I’ve written about bugging out in the past, it’s a popular concept with many relevant ties to everyday life and unfortunately it’s also a concept rooted in many prepper fantasies. Realistic bugouts happen quite frequently due to localized natural disasters, folks have to leave their home with very little notice hoping that it will be there when they are allowed to return. Forest fires, flooding or even chemical spills come to mind when considering the need to get out and quickly. Many folks prepare for these scenarios and many do not, those who do not are usually the ones on television telling the news how all they could salvage was what they could grab in a few minutes.
I should dedicate at least one paragraph to the prepper bugout fantasy, the one where martial law is declared and the suburbanites pack up the pickup trucks and head to the woods to establish a community. Crops are gown, shelters are built and the resistance war is waged in a glorious effort, something something et al. It’s a good fantasy but not one grounded in reality, I’ll just leave it at that.
My Bugout Necessity
I’ve you’ve been following along recently you’ll know I’ve relocated to a pretty remote area of the country, one where fire is certainly the biggest threat to our existence. Fire can happen quickly and when it’s dry, as it is now, it is a huge consideration which must be taken very seriously. Evacuation (read: bugout) plans are standard in this part of the country and one must be ready to execute at a moment’s notice.
Time Sensitive Plans
In speaking with my wife we have determined that we should have layered plans in place which are all predicated on the amount of time available. Certainly if we have a day to leave there are actions we would take and also items we would pack which would far exceed those determined necessary if we only had 5 minutes to leave. The point is that we have gone through the home and identified those items and also the load plan (single or multiple vehicles) associated with taking various items. Generally we lean towards irreplaceable things (photo albums, heirlooms) and vital documents as top priority and work our way down from there. In a zero time available scenario its ourselves and the dogs, everything else can meet the fate of the flames.
Multiple Courses of Action
Our first choice would obviously be vehicle transport out of our location. However there is truly only one way in and one way out, so if that is blocked moving on foot has to be an option. We have scouted this possibiliy and included it in our plan and a second course of action should the road be blocked and impassable. It is important to consider the highly unlikely and plan for it, never assume that because something has always been….that it always will be.
Off Site Storage Redundancy
I suggest this for everyone reading this post. Have multiple sites away from your primary residence were you can store goods and supplies or vital docments. We have a backup storage facility as well as a safe deposit box where we keep vital documents, never keep all of your eggs in one basket so to speak. If we were away from the home and it all went up in flames we would have redundacy off site. This is a crucial capability which ties in to continutity of operations.
General Preps
It should go without saying but there are some generalities that go with being prepared to bugout which transcend location. A list of these follows, this is off the top of my head so it is not complete.
– Vehicles never parked without a minimum of 1/2 tank of fuel
– All family members briefed on bugout strategy
– Rehersals of bugout strategy
– Predetermined linkup or destination points
– Items identified and staged for quick loading
– Load plan (how you will pack) rehearsed and understood
– Multiple Egress points identified and understood
– Communication plan understood and rehearsed
The Bottom Line
The necessity for bugouts is a very real one and should not be overlooked. Have a comprehensive bugout strategy which ties in more than one way to get it done. Speak with your loved ones about it and conduct rehearsals, it could save your life one day.
3 comments
I think the situation recently in Oroville, CA., is a good example of bugouts gone wrong. That, though, was also due to the method of notification, I think. Telling almost 200, 000 people to leave at the same time is a recipe for disaster, as we saw; it only causes a giant gridlock.
That being said, I think, you raise some good points in this article. Evacuations are not the same, depending on several factors. My family and I live in a small town that is located on an Interstate which is a major travel artery for this area of the country. My travel needs would differ from someone living in say, New Orleans.
Also, if worse came to worse and the roads were gridlocked, we all have bicycles that we could use, if necessary. While they are not ideal methods of transportation, we could move faster and farther than walking alone.
It’s such a good idea to be prepared for emergencies. (Especially, as you said, in a remote area where it would take emergency responders longer to get to you). I think having a monthly family meeting is a great idea where everyone contributes ideas and runs through the bugout strategy!
Being ready at the drop of the hat is the most important point you touched on. Keeping that fuel gauge over 50%, staying informed, and having everyone know the plan are paramount to bug out success.