If you're into preparedness then continue reading.
If not then this is not the post for you and you can come back for the next post.
I contend that a bugout bag is not enough. I contend that for most it will not provide for a persons REAL needs and will cause people to put themselves in worse conditions than if they stuck it out at home. If staying home is not possible, you don't have a destination point, and you absolutely must leave then at the bare minimum you're going to need the cargo capacity of a bugout trailer (even better would be some type of camping trailer or mobile home...but that's best case scenario).
Sidenote. Your best bet in my opinion is to stay at home. The minute you leave your home, unless you have friends or family in a safe area of the country then you're a refugee.
Having said all that, what is your opinion?
Is a bugout bag worth the effort to put together or are we mixing up get home, everyday carry and bugout bags into a strange concoction where they're used interchangeably?
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The bugout bag imo is a good thing to have in your car. If shit hit the fan, and you are away from home, you might need some extra resources to get to somewhere safe or some place with more resources.
ReplyDeleteand you just made my point. the strict definition of what you described is a "get home bag" or "vehicle bag" but generally they're designed only to hold a days worth of gear....weaponry, food and weather gear....
Deletebugout generally means you're leaving home for at least 72 hours and will need to carry everything you need with you so in my opinion you're carrying at least 100 pounds of gear on you...
Depends on your situation.
ReplyDeleteI think bugging out makes sense if your home or work is in an iffy area, and you have somewhere secure to run to. Or if you want to stay mobile to help protect outlying family. But if you get stuck in-between then you're right Sol. You’ve become just another refugee. Sitting in your useless car in the middle of a clogged highway or side road. Where bandit-types will easily prey on you.
My wife and I work from home though. Our kids’ schools are close-by, and we have the governor’s mansion between us and the bad neighborhoods. We also have good relations with neighbors that we can trust to “mob up” if something threatens our street, or share tools/food. There are also farms reasonably close that we could barter with. So beyond some basic firearms and foodstuffs, what do we really need?
I think that most people who are aware of what’s coming tend to be loners, and that’s why they usually dream of retreating to an isolated bunker somewhere. But really, your best bet is to be part of a community that you can trust to work together when the times get hard.
The whole country isn’t going to explode at once, it’s going to be a descent with major and minor flareups (Ferguson). Some areas (Detroit, Camden) rotted away a long time ago, and others never will no matter how bad it gets. So don’t look for a bunker, and don’t go it alone. Look for a community that you can easily integrate with. Where life can function between one crisis and the next.
Hmm... this now makes all too much sense. I'm in a suburban area near the coast. Me and my room mates near live near an airfield and we've all got aviation experience flying planes. Our plane is to go to the airfield, steal a plane (or a few planes) and fly it out to an island nearby. We'll either build a community on the island or just establish boundries with other survivors assuming we find like-minded individuals on the island. Problem is that we think some other people may have that plan too. I guess bugging in would be the best option in most cases.
ReplyDeleteDamn, I now feel that my bug out bag is only good for a few scenarios and for the ones that I envisioned when I was making it, it is woefully insufficient. I have to rethink my strategy entirely. Thank you very much, Sol.
One more question, sol, Do you think a bug out bag, should you decide to carry one, look like a tactical backpack or just a civilian backpack?
ReplyDeleteSome say having a tactical backpack will make you look like a more enticing target for predators while others think ANY bag or pack will make you look enticing to rob during any kind of bug out scenario. Any thoughts on that?
i think that if you're walking out of a true bugout situation with ANY bag on your back...especially one that is filled with all the stuff i think you'll need as a bare MINIMUM (which will probably give you a 100lb pack) will make you look like a target!
Deleteof course the same applies if you're trying to drive out DURING a bugout situation. i think people that emphasize weapons over food, water, shelter, proper clothing etc....are foolish. but weaponry DOES have a place in this equation.
but so does wearing clothing thats robust enough for active wear. few people wear heavy weight denim anymore and even trousers on combat uniforms aren't as robust as they once were. decent, broken in footwear! how many people wear boots that can handle the stress and strain of walking long distance, working outdoors and yet not fall apart within a year? maybe some Danners. a few Dr. Martins but few meet the standard!
how many people have more than a few gallons of water stored? think about it. 160 gallon tank will only last for a few weeks if you ration HARD! food! how much do you have saved? now consider all that with trying to walk out of a bad situation.
i'm just not sold on the concept and i haven't even talked about how much ammo you're going to need if you get caught up in 1 SUSTAINED firefight!
the good thing about all this is that like someone said. a collapse will be localized to the major cities, small towns that WANT to have big city problems but even in those places there will be pockets of calm.
Deletei can't put together a post because its one of those topics that swirls....more to come...in bits and pieces!
Yes, rugged clothing. Old Navy and the Gap ain't gonna cut it and even stuff you can get at an REI or Dick's Sporting Goods is probably not going to hold up over time.
DeleteCotton duck work wear is heavy but think about what people wore 80 years ago, you can't find those everywhere. I know cotton duck is heavy, but wonder why more tactical/gear guys don't use it. Breathability? waterproofing?
Wool is making a comeback as a base layer and insulator
we're thinking alike Paralus. cotton duck wear has gotten expensive but its built to last. additionally wool is an awesome material that too many discarded in the rush to get poly-whatever. i don't think people that are even aware enough to plan have thought through exactly what they're going to be faced with if the worst happens.
Deleteone good/terrible thing is that we'll lose half the population to illness in the first month. those that are medicated or addicted will drop like flies. the obese will suffer like their is no tomorrow. the lack of heating and cooling will halve the populations in major cities without a shot being fired.
a brownout will be as big a killer as a financial collapse. a cyber attack will probably equal a nuclear attack in terms of life lost.
WTF ??.....People in the most powerfull country in the world ever talking about bugging out and grabbing planes ?
ReplyDeleteAnd this is after you survived the MAD Cold war nuclear scenario ? Now you talk of bugging out ?
What does this say about the citizens of the other countries of the world who are not the Worlds most powerfull country in the world ever with the second largest Defence forces in the world ?
Go watch a Zombie apocalypse movie/video game. Sleep, get a clear functioning and practical head for tomorrow.
how about you wake up out of your normalcy bias. the US and global economy is a house of cards just waiting for a shock to knock it all down. consider. the 2009 crash was just a few steps away from being the great depression. a depression that would affect EVERY country on the planet.
Deleteconsider. all those banks that were about to drag down the world economy are on every developed nation in the world and they're even bigger now than they were then. consider. the fake money exchange that has been built up is not based on anything but a few numbers. then sit down and watch some financial shows.
they spin some bullshit to explain how the stock market can rise even though every credible economic indicator is down but the truth is obvious.
the economy is one shock away from self destructing. if you love your family then you would by all rights prepare for the worst. if you do more than watch youtube and take in a little news you see how fragile it all is and how this Rube Goldberg machine is about to wreck itself.
Hmm, here's the fundamental difference then which i did not account for while posting the above comment. We both look at bugging out and doomsday scenarios pretty diffrently.
DeleteWhat I would describe as Normal would actually be a doomsday scenario for you. What those syrians and somalians, nigerians would describe as normal would be a doomsday scenario for even me.
But yes, forwarned is forearmed. Working near a chemicals plant along with the worlds largest oil refinery quiet close to Pakistan, mere minutes away from Paki Airforce jets etc. one should have a doomsday scenario preparation. One that benefits the whole community rather than an individual bug out bag/trailer.
community benefit? the US govt says that the average American family should have enough resources to survive for 21 days.
Deletehow many people do you think follow that? if the "community" will not follow simple precautions like that then why am i suddenly required to take care of those that didn't have the common sense to prepare for the worst?
if the worst happens my supplies become a limited resource. some family members will be left out so why should i help strangers?