Well and thoughtfully said! Thank you for bringing the TEOTWAKI sterotype into perspective. I think that there are always scenarios that would require relocation / retreat / fleeing to the hills / going over the river and through the woods to grandma's house etc. In all of these scenarios you might be moving along the highways adn 60 mph with clear road - or you might be moving on foot because the roads are a total congestion of the masses all going in one direction on a highway system that is designed to carry only a fraction of those individuals in any one directon. If you are moving in a mass evacuation scenario the possibility of social instability is higher due to the stress of the incident / impending storm / etc combined with the frustration of road-rage X 10. In any such scenario it might be wise to move somewhat off the beaten path both to stay out of the social instability and to move faster without the crowd. Having gotten to this point it is easy to see that some well placed caches would help. If you live on a coast or in a similar geography where you know your escape route is always going to be in a specific direction then the number and placement of the caches is fairly predictable. If you are the well supplied SUV stuck on the interstate with the masses when the third day of traffic jam occurs and people realize that they are hungry then you become a target. OTOH, if you are on a bicycle strolling up or riding up the shoulder and you have nothing other than your clothes they needn't know that you have a fully supplied cache with shelter and food for the night just up the road and just out of sight.