What if you have to bug out? Having an emergency escape or evacuation plan is essential in any survival scenario.
Most people have no plan at all. They will be sitting on their butts watching TV while you are (or should be) in your car getting out of dodge, putting yourself way ahead of the masses. Of course you are already ahead of the masses if you are reading this.
Reasons To Evacuate
Now is the time to starting thinking of reasons or circumstances that would require you to evacuate. Look at last years fires in Colorado, they are burning up with wild fires. If there are fires burning in your area and the wind shifts, you could be in big trouble really fast. Don’t wait, like many did until the flames are burning at your backyard fence before you decide to pack up and leave, it could be too late. The time to leave is well in advance of the circumstance. Hear are different scenarios that may require you to leave and prepare for such as:
- Fires
- Floods
- Hurricanes
- Train Wrecks that could have chemical spills or fire
- Factory or plant explosion
- Civil Unrest
- Terror Attacks
Have a plan in your head and on paper of what you would do in any given situation. Each situation may require a different plan. Think it through and plan it out now. Kind of like when you are on a plane, the flight attendant is pointing out all the exits and talking about your seat as a flotation device and that oxygen could pop from the over head. They are explaining all this to you to put it in your mind of what to do in case of an emergency. Sadly most ignore the instructions, however, if you are smart (I know you are cause you are still reading) you listen and develop an escape plan in your head if something were to go wrong on the plane. Same holds true with the possibility of bugging out of your home.
Should I Stay or Go?
Just because there is a emergency situation in your area that is not an automatic indication you need to bug out. You have to look at all the evidence and make an educated decision to stay or leave weighing the risks of each. In case of hurricane, you may be inland enough that it makes safe sense to stay put. Regardless of the situation however, if you wait for someone else to tell you to leave, like if the authorities issuing a mandatory evacuation order, you have waited too long and you will be part of the masses. Always be thinking ahead of the authorities and the masses. If you wait till it is on TV you are with the masses. It may be better to leave and find out you didn’t need to, than leave and be stuck in lines of traffic, or not leave and put yourself and family in danger.
Communication Plan and Meet Up Place
Chances are you may not be at home when an emergency occurs. You also may not have your family together either. Kids may be in school, husband is at work. Have a plan of how to communicate with each, if you can’t get a hold of each other directly, have a number of someone out of the area that you all check in with.
Have a couple of locations of where to meet up as a family. The locations should be easy to get to from your normal routes and you should have at least two separate locations in separate areas in case one area is cut off say with flood water or something.
Different routes
Don’t rely on one road to get you out of dodge. Remember, even though you will be a head of the masses, there will still be people like you heading out. Roads will get jammed quickly. Depending on the disaster, some routes may be unreachable. Today is the day to map out several evacuation routes. Don’t assume any road will be reachable. Look at one route and then ask, if we can’t go that way, how would we go, then map another route. Have paper maps marked out with a highlighter for each potential route. Don’t rely on GPS, depending on the disaster those satellites could be shut down or programmed to take you in the wrong direction.
Plan for unconventional routes in case you can’t escape by auto. Consider walking trails, side roads, leave nothing to chance.
Bug Out Bag:
Check out “Bug Out Bag“ where I talked about items you should have with you at all times that could sustain you for at least 72 hours. Each person and family is different so make sure your bag is designed and packed for your environment and needs.
Where To Go?
If you bug out and don’t know where you are going you have just put yourself at risk as well as joined the masses. Have a plan as to where you will go. It is best to make plans with family or friends that are outside your area so you have some form of safety in being with people you know. Don’t rely on just one place to go to either, their home may be compromised or in the path of the same disaster. So ideally you should make plans with several different family or friends that are in different geographic locations. If you don’t have anyone like that, consider out of the way hotels (best case) or map out potential camping areas. Remember, if you determine that you will have to rough it in a camp your BOB will have to hold supplies for wilderness as well.
As I mentioned in Prepping – The Right Vehicle having the right survival vehicle could also be a part of your bug out plan. Worst case you could survive in or camp very near your SUV if need be.
Have a Plan
Regardless if, when or where you bug out, the most important thing is to have a plan NOW, once the emergency occurs it will be too late and you will be part of the problem not your own solution.
16 Jan 2014
0 CommentsBug Out Plan
Most people have no plan at all. They will be sitting on their butts watching TV while you are (or should be) in your car getting out of dodge, putting yourself way ahead of the masses. Of course you are already ahead of the masses if you are reading this.
Reasons To Evacuate
Now is the time to starting thinking of reasons or circumstances that would require you to evacuate. Look at last years fires in Colorado, they are burning up with wild fires. If there are fires burning in your area and the wind shifts, you could be in big trouble really fast. Don’t wait, like many did until the flames are burning at your backyard fence before you decide to pack up and leave, it could be too late. The time to leave is well in advance of the circumstance. Hear are different scenarios that may require you to leave and prepare for such as:
Have a plan in your head and on paper of what you would do in any given situation. Each situation may require a different plan. Think it through and plan it out now. Kind of like when you are on a plane, the flight attendant is pointing out all the exits and talking about your seat as a flotation device and that oxygen could pop from the over head. They are explaining all this to you to put it in your mind of what to do in case of an emergency. Sadly most ignore the instructions, however, if you are smart (I know you are cause you are still reading) you listen and develop an escape plan in your head if something were to go wrong on the plane. Same holds true with the possibility of bugging out of your home.
Should I Stay or Go?
Just because there is a emergency situation in your area that is not an automatic indication you need to bug out. You have to look at all the evidence and make an educated decision to stay or leave weighing the risks of each. In case of hurricane, you may be inland enough that it makes safe sense to stay put. Regardless of the situation however, if you wait for someone else to tell you to leave, like if the authorities issuing a mandatory evacuation order, you have waited too long and you will be part of the masses. Always be thinking ahead of the authorities and the masses. If you wait till it is on TV you are with the masses. It may be better to leave and find out you didn’t need to, than leave and be stuck in lines of traffic, or not leave and put yourself and family in danger.
Communication Plan and Meet Up Place
Chances are you may not be at home when an emergency occurs. You also may not have your family together either. Kids may be in school, husband is at work. Have a plan of how to communicate with each, if you can’t get a hold of each other directly, have a number of someone out of the area that you all check in with.
Have a couple of locations of where to meet up as a family. The locations should be easy to get to from your normal routes and you should have at least two separate locations in separate areas in case one area is cut off say with flood water or something.
Different routes
Don’t rely on one road to get you out of dodge. Remember, even though you will be a head of the masses, there will still be people like you heading out. Roads will get jammed quickly. Depending on the disaster, some routes may be unreachable. Today is the day to map out several evacuation routes. Don’t assume any road will be reachable. Look at one route and then ask, if we can’t go that way, how would we go, then map another route. Have paper maps marked out with a highlighter for each potential route. Don’t rely on GPS, depending on the disaster those satellites could be shut down or programmed to take you in the wrong direction.
Plan for unconventional routes in case you can’t escape by auto. Consider walking trails, side roads, leave nothing to chance.
Bug Out Bag:
Check out “Bug Out Bag“ where I talked about items you should have with you at all times that could sustain you for at least 72 hours. Each person and family is different so make sure your bag is designed and packed for your environment and needs.
Where To Go?
If you bug out and don’t know where you are going you have just put yourself at risk as well as joined the masses. Have a plan as to where you will go. It is best to make plans with family or friends that are outside your area so you have some form of safety in being with people you know. Don’t rely on just one place to go to either, their home may be compromised or in the path of the same disaster. So ideally you should make plans with several different family or friends that are in different geographic locations. If you don’t have anyone like that, consider out of the way hotels (best case) or map out potential camping areas. Remember, if you determine that you will have to rough it in a camp your BOB will have to hold supplies for wilderness as well.
As I mentioned in Prepping – The Right Vehicle having the right survival vehicle could also be a part of your bug out plan. Worst case you could survive in or camp very near your SUV if need be.
Have a Plan
Regardless if, when or where you bug out, the most important thing is to have a plan NOW, once the emergency occurs it will be too late and you will be part of the problem not your own solution.