I've been absent from posting on the forum for some time; I’ve endeavored a bit of worthy lurking here and in other forums, and enjoying the beautiful outdoors these past months. Now I have some questions:

Many who are attempting to become prepared for various emergency life-disrupting scenarios will have different needs. I'm not referring to the basics, like FAKs and PSKs, but in strategies and pre-planning. City dwellers will have different needs from those in urban and those in rural areas. My concerns are not at-home preparedness, but more related to being displaced.

For those of us who have followed this line of thought (and pre-planning) many have identified different locations as "safe-spots". These may be a friend or family member's home, a cabin or second home or maybe a cache where one may stay a few days or weeks in the woods.

So my questions are: for those of you who know you can get out of a populated area without being locked in by gridlock (city dwellers will have a tough time) how many miles do anticipate traveling, what are your methods of transport? What have you considered as “safe location” options?

The effects of Hurricane Rita on Houston showcased for us the futility of trying to get out of a city when a disaster has been predicted. Sidenote: the 3.5 million who did leave couldn't find a hotel or motel ANYWHERE in Texas!! You NEED to have a place to go if you are going to leave!

If somehow we are faced with a similar situation and can by the grace of God get out our "plan A" is to drive about 150 miles to friends in Austin, Texas. "Plan B" is to drive 1,200 miles to my folks up in Minnesota. We have friends between here and there, but if things get that bad my folk's place definately will be worth the trip.

Our bugout vehicle is a 2005 Honda Pilot and it's pretty awesome. Good gas milage (~19 mpg), good horsepower, and a large amount of storage space. I've even determined it has some off-road capabilities <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />. It has a bike rack capable of carrying up to four bikes, which, depending on the nature of the bugout, would be brought along as secondary escape vehicles.

Between DW and me we've lived in seven states all across the USA and still have friends/family in all of them. Bugging out to friends or family is definately the first choice. Trying to set up a secure site for my family "in the woods" would be a wasted effort. If it came to that I'd more likely try to set up something in our neighborhood storm sewers if hiding from other people/mutant zombies/killer tripods from space was required.

-Blast

I live far enough inland that I don't worry about bugging out from a hurrucane, but your mention of all the hotels in TX being full sparked a thought: Were all the campgrounds full also?

I'm not sure how the offical campgrounds (parks and KOA's, etc) did. I don't think they got a lot of business especially if they were off the main evacuation routes. Plus, it was over 100F and a hurricane was coming. Not the best time to be in a tent. <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

However, a lot of people were sleeping in their cars in parking lots, fields and alongside the road. I suspect most didn't have any camping gear, didn't know where campgrounds were, or the whole idea of camping was so foreign to them that it never even occurred to them to look for a spot.

-Blast

My BOV is a 2004 Chevy Silverado 4x4. 19mpg x 26 gallon tank and my parents farm is 250miles away so I can make it there on just over 1/2 tank. We have kind of practiced bugging out by loading up all the camping gear and heading for the farm and camping out a couple nights once so far. Were going again this weekend, I have to work 12 hour days all this week and we have to be at a bridal shower at 2 so that leaves me very little time to pack. I keep all our gear on the shelves in my garage so they are ready to go. Have a couple 2 gallon jugs of distilled water for drinking, two 7 galloin jugs of water for washing, bag with the tent, bag with an air mattress, sheets, lanterns and batteries, the portable grill and accessories, chain saw, etc just toss them in, grab some clothes and hit the road. In fact I was just checking my inventory spreadhseet:
Duffel Bag
Air mattress and pump
AA Battery Lanterns (2)
Sheets
Dirty Clothes bag
Grocery bags for trash
spare batteries
seam sealer
Coleman Grill 2 Go
Picnic Basket
Cooking utinsiles, pans, knives, cutting boards
2) 1lb propane tanks
regulator.valve
hose to connect the 25lb tank
plastic silverware and napkins
bag of leftover condiments
plastic plates and cups
tent bag
tent, poles, fly, tarp
water jugs
am/fm/cd battery radio

That question makes me wonder- just how much stronger (or not) is an RV compaired to a trailer?

If you had the money, and RV would be a perfect BOV, but thier handling is snow is way past sucking from what I've seen. But if it's as likely to go to Oz as a "mobile home", I'm not sure it would be worthwhile.

"...just how much stronger (or not) is an RV compaired to a trailer?"

One of my brother's dimwitted girlfriends drove her cabover camper under a low bridge. The only word that described that mess was "shattered". I don't know how much better a trailer would be, but if it's low and loaded, maybe it could get along okay. Besides, if you lose your primary mode of transportation (motorhome in a major windstorm, for instance), you're stuck. Lose your trailer and you could probably still go on.

Sue

Good. *evil smile* I have relatives I really don't like who's plan is to load the RV and go until they get to a good spot and park it.

I know, I'm supposed to be bigger than that, but I really, really don't like them.

That is a very valid point. I have often thought how I would get out of Phoenix, which is tough to get out of on a weekend. If there were an emergency requiring an evacuation, the roads would be almost impossible. Then again, it could be impractical to stay if things like power were out for very long, It sometimes gets up to 118 degrees and without air conditioning, survival is tough.
Walking is not a very good option either. Personally, my plan is to move out of the city to a small town where it is seldom over 90 degrees and there are plenty of places to camp, stay or survive.
I guess the good news on Phoenix is that we have not had hurricanes, tornados, major floods and there is not much to burn for very long. My reason for wanting to leave has more to do with being tired of the heat after 40 years and wanting to go someplace more interesting. I am retiring in a few years:)

62 miles to a safe location. Toyota Tacoma towing a Lifted pop-up camper, Jeep XJ Cherokee built for major off road towing a Utility trailer with quads and dirt bikes, Pontiac Montana AWD with airbag lift system.

Location has perenial water, game and controllable access. Most of our Bug out supplies are already loaded or stacked in bins in the garage ready to load. Stocks are regularly rotated or vacuum sealed with desicants for long life.

I always have an escape contingency in mind, but there are only a few situations where I would want to run: toxic spill (which would hopefully be temporary) and a large-scale fire/firestorm.

I have a Ford Ranger with two gas tanks and a camper shell (canopy). The gas would get me about 400 miles. I have friends about 300 miles away, if I had to leave this area.

But for most situations likely to come up around here, escape would not be advisable, or maybe even possible. It's really hard to take off with enough supplies for TEOTWAWKI conditions. And like it or not, there isn't likely to be any place out in the "wilderness" that other people wouldn't have already staked out as theirs. Even if it really is yours. If it's a widespread kind of disaster, you might want to be realistic and not try to depend on local game, because there won't be any. The population density of America has changed considerably from the 1800's.

Ironraven, a friend of mine says she likes to be "mature" in her thinking. When it comes to relatives that I don't like, I run closer to John Steinbeck's way of thinking: "If I were hungry, I would happily hunt anything that runs or crawls or flies, even relatives, and tear them down with my teeth." (John Steinbeck, Travels With Charley)

<img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Sue

I?ve arranged two bugout places as our city is divided west to east by a wide stream. One shelter is in the north-east and one is in the south of the city (My office is in the eastern outskirts. My wifes favorite weekend recreational area is in the southern outskirts (river has to be crossed)). So it doesn?t matter where we are, we can reach one of our bugout places without crossing the river.

Both are approx. 80 kilometers from our house in the city.

I?ve to commute to the office by car. My wife sometimes works honorary at out local animal shelter and commutes to it by public transportation (New experience to her!) <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

We own bicycles and big wheeled motor-scooters (located at our city house) which can be used do get through the gridlock.
An additional bicycle is stocked inside my office-bug-out-"kit".

I?ve considered our bugout places "safe" because:
- they are at least 25m above sea level (the city?s located near the sea)
- located in rual/woodland enviroment with only a few residents
- have a small cabin
- ... and a hidden underground shelter
- afford a well of fossil water (avoid contamination)
- ... and a pound (one is a half hekta and the is a bit over one hekta in size)
- provide several hekta of own property (hunting, wood gathering, farming...)

... decadent? maybe ... <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Molf
- omnia mea mecum porto -

"...who's plan is to load the RV and go until they get to a good spot and park it."

Fortunately I don't live in hurricane or tornado country and that is exactly my plan should I need to bugout. I have a 19' trailer loaded with 2 weeks of food, water, and gear, and thousands of empty square miles in all directions. If the trailer gets stuck or breaks down, or I need to leave the road, I can always drop the trailer and proceed in my truck or on ATV's.

"I run closer to John Steinbeck's way of thinking: "If I were hungry, I would happily hunt anything that runs or crawls or flies, even relatives, and tear them down with my teeth." (John Steinbeck, Travels With Charley) "


Remind me not to bug out with Susan, unless I take along a slow friend.... hehe

*ties joel's hamstrings together*

I'll admit it, I have a distinctive gimp. So I cheat. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Welcome back. Thanks for your good threads and thoughts, both on and off the forum.

I'm in a tough spot as far as bugging out goes, but I have given it thought. I'm in Chicago on the north side, but my best retreat location is with family in rural southern Indiana. Chances are good that in many cases, heading immediately south would be an impossibility. I'd probably have to head west or northwest initially, then work my way south and back east. It would not be pretty, as I have small kids, so sheltering-in-place would be extended as long as possible, but I'd have to preserve enough resources to take with us for what might be a very long journey.

My guess is that if a large-scale disaster were to occur, traffic would flow for about 10 minutes, then every major and semi-major road out of town would be littered with wrecked and stalled cars. I figure unless it's a substantial NBC attack, I'd probably be best served by staying put for an initial period of a couple days then heading out. I'm more prepared than most here and wouldn't be as inclined to panic and run.

To answer your question specifically, I'd be driving a Honda CR-V 4WD (w/ a roofrack and carrier to be added shortly to hold my camping gear). If I had a straight shot, it would be roughly 200 miles, 4.5 hours. If I had to jog west, it could end up being another 50 miles and potentially an additional day or more.