If you watch video footage of urban emergency events that include sound, like 9/11, you notice the constant stream of sirens. If they are that loud on tape imagine how it must be on the ground.
You could be really glad you packed a couple sets of disposable ear plugs in your Urban Survival Bag for a couple of reasons.
Getting Home
First, you might just have to walk across the whole city to get home. Your day is going to be bad enough, and with the sirens running all day as they will be, it would be nice to be able to hear yourself think. Not only for the quiet, but also because it might help you calm down and be able to assess the situation better.
Sirens are a psychological trigger for emergency and they could cause unneeded anxiety at a time when you need to be thinking clearly about every move you make.
Helping Others
Secondly, what if you are purposely going to be staying in the area for an extended period of time? If you have assessed the situation and determined that you are not in immediate danger you may want to stay and help rescue others.
Ear plugs are one of the little things no one will be thinking about, but if you going to spend the next 8 to 12 hours digging people out of rubble with a couple hundred fire trucks and ambulances going by constantly they could really make things easier.
In my experience the cheap foam earplugs are the best. You can get a pack for less than two dollars and they block up to 33 decibels.
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Waring ear plugs could have the downside of distracting you from your surroundings, allowing someone to sneak up on you unheard.
survivor_1997,
That's a good point and something people should remember.
For this recommendation I was thinking more of either getting out of a city, where there might not be too much worry of people sneaking up on you because there are people running around everywhere. OR If you decide you are ok, and stay for the rescue process, drowning out the sirens could make your day a lot better.
That makes since. Another thing, when you practice with your firearm at the range you always ware ear protection. If you were to be in a fire-fight the extra noise could possibly mess up your aim/balance, so by slipping on your ear plugs you can create a more comfortable shooting atmosphere giving you the edge over your opponent.
WSHTF your going to need all our senses. If you have been in a position were your life is in
imminent danger your senses become very acute. The military has for years tried to artificially duplicate this phenomanon. Why? Because in that heightened state you're in a survival mode. You can super hear, super smell and super see. So if your walking through an alley you need to hear what's coming behind you. And if your going to get into a fire fight do you think your opponent is going to give you the time to put in ear plugs? You guys have either got to be kidding or your too young to realize what it actually means to survive in a confrontation. Its not like a game were you get 20 lives. You will only have one chance, if you're going to survive you need to get it right the first time.
yatahey,
I think you misunderstand my point. I am not suggesting that people in a true-SHTF life or death scenario wear earplugs. That would be stupid.
My point was for a few specific situations. Take 9/11 for example:
1. If you have to walk out miles and miles home, likely no one is trying to kill you they are all just trying to get home too. It might be useful to drown at the constant sirens and be able to think a little more clearly.
2. If you stay and help with rescue – it's going to be LOUD and if you are out there working all day and night, it would also be nice to save your hearing.
In those scenerios that would work. however, I'd like to hear the cars as they're getting close to me, even though the sirens would drive me crazy-better crazy then run over. And if i stayed to help and it wasn't a survival situation, I'd still like to hear the guy on the back hoe as he swings his 1 ton bucket by me and yells, "move, your in my way"! It's a survival thing with me.
Ear plugs, as far as I'm concerned, are a very useful and easy-to-carry tool. Even in a survival situation that is beyond helping with rescue efforts or walking through the loud aftermath of a disaster a pair (or several) is good to have on hand.
I have a pair with me at all times. A key chain pill container (they have them on every "vitamin/supplement" aisle in almost any grocery store) is a good way to carry them. Foam earplugs fit nicely in these types of containers and, really, when do you leave home without your keys?
If you're doing something loud (I'm thinking breaching a door or other "survival work" with a shotgun or improvised explosive of some type) in an area you know is safe, it's worth they extra effort to save your eardrums some trauma. Your body and physical well-being are the most valuable tools in any survival scenario and protecting yourself from unnecessary harm could make a big difference down the line.
There are also a lot of noise cancelling ear plugs on the market. They allow everything below potentially damaging decibel ranges to be heard and cancel everything out above that range. Not all of them are expensive or electronic either. Surefire makes a basic mechanical (non electronic) pair for around $15. I have some of these that I use on the range and they work well. I carry them in my EDC bag. I always thought they could be useful in some scenarios like tactical situations involving cars, breaching, atv/open vehicle use etc.
Rudeboy makes a good point. A guy in the factory I worked in (where we were required to wear at least ear plugs on the floor) had a pair of these. You could hear people talk but it blocked out the factory noise better than the earplugs.
Also, if you're just looking for cheap, normal ear plugs there are white ones that are just straight cylinders (no taper) and a little harder than the standard tapered bright orange/yellow ones. They're a little uncomfortable at first but in my experience once you wear them for a bit you get used to them and they are just as comfortable as the other type and they block out more sound in my experience. There are also the earplugs made especially for musicians, I've never used these myself but my roommate who played guitar had them and said they worked very well and they're not that expensive.
This situation is easily solved by getting a pair of electronic ear protectors. Sound proof headphones that mic normal (safe) sound levels and blocks out dangerous sound. Allowing you to hear quiet noises (even what direction they originate from) and protecting your ears from gunshots, sirens and other high decipal noises. In my experience if I just went thru a couple of clips without ear protection I might not be able to hear someone sneaking up on me anyway. Also dont just rely on your hearing, don't focus on one thing so much your not paying attention to anything else. Always be looking for the next surprise you might encounter. Never stop looking around.