If your car isn't working, your fancy electric bike probably isn't either.   And maybe your fancy electronic gizmos.

Not sure why you'd want to walk 27 miles home (vs a shorter distance to a safe house).  You ever see a 27 mile long riot?  You're a bit far inland for a Katrina event, but an earthquake is about the only reasonable thing I can think of that'll cause wide spread issues.

Because there's no scenario where his vehicle would get destroyed in a crash, a riot, etc?

Realistically a scenario like that wouldn't require a 27 mile trek, it would require 1-2 miles out of the initial shit show and then an Uber.  But there is such a thing as preparing for the worst case scenario.

Not for nothing, but a couple of the riots in 2020 spanned several miles in Raleigh. Granted they were several different groups that were coordinating together and they were all fluid and mobile to cause as much damage as possible. That could make it likely for you to keep running into the riots.

I agree, a safe house to at least give you the ability to take a break in safety/replenish would be better than trying to hump 30 miles, but I would still be trying to get home, my family and neighbors would need me at home, not some safe house.

Bad weather stopping all traffic (such as Atlanta during a major ice storm), literal grid lock from a collapsed bridge, major fire, accident, etc. And then, any even that would get everyone on the road to escape, if you're not ahead of the masses, you'll likely be stuck as well. And then, you get a disabled vehicle whether by an accident or on purpose, and you're on foot (or bike if you keep one in your vehicle).

If planning a get-home plan, you transportation needs some PACE applied as well. Worse case will always be last (Contingency or Emergency), and likely on foot; however, if you're primary is your POV, don't let that be your only plan.

ROCK6

If his car was destroyed in a crash, he's probably not walking home. Just saying.

As for my post I was thinking of an EMP event.

All of this is situationally dependent.

Keep it is light as possible as this aids in mobility.


My bag is a bag of bags. They are all color coded.

Blue is water purification stuff

Red is first aid. There is a blow out kit and a boo boo kit. Inside that boo boo kit is a separate foot care kit.

Orange is fire.

Purple is repair.

The HSGI EOD pouch is some basic urban tools I might need.

Before I continue my needs are not your needs as I live in the Intermountain West. Having said that a lot of the basics are the same.

Even when I have traveled to Houston and that area I always have at least a light fleece.

Water. Make your own choices here. I will add I keep several water bladders folded up in my kit. Some of them are marked DIRTY so that I can load up on water quickly at a source and filter later in safety.

Time. I keep a crappy wind up Timex in my bag. I dot. Really care what time it is exactly. I do want to know what elapsed time is for several reasons.

Another thing to think about is how long it will really take you to get home. If you are an office guy like me unless you work out it’s going to take far longer than a  few hours. Toss in some kind of unrest, disturbance, having to travel at night in a crap part of town and times increase.

I am 32 miles from my office even if I have to go overland it’s that distance after I clear the edge of town which is a total of 3 miles. I plan on it taking up to 4 days and plan accordingly.

I hope you can hike it in the time you have planned and may the odds be ever in your favor.

My advice is look at the i formation that everyone has provided. Filter out what doesn’t fit you. Then begin setting up the kits that will fill your bag and how it suits you.

Here's my three-tier urban kit. I had a chance to kind of grab this and go this morning. My son is deploying to the middle east and left his truck at his unit armory. It was only about 60 miles away in a college town. Fortunately, I had the day off and my wife was attending a conference where the route drove right by the armory. Grabbed my kit and we headed down about 0500 this morning. My wife thought I was kind of crazy (as usual), but it was a good example of a pretty portable kit I could carry from one conveyance to another.

First tier was my EDC. This includes wearing seasonally appropriate, layered clothing and footwear. If I'm wearing some hiking sandals in the summer, I'll have trekking shoes in my truck. If it looks like rain, I'll have a rain jacket on or something to tie onto my sling bag or stuff in a small daypack. If I'm not carrying a fixed blade on my person, I would carry one in my sling bag or pack; same goes for a multitool.



Second tier was my small sling bag:




Last up is my smaller (17 Liter) lightweight pack (Hyperlite):

I attached a small pouch with a few pair of Nitrile gloves.


Outside pouches include a water bottle and Grayl purifier. I picked up the titanium version and wouldn't recommend it for the price, but it fits this application well. I wouldn't want to put the outer titanium cup directly in the fire, but it will work over a small dragon fuel stove for a cup of coffee. The canvas cover serves as pre-filter Millbank bag. I also have a small bottle or Purinize, a disinfecting solution/flocculant/coagulant and a dozen Mircropur tabs. Small med/boo-boo kit, compact shears, and hearing protection/magnification (I usually keep these in my small sling bag).



There's not a lot of organization with this pack, the inside is just a tube, so you need your own organizing system.


Water containers and a Platypus water filter (fits standard plastic water bottles), some hot hands (for wintertime), small signaling-orange microfiber cloth, clear shooting/safety glasses, small fire starting kit, battery bank, extra batteries, small solar panel, AC and 12V battery USB chargers, small prybar, pepper spray, Protac 1L-AA (multifuel, AAA, AA, CR123) and AA/14500 headlamp lights, monocular, small stove (mostly winter), and a small utility/repair kit.



Blow-out med kit (can be put directly on belt):


Hygiene kit. No toothbrush, but I could add some dental floss (already have waxed nylon sinew). Wet wipes, ass wipes, tissues, compressed towels, hand sanitizer, bug spray, foot/ass powder and a small tube of bag-balm.


Small ration kit. Nothing serious, just a few calories, protein, sugar, caffeine and electrolytes to keep me moving for 24-72 hours:


There's room in the top of the pack to store an insulated later. Clothing and shelter are minimalist. Soft shell jacket, extra socks, hat, insulated gloves, cotton shemagh, and a sil-nylon poncho/tarp (has cordate and stakes to setup as a tarp shelter). I just noticed everything is pretty much black, that was not by design, but the key is subdued, non-flashy colors.


Not perfect, but covers a lot of areas for me...

I somehow forgot a couple items, not necessarily stuffed inside, but normally transported in the truck and used if the situation warrants. A few small cyalume/chem-lights are always handy as markers or attached to some cord for a buzz-saw signaler; and a space blanket or bivvy in the bag. I almost always travel with a small AM/FM/Shortwave radio for getting intel...




If I travel out of town, I'll have a full-face respirator and filters in my truck. I usually just leave the above half-face and goggles in my truck, but it can be attached to my pack if I have to jettison my truck if it's stuck, disabled, or if I'm forced to leave it for whatever reason. Same goes for the cheap little camo pack rain cover. The pack itself is pretty water resistant, and some dry bags keep stuff I need to dry, so it's more about the environmental option than the need. Another option is a compact door jam/wedge to either help keep a door open or closed.

Depending on the location, I will pick up a local county and/or city map. If I'm really disciplined, I'll make some waypoints on my GPS to mark water sources, potential shelter sites, alternate connecting routes, etc. My Foretrex and phone serve as a GPS map combo pretty well. I will sometimes bring along my thermal or night vision, but they're not standard items I'm going to leave in my pack.

Obviously, these are all "stand-alone" kits that are fully comprehensive. My goal was to keep both bags light and as compact as possible with the main focus of getting myself out of a heavily populated area as fast possible; no more than 24-72 hours. You really need to assess your risk to your situation, and you'll have to make some assumptions to help mitigate the most dangerous risks and accept some of the minor risks. If you don't, you'll end up with something you don't have handy, is too heavy to carry or too bulky to me maneuverable.

ROCK6

Outstanding setup!

Urban survival kit Review.  Nutnfancy. If you dare.

One reason to keep your pack compact and lightweight is if you plan to possibly carry any belt-mounted kit. It's nice to fold the waist belt out of the way and not sacrifice stability or need the load-carrying aspect, which allows you to carry more on your pants belt or with a belt-mounted kit like the Clutch. Again, a small pack, packed with your minimalist essentials gives you more options. Yes, I can integrate the Sling bag, pack, and Clutch belt system and the Sling bag allows me to quickly access a couple spare pistol mags. It can also be attached to the top or back of the pack.

Obviously, this is if I'm traveling heavy with an AR pistol or similar.




ROCK6

Even if it's not in the bag all the time due to space constraints, I do think it's worth having a small (<250g) quality drone available, either a jailbroken DJI Mini SE if on a budget, or the Autel Evo Nano if money is no option.

I think this is true even in cases where we are trying to go as light as possible, because the advantages they give you with regards to scouting ahead during dangerous times are disproportionate, especially during unrest or disaster.  Even in a lost scenario, simply being able to poke straight up above a treeline and look around can help you get your bearings.  They can charge up directly like a cell phone via USB cable so it's pretty easy to sustain off grid use with them via external battery banks and solar, and their utility goes beyond IMGINT, they can also be used to run lines across large gaps, loft meshtastic nodes, deliver small objects like FRS radios to someone out of reach, that sort of thing.

The cases that combine the drone and accessories are often bulky, but to minimize this you can find cases that hold just the drone, like this EVA case for the mavic mini which gives you a short cylinder with diameter comparable to the old school nalgene bottles.




Since DJI no longer allows you to control the drone on wifi mode with just your phone, you'll still have to bring the controller but the one for the original mini and Mini SE folds down pretty small and isn't as delicate so doesn't need a dedicated case.  The controller for the mini 2 and later versions is ginormous though.

Out of curiosity do those goggles form a seal like swimming goggles, or are they vented like safety / splash goggles?   I've been looking lately for something that forms a seal (not just for dust, but to ameliorate the effects of OC/Pepper spray), but also is Z87.1 rated for use as safety goggles, retains an excellent field of view and doesn't hinder the use of a half face respirator... I don't know if there is such a thing.

They're supposed to be air-tight, but not waterproof. For goggles, it's always a struggle as opposed to a full-face, breathable respirator. Goggles, even the best one, usually fog up on me and I've tried everything to include anti-fog spray and "frog spit" (what that stuff is for your snorkel mask). Biggest challenge is often hot and high humidity, let's hope I don't have to face any OC/pepper spray except the winter Actually, sometime use is more likely as the warmer weather often helps those rioting summer of rage peeps do their violent protesting and rioting

ROCK6

Sounds similar to my previous GH scenario. I had a folding bike in the trunk at all times. Self sealing tubes, tannus armor inserts make the wheels more than durable. Throw my backpack on and go

Plan at least 3 route options and dry run them during the good times, then double or triple that time for unrest delays

Will be getting a new truck this year or next, but I really need a Tonneau cover to keep my folding mountain bike both secure and out of the direct sun during the summer. But I approve of this solution. With a small daypack, you're going to be able to crank out 27 miles (of moderate terrain) on a road in just 3-4 hours of leisurely riding (if you're not a conditioned rider, plan on an average of 7-10mph and you'll likely be walking the bike up steep hills), and an extra hour for a couple of breaks. A bike is never a bad investment or option to have on hand when planning your get-home routes.

I really want to try out those Tannus armor inserts as well.

ROCK6

Assuming you can’t hitch a ride…

- be fit
- know route(s)
- leave early
- broken in sneakers/boots
- multiple pairs of wool socks
- baby power/leukotape
- water + electrolytes / filter
- mustard (trick cramps)
- meal replacement bar (or whatever with carbs/protein)
- hat
- cash
- headlamp
- CCW

Your goal isn’t to camp, explore, fight… it is to not die and get home. Light/fit = fast = home and not dead

Couple of quick random thoughts, in no particular order, after revisiting this thread.  Safety glasses- wear them, especially if you are moving at night.  They are required in SAR classes and most night classes for a reason, if you can't figure out why, well you're going to die (maybe).  If you are driving when things have started to get spicy, make sure that you at least have on some sort of protective lenses (you can get quality lenses in brand name fashion glasses); if you have to shoot through glass or take rounds through the glass there will be glass dust flying.  Hearing protection is another addition; most people keep extra foam plugs in their kits but having a set of plugs that you can quickly stick in your ears, one handed while driving, is a good idea.  Something like the Surefires that are easy to insert and cut some of the noise (and can be modded to work with radio earpieces- comms integration is a whole different subject) are one option.  

Note Rock's kits, most of the storage bags are lightweight- weight adds up quickly and one of the easiest ways to cut weight is getting rid of heavy materials where it's not needed.  I linked a video below where the guy shows how much weight all of the "heavy duty", heavy weight Cordura adds- you don't need 1000D Cordura pouches to carry your charging cables, spare socks, etc.  Ziplocs are another inexpensive, water resistant option that can also be repurposed.  I honestly don't think most folks realize just how sore they are going to be, and how quickly, if they aren't carrying a pack on a regular basis- and I don't mean slinging your computer bag over your shoulder to walk to and from your car at home and work.  The old adage of ounces equals pounds and pounds equals pain is going to be painfully apparent if you aren't used to rucking.        

I'm still surprised no enterprising prepper hasn't started making aluminum or even titanium sillcock keys; I carry one in my truck and in my kits, and they're definitely one of the heavier tools.  I've thought about picking up one of those "universal fit sockets", the ones with the little pins in them, but I've never used one before, they always seemed gimmicky, so while in theory it ought to work for a variety of sizes and shapes, I have no actual experience with them.

He's got some good videos on lightweight backpacking and other relevant subjects.  



ETA- Those Tannus armor inserts seem like a good idea, especially on some of the electric bikes that are heavier and can hit much faster speeds where a sudden blowout can cause a catastrophic loss of control (I might know something about that sort of thing with a DRZ and a valve stem failure ).  Be sure to wear a helmet and gloves while riding.  

Anti-Monkeybutt makes some of the best powder I've used, it's almost mandatory for summer motorcycling in the southeast and around Asia.  Even though it's been reformulated without the talc (pretty sure they all have been) it still works and the addition of calamine seems to help; I prefer it over Gold Bond.  They make a small travel-sized bottle that's easy to carry (if you can find them) as well as an antichaffing stick that works well.  I usually buy mine at my local Ace Hardware.

As an experienced section hiker, this is the truth. Even knowing my body at my age, I know that I could go further on day one, but I can't sustain that if I'm looking at trekking 50-60 miles. 27 miles is doable if you're in decent health and condition, but you really need to pace yourself, take breaks, and pay attention to your body.


This is so true; most are solid steel and weigh half a pound. Freaking ridiculous. Titanium would be nice, but I would go with aluminum for the cost.

ROCK6

Definitely this and well-stated.

Walking through an area is different than driving though it in your car.  Have you ever actually walked a bit in downtown Houston OP?  
In my opinion any plan is incomplete without a dry run.  Odds are, changes to your plan/loadout will ensue but I understand why that might not be attractive.
I'm guessing their will be lots of folks out in the streets.  Not standing out would be highly desirable.  You'll be seen but you don't want their eyes to settle on you, blend in.
At a minimum I would review footage of recent mass events in Houston to see what people who look like you actually wear for such events.  For me it would be something like this: Detroit Will Breathe
I'd also opt for white plastic grocery bags to tote my minimal supplies - at least initially.

The answer is always a bicycle.

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/group-tests/best-folding-bikes-2-324714

A lot of good ideas, and some bad ideas being suggested. A lot of basic details seem to be missed. First off:

This is Houston. The 4th largest city in the US. LOTS of criminals, and they will be looking for easy pickings. Survival is both within your control and out of your grasp. A pistol is good, but if you end up needing it, you're in a terrible situation. 27 miles is just far enough that you could possibly do it in an exhausting, never-stop-powerwalking, day. If you have to camp somewhere, your odds of an untimely end go up. And there's no many places to camp in Houston. Suburbs and ghettos extend for miles and miles and miles. Finding water isn't going to be as difficult, but the humidity will take the energy out of you fast. You will need more than a couple of power bars, especially if you want to travel as quickly as possible... night travel would be preferable to day travel.

You don't need topographic maps, because it's Houston and everything is flat. But having a map would be good for alternative routes.

Basically, I'd spec out for
1. Speed - The longer you're exposed to Houston, the more the danger, the more supplies you'll need, etc.
2. Stealth - If you're not seen, you're not attacked. Traveling at night would be perfect.
3. Fighting - Unless you have an APC, avoiding all danger is better than winning.

Lose the sleeping bag and add more water.  It's Houston.  You will be sweating.  A lot.

Add a compass.  Even if you aren't carrying a paper map, it will help maintain your general bearing if you are forced off your main route.

Add a small towel and one or more pairs of dry socks.  Take care of your feet.  If you are off your main route, it is almost certain you will have to wade/swim across at least one bayou or irrigation canal.  

If you're using a bike you should have a bike light and a spare battery. I like riding at night in the summer; one night my battery went out but thankfully it was the same 18650 light I had in my pocket so I swapped out batteries and went on my way.
The Olight mount allows you to use a regular flashlight and is pretty decent for 8 bucks.



Some great points in your post ?? but a heads up on that guy. He had a video where he said he had a magnified rifle optic for bugging out so he could spy on the people who's land he was sneaking across. Borderline psychotic mindset imo, he even defended it in the comments.

A bike light would be a no go for me in a get home type of situation. I just don’t thing I would want to advertise my presence or that I have something of value. Unless it’s the full dark of the moon there is always enough light to ride even if it’s slowly.

Thinking about this a little more as long as there is a way to shut off the light if I needed to it would not bother me to have it.



As far as possibly have to trespass across someone’s private property to get away from something else or transit it quietly. Well……. You might have to. Don’t steal. Don’t loiter. Leave no trace. Close any gates you open. Do I want to trespass? Not at all. But if it is trespass and avoid unfriendlies and get home to my family safe and sound or not trespass and possibly get into a situation I don’t wish to be in then I know my choices.

Great info in this thread.

You don't need a thousand "survival" doodads for what amounts to a day hike.

Gun + extra mag
Knife
Map
Water bottle
sillcock key
$100 in singles
extra socks (optional)

Forget all the firemaking, paracord, bushcraft shit. You're not going to spend 6 hours whittling a shelter from a telephone pole. You don't need food or rain gear in your area. If you're that desperate pillage a trash bag and a half eaten sandwich from a dumpster.

I think in that case you'd want to adjust your route to avoid the freeway/roads all together. Thus changing what you'd want in a get home bag.

I know it sounds super cheesy, but I carry around a small collapsible kid type scooter.  Non-electric.    They store small.  I keep it in my vehicle for shtf, or normal ol Life stuff.  Speeds up your walking time 3x-4x.  And they’re cheap.

In my vehicle of course, not my bag.  Consider
It my dinghy sort of.

I haven't seen that video so I can't really comment on it, but as Hasher1 said, there may well be situations where cutting across private property is your best- or only- option.  Just based on his videos that I have watched, and again I have not seen the one you are referencing, I don't see him referencing it as a prelude to shooting innocent people- I'm guessing here but I could see using your rifle scope to monitor/recon activity in an area if you don't have another optic option or your scope is a better option, i.e. higher magnification, NV, thermal, etc.  The scope on the rifle I would probably be carrying if I thought I needed to toss a long gun in my truck has better glass and more magnification than the small pair of binoculars I have in my pack that are small so that I can stick them in my shirt pocket (I very rarely have a long gun in my truck unless I have some reason for it, ex. going hunting or shooting).  Obviously using a rifle to glass an area carries its own risks- in most situations carrying a visible rifle probably carries more risk than not having one visible.  

From personal experience, I have lived in at least one place where cutting across the back of one of the large wooded properties whose owner I did not know would have allowed me to not only knock off some travel time as I would have had to abandon my truck at that point and would be on foot, but it would also have allowed me to avoid a nearby subdivision and a two lane bridge that could very easily have been hastily set up as a expedient check/choke point.  Would I do that in normal times, of course not, would I have utilized that route in an emergency, yes.  That area was between the road and a river and from looking at aerial maps there were no structures in that tract (mostly in the 100yr flood zone region) but I would still utilize caution including scanning ahead for threats.  That does not mean that I'm going to shoot anyone, I'd only take that route with the intent to avoid all contact and potential conflict.  But again, I'll have to try to find the video (or maybe you remember the title?) to see what he actually said.  With that in mind, despite what he says in some of his videos, I do get the impression he would follow what he considered "lawful orders" even if I or the rest of the population didn't agree.  Take the information that is useful to you and that fits your ethos and apply it, you don't have to follow everything someone on the internet says.