I am in complete agreement with Tom, We as members of our community, be it our professions or just our survivor mentality on this site, Should do all we can to help when needed. The thought of sitting on a mountain top watching my steak cook over an open fire while families are starving and going thru hell would more than likely be something I could not live with. On the other hand taking my time and money to prepare for a crisis only to watch someone hand it away in front of me leaving me no better off than the guy who sat and mocked me for my preperations doesnt sit well either.

I agree with the idea of helping others, however never forget to take care of yourself first... you cannot help others if you are a victim yourself.

I think that who ever seen a evacuation center and have got the abillity to shelter on his own and/or has pets will choose the hills or something alike.
For example here at Germany you´re not allowed to bring your pets to the evac-shelters and the shelters are underequipped and no more state-of-the-art anymore in nearly all cases, even to the end of the cold war the wheren´t in a better state!

My wife and I we´ve choosen a bug-out-place outside the city in the very rual environment for the case we aren´t able to shelter in place.

Molf

VERY well said... I agree 100%

Troy

personally, I think that I would be headed for the hills. I don't live very far from a national forest that is sparsely populated to begin with and I could be there in about 4 hours without heading down a major (4 lane) highway more that 2 or 3 miles at the most. I have a bad habit of taking sideroads on trips just to learn where they go.

That's not a bad habit... it's called free-range navigation practice <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Troy

Well when you go to school on a old military base they call it endangering your personal safety and ticket you. <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

"I have much more confidence in:
1. My ability to shelter in place.
2. The hospitality of friends and family outside the disaster area...
3. The ability of common people to come together to overcome mutual obstacles... Am I naive?"

Actually, I think yours is one of the more realistic plans.

First, as has been mentioned before, survival is a group sport. Anyone who thinks it's easy to survive, eat, and guard your "stuff" 24/7 has been watching too much TV. Your judgment on EVERYTHING is going into the toilet after a day or two without sleep.

Second, the "head for the hills" plan isn't taking in the big picture. If there's a big disaster (even localized), EVERYONE will be heading for the hills that didn't check into the local emergency shelter. Even if those hills were empty to start (& they aren't), it's sure going to get CROWDED up there, with every man, woman, child, brother and dog. It's going to look like a popular no-fee campground on a holiday weekend. Game? Forget it! The game will be long gone, for one reason or another.

Third, you simply can't take all that much with you. Sure, it's fun to think about a scenario like that, but I strongly suspect that the reality of living in the cold or wet without a shelter and without a set end to it will get really old, really fast.

OTOH, what if you formed a group with your neighbors, decided on a perimeter that you could feasibly protect, rotate the guard, and combine assets?

I know which I would prefer, no doubt about it.

BTW, if you haven't been paying attention, the National Parks & Forests are where the pot farmers are growing their crop. Unless you're really wood-wise, you may not even know they're there before you've got a bullet in your chest.

The old, wide-open wild west is gone, guys. Better have a backup plan.

Sue

I respectfully disagree.

If you must "bug out" the LAST place you want to go is a national park. This would be the equivalent of jumping from the pan into the fire. Imagine getting out of Nawleans to evade a hurricane, and going to a much more expsed place - a national park.

I truly cannot think of any bug-out situation where you would be better off in the wilderness.

IMHO having a designated place to go, and a plan to get there, is a much more viable solution.

As far as friends and neighbors as part of your plan...

Well, how many of YOUR neighbors would think you crazy until SHTF day, then decide they and you are best buddies? I tend to think the majority would. Otherwise, why do we need a SPECIAL site in order to discuss these topics?

Any idea how much that would cost?

-- Craig