10 Reasons Why You Do Not Want to Bug Out

The Prepper Journal ^ | 10 Jan 15 | Pat Henry

[JoeProBono]

[servantboy777]

After Hurricane Ike, the wife and I decided to move out of Houston suburbs to the country. It WAS UGLY.

We now live in the country, have a way to grow food (although I suck at it), propane for the house, fireplace, propane generator w/7K watt capacity and 208v pig tail for the well...waters good, a way to get it out of the ground...even better.

We have chickens that lay eggs daily, horses and surrounded by forest on all sides. Lights out...it is difficult, but survival kicks in but quick. Food stored, ammo/arms to protect it.

All major arteries during hurricane Rita were blocked outta Houston. Thousands of people competing for the same stuff. Folks looting, fighting over gas, food, ice...you name it. Local grocery stores were stripped bare within hours. Folks were going in the Kroger buying birthday cakes and crap to eat because all can goods were gone. No water, no batteries, no nothing.

Trust me on this y'all...be prepared well in advance. When tragedy strikes....it's too damn late.

[Grams A]

Bottom picture reminds me of the interstates going out of Houston when a hurricane was about to hit except that we did have median areas where people were cooking on grills because their car had run out of gas before they even got started.

[TexasTransplant]

No Kidding ... I’m Too Old, Out of Shape and I think everyone ELSE should move, Those that survive our first meeting will live long enough to drag their buddies down wind far enough that I won’t have to deal with the flies.
Second meeting those that disagree will get dragged by the ones that I will meet the third time, if it takes a forth or fifth time, I will drag the remains myself.
I hate Flies

[Smokin' Joe]

In many human disasters, you see the roads strewn with luggage, clothes, etc.

In one of the best planned bug outs of all time, the westward migration, the trailsides were often littered with abandoned furniture and other items. People will lighten their packs and abandon gear they decide isn't worth carrying, or they will cache it if they plan on coming back.

[PA Engineer]

Off subject a bit, but related.

Those wire saws are pretty useless. The Pocket Chainsaw is lightweight (shipping weight is 4.8 ounces) and just works.

Sportsman Pocket Chainsaw - Best Survival Saw 2015 (YouTube 1:00Min)

I keep one on my belt when working on the upper 6 acres of woodland. One of the best inventions made for keeping the trail clear.

Everyone in my family has a backpack in their car. Just replaced the Mountain House FD food in each of them. We call them Get Home Bags (GOB). Each bag is set up to hit the trail tomorrow (just like backpacking) and get home.

Anyone with an emergency bag can easily test them out on the trail. Take a long weekend and just do it. You will learn quickly what works and what doesn't. A good reference for hikers has been The Complete Walker IV. It is a bit granola like, however an excellent reference.

The most important attitude to have when setting up a bag is to get light weight. Cut down every ounce you can. I knew people years ago who would cut their wood matches in half. Some people are very OCD about it.

Just a few thoughts. YMMV.

[TexasTransplant]

**** “Super dome after Katrina? That place was a lawless crap hole.” *****

I was 15 minutes out and had volunteered for that duty, local cop turned me away just as the first tornado hit ... we beat feet, my friends that ended up there were forever changed.

I was lucky twice that day

[familyop]

"You may put yourself in a worse situation...Do you think the National Forest is going to be reserved solely for you and your family?"

True. If too many people were to try to camp in a national forest after a disaster, problems with sanitation, conflicts, potentially worsened forest fire situations, storms, cold, etc., would result. The area would be cleared and everyone sent packing to a desination with better infrasctructure (an existing, rehearsed plan).

[Drew68]

Reality:

Exactly. Now imagine all those people heading to the hills in vehicles loaded down with survival gear. But they're not going anywhere because traffic stopped moving hours ago.

[djf]

My nomination for survival post of the year!

I have spent alot of time and energy accumulating “stuff” for a survival situation.

I could not carry a fifth of my foodstuffs in my vehicle, etc, etc, etc.

There is no doubt that staying at home is a dangerous situation. But so is traveling and being a target. Even more so.

I can hope only that despite my preparing, I will one day simply die in my bed.

But I admit, I might have to raise hell!

[mumblypeg]

Katrina was a prime example of when you SHOULD bug out. People stayed behind because of their pets. An axe in the attic and a canoe strapped to the roof in case the levees broke. They weren’t worried about 100+ mph wind. It’s a pervasive myth that 2000 people drowned. In fact all those bodies were autopsied, and most died of BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA from collapsed structures and flying debris.
After the storm, animal rescue volunteers came from all over the US and found thousands of pets surviving on the decaying flesh of their owners.
I returned weeks later. The smell of those dead bodies will never leave me.

[upchuck]

The best time to bug out is now. If you live in a city move to a rural area.

Agree 100%. I moved out into the country here in South Carolina in 2003.

I feel much safer here even though I moved out of a subdivision with close neighbors, etc.

I think the number of people around you, say, within a quarter mile, is important. 10-30 is much better than 1000.

[PA Engineer]

The main trouble was the heat. It could have been worse but in the middle of September it still gets really hot in the Florida Panhandle.

Just something to kick around. If things hold together until next summer, I will be getting two of these for my home as part of the backup system. Each unit is a heat pump with roughly a ton of cooling or a ton of heating. Roughly.

This is from engineer775 Practical Preppers:

Solar AC Part3 ECO MODE (YouTube).

From the Practical Prepper website:

Air Conditioning.

I am looking at the off grid units, since I already have batteries and inverters.

Where I live it is pretty mild during the summer months, however the humidity will get you. I do have a very efficient central exhaust fan to cool the home and close up in the morning. These units will remove the humidity.

[PA Engineer]

For some realistic advice check out Ferfal’s blog, Alpharubican, and (his name escapes me) a blog written by a Bosnia who survived in that war.

Selco.

[familyop]

"Gear is heavy and a lot of gear is heavier."

True. Combat soldiers in training are built up for several months then consume nearly five times the number of calories recommended for civilians while in training. And that, from a very balanced diet. Yet, a few soldiers suffer broken hips from stress fractures during road marches (insufficient nutrition to keep the bones dense and thick enough).

While marching on a hot day, a physically fit person needs at least five gallons of water to march 20 miles. That's over 40 pounds of weight for water alone. Winter presents much more serious problems and much more weight to carry. Then, there's sanitation--much more of a problem than most people realize.

[PA Engineer]

not jose again

You need to stalk up on some Joseburger Helper. Food boredom can kill too.

[MOgirl]

:)

[hinckley buzzard]

People will be very surprised at how little they can carry, for such a little distance. And how fast they get wiped out tired.

In my yout' I was an avid wilderness hiker and camper. You are absolutely right. Unless you are in really gritty tough condition, you will soon be sadly disabused by reality.

[Nailbiter]

bflr

[Chainmail]

Good stuff.