About 1 year ago I decided that when SHTF I would want to have a group of people and not just my fiance and myself. I got 3 like-minded friends to get onboard with starting a "doomsday group." Lets face it, the economy sucks, money doesn't grow on trees and not everyone is in a situation where they can afford an RV, vessel, large SUV, Sherman Tank or an earth roamer. If you are a prepper-survivalist, and you are in it for the long haul, form a group. There is no I in Team and you will not be able to efficently survive if you Bug Out alone. Unless you are a skilled outdoorsman who can live off the land, utilize what is around you, know your surroundings and what not, technology, gear and tools are useless once they break, wear down or run out of fuel.
Bugging in VS Bugging out:
-Weigh your personal and financial options.
If you are planning on leaving your home and relocation to a BOL, do you have adequate means to move you and all your needed gear quickly, covertly and safely? If you are going to buy an RV that runs on Gasoline, can you afford gas now and could you afford gas if the price per gallon goes up exponentially when SHTF? If you are bugging out on your vessel and plan on driving to the dock, board the boat and set sail offshore, what do you do with your vehicle now? What if when you come back to port, your vehicle is gone or stripped of parts and the engine?
Would you rather spend $50,000 on a "doomsday vehicle" or $50,000 on food, supplies, gear, etc?
-Understand your location and climate.
We all (on this forum) live in or around New England. 4 seasons mean prepping for spring, summer, autum and winter. Rain, snow, ice, mud, Nor'easters, blizzards, tropical storms..Well New England doesn't have stable, consistant weather patterns. Can you pack enough gear in your BOV (bug out vehicle) for 1 year(minimum) of New England weather? Can your vehicle handle 5" of rain on the road durring a tropical storm AND 3'-6' of snow on an unplowed road durring/after a blizzard? Can your BOL handle 90 degree weather and -10 degree weather? Can you hike in 13" of snow as well as you can hike on a clear trail? Do you have snow skis, bikes, scooters, ATVs, etc all in your BOL or BOV?
Bugging in:
-No need for a BOV, but you can buy a used older F-150 (parts galore everywhere you look around). fortify it, lift it, etc and then still have money for a variety of other gear.
Bugging in means when SHTF you stay put.
You will need to:
-Have alternative source of power
-supplies to fortify your home and property as a defensive/offensive measure.
-way to collect water (route gutters to large barrels)
-way to produce heat (wood burning stove)
Bugging in allows you to have all your gear, food and whatnot stored and available at all times. When SHTF and if you plan on bugging out, I guaruntee you will end up thinking
"Well do I really need to take that with me too or can I afford to leave it behind?"
You already will have beds set up, all your clothes, shelter, plumbing, electrical wiring is already established and secure. You already know your area well, you know where stores are and where good fishing/hunting is. Having one Bug Out location instead of two will make it much easier when SHTF. If you have a basement, you can build it up into a fallout shelter and you can use it as a workshop and more storage. If you have a garage you can keep your vehicles hidden and have a workshop and storage. If you have a well, I am sure there is a way to manually pump water with it. You can have a larger generator in your home as well as fixed solar pannels on your roof and it wouldn't look "off" to your neighbors. you already live there comfortably now all you would need to really worry about when SHTF is making your home look "normal" but like a fortress. Not just boarded up windows but defensive measures. nails in the welcome mat, electrified chicken wire fence are two that come to mind If you live near a wooded area you have firewood and squirrels and birds hang around trees. In CT we have Deer, Yotes, turkey, bass, trout, squirrel, birds, Sasquatch..well I'm just kidding ther..or am I 0_o.
I've spent many days and hours weighing the options of myself and my group as well as training with my group in both Bugging out and bugging in scenarios. All of what you just read is my personal thoughts, opinions and my knowledge on the subject. I hope you all found it useful or worth the read.
Thanks,
Dave
Bugging in VS Bugging out:
-Weigh your personal and financial options.
If you are planning on leaving your home and relocation to a BOL, do you have adequate means to move you and all your needed gear quickly, covertly and safely? If you are going to buy an RV that runs on Gasoline, can you afford gas now and could you afford gas if the price per gallon goes up exponentially when SHTF? If you are bugging out on your vessel and plan on driving to the dock, board the boat and set sail offshore, what do you do with your vehicle now? What if when you come back to port, your vehicle is gone or stripped of parts and the engine?
Would you rather spend $50,000 on a "doomsday vehicle" or $50,000 on food, supplies, gear, etc?
-Understand your location and climate.
We all (on this forum) live in or around New England. 4 seasons mean prepping for spring, summer, autum and winter. Rain, snow, ice, mud, Nor'easters, blizzards, tropical storms..Well New England doesn't have stable, consistant weather patterns. Can you pack enough gear in your BOV (bug out vehicle) for 1 year(minimum) of New England weather? Can your vehicle handle 5" of rain on the road durring a tropical storm AND 3'-6' of snow on an unplowed road durring/after a blizzard? Can your BOL handle 90 degree weather and -10 degree weather? Can you hike in 13" of snow as well as you can hike on a clear trail? Do you have snow skis, bikes, scooters, ATVs, etc all in your BOL or BOV?
Bugging in:
-No need for a BOV, but you can buy a used older F-150 (parts galore everywhere you look around). fortify it, lift it, etc and then still have money for a variety of other gear.
Bugging in means when SHTF you stay put.
You will need to:
-Have alternative source of power
-supplies to fortify your home and property as a defensive/offensive measure.
-way to collect water (route gutters to large barrels)
-way to produce heat (wood burning stove)
Bugging in allows you to have all your gear, food and whatnot stored and available at all times. When SHTF and if you plan on bugging out, I guaruntee you will end up thinking
"Well do I really need to take that with me too or can I afford to leave it behind?"
You already will have beds set up, all your clothes, shelter, plumbing, electrical wiring is already established and secure. You already know your area well, you know where stores are and where good fishing/hunting is. Having one Bug Out location instead of two will make it much easier when SHTF. If you have a basement, you can build it up into a fallout shelter and you can use it as a workshop and more storage. If you have a garage you can keep your vehicles hidden and have a workshop and storage. If you have a well, I am sure there is a way to manually pump water with it. You can have a larger generator in your home as well as fixed solar pannels on your roof and it wouldn't look "off" to your neighbors. you already live there comfortably now all you would need to really worry about when SHTF is making your home look "normal" but like a fortress. Not just boarded up windows but defensive measures. nails in the welcome mat, electrified chicken wire fence are two that come to mind If you live near a wooded area you have firewood and squirrels and birds hang around trees. In CT we have Deer, Yotes, turkey, bass, trout, squirrel, birds, Sasquatch..well I'm just kidding ther..or am I 0_o.
I've spent many days and hours weighing the options of myself and my group as well as training with my group in both Bugging out and bugging in scenarios. All of what you just read is my personal thoughts, opinions and my knowledge on the subject. I hope you all found it useful or worth the read.
Thanks,
Dave