To BUG, or not to BUG, That is the question...

[MOlivo]

We've had alot of post concerning Bugging in/out, I figured we should have a type of "guide" for those new to this on things to consider when bugging in or out...

1.)Why are you leaving?

This is very important when considering whether or not to bug out. Why are you leaving? Is the situation extreme enough that you think your safety and well-being is better off away from your home? Bear in mind, traveling during a time of crisis has its own dangers and perils. It could be as minor as gas stations not having enough fuel, or as bad as rioting and roving armed gangs. In my opinion, bugging out should only be considered in a very bad situation, where the chances of survival ourside of your comfort zone are greater.

2.)Where are you going to go?

Where are you headed? Hopping in your car with your BOB sounds like a great idea until you realize you have nowhere to head to. Your location should be something away from the masses, that is relatively self sufficient, with access to water and food sources being mostly important. Bear in mind in a genuine SHTF situation, stores will most likely be inoperable, and even if they are open, they aren't going to be taking checks or credit cards. Hell, they may not take CASH if its bad enough. In a country wide SHTF situation, things like jewlery, geuine precious metal coinage, and barter of items are probly a little more realistic as currency. Even if the crisis last only a week or two, not having food or water will pretty much ensure your another victim.

3.)How you going to get there? If you do have a spot picked out, How will you get there? By foot, by vehicle, by horse and carriage? When picking out a bug out location, try to consider something far enough away from the city but close enough you could make it there (and preferably back) on a single tank of gas. Living in Florida, Anytime we have a hurricane approaching, gas is the first thing to go. Followed by bottled water. Try and plan back routes to geth there, as you more than likely arent the only one with the idea of getting the hell out of dodge. Travel lightly, but well prepared, with what you take being dependant on the situation itself.

4.)What should you take, what should you leave?

Always have your BOB stocked with the absolute essentials. In the event that your transport is disabled, you'll still need alot of stuff. If its in your BOB you'll have a much easier time carrying it. Your BOB should have ABSOLUTE ESSENTIALS. Some food and water are a good start. Everything else is arguable, and theres plenty of good post on BOB's on the board to help guide you on what you should carry in yours.

When bugging out, I always consider takings the things that are absolutely irreplaceable. I would take as many, if not all, of my firearms and ammo. As they would prove useful in self defense, food gathering, ect. Some changes of clothes, and basic toiletries would also be good to bring. If your expecting a short-term situation, IE:Your leaving because of a approaching hurricane, things like important paperwork should be taken as well. A long term, house-probly-wont-be-there-when-you/if-you-return situation is alot more difficult to decide. While things like family photos, artwork, ect might seem important, are they import enough to waste the room that might better be served with food or water?

Heres a great article on bug out bags thanks to one of our members!
http://www.whenshtf.com/viewtopic.php?t=205

Its impossible to be totally prepared for every possible scenario, but the point is to be prepared for any basic emergency crisis.

Just my thoughts on the matter!

Matt

[hiker]

We are planning on bugging in, but you never know what situation you will put into. So, I have planned for several problems that may come up. I have BOB's if we have to walk out, and equipment in plastic tubs in addition to the BOB's to pack if we can leave by driving out. I do have different routes planned out for both driving and hiking.

[Gunfixr]

We will bug in, as we live deep enough in a city on a peninsula to make walking out extremely difficult. We would have to pass through a number of areas that are risky right now, not to mention after SHTF. Driving would be only marginally better, as there are not many routes out. Hopefully in a few years we plan to move out to the country. Plus we don't have anywhere to go. I think I have a couple of friends who would welcome us; they are like-minded, but it hasn't been discussed. They do live rural, so it would be an improvement. Anything short (a few months or less), I can pretty much tough out here. I am pretty certain some of our neighborhood would band together for the good of all. It's a pretty good group who have been here a long time, we're the newcomers.

[MiamiARFan]

Molivo, you made some good points regarding bugging In/Out up above and in the scenario's so I thought I'd post some additional thoughts and observations on bugging in/out.

We call it bugging out, but let's face it, it's a term coined from the military, adopted by survival minded folks and means nothing more than evacuating your normal area of operations (home). Most frequently bugging out relates to leaving a populated city or urban area.

Most scenarios requiring Bugging Out involve something that makes remaining in a city/urban environment a poor choice. It could be a nuke, multiple acts of terrorism, break down of law and order, disease, etc. If the breakdown of the supporting infrastructure is sufficiently great, it is time to Get Out of Dodge.

There is lots of talk about Bugging Out, but there are some things that need to be seriously considered when contemplating this Option. And that is exactly what it is......an Option.

Bugging out is a contingency. It should never be Plan A. Plan A should be to shelter in place (.gov-speak) – stay home and weather out the storm (literally, here in Florida). Home is where the heart is; home is where your supplies are; home is where your network of friends and associates and contacts is; home is where you already have a feel for what is going on; home is where you are most familiar with your surroundings, home is where you are welcome (most of the time).

Some people complain that they "live in a really bad place, a dangerous place or scary place.”

You always have the option to move.

“But I can’t. I have a job, I have family commitments, I have...”, they complain

That's right, you do have all of these things. You also have choices. Life is all about choices. And each and every choice or decision has its associated consequences. It’s also about trade-offs and risk/benefit analysis. You may have a GREAT job, and you personally assess the risk as low so you are living there. You also know that it is a scary world and TSMHTF (The Shit May Hit The Fan) so you want to be prepared.

If it does come down to something scary happening and you may want to be somewhere else when it does you should always at least give Plan A serious consideration before committing to bugging out.

Bugging out is not an answer for everything. Essentially (and for at least part of the time) you will be a refugee. This sucks. I don’t have any first hand experience in this, but trust me, being a refugee trying to save what little you have WILL suck.

The key to successfully bugging out means you must be prepared and have a plan fully fleshed out and practiced. In the computer business, we plan for disasters. Then on an annual basis we put these plans into practical application by implementing them as a test. This does two things. It tells us how well we have done. It also shows what areas of concerns or improvement are needed in the execution of the plan.

First off, you have to know where you want to go. You cannot bolt blindly into the night. Well you can – but being forced to abandon all of your preps and possessions and ending up in some shanty town set up in the Super Dome will quickly make you wish you hadn’t. Stop, Think, Plan then Act to make sure you will not be jumping from the frying pan into the fire. Having a place to go also entails making sure you will be welcome where you are going and that you have the right stuff there to support you in your new location.

You will have stuff there, right? Or were you planning carrying everything you’d ever need in your SUV like some latter-day Jed Clampet heading for Beverly Hills? How far do you think you’ll get weighed down with all those goodies? You cannot depend on what you are bringing with you. At any given moment in time you may experience mechanical breakdown, traffic jams, roadblocks or attacks from hostiles intent on taking what you have. You might end u at your final destination with just the clothes on your back.

Your BOV (Bug out Vehicle) is your primary means of fleeing from point A to point B. Keep it in good repair. Keep it fueled. Keep extra fuel on hand. Be ready to go on a moments notice. You don’t want to be in a gas line that is wrapped around the block to get the fuel you need to leave town. You should have a packing list, have your bug out gear pre-packed, and have practiced loading it several times so you can do so quickly and efficiently. You won’t have time to run around like a head with its chicken cut off. If you do, you’re gonna get stuck in that big bad city or in the traffic jam full of people just like those news shots of the jam preceding hurricane Katrina?

Now, if you don’t want to get stuck that means you will have to leave early. Before everyone else decides to. This will require two things: Warning and Decisiveness. You will need to keep your nose to the wind, eyes and ears open and tuned to your various sources of intel. Monitor several news and information sources so that you receive ample warning of impending doom and provide you the ability to separate the chaff from the real sitrep. You will also need to be decisive. You will have to be prepared – mentally and emotionally as well as physically and financially – to drop what you are doing and move out smartly. Failure to do so will see you stuck with the masses in a bad place.

This will create false starts. You may take off at 10:30 a.m. directly from work only to discover 12 hours later that it was a false alarm. You will still want that nice paying job in the city when you return, right? Better save up on sick and annual leave. Better come up with some excuses now for use later. Explosive diarrhea is a good excuse – once. Remember to check your multiple information sources, TV, Radio, Internet, Your network of contacts to assess the situation and prevent false starts.

Pick several bug out routes. Drive them now and repeat periodically. Have primary, alternate, contingency and emergency routes. Figure out now where potential choke points are. Have a plan to smoothly transition from one route to another. Construction and improvised road blocks may put a kink in your plans if you are unaware of that new sewer project that has your primary route blocked.

Have a plan to smoothly transition from mode of transportation to another. Vehicles break down, they get stuck, they just plain misbehave at the worst possible moment. Bicycles on a rack in the back may be a viable alternative. The load you are able to carry just got a lot smaller. Your speed just got slower – which means more time on your bug out route. Prepare contingencies for these alternatives. You may have to walk. This is where BOBs come in. Have them packed and accessible to allow you to rapidly exit your disabled/stuck vehicle while taking the minimal supplies with you.

If possible, you may want to establish caches now of fuel, food, medical gear and so on along your bug out routes. Use easily identified landmarks to locate your caches and keep them well hidden. Mark them on your maps (you can read a map can’t you?) You can use GPS to locate, but what if it’s not available?

If possible, take more than one vehicle. This will provide you with a degree of redundancy, however it has now complicated your planning and you will want to have practiced convoy procedures. Think communications. Think bump plans (redistributing people and vital supplies in the event one vehicle goes down). Think actions at stops, spacing between vehicles. Bottom line, Think, Think, Think.

Bugging out is a lot more complicated that just jumping in the BOV and hitting the road. It is definitely not the panacea many people make it out to be. Bugging Out should just be one more option in your tool kit. But just like prepping for Bugging In, you have a lot of work to do now to make sure it works for you later.

[chicom]

Well thought out analysis gentlemen. I am a bit premature, but I bugged out two years ago. I left it all behind, but then again, I am single with zero resposibilities.I now work odd jobs for cash, food, shelter in this remote outpost of mine. I do not profess to have the answers of what will happen, or when, but I do know I will not be there when it does. I have made trade-offs for this lifestyle, but I am content with it.

[ZombieHunter_EKY]

I wish i could do what you have chicom

[FN64]

Good post Sheepdog. Something a lot of folks need to read & talk over with their house mates.
I try to impress the rule of threes on folks.
Have three places to go..
These places should be chosen so that at least 1 will not be down wind of a NBC cloud.
Each destination should have three routes of access drawn on maps and these maps kept in each vehicle.
Each route should be driven three times. Daylight, dark & inclement WX.
All hazards, choke points, flood prone areas, bad neighborhoods etc should be marked on maps.
Re-drive a few times a year to note changes, winter conditions etc.
Sure this takes a little time but a weekend roadtrip is always welcomed.

Any howz.. theres my .02

FN

[piranha2]

Chi, we are all jealous. You are living the American Dream, or, at least , my dream.

[chicom]

Living the dream. That's what we call it in the Forest Circus. Even though I did not go back to the Service this year, seems that I am pegged to become a lookout in one of the remote towers in the wilderness. It seems the current lookout can't hack it and they need a seasoned "fire guy" up there. Then the gold operation just got funded by investors and they want me back.To boot, a couple of folks want me to build them homemade fences like the one I just built.

If I nail all of these within reason, the cash will keep me in the woods comfortably for the next 18 months. Ohh and elk seson is just around the corner. MMMMM elk burgers.

I can't say that I miss the suburban life, whether it be South Florida, the burbs of Philly, Metro Atlanta, or the docks of Tacoma. All those places look the same, have familiar surroundings, and the people are the same (except the Seattle/Tacoma area, those people are just plain weird and half a bubble off of plum).

The tradeoffs are it is not feasible to raise a family in the conventional manner, supplies and services are a long way off, employment is limited, and you better be happy with yourself for companionship. Alll in all, I would not trade it for the world, and this is where I'll live til I die. I am tired of bouncing accross the nation in search of the dollar and subject to the whims of others.

So here I stay.

[mr slow]

I don't plan on leaving my home for no woods. I think I will do better in the city.Well that is unless its a major disaster caused by terrorist. I have my motorhome which I have moved to a camp grounds. This is where all my friends have trailers and boats. I'm buying land in Tenessee as my final location. I'm retired and have a good income every month.I figure if the ecomony collaspe in the Chicago area I will last a few weeks.I will most likely be staying to organize my group for a large move. Once the fighting starts and we start shooting there won't be no returning to our homes. So at that point were leaving to Wi. which is 4.5 hours away from the city. We will regroup at the camp grounds where we all have trailers and supplies. We are on a huge lake. At this point we will go through our supplies and set up armed guards. The locals we know will work with us.At this point we could last maybe six months. Everyone has 100 gallons of propane for there trailers. That is if we go there in winter. We have several snow mobiles and several cords of wood chopped. We have all our ice fishing gear up there to. My only fear is we may have more people than we want wanting to join us. I would be hoping that in a few months that things would calm down and I could go back home. At that point if thing are getting hairy I will leave to Tenessee with a smaller group. My friends have huge properties in the mountains all set up. I'm trying to find land right by them right now while my money is still good. I still have several other places I can go like San diego or Big bear where my brother lives.

[Ltlabner]

Am I more prepared now to BO than I was a year ago? Yep.

Am I ready to successfully BO? Not even close.

I've done a lot of the mental "ditch digging" of preparing to bugout. That is getting the preps supply for home built up and laid in, figuring out BO route, planning on what to take, what to leave, thinking about where to head, etc.

The next step is actually doing the BO route and finding a specific AO to head towards besides "Eastern Kentucky".

[Christian for Israel]

my only plans for bugging out are for imminent threats to my home like fire or chemical spills on the highway. my main plans involve bugging home as i daily drive 100-150 miles from home and there's a good chance SHTF will happen while i'm away.

[ktm rider]

I am staying home for sure. I live on top of a mountain in a log home on 76 acres with my wife and two kids. The nearest hardtop road is 3 miles away. I have all the protection I need and ammo of course. I also am in the process of power my whole home with a micro hydro turbine in my creek. So, I should have more than enough power.
I have 2 buddies that will be by my side when the SHTF and together our armory is HUGE !
I would like some kind of communications but the micro hydro took up the play money for quite a while...

[Legio]

In the meantime, may I suggest this : http://www.exploratorium.edu/science_explorer/ear_guitar.html

[gunbuilder69]

rotfl ,Thats the best!!!!! and a darn good clothes line while the kids are using it!

[07hemi4me]

I am staying home for sure. I live on top of a mountain in a log home on 76 acres with my wife and two kids. The nearest hardtop road is 3 miles away. I have all the protection I need and ammo of course. I also am in the process of power my whole home with a micro hydro turbine in my creek. So, I should have more than enough power.
I have 2 buddies that will be by my side when the SHTF and together our armory is HUGE !
I would like some kind of communications but the micro hydro took up the play money for quite a while...

Got any pictures of that setup?

[gunbuilder69]

That sounds great man! I really think I could do that micro hydo generator system in the close future. I"m convincing the wife now!

[ktm rider]

Got any pictures of that setup?

Not yet, I am in the process of getting the turbine built to accomodate my stream and get as much power as I can out of it.

You can check out these sites for some pics though,,,
www.homepower.ca
www.microhydropower.com

[ktm rider]

That sounds great man! I really think I could do that micro hydo generator system in the close future. I"m convincing the wife now!


There are a few requirements and "head" is one of them. Your steam has to have some vertical drop. The more the better and if you don't have much head you have to have a ton of flow. Florida is less than ideal for these requirements I'm afraid.
You could make enough power to say, run a radio or a few lights maybe with just a bit of head and flow. So, that could be possible and VERY handy for you in a SHTF situation....