What is bugging out? – SHTF School

So what is a more likely scenario?

Most probably SHTF when your kids were in school, your wife was at the hair salon in a different neighborhood, your 4×4 is getting its yearly checkup and is not available, and you just find out that the kids played with the bug out bags and you can’t find them.

To be truly prepared to bug out you need to be prepared all the time.

That means that you need to have a clear plan for every situation:

• Besides bug out bags make sure everyone has their EDC with them at all times.
• Have a clear plan on what to do and where to go in case of some sudden disaster. Create a communications plan and practice it with all members of your family or group. Bugging out begins with a plan and not fancy gear in a bug out bag.
• Have multiple means to get to your bug out location (if you are planning to go there with a car then also have a plan to get there with bikes or by foot if the roads close down).

BUG OUT VEHICLES

It makes sense to keep your vehicle in good condition. Always have a full tank of gasoline and have some extra gasoline canisters in your garage ready to take along. It also makes sense to have a bigger version of your bug out bag in your car with some extra things like a shovel, water, weapons, a change of clothing, a sleeping bag, some shoes, a bigger first aid kit, food, and, of course, stuff to fix your car.

The main reason we are not big fans of dedicated bug out vehicles is that some bug out vehicles look like they are straight from the Mad Max movies and are the opposite of low profile cars.

If you depend on a vehicle to get to your BOL it is probably a bit too far away or hard to get to anyway and you might want to find another place in a better location. Also, if you depend on a vehicle, the chances are that the biggest problem will be the last couple of miles before you get to your BOL. In this case, consider parking or hiding something like an ATV (all-terrain vehicle) in a remote location on your way to your BOL.

If you are living out on the countryside and keeping a low profile does not matter, you can plan differently of course. Don’t get me wrong, in the city it is good to have an armored vehicle, but for 99% of us that money could be used to get more important stuff, stuff that you are really going to need such as solar systems for your BOL or other investments that make your BOL a better place to live at.

HELP ON YOUR WAY TO YOUR BOL

Consider hiding some things on the way to your BOL. These hidden caches can have a variety of things. You can hide supplies or even a very basic set of survival tools in case you were not able to take your BOB or had to leave it behind. These caches are meant to help you when you need it most.

The idea is not to hide a huge amount of supplies at a certain spot but instead hide sets of smaller, important items at different spots. Make sure you use common sense when you decide where to hide what. Hiding caches with ammunition only on your primary route and first aid items on your secondary route does not make much sense.

Mix things up. A great way to store things is to use PVC tubes from your local hardware store. Cut them to the desired length and use end pieces to seal them. All items inside should be put in ziplock bags as well and you can use duct tape around the end pieces to keep them in place and add another layer of protection. Temperature changes can deform PVC pipes and make them hard to open after some time. Consider burying a screwdriver or similar tool in a plastic bag next to the pipe to help you open it.

Depending on the soil in your area the earth might settle and stick to your cache so it becomes hard to get out of the ground. Consider using a bigger pipe with a smaller pipe inside so you only have to dig to the pipe opening, open it up and pull out the smaller pipe to get your supplies.

Store your caches away from places heavily frequented by people. To avoid detection by treasure hunters with metal detection devices you can bury some scrap metal on top of it so that they simply move on when their metal detector indicates it has found something.

Storing some ammunition close to your home is also a smart idea. You do not know how fast you might have to leave the house and having some extra ammunition can help you to get your house back or make your way to your BOL safer.

Remember the location of caches according to the natural environment, such as distance to nearby trees or big rocks. Also, record the GPS coordinates and store them as abstract numbers if you write them down so people don’t get curious if they find this information on you. You can also place your own natural markers such as stones on top of your caches to mark the location, or place several stones around the cache to mark the right spot. Just like with everything when it comes to survival have backups and multiple ways to find your cache locations again.

It also helps to mark the locations on a map and write what you have stored where to keep track of it, in case you set up several caches. Just make sure to keep the map in a truly safe place that it does not fall into the wrong hands.

Another idea is to take pictures of your family at these places and create an album with it. The “family fun in the forest” album is in reality the “family members on top of my hidden caches” album. You can write codes on the back of photos or mark them otherwise to indicate what a certain cache contains.

Another possibility is to create a code for the pictures: have your wife always standing on top of weapon caches, your daughter standing on top of wilderness survival caches (with fire and emergency shelter supplies), and ammunition caches are simply “nature” pictures without anyone standing there. There are many possibilities to get creative with your caches so that you have another added layer of security in your bug out plan.