Our comfortable urban lifestyles can come to an end in an instant. Think Ukraine, or a flash flood, wildfire, earthquake, landslide, tsunami or some other natural disaster.
How can you prepare for any eventuality? A good start might be to read “The Urban Prepper’s Guide” by Jim Cobb.
by Leon Pantenburg
Disclaimer: I am a long time fan of Jim Cobb’s writing, and have worked directly with him for Prepper Survival Guide and Backwoods Survival Guide magazines. I consider him a friend, and a foremost authority on all things related to preparedness. The following is my opinion, and no one had any input into this review.
Check the news – virtually every known natural and man-made disaster has happened, or may soon happen. We already have wars throughout the world, droughts in Asia and Africa, and extreme heat and wild fires in places that haven’t had such events in decades. The list goes on and on.
So what can you do to get ready for such calamities?
Jim Cobb is among the most respected writers in the preparedness/survival field. He has a sterling reputation when it comes to practical knowledge. He proves this again with “The Urban Prepper’s Guide” which is available today.
Jim draws on a wealth of experience and knowledge in this latest book. Here are some of the strong points in this publication.
Mental preparedness: Any discussion about survival/preparedness starts with getting your mind right and developing a survival mindset. These mental preparedness skills are absolutely paramount for a beginner, and the book discusses how to develop these skills This segues nicely into the “Where do I begin?” question.
The book takes a reader from that point and then on to different topics. Here are some of them.
Water: The number one concern, IMHO and Jim’s, is water. This is evident by looking at the evening news. Worldwide, there is too much water from floods in some areas; other places have severe drought and impending famine because of crop failures.
A flash flood can close roads and eliminate access.
The common factor in both scenarios is a lack of potable water. If the power grid goes down, access to drinking water may become very difficult. Suggestions for water storage and purification are covered in detail.
Food: Storage of food is another aspect of disaster scenarios. Remember the toilet paper shortages of a few years ago? The panic buying that emptied store shelves could happen again. The book gives suggestions for staples to stock up on while you still can, and helps the reader decide which methods of food preservation might work best for them.
Shelter is the ability to get out of the elements and maintain a comfortable, safe body temperature. Shelter needs vary from place to place, depending on the environment.
The urban prepper has some advantages. Unlike the rural person, urban dwellers may have access to warming or cooling buildings, motels and community centers and other resources that aren’t available away from the cities.
Shelter starts with your clothing. I appreciate the detailed discussion about how to layer clothing to stay warm. If they don’t know any better, the beginner might stock up on fashionable clothing from trendy outdoor outlets that aren’t good choices for protection.
Additional chapters cover such things as medical and hygiene, security, communication, emergency evacuations, every day carry tools and items, self and home defense and finances.
Scattered through the book are brief posts on specific aspects of preparedness. I enjoyed them very much – the information was short and to the point. I learned a lot.
Another important topic: Don’t plan to improvise anything. Don’t buy crayons to light as candles, buy candles instead. Don’t plan to improvise friction fire-making tools if you don’t have a chance to stock up on BIC butane lighters. Don’t think you can cobble together adequate footwear.
The book is designed for urban preppers on tight budgets and with limited space, but the book is useful for anyone who is concerned with preparing for a worst-case scenario.
It is a book to give someone who may be wavering about this whole preparedness idea. It’s also a great publication to give the experienced preparedness/survival type – you can’t know too much!
This book should be on every prepper’s book shelf.
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