10 Urban Bug Out Bag Items You Need

Survival in a rural environment is quite a bit different than an urban one. First off, urban environments will typically provide many opportunities to find shelter inside of abandoned buildings or structures, which are harder to find in rural environments. Scavenging for useful survival items is also much more productive in an urban environment. So when you’re making a list of what to include in your urban survival kit or urban bug out bag, shelter in the form of a tarp is usually not as much of a concern.

Although finding useful survival supplies in urban areas can make surviving a bit easier in some ways, there are also added dangers in an urban location. And one of the biggest dangers could be other survivalists. In addition to packing a bug out bag with water, food, first aid kit, eating utensils, and a survival knife, there is other urban survival gear that should be considered. Below are ten items that you may not have thought were important to add to your survival gear kit, but could come in handy in some situations.

1. Crowbar

When you happen upon an abandoned structure, it’s possible that there isn’t an easy way to get inside. In these cases, a crowbar can be used to either pry open a door or smash through a window. However, a crowbar can have many useful purposes and doesn’t take up much room in your backpack, so it’s definitely a tool worth bringing.

2. Mace – An Important Urban Bug Out Bag Component

During a survival situation it’s possible to come across all kinds of people. And unfortunately, when survival instinct kicks in, some of those people may want your stuff and won’t think twice about hurting you to get it. When you cross paths with someone like that you’ll want to have a canister of mace handy. The purpose of mace is to simply disable the person long enough for you to be able to get to one of your weapons, like an ax, that you’ve packed with your other survival gear. You can also find pepper spray or mace self-defense keychains, which take up very little space in a go bag.

3. Can Opener

If you find yourself surviving in an urban area, you’re likely to find abandoned homes or stores. And if that’s the case, you just may discover lots of canned foods available. A manual can opener is a valuable asset if you’re lucky enough to stumble upon an abandoned building with canned goods. And it certainly won’t take up much space in a survival bag, so it’s a good item to have.

4. Water Purification Tablets are a Great Urban Bug Out Bag Item

When you come across a source of water, but you’re not sure if it’s safe to drink, you’ll be glad you packed some water purification tablets or a water bottle filter in your urban bug out bag. Purifying water is as simple as reading the directions on the package and adding them to the water. Having plenty of clean drinking water is perhaps the most important thing to consider when you’re in survivalist mode.

5. Water Keys or Cross Keys

And speaking of drinking water, water keys can be a lifesaver if water is scarce and you need to gain access to residential or commercial water supplies. Water keys, also called cross keys, are commonly used by engineers and contractors who service industrial and commercial equipment. These keys are used as a deterrent to vandalism, and are needed to access some commercial or residential water supplies. It might be possible to open these valves with pliers or a multi-tool, but most valves are made to protect against these types of tools.

6. Wire Cutters

Trespassing is something you want to avoid if at all possible, but in a true survival situation it may become necessary to access a fenced-in area. And wire cutters are the perfect tool for accessing hard-to-get-to areas. Wire cutters have many other useful purposes as well. They’re good for cutting rope or other material for bushcrafting, which is using wilderness survival skills to thrive in the natural environment.

7. Emergency Radio

In some disaster situations it may not be possible to use a phone. An emergency radio can be used to stay updated on the status of the emergency. It’s also important to have a radio that’s either rechargeable or solar powered.

8. Portable Solar Panel for an Urban Go Bag

A portable solar panel can be extremely helpful in an emergency situation where no electric power is available. It can be used to charge any type of rechargeable electronics. These can include mobile phones and flashlights, but also portable emergency radios. They are very thin and lightweight, making them easy to pack and transport in an urban bug out bag.

9. Face Mask or Gas Mask

In a situation where there is toxic debris in the air, a gas mask or face mask can go a long way toward protecting your lungs from toxic fumes. When the disaster is a large, uncontrolled fire, a mask could end up being the best survival gear you’ve got. A face mask requires less space in your kit, but gas masks are more efficient at filtering out harmful debris. So even if a gas mask takes up more room in a survival kit, it’s worth having one.

10. Axe

It’s not necessary to pack a big, heavy axe in a survival kit. A small one will be sufficient and easier to handle. This is a tool with many uses in a survival situation. It can be used to chop wood, break through locked doors, and even used as a weapon.

What to Include in an Urban Backpack

There are many items that can be useful in an urban survival kit, too many to count. For this reason it’s important to create a list of everything you’d want to include in your bug out bag. Once you’ve created a list, determine which items would be most important in your particular situation and area.

Many survivalists consider the ten items listed above as optional. Basic items such as food, water, first aid kit, fire starter, and flashlight should always be included. It’s important to understand that a well-stocked survival kit will prepare you for any type of disaster or emergency.

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