Hello my friend and welcome back! I was talking to a coworker the other day and he was saying he had to fly to Chicago for a business trip and was worried about what would happen if he became stuck there in an unexpected SHTF situation. As we sat and talked for a while, I realized that there are probably plenty of readers that face this same issue every day. It’s for that reason I decided to make today’s post on this subject, so grab a cup of coffee and have a seat while we visit.
I took a business trip to New York City once and to tell you the truth, if SHTF had hit while I was there, I would have been screwed! I’m afraid that many people will find themselves in this very situation when the time comes and they will have little hope of making it back home or even surviving. The key to surviving any SHTF scenario is to be prepared in advance! With all of the new TSA rules, that makes it pretty hard to bring what you need on a plane, train, or even a bus now days. You will need to plan your escape very carefully as it were. By knowing that you could find yourself in a bad situation and be completely informed on what few items you can bring or find once you arrive at your destination you can help tilt your chances of surviving into your favor.
So what are some of the things that you can do and bring to better your odds? For openers consider caring some of your things in a backpack that you can keep with you while you are travelling. Preferably one with plenty of pockets and an empty hydration bladder in it in case you need it to carry your supplies and water in if the need arises. Dried fruits and snacks are a great addition and can also be used while traveling to your destination. Always be sure to back a good pair of walking shoes or hiking boots along with some good thick socks. If you wind up having to walk home, you will be glad you had them!
Warm clothing is another necessity when traveling. While it may be warm during the day, it can get pretty cold once the sun goes down in many parts of the country. You will also want to bring at least one set of rugged clothing just in case as dress cloths just aren’t built to withstand the treatment they would get if you had to walk for a long distance. You will want to bring a waterproof cover of some kind for the rain. A cheap compass would be a great addition. A good baseball cap is great for keeping the sun out of your eyes and off of your face as well. You can always pickup other items when you arrive at your destination, so bring plenty of cash in case the power is out. Cash money will get you things when nothing else will. Good paper road maps of any states you might have to walk through should you have to, will be worth their weight in gold should you need them. Something else I would bring from home and pack in my luggage is a good small water filter or life straw. The last thing you will need is to run out of water and be stuck with no way to get more.
Once you realize that an SHTF situation has happened and you need to get moving is to do it as quickly as you can. Don’t wait to see what others are doing, Get to a store and buy all of the food that you can carry along with a good first aid kit to bring with you. Now, when I say food, I don’t mean canned goods. They are way too heavy and bulky to carry for any distance in a backpack. If your Backpack is small, then you may want to consider buying one that is large and can hold more food and water. You need to look for dried meats and light weight packages that can be carried easily and get as much as you can. Buy bottled water for the trip; just remember that it gets heavy real fast. Now if you still have cash left, try to find a camping ax to add to your pack. Besides providing you a way to cut small tree limbs for a fire, it can also be used as a defensive weapon as well. At some point along the trip home, you will want to acquire a weapon of some sort such as a gun or bow and arrow. Something you can use to defend yourself from others in needed. Sure people are nice in the beginning, but once they realize that the law is not being enforced; they will turn mean quickly and simply start taking what they want even if it is yours. Be prepared to defend yourself because it will quickly come to that when people get hungry.
Plan the best route out of the city and avoid major highways when at all possible. Roads are for those that want to get killed or attacked. Try to get hold of a bike if possible, as it will make your trip much easier. If you have to walk then walk off of the side roads or cut through wooded areas when possible while trying to stay out of site as much as possible. Do these things quickly and get on the road as soon as possible and you just might make it home in one piece. Well that is it for today and I hope you have found this post helpful. Until next time, stay safe, stay strong and stay prepared!
-The Sargent-
Having hiked and ridden horses I’ve found that
railroad tracks and large power lines are great
avenues through city and country.
Rarely
Hey Sarge, good article. I personally don’t travel far from home but when I have to ( for business usually) I carry a little bug out bag with a multi purpose knife kit, granola bars, lighters. and a life straw. I also carry 2 days worth of dog food because the dog is of utmost importance for safety and she is very warm when it’s cold. The airlines are NOT dog friendly or even tolerant to most survival tools so I avoid them and prefer to drive ( and you meet more interesting people ) when you drive.
The most important thing to me is shoes. As a diabetic person I have to pay attention to my feet. If I have to foot 20 miles home in a SHTF situation then I had better have a good shoe. I prefer going barefoot but do recognize that a good pair of walkers will get me home.
Best,
Snake Plisken
Plan a route out (or in my case around) the city that does not involve cars! Kayaks, private air craft, ferries, or even bikes will likely be faster safer ways to escape a city than vehicles. Particularly if you can use “roads” like park trails, service roads, flood tunnels, subway’s, or water ways. And push comes to shove… walk, again avoiding cars and main surface roads! The key to any of this is thinking it through ahead of time.
Good advice! Agreed!
I don’t travel often, but, I have had to ship some equipment ahead of my travel. You could send a kit to your destination and send it back, if there were no problems.
Excellent idea! Thanks for sharing!
Good article!
Anyone who has reason to worry about what might happen during any particular trip should prepare a backpack with most of the things mentioned in the article and ship it to themselves via FedEx or UPS at the hotel where they’ll be staying…might even be able to get a hatchet and knife in there, too.
If it’s not needed, you can always drop it off for shipment home on the way back to the airport….
If you regularly go to one specific city, arrange to have a weapon or two (or more) and accessories stored there with someone you know, or rent a really small storage unit in which you can leave them and other items you’d need to make it home.
Thank you!
Most certainly travel with certain critical survival tools – especially any hard to obtain like a good compass ….
But practicing putting together a quiky BOB from various types retail stores is a great mental exercise … What can be purchased readily in a dollar store or a convenience store that can substitute for the well thought out and highly prized BOB at home?