Buggging out – practical distance

[J]

My family and I recently made a trip back to where I grew up to visit family. The trip was just over 1,000 miles one way and it got me to thinking about something.

While we had decent luck with travel, managing to aviod the worst of traffic and missed most of the heavy weather that has been hitting the South and Midwest lately, it was still a long trip. What I started thinking about was practical bugout distance. I realize that this is dependent on circumstances you are leaving under and several other factors. I have often watched the Weather Channel’s programs on weather disasters, Hurricane 360 and such, and other documentary programs on similiar natural and man made disasters. One of the things I have concluded is that travel time now is going to be less than half of travel time if everyone else is fleeing the area as well, even under the best circumstances. Other factors, such as crossing rivers or other bottlenecks are going to make things even more of a nightmare.

What do you guys think on this subject? For clarity, I dont have plans to make a primary bugout location 1000 miles away, it is much closer. I think there is a fine line as to planning how far to go to be safe and trying to overreach and creating hazards on the road for yourself and your loved ones, especially if you have supplies loaded.

Any thoughts or input would be appreciated. Bugging out is an ultimate last resort for me and mine but any information on this topic I can get is good information 🙂

[Echo5Charlie]

I have thought about this a lot over the years. Like you mentioned there are so many factors. For my famiy I have come to the conclusion we either need to get out early if thats at all possible or stay put for as long as possible. We have several rivers and the highways choke down toward our secondary location. A big factor in my thinking is my family. If we tried to drive out and had to leave the vehicle due to clogged roads or obstructions, they could not walk nearly what is required for us, and I cannot carry everyone and all the supplies. Having said that, if we were for sure not making it at home and driving was impossible we would skirt the rivers to our secondary home. I would plan on it taking about 10 days. That is a long time to keep the family moving and motivated. Would be pushing them to the extreme and beyond. I don’t know if they could make it, so it is an absolute last resort. As they get bigger the odds tip back into our favor and the travel time could be cut in half.

I have many more thoughts on it but they are all situationally dictated so it is hard to cover it all in a general way.

[PJ]

In my opinion:

Step 1: Actually have a bugout property (working on it)

2: I’d say make sure to get to know your neighbors at that location

3: location should be less than 2 hours from your primary residence which makes it an easy weekend getaway…see item 2

4: if SHTF, 2 hours or less in a car could easily be done on foot in a couple days if need be. 1000 miles might as well be on another planet

[Rose]

What if you don’t have an exact location? Go mobile until you find one?

[J]

I think it is better to have a destination or 2 in mind, even if it is only a community emergency center in the area or a campground you can get to so that you can regroup. There are any number of things that can go wrong if you have to bug out and flexibility will be a necessity, I think.

While leaving my home is an absolute last resort, I do entertain the possibility of it and have tried to learn the best ways out of the area (least traveled) and alternate ways to my preferred destination.

I look at this as similar to having an escape plan in case of a house fire, better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

[bigpaul]

things MAY be different in the USA but here in England the perceived wisdom is that a young fit person can walk at 4mph, someone slightly older 3mph, off road on solid level ground 2mph and on uneven ground, uphill, bad weather, in winter 1mph(or less), most people will be in family groups walking at the pace of the SLOWEST, on average they will be lucky if they travel 12 miles per day, maybe 20 miles on a very good day.
have somewhere prearranged to go, just wandering hoping to find food, water and shelter is not bugging out its being a refugee( and we’ve all seen them recently on the tv haven’t we?).

[J]

I am with you, bigpaul. Here in the US, the common thought in a lot of circles seems to be to load up a vehicle and head for remote territory. I started this thread after taking a trip with the family and got to thinking of how bad traffic and roads would be in the event of a mass evacuation. Having a bug out location that you cannot get to in time of need means you effectively don’t have one, in my opinion.

The intent here was to get input on his topic and I appreciate yours.

I have been to England a number of times visiting friends and can tell you most Americans don’t walk as much as those of you in the UK 😀, we have different opinions of what a long walk is, much to our detriment.

[Author]

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