To bug out or dig in?

This subject always comes up when people discuss buggin out or digging in. Present your opinion, and please don't turn this into a shouting match like those you find on playgrounds. I feel that both are viable, and should both be available, to be used depending on the situation.
If you bug out where will you go and what will you bring with you?
And if you dig in how will you do it and what would stock?
Think before you post please.

I spent years thinking it would be better to bug out, then i woke up to the reality of doing that with kids in tow.

I am set for a few months in my house, haven't got any fancy retreat sorted yet to go to, not do-able at the moment.

I fear many people will be found dead in the woods one day, when a few sensible ones will be sat at home in the warm.

CX.

Oddly enough I never put to much thought but i think id head out too.. regroup with as many friends as i can and get a survival group going. you can only dig in for so long before you run out of material. I would bring as much as i could in as little as possible.. include my shot gun for survival uses and hunting..as for where to go... i dunno ..hopfully be able to stay in a grocery store..lol

Definitely bugging out. I live in a large city(fairly large anyway) and food would quickly be an issue. I have a small, well armed group to met up with and a rally point not to far from anywhere I usually go. That all changes next year though.

Making such a decision is highly situational, my current location for example wouldn't be suitable for sheltering in place because there is no game to hunt, not enough land to actively farm, and way too many people. In most scenarios I will probably opt to relocate to a retreat location thats already prepped.

The main difference between my shelter in place and get-outta-dodge gear is the quantities and style of goods stocked, weight isn't such an issue if you plan on staying in place as compared to figuring out what you can manage on a pack frame. Most of my pack gear is light weight and compressible where possible, but if I was staying at home I could opt for 5 gallon buckets with various dried foods over jerkey and mountain house; that and of course I don't have to pick and choose which of my long guns goes with me on the trip to the retreat

reply to post by JDBlack


I would bug out, unlike some others I would not trust even my best of friends. People in general just feel to guilty going against the system and I feel it would leave me vulnerable to be sold out.
I am lucky to live in new zealand where there are no real threats to humans in the bush, besides hypothermia down south. I feel confident enough in my own abilities at catching food and keeping warm to survive. There's no shortage of water here as it rains at least once a week and there's creeks and rivers everywhere, plenty of moss to squeeze water out of too.
I would take some metal threaded bailing twine for snears to catch rabbits, possums and rats. A hand line to catch fish - I can make a spear once I lose hooks - and can go for eels too. 2 x water bottles - one for filling the other can be used as a bait trap. A knife would make my spears and blowdarts. flint for the fire because of the wet weather, stick rubbing would likely be very hard most of the time. Blanket optional, would prefer a warm waterproof jacket if this stuff was getting too heavy
Plenty of flax and native bush for making shelter, clothes, and traps. A pocket/portable radio may be useful to get weather updates, situation changes and know when it's safe to come out of hiding - it would be used as an emergency backup, and could be used to help find civilisation if I ever got too lost. Always handy to have small a first aid kit with anticeptic etc incase of injury. A good pair of boots would help alot while setting up and a pot would be a bit of luxury. Would likely have a few rations on hand for initial setup/emergency. Lots of thick socks because you need to look after your feet well in the wet and they are also good tools / weapons.

My list:
1 Good Knife
Metal threaded bailing twine
fishing Handline
2 x plastic bottles
Flint
warm but light Blanket
Pocket radio
small first aid kit.
Good pair of boots
small pot
2 days rations
Thick socks x 5

no gun - too loud, heavy and hard to keep running
no non reuseable items - if i cant become self sufficent and settle in for the long haul im in trouble anyway
no vehicle, to easy to track and hear
no lighters or matches, need replacing too much/get wet etc
no water, too heavy and it is everywhere here
emergency food only

Think It could easily fit in to a fairly light backpack

living in a metro area what i worry about is getting out of the city. by the time the masses become aware of any $hit-to-fan contact, we'll have tens of thousands of sobbing panicked half-wits jamming the already crowded and poorly maintained highways and side streets. these folks are all over the road smashing into one another and blocking lanes of traffic after a light rain. announce a dirty bomb attack or something similar and 'viola'...gridlock.

if the sirens went off right now i think id be inclined to hole up at the house for a bit rather than play road warrior. especially in the dark and single digit temps. could be dangerous out there. believe me 'id rather not get trapped here but unless i get a genuine head start on my neighbors, i don't see being able to depend on getting anywhere fast.

Guess I should post what I would do. Initialy I'd dig in if I was at home. If at college, I'd probably move into a neerby abandoned building and then dig in, but would consider bugging out from any place that I find myself in, but not untill I have thought about it for at least a little while (day or 2). Again situation changes would affect my decision.

It depends on what's hitting the fan.

If it's a local volcano, I'm bugging out.

If it's Jericho style, big cities getting nuked, then I'm digging in out here in the country. River isn't too far from here, got plenty of food, supplies, and ammo. I know a master gardener, crafts people, etc., and I have communications equipment experience to offer. Did I mention ammo? So protection is another offer I have for the group.

You have to have a group, or you won't survive if you dig in, and especially of you bug out.

If you are bugging out with a big truck with extra gas, food supplies, etc., and you are solo, you are going to have many sleepless nights. You need companionship not only to help out with various projects, but also to keep watch while you sleep.

I had a plan in place. I was going to take the family to the Ski area of the NC mountains and find a vacation home to squat in. I figured there would be lots of canned goods and fresh water. The I read a book that changed my mind completely. It's called One Second After. Now I think my present location is prime. As long as the "event" is not an invasion. Then nobody's plans will matter, you will have to move with the changes. I do like a marine motto that I leaned a long time ago. Adapt, improvise, overcome. While I was no marine, I try to live by that in life. My plan is to keep a good stockpile at home and plan to band together with the neighbors I have known for years and either be a leader, or help the leader keep things together. It's a good topic to discuss so we can all learn things that we hope we will never need.

reply to post by JDBlack


Right, there is no one answer to that situation if it happens because there is no one situation that can be considered by which you would make your plans.

Personally, I'm prepared to sit tight, 'have counted my ammo and stocked goods. Then one day, I took special notice of the neighbor's children out playing in their yard. I don't know the kids at all, how many people live in that house. I've talked to the father for all of 20 seconds last year.

But I'm getting up there in years. Should I kill this family if it comes to my door wanting food at some future day? A few weeks ago I would have responded, yes. they didn't prepare and I did, so why should I share with them? Understand first, that these folks seem to work and evidently are surviving now as lower middle-class folks, just like most people who are the backbone of this country. So I have altered my plans if all communications and services shut down and we are basically left on our own resources for a considerable bit of time.

Another factor is that I live alone. I have grown children, but the closest is twenty minutes away by today's travel time. Given a national catastrophe or even a local one of some duration, I couldn't reach them nor could they reach me--there be road outlaws out there.

The obvious solution is to sit tight, and connect with my neighbors to insure our joint survivial by cooperation--a simple law common to any civilization--and most importantly, to increase the odds that their children will have a better chance of carrying on. To that end, I've decided that should be my goal even if it should come to sacrificing myself for them.

There won't be any gun-happy heros emerging after all hell breaking loose, only survivers. What we should all focus on is those that would be whose left when the first of the terrible times is over. Too much of the talk on this forum is of young guys wanting to take on the whole world if society falls apart. If the worst happens, the chances of a young stud finding a young female, impregmenting her, going through the nine-month of ritual of birthing and raising that child to a productive age is going to be damned near impossible. Insuring the survivial of the youngsters that are here at the time of the problem will greatly aid the recovery of all. The slogan "Save the children" should be given a new meaning as the we look ahead and see troubled times.

Promoting and attending Neighborhood Watch meetings are an excellent way to get acquainted with the folks in your area because that less startling way to approach "problems" in your area is easily understood and an automatic concern for all.

Dig in. You can't take enough with you. You'd be in unfamiliar territory competing with others with the same idea. You'd be very unfamiliar with how to survive. If you dig in you have a known place and hopefully vastly more provisions. Obviously depends on circumstances. If you're overrun you can't dig in. But overall I think a better plan is to at least have a place ready to dig in, even if it isn't your first choice.

Most people will be far better off staying put. Of all the people bugging out,where are they going to go? Do they have family and friends who will be willing to put them up and support them? If not,they are most likely screwed. For everyone planning to bug out to the hills and live off the land,probably 95% will fail. The simple fact is very few people know to truly live off the land. It is a very,very difficult existence. How many people have ever tried it for even a few weeks?
If you stay put, at least you are on your own turf and you'll have shelter. You'll also have access to more supplies than you can carry on your back.
If you live in a city and there is some sort of disaster that forces you to flee, I guess you have little choice. Other than that,the only other situation I can see where leaving would be advisable is if society is totally broken down and your planning to move for good and start a new life. Of course if you have a place to go where you supplies and shelter,that changes things a fair bit. Simply planning to go off and find a place to survive is likley to be a foolish move.

Would dig In
already live in the midle of nowere travel to work now
family already know to regroup here
have amo for next 5 year
have about 1 year of food ton of seed
have 4 big 48" natual gas pepiline close by if their still full
been hunting and fishing all my life

if i'm not dead and make it back fast i'm good to go

reply to post by JDBlack


Now that the end times are upon us this is quite the good post as this particular thought has been at the forefront of my mind lately.

Having the luxery of money in the past suffice it to say I was totally prepared, cabin in the woods, 4x4 jeep and suburban, survival van, guns out the wazoo, every conceivable device and 9 months of MREs...yepper I was set. But 7 years ago is a long time...all that is gone now, everybit except my collection of shoes/boots.

Now as quakes get daily, and weather is only explained by an earth wobble freezing briton and germany and baking arizona all in the same day, the evidence is too hard to ignore. I guess I am waiting to see if the indonesia quake hits this year, at which time I will again revisit this question. In any event, I sense I know the answer.

The answer for me at least is to think and react quickly as events unfold. Anyone residing in the city will find food stuffs difficult, gasoline difficult and local law enforcement not willing to help many folks in need. The good thing is the jails will be crowded as the LEOs start to arrest looters and such making much less room for the real violators.

I do not plan to bug out...did that and been there. I do plan to keep my gasoline full, my boxes packed, my flashlights good, and will get my gun from the first person attempting to do me harm...

However, long before the major catastrophy there will be regional calamities such as rivers, floods, quakes, california breaking up, hoover dam busting, mississippi widening etc...you have all read the scenarios, pick your poison.

So, each location will have unique opportunities for survival...again pick your venim. Long term survival, longer than 12 months is not a certainity anymore...and therefore I do not concern myself with careers and retirements...all that is a myth.

Stay put where am.. Out here far from civilisation. Have everything I need . The terrain and jungle also make a great natural barrier to keep people out.. No roads here and unless someones in good shape and knows how to survive the jungle they wont survive the trip.. the locals here live as they always have without outside interference..

I find this an excellent post, thanks OP. Here is my 2 cents.

Everyone needs to consider their location before making any plans:

URBAN: YOU MUST GET OUT!
As one poster noted, you must have supplies for several days in order for the sheeple to kill themselves in trying to escape. You must also have supplies and equipment to escape before the lawless get themselves organized and take over control of the urban wasteland...think food, water, guns.....lots of guns. You are better off moving in a large contingent who think like you. However, you can only carry about three days supplies (30 miles tops) at the most on foot and even less with ammo. Furthermore, where are you going? This place must be supplied and willing to supply you.

SUBURBAN: Get to you friends out in the country!
You have the best chance to escape with vehicles. If you can escape before the rush; then good; if not, then see above. Before the rush and with a vehicle, then carry fuel and food and you will be accepted by those making a stand for your supplies - most likely. If on foot with only provisional supplies, you better have a preplanned rendezvous with friends.

RURAL: "Who are all these people?" Seek out Christians and you better know how to handle a rifle.

Cool. Everyone seems to feel people should stay put if they are outside the cities and get out of there if they are in or really close to a city. And everyone managed to stay pleasant about it to. Thanks all.

I have three options.bugging out, digging in, and relocating

I have a number of friends that live in rural areas that i can relocate to.
This gives me shelter and them more manpower, skilled hand, and firepower.

My criteria is the number of dead bodies laying unburied or the potential
In a big city just the number of unburied dead bodies can be a real danger.
Add gangs, looters, The mentally ill (old ones and the people that can not cope and break) and the dictators(people with no authority that try to take over with force if you have dealt with some members of Church's or condo associations, HOAs you know the type)

If it's a SHTF anarchy-type event, I don't think anyone's going more than 45 miles from where they start from. Roads are going to be clogged with everyone thinking the same thing.

As was said earlier, it's not a matter of staying or going.

The most ancient and time proven principle of both survival and war is the concept of "freedom of movement."

You'll only hold what you can defend.

A good hide that channels potential intruders suitable for destruction, but with more than one escape is preferable in urban/suburban areas.

Same goes for unpopulated forests, farms, deserts, and mountains, but on a larger scale.

Planning is 90% of survival.