Doomsday Survival Series - City Living (Part Three)

(This is part three of three of Doomsday Survival Series - City Living.)

Shelter

Yes, the third leg of this stool of survival is shelter.  As alluded to previously, plans to stay bound to your barely defensible suburban single family home (or worse, an apartment) aren't the best available. You don't want to be the guy that thought his 'castle' was really a castle. Plan on upgrading.

Post Doomsday, you'll basically have two viable options for shelter: identify and secure a hardened shelter or plan for a more nomadic lifestyle as you flee the city into the hopefully safer countryside.  Hardened buildings will be a precious commodity and sought after by pretty much everyone, while a nomadic lifestyle will make you a less visible target.

Hardened buildings come in a variety of forms.  Libraries, some office buildings, banks, police stations and the like are all viable options.  The best option, in my opinion, would be a building with a walled perimeter.  If you're lucky, a police station will yield a stash of hastily forgotten small arms, which could prove useful in defending your new home.  If you're unlucky (which is more likely), rogue police will already occupy the building and use said arms to collect your stuff.  Maybe they'll let you work as serfs in the 'community' farm. Assuming that doesn't happen, round up your friends and family and move in!

Choosing the nomadic choice is an interesting alternative.  In the early days, I would anticipate moving from community to community, scavenging ruins of homes and commercial buildings for supplies.  In the very early days of the apocalypse, some communities may show signs of banding together and retaining the vestiges of civilization.  Don't be fooled!  Your goal should be to get away from the masses before desperation sets in and find safety.  This option is not without risks, though.  A nomadic group would certainly prove a less visible target, but if noticed you'd be easier prey to zombies and gangs than the group that chose to commandeer the police station.  Your survival gear should probably be about 90% weapons and 10% other stuff...you know, food and such.  

While exploring and planning your eventual exodus from Man's folly (the city), you should look for temporary shelters that won't attract much notice.  Some examples that come to mind are sewage pipes, ruined buildings, or perhaps abandoned cars if the area is relatively quiet.  As you move further away from the more dense population centers, it'll probably be less risky to chance an overnight stay in an abandoned home.  Who knows?  Maybe you'll stumble across an unsuspecting family that's holed up just on the outskirts of town.  They didn't need their stuff anymore, anyway...

Conclusion

Food.  Water.  Shelter.  I realize reading back through this longer-than intended guide that the general advice applies in more that just an urban environment.  Just remember - what you do in the immediate aftermath of your anticipated event could mean the difference between life and death.  Sure, have your Doomsday party, but after that, be prepared, and don't forget the basics...vodka, rum, and whiskey.  Oh wait...