City vs. Wild

City and wilderness, many of us have access to both. But let’s compare those two from a survival point of view.

What are the 2 best tools to have with you at all times? In the city: phone and credit card! They are essential to pay, book, order things, etc. In the Wild: a knife and lighter. You just can’t do without them. The knife is the all-purpose tool number 1 and the lighter will give you the vital ability to make a fire.

What are the scariest things? In the city: drunk drivers, careless driving. Overall, we could say that cars are objectively the most dangerous thing. In the Wild: grizzly bears because the idea of being killed and eaten by a large furry animal is not a pretty one. That said, statistically, bears are not a big risk. Objectively the bigger danger is hypothermia.

What are the most accident-prone human behaviors? In the city: looking at your phone all the time–the lack of attention makes you easy prey and susceptible to accidents. In the Wild: the lack of awareness is also a huge issue here, but the worst behavior is the lack of judgment and common sense, which includes overestimating your abilities, and the dangers of doing sports or searching for “performance” in the wilderness.

What are the least fashionable but must-have items? In the city: a small fanny pack. It just has to be big enough for your essentials. In the Wild: a large fanny pack, because you need more space there. Maybe you want the extra space for non-essentials, like a camera. Sure, some may not like the aesthetics of the fanny pack, but its pragmatic use is hard to deny. A fanny pack offers a carry system. Do you have one already?

What are the best navigation tools? In the city: the phone and the use of a GPS application (Google Maps, etc.) In the Wild: a compass, of course! Remember electronic tools can easily be broken. A mechanical compass not so much. You need to learn to use a compass and a map.

What is the most annoying? In the city: other people, the lack of personal space, and secondarily noise and pollution. In the Wild: mosquitoes! They can eat people alive and there are millions of them. Remember that where you find clouds of mosquitoes you likely will never have parking space problems!

What are the best moments of the day? In the city: the morning coffee! In the Wild: the afternoon meal. When you have accomplished something in your day, and you are tired, yet you have been able to prepare a delicious hot meal and eat in front of a beautiful landscape.

Different perceptions of reality In the city: reality is virtual, artificial, and changes rapidly, it appears more complex, because it’s multilevel. In the Wild: reality is natural, long-lasting, slower, and simpler, it allows you to clear your mind.

How independent are you? In the city: you depend on everything: services, bus drivers, grocery stores, regulations, and technology. You are always dependent on someone or something. In the Wild: you depend on yourself, your knowledge, your skills, your preparation, on the weather, on nature, you may depend on others if you are in a group, but on so many levels, you are primarily independent.

What is the most important safety tool to carry on you? In the city: a face mask, especially during pandemic times. In the Wild: bear spray, because it’s not only protecting you against bears but also from other animals as well, including dangerous dogs!

What is the best tool for drinking? In the city: the insulated, double-wall mug. Convenient for your morning coffee, for transportation, etc. on the downside, it’s heavy and cumbersome. In the Wild: the single-wall titanium cup. Because it’s so lightweight, multipurpose, and versatile! Can be used for cooking, measuring, boiling water, etc. We believe a good cup is the most overlooked tool in both urban and wilderness survival.

Kits for urban survival or wilderness survival? Whether you consider survival in a city or in the wilderness, in the end, you will need a similar set of tools, skills, and attitudes. Sure, you could build two survival kits, one for the city and one for the wilderness. But we advise to try building one that could do both! Not necessarily an easy thing to do, but it will force you to put more thought into it, and in the end, your kit will be of higher quality and made of gear you use every day.