How many of use really have an option to “Bug Out.” Aside from fleeing a chemical, nuclear, geologic, weather, or, biological crisis staying put is best for the vast majority of us. Is grandma going to load up her 50lb backpack and march out in the wilderness? If there are armed bands of thugs invading the neighborhood how many of us are in good enough shape and in perfect health to outrun and out hide a band of gangs? I’d say not many?
Sure in an ideal world we all have hidden cabins, impossible to find, fully stocked, yet accessible and close to our homes to bug out too. Bugging in is a much better alternative. Certainly there are times you must leave. But as soon as you “bug out” you become a refugee.
Preparedness is more than just planning to get away when TSHTF. It includes knowing and trusting your neighbors. It means actively preparing your home, neighborhood, and even your entire town. If you’re in a situation where armed gangs are invading homes and killing the occupants they’d be just as happy killing you and robbing you as you’re hiking with your 60lb load. Best to have a defensible space where you have an ample supply of food, water, heat, and medicine.
Hammer, meet nail. Having a defensible space is the key and in most cases, that “space” is not in your current neighborhood. Later this year, Mrs. Spook and I will begin looking for a small, hilltop cabin about 3-4 hours from our home. If we can’t find one, we’ll build it—the cabin will become our retirement home in a few years. In the meantime, we can stockpile long-term survival supplies at the location, along with what we need to defend it. We’ll register our 4WD vehicle in that area, and shift our residency down there as well. When SHTF, and the locals are turning away outsiders, having the right plates on your car (and registration in your glove box) can mean the difference between getting in and being turned away.
Without going into details, we have what we need to get from our current home to the bug-out location quickly. Knowing when to leave is also essential. Better to err on the side of caution and leave ahead of the masses; by then, it’s too late. I’m also leery of plans to organize the neighborhood; unfortunately, most suburbanites don’t have any interest in doing that and when the brown stuff hits the fan blades, it will be too late.
Discussions of “bugging out” typically settle into the realization that it is viable for about 3 days. Yes, sometimes you’re on your own under adverse conditions RIGHT NOW - like thousands in Atlanta a few weeks back when a freak ice storm hit at rush hour. That’s what you’re “bugging out” from. Prepping accordingly is a good idea.
Leaving society completely is a different discussion.