Urban Survival vs. Wilderness Survival

In regards to urban survival versus wilderness survival, these skillsets are categorically different yet are remarkably equivalent; to adapt.

Many people have never given any thought to how to survive in their own homes in the midst of disaster.

Most people think of wilderness survival when they’re ready to make a fire, build a shelter, and make dinner out of nothing. The truth is that a disaster may take over your civilizes area, and you need to be prepared.

This is a deeper look into urban survival versus wilderness survival as a guideline concept.

What is Urban Survival?

Urban survival became popular in recent years as the zombie and vampire genres took over entertainment programs. People started to wonder how they would make it through a zombie apocalypse.

It’s an interesting perspective, but the real things to worry about are things like urban warfare, civil unrest, infrastructure collapse and natural disasters.

It’s been interesting to many to watch the coronavirus pandemic unfold as people were stuck at home scared of the outside world. Many are trying to survive with the essentials in their own home.

It’s a hot topic as people realize they should learn how to survive and thrive on a critical level in the supposed “safety and comfort” of their own homes.

Urban survival in its most basic theory is; to get through difficult and dangerous times and events while in a civilized or developed part of the world.

The Unique Differences Of Urban Survival Versus Wilderness Survival

The urban environment isn’t comprised of vast foliage and wild animals. It could be a concrete jungle. It could be your home in the middle of a suburb.

The people in an urban environment don’t need to think about building a shelter. They probably don’t need to make a fire. They do need to know the buildings around them. They do need to know where to find power sources in the middle of a disaster. They need to know the dangers and defects of other humans.

Essentials in The Urban Environment

There will be different things in your survival kit than if you were lost in the wild. One of these things is a sillcook key. This four-way key is used to turn on water to secured outside water faucets. These aren’t usually found in the wild. The top thing you will need in a disaster is water. If you can still run water from your tap, you’re great. If you can’t, you need to know how to collect rainwater or boil water from a nearby source.

You will also need a lock picking tool. This can be used to pick locks to get to food or shelter in buildings. It’s usually considered a crime to break into places, but survival throws out almost all of the rules.

Everyday carry gear should include; a multi-tool with at least a blade, plier and scissor. A concealable self-defense weapon such as an expandable baton, compact pistol, pepper spray or tactical knife.

A minimal and low profile go-bag filled with various items ready to be used or taken at any time.

Observations About The Urban Environment

One thing you have on your side in an urban environment is a city map. Town and cities have utility grids that give you the structure of your water, gas, and electricity lines. The only problem is if these things are not operational during an emergency.

These things will lead you to communication, refrigeration, medical care, and proper sanitation. You should be able to find buildings that offer shelter.

The biggest issues during a disaster in the urban environment involve essentials like food, water, and medicine. These things fly off the shelves quickly.

At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, we saw what pending disaster can do to the shelves. People weren’t in control and became fearful.

They bought carloads of toilet paper, medicine, water, and disinfectant. If you’ve ever been in a city when a hurricane or storm is headed your way, you understand. The local grocery stores become chaotic as people rush to stock their homes.

When people are not prepared, they turn into animals. This doesn’t mean you need to stockpile essentials to take up your basement. It does mean you need to have storage of a few essentials in preparation.

What is Wilderness Survival?

From our ancestors surviving tough winters in the middle of a snowstorm to the modern bushcrafter, “survival” has been around since the dawn of time and isn’t going anywhere, despite world development.

Surviving in the wilderness has a million different variants. There are sophisticated survival skills that people living in the wild put into account.

These include things like a modern backpacking kit with everything you could ever need to build and live for an extended period of time. There are the most simple skills that we take into account from Native Americans and Mountain Men.

They had the most basic of tools and a resources to help them survive in the wilderness. Researching and learning about your environment before you head into the wilderness will help prepare you for anything that nature may throw at you while you’re in its midst.

Essentials In The Wilderness Environment

This type of survival usually takes place in a remote location. In today’s world when everything is going normal, you won’t face these same challenges in an urban environment. You’ll need survival necessities in a bag. This is important to note that you need these necessities if you know you’re going to a remote location where you may need survival skills.

One of the biggest differences between urban survival versus wilderness survival is the set of tools. If you’re headed into the wilderness, you need a fixed blade knife. It is your best friend.

A multitool is perfect for an urban survival kit. A striker and a ferro rod is needed for starting fires.

A bow saw is a great thing to have to cut through logs for firewood. This is crucial because you will need this wood to help cook the animals you find to eat.

Water is crucial, so you will need a survival water filter. You can get very sick from water in the wild, so a water filter will help you get fresh water quickly.

Observations About The Wilderness Environment

The average person can truly only survive about three days without water and a week without food in the wild. It’s crucial that a person surviving in the wilderness figure out how to eat and find water.

A survival kit is the difference between life and death. The biggest issue with a survival kit is that you don’t want it weighing you down if you’re going out in the wilderness. You cannot carry every single thing you’d ever need to survive. It’s important think about the season and your personal situation as you go down your survival kit list. Millions of people have survived in the wilderness since the beginning of time.

People have been stranded in the middle of nowhere for weeks, and they have made it out alive. A survival kit will help people survive if they are stuck. It’s also up to the person as an individual to sharpen their mental skills to be able to survive in the middle of nowhere.

Final Thoughts

Survival depends on your preparation and your skills, no matter if you’re in an urban or wilderness area.

You may even need to approach survival with a hybrid model if you live somewhere in the middle of the wild and an urban development. Both scenarios should always include a first aid kit, fire starter, proper clothing, and a mobile phone if possible.

Train yourself for the worst situation so you’re ready no matter what. Finding safety could mean the difference between life and death in a disaster.

Always keep a calm mind, use what you know, and utilize your survival kit so you can help others around you and be as safe as possible in a danger zone.

[OPTICS : Ninh Binh, Vietnam + Kathmandu, Nepal]