I've heard references recently to bug out stashes and bug out property. These are things that I would never consider exploring because I just don't have the resources available to me at the moment nor does the concept really interest me...but that concept got me to thinking about some things while posting in my other thread about BOB concepts.

While I was thinking about that BOB, many items I own were left out. As I did more planning I wanted to include them but my desire to keep things fast and light won out. Then I thought: "What if the plan isn't to get as far away as possible? What if the plan is to get a little ways off then just wait out the 'storm'?". Then things are different and my BOB isn't nearly as suitable as I'd planned it to be. In the concept above I would be essentially moving away (by whatever means is appropriate...which could be on foot) and then setting up a base camp of sorts. The items I'm purposely leaving out of the fast and light pack would be key items in this type of situation all of a sudden.

Do any of you plan for this? If so do you have a different BOB for such an occation? I could put together a whole seperate pack of goodies if a base camp were the plan. Or is that even a sound concept to begin with? Am I better off just keeping moving (who's to say how safe a distance is safe?)?

Also if so, what sorts of things are in it which might be different than a 'regular' BOB? Is it packable by foot or reserved for a vehicular bug out?

I think I see my next 'exercise' forming but if it's a silly idea to begin with let me know now before I get carried away!

This is a great Idea!! I have never thought of this!

Not a silly idea at all. I try to stay flexible so I keep a couple of full-sized packs with "everything but the kitchen sink", including bags and tent, some water and enough food for 96 plus hours. This is basically (excet for a larger supply of stored water) my bug-in kit packed away ready to travel. But I also keep a light pack that will be for traveling fast with minimum requirements.

I also have three bug out plans. Since I would be evacuating from NYC, auto is the least likely scenario. Boat is second, and on foot/bicycle to our summer house 75 miles north is also a doable option.

This would be an excellent excercise, since all my plans need a lot of refinement.

Depending on the typical disasters in your locale, just bugging out a matter of miles might be the typical scenario for many so the base camp idea is a sound one. I don't live in hurricane country, where you might need to travel quite a distance to escape the immediate danger zone. For flooding, it might not be very far at all to higher ground. Or in my neck of the woods, wildfires might mean just driving a mile or two to get away from danger.

I still have this image in my mind of visiting a friend in West Hollywood, smack in the middle or dense, urban territory, and looking down the street at a wildfire raging just a mile or so away on a low hill. Big flames and smoke were shooting up (luckily no wind, so just straight up) into the air. Everyone else was pretty much just carrying on as usual, driving around and walking along the sidewalk. I guess we were all safe even so close to the fire, so just getting a mile away was enough in this particular case. With the wildfires we had last fall, it was often the same thing--just drive a few miles away and sit in some parking lot until they let you back in.

I guess many of these recent flood victims are in a similar situation. They might not have had to go far, but they could be stuck for days in parking lots waiting until they can get back to their homes.

Well, I'm focussing on a vehicle based bug out, which I'm not sure you're really as interested in as much as walking out, so I'd pick more stuff to haul than you probably.

last time we had fires, I just went to the beach...I felt pretty safe there and had a great time...You sat in a parking lot?? And you could've been at the beach?? Crazy person!

Heh-heh, no I didn't have to evacuate from the wildfires. Maybe I should've, though, and hung out at the beach. That smoke got pretty darn thick on some days where I was. It's spooky when it's pretty dark outside at midday because the sun is blotted out by the smoke.

Do you have kids? I ask because I have 4 under the age of 5 (I know, big surprise for someone from Utah!), and I find it hard to have enough diapers, clothes, entertainment items (3 days with no toys and mom and dad will be insane), etc. I've thought about rubbermaid tubs to carry everything in, but that would pretty much force me to drive right to a base camp and stay there. I can't do packs for them as they are too small to carry anything other than a few toys. My only solution so far has been hope to drive there or have 2 insanely heavy packs for me and DW to carry. Hope I'm not hijacking the thread, but any ideas would be appreciated!

Just out of curiosity, what's the likelihood of you having to bug out to a tent in the woods versus a hotel in another town?

My family loves to camp and is good at it, but in 99% of the bug-out situations I can imagine we are either heading to a hotel or the home of a friend/family member. Our BOBs are set up accordingly.

Sidenote: we do have emergency shelter/food/water/cooking gear in both vehicles, but that's for very short term situations.

-Blast

Yeah arney, the beach winds pretty much get rid of some of the smoke, when i was driving to school during the fires, we went through Del Mar and it had mega high winds and was totally dark (at mid-day) and I thought that that is what the end of the world would be like, did I mention there were no people? Still_Alive, maybe you could just have a small pack of toys and stuff that goes with however you carry your kids (Stroller or what not) it would be useful to know how you plan on carrieng them along...

MY BOB is set up to let me grab it and go forage. It lacks water, but if I cna find water, I should be set for a good number of days, without relying on anything else. Food will become a concern, soon enough, but my BOB should allow me to try to obtain some food. But, the BOB is a just a bag, a bag for me to grab and go RIGHT NOW or as soon as I can get to it. (My EDC I envision as a really poor BOB, to keep me going until I get to my BOB or to allow me to forego getting it, if need be.)

If I have time, i.e. if the hurricane is coming to NYC and I get an hour to decide whether to leave or not, then I can pack the car and take more things. And trust me, I plan on it. I plan on taking a heck of a lot more food and water, and some more comfort items and clothes. But all that will not take me long to get together. Much of it is already in the in apt. cache.

As with Blast, my plans are to head to a hotel or a home at which I am welcome (Hi Mom and Dad). My BOB is really for when I am not yet there. If I can get there, much of it might be redundant.

The plans get more complicated with children. For those 3-5, then can carry something. Let them carry some toys. Put toys in a small bag, for in case, and let them stay there. Make that bag, the special place for each of them to keep the favorite toys. If you kids are carrying their entertainment, then they are helping big time. If it comes time to bug, then make it part of an adventure. It worked well for the character in "Life if Beautiful." Don't forget also, an empty box is a great toy. Kids have imagination, esp. when younger. Age stifles imagination.