another shtf bug out post

I have been reading posts and seeing a lot of you all talking about a SHTF...

I have to say, I do think something is going to happen to all of us, at some point and time, be it financial hardship, job loss, floods, tornado's, hurricanes, fire, or even total financial collapse of the economy....yes there are many other things that can also happen.

Everyone here given there geographical area has a plan and items that they think are needed to survive.
Most everyone is different then the next...Joe has a family with kids to worry about, while Steve is alone and doesn't have anyone...Jake has a girlfriend of 8 years and no kids....You all get what I am saying about everyone being different.

I have gear, I like some of it...I try to use my head and only get things that I know I would use or need in assisting with my survival so that I don't need a semi if I bug out. Now all that being said...you need the basics....everything else is a luxury item...remember if you plan on bugging out you need to be able to carry it with you...if your leaving your home to go out and be grizzly adams...well good luck....

Go camping for a week and take what you think you need and then make a list while your there of things you wish you had and of what you brought that you didn't need ...you might be suprised.
Then do it again with the new list and do the same thing...great way to learn.

Your basics are...in no certain order...the basics.
1) water
2) food
3) shelter
4) protection

Water have some bottled...also be able to purify it for drinking.

Food, have some for first getting started but you need to be able to grow/raise your own...don't say I'll hunt in the woods for it...ok EVERYONE will be doing that...that will be ok at first but it will become very difficult rather quickly once all the masses come from the cities...look at hunting season...deer dissappear quick...they hide and they are only hunted hard for about a week...wait and see what a month or 3 months does to the population of them in your area. Buy some seeds for planting crops.

Shelter is a tent, a tarp, or a cabin even your current home...your area and time of year with weather will generally indicate the type or kind of shelter that is needed...shelter in some areas could be your cloths also.

Protection is what you use to keep yourself safe from man and beast...it could be (a) gun(s) and ammo, a few knives, a sword or bow and arrows...it could even be your ability to hide...to avoid being seen or noticed..that is protection to...it is keeping you safe and protecting you.

Most of you already have what you need gear wise to get by...you use it around your house daily.

Tools or misc. equipment that would be nice to have could be..
ax, hammer, nails, cord/string, a couple of good knives, stone or steel and file to sharpen the knives with.
fishing kit(hooks sinkers line lures ect), leatherman/gerber multitool, tarp, seeds for planting a garden, small hand tools for garden work.

This is just a down and dirty basics of what you would need...your list could be way different than mine.

Also, think about this...

If you have to travel to your bug out location how will you get there? now imagine no vehicles or roads are available for use, your bike is stolen and all you have is your feet...will you make it with all your bug out stuff?
You thought ahead and stocked your location with your things, some are visible and some hidden....you get there and someone is there and using your stuff...now what? they are armed and have more people....what now?
Your on your way to the bug out location on foot and you wanna eat some apples from an orchard that you know is near by...well the owner shoots at you for stealing his apples...maybe he gets lucky and you get shot?
Maybe you think oh there is a cow/ goat/ pig/ whatever animal and you shoot it while traveling to your secret location, only you find out that the land owner is watching you when he shoots you for steeling from him.

I know that your all going yeah right, whatever, not me...ok..If you ever do have a true SHTF murphy's law will be in full effect. Just because the system breaks down doesn't mean that we all need to be a band of savages.

Look I am not saying it will happen but in the event that it does, you need realise that a plan is a plan and looks good on paper or in your head, once it actually happens and things get going...nothing works as planned, so be prepaired.

I sit and think about this stuff all the time. It almost consumes me since the birth of my first kid a month ago, I don't know what I'd do if I had to get outta the apartment and city I live in. me and the wife are looking to move out to the country in a couple months, but I worry what I'd do if we had to leave tomorrow. I have my bugout gear ready to go, however we have nothing for the wife or the little baby. It all seems so daunting. I just have the thought, "if I can make it to my folks house then we'd be just fine." I'm unsure if my wife is rugged enough for the task if we had to walk outta here. I guess the real question in my mind is, how do you prepare for someone else when they choose to think things will always be a bed of roses and not think about how bad it could get? Sorry if it sounds like I'm rambling, but I'm a lil worried about it.

@ QWMS

Get Mum used to the papoose carry method. You too, but its more vital for Mum as you'll be humping the heavier kit.

Go buy your kit bag 5 terry dowling non-disposable nappies. Thats enough to have one clean and dry, one on baby and two in stages of wash / drying. I use nappies that survived three 'hand me downs' - my sister first, then me, then my younger sister and one niece. TD nappies last serious time. Also buy a waterproof over cover set.

Then go get a sleeping bag (as junior will need a warm bed). Make it two feet too long (cut it up) and make sure you make a bigger, second duplicate of it slightly larger so you can slip it inside. Juniors sleeping needs covered in one easy hit. Zip across the bottom so Mum can unzip and diaper change and keep the majority of the baby warm. Extra length means bag grows as baby does.

Get some 'no see um' mesh and make a bell tent style cover. Keeps all flies / mossies / midges off the kid.

All in all the babies are far more resilient than we give them credit for, and as long as its warm and cared for with a bit of thought - a SHTF scenario will be like water off a ducks back.

P.S.

Mums got the food onboard

reply to post by QWMSgeoff


you don't have to get her on board, per se. there are ways around. for example, my exwife, while i love her to death, platonic way, has pampered and sheltered our 11 year old son. he's afraid of everything. so, i decided it was time for him to start leaning stuff, just in case. only problem is, he's 11 and more into cartoons and dragon ball whatever. which is fine, i guess.. he's 11.
on a recent weekend together i tried to talk to him and teach him a few things. completely not interested. so, i used his natural curiosity. went to the grocery store, while shopping i was checking the experation dates on the canned foods. finally he asked me what i was looking at. i told him. he asked why. just because. this went on for a while with everything i bought. food, water, new candles, batteries, etc. when we got home, it was obvious he'd been trying to figure it out. i gave him a paper and pen, asked him to inventory stuff. he asked why. i told him i need to know exactly how much i have. he the preceded to ask, why ic ouldn't just go back to the store when i ran out. i knew i had hmm.. i brought up hurricane katrina. they had very little foor in the house at the time. and he bit, hook line and sinker. (sorry, i ramble)
point is, sometimes you just have to make them understand. SOMETHING could happen, bring up a past event.. even if it was just a day or two with out power. remind her, you have baby now. and there is more to worry about. and if that doesn't work, continue to do it on your own, trying to figure out what she and the baby will need. eventually she'll see you got something wrong. wrong size, wrong type, something.. then she'll probably start taking interest. if she doesn't she mioght not like what she ends up with.

Thanks for the ideas guys. I think the wifes coming around a bit. The wife got the lil guy some camo for the visit to my fathers house. And afterwards she said "why don't I get some camo of my own so we'd match?" I'm like, "OK!" I'm trying to put her bugout bag together now, just need more money.

I have a question, does any one have an idea of how many people have already left?

I keep reading on various sites and forums about people taking off before shtf. Some people have even stated this on ATS. I understand this way of thinking as one would already be set up when everything goes down, and one does not have to "race" to their planned location and hope to get there. However, it could be a while before anything happens and the longer one stays put the more they can store away in bolt holes and such.

I know I want to be gone before I have to fight my way out and have certain events I'm waiting on before I bail. Does everyone else have similar markers or are you waiting for it to just go down?

reply to post by Forgoten_Whisper


I'm waiting primarily for word from my father since he's the planner for our shtf plan. But if I don't hear anything I'm waiting for the pandemonium to start. My worry is what happens if I'm @ work when things happen. I mean I'm usually 30 to 45 mins from home at any given time during the work week (and that's average driving traffic, it'd be bad in a shtf situation). Then turn around and pack the family to my folks house 50 miles away. One of my questions I've always had was, do you guys plan for a drive outta here scenario or walk outta here scenario? I'm hoping for the first choice, but planning for the worst just incase. I'd like to make a quick clean getaway, I don't wanna have to fight our way out.