Selecting long-term bug out locations

I'm in the process of picking potential locations for a long-term bug out scenario. Luckily I have plenty of BLM and USFS land to pick from and I'm already in a rural area compared to folks in big cities. First choice would be to shelter in place unless evacuation seemed like a better choice.

Doing a little brainstorming, here's what I've come up with:

* Various locations near and far. The spots close to home within walking/biking distance. The spots farther away reachable by vehicle.

* Avoiding busy & known (such as campground) areas if at all possible.

* Water source nearby (river, creek, springs, etc.).

* Protection from the weather and prying eyes (no open slopes, etc.).

* Bug out locations to the North / East / South / West to assist if roads or bridges are blocked.

Any other suggestions welcome! I'm hoping someone else has gone through the same brainstorming session and can give me a few ideas.

This reminds me it sure would be nice to have a "cabin in the woods" relatively close by.

A slight south-facing slope would be good in cold weather.

Check out the amount of poison oak, etc.

Accessibility. If you can't get there by motorized vehicle, you may have to use a wagon or something.

Sue

i would find a place i knew like the back of my hand..trying
to bug out into unknown space would be a waste of time..if
you really felt that you need to abandon your home and had
BML land close enought to walk into i would find some spots
NOW and cut and stack wood and bury supplys as far away from
roads as i could walk in 5 or 6 hours on a "marked" but hidden
trail...if you are out of a city thats a good start..some of
the older outdoor books give tips on a "masked camp"..you
might want to look those up..
reading back over this i would make several supply spots
spaced out and hidden as travel might be hard to your first
choice.....

If picking your spot in the summer, try real hard to visualize what the route in (and the spot itself) will look like in the winter. Any little dry ditches now that might be wide and flowing after a heavy rain? Any "widow maker" trees on a slope above that might come crashing down at just the wrong time once covered with a load of the dreaded white stuff? Also, scout around for at least four or five miles in all directions, trying to make sure that you don't already have some unwanted neighbors...

I am very blessed that I will inheret about 100 acres in WV. Probably half of that is trees and half is pasture and hay fields. I have about 250 miles of which about 200 miles are highway to get there. I plan to eventually build myself a small cabin there.
Anyway on to your brainstorming. I see state/national parks/forests as stopping points along the way if needed. My reasoning is short term any staff is going to just lock the gate and head home but if the event stretches out then your going to have to deal with others who have the same ideas or the maintenance staff coming back. So I don't see them as long term options, more a resting place for some sleep or refilling the water jugs and such but then moving on.
I do keep a map with all theose locations in my truck as well as maps of each park/forest. Since my main bug out route goes in a zig zaz path along the highways if something were to happen and I need to take back roads I have started mapping out alternate routs and started visiting those parks and forests to get familiar with the roads and areas there. this also lets me get outdoors some and practice a little bit of skills and test some of my gear. I've found that some of the parks and forests have gated entrances and some do not. So little details like that may help if some event happens. I make these weekend family outings as practice bug out situations.

One of the questions that should be considered is exactly how do you define a long term bug out vs displacement, and do you want to factor in TEOTWAWKI theories?

To me, bugging out to a remote area, where there is no one for miles, is pretty silly. If it turns into a displacement, then sure, you've got a place to sleep, but you are also miles away from anything that resembles even emergency employment. What is good for zombies and terrorists seizing control of space based death rays isn't so good for a case where your old job isn't even a foundation any more, they think they found the company's owner but only from the shoulders down, and your apartment is drift wood. :P

Thanks for the tips and ideas, keep 'em coming!

In reality, TEOTWAWKI scenarios are probably pretty slim for me. Well, short of Kim Jong-il tossing a few missiles in this direction.

I guess I'm looking at this more from an evacuation standpoint. If a massive natural disaster (flood, fire, earthquake) was to occur, or a man-made disaster (dirty bomb, accidental chemical release) it would be nice to have specific locations picked out ahead of time to bug out to. Likewise for friends and family, so that they knew where to head and meet up.

Then again, heading for the hills brings its own dangers such as meth heads and pot farmers. Neither of which would be very happy with visitors...

I guess my next question is, who would be expecting you?

It's one thing to be an utterly and completely homeless refugee. It's another to be able to have a place to go. Maybe talk a friend into letting you camp over his garage until you can get stable again? Or maybe a grown child you can guilt into letting you sleep on the couch for a week?

"...If a massive natural disaster (flood, fire, earthquake) was to occur, or a man-made disaster (dirty bomb, accidental chemical release) it would be nice to have specific locations picked out ahead of time..."

Biggest problem, as I see it, is predicting where this disaster is going to occur, which way the wind will be blowing at the time, which part of the earthquake fault did what, what Mother Nature will be doing during each season, etc. Not knowing that, one would have to have several (or a lot) locations pre-picked. Pretty soon it could become a deal of telling all the family to head to spot 13Q or something. Hard to remember and keep track of. And on top of that are those pot farmers...

I agree, and let me add to that.

Avoid Flood Plains. Many dangerous Flood Plains are not obvious.
Start identifying Flood Plains in your area. Start learning
how much area the drainage has. You will then be training
yourself to identify them by sight or on a map. Flood records
are another resource.

If you are evacuating, to escape a Hurricane, then you would want
to find high ground. For example, you relocate from Florida to
the foot hills of Georgia at an elevation of 200 feet. That may
be a high ground relative to Florida and storm (sea) surge.
But is it LOCAL high ground? If you are in a mountain valley,
i.e. a Flood Plain, you still may be in trouble.

This applies, whether you are in a secret camping spot, the
house of a relative, or a Wall-Mart parking lot.

BTW, it is common for a hurricanes to generate heavy rain for
inland areas, I think.

Avoiding flood plains is easier said than done sometimes. Some places have seen two or more "once a century" floods in ten or twelve years. So what on paper seems like it should be "high ground" could be part of the river. Particularly if the river has undermined an area.

If you have a street name/town, check the flood risk by going to the NFIP (National Flood Insurance Program) site at http://www.floodsmart.gov/floodsmart/static/landing1.jsp?WT.mc_id=FEMA_Google1&WT.srch=1

Type in the address and it will give you a general assessment. Very general, but it does give you a risk level.

Sue

http://hazards.fema.gov/ also gives some useful data on flood areas, as well as multiple other hazards that may be of interest (including critical infrastructure locations, etc.).

I find a topo map and town records works better. :P

Thanks for the links! Will check them out...

Isolation carries its own risks. Don't discount the value of people giving one another mutual aid.

Good luck!

Frank2135

Good point; if anything, this is a fun mental exercise and gives me an excuse to go play in the woods.

Thinking more about it, I might stick to identifying good evacuation routes first, and throw a few potential bug out locations in for good measure.

Without a location, a long term bug out means you've become a refugee. Sorry, a "displaced person"- I don't think the first world is allowed to have refugees.

All of my Bug Out locations (possibilities) are long term. My plans allow for ranges/distances to be covered as in a stepping-stone fashion. The only short term location is my home, for Bugging In.

Home
1) Has all of my current supplies (will be changing that fact soon). 2) Is dependent on utilities being supplied within a couple of weeks. 3) Has limited defensive possibilities. 4) Has extremely limited food production possibilities. 5) Within an urban area easily controlled by Local, State, and/or Federal governments. 6) A shelter is available with some effort to convert.

Location Alpha (located 35 miles west of Home)
1) All remaining supplies have to be transported to this location (at the present time). 2) Has a source of water (which will have to be treated before using); Has an area that sewage can be dumped, There is access to some fuel to run the generator. 3) Has good defensive possibilities with some effort (earth moving machinery and relatives are on site). 4) Has 4.5 acres of plantable land for food production. 5) Within an uncorporated village, largely out of sight. 6) Limited shelter on site, additional shelter will have to be built.

Location Bravo (locaterd 350 miles North of Location Alpha)
1) All remaining supplies have to be transported to this location. 2) Has a good clean source of water; Has an area that sewage can be dumped, There is access to some fuel to run the generator. 3) Has very good defensive possibilities with little effort. 4) Has many acres of plantable land in multiple locations within a reasonable distance, for food production (earth moving machinery and relatives are within 5 mile radius). Wild game and fish are plentiful and closeby. 5) Within a mountainous area, out of sight and out of most minds (County population of 6,000 persons). 6) Abandoned mine that can be occupied and made comfortable, provides deep shelter.

Location Charlie (located 200 miles North of Location Bravo)
1) All remaining supplies have to be transported to this location. 2) Has a good clean source of water; Has an area that sewage can be dumped, There is access to some fuel to run the generator. 3) Has good defensive possibilities with some effort (earth moving machinery and extremely close friends within 200 yards radius). 4) Has many acres of plantable land in multiple locations within a reasonable distance, for food production (cultivating machinery is nearby). Wild game and fish are plentiful and closeby. Goats, cattle, and chickens are on site or nearby. 5) Within a hilly area, out of sight and out of most minds. 6) Housing is on site and there is an abandoned house nearby that could be made habitable. A shelter is available with some effort to convert.

Covering the distances involved poses the single largest problem since little or no warning of an impending Nuke or EMP event can be expected. Pre-1972 transportation capabilities will have to be procured.

At this time, I am observing the following conditions:
DefCon 2(CBR) / ThreatCon 2(Terrorist) / HurrCon 5(seasonal)

My preps are up-to-date although I still keep finding little things to do and/or get, to improve things. I am sleeping good at night because I am as prepared as I can possibly be and am confident that I can provide for my family in any event. That's why I prepare for the worst, which is less likely to occur.