Bug Out Bags

[EugeneNine]

Our Camelbak's are our hiking, biking, etc bags. We've taken them plenty of places.

I still see some saying they will bug in, are you going to burn up with your house?
That is one of the more likely risks we face now a days and I've had two neighbors go through it.
The most recent was in a suburb neighborhood. Father saw a blanket fall behind the dryer in the basement and catch fire and got the wife and kids and cat out. Neighbors all gave them raincoats and a cat carrier and such.
Previous time was when I was a kid growing up in the country. We were awakened in the night by knocking on the door. Teenaged son from the mile away neighbors ran barefoot through the snow to get to our house to call the fire department. The wood stove in their living room caught fire and they jumped out the windows. This is what your BOB is for, something by the window with clothes, shoes, raincoat and vehicle keys so you can get out of a burning house and get to shelter if needed.

 

[sw1834]

no place to run

To the OP,
In my opinion, yes each bag should have the essentials for Individual survival, but each bag could be configured slightly different for survival as a group. For example different ways to start fires, different kinds of foods, etc.

I think we just got a peep at what things would be like in the Big Bug-Out this weekend. RVs, big pickups, and license plates from all 50 states and probably a few furrin countries. McDonald's looked like a refugee processing center.

If people are bugging out to where we live, the rest of the country is already gone... I'm staying home where I can defend myself and family from home and not on the run.

SWCA #1834

 

[DR505]

I did a search warrant at a house where a meth dealer and two strippers lived. They had bug-out bags and were convinced the zombie apocalypse was imminent. Their bags did not contain much other than ammo and explosives. I guess they planned to take what they needed from others, or perhaps barter?

 

[rojodiablo]

It's all very well to say you're staying put in an emergency, but sometimes the situation requires a move. About 450 miles west of El Paso is the Palo Verde nuclear power station. It has three reactors, and is about 100 miles north of the border,in some of the most rugged border terrain you can find. If a bunch of terorists were to infiltrate from Mexico, and cause all the damping rods to be withrawn from the reactors, the radiation would be intense. I'm downwind, according to the prevailing winds, so if I stay put, I'll be exposed to intense radiation when the radioactive plume comes by. My choices are to move or to glow in the dark. I'm ready to move if I have to.

I think you seriously underestimate the security plans for these sites; if they are under threat, they have a set of protocols which go into effect automatically, and once the first step is initiated, the system becomes very, very difficult to tamper with and override.
As in- it's probably easier to get the codes for the nuke football from the POTUS than it is to turn a nuke power plant on its' head via violence.

With this said; again I will emphasize that fuel will be non-existent. Whatever you have is what you will have access to. To the end that were a really nasty hurricane or tornado wipe out your area, or say there was some kind of civil unrest...... you will not be able to move as you THINK you will. (I got mah truck, she's got 350hp and 650ft. lb of torque..... I'm gonna hitch the 5th wheel trailer to her and we are going to get out of here.....) You will find roads blocked by nature. Blocked by blockheads out of fuel. Blocked by LEO/ National Guard.
I hate to say this, but people REALLY need to learn to travel on foot. You, the missus, and the kids need to take a nice, long walk in a given general direction, to a friends' house with nothing more than a couple bottles of water and a couple snacks in a backpack. Find out just how long it takes to cover say a measured 2 miles. 5 would be better. With the crew in tow, and no extra weight, you will quickly realize just how much more important it is to look to your surroundings and really figure what is possible close to home. It's slow, slow going when packing gear, a single firearm, food and some clothes..... especially when the kids get tired and you are now humping along with a rugrat on your shoulders.

Trust me; try it, just once. You will seriously look at your plans of leaving differently. You will alter your ideas of destination, quickly. You will have to figure what will be left behind, what will be taken along, what will be burned, and what will be buried for later retrieval.

 

[Raider]

Someone once suggested that a wheelbarrow was a great way to tote your stuff. Or maybe a raft to float down the nearest river to safety. Just saying.

Seriously, I live near a freeway and remember the day when Hurricane Ike came through. Cars clogged the freeway and feeder roads. Nobody, nobody was moving an inch and the people in the cars/trucks just sat there with their engines idling so they could stay cool. I went home and popped a cold beer from my ice chest and listened to the radio. There was no way to escape except on foot.

Charlie

 

[Old TexMex]

On the boat, we suggest a "ditch bag". it has a VHF, GPS, EPIRB, ( spare batts),mirror,compass, knives, flare gun, 2x mylar shield/ rain catcher, kevlar line & fishing jigs, a hand operated desalinator, and a stainless S&W 4046 + 3 mags. Weight= ~ 20lb. Right next to it is 3 1 gal water jugs. Next to the life raft is water jugs. Fresh water is important. The ditch bag is made of stuff that it floats, btw.

 

[MOONDAWG]

Don't forget one critical essential...

 

[Alpo]

Someone once suggested that a wheelbarrow was a great way to tote your stuff. Or maybe a raft to float down the nearest river to safety. Just saying.

Seriously, I live near a freeway and remember the day when Hurricane Ike came through. Cars clogged the freeway and feeder roads. Nobody, nobody was moving an inch and the people in the cars/trucks just sat there with their engines idling so they could stay cool. I went home and popped a cold beer from my ice chest and listened to the radio. There was no way to escape except on foot.

Charlie

You thinking of Gun Kid and his tactical wheelbarrow?

 

[mc5aw]

In the Fall of 2011, I was introduced to Pennsylvania Beachfront living. The rain came nonstop for three days and the Mighty Susquehanna rose over 25' in my town ... actually, my backyard. Here are a few photos from the event:

Photo #1 shows my home (yellow house dating from 1813) as the flood waters were ready to crest. Literally a few more inches and the house would have been lost. As it was in this photo, the basement was filled to the ceiling insulation (7') with the river water nearly touching the 200-year old pine boards of the main floor. The orange barrels had been used to close the road, but began floating away. I grabbed them and strategically placed them so that helicopter rescue crews could see us.

Photo #s 2, 3, & 4 show my house and the neighbor's (dating from 1830), engulfed in flowing Susquehanna run off. The lane between the houses is where I park our vehicles. The green house sits exactly 18" lower than mine, and thus endured a foot + of river sludge running from back door to front door. The neighbor and his wife had bugged out early enough, and went to higher ground, so they did not witness this sad result. Less than 100 yards behind me (from where the photos were taken) is the Susquehanna's sibling river, the Chemung. The flooding saw the former rise then dump into the latter.

Photo #5 shows the high water mark of the Susquehanna at the edge of my yard, < 50 yards from the back porch. Normally, the water level is 20'-25' lower, and there is a bank to scoot down amongst the weeds.

As the river broke through, enveloping various backyards and houses, we prepared to bug out and run for it. By the time we were ready, we had missed the evacuation and could not get 100 yards from the house in either exiting direction. We stayed and prayed. Someone was listening.

As to bug out bags, I learned a valuable lesson from the Flood of 2011 ... Be prepared, and be ready to exit stage left asap as needed. As much as one may be determined to hold his ground, conditions may require evacuation from home and hearth.

One amusing anecdote ... I had never experienced a natural disaster of this magnitude before, and was gripped by terror and panic as the waters rose quickly around us. My wife was screaming to save the cats, to which I distinctly remember responding: "Blank the cats! Let 'em climb a tree! What do I do about the guns and ammo?!"

Never underestimate the power and wrath of Mother Nature.

 

[GreyRider]

There are as many philosophies regarding this subject as there are preppers. Many say staying put - if that's an option - is your best bet. That means a large source of water or a significant stockpile. It does need to be rotated. If bugging out is the plan, assume that gasoline will not be readily available. Have enough on board to get where you're pointed. If you plan on roughing it, you'd better know how to set a snare. Ammo will be limited and you won't be getting more from any LGS. Somebody mentioned labeling bags. It's a good idea. Assume you'll be stressed. When the time comes you may be in the shower, knee deep in the garden, sound asleep etc. When Sandy hit we lost power for 10 days. We were lucky. I had a genny but had to string extension cords. In order to function even partially I had to back feed my electrical panel. And although I knew exactly what I was doing, it taped signs to the cords saying DISCONNECT MAIN BREAKER. I did not trust myself not to do something stupid in a sleep deprived state. I advocate the KISS method. You won't likely have the opportunity to sit on the porch wondering what you forgot.
Good luck to all of us!

 

[EugeneNine]

Having your stuff organized can help for bugging in. The same pack that is my 'bob' has went to the basement during tornadoes for example. Having all my gear ready and in one place makes that easier.
I've had to bug out twice, once was when my father caught his finger in a grinder, we met up with him at the hospital.
Second time was when the hospital sent my grandmother home to live her final few hours.
Neither scenario was anything affecting my home but we needed to pack and run as quickly as possible.
This is why I have a layered system. I have what is pretty much the typical 'bob' but also my hiking/biking/fishing pack going on normal outdoor activities.
I also have pre-packed travel bags for the scenarios like I just mentioned.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

All you need is a gun and a deck of cards-you can get anything you want with these two tools but you gotta know how to use them.