Urban-Preparation-Kit-Part-I.pdf

Urban Preparation Kit, Part I, On-Body Kit

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Urban Preparation Kit, Part I,

On-Body Kit

Schwert

- Skills and guides - Bushcraft and Survival -

Publication: Wednesday 6 October 2004

Description :

Part I of this article covers the on-body kit designed to provide basic needs of shelter, warmth, water and communication in the event of an urban disaster.

Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike License

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Urban Preparation Kit, Part I, On-Body Kit

Preparation Philosophy

My preparation philosophy relies both upon a set of useful tools and a related set of skills.

Basic kit is carried/worn at all times with each item chosen to meet some supposed need in a

likely urban scenario. I believe in what I call my "concentric ring" approach to kits. The

inner ring is the basic on-body kit, the next ring consists of a coat/hat kit and my shoulder

carry bag of items, the next ring is a desk kit, followed by car and home kits. As the rings

expand, the kit items become either more numerous, larger or more specialized. The

on-body kit is designed to meet basic needs of shelter, water and communication plus some

specialized needs likely in my workplace. The larger kits include increased communications,

better shelter, more capable and complete first aid etc all the way up to the home kit which

includes CERT and RACES team gear (Community Emergency Response Team, and Radio

Amateur Civil Emergency Service, more about these later). I also tend to design kits with

daily use in mind....that is my kits are open to use of the items as needed, not sealed in kit

boxes etc.

Urban Scenarios and Their Influence on Kit

The first exercise that I feel must be done is a review and definition of the daily risks and needs that would drive

choices in pieces of kit. These evaluations are personal and highly valuable to both pick skills and gear that are

appropriate but to also exclude items that have little use. For instance, many people say they carry large knives on a

daily basis as emergency gear, but I always wonder if they have determined what would happen to them legally if

they were stopped for some reason and these knives were found on their person. I am not saying a large knife is not

good kit, I am saying it is only good kit if it does not compromise your preparations. My basic on-body kit set of tools

meets all legal requirements of my location.

Local Conditions. Climate, geologic conditions, worksite location, and state and federal laws all contribute to the

development of my kit. Seattle is located on a large saltwater sound about 100 miles inland from the sea, but its

climate is greatly affected by the marine environment. Temperatures are mild year round, with a great number of

light rain and overcast days. The metropolitan area is split East/West by a large lake, and North/South by a smaller

lake and cut. Transportation around the city is difficult and dependent on several bridges. My worksite is about 20

miles from home, and across a lake, so my kit decisions are also based on my abilities by various means to get

home. My worksite is across the street from a large home improvement center and it is only about 20 feet above sea

level. A large volcano (Tahoma or officially Rainer) is located about 100 miles south of the city. And Seattle is built

on an active earthquake fault line. Geologic evidence supports the occurrence of massive earthquakes ( magnitude

9) 18 times over the past 10,000 years. State law allows knives of 4" or less carried concealed. Concealed carry of

firearms is allowed with a permit. My usual commute home takes me through, or adjacent to the downtown business

district.

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Urban Preparation Kit, Part I, On-Body Kit

Seattle

Given these location specific condition, these are my urban scenarios:

Large scale natural disaster. This can be an earthquake, tsunami, lahar, strong wind or rain storms, volcanic

eruption, or fire. Severity and scope of each of these natural disasters can, of course, vary greatly. In March 2001

we had a 6.8 magnitude quake centered in the Nisqually area south of Tacoma. This caused extensive damage to

my worksite and the older structures in the older parts of Seattle, but caused minimal to no damage outside of these

portions of the city. Large windstorms have occurred several times in the past couple of decades and caused local

problems, flooding and widespread power outages. The natural disaster scenario is my largest concern. My

workplace is a brick structure built over many years, and I work in the 1914 era portion. The 2001 quake caused

major damage to this structure, and the building was red-tagged (occupancy not allowed for some time). Lesser

events in the city cause huge traffic problems and the natural topography of the city makes it difficult to move easily

from work to home. A couple of inches of snow is nearly the same as a category 4 hurricane around here.

Regional political or other disturbances. A few years ago Seattle hosted the WTO, (World Trade Organization)

downtown. Protests of the WTO members eventually disintegrated into a riot with the usual conflicts between

protestors and police. City streets were blocked; normal transportation options were stopped or rerouted. Some

folks found themselves in a riot when they thought they were shopping. A recent Mardi Grass celebration turned into

a mob with one innocent party-goer assaulted and killed. So far, none of our professional sports teams have won

any major events, so we have avoided the celebration riots.

Terrorism. This scenario, while is has not added much to my various kits, it has added much to my response to

various workplace occurrences. For instance, fire drills usually result in the whole building evacuating to the front

parking lot...a perfect place for a large truck bomb to take out many of the occupants who evacuate to the fire alarm.

I no longer stand in the middle of these folks and have attempted to get our leadership to move folks farther away in

smaller groups.

For most folks living or working in larger urban setting, these 3 scenarios will probably be somewhat applicable.

However, the whole point of this discussion is that each individual needs to evaluate their probable events and

subsequent need for kit and skills to meet some of the expected problems.

For purposes of this discussion, I think I will probably call upon the earthquake scenario to illustrate my thinking and

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Urban Preparation Kit, Part I, On-Body Kit

kit. Assuming I am at my worksite, my first goal will probably be to get out of my workplace building rapidly and

hopefully uninjured. Second goal will be to evaluate the situation and take care of myself and coworkers as needed.

Third goal will be to find out about my family and get home if possible. Fourth goal is to evaluate my ability to

contribute to the community needs through my volunteer efforts.

If I was able to evacuate the building alive, one of my first goals would be to tend to my injuries and then assist

others. Three immediate needs and two longer term needs are the basis of my kit decisions. Basic first aid for me

and others, possible rescue of trapped people and shelter for me and others are the 3 immediate needs. These call

for both skills and some tools. Communication and transportation of me home or others home or to hospitals etc are

the next two areas where kit can play a role.

Part I of this article will discuss the On-Body kit and my attempts to provide for these 5 initial needs. Part II , will

discuss other kits that would provide greater capabilities but that because of their bulk and nature may or may not be

available depending on the scenario.

First Concentric Ring---On-Body Kit

The on-body kit is comprised of, and completely contained in the clothing chosen for daily wear. The centerpiece of

my "wearable" kit is a wool vest. I have the luxury of working in a very relaxed (clothing wise) workplace and this

vest very easily fits into this environment. I have developed a somewhat (to put it mildly) eccentric habit of wearing

this vest daily, year-round for the past 8+ years. It has become so much a part of me that it is expected wear and its

absence is now noteworthy.

This has given me much room for customization of the kit and the vest also allows concealed belt carry of certain

items that would not be as easily carried without it. The on-body kit is also comprised of various items carried in my

shirt and pants pockets, belt, and around my neck.

I will start with the versatile vest and its contents, then discuss the various other pieces of carryable kit and clothing.

This is a system that has worked well for me but probably would be more difficult to incorporate into more formal

work environments. First the vest itself is a Filson Model 8 vest, custom made in 26 oz Mackinaw wool. This vest

model is available off-the-rack in a heavy cotton canvas (dry tin-cloth), but I personally find the wool vastly more

desirable for comfort wear, insulation, and even style. The vest costs a bit over $100, must be custom ordered with a

few weeks lead time, but it is in my opinion the finest example made.

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Urban Preparation Kit, Part I, On-Body Kit

Filson Custom Style 8 in Wool Note: Prior to Filson repair of pocket wear.

Any number of outdoor multi-pocketed vests could be chosen, but this is the one for me. It has a full double back

which results in a large "game" pocket back, two inside pockets, and four front pockets consisting of two flat cargo

pockets, a divided tool pocket set and an open pocket. The vests prime advantage is that fully loaded, as described

below, it does not take on the fisherman overstuffed vest look. The vest rides reasonably flat and fits in with casual

wear better than any other multi-pocketed outdoor vest I have ever worn.

Seattle's weather is mild for most of the year and a wool vest works well in an office environment that is kept around

70 degrees, so I can wear this vest year round. Only on very hot days do I wear the same vest model in the canvas

tin cloth. The vest itself is a major contributor to my shelter requirement for the on-body kit, but its versatility and neat

manner of carrying or covering carried items is a major feature.

Back Pocket I always carry a boiled wool hat in the fall to spring months, tucked inside it is a Tacoma Mountain

Rescue Tube Tent. This consists of a 9' plastic tube, which is easily carried and flat. Not exactly the best of tents or

long lasting, but it does work. I sometimes also carry a pair of wool fingerless gloves that can slip over my leather

gloves or be worn alone, 10' of slip-braided paracord and one large plastic trash bag (unfortunately not shown). I

usually also carry a very flexible moderate gain antenna for my handheld HAM radio (more below).

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