Bug out or stay put ?

One of the (but obviously not the only) big considerations is whether you can be safe in your location from effects of the event. Events such as fire, flood, toxic spill events, and others may pose hazards which no amount of personal preparation can mitigate.
 
I think some of the young'uns have a mad max or rambo fantasy about wandering the earth and living off the land. All my preps are right here and I can't carry them with me. I'm staying put no matter what. No flood risk here, so no reason to leave that I can think of.
 
told me to get out of Dodge in case of a flood. Where I am, I'd be living on an island if there's a flood, elevation ~1,000 ft above sea level and about 20 ft above the nearest creek which drops quickly about 200' south of the road I live on.
 
told me to get out of Dodge in case of a flood. Where I am, I'd be living on an island if there's a flood, elevation ~1,000 ft above sea level and about 20 ft above the nearest creek which drops quickly about 200' south of the road I live on.

If you see a LARGE wooden boat with an older, bearded guy and a whole lot of animal pairs on deck, I'd try to hitch a ride.
 
It tells me to stay put in all cases except for flood or wildfire, neither of which are a concern for me.

What it completely ignores, is the ability to grow/provide food long term.

But then, anybody who is looking at that website is not the type to take random internet advice and plan their life around it, I hope.
 
It tells me to stay put in all cases except for flood or wildfire, neither of which are a concern for me.

What it completely ignores, is the ability to grow/provide food long term.

But then, anybody who is looking at that website is not the type to take random internet advice and plan their life around it, I hope.

YOu bring up an excellent and often overlooked part of long term prepping. How many people have a place where they can go that will provide them with food long term? My bet is very few. The hunting camp isnt going to do it. Aunt Bee's out in the country is going to do it. That is something that takes years of planning and prep. Anyone who thinks they are going to bug out with their vac sealed can of heirloom seeds and grow a giant lush garden that will provide for them are going to starve. I dont think that link is talking long term survival. Flooding and wildfires are a short term BO situation. Most who experience it will return quickly.
 
That's just dumb.
What's dumb ?

Please, enlighten us.


I dont think that link is talking long term survival. Flooding and wildfires are a short term BO situation. Most who experience it will return quickly.

Yeah I posted it just to get the sheep thinking.
Once a situitation gets to the "Grow your own food" level the herd will be thinned out a bit I'd think.
 
Yes, they're not talking about long term survival.

Unless your location presents a danger that has not been effectively midigated, Stay Put and wait it out. If your location does pose a danger and you can not effectively midigate that danger in your current location, it's time to bug out.

At some point, the inability of your location to produce sufficient food to support you and your family will pose a survival danger if you haven't prepared that area with the ability to produce that food, and it will be time to bug out no matter what. Preparing to produce sufficient food for you and your family is something that requires planning, work, continued monitoring and effort and a fair amount of space - if you have it in you and you really want to do your best in a smaller area, look up aquaponics and start planning an aquaponics green-house outside.
 
For $115,000 they'll build and install a 600 square foot 20' x 30' NBC Fall-out shelter and install it below grade in your back yard!

(the delivery charges from LA might be killer through, at $5.05 per mile)
 
For me, it was close to 50-50. BI or BO. Scenarios lean towards mostly BI, except flood.

I don't get it. They need to look around Chelsea........
 
I think some of the young'uns have a mad max or rambo fantasy about wandering the earth and living off the land. All my preps are right here and I can't carry them with me. I'm staying put no matter what. No flood risk here, so no reason to leave that I can think of.

Fantasy? We'll see who's laughing when bands of raiders wearing assless chaps overrun your homestead and steal your gasoline.
 
Guys. I really look at this like the classic "Ford vs. Chevy" debate. Not a lot of right and wrong about what to do because everyone has a different reality. The reality, I believe, is that it is one of those 100% personal situational deals. Its going to be a different answer for every one of us depending on our wide variety of personal circumstances. For most situations I am prepared to stay in place for as long a possible. But if the proverbial wandering hoards are out and about, going from house to house, then I am prepared to leave, and thankfully have somewhere to go, assuming I'm smart enough to get out early enough. But as Derek has said time and time again (and forgive me if I am wrong on this in any way), but planning a long term bug-in in a situation where people REALLY want your stuff, then you're doomed. It just comes down to something as simple as being able to be burned out of your own home if someone decides to start throwing Molotov cocktails at it. Unless you have 1000 yard free-fire zones around your house and enough manpower and firepower to keep people from getting close enough to torch you out, (never mind years of food and water in place) you will ultimately die in place. If you think, or recognize, that one ultimate reality is bands of bad guys ending up in your neighborhood to take your stuff, then a clear bug out plan is to me, the only realistic answer to surviving.
 
Guys. I really look at this like the classic "Ford vs. Chevy" debate. Not a lot of right and wrong about what to do because everyone has a different reality. The reality, I believe, is that it is one of those 100% personal situational deals. Its going to be a different answer for every one of us depending on our wide variety of personal circumstances. For most situations I am prepared to stay in place for as long a possible. But if the proverbial wandering hoards are out and about, going from house to house, then I am prepared to leave, and thankfully have somewhere to go, assuming I'm smart enough to get out early enough. But as Derek has said time and time again (and forgive me if I am wrong on this in any way), but planning a long term bug-in in a situation where people REALLY want your stuff, then you're doomed. It just comes down to something as simple as being able to be burned out of your own home if someone decides to start throwing Molotov cocktails at it. Unless you have 1000 yard free-fire zones around your house and enough manpower and firepower to keep people from getting close enough to torch you out, (never mind years of food and water in place) you will ultimately die in place. If you think, or recognize, that one ultimate reality is bands of bad guys ending up in your neighborhood to take your stuff, then a clear bug out plan is to me, the only realistic answer to surviving.

This is the sort of thing I would have said if I was a more better writer.
 
If it's a serious and long SHTF and you choose to bug in while not having a defensive plan with a bunch of other armed knowledgeable people to help you will eventually be meat.

Sitting in your 2nd story window watching your driveway with a AR or model 700 and having your wife man the back patio door isn't a defensive plan.
 
Bugging out doesn't solve the security issues either. It can improve them if your bug-out destination is more defensible than your live-in location, but even 50 miles from the middle of no where, if you can get you and your family there, most likely someone else can get there too.
 
Whether you BO or BI you have to have a solid defensive plan. The challenge is unless you are part of a good sized group about all you can do is provide security. That doesnt leave much for getting all the other tasks done that need doing for survival. Additionally unless you have the ability to control beyond your immediate area you will be limited as to what you can accomplish. You team may be able to defend the house and immediate property but there is little that can be done beyond that. Very few groups are large enough to be able to protect even a couple hundred acre farm. Without some sort of community effort for security you are very limited with what you can accomplish.
 
Bugging out doesn't solve the security issues either. It can improve them if your bug-out destination is more defensible than your live-in location, but even 50 miles from the middle of no where, if you can get you and your family there, most likely someone else can get there too.

Colossal difference between bugging in (Natick, MA) and bugging in Northern NH.
 
told me to get out of Dodge in case of a flood. Where I am, I'd be living on an island if there's a flood, elevation ~1,000 ft above sea level and about 20 ft above the nearest creek which drops quickly about 200' south of the road I live on.

Are you my neighbor?
 
Colossal difference between bugging in (Natick, MA) and bugging in Northern NH.

which would be why I said it could improve them, if your location is more defensible.

Obivously, getting out of high population density, severely reduced visibility locations like urban centers or most suburban areas is desirable once local authority and respect for rule of law has been lost, and your first line of defense is always to avoid drawing attention to your location - out of sight, out of mind.
 
As an aside, anyone know where the 5 gallons of water per person per day comes from? I hit their target of 2 weeks for my family, but it seems high.
 
As an aside, anyone know where the 5 gallons of water per person per day comes from? I hit their target of 2 weeks for my family, but it seems high.

5 gallons per day seems like a lot per person. I figure on 10 gallons a day for my family of four for the long haul. This includes drinking, food prep, hygiene and things like washing clothes. It seems like a lot but we have kept track and that is what works for us.
 
As an aside, anyone know where the 5 gallons of water per person per day comes from? I hit their target of 2 weeks for my family, but it seems high.

The most commonly quoted FEMA/Red Cross figure I have seen is one gallon a day per person for a minimum of three days. This covers drinking and cooking. AFAIK no bathing or toilet flushing is included in this figure. Nor does it cover animals (they should have water set aside also). You probably can't have too much water on hand though.
 
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