Bug in at almost all costs

[whacko]

Bugging out doesn't always mean "Going Lewis & Clark and surviving in the great north woods." Some people will bug out of the city to their secondary location that is already prepped.

This is very true! I'd have to make it about 75 miles north if the grid goes down........to get to the "family of like minded individuals" that raise livestock and are much more "ready" than most. It has already been worked out. My biggest worry is the 75 mile movement to get there.....so my plan I guess is "bug out to bug in"

 

[Prepper]

The northern woods are a wasteland. If you did big out there you would be surrounded by thousands of other people looking to live off the land-if you could get there. Some would be prepared most would not. Sorry folks its not the land of milk and honey. It's the land of ice and snow.

You need numbers. Not a lot. But enough for people to be awake at all times. The free shit army will be out in force and there are a lot of them. They will have firearms and be hungry for your stuff. Two or three people will just slow them down and piss them off. Found a house with a water source and barricade it. 12 people seems to be a good number. 1 for each wall for 8 hour shifts.

Watch drugs inc. there are armies of gangs out there already organized. Hiding in the woods with a small group is a death sentence. Especially if you have families to care for.

I don't plan to bug out to the woods (at least not until I get a little cabin built), but I'm wondering how many would really be out in the deep woods of northern or western Maine with me. If Boston's FSA collective got this idea, I imagine they'd get about as far as Andover and think they've reached the great white north, and stop (and then loot all the nice suburban houses). So, I'm not really worried about them. I'd be more concerned about more local sources of trouble. The nearest city (Auburn) from my little plot of land in Maine is well over an hour's drive away. Wouldn't they just go one town over in the woods and be done? Woods is woods... it doesn't get a whole lot better by going even further.

The immediate town my place is in has 400 people, maybe 500 in the next town, even less in the town on the other side, and the town in back of my land has 12 (12!!). The nearest neighbor I don't know is over 2 miles away (and I know the 5 neighbors within that 2 mile radius... no worries with them. Although I haven't met the billionaire yet, not sure what his plans are.) But, I do know the locals know about the many old logging roads winding their way through the woods. The locked gate at the main road doesn't stop them... they use ATV's and mud trucks to sneak in from other areas and get in. In good times, they mostly just behave like a-holes, leaving ruts and beer bottles behind. I do have concerns for what they would do in tough times... they may see if they can visit the lone crazy folks up in the woods with the off grid cabins. Although, it is not difficult to bush whack off the main trails never to be seen in there... people simply don't venture off the main trails. And, a defense would be feasible... off-trail travel is near impossible (and noisy) so only a couple of entry points would need to be guarded.

 

[P-14]

I'll be sitting under the Tobin Bridge camping out to protect the homestead. The wifey says she'll be at the Marriott getting a great meal and a massage.

 

[stumpg26]

Good thread and very relevant topic. During the Ice Storm of 2009, we were the only house in the neighborhood that was prepared to be without power for any period of time. We were out for 8 days and could have gone for 30 days pretty easily. This ended up being a great, real world test for us. Bugging out was not an option, we have pets and I was not going to leave my home and personal belongings for some scumbag to steal. We kept an eye on our neighbor's homes while they were away, which yielded large amounts of beer for me when they returned. The biggest things I learned were that I need more gas for my generator, need an alternative power source that is silent and need to store enough food and water for at least a year.

We rationed the use of the generator for hot water for showers and keeping our refrigerator/freezer cold. During the "on" times, we charged devices, batteries and watched TV/ checked email, etc. I've started putting a solar backup together, but don't have all of the components yet.

Bugging out is only an option if there is absolutely no choice, and our destination is not compromised and reachable. We've improved aspects of our home for staying put and have put together plans for all scenarios that we can think of. For us, Bug Out Bags are for getting home, going camping/hiking, hunting/fishing and recreation. The only other use for me is as a tactical assault bag if I ever had a real need for it.

A very, very important lesson I learned from this event is that most people, even after experiencing a disaster/emergency, will do NOTHING to improve their preparedness. These people are the biggest threat that a prepared person faces. They will be the first at your door, expecting to be welcomed into your home, with little or nothing to contribute, they will say that they are your friend, even though they can't be bothered to say hi to you on a "normal" day and when you turn them away they will jeopardize your family's safety by telling others what a jerk you were and how you have tons of stuff, but won't share, even if they have no idea of what you do or don't have. Only one of my neighbors knows that I have anything more than a generator and like to go camping. Of my six immediate neighbors, only one has done anything to improve their situation for the next event. She was also the only one, other than us, who stayed put, she likes camping too and put her gear to good use. She is the only neighbor that I would welcome into our world because she is an asset to the "team", has useable skills, expects nothing for free and is a hard worker. She realizes that there is strength in numbers and that we are an asset to her, and she to us.

Bugging out is only an option for us if death is certain and the odds for survival increase with that choice.

 

[JayMcB]

The thread was to encourage thought.

There is a gigantic disparity between 'leaving for your secondary location' and 'bugging out'.

There's an economic component to this.....the aforementioned secondary location.

A non-prepared neighbor made an offhand comment about coming up there if there is an 'event', and I looked him in the eye and flatly told him...."I wouldn't"

 

[clr8ter]

If I chose to "Bug Out", the purpose would be to "Bug In" at a better location. But yeah, a long term "Bug Out" plan will likely get you captured by a group of cannibal hipsters.

This I agree with. I have never really considered going out into the woods as a solution. Just for starters, I hate camping. I had way more than my fair share in the Boy Scouts. Ideally, I'd like to stay at home. If I had to go to someone else's house to join a group, so be it. Admittedly, in that case, a BOB with a few select items to help get there in case of a problem would be good. As it stands now, I have no where I might go. There is no group. I would like to change that, but have no idea how. I don't think I know enough people to join/start a group.

 

[fubar]

I'd avoid " joining a group " as a Pre emptive plan.

I'm playing a bit of a word game here , but joining a group is a little too formal and they likely don't exist in that sort of way.

Instead , organize your friends. Start with your house and family. Then a friend with his family. Then a third and fourth family. Now you have a group. You're not signing up in a secret club , you're just getting a common plan among friends. Organize your priorities , some are pretty universal : food & water , heat , security.

Something like " if the electric grid and cell phones go out , everyone get their self home ASAP. If the lights are out on day 2 , everyone goes to Bob's house , because he has a good wood stove. If the lights are out on day 3 and people go feral then we are moving to Joes uncles farm/summer home/etc with all our stuff. "

Then fine tune your plan. Add radios maybe , so your friends can link without cell phones. Learn to shoot your AR15 without a bipod , bench , spotting scope , bag of donuts. ... Buy 100 pounds of rice and pack it up to stay fresh for a long time. Make sure your spare tire has a jack and wrench to match it.

The more you figure stuff out ahead of time , and act on it ahead of time , the less screwed you'll be when something goes wrong. Even if its just a flat tire on the way to an event.