Secondary and even tertiary roads for sure. Especially if you're familiar with the area. You can almost always make better time than being stuck on the freeway. Plus you always have options to maneuver around an obstacle (unless its a bridge) on secondary roads, something you can't do on the freeway.

Isn't whether you evacuate or not something you need to evaluate under the circumstances with which you are presented? If you are presented with a situation that involves you travelling through a dangerous area to get to someplace safe, staying put can make sense. If a hurricane, tornado, etc. is bearing down on you, evacuation may be in order. When I went to sea, I often heard about trying to put yourself in the mindset of thinking "what if" about any number of thigns that could go wrong, at that moment in time. It made it easier to act in a moment when soemthing did go wrong; your brina was prepared for something to go wrong. You thought faster and could act with a clearer mind. Think about what might go wrong in your area.

I live in NYC, so thinking about what can happen here is what I try to do. What happens with a hurricane? What happens when that whole mountain in the Canary Islands slides into the Atlantic and sends a tsunami our way? What happens when we have a black out? A dirty bomb? Etc. Not pleasant thoughts, but you are not thinking pleasant thoughts when putting your bag together.

I have a bag for each of us, but we do not have kids. Still, to the extent you can, everyone having something that they can grab and go is ideal. In your circumstances, how you might be bugging out is something else to think about. Could you be going on foot, in a vehicle, train, etc.? How could your wife be going too? You do need to think about the chance that eiither her or you could be evacuating without the other, and one of you might be evacuating without your children, perhaps one of you following the other. If for example, your wife might leave with the two children and not you, have stuff packed in something that she can move. Smaller backpacks with for each of you might be the way to go.

I would have your oldest have a small pack that was all his own to fill with what might keep him entertained, and with some of his own food, clothing etc. It may help him to feel he is helping and may help you to calm him, if he gets to help in the "adventure."

Opps Sorry about the confusion. No I have a mini-van. I meant in a emergency situation were you need to leave I can imagine that some people without cars might want yours. Or I might not be able to carry enough gas to get somewhere safe. Cars really are not going to be too safe, but if I have to leave the house walking might be the best choice. Sorry for the rambling.

Dave

Having been in several evac and dig in situations, as a general rule (and there are always exceptions) most people are friendly and helpful in the first day or so in an emergency. Don’t get me wrong there are bad people out there we need to protect ourselves from or preferably avoid all together, but most people usually won't get to the point on taking what they want till they realize that they can't run down to Wally world and buy what they want, or that the gas station is closed and they pumps don't work. Unless it’s a grab the keys and run situation you can avoid most of the rush and danger involved with Evac by leaving early enough to get ahead of the crowd. You can do this by keeping a kit in your van, making a plans with your wife and family on what to do in the event of an evac, keep another kit ready to put into the van at a moments notice, keep your van’s gas tank filled (never below a ½ tank) that way you don’t have to stop and fill up when it’s time to go, and when you do get out and you think your far enough away double the distance your at when you first think that. Most people get caught with their pants down because they don’t think and plan ahead.

OK, just checking.
I hear you on the people wanting your stuff, I have enough problems keeping my stuff mine during normal times that I'll be one of the first to bug out come any problem because I'll be way outnumbered in this neighborhood.
I've had experience with minivans in the past. Most of them are front wheel drive and when faced with stop and go traffic will get way too hot from the tightly packed transmission. Before you have to bug out put on a good transmission cooler.

Uhm... Yes.

I know, bad answer.

If I think the time to bug is nigh, I'll probably be hitting the road earlier than most people will.

If not, then there is a state route that parallels the interstate- problem is, either way I'm on that route if fate takes me back to where I want to be, as the road in question is one of only three truly east-west roads in Vermont. I've got a couple of back up routes, but both are a little interesting in winter and right now will be full of panicy ski-people trying to get home. *shrugs* Nothing is without trouble.

I hear ya. The thugs make a weekly check or so of all the garage doors in the neighborhood to see if someone forgot to lock something. They even have looked into my house windows to see if anyone was up.....I just hope they never decide to try to kick in the back door.

Dave

We had someone bust in to our shed a couple years ago. They took our bicycles and lawn mower. After that I bought a new steel door for the front of our house and moved the older steel door from the front of the house to the back replacing the old wooden door. I also put a deadbolt lock on the door from the kicthen to the garage so if someone does break into the back door they get in the garage but still have another barrier to get in the house.
Wife has seen people looking in the windows before and we have had our cars broekn into and stuff vandalized around the house as well.
The neighbors across the street are taking handouts from whomever they can get and throwing away perfectly good food,I know they will be the first to my door if they see we have power and water.

You may want to consider a good old 12 ga and a couple of boxes of no. 4 buckshot as a good addition to your survival or bug out kit. I am all about peace and such, but reality tells me that the biggest threat to my families survival is often going to be the threat posed by other people. I am "equipt to survive" in that respect as well as anyone. If someone wants possessions, they can have them. I would not kill a person for taking a bike, however When someone busts into your house its very hard to tell what their intent really is. To steal your stuff or do you harm?? To me at least, being equipt to survive means a whole lot more than carrying a psk with a plastic whistle and some matches. Anyone breaking into my house intending my family harm will have one hell of a bad day.............

Amen Brother !!!