There are a lot of similarities when it comes to the basics elements for survival in either an urban or rural environment. But the truth is, they are not the same.
There are many different types of urban environments as there are rural conditions that must be considered. This is not an outline of all the things to know but is an insight for you think about where you're at with your preparedness applications and needs. The dilemma of urban vs rural can become useless when people imagine that what they need in order to survive is to just run away from a populated area into woods and they will be perfectly fine.
While getting out from the populated areas in the time of an emergency is a good thought and a good start, it should not be the end of your planning. You may find out that after you run from the chaos in the city, you can be faced with a whole new range of problems in rural settings, including a lot of them that can be very challenging.
It is not a simple decision and simple plan. Choosing between urban and rural survival should be based on careful planning and preparations.
Rural Survival is dependent on the skills and abilities to survive a crisis or disaster in a non urban environment that can be both widespread and prolonged. It is the ability to stay positive and have have a survival mindset to your advantage and bolster your mental strength to carry you through your survival situation.
In an urban environment you might need a different set of tools for home maintenance, safety and security. While in a rural environment your necessities may call for having heavy equipment, storing fuel and having larger amounts of food and water.
In a suburban environment, you can possibly have the best and worst of both worlds. Because you sit right between urban and rural, and may have more storage space and accessibility to resources, both situations could apply to you.
In order to be successful and survive in either environment, you must know how to prepare for where you choose to live. The supplies and skill sets you need will be different depending on where you live.
Be mindful that prepping in different regional environments whether urban or rural is crucial. There is always the unwanted factor or conditions that stem from natural disasters that can be widespread. If unable to immediately evacuate to a safe zone, you would need to be ready for the water supplies being out, possibly no sewage and not having electricity. These type of conditions can be worse in an urban environment where most of the utilities are provided by your localities and often times create a dependency and in some cases a false sense of security.
One of the most practical reasons as to why people live in urban environments is access to greater opportunities. There you'll likely have an higher income potential and opportunities which can provide the ability to expand one's preparations at a faster rate, rather than elsewhere. Some of the conveniences of an urban lifestyle can still be a challenge in the time of a crisis or disaster because with a larger population, there can be fewer resources available for all. Essential services and preparedness for water, food, waste removal, security, all are intertwined and must be manageable.
Rural environments carry with them their own challenges. Less access to communication, potentially susceptible to more widespread impacts of environmental disasters and more. Water sources such as lakes, rivers and natural streams and can end up carrying bacteria that can cripple and even kill an adult human. Here is where water availability and purification should be the chief concern with rural living. Shelter likely is still available in the form of your house, but it will be essential to know how to make survival shelters and fire in the likelihood that you will have to roam much further to find food especially in various weather conditions. Medical services will also be much less available. It would make sense that the rural survivalist learn how to make improvised medical supplies from readily available and homeopathic products.
Aside from disasters and extreme conditions, one's daily living still requires the ability to manage a degree of sustainability that goes beyond just surviving a particular situation or circumstance. Your living situation, family size and location will dictate what you need to become better prepared and for where you choose to live. Learn how to meet your basic survival needs in both an urban and rural environment.
Survival and being prepared should not only be a passion, it should be a lifestyle. A definition of a prepper can be seen as "An individual or group that prepares or makes preparations in advance of, or prior to, any change in normal circumstances, without substantial resources from outside sources".
Survival also takes a community. A person can have all the skills in the world, but one accident or letting one's guard down can negate all that knowledge you may have. The key to survival is practicing and expanding one's skills and creating a network of trusted friends that can be relied upon in times of hardship.
Don't hesitate to ask questions. Connect to the resources that will increase your abilities, your skill sets and your knowledge base. It is great to have plans, but it is even greater to stick to reality, common sense, and experience. When things go wrong and you do not have a clue where you may end up. You might be forced to adapt and bend your plans a lot. You need to be ready for any setting. After taking a closer look at things, do you foresee any way that your survival plan might go wrong? How will you manage it if your expectations aren’t reality? If you were to troubleshoot your own plan, what aspect do you need to work on?
Want to find out some more, sign up for one of the courses and workshops offered at Black to NTR and advance your Surthrivability.