EQUIPMENT

So, you've checked out our site, and probably a few other UrbEx sites on the interwebs, and thought to yourself, 'Hey Mal, you magnificent Stallion, how can I get in on this gig?'. Well, it's a lot easier than most people would think. In reality, all you need is a flashlight and a location. However, with the right equipment, UrbEx can be easier, safer, and more fun. Here's some of the gear The League brings.

 

CLOTHING

Like they say, the clothes make the man.  The right outfit can make your adventures much easier without much effort.  How you dress should match where you'll be exploring, but it should always be clothes you wouldn't mind getting torn up and dirty.  You should always wear jeans or something rugged, and consider long sleeves if you're going through thick brush or forest.  Going somewhere at night?  Wear something dark.  Also, keep in mind, the more you look like a hood rat, the more suspicious cops will be if they catch you going somewhere you shouldn't.

 

GLOVES

Gloves are an essential but sometimes overlooked piece of equipment.  Thick, rugged gloves will protect your hands from nails, splinters, glass shards, and any yucky goop you may come across.  Plus, they'll help if you need to climb at any point on your trip.

 

PROPER FOOTWARE

Your shoes, like your clothes, should be mission-dependent.  If you'll be doing a lot of walking or hiking to get to your destination, consider a good pair of boots, preferably with steel toes if the place is falling apart.  If you think you may need to make a quick getaway, bring your running shoes or cross-trainers.

 

FLASHLIGHT

Always, always, always, ALWAYS bring a flashlight.  Hell, bring two.  And batteries for both.  Nothing is worse than being 100 feet underground in pitch dark and watching your only source of light flicker off into uselessness.  A good flashlight would be around the 90 lumen range, with a interchangeable red lens.  Some flashlights can range up into the $150 range, and while you usually get what you pay for, a budget explorer can get by with a $7 military L-light.

 

CHEM-LIGHTS

But why depend on complicated electronics when you can depend on SCIENCE!  Chemical Lights can be used for a variety of purposes, from limited visibility and marking fellow explorers to holding a bitchin impromptu rave.

 

SELF-DEFENSE

Alot of explorers downplay the importance of having a good weapon at your side.  In addition to peice-of-mind, a self-defense tool can protect you from a large manner of threats.  You could run into anything out there, from a rabid animal to drugged-up cultist.  We reccomend less-than-lethal weapons like Pepper Spray or Stunguns, but a bludgeon or knife can be used as a valuable tool for other purposes as well.  Make sure to check your local and state laws!!

 

CAMERA

There are many reasons to document your adventures.  You can take them for artistic purposes, to show off to fellow explorers, or for the sake of Historical Preservation.  We bring several cameras with us on each trip, including a Sony HDR-SR11 camcorder.  We suggest something with a good flash and both auto and manual focus, so that you won't be impeded by the dark or the dust.  Our camcorder also has a Nite-Shot mode, which when combined with an IR light, allows you to film in near-complete darkness!

 

FIRST AID

This is a dangerous hobby, and you can expect a few cuts and scrapes along the way.  If you're lucky, you won't need anything more than a band-aid, but it's better to have supplies and not need them then to be caught on your own without them.  Make sure too keep some anti-bacterial cream with ya too.

 

RADIOS

If you're operating in a team, communication can be essential.  Although you would ideally want to stick together, invaritably someone will break off or, even worse, get lost.  Since shouting is a quick way to gain unwanted attention, having some 2-way radios can be a big help.