Hello my friend and welcome back to another post! Today we are going to look at where not to go when it comes time to bug out and why. It’s never ceases to amaze me how many People really don’t have a plan for when it comes time to bug out and head to safety. Even some Preppers I have met haven’t really thought through their plan so that is today’s topic. Grab a cup of coffee and have a seat while we visit.
We all need a solid plan that we have thought through every detail on when it comes to surviving a disaster. Even the Red Cross has begun pushing the idea of having a plan and being ready for disasters. This is because they understand that fooling yourself and not really planning for a disaster can be deadly! As Preppers, we all recognize the value of being prepared; otherwise we wouldn’t be going through all of the trouble of Prepping in the first place. But how many of us have actually put forth the time and effort to create a detailed plan based on different scenarios and then followed through to be sure the plan is sound by looking at it from all angles? Here are some of the places you don’t want to bug out to when the time comes:
National Forest – How many times have I heard people (including some Preppers) say “I will just grab my stuff and head for the nearest State Park because there is plenty of food there I can kill to survive!”? The trouble with that plan is that every person in the cities that are not prepared will be thinking the same thing, and will starve as a result. What you will wind up with are hordes of starving people stumbling around in the forest with guns and no idea what they are doing. They are going to be shooting at anything that moves, including each other. Besides all of that, the wild game is smart enough to move on when people start showing up leaving the unprepared to starve. People will form tribes to protect the wild game in the area they consider to be theirs. Death, Disease, and Violence is all that awaits you at pretty much any National Park.
Large Lakes – At first thought, this might actually seem like a good idea, but unfortunately it’s not. Without electricity to power the water pumps, many will see no other choice than to head to a big lake nearby. They will be thinking that they can catch enough fish in the lake to survive on as well as having fresh water to drink. Nothing could be farther from the truth! Why you may ask? It is simple really; thousands of people will be thinking the same thing. At first, everyone will think they have made a good decision, but they have only prolonged the inevitable. It won’t take long for hundreds of people to fish the lake dry of fish. Most lakes here in the US simply can’t handle that level of over fishing. People will begin to get very hungry. They will also become sick from drinking the water from the lake. Although it may look very clean, it still contains viruses and germs that can make you very sick, if you even survive it at all. Add to this that most banks are sloped toward the water and people will be using the toilet behind every bush and log they can find. The lake will quickly become contaminated and drinking the water will become deadly. Large lakes are definitely not the safe heaven you are looking for!
Military Bases – Yet another “Plan” that I have heard is “I will just grab my stuff and go to the nearest Military Base; they will take care of me. That is their jobs after all!” Nothing could be further from the truth. The truth is that most US Military Bases are not setup to take in refugees in the event of a disaster. They simply don’t keep enough supplies on hand to handle and house large crowds and will turn you away, even at gun point if needed. They will tell you very quickly that you are on you own and good luck. Military Bases are surely not the answer to surviving a disaster and you need to be very aware of that simple fact.
In truth, the only sure way to have a chance to survive a major disaster, is to start planning now for what to do when the time comes. If you don’t have some place to go that you know you will be safe, talk to your close friends and family members and purchase some land that is big enough to plant gardens and raise animals on. Make plans to meet there and work together to survive. Have a water well dug to provide clean water and then boil it before you drink it. No matter how clean it looks, it will probably need to be sterilized before drinking it.
Make a plan and don’t wait until the last minute to be sure your plan is survivable. Plan now and put forth the effort to secure a safe place for you and your family when the collapse comes. Until next time, stay safe, stay strong, and stay prepared! God Bless America!
-The Sargent-
These are great comments! As a single female, I need to plan. Planning to have someone take care of me is a really bad idea. Knowing where you are going and how you are going to get there isn’t only wise, but it is imperative for me. Also, having more than one route. Going south may seem a great way to avoid colder temperatures, but believe me, there are another set of problems to evaluate. One is heat. If you can’t handle the heat, maybe preparing to hunker down in a cooler climate will work for you. You can always get warm. Cooling down is a little more difficult. What I am finding out is that prepping is done every day for me. Being aware of my surroundings. Looking for safe places to hide if I have to. Looking for water that can be accessed easily, (even if it has to be purified). I want to thank you so much for putting your love, time, and energy into this site. It really helps someone who is on their own.
I live in the desert 20 to 30s in the winter 100 to 120in summer liveable if you like warm and cold at the same time eneyway i can,t say i like it but being broke all time can,t bitch.
I tried to prep once. Ended up giving all my food to my daughter for her kids. People are just going to rob others of their food and what ever else they may have. a metal detector can locate canned food if it’s buried or hidden. I’m living for today. I do enjoy the e-mails of how to do stuff, just because it’s interesting and will help during hurricane season. I would like to know of all the weeds that are edible and the mushrooms. Doom is bound to come but I’m not going to sit and stress over it.will probably die of disease. Our days are numbered no matter what we do. Yes it’s good to be prepared for hurricanes and earth quakes, etc etc but for something that may take several years to happen or last several years when it happens, it will be just a matter of days before somebody just takes away all you have prepared for
After 2008 bubble we bought a small farm house
50 miles past nowhere 3 gates & 2 fields in.
The preps are stashed tools buried & house locked
up like a penitentiary.
We practice making the trip every three months.
Even did it on bicycles last year ,took a week but
280 miles anit no joke!
Bug in if possible, if not you need to have 4 bol. Why 4 you ask? NWES. You don’t know why you will be buying out so it could be any direction.
I have enough to last though the big die off I will be mobile only stopping at my multiple stash sights. I will stay north you can’t sneak up in winter you leave track’s.
My plan is for me and my 8 ex infantry buddies to come and loot all your preps, haha just kidding.
We’ve got some dry powder, some hot little pieces of lead (which sadly have lost their points and are now filled with expanding material:(, and some punji sticks ready to greet y’all!!! Just kidding too:)
I like your style Little old lady !!! Thanks
My husband’s plan is to bug out to Alaska. We live in Ohio. Ain’t happening. Some good thoughts Sarge. thanks!
T-Town,
Your husband will meet as many Alaskans heading south as you see people heading north. Alaska has a lot of space, but most newcomers will not be prepared to survive their first year here and will starve. I know many Alaskans who, in the case of a economic collapse, plan to head down to warmer climates where it is easier to obtain grow food by growing it, and won’t spend as many calories trying to stay warm.
There are a lot a natural resources in Alaska, but they must be gathered in their season in order for one to survive. Salmon do not fill the rivers all year long and the short growing season makes it difficult to garden. In the winter, most animals “go to ground” and are not as active as in the short summer months, thus making hunting them in the vast wilderness even more calorie intensive. If you have some trapping skills you might catch enough to east, but you will also need a warm sturdy shelter to keep you warm.
There are wild critters here you can eat, but many of them can kill you if you are not careful, and some will eat you too if you are not knowledgeable in how to hunt and take game.
Alaska today depends on shipments of food from the lower 48 to feed its population, so the vast majority of people are dependent on ships to bring in their daily nutritional requirements.
There are a few people who live off grid and in the villages who are totally self-sufficient but not many. Those who do try to be self sufficient work year round catching, drying and storing food to survive the coming winter. So for those fleeing the “crunch” who happen to show up after the salmon runs are over and berry picking is done are going to be out of luck because they will not last the winter.
I have only lived for about 11 years in Alaska, and that is in the South-Central part where the winters are not too bad. But winter chill comes usually at the end of September with snow on the mountains, and most years we have snow on the ground by the end of October which usually stays around until April. We have had late snows of 20 inches in 24 hours as late as April 28. and about 3 years ago we had 6 inches on May 15th. That makes it difficult to warm the ground for growing crops if you do not know what you are doing.
If you live more in the interior of Alaska, the winter temps and wind chills around Fairbanks can go and stay in the 40-50 below during the winter
This chart might give you an idea of the interior Alaska winter:
(Source: http://fairbanksalaska.com/fairbanks-weather/)
December
Average high 7°F
Average low -8°F
Record low -66°F (1961)
Hours of daylight 4h:43s
January
Average high 2°F
Average low -13°F
Record low -60°F (1969)
Hours of daylight 4h:02s
February
Average high 11°F
Average low -7°F )
Record low -52°F (1999)
Hours of daylight 6h:56s
If you plan of going further north than Fairbanks – lots of luck.
Let me suffice to say, Alaska is not for the uninitiated.
Major Dad
A relative newcomer “Sourdough” at 11 years.
Good information! Teach them while their young! 🙂
I think Alaska would be a good choice IF, and I mean IF, you get out in advance of things really going south (so to speak). Contrary to many peoples thinking, there are a number of good places in Alaska, and the political atmosphere is better than most.
Blessings,
Son of Liberty
Besides the obvious FEMA relief center locations – also avoid the areas with capacity crowd containment like county fairgrounds, stadiums, arenas, racetracks, ect ect …. if Homeland is setting up temp holding camps these will be prime locations – don’t walk into the lion’s mouth ….
Very True !
I am from a northern state, Minnesota, and I prefer living here and hope others go south. Too hot in the south for me. I like the idea of the cold to keep others away. I have clean water, wood for my stove. More than I could burn in many life times. I have a large garden. I could survive without electricity even though I enjoy it now. I do need some animals for food but I could be vegetarian if it was required maybe an occassional squirrel or fish. This is my retreat place, my get out place. My family is within a 5 day walk if need be. Doable. This is their safe place too.
Almost any area will be good if you prepare and think it through. Any state. Be comfortable, be cautious, be prepared. Only God knows what will be.
I have learned a lot on this web site. Thank you.
. i am planning to bug out if the shtf in abandoned buildings and be nomadic moving from place to place until i reach northern georgia since i live in florida. i am planning on bugging out in the Appalachian mountains in northern Georgia with all the caves i can find. a place where i can have a group of 20 to 50 people. There’s safety in numbers and after everything calms down live like the amish all i need is the non-gmo seeds such as corn, tomato, pepper, etc and a water source to take care of the crop. The caves are dependable but there is no easy way out but it will provide shelter and a hide out. with 100 round ar-15 drums and a Gatling trigger mod for the ar-15s it will prove useful for a machine gun nests to protect my bug out location which is protected by ar500 plates to protect the gunners. Lots of ammo and 100 round drums take a look at this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jif4Wo0LDX8
people should go to southern states, where weather is warm all year, stay away from the cold states.
Good Idea……From NH
How are you going to get there? Are you up to walking 1000 miles? As for warm year round, you have to go farther south than you think. You can die of hypothermia is 60 degree weather. It does snow through central GA. Be careful of Atlanta, the 6 million residents probably don’t want to feed you.