Urban's guide to UrbEx Published on 07/07/03 at 17:40:04 CST by urban_explorer   There's no vice like ADVICE. Hey there... you look like someone who enjoys the thrills of being somewhere you shouldn't be.. if you're not, why the hell are you here!?

Hold onto your seat for some guidance into the world of urban
exploration!

Rule #1: (golden, sacred) If you make any mess, spillage, or even move
anything, fix it. If a guard or staff member sees this, there's a big
chance security is gonna get beefed up, and that's not a good thing if
you need to check out the place again. And if you pick a good enough
site, you'll be sure to want to come back!

Looting: Fun, but not always a great idea. Some places like abandoned
factories are great for getting stuff like office supplies and parts and
random junk, but others that you might want to try are sometimes not the
best (this applies to places that are in active or even semi-active
use). If you're asked why you've got the stuff by a rent-a-cop or even
the real thing, it's usually easy enough to SE your way out, but a good
pair of running shoes does the trick!

Clothing: I find paper coveralls made for painting and stuff which are
usually plastic coated are usually good more nearly all situations. If
the place is real wet, I've got a waterproof coveralls I can use, but
they're too hot to use usually.

Army-style boots are good, but any kind of safety shoes are good in any
abandoned place. A pair of running shoes or vans or anything are good to
keep in a bag you've stashed outside.. you can keep your overalls in
there on the way there, and put them back in there once you're out.

Kit: One of the places I regularly visit is an old chemical factory, so
a respirator is an essential piece of kit in a hazardous environment.
You can pick up army surplus ones quite easily, and a new filter usually
does a world of good!

Personally, I like the Scout motto - Be Prepared; and it does count to
be prepared in UrbEx. I always keep a length of rope with abseiling
harness, etc in my active backpack, along with torch (and spare
batteries), two-way radio (have one for every 2 people there), plenty of
water, and chocolate. A cellphone with you is always a good rescue line
if you need it!

So a good idea is to have two backpacks, one with the stuff you're
taking in, and one with the stuff you've put on. You can also put any
'momentos' in you backpack.