What is an urban prepper?
An urban prepper is a person who prepares for potential disasters or emergencies in an urban setting, such as a city or heavily populated area. This typically includes stockpiling supplies, developing emergency plans, and learning survival skills that can be used in an urban environment.
The city can be a great place to prepare for short-term and long-term emergencies. I’ll show you how to prepare for urban survival in this article.
Do you live in a city?
Are you living in a city? If so, you’re not alone. Being an urban prepper is on the rise. A recent study found that urban preppers make up over half of all new preppers in America, and many experts predict this number will continue to grow. In fact, some analysts believe that by 2020 more than half of Americans will be living in urban areas (that’s nearly 700 million people).
The reason is simple: while rural preppers can rely on resources like farms and hunting cabins to sustain themselves through whatever SHTF scenario they may face, the average city dweller doesn’t have access to these places. So instead, they have to get creative with their preparations—but don’t worry! That’s what we’re here for! So let’s go over some simple tips for ensuring your apartment/house/apartment complex is prepared when SHTF.
Is your neighborhood prepared for an emergency?
There are many easy ways to determine if your neighborhood is prepared for an emergency. The first thing you’ll want to do is get familiar with the area you live in. Learn about local businesses, schools, and government buildings; know where they’re located and what kind of services they provide. Next, make sure you know your neighbors—not just the people living on your street but also those who live around it. If something prevents any person from being able to drive home or leave their house safely, it’s good to have someone who can help them out (this is especially true if they don’t have access to a car).
Finally, connect with local law enforcement so that if there are any emergencies in your area, chances are they would be aware of them already!
How would you get around if there was no gas or electricity?
If you’re living in an urban area, chances are that you walk or take public transportation. But what will you do if there’s no gas or electricity available to power these modes of transportation? How will you get around?
You could consider bicycle transportation for short trips around your neighborhood and even for longer distances as long as the roadways remained relatively clear. For example, if there is not much flooding from rising waters, a bike may be just fine for getting from one side of town to another. However, it’s important to note that during times of disaster (such as after a hurricane), traffic jams can form very quickly because people are all trying to flee at once; this causes gridlock conditions where there aren’t enough cars on the roadways, so everyone has room to move freely again—but those who are stuck in those situations without any other option than waiting it out may find themselves walking instead!
If public transportation is available and operational during such times, then this would be another option worth considering; however, keep in mind that many buses/trains require gas or electricity, which means they won’t work either…unless they have alternative energy sources powering them such as solar panels installed on top!
Do you have enough food and water to last a week?
To be prepared in the city, you need to have food and water that can last at least a week. So you’ll want to stock up on non-perishable food, water, hand-powered water filters, and a camping stove.
Camping stoves are excellent because they have greater fuel efficiency than cooking over an open flame. They also come with adjustable heat settings to cook things like soup or boil water quickly without worrying about burning anything!
If you don’t want or can’t carry around propane for your camp stove (or if there isn’t any available), don’t fret! There are other options: A favorite among preppers is the Coleman Fold N Go 2 Burner ($90). It’s compact enough for easy transportation yet powerful enough for boiling lots of water at once—a must in an emergency where safe drinking water may not be available from local sources such as gas stations or grocery stores. While we recommend keeping some extra supplies on hand just in case something happens during an earthquake or flood event which prevents normal life functions from returning again (like having electricity), it’s still important not to forget about being prepared beforehand too! That’s why we suggest buying extra fuel for your survival kit now while prices are low before they go back up after a SHTF scenario.
Would you survive without internet, cell service, or credit cards?
Let’s be honest; we’re all a little dependent on the convenience of modern technology.
The internet helps us keep in touch with friends and family, access information, and do our jobs. Cell phones help us find directions when we’re lost. Credit cards let us pay for items at the store without having to carry cash around (or risk being mugged). But what if you suddenly lost all of these things?
Well, if you have been urban prepping for an emergency, then chances are you already have a plan to cope with these scenarios if they were to arise.
For instance:
Preparedness 101: Cash is King – If your bank accounts were wiped out in a cyber attack or someone hacked into your computer system, would you still be able to survive? Yes! Because preppers use cash instead of credit or debit cards which are tied directly to banks and other financial institutions (and therefore easier targets). Preppers are unlikely to buy things on credit because they know how easily credit can lead people into debt immediately or shortly after purchasing an item. But mainly because that piece of plastic (referred to as a credit card) is worthless if all systems go down. A great example of this was during the recent hurricane that hit Florida. The power went out; people couldn’t get cash from ATMs or use credit cards at stores and gas stations because there was no electricity.
The city can be a great place for an urban prepper for short-term and long-term emergencies.
Short Term Preparedness
Food storage and water supply: By preparing for short-term needs, you’re ensuring that your family will not have to go hungry in the event of a natural disaster or another emergency that disrupts the food supply chain. This could include having emergency food rations on hand (which you should rotate every six months) and storing extra water bottles in strategic locations around your home or apartment building. You may also want to consider installing an indoor garden to have fresh vegetables available year-round.
Long Term Preparedness
Bug out location: You should also consider setting up an offsite location where you can take shelter during an extended crisis such as a major earthquake or hurricane season; this could include a cabin in the wilderness or simply renting out an apartment unit somewhere else within your city until things settle down again.
Conclusion
The city may be the wrong place to be during an emergency, but it can also be a great place to prepare for emergencies. While you may not have access to as much land or resources, you can still do many things to make sure your family is ready for the worst. The most important thing is knowing what kind of emergency could happen where you live and taking steps now so that when it does happen, everyone will be prepared. Would you classify yourself as an urban prepper?