I agree. Unless Red-Dawn-the-movie or The-Walking-Dead-the-TV-show becomes true, I can't see running out to the woods to eat grubs and things as being a viable option. It sounds romantic, well, kind of, but that's pretty much a fairy tale. As much as I enjoy the wilderness, all my survival gear is aimed at getting me out of it, not into it.

I remember a talk with my father many years ago and it sort of relates to this topic.
We were having Big Time Civil Unrest( PC for RIOTS) very close by, ie under 10 mi.
I had just started backpacking a year or two before.
Well Dad said he was ready to send me camping if the Disturbance had continued another day. The local Authorities clamped down Hard and
reasonably fast I think (2day's trouble IIRC). In today's world I do not think
the disturbance would have been quelled as quickly, ie actions taken then are not currently P.C.
The short story was I would have gone camping Sis would have gone to a distant relative Dad and Mom would have stayed home to protect it until
the riot came much closer.
So Bug out to survive, kinda but survive what and for how long ?
Long term, it doesn't really work but you could be forced into it regardless.

The great thing about decent camping gear is the versatility and adaptability they engender. I have a fair amount of gear and I expect I would be using it right in my own back yard when my home collapses into rubble as a result of the Big One. If I need to leave, my gear is light and compact enough that I could take it with me, whatever mode I might adopt. I could then be comfortable in all kinds of situations. I would probably be passing through wilderness, not residing therein.

I have spent enough time in wilderness and isolated areas to realize that talk of "bugging out" for any prolonged time is romantic nonsense and fantasy, especially without support.

We may not PLAN to bug out into the wild, but reemember that we may FIND OURSELVES STUCK in the wild. That is what survival situations are all about.

In my case, I have no ineterest to be " in the wild" except for short camping trips, but I have been stuck in the desert sometimes ago, and it was not fun. I better learn a thing or two about dealing with such situation.

In a military situation, IR will reveal you if you are being looked for. Walking around at night or a fire - you be found.

I plan to bug in. If I have to, I can cache items that may be "contraband" near the house. Close enough to get to, not close enough that they can link them to me. And pretty much, unless someone is really looking closely, the stuff won't be found.

And if the Zombie Applesauce happens, I'll be on the roof with a scoped .22 and a tally sheet.

Probably what is currently going down in Boston, which brings up the problem of being able to bug out during a 'Lock Down'.

Been there. A friend and I once had our flight to Shreveport LA diverted to New Orleans. (Mechanical issues.) We decided to rent a car and drive rather than wait for the next flight. When we finally made it to Shreveport LA we couldn't find a room. No hurricane or anything, just a huge festival going on. A motel in Texarkana told us that every hotel and motel within a few hour radius was sold out. He suggested we head into Texas to find something. We gave up around 2 am. After driving all day an night, we ended up sleeping really uncomfortably in the rental car. Not an emergency, by any means, but I would given all my money for a tent and an air mattress.

IR camouflage clothing is quite inexpensive, such as IRR MoD Genuine issue Smock and Trousers and most IR detection equipment is based on image intensity technology not true Thermal IR using bolometer technology. i.e. movement would be based on the same daylight tactical movement. i.e using cover and stay in the shadows from the cast starlight (unless active IR LED or LASER emitters are used)

Thermal IR using Bolometer is a different story but a wool blanket backed with disruptive pattern mylar cut outs of different thicknesses could be very useful

^^This. it's not high on my list but it's on there.

More likely for us, IMO, is the threat posed by the two nuclear reactors in our area, along with a major national highway and railway, and a tonne of industry. (I.e. I drive by the Oshawa GM plant on the way to work.) A chemical or nuclear accident are our main bug-out scenarios, other than a house fire, local gas leak, etc.

In the event of a local evacuation, we'd be looking to head out of town, and expect that many others would too. We wouldn't be heading to the hills, but plan to stay with relatives out of town. (Which direction we go depends on the prevailing winds at the time.) Being setup to camp out in the back yard could go a long way to ease the tensions that could arise in that scenario. .

I also think that there's a strong likelihood of mass panic in those scenarios. That could effect how far and how fast we can get to one of our BOLs by vehicle. I imagine every hotel and motel between here and our BOLs would either be evacuated too or sell out quickly. Being setup to camp along the way gives us more options.

I completely agree. However, what I wanted to explore here are the scenarios where one would purposefully leave their home / community and head out to the wilderness.