What is the purpose of bugging OUT?

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NEONOBODY

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I have always wondered this to myself. About the only situation I can think of for"bugging out" is an immediate threat to your home from a train derailment, or other chemical spill nearby your home. Even that would be a VERY short notice and reasonably short duration.

Would it not be better to take the money spent on prepping for "bugging out" and use it to prep for "bugging in"? I just do not understand why one would leave their familiar surroundings in an emergency. It is going to be hard enough to get by in a SHTF scenario in familiar surroundings let alone adding on top of that, the stress of trying to make your way to some place where you dont live every day. About the only purpose I could see is if you are making your way to a small town / area where you know and are known by the locals. If you are a "stranger in town" that only comes around on a weekend once a month, you may not even be able to get in let alone have any kind of support structure in place.

I think you would be surprised how a neighbourhood will come together in a crisis. It is simply human nature for people to band together in a crisis. This does not mean to trust your neighbours with your life, if you're a prepper, DONT ADVERTISE IT! What you CAN do though is if you have a generator, be prepared to offer to keep your neighbours frozen goods in your freezer (or help them bring thiers to you to keep it online). Do this in "exchange" for something they have to offer. Even if they have no skills, they can still function as a lookout. Whatever you do though, DO NOT ADVERTISE that you have a years worth of food stored. This does not mean you cannot share, in fact it is recommended. Simply dont supply them with a weeks worth of food "because I have plenty to spare". In other words, dont outwardly live higher than your neighbours.

Then there is the whole concept of the "bugout vehicle". If you absolutly insist on "bugging out" having a M35A1 Deuce as a bugout vehicle may be good for the testosterone, but you are unlikely to keep it long in a true SHTF situation. If nothing else, the police or even military may wish to "procure" that from you (and it is not realistic to assume you will fight them to the death). The best thing to have is something that is NOT desirable to anybody else (outwardly) but serves your uses. In other words, do not fill the back of your pickup with "jerry-cans" full of gasoline. Install extra hidden tanks to get you where you are going. Avoid the temptation to paint it camo. All that does is point you out as a "survivalist" instead of an average joe. Another thing here, keep it dirty / faded. Keep the running gear in tip top condition, but let it look like junk outside. Again, not good for the ego, but the worse it looks, the less likely someone else is to "covet" it ;-) The next "feature" aside from the gas tanks is to have a kill switch for ALL the lights. This includes brake lights, which come on even if the lights are off. Lastly, cover the reflectors in a "non-obvious" way. If there is dirt or dust all over the truck, then it will not lookout of place on the reflectors. If you instead tape over the reflectors or simply throw dirt on the reflectors on an otherwise clean truck, then you look like you're trying to hide something.

Well, anyway, that is my opinion. Please throw in your comments here.
 
Well, I for one am staying put where I am at (depending on crisis), but can understand why some would want to leave. I know I wouldn't want to be in New York City, Las Vegas, etc. I think that in a small community, you may have some neighbors band together. . .at first. but if it turns out to be a longer situation, they are only people and they want to keep food in their families bellies along with their own and at what cost? That would be one of my first concerns. I have seen what happens to people during hurricanes and went without electricity for 3-4 weeks. Those that were not prepared were not very happy when they stood (Actually in the car wasting their gas) in lines that stretched for miles in order to get the freebie water and MRE's that were being passed out at the mall parking lot. I was working there at the time so got to see first hand how people were reacting. Also hunny was PD at that time so I heard about the crimes happening around town. So yeah, don't think I want to be in any town really
 
most people I believe would bug in, its the place we know best and its where most if not all of our supplies are, so hunkering down and staying in would be most people plan A. but there are some circumstances where we might have no option but to bug out, say fire, flood, chemical spill, nuclear accident, riots and mobs going house to house destroying everything as they go, mass die off-too many bodies lying around to bury.
 
I have always wondered this to myself. About the only situation I can think of for"bugging out" is an immediate threat to your home from a train derailment, or other chemical spill nearby your home. Even that would be a VERY short notice and reasonably short duration.

Would it not be better to take the money spent on prepping for "bugging out" and use it to prep for "bugging in"? I just do not understand why one would leave their familiar surroundings in an emergency. It is going to be hard enough to get by in a SHTF scenario in familiar surroundings let alone adding on top of that, the stress of trying to make your way to some place where you dont live every day. About the only purpose I could see is if you are making your way to a small town / area where you know and are known by the locals. If you are a "stranger in town" that only comes around on a weekend once a month, you may not even be able to get in let alone have any kind of support structure in place.

I think you would be surprised how a neighbourhood will come together in a crisis. It is simply human nature for people to band together in a crisis. This does not mean to trust your neighbours with your life, if you're a prepper, DONT ADVERTISE IT! What you CAN do though is if you have a generator, be prepared to offer to keep your neighbours frozen goods in your freezer (or help them bring thiers to you to keep it online). Do this in "exchange" for something they have to offer. Even if they have no skills, they can still function as a lookout. Whatever you do though, DO NOT ADVERTISE that you have a years worth of food stored. This does not mean you cannot share, in fact it is recommended. Simply dont supply them with a weeks worth of food "because I have plenty to spare". In other words, dont outwardly live higher than your neighbours.

Then there is the whole concept of the "bugout vehicle". If you absolutly insist on "bugging out" having a M35A1 Deuce as a bugout vehicle may be good for the testosterone, but you are unlikely to keep it long in a true SHTF situation. If nothing else, the police or even military may wish to "procure" that from you (and it is not realistic to assume you will fight them to the death). The best thing to have is something that is NOT desirable to anybody else (outwardly) but serves your uses. In other words, do not fill the back of your pickup with "jerry-cans" full of gasoline. Install extra hidden tanks to get you where you are going. Avoid the temptation to paint it camo. All that does is point you out as a "survivalist" instead of an average joe. Another thing here, keep it dirty / faded. Keep the running gear in tip top condition, but let it look like junk outside. Again, not good for the ego, but the worse it looks, the less likely someone else is to "covet" it ;-) The next "feature" aside from the gas tanks is to have a kill switch for ALL the lights. This includes brake lights, which come on even if the lights are off. Lastly, cover the reflectors in a "non-obvious" way. If there is dirt or dust all over the truck, then it will not lookout of place on the reflectors. If you instead tape over the reflectors or simply throw dirt on the reflectors on an otherwise clean truck, then you look like you're trying to hide something.

Well, anyway, that is my opinion. Please throw in your comments here.
Anyone remember Chernyoble? (ok my spelling sucks). They got a couple hrs notice at best. I think your dead on with not wanting to be noticed if you do have to leave. It really would take a major event to make me want to risk it out on the roads.
 
Would it not be better to take the money spent on prepping for "bugging out" and use it to prep for "bugging in"

Depends on location.

After any SHTF situation, cities are going to be very dangerous. People are the biggest threat (hungry, desperate people, who now have no rule of law to keep our base natures in check). More people = more threat. Pretty simply equation. So, unless you are bugging in with high walls, razor wire, friends, and a lot of guns, folks in the cities realize that space is a good defense.

Gang rule will quickly happen in cities, this isn't hard to predict. It's either be in a gang, be a victim, or be good enough at hiding to not be found.
 
good points neonobody..but,here's how i see it..i live 6 miles outside of a town of 1,225 people.and there's 4 other homes within view from my front yard.and there's more homes in each direction from my home..and most of them have a family to think of.now whats to stop a husband/father from doing whatever it takes just to see to it that his family is well fed during a shtf situation?plus people will be leaving town looking for food,water,and maybe a better and safer place to live..me staying where im at,will most and likely get me killed if i stay where i am now after a shtf situation.. you mentioned neighbourhood and how people will band together..that works both ways..some will band together for safety and to survive by doing for themselves..while others band together to take from others just to survive..at least most of the laws we live by right now will be non existent..no law enforcement of any kind to speak of...2 primary highways goes through this town.so that means the miltary could move in,and take the town over.there's martel law right there...and they'll help themselfs to what the citizens have when needed..
 
i live 6 miles outside of a town of 1,225 people.and there's 4 other homes within view from my front yard.

That's actually pretty remote, when you think about it. More remote than I am.

I'm about 6 miles outside the city limits of a city of 34,000, on about 5 and a half acres. the properties on either side of me are about 5 acres each, and the one behind me is about 20 acres. However, in front, across the street, are about 5 properties, each of about an acre, and others scattered about.

We have an 8' high perimeter fence in most areas (will eventually be all), but also inner fenced zones as well (and those can be electrified, though more for animals than defense).

Primarily though, plan is to have a group of people here, and work with immediate neighbors for mutual benefit and protection. Granted though, some of that cooperation will have to happen post SHTF.
 
WHEN the power goes off all the supply systems will stop, food and water principally, within 6 months to a year of that happening 90% of people will be dead from starvation,violence, suicide or disease, depending on the population density it could be even higher, the further out from a city you are the higher your chance of survival. it is not Rambo armed to the teeth taking on all comers who will survive, it is the person who can remain hidden and unobserved for 6 months or more who will.
 
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yeah..6 miles out is remote..especially when living on a county road.BUT,1/2 mile in one direction is a state highway..and it gets loads of traffic every day of the week.and in the other direction,is a farm market road..so this road im on gets quiet a bit of traffic going from one road to the other..and to me..that means to many people that don't live in this area knows about it..and that can make things very unsafe in a hurry in a shtf situation..
 
so living in city with no power isn't an option,so that says;bug out
you don't have to leave right away,you can lay low for awhile as I intend to do,then it's bye,bye town...ok I hate to leave my place but staying here isn't an option..99 % of people here seems to do grocery shoppings on daily basis and that already tells me; they don't have no food supply at home..so alot of hungry people around.
for a few main diet seems to be beer,but that won't last forever ;)
it doesn't matter how nice your neighbours are now,could be the best ever,when everything is ok, but how will they do when no power,no water,no food? propably not nice at all..and 99 % of city people take this everything for granted, take it away and you have beasts...that's why it will be bug out
 
I have never been completely accepting of "the golden horde" leaving the cities and consuming all in their way like a load of locusts....not in Britain anyway. if people wont travel a 100 miles in a heated car to attend a pre arranged event I cannot see them walking aimlessly out of a city not knowing where to go but hoping to find food anywhere. I think most people especially in cities will wait for help to arrive- as they did in last winters flooding, people will wait too long hoping for the electricity to come back on and waiting for help to arrive...too late, with no power and no fuel most will not go far from their homes but ransack the area near the city boundaries but return home every evening. sure a few may wander far away but most will perish on the way the ones that survive can be accommodated in the houses of the ones who didn't survive and absorbed into the local community. I think we in Britain have a "wishy washy" benefit abusing "something for nothing" population who are no longer able to think let alone act for themselves, its always someone else's job or fault, we live in a technology driven celebrity obsessed culture and the only thing "the masses" will do is PANIC.
 
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wonder if UK and Fin share the brain who invented:someone else's job or fault mentality ;)
I meet that kind of attitude alot here,usually when I inspect tickets it's my fault the customer hasn't a ticket not his/hers..no responsabilty any more
 
WHEN the power goes off all the supply systems will stop, food and water principally, within 6 months to a year of that happening 90% of people will be dead from starvation,violence, suicide or disease, depending on the population density it could be even higher, the further out from a city you are the higher your chance of survival. it is not Rambo armed to the teeth taking on all comers who will survive, it is the person who can remain hidden and unobserved for 6 months or more who will.

Yes and no.

Like you, I agree with the 6 month assessment. However, if lessons from wartime anarchy from Serbia, Laos, and other places are any indication, small armed groups and families do well also. One armed person, you are correct, but an armed group staying put and living off the land, not in any major city, is in a pretty good spot too.

While hiding and foraging may work for an individual, not ideal for a group. Of course, if you stay put AND hidden, that's the best option. (and the one we're hoping to do).

Like an above poster mentioned though, we have a major road nearby, but I'm planning to pretty much fell some trees, make some auto clusters, etc. to block any access roads from it (and help hide us), except for one, known to us path, so we can better prevent motorized forces from entering, at least not without making a LOT of noise.
 
this is the reason I am here,to learn and get ideas..I'll propably pick one here and another there and blend them to a special cocktail just for me
 
we aren't on the road to anywhere, our one road is a dead end-goes a few yards past us then stops, fields on 3 sides and the road in front. nobody comes here unless they live here or are visiting someone here, easy to block off the one road in, and the one pedestrian access-that ones even easier..remove the cattle grid and fill the pit with water. when SHTF I am going to remove all the sign posts- that was a trick the "home guard" were going to do in WW2 in case Hitler invaded!!
 
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when SHTF I am going to remove all the sign posts

You got it! I love the cattle grate idea too. We're going to put something in similar, but has to be safe for horses. (but I like the removable aspect)
 
good points neonobody..but,here's how i see it..i live 6 miles outside of a town of 1,225 people.and there's 4 other homes within view from my front yard.and there's more homes in each direction from my home..and most of them have a family to think of.now whats to stop a husband/father from doing whatever it takes just to see to it that his family is well fed during a shtf situation?plus people will be leaving town looking for food,water,and maybe a better and safer place to live..me staying where im at,will most and likely get me killed if i stay where i am now after a shtf situation.. you mentioned neighbourhood and how people will band together..that works both ways..some will band together for safety and to survive by doing for themselves..while others band together to take from others just to survive..at least most of the laws we live by right now will be non existent..no law enforcement of any kind to speak of...2 primary highways goes through this town.so that means the miltary could move in,and take the town over.there's martel law right there...and they'll help themselfs to what the citizens have when needed..
i think law enforcement will be my 12 ga.
 
I think OP opened with a dismissive approach, but by the end of the post, was starting on their own bug out plan!

It's adaptability, I think that brings validity to the BO argument. Guarding a defensive location is always easier than invading one. Also, knowing where you are and where everything is surely brings an advantage.

No doubt though, if you live in an urban or even suburban area, you will have to at least contemplate the BO concept. When you register for DPF, there is a question, "What are you prepping for?" That question alone leads me to believe that there are some folks who don't really understand the full scope of prepping(Forgive me if that sounds big headed or self important). If you are prepping for "EMP" then what do you do when there is an earthquake and no EMS can reach you? Or you're prepping for "Pole shift" and a week later you are hit with a tornado that tears your house off the foundation?

For me, the root word and idea behind prepping is prepare. Preparedness is a very broad term, but that's what life is. There are a gazillion things that could create a disaster. When I was working Executive Protection, we were taught that out principal might be under a kidnapping threat, and they might be prone to sexually harassing women after having a few drinks. Our job was to do whatever we could do to keep our principal from harm. Whether it be a car accident, a physical attack, or even an embarrassing moment. How do you do that without seeming like an overbearing jerk? Difficult. No doubt that is very tough to do, but we gathered as much info as we could while keeping up to date on local happenings to make a plan. Yes, we had a plan, but we also had the option of leaving the area. In fact, that was the preferred option! Being fluid and being able to adapt to what is happening gives you the ability to choose if you're going to BO or BI. Cutting your options in half is seldom a good thing.
 
you made a good point with "What are you prepping for?" and just like you pointed out..just because a person prepares for one thing..that dont mean something else wont happen..im preparing for the worse when it comes to the
government..but yet i still keep a eye on the weather during tornado season..on account im in tornado alley..we also get rain storms here that take out the electric..im prepared for short term when it comes to that.
 

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