Disclaimer - This strategy assumes your city wasn't completely decimated by nuclear explosion, zombie invasion, rise of the robot overlords, etc. and assumes your city is otherwise still habitable.
Let's face it. Most of us won't be lucky enough on doomsday to live outside of a major population center (hence the phrase...major population center). Indeed, most of us won't even have the luxury of living on the outskirts of major cities in carefully cultivated suburbs. Alas, we're also not very likely to have the good fortune of knowing a close friend or relative just outside of town ready with gear and horses to assist in our escape. Yes, it's true. We'll need to know how to survive within the city limits...at least for awhile.
If you live in a more civilized region, you probably stand a decent chance of banding with your friendly neighbors and forming a post-apocalyptic community of love and fellowship. On the other hand, if you're in say....New Orleans or Los Angeles (sorry folks, but...), you had best plan to fight for your life.
What You'll Need
I think we all learned the basics of survival in some mostly-forgotten health class...right around the time we were brought up to speed on other exciting topics like giving birth and sexually transmitted diseases. Well, while those two topics might come into play in your survival scenario, let's stay focused on what's most important: food, water, and shelter.
Food
Yes, food. Without food, you're likely to only survive for a couple of weeks, and that assumes that you've at least found a steady supply of water. (Don't worry, the all important topic of water is coming next.) Our friendly neighborhood preppers would have you believe stockpiling a 5 year supply of canned goods or planting your own garden are the ways to go, but let me tell you: they're wrong!
Okay, so those ideas aren't entirely without merit. I suppose my point is simply that you'll: a) make yourself a target and: b) find yourself stuck in a single location that you must now defend at all costs. Your house may be your safe haven now, but come doomsday, its walls, windows and doors aren't likely to offer that much protection.
Note: If you've already gone mad and fortified your house like a mini fortress, disregard. Hoard away, and get that hydroponics garden in the basement going!
So, if gardening and hoarding non-perishables aren't the best choices, what should you do? My advice - be agile. Be prepared to forage. Come to terms with the fact that you'll quickly learn to eat most anything that seems remotely edible. Learn the basics of hunting and fishing; don't worry, you'll get the hang of it when your life depends on it. (In the immediate aftermath of Doomsday, these skills may not be all that handy in or near a city, but over time they will become quite useful.) Worst (best?) case scenario, use your massive collection of 'survival' weapons to borrow the goods your neighbors hoarded. Be smart about it, though. Let them continue to cultivate their gardens and demand tribute. Just think 'A Bug's Life.' What's bound to go wrong?
Disclaimer - I do not recommend, condone, or endorse cannibalism. Gross.
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