Bugging Out

I originally posted This in a different thread, but on further reflection I baleave there is enough information and interest to warrent its own thread. If Ime wrong then I will just delete this thread and go back to posting in thelibra's thread.

The question of when to bug out is as old as the quest for survival. Once you decide its time to bug the that opens a whole list of other questions, like what to bug in and ware to go. Other questions like when we get there do we keep our wheels or ditch the. Plus a bunch more questions. So I would like to start by fielding questions and or gathering links. Once my power is restored I willget to my NAS and gather my information to share with my fellow ATS'ers

mod edit: removed survivalist from title due to creation of new forum

[edit on 12-12-2006 by UK Wizard]

Wheels?

Wheels can be a death sentence, friend. Remember Katrina? The blocked roads? Everyone who has the same idea will come poruing out of a city or suburb, and it only takes one accident to turn a means of escape into a highway of death.

Imagine how long it'll take for state or federal services to unblock a road in the event of a full-fledged disaster, like a dirty bomb explosion. By that time, a few people have died of dehydration, random violence, etc. And especially when it comes to radiation, time is everything. Do you have a backup way out of your city or town? A destination? A cache?

DE

Yeah. I wouldn't want to go crazy and make a nuclear shelter only to find out it was a hoax and nothing is going to happen.

I think my other post got deleted in another thread...

Do dirty bombs cause fallout? Would you have to worry about the radiation?

different situations call for different ways of bugging out. Bugging out isn't always in a car, or truck. I'll explain in more detail when I can recharge my laptop battery. But remember this surviving is different for everybody. No two situations are the same. Katrina Was a terrible event and a great example of how everything can and does SOMETIMES go wrong. Not every situation X is a Katrina. If you are in a large city yes you are right a car is more of a death sentence then a savior. Most people however aren't in big city's. Most are in small towns and suburbs. in some of those situations using a car/truck is not only necessary its a darn good idea. ware do you think the city dwellers are going to head when they bug out. they will head right for your beautiful little town and suburb. In that case you need to be far away because along with the good citizens of our big city's will come the criminals. They can and will prey on you. That is one of the reasons I have chosen to learn every thing I could get my bytes and bits on about when how and why to bug out. Bugging-out is as much of survival as is food water shelter, because sometimes you just cant stay.

[edit on 20-10-2006 by angryamerican]

So, to quote The Clash...Should I stay or should I go now?

Well it really depends on the situation.

Is it an NBC attack (if warning is given, and your in a big city, go now, stop reading and just go to your grandmas farm out in the country now!)?
Natural disaster?
Military coup or invasion? (fight or flight)
Do you have your Bug Out Bag ready, and if not can you pack fast enough to get out quicker then the majority?
Do you have family to take care of?

Basically, dependent on the situation, it might be better to boogie then to hunker down. With me, I have a family, and that can make bugging out at little less plausable.

If your going to bug out, you better wiegh your options and make your decision quickly and don't second guess your own judgement. The quicker you act the less likely you are to get stuck in the panic, and can be out the door and on the road before most people have even decided what to do or what to take.

I've said it before cars and evacuation isn't a good idea. If your alone in your evacuation, get a decent motorcycle with multi-terrain tires (on/off road) that way you can weave in and out of the evacuation induced traffic jam, and or get off the road if nessicery, can't really do that in the old minivan, and I have serious doubts of the SUVs on the market right now and there abilities of off-road versitility. In the warmer months, I ride my Kawasaki to work as much as possible, not only to save gas, but to be able to get around any sticky situation on the road if something happens.

I really don't have the bug out option as readily avaliable as others, having an infant and all, but should the absolute need arise I will have to make that judgement call. Until then I'll keep working on my plans for hunkering down.

Originally posted by enjoies05
I think my other post got deleted in another thread...

Do dirty bombs cause fallout? Would you have to worry about the radiation?

It didn't get deleted, I answered it right before the thread got temporarily locked. Here's a link to the post that answered your question.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Over the years I have developed a pretty detailed emergency plan for my family. It runs something over 30pgs (although a good portion is reference matter). The first portion of the document is the shelter in-place/cut-and-run checklist. It provides the line-by-line evaluation of the situation to facilitate that decision.

In our case, the decision to cut-and-run only happens if 1) local law enforcement is using force to evacuate people 2) our immediate area has a high likelihood of being rendered uninhabitable due to severe flooding, geological instability or wildfire or 3) our immediate area has a high likelihood of suffering serious, longterm contamination (NBC)). A major component of the decision is that we are in possession of intelligence that indicates that there is a high likelihhood of our reaching a better, safer location. That last point is key.

Because we happen to be well equipped our absolute best chances of survival are here. Any situation that motivates people to start bugging-out is going to bring with it serious curtailment of our ability to move freely, re-supply and likely communicate through normal channels. Unless you have a bug-out destination that is pre-supplied and your ability to reach it safely is relatively assured, the decision to bug-out should be made very judiciously.

My plan involves using a combination of Cut and Run and Hunker Down. I will be cutting and running whereever i am and reuniting with family at a predefined safe house.

Luckily my sister lives on top of a mountain that is only accessable from two points which makes it easily defendable, plus they have their own well (probably have to install a hand pump but that shouldn't be a problem) Also my brother in law has a ton of weapons and we can see the entire town from that vantage point so we will know when to stay away for the most part.

My plans are for staying put in a survival situation if possible.

"Bugging out" means becoming an intentional refugee, and refugees are notoriously prone to becoming victims of crime and oppression.

We moved to our current home with survival in mind. Maybe you could say we "bugged out" when we moved into this area and home.

well said dr_strangecraft The best way to bug out in my opinion is before SHTF. If you make survival your lifestyle not much changes for you when everybody else is in trouble.

That's been our strategy exactly. details included in a thread I called "low intensity survivalist."

I want to be a survivalist; I just want all the fruits of civilization as long as they last. One last martini, before we all have to drink someone's low-grade moonshine. (Of course, as a survivalist, I have a stockpile of gins and vermouths to last well beyond my point of terminal cirrosis. If only the stuffed olives hold out . . .)

By the way, what does SHTF stand for?

Stuff happen to folk?

Shi'ites have their fun?

Slowly heating the frog?

Snitches hailing the fuzz?

?


[oops. Silly me. Just figured it out. We had central air growing up, so I'm not used to that phrase. Never mind.]

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[edit on 14-12-2006 by dr_strangecraft]

Shelter in place is the best.

BUT ... we have always had our three day bug-out bags. Always. And everyone should have them even if they don't think nukes will be falling. Earthquakes, tornados, floods, hurricanes, blizzards .... the 3 day bag is a MUST HAVE.

Heck, my 10 year old even packs her own. We go through them every 6 months or so to make sure clothes still fit and that the meds, water, food bars, are all current.

I know weight is an issue .. but I indulged and packed a little 'mommy' picture folder of some of my favorite pictures of my daughter.