When the times come to bug out and let us hope that day never comes, there will be Chaos, and hopefully, you have a plan. In this scenario, it is no longer safe to be at home. It may be due to a dangerous hurricane, tsunami, wildfire, or tornado. It could be because the government has lost control (of course, they will never admit to it). In times of mass panic, we may find that lawlessness rules the day. People need to eat, drink water, and seek shelter when these events come up. Unfortunately, people aren’t as prepared as they should be. When there is nothing on the shelves at the market, you may become a target because you are prepared. It’s time to go!
Packing a bag
There are so many things that would make life easier if you could pack it up and go. But it’s not realistic to take everything. Pack only the essentials for survival because this is not a vacation. Depending on your destination and level of preparedness, your bug-out bag will be a little different. Ideally, all you would need is a full tank of gas (or a fully charged battery!) because you already have everything at your destination and the essentials in your vehicle. But that’s not realistic either.
Here are some ideas of survival gear that you should consider taking with you if you bug out:
- Coolers to pack last-minute food items from the fridge and freezer.
- Hand tools, rope, duct tape, ax, saw
- Weapons, knives
- Hygiene items, toilet paper
- Clothes, shoes, jackets, and blankets
- Water or water filtration capabilities
- Dry and canned food items
- Kitchen utensils
- Pots, pans, flatware
- Tents, Tarps, stakes, etc.
- Hunting and fishing gear
- Heat sources, fire starters, propane
- Power sources, batteries, solar generators, flashlights
- First-aid supplies
- Seeds
- Barter items
I could go on, but you get the point. Planning a bug out is a major undertaking and should only be a last resort. It may not be possible to fit all of this in your car. You may need a bug-out trailer to fulfill this requirement. Bugging in is much more realistic. Fortify your home, and build a bunker or root cellar. The ultimate solution is a family survival bunker.
You COULD bug out with a machete… but I’d expect you to be an expert in survival at that point.
Locations
The question is: is there a safe place to be, and can you get to it from where you are? Many people would say they can live off the land. This might be true in the short term, but remember, there will be hoards of people leaving major populations seeking resources. Fishing and hunting will be an option until there’s nothing left. Don’t be an easy target.
The safest place would be far away from major roads. It would be hard to get to and hidden from sight. Long-term sustainability would be a challenge even if you had six months or a year worth of food, water, and shelter. To survive in the long term, you need to be able to replace your supplies. Water filtration/treatment is crucial to survival. Growing crops and raising chickens and fish is a good start, but you can’t do it alone. There is no way to protect it 24/7. You should include family or friends in your bug-out plan.
Planning for Forced Evacuation of your Home
There are several options for bugging out, but the most important thing to focus on is the final destination. If you plan to stay with family or friends in another state, keep in mind that if the situation is hopeless in your region, it may be that way in other states as well. I suggest finding a property that can be used as a vacation home. Use it like a timeshare with family or friends, or rent it out on VBRO or AirBnB. Treat it like an investment that can produce passive income for you. You can use that money to pay for your preparedness efforts to keep locked away on the property. Build a greenhouse and start a garden. Make sure that it is off-grid if possible with septic, water, and solar power. These are just a few ideas, but there are many ways to get the job done.
Hopefully, you will never use your “vacation” home as a bug-out location, but it would be unwise not to plan for it. Meanwhile, the property would produce passive income if you choose and increase in value, thus increasing your financial security. The biggest roadblock to preparedness is the cost for most people. If you can secure your financial situation, you are much closer to achieving a sense of security for your family.
What would cause a bug out situation?
It may be due to a dangerous hurricane, tsunami, wildfire, or tornado that causes you to bug out. Another way to describe a bug out is a forced evacuation that is imposed because a situation poses an immediate threat to the safety of you and your family. It would help if you didn’t forget about Armageddon or doomsday scenarios, even though they are scary to think about. These events can be in many different forms, such as a nuclear war. I don’t know if that would ever happen, but the probability of it happening isn’t zero. I’m not much into conspiracy theories, but some of them make sense from a practical standpoint. For example, throughout history, we find that war is just an inevitable part of life. There will always be someone who wants control of everything to push their agenda. This very thought process created America. Rome was the same way, as was every empire in between.
It only stands to reason that history will repeat itself once again. Someone crazy enough will try to take over the world again. Mutual assurance of destruction for everyone is the only reason it hasn’t happened yet. Yet, I think there is such a person, or group of people, willing to try. Let us hope that person or society doesn’t get the technology to start a nuclear war.
Doomsday situations outside of our control.
Although it is unlikely, a bug-out situation may include an asteroid. Science is very efficient at predicting patterns in space that would give us some warning. However, if an asteroid previously unknown headed straight towards earth, humanity could do little to stop it. It may not destroy the earth, but it could cause a bug-out situation. It’s hard to imagine that you would not want to bug in, but if a tsunami follows, you will need to bug out if you are close enough to the beach.
A Pandemic worse than the COVID-19 could disrupt supply chains, trade, and food production, causing a chaotic situation. This could lead to rioting, looting, and violence in the streets (including your neighborhood). In this case, bugging out is a way to escape anarchy.
A supervolcano such as Yellowstone could erupt, causing havoc around the world. Such an event would cause massive destruction near the blast. The cloud of ash would get into the atmosphere and block the sun’s intensity worldwide. This would slow crop growth and create a food crisis. Water supplies could become compromised as well. Bugging out may involve getting out of the path of ash or away from the epicenter.
There are many reasons to bug out, and some of you reading this may have actually had to be involved in a forced evacuation. It is important to have a plan if you must leave your home to safeguard your safety. In conclusion, let’s hope we don’t have to bug out and we’re prepared if we need to! Stay safe, people!