Hello my friend and welcome to today’s post! Today we are going to look at some of the critical mistakes that many people will make when bugging out on foot and how to avoid them. Grab a cup of coffee and have a seat while we chat a while.
The truth is that no matter how much we prepare and plan, we could still be forced to bug out on foot when the time comes. While there are many theories about EMPs and how to protect yourself from their effects, it is all theory and best guess. No one really knows for sure if the older cars will still run or not. Truth be told, you could still be bugging out on foot no matter what. The issue seems to come in when people don’t take the time to properly think through just what they really do and don’t need. If you don’t take the time to think through this in advance then you could wind up in serious trouble when the time comes.
The single biggest mistake that many will make is thinking they can carry more weight over a long distance than they actually can. This is because they haven’t actually loaded up their backpack and got out and done some walking with it. Anyone with any experience with backpacking or hiking will tell you this is true. The opposite side of this is some people don’t carry enough supplies to get where they are going. This can also be a huge mistake as well.
So how do you find the right balance, especially if you are older or impaired somehow? Here are some things to consider when deciding just what to put in your pack.
- We all know that water is the single most important thing to have with you when travelling on foot especially. However, you don’t want to load up that bag of yours with water bottles, because water is very heavy and would add a tremendous amount of weight to your bag. So how do you solve this you might ask and the answer is to buy a water filter or Life straw and add that to your bag instead of a bunch of bottles of water. You will still need to carry water with you, but not enough for the whole trip. This way you can refill your containers along the way instead of burdening yourself.
- Many people tend to over pack when it comes to food. They figure 3 meals and a couple of snacks a day. The fact is that in an SHTF situation, that would be extremely wasteful not to mention taking up a lot of room in your bag. While you will need a great deal of calories while you are walking, there are better ways of getting them than packing a lot of food with you. Instead, pack things like Power Bars or emergency survival rations that come in vacuum sealed bags and take up very little room in your bag. You could also add fishing supplies and wire snares to your bag so you can catch what you need along the way. If you are going to be on the trail for a week or more, I would tend to lean more on the traps and snares than trying to carry that much food with you. Anything you can do to lighten the weight of your bag will save you major headaches down the road.
- Dry clothing and extra socks are some things that many people fail to pack in an emergency. It just really doesn’t occur to them that they might need a change of clothes along the way. They are focused on survival not comfort for the trail. What they fail to realize is that wet clothes and socks can make you sick and miserable. If you get blisters on your feet from wet socks then you could be sidelined all together. The same for wearing wet cloths, especially in cold weather. IF you catch a cold or get sick, you could actually never make it to where you are going. You should always add a water tight bag with one set of dry cloths and socks to your kit even if you are expecting to make it to your destination within 24 hours.
- Always pack any medications that you take regularly and keep a supply in your bag ready to go at all times especially if you have high blood pressure or heart trouble. The added exertion could easily kill you if you don’t have your medications with you. Just be sure that they are kept in watertight containers so they are always dry.
The point I am trying to make here is that you need to plan on having to walk to your bug out location and have a bag packed just for that situation no matter what other plans you have. Waiting until the last minute to do it is one sure fire way to wind up with a bag that is either two heavy or does not have what you need when need it. Plan now and plan wisely for the worst while praying for the best! I guess that is it for today and I hope you have enjoyed today’s post. Until next time, stay safe, stay strong and stay prepared!
-The Sargent-
