Waiting for a train that is taking fucking forever to come right now so I'll break it down for a little bit...
1. BLEND IN WITH THE CROWDS and STAY with a crowd. I live in an urban area so if there was any mass upheaval caused by whatever, terrorist attack, poison gas leak, NBC agent, FEMA mass roundup, whatever, there is a high chance that huge groups of people will be moving about and I will be stuck somewhere but home, trying to find a way there. When SHTF happens, you DO NOT want to attract attention to yourself. Dress like everyone else. Avoid putting things like flashlights, knives, etc... on your belt. Put them in pockets. When a mass of people are moving, fleeing, or being pursued/herded by hostile elements, loners and stragglers attract attention like a flame in the darkness. If there are guards or checkpoints around, loners are more likely to be singled out for scrutiny. Find a dense knot of people and place yourself amongst them and travel with them until an opportunity for escape or a safer route appears. In the case of an active shooter or multiple terrorist attack, it is also easier to deploy a weapon effectively, draw a bead, fire, and slip away if you are surrounded by a high amount of activity which distracts the pursuers.
2. Look at your "SHTF" inventory again. Does it contain any nonsense like "Cold Steel" katanas/ninja swords, "war clubs", or any other pop culture influenced zombie apocalypse gear???
Don't get me wrong... Many of us had been tempted to impulse-buy a lot of cool looking machetes and whatnot, especially when the cast of
The Walking Dead have been shown to be using them on TV. And here is the major difference between TV and reality. When a real mass panic migration, quarantine, SHTF scenario happens, especially in a populated area, do you REALLY think that you are going to strap a fucking ninja sword to your back and expect not to attract attention? Unless you are packing a prep kit in a fortified structure where you plan to hole up and weather it out, even carbines and rifles are out of the question. And this is where I am going to tie this post along with
@Gunfighter14e2 's thread about being on the move. I am ALWAYS on the move. Almost 60% of my waking day involves walking, riding mass transit, or driving somewhere. So if something really bad is to happen around here, there is a big chance that I may be caught right in the middle of it. My "SHTF gear" happens to be things that I usually carry with me even when I am heading to a store down the block from my home. A handgun and tactical folding knife with spring assist and impact pommel. There is a reason why I have invested far more of my training into handguns than with a long arm. Because there is a very real chance that I will deploy a handgun much more readily than a rifle when it comes to making life or death decisions. Invest in a compact, sturdy and martial caliber semi-automatic or revolver that is chambered in commonly available ammunition or easy to load components, and learn how to use it until you can smash a cantaloupe with it at 75-100 yards even when you are in the midst of taking a huge shit. A good pistol in the right hands is EVERY BIT as effective as a battle rifle at most urban combat distances. And not to mention concealable under various articles of clothing or common backpacks. You want emergency gear, ESPECIALLY weapons, to take up as little room on yourself as possible, not the other way around.
3. DO NOT BE A HERO. Really. Do not. Your gun and knife are not magical talismans that somehow just gave you +200 bonus health points/respawn credits/immunity upgrades. And they are not a license for you to go full Rambo and jump into the midst of a horde of tangos so you can rescue the busload of fair maidens. Your primary weapon is your brains, to make the right decisions to guide you and your loved ones out of the trouble zone. And perhaps those other innocents around you, if you can that is. You do not deploy a weapon unless:
A. You can GUARANTEE a fatal hit on an approaching threat and or,
B. You can do so without attracting attention that will put the lives of those around you in danger.
C. You can reasonably make a clean escape after using your weapon. Remember, even in panicked, crowded areas, the discharge of a firearm will almost certainly cause more localized chaos and the hostiles will eventually zero in on where the source of the ruckus came from.
By looking at videos of urban gang assaults here in the US or attacks by Middle Eastern "youths" in Europe, the chances of facing a sudden mob style attack in this day and age is very common. I carry a knife on me all the time, except in courthouses. And if a situation gets so bad that I must deploy it, the other side will never see it until it is buried up to the handle in their vitals and being twisted and yanked back out. It will not be used to posture, intimidate or showcase. It either stays completely hidden or it is being used for full destructive potential.
4. BE SOCIABLE. As opposed to what Hollywood wants to portray and whether we like it or not, the lone traveler is not going to survive a SHTF environment for long. You are going to meet all kinds of other people caught in the same predicament as you when the balloon goes up. If you can get a group of likeminded fellows to travel with you and use your wit to resolve any conflicts that may arise during the time being, your odds of survival and getting the fuck out of the mess will be substantially higher. During the 2003 northeast blackout, I had been stuck in Bryant Park, just a block away from Times Square. I had to walk all the way back to Brooklyn in 95°F heat and humidity. Somehow I fell in with a small group of people who had been hanging out in Chelsea and also had to walk back home. Some of them knew the best places to use the restroom and get fresh water along the way without having our wallets slaughtered by price gougers and other opportunists who crawl out of the woodwork during times like these. We did not encounter any trouble on the way back and yes I was armed too. But being with good company alleviated boredom during that long and hot ass walk and we helped each other out with knowledge of the different areas and advice.
5. Last but not least, STAY IN SHAPE. All of your weapons, skills and combat expertise ain't going to mean shit to you if you collapse due to a heart attack, stroke, or another ailment during a critical time. Eat plenty of green leafy vegetables and fruits, especially apples. Work out. Get checked up periodically and resolve any issues that may put an ugly blot on your quality of life. Be safe and be smart about everything.
