I really like how you emphasize the shower/potty aspect of bugging out. For many on this forum, the bugging out trip may stall in an urban morass-- long before it's feasible to dig a latrine/wash in a stream. Having a good potty/shower setup is critical to stave off many refugee diseases. And, if it really gets bad, that's what we will be, refugees.

I figure, if history is any indicator, most evacuation orders give one a small window of about 2-3 hours to get ahead of the mass hysteria. But I've never been in one. Does anyone else have a good time frame for getting out of dodge? For hurricanes, I'm assuming pack the night before?

The problem w/hurricanes & evacuation orders is that it is usually too late to evacuate if you wait for the order. You will be part of the herd.

I watch the predicted path/cone, weigh the predicted strength for landfall, make a decision at HurCon IV (72 hours from possible landfall) as to go or stay. I'll normally start packing when the decision to go is made and then we will leave the following morning.

Along w/packing, we will complete the checklist preparations for HurCon's III, II, & I for the home and for the evacuation. We will normally head out on a west-northwest vector.

The weekend before Mem. day weekend I finally took my crew camping. My crew is 6 people (me, wife and 4 daughters). It was a very interesting experience in logistics (fortunately the youngest are out of diapers). Between sleeping bags, pads, tents (I pack 2 Big Agnes Big House 4's, rather than one large tent), food (one large cooler, one rubbermaid box of dry goods), and other equipment I'd filled the van - and still had not packed the clothing! That includes the car top carrier.

We also had to cut our trip short due to incoming flash flood warnings. We're on our way tomorrow to try again.

Remember that old military axiom:

"Amateurs speak of tactics,
Professionals speak of logistics."

Proper logistics is the most important part of any endeavor or operational plan.