Some preppers will decide for personal reasons that they don’t want to be in the suburbs or the city when things go bad, and when that’s the case a good bug out location is key. Actually, having numerous potential bug out locations is imperative. You might have your heart set on a certain BOL, and then when you get there you realize that something has made the location untenable. What do you do then? Things will be crazy, and you don’t just need a plan B, you need a plan C and D and even beyond that.
While I mostly believe that hunkering down in your home is the best course of action, there are situations where a bug out location would be preferable depending on what happens. Some people will also have a strong preference to survive in a wilderness environment away from other people.
Even if you plan on staying at home and surviving whatever we go through there, it would be highly advisable to have the option of a bug out location (or several) that you can depend on if it’s necessary. If you need to evacuate your living space and all you have is a bug out bag to take with you, knowing where you will go and the best way to get there could make all the difference in your outcome.
What Makes A Good Bug Out Location
With some time on our hands, you have a good opportunity to seek out the best bug out locations and plan accordingly on how to get there in the most efficient manner. Whether you are arriving to the location by vehicle or on foot, you need a place where you can set up camp and not be seen by any outsiders.
There should be lots of trees in your bug out location, and the sole reason for this is to camoflauge you and your presence at the site. I do not advise chopping them down to build a fire, unless if it is very very cold and you run the risk of freezing to death. A fire will draw attention to your location.
You will not be living at your bug out location for years or for the rest of your life. You don’t need to learn how to hunt deer and squirrels and cook them on an open flame at your campfire. You need to survive at your bug out location for anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months in all likelihood, and your stored food can get you through that. The mentality of “I need to learn to live like this now” is flawed, just like buying a homestead to survive temporarily if you have no interest in farming is. It won’t feel short lived at the time, but this is a temporary situation you need to get through. Not a new way of life you need to adapt “forever”.
What Makes A Bad Bug Out Location
Aside from the clearly obvious, like can you be seen by others, there are a few key points I’d like you to consider. If there’s a place that is very desirable to you in general, like say down by the river (catch the Chris Farley reference?), chances are many other people are planning on going there. If there is one scenic mountain or one great river in your area, this is not the place to bug out. Many people will make that mistake.
I don’t like the prospects of using an abandoned building as a bug out location either. How will you defend yourself and the location if other people begin showing up. Why would you even want to put yourself in that position. Without climate control, the shelter of an abandoned building is almost pointless. You are far better off bugging out in a location that people aren’t likely to show up.
Preparing Your Bug Out Location
Here’s something you might not have thought of as of yet. If you find a few really good bug out locations, you have the potential to stash away some supplies at said location to lessen what you would need to bring with you. I haven’t done it yet, but I am planning on strategically burying a cache of items in a specific place at or near my bug out location. I plan on wrapping a tote container in multiple garbage bags and burying my secret cache about 2 feet below ground.
Here’s the container I’ll be using.
I will have pemmican and other foods, first aid items, a flashlight with batteries, a couple rolls of toilet paper, and other survival gear ready and waiting for me. This can be a real feather in your cap, and provide you with a real sense of security.
There is probably a very slim chance this will happen, but what if you’re unarmed and someone points a gun at you and robs you for your bug out bag? People will be very desperate and things will be in a state of chaos. If you have a secret cache buried away you’re good. As a matter of fact, if you have a secret cache hidden or buried, and there are enough items in it, you might not even need a bug out bag. You would only need a few key items to travel with to get to your bug out location.
The Right Bug Out Location Makes All The Difference
Many of us are preparing for different scenarios and different reasons, but whatever brings us to a SHTF scenario, one thing is clear. It will be a very difficult time for all of us. Even for the best prepared it will be a struggle and something we will have to live through until it’s over. Only someone with a few screws loose in their head will enjoy what we will go through and consider it a thrill. It will be hard. How hard it will be will totally depend on your preparation. Both your preparation regarding supplies, and your mental preparation.
You might have decided that you are going to hunker down and tough it out at home no matter what. I understand not
