This spins off of the many BOB and weight-of-BOB threads.

Let's say you've got your home BOB all put together and ready to go. A few months later the disaster hits. You grab your BOB and run out the door just as the building is burning/collapsing/flooding around you. You make it to the sidewalk 3 seconds before the building turns to ashes/rubble/aquarium.

Where do you go now, and how do you get there? Do you expect that you can get to your vehicle if you have one? Do you think you can use it? Do you think that the roads/bridges/etc. will be passable? Do you have enough fuel to get to wherever, and/or do you think you can get more? Did these types of questions influence your choice of vehicle when you bought it?

In my own private, personal opinion, when the authorities order an evacuation, and you see trouble coming, be it a hurricane or whatever, I would get out while I could.

That means I would bug out while the gas stations are open and the roads are passable, and take my pets with me.

-- Craig

I totally agree with you. This is the same common sense people apply when heavy thunderstorms hit their area. Shut down your computer! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> The rest doesn't matter though, you can leave everything else on... <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Every scenario is different, therefore the gear we will carry will be different and our means of transportation will be different. Prepare for as many situations as you can think of, from a few days lead time and a full vehicle, to SHTF in an instant with a pack on your back and a mountain bike.

These are excellent questions, and I'm happy to say that you have the answers. Unfortunately, they depend on your particular area and probable disaster, so I can only guess what the answers are.

In my area, the big problem is earthquakes. My wife and I have two "assembly" areas where we'll meet depending on what roads/railroads were destroyed, with ham and GMRS radios to help insure contact. We assume roads and bridges will be down and impassable. As a result, we assume fires will not be fought, looters will not be repulsed -- much as in New Orleans.

We fill our gas tanks when they hit half empty, but we assume we'll be stuck here for at least a week. If we're not stuck here, we can hit the road that's open. We assume no stores will have power, thus no gas, no food, no purchases of any kind within a 50 to 75 mile radius. (Your mileage will vary, as they say. We expect earthquake damage to be more localized than hurricanes, but we are also prepared to be disappointed.) We expect motels, restaurants, and large parking lots to be filled to overflowing in the surrounding areas as evacuees run out of gas, steam, and money.

I _used_ to think that staying here would be better than getting on the road and getting into traffic fights with would-be evacuees because this is where the relief efforts would be coming. Hmm.... . Maybe I'll just add more food and water and hope for the best.

We live in southwest Florida....while we did not sustain the direct hit from Charley...we are just south of Punta Gorda...we were hit with some nasty stuff. My wife and the kids were home while I was at work. We had planned to shelter in place. Things were very rough but managable. When we realized that we were going to be without power for more than a day or two, we decided that it would be best for my wife and kids to go to her parents in Miami (they had electricity). We've seen both sides. Both have benefits and drawbacks.

This isn't going to sound too great, but plan on having to walk. If you still have access to a vehicle (AND clear roads), consider it a blessing.

That means keeping the ruck light enough to carry some miles, and keep a walking stick of some kind by it. The stick will have multiple uses in any case.

Good post!

It made me realize I live by 3 bridges on one lake/river and if all 3 were damaged/destroyed completely I would have a LONG detour to get to where I`d like to go. I am going to have to replan my bug-out location, and possibly extra fuel storage.

Bug out vehicle, highly modified jeep w/trailer w/quad on it, and if roads are good F250 Diesel with trailer jeep on trailer, quad in the back.

I take my BOB camping and each time I want something from the camp supplies that's 'required' or 'highly needed' I think to myself does my BOB have this? And i`ve had to dip into the BOB med. supplys camping recently so I use and update/replenish my BOB constantly. My sleeping gear in the BOB is a nice parachute silk hammock I have used camping and is nice but not warm.

The jeep, truck, and small box for the quad will have enough food to last 2 people for 7 days. (This may seem like a lot but when thinking in terms of Datrex and some candy it's really not much at all!) Also have wool blankets, wool socks, beanies, etc. Enough to stay warm for atleast a week. (This is ontop the BOB).

Everyones situation will be different, and everyones locational situation can be different too. For instance if my bridges are out I may change my BOL (Bug-Out Location) to someplace more west than I had planned. Etc.

I guess what I`m saying is to plan multiple bug-out plans because you are never going to know what is going to happen.

Great post.

This is the type of question I been asking myself recently, but more along the lines, what if the disaster were to happen when I'm at work.

I'm 17 km from my home as the crow flies, which is a walkable distance. I normally take the metro, two changes and three trains, home to work about 70-90 minutes. By car when there's no traffic the same journey can take just 30 minutes. I've done it in less but I'll not say how fast I was going at the time. <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

During the last metro strike the journey to work took nearly two hours and closer to two and a half for the return at night. This is a "normal" event, people are upset and frustrated, yes, but it's far removed from a "panic" or evacuation type situation. I can scarcely imagine how I would get home in such an event.

Equally ( denial may be a factor here ) I have difficulty envisaging a panic/evacuation type scenario for the city of Paris. I mean if a terrorist overtaken plane where to crash, what would it crash into. Ok there's the Eiffel Tower, while being tall doesn't hold the people the WTC did. It would be a blow to the country, but would it actually create the same scene as of the WTC. I don't think so. There's little to no chance of volcanic, seismic, tsunami activity in the region so that's not a worry. The Seine has been known to flood in the past and even a few years ago it threatened to be a problem, actually the Seine was allowed to flood higher up the country in order to save Paris. Unfortunate for those living in the Somme region who where worst hit. But that event didn't invoke much concern for the citizens of Paris.

So should I prepare something, gut reactions say yes but what I am I preparing for? Get out of Dodge and get home when whatever scenario hits basically. Again I could just as well hunker down and ride it out, whatever it is. I'd rather try to get home and hope my family get home too and we ride it out from there.

So like I said it's 17km, call it 20km with all the twists, detours and so forth. I've gone to work on the metro as per usual, so all that neat gear is in the car, I've some pretty good stuff in my briefcase, thanks to many posts on the subject. So in short in order to bug out to home I got to walk and lug my briefcase and gear with me. Now while I do carry all this stuff with me, taking a metro is one thing carrying it on foot for said distance is altogether something else.

So do I put together a bug out bag at work with a good pair of hiking shoes, and raincoat / poncho.

What else?

For your info I EDC the following:

On my person:
Wallet = cash, credit cards, space pen, 2 sheet of write in the rain.
Knife Eickhorn PRT
SAK Tinker
Small pocket knife Smith and Wesson "Pocket Protector" ( this lives in the same pouch as the SAK)
Nuwai QIII or Surefire E1e
Bic lighter.

In my Briefcase:
Doug's PSP with photon II
Leatherman PST
Streamlight TT2L
100ft of 550 Paracord
Small FSK
2 x 500ml water bottles
2 x energy bars
2 x Match safes with lifeboat and strike anywhere matches
Maps, street of Paris and large scale for surrounding area.

Keychain:
Leatherman micra
Aluminium Whistle
Arc AAA
P38
Keys.
Blue Glowring

I'm probably short in some areas, but isn't building your kit an ongoing process. <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

A small power inverter is an inexpensive option as well.