Considerations for Bug Out Locations

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Our ranch/homestead is a somewhat unique property. It's an inholding, which means that our property is 100% surrounded by thousands of acres of National Forest lands. There is no private land even close to our property. We're 2 miles off the county road through 3 locked gates and have a forest service lease for access. My agreement with the FS is that I maintain the entire road. There is a Forest Service gate that is on the bottom of our road. The FS keeps the gate locked from October 1st through May 15th, we have a key to that gate. Since the gate is locked during hunting season, and most hunters are too lazy to walk, we see very few hunters around here.
We bought the land and built all of the buildings and infrastructure out of pocket, no mortgage.
I would suggest looking for an inholding if you want privacy.

I looked at several "inholding" properties out here in some Federally owned land. Decided instead to buy just outside. The prices were double on the inside. I preferred more land to support more people. I've got a huge family and a budget to stick to.
 
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In terms of bug out, it is the Golden Hoard that is your enemy. I favor the turnkey approach. But the main concern is defense from the Golden Hoard. You need a rural location with roadblocks, checkpoints and these must be in defensible positions. You need your neighbor's help doing this. So I favor a kinda bug out community. Of course you need water and food.

The Golden Horde seeks low hanging fruit. There is none of that once you get off the state highway, but enough on the highway to keep them busy.

If perchance they come down the county road (which has no low hanging fruit at all), they will miss us by almost exactly a mile, and never know we were there. Roadblocks and checkpoints draw attention.
Neighbors? What neighbors???
 
I looked at several "inholding" properties out here in some Federally owned land. Decided instead to buy just outside. The prices were double on the inside. I preferred more land to support more people. I've got a huge family and a budget to stick to.
Yes, inholdings can be pretty pricy, and they come in all sizes. Our place was originally a homestead, then part of a large ranch. It's still plenty large enough for anything we want and it's large enough for all of our family too.
 
Nobody lives on the adjoining properties. Going south down the county road, there is one house between us and the state highway, and the property owner has never lived there, just rented it out the house. When the manager of that farm lived there, we knew him, and I guess he was the only "neighbor" we have known in decades that lived there. Our other "neighbors" live elsewhere. Going north up the county road, the first house is a ten mile drive. We used to know them 50 ago when they hunted out of a deer camp on the adjoining property (that hunted our woods), but have had no contact with them in decades.
 
Look at it this way, if those properties are owned, WSHTF, there is a high probability that you will have new neighbors!

It may be an un-neighborly thing to say, but they will be the low hanging fruit. We're like the fruit way up in the tree out at the end of a limb.
 
It may be an un-neighborly thing to say, but they will be the low hanging fruit. We're like the fruit way up in the tree out at the end of a limb.
Or, they might simply go in with the raiders and help hoist them up to reach those higher limbs!

It is how gangs get formed. A bunch of weak individuals banding together to become strong. If you are facing starvation or death and someone comes to you and says if you surrender, and agree to help us, you will get a portion of the spoils....
I would rather know who my neighbors are as people. The citizenry no longer has a spine and will go with whomever offers the best deal.
 
Let me paint a picture of the tree...

To walk directly from the county road to the BOL over the shortest route (almost exactly a mile), you would
Cross a cotton field
Cross a bayou with overgrown banks
Cross some very dense undergrowth (mostly briars)
Cross a deep ditch
Cross a patch of woods
Cross a marsh
Cross another patch of woods
Cross a swamp
And then cross another patch of woods.

Out on the state highway, there are houses right by the road.
 
Let me paint a picture of the tree...

To walk directly from the county road to the BOL over the shortest route (almost exactly a mile), you would
Cross a cotton field
Cross a bayou with overgrown banks
Cross some very dense undergrowth (mostly briars)
Cross a deep ditch
Cross a patch of woods
Cross a marsh
Cross another patch of woods
Cross a swamp
And then cross another patch of woods.

Out on the state highway, there are houses right by the road.

And my BOL is similarly situated except it would be about a 3 mile walk...I still would prefer to know who my neighbors are.
 
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Let me paint a picture of the tree...
that kinda sounds like the trip I made from CA to TX. I am jealous of all your space around both of your places, EasternerWesterner and Arctic. If I try real hard, I can spit all the way to my neighbors house on both sides. But, it is paid for and the taxes are paid years in advance too. No mortgages or credit. My BIL and BOL at the same time.
 
Looking around the country at where homes are built today . These sites would not have been built upon 100 years ago because there is not any water sources at these home sites and are dependent on a government system of piping in water or furnishing electricity for a private well . I hope our members have covered their water needs not just for a few months but indefinitely . Piped in water and a electrical grid will both be something in history if a World War 3 transpires .
 
The neighbors thing doesn't worry me where we live. We're in the middle of the country with multiple homesteads around us. Every one of them are also preppers, but nobody talks about it. I have glimpsed a couple of the food and gun stores, and they're all doing okay... Maybe even better than us. I truly believe if SHTF, we would be our own little community. We've got a doctor, a farmer, an herbalist, a carpenter, a gun refinisher, a person with a sawmill, a beekeeper, several hunters, and EVERYONE is locked and loaded. When I was sick, they'd come and cut our grass or bring us produce from their gardens. Yet, at the same time, they're all fairly antisocial, which I appreciate.
 
No mortgages or credit. My BIL and BOL at the same time.

The neighbors thing doesn't worry me where we live. We're in the middle of the country with multiple homesteads around us. Every one of them are also preppers, but nobody talks about it. I have glimpsed a couple of the food and gun stores, and they're all doing okay... Maybe even better than us. I truly believe if SHTF, we would be our own little community. We've got a doctor, a farmer, an herbalist, a carpenter, a gun refinisher, a person with a sawmill, a beekeeper, several hunters, and EVERYONE is locked and loaded. When I was sick, they'd come and cut our grass or bring us produce from their gardens. Yet, at the same time, they're all fairly antisocial, which I appreciate.

Neighbors don't worry me much either which is why I am perfectly willing to get to know them.

I have had a couple of times where we have had an issue and within minutes, I had more neighbors there doing what they could to help than what I knew to do with. That is just living in the country.

Yes, we are all a bit anti-social but when help is truly needed we will drop whatever we are doing to help.

That being said though, we are close to the Mexican border here and drugs are unfortunately an issue, even in the countryside. More and more often that is where many of the runners and dealers like to hide out because since people do tend to mind their own business, it is easier to lay low . So, with that in mind, it always helps to know who exactly is around you.

It is reconnaissance 101.
 
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That being said though, we are close to the Mexican border here and drugs are unfortunately an issue, even in the countryside. More and more often that is where many of the runners and dealers like to hide out because since people do tend to mind their own business, it is easier to lay low . So, with that in mind, it always helps to know who exactly is around you.
Ah, good point!
 
Looking around the country at where homes are built today . These sites would not have been built upon 100 years ago because there is not any water sources at these home sites and are dependent on a government system of piping in water or furnishing electricity for a private well . I hope our members have covered their water needs not just for a few months but indefinitely . Piped in water and a electrical grid will both be something in history if a World War 3 transpires .
My place was originally off grid in the 70ā€™s. Didnā€™t get electric until 90ā€™s.
At least I have some old infrastructure to revert back to when needed.

Neighbors. Most of mine are worthless, computer engineers and a judge, The only worthwhile ones are a Sherrif and an old guy who owned nurseries. Knows a little about growing things.
After 50 years of being up here, I suspect the old guy has a better armament than the Sherrif and I combined.
One way in, a couple ways out on fire roads. I do feel secure here for about a year.
 
Looking around the country at where homes are built today . These sites would not have been built upon 100 years ago because there is not any water sources at these home sites and are dependent on a government system of piping in water or furnishing electricity for a private well . I hope our members have covered their water needs not just for a few months but indefinitely . Piped in water and a electrical grid will both be something in history if a World War 3 transpires .
I've got a drilled well, 650 feet deep, a spring fed pond and I generate my own power, no government needed here. We're pretty well covered for water on our property.
 
I am not sure of how many of the extended family will bug out there. One sister's family will probably try to bug in where they are. But among those that probably will, we'll have two MDs, two nurses, a dentist, a carpenter, a preacher, a physical therapist, and an electrical engineer, among others. Nearly all can shoot. Most have driven tractors to bush hog, disk, plant, harrow and do road work. (we have four tractors). I have already been appointed chief cook and bottle wash šŸ˜
 
I am on my own here, my wife understands most of all the functions of surviving but has little strength to fight with. All my neighbors live from paycheck to paycheck, most have no car, none have a water well, all but one are over 60 and I live directly on the main federal road going thru town. I have not done any work on the outside of the house except the new roof so it does not look inviting to looters or robbers. If anything bads starts, I will get enough plywood to close all windows and doors securely and only open from the inside or with special tools from outside. We have huge areas with lots of water and hunting or fishing and foraging nearby but Helena cannot take the pressure well. She is quickly tired even working in the garden. I am strong enough for both of us and she will only need to cook and wash post-SHTF. The rest is mine, protection, security and revenge...
The food in the garden will have to grow between the hedges and thorns to keep the thugs and thieves out.
 
I am on my own here, my wife understands most of all the functions of surviving but has little strength to fight with. All my neighbors live from paycheck to paycheck, most have no car, none have a water well, all but one are over 60 and I live directly on the main federal road going thru town. I have not done any work on the outside of the house except the new roof so it does not look inviting to looters or robbers. If anything bads starts, I will get enough plywood to close all windows and doors securely and only open from the inside or with special tools from outside. We have huge areas with lots of water and hunting or fishing and foraging nearby but Helena cannot take the pressure well. She is quickly tired even working in the garden. I am strong enough for both of us and she will only need to cook and wash post-SHTF. The rest is mine, protection, security and revenge...
The food in the garden will have to grow between the hedges and thorns to keep the thugs and thieves out.

That brings up another consideration. Part of the point of "prepping" is having a plan B, C, D that is developed while things are calm and it is easy to think rationally. Having a BOL and a group is only half the battle.

No plan survives the first attack.

Your group may have all the bases covered...on paper. But, then TSHTF. You are at your BIL waiting for the rest of your group of 30 to show up. You wait a day. Then two. Of your expected group, only 10 show up after a month. You may be missing the expected vet or the doctor, the mechanic, the dentist or some of your security members. Now what do you do?

We tend to assume that you just bug out and that is that.

Bugging out means you become a refugee for that period of travel.

Perhaps you will be prevented from traveling because your main mode of transport is inoperable despite your best preparations and being on foot, may not be practical for health or other reasons.

Perhaps widespread fires have broken out making travel impossible.

Perhaps several crucial bridges along the main as well as all alternate routes, have been blocked or destroyed by others looking to keep their communities safe.

Bugging out will not be a safe or easy journey. It might be the most dangerous part of the entire event. This is one of the things that JWR emphasizes.

It might be that your group has a bug out trigger such as an event or series of events that will cause everyone to know when it is the right time to leave. But, with events such as an EMP or Nuclear event, there would be little, if any, warning.

How have others handled planning for eventualities?
 
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