Where to?

A lot of threads have been made what to do in situation X, but what about a location?

Let's say for instance...

A pole reversal, nuclear holocaust, civil war, martial law...

I would want to be:

1). Somewhere mountainous
2). Good farmland
3). Access to water (river, stream, wells)
4). Access to wildlife
5). Moderate-high vegetation
6). Little amount of humans around, but maybe a few trustworthy neighbors
7). Good local resources to build shelters and hide if need be
8). A little on the warm side rather than cold maybe (Although it is easier to warm up than cool down, crops tend to do better in warm rather than freezing weather)

Now I am thinking of locations.

Where would I go? I would not want to be near the Oceans, its too low.

I would not want to be in the midwest, too flat as well and nowhere to hide if need be.

I was thinking probably the west/southwest would be the best place to bug out.

I of course would need to bring along some supplies to build shelter and protect myself and family if need be as well...

Anyone have other ideas?

It would be greatly appreciated.

I am looking into buying a large swath of land to use as an organic farm.

Ive thought about this a lot lately. Is there any place left in america were you can just hide? Im not sure, maybe somewhere in Alaska. Sounds interesting.
I wouldnt mind joining a community that lived off the land, and just escape
this crazy world going on right now. I dont really feel like joining a religious cult though.

There are quite a few places that are untouched by mankind. The places I have in mind are pretty remote and you would have to know how to survive. I would also want to travel to the mountains if something were to happen. Hopefully nothing will, but still good to be prepared.

Originally posted by paigcal
There are quite a few places that are untouched by mankind. The places I have in mind are pretty remote and you would have to know how to survive. I would also want to travel to the mountains if something were to happen. Hopefully nothing will, but still good to be prepared.

And...These places would be where?

I'm sure if I jumped out of a plane with a parachute over some vast wilderness I would find a place untouched by man.

The problem is I wouldn't know if I had the proper resources to survive and it would be very unlikely if I received any help from friends and family (let alone neighbors).

I want to be able to either drive in or hike into a wilderness area and have a good idea how to get out if need be.

Any suggestions?

I’ve also thought about this. I’ currently live in one of the hottest places in the united states, but there’s plenty of water and farm land. Mountains with many a places to hide and dig in. Not much rain fall. it’s a nice place if you can take very cold winters and extremely hot summers.

I’d always thought of some where with lush vegetation and plenty of water, with plenty of rain fall. There are many places like this in California but there are so many dame people there, you can’t throw a stone in any direction with out hitting some one in the eye.

Arizona’s got some good place, take a trip to the desert and walk around for a day and spend the night on a rock see how it feels. But desert have little to no water.

I’ve always thought the best bet would to go up north into Canada. I don’t know how the population is up there but its plenty forested but in the event of simulations X or Nuclear war or what ever. If there are people out there with some smart they’d be thinking the same and thus adding to the problem. The idea is scary and epic, where the adventure is your life.

I’ve wanted to find some like minded people to share in these survival ideas but most people are stuck in their everyday lives and to think out side the box. But those of us who are able and willing to take the next step in securing our futures should stick together. One of my favorite movies was Red Dawn, except that was a movie but brings up some good points in survival. Its one thing to survive its another thing to be oppressed but that a different subject all together.

Anyways I have not definitive answers I’m looking to find out as well.

I would say our cave systems, theres a good one in mammoth caves kentucky,

Did You Know?
Mammoth Cave is the world's longest known cave. In fact it is so long that if the second and third longest caves in the world were joined together, Mammoth Cave would still be the planet's longest cave and have over 100 miles left over! from - www.nps.gov...


Smoky mountains, ( cherokee and other tribes survived there ) Plenty of lakes, streams, rivers, above the sea level.

I agree with you any mountain range would be where I would hightail it too.

and I live about 100 miles east of the appalachian mountains, just need a full tank and I can get there if need be, and ruff it thru the mountains to the cave system, Im not even going to try to store gas becuz of its longevity and fumes, and with my kids and my van I havent any place to put gas, so full tank or bust, but I know one thing, once skeet hits the fan we arent going anywhere near large amounts of people. they will be the death of many.

with mob mantality and so forth, ( there was a passenger beaten to death as he tried to save his friend who was a driver who hit a kid just recently and that passenger was killed, but the boy whow as hit and the driver lived. )

I wont trust any groups larger then a small town. and even then would be cautious. we live in a world was many will just take what they need, even from a family. Sick!

But back to the topic, I would head to the hills/ mountains, or underground missle silos ( if you got yer gear packed nice)



[edit on 22-6-2007 by Tranceopticalinclined]

Originally posted by earth2
Ive thought about this a lot lately. Is there any place left in america were you can just hide? Im not sure, maybe somewhere in Alaska. Sounds interesting.
I wouldnt mind joining a community that lived off the land, and just escape
this crazy world going on right now. I dont really feel like joining a religious cult though.

Earth, there are plenty of places you can go to and never be found. Look at Eric Robert Rudolph in the Appalachian Mountains who was never found for something like 5 years and even then he was caught by pure luck when a rookie cop found he scavenging through a dumpster

Some other places to consider:

- the Catskill Mountains in central New York; somewhat rural area although this is changing slowly as the suburbs spread north from NYC. Nevertheless there is still alot of rural and rugged terrain.

- the Adirondack Mountains; same as above but located in the northern part of New York and its even more rural and forested.

Tranceopticalinclined, I agree with you. I would not trust big groups of people. There are only a few people I would trust in a desperate situation. I have seen what scared, desparate people are capable of. It always surprises me when someone you have known gets into a tricky situation and acts like a crazy person, instead of handeling the situation calmly. Sorry off the subject.

There are some great, wilderness in Montana. If you go high enough you could survive for quite some time.

since I don't think I'll make it to the inner earth, I'm not sure.

Montana sounds cool, but it's so much millitary stuff there, I don't see how safe it will be...

acegotflows, what military stuff are you talking about? I know there is a secret base in Greatfalls. There are bases in Wyoming and Helena. There is definatlely no military where I live. I still think Montana is the safest and least populated place to be.

I suggest that you do a little more research on your bugout plan. Small groups or individuals located in remote areas are easy pickings for even small gangs. People lived in villages for most of human history for a reason.

Unless they target thousands of small towns, there's no way they can get all the military bases in the US. Major military bases may be the first targets of a nuclear attack but they will likely be the last outposts of civilization to fall into chaos. There are literally thousands of Army and Air National Guard Armories and Stations located around the US. Outlaws and bandits will avoid such areas like the plague.

My plan is to relocate to a town of about 5k-15k people that has a full service hospital thats at least 1-2 hours drive from a major urban area. Everyone thinks that The Fall is going to be sudden cataclysm but it's more likely going to be a slow decline. From what I understood even after an asteroid strike it took several decades for the all dinosaurs to die out worldwide. You only have to look at the situation in Africa to understand that it takes alot of disaster to kill off human beings.

Dont forget to add Satelite, and conventional aircraft Thermal Imaging of campfire locator/ and body heat signatures, as well as the advanced ground penetrating TI versions we dont know about.The silent choppers, and kill squad will be deployed before you get to roast even 1 marshmallow.

From what i know,the best place to avoid TI is of course a hotter than body temp enviroment, and even then they can probably see you from space some in some other frequency. I read on a army dot mil forum,a soldier said he did a test with a tanks TI imaging system, and found he was completely undetectable behind acetate sheeting . This supposedly defeats heat imaging. then this post was deleted a few days later.
Its good to have hope though, and its better than going camping with the rest....

[edit on 25-6-2007 by dntwastetime]

What about VT? Thats my ideal place, there are small towns, and undeveloped areas all over the state- I would say Norther VT, so we could get into Canada at some point- If thats a good option- Who knows? I guess it all depends on what is causing our demise- or what exactly are we running from?

The only problem I see with VT is the long winters and short growing season for that area of the country. You'll have to work very hard during the growing season to prepare for winter. The Dominion of Canada is not a good optional bug-out place IMHO. The DoC 's form of governance is very close to the UK's and they already have very strict laws concerning firearms ownership in place. As a foreigner, it's very likely that you won't be allowed to possess firearms which leaves you vulnerable to the gov't forces and other criminal elements.

crgintx - Yeah, true about those damn winters, but hey, maybe global warming may 'kick in' and help in this instance (awful joke, I know). I hate to even think Firearms, but that would absolutely be necessary in a time like that. Thanks for the advise!

I am thinking that an island would be too isolated to live off. If there was some major catastrophe, I don't know where one would go for help.

You would basically be stuck with what you had in the area and risking a sea voyage is not on the top of my list. I'd much rather be land locked than stuck at sea.

I am going to reiterate the importance of farmland and a mountainous region.

If and when # hits the fan, a mountain range will allow surviviors a much longer period of safety. On a flatland, people will be able to see you from miles away. If you are stationed on a mountain, it is much easier to hide.

The chances of you finding water is a lot higher as well. There are many streams that come out of the tops of mountains, but one would have to know where a source of water was beforehand in the plains.

I don't plan on leaving the US anytime soon either. It would be much to your advantage to speak the same language.

I don't want to be caught in Europe, Asia, or Africa because of the mass amounts of refugees. The chances of one being overrun by potential enemies is much higher in regards to the population.

At least in America one would be able to speak the same language, or at least understand (Spanish) most of what someone was saying.

I don't know how to emphasize this enough.

The weather factor is also very important. If one was attempting to grow crops or find game, a warmer climate rather than a tundra environment would be very advantageous. I can't imagine trying to find game in Antarctica...

Vermont even seems to be too cold. The winters are harsh and the summers have a lot of bugs.

I'd say a place with low humidity would be great for plants as well...It would need enough water though...One might have to build irrigation canals.

Any other comments?

Even on the Great Plains, there are plenty of hills and trees to hide behind.

If you can hide from the enemy, the enemy can hide from you!

The North American Great Plains is the equivalent the African Savannah or the Asian Steppes. Those areas that have been home to humans for literally thousands of years. If there's a sudden reduction in the human population, the buffalo and wild cattle will repopulate the plains within 10-15 years. During the American Civil War, the wild cattle population in Texas doubled in only 4 years when not preyed upon by humans. The Great Plains are well watered. Recent studies are now showing that the biomass of the grassland areas of the world is actually much larger than that of forested areas. The majority of biomass is underground in their roots.

Mountainous areas usually have very poor and thin soil. Growing food is your best bet for survival even during periods of calamity. Civilizations though out the world developed first in river valleys and delta regions for that reason.


Hiding from your fellow human beings is a very poor survival plan. We're biologically hardwired to form communities.

I don't plan on hiding. I was trying to make a point.

If necessary, the mountains hold a much greater chance of survival than the plains.

I have been there, my girlfriend lives in South Dakota (well before she moved with me to Arizona anyway).

The plains are great for growing crops, but that doesn't mean the mountainous regions don't have good soil as well. I wouldn't necessarily grow on the mountain, but in the valley right below my house.

I would probably have a few terrace plots, but nothing really substantial.

Plus mountain water is generally much purer than runoff water.

Who knows where water in the plains has been. Its all flat...humans could be using it to clean clothes and animals use it as a dumping ground...literally.

I am not refuting your survival scenario. You may be able live there, but it is not my piece of pie.

I prefer the brisk mountain air.

Just my 2 cents.

Nice thread,because i was thinking just yesterday about this kind of question...

"where to go if ..."

I was looking for more info about tchernobyl, then i shift to radioactive fallout and to nuclear war... I fund on youtube the film "Threads", first time i see it and i was a little "shocked"... I start to go with imagination...

I live in Lausanne, swiss city on the geneva lake, and in a hypothetical scenario
of a nuke exploses in geneva ... where to go?? I got this answers :

1. Go to the epfl, that is the same thing as the M.I.T. in usa, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. So lots of laboratories, instruments, bunkers,... but could be a military target
2. Go to the Alps. With lots of military bunkers and natural cavities, wildlife,
wood,... but a cold place in winter...
3. stay in Lausanne in civil bunkers...

I think the best option is go to the Alps Mountains... not only in a nuclear hazard event, but even with a meteor impact or a e.t. invasion ...







[edit on 27-6-2007 by dernailer]