What's up man? Where about's are you? I'm around Kensington.

It's good to have food stores no matter what. Think about what kind of scenario would assail Toronto. Occupation or natural disaster. We had a flood, and an ice storm costing millions of dollars, shutting the city down. But there are important things about the city. Tourist destinations, symbolism in infrastructure, making it sensitive. We also have the TSX, a major piece of the Canadian and North American economy, which was already a target of terrorism in like 2006 form the "Toronto 18". You remember that?

Martial Law is not pretty in Toronto either.

I train for the bug out. I'm learning how to grow fruit and vegetables, and storing food. But I have places to take off to, places to crash on a couch at, if this city goes to hell, and it can. My bugout bag is prepped and ready for either outside in case it takes a day or two to get me to a friends house. My bike is rigged to carry everything I could need. Water filtration, solar power battery, tools to keep my bike going... etc.

For your family you might want a car, just don't count on a car to get out of the city when you need to. I can pass hundreds of cars at the right time of a regular day on a bike. I believe during the LA riots people who were stuck in traffic were dragged out of their vehicles, brutalized, robbed and whatever else, so plan it right.

Also, did your power go out during the icestorm? A lot of what I believed about people going without power hit the fan during the ice storm, and I think I know why. It was Christmas. I think people might've lost it if it weren't Christmas. VIOLENCE, CRUELTY, MURRRDER.

Singlecell, nice to hear from you. I had to look at the map to find out where Kensington was. 🙂 I just moved here, a week before the ice storm. I'm a 5-6 minute walk from the St. Clair West TTC station. And yes, we did lose power out here, too.

We were still moving boxes around when the power went out, and we weren't affected by the outages very much. See, we spent the last 10 years a couple of hours north of Winnipeg, MB, so we didn't even have to unpack the parkas just yet. I used a camping stove to cook meals for 4 days, and I had been experimenting with hardtack, so we got to try out the rations mixed with margarine and bacon. I cleared branches and chipped ice along the sidewalks as an opportunity to meet my new neighbours. People aren't as friendly here, but they warmed up when I helped them.

My bugout bag is my ultralight camping backpack. I always keep it packed because there are many times when we get an unexpected Thursday and Friday off from work, so by the time 4:00pm rolled around on Wednesday, I could rush home, take off my tie, grab my pack, and 5 minutes later I would be driving out to the backcountry for a 4-day expedition.

Prepping in an urban environment is something new that I have to get my head around. Hopefully you guys will be able to provide me some suggestions and answers.

Singlecell, nice to hear from you. I had to look at the map to find out where Kensington was. 🙂 I just moved here, a week before the ice storm. I'm a 5-6 minute walk from the St. Clair West TTC station. And yes, we did lose power out here, too.

We were still moving boxes around when the power went out, and we weren't affected by the outages very much. See, we spent the last 10 years a couple of hours north of Winnipeg, MB, so we didn't even have to unpack the parkas just yet. I used a camping stove to cook meals for 4 days, and I had been experimenting with hardtack, so we got to try out the rations mixed with margarine and bacon. I cleared branches and chipped ice along the sidewalks as an opportunity to meet my new neighbours. People aren't as friendly here, but they warmed up when I helped them.

My bugout bag is my ultralight camping backpack. I always keep it packed because there are many times when we get an unexpected Thursday and Friday off from work, so by the time 4:00pm rolled around on Wednesday, I could rush home, take off my tie, grab my pack, and 5 minutes later I would be driving out to the backcountry for a 4-day expedition.

Prepping in an urban environment is something new that I have to get my head around. Hopefully you guys will be able to provide me some suggestions and answers.

Seems you're just down the street from my work. I live just South of you. That's great that you're not from Toronto, and even BETTER you're from a rural area. Same here. Let me tell you something, it's an edge.

Let me tell you something else. Your neighbourhood isn't too friendly. Toronto isn't. There is a massive lack of compassion and sincerity, a coldness that you won't find outside of Toronto. Toronto's the place where you will see a blind man, a geriatric, or a pregnant woman days from giving birth, travel the length of the train without anyone offering a seat. It's nasty, and i can't wait to get out of here, I feel I've been broken in some ways. I got an open heart, and I'm here to help, but people think you're stupid if you're too nice. In all the time I've been here never once made a friend with someone who grew up in Toronto.

That said, I have been surprised, but only from people who aren't from here. Be careful with offering to help too much, people will take advantage. And don't you dare mention prepping until you get to know em.

My greatest exercise in urban prepping was definitely the G20. There isn't much that teaches you to scramble across alleyways and roads, through mobs, and 20000 armoured police snatching people up left and right, horses running over people, undercover police, encirclement whatever, I made it through, managing not to get arrested, despite some very close calls. I had friends who disapeared for 48 hours without a trace, and not people you'd expect to get snatched up.

My power didn't go out once, with reason. The downtown core would be a disaster if there was no power, the damage catastrophic.

This is what I do, and it might not be your thing. But try biking out of the city one day, towards Mississauga or Oshawa. Take the Lakeshore, or if you're with your family take the waterfront trail by the lake. Summer's coming, you could have a good time. It'll give you a layout. Sorry to say, cause i know it's hard for people who aren't used to Toronto, but a bike could be your most valuable tool. This will give you an idea of the complicated distance you must travel to get out.

Best thing about being a prepper in Toronto though in particular is choice. Hit up MEC, Europe Bound, Al Flaherty's, Army Surplus, Active Surplus, hell you can buy anything. Listings on Kijiji are plenty numerous as well compared to outside the city.

Singlecell, thanks for the description of Toronto, it closely fits what I've experienced so far, at least in the last two months.

I also appreciate the suggestions on prepping resources. I love MEC - if they had a frequent buyers card, my picture would be on the brochures, but I've never heard of Europe Bound or Al Flaherty's.

I selected my current property specifically because of its unique advantages against home invasion, and our plan for most SHTF scenarios is to hunker down and ride it out. However, I do agree with you regarding bicycles as a means of getting out of the city. My wife and I are bike camping/touring nuts, and have done multiple week-long 450km trips loaded down with 60-70 lbs worth of camping gear and food. Leaving the city by bike will definitely be second-nature, but we might have to get a trailer for the little ones.

Cheers and thanks

HI from Markham ON

i'm new to food and water storage and am just learning the rule of 3, but i think i've been preparing for the end all my life i just didn't think about it. after watching doomsday preppers the TV series my prepping took off now i search ebay and many other sites looking for items for my prepping.
let my know what you think is the most useful for prepping!
food
shelter
water
good luck with your prepping!

😀

HI from Markham ON

i'm new to food and water storage and am just learning the rule of 3, but i think i've been preparing for the end all my life i just didn't think about it. after watching doomsday preppers the TV series my prepping took off now i search ebay and many other sites looking for items for my prepping.
let my know what you think is the most useful for prepping!
food
shelter
water
good luck with your prepping!

😀

Hi Canprep144, I'm new to this forum too, and to prepping in general, but I've been an outdoors enthusiast and survivalist for the last 20 years. Welcome to the boards and hopefully we learn new things and upgrade our skills.

Welcome, I'm also new here, from Etobicoke.

Im also from T.O, but i am looking to move. Been here all my life and i hate it. The people are nice (for the most part) but there is a large element of people that are not nice. Concerns me when i think about the dark days that may lay ahead. 😥

Im also from T.O, but i am looking to move. Been here all my life and i hate it. The people are nice (for the most part) but there is a large element of people that are not nice. Concerns me when i think about the dark days that may lay ahead. 😥

This is my first year in Toronto, and you're right - people here are not nice. It took me a few months to more easily resist the urge to punch people on the street. However, the upside is that most Torontonians are very, very helpless. I wouldn't worry about them even when the dark days arrive.

Where are you looking to move? Calgary/Edmonton are incredibly awesome cities. The real estate prices are much lower, while the average income is about 10-15% higher than Toronto (at least it's true for Calgary), even up to 40% higher in certain fields. I secretly laugh at most Torontonians who think they have it really good here. Calgary is clean, well-maintained, you won't hear the non-stop honking assholes like you do here in Toronto, and people are very polite.

Hello there, I have lived in Toronto for over 30 years. I moved out of the city. I am new to prepping but have made a pretty good start I believe. I am building a second home further up north as a place to run to if necessary. I have often feared being trapped in Toronto and trying to get home to the family without casualties.

I have trained in all sorts of tactical environments and hope that it never comes to events like the LA riots. However, mankind has proven themselves over and over again. I am of the belief that if you don't prepare for protecting your life and or If you hunker down. You better be prepared if the shtf,mbecause, many will use deadly force to take from you whatever you may have that could assist them with surviving. I believe many will fail at that point, and all the preoping will be in vain.

What do you think? I am curious.