb the city for what comestibles remain.
Clothing
Additional clothing included in your BOB should be based on contingency for weather or local climate as well as items to protect your body from harsh conditions and chores.
What you include in your BOB will probably depend on what clothing you wear as a matter of course.
If your daily attire is not suited to the rigors of survival, you’re probably warranted in including a full set of clothing that is.
At any rate, a seasonally appropriate outer garment should be included, along with headgear, sunglasses, and a sturdy pair of gloves.
More than any other environment urban terrain produces obstacles and hazards that can lacerate your flesh, so keep your hands protected.
Also, make sure you include a spare pair of socks and underwear since the ability to change into dry and/or clean sets is valuable.
Defense
As alluded to throughout this article, self-defense is going to be a prime consideration for survival in urban terrain.
You can depend on whatever city you are in being jam-packed with fellow survivors, as this isn’t going to be a “last man on earth” type of experience where you pick your way delicately through the graveyard monuments to mankind’s hubris, all alone.
No, you will likely have to fend off the deranged, the desperate, and the predatory at some point if you want to survive.
Pepper spray is mandatory, as it will solve many more of the problems that you’re likely to encounter compared to lethal weaponry.
But on that note, sometimes you won’t have any choice and that means you must have the tools, the training, and the will to use them in order to save your life from a deadly threat.
Knives make for a vicious close-quarters weapon in addition to an indispensable utility tool.
Firearms are, as always, the weapon of choice in our era but you must take care that you do not run afoul of traditionally strict laws governing such in urban areas, at least prior to the onset of the disaster.
If you do choose to equip yourself with a firearm, don’t go overboard on spare ammunition as ammo is extremely heavy and there are plenty of other concerns you’ll need to account for.
Tools
You’ll have plenty of call to employ tools during your urban bug-out. First and foremost among the tools, you’ll need are personal lighting solutions, specifically flashlights in conjunction with headlamps if you prefer them.
A good multi-tool will help you take care of the innumerable tasks and gear maintenance chores that will invariably pop up.
Duct tape is useful for repairs, improvisation, and 1,000 other things. Same with super glue, which is also handy in a first-aid context.
You should keep in your bug-out bag a weatherproof notepad along with some pens, pencils, and a jumbo permanent marker for taking notes or leaving them.
A lighter and small fire starting kit are worthwhile additions too, though you’ll have to use them judiciously in urban terrain.
Lastly, consider including common entry tools like lock picks and shims or even a compact crowbar or halligan tool for breaching common barriers preventing access to buildings if you have the skills to employ them.
Concerning the latter category, you must be very circumspect with such things, however, as many municipalities consider these items “burglary tools” and they are strict no-no’s for civilians.
Also, do not employ them in such a way that will draw negative attention to yourself as you don’t want people thinking you are a bad guy out prowling and growling under the circumstances.
Medical
Your medical loadout should include a standard first-aid kit for dealing with lesser injuries as well as trauma supplies for handling major ones.
You should not ignore or minimize the impact of even minor injuries because you will likely not have access to reliable medical care during the event. Minor injuries that get infected can turn into life-threatening ailments in fairly short order.
Also consider that trauma supplies don’t do a lick of good if you don’t have the skills to properly and safely employ them. Make sure you get the training to go along with the gear!
Power
Your selection of electronic tools and gadgets will not work for long if you can’t keep the electricity flowing.
This means your bug-out load should carry a stash of batteries for all the devices that need them, including potentially a spare and fully-charged cell phone battery, an array of wall and vehicle chargers with extra long cords, a solar charging kit, and a power bank that you can use for on-the-go recharging. This too should be kept fully charged.
With a little forethought, it is possible to get plenty of use out of your electronics even in the middle of an SHTF situation in an urban environment when the power is out.
Conclusion
There is hardly a prepper alive that does not have a bug-out bag, and with good reason. The BOB is the core prep around which many other preparations and plans revolve.
But compared to typical wilderness survival scenarios and advice urban-dwelling preppers have a different context under which they will operate, and must plan their pack and gear selections accordingly.
The challenges attendant with survival in urban areas during SHTF events mandate correct preparation if you want to survive.
Use the information provided in this guide to set yourself up with an ideal urban BOB and associated gear.
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It strikes me that if one is bugging out of an urban area, one would be headed to rural, or at least suburban areas. This entails loading at least the minimal gear for THAT environment, something that only barely got a little attention here. While it’s not vital for getting OUT of the city, once gone from there, it’s going to be a challenge gearing up for the “BOONIES”.
Since I’m in a suburban environment, my gear is primarily for departing from there towards a rural area, but not exactly the woods and forests, but the knowledge I have gained over the years ought to help with the transitions between these.
Thanks for the informative read, I still managed to pick up on a few things, even at my ancient status. Something new every day, right? 🙂