Out of curiosity, I'd like to ask if during a major disaster would you be more likely to Bug-in (shelter-in-place) or bugout? No specific scenario, but we'll say there's been a breakdown in local and state government, and widespread disruption of utility services such as electric, water, phone, etc.. The duration for the event is unknown.

There's no correct answer so be honest, and provide a brief explanation for your choice. Maybe you have preps for both, I'd like to hear about that as well.

Thanks in advance for participating.
Lloyd

Lloyd,

For us we will bug in. We are well equipped and well defended. I see no reason to go anywhere else unless it would be due to a poison gas or nuclear fallout. I will go back to my mantra of never, ever become a refugee. Having said that I will let you know that we live in a relatively small rural town where people are more dependent on themselves than most. I would rather depend on what I know than have to depend on what others may not. It was once said "That the majority are wrong." I truly believe that. I just wish I knew whom to give the credit.

respectfully

reluctantpawn

I personaly would Bug-in. I know my local area, know the geography, know where the supermarkets, gun shops etc are. Depending on the disaster I would much prefer to dig in and defend what is mine rather then bug out and not be in control of my fate.

Me and my friends will bug out.
We all live in the Big D area and our SitX site is only a few miles away. A couple of hours on foot even.
This is where we have stocked just about everything we will need for most situations.

A combination of both. I'm the middle of a city with a crushing population density and I wouldn't trust staying in my home.

Very close by there is a significantly large state park spanning 3 smaller towns and connecting to a series of state lands that I can use as a route into Canada if need be. The area is within 10 minutes walking time. This is where I would probably stay in the interim deciding whether or not to abandon everything and head someplace much more rural.

That being said I do have certain supplies very securely stored within my home. I would make trips back and forth as the opportunities presented themselves but wouldn't stay there myself. Too many people. Too many unruly criminal people there currently. I couldn't imagine what they would be like if they couldn't get food or water or their illicit drugs.

I plan on bugging-in until it's no longer safe to do so. I have bugout gear as well, and a few caches located in various places so we can resupply ourselves should our gear get lost, confiscated, or stolen in the chaos.

Something I think is a really cool idea by the Mossberg company is their "Just in Case" kits. They have a 12 gauge shotgun and a small survival kit sealed in a watertight tube. The only thing missing is ammo, and you can supply that yourself . You can tuck them away in a closet, gun safe, or cache them like other gear.

The same thing can be done with pvc pipe, endcaps, and some sealer for an economy version though.

[edit on 1/24/08 by LLoyd45]

Wow this is really a loaded question and of course the answer is..."It Depends". I have struggled with this and the correct answer is completely situational.

In most cases you have the advantage if you shelter in place - you know the terrain and the locals. However, in the case of martial law, it's best not to wait around to be eventually rounded up or to have to duke it out for dwindling resources because you can't leave a geographic area. (Think quarantines and bird flu! )

The answer can also be found in your location. Inner city: bad, rural: good and suburbia: some hellish in between. Just like any other day! Just kidding.

Really though, in certain situations, like scarce resources and food commodities, urban centers will receive distribution first. If you can't catch or grow your own, it's best to be near a drop-off point but you will be subject to more scrutiny by authorities and be in constant competition for goods that are available.

As for the suburbs, one might think they are relatively safe but where do you think the cities will empty out into if the situation deteriorates? Also, IMO, one is more likely to run across wanna-be Rambo, vigilante types who will take matters into their own hands and dispense their own form of justice in a vain attempt to curb their own fear and exercise control of their own surroundings. In other words, a good neighbor gone bad. Suburbs are good in the short-term or SitX Lite.

Rural seems like a good idea but, unless you are completely self-sufficient, it is risky.

Bugging-out with out a specific destination is crazy and should absolutely be the last resort. You will just end up a refugee at the mercy of the local authorities.

But, alas, No one has a good answer until the SHTF. All you can really do is have options.

I'll be bugging-in for the one simple reason...there is no such thing as 'the great outdoors' here in England!

I'm in a small town in the Yorkshire hills, and smack-bang in the middle of three multi-million population cities within a 30 mile radius...Leeds and Sheffield on one side of the hills, and Manchester on the other. If the SHTF, a large number of those folks will be heading my way and I can forsee them being the greater threat to my community than the deputies of the government.

I can see my role in such a post-X situation of rallying the neighbours, planning for the construction of a defensive terraced-street-fortress community and hoping to hell that we weather the storm...we may not have guns, but as long as we have tea we will remain civil

In the movie RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK Indiana Jones was asked if he knew what he was doing. His reply "I'm making it up as I go along". Seems fitting doesn't it?

respectfully

reluctantpawn

Hmmm
Seems as if my perspective is the opposit of most here so far.
Given adequate warning of sit-x, I would evac ( note I draw a distinction between bug out and evac)
Where i make my primary residence is in the desert. While the desert can keep you alive if you know what your doing, my fall back position is in south east Colorado on the east face of the rockies. Much better flora and fauna for surviving, and the cabin is already " off the grid" and very defensable should it become needed.
Should i have to " bug in" I would expend much more energy just to survive, and the terrain is flat for a lot of the area, making defense problamatic.
Staying in place would be just till i could make a reasonably safe evac.

If possible I would bug out.

I live in a small apartment in a large city. The walls here wouldn't stop a BB much less a bullet. There is a large national forest within a 40 minute drive from here which is not in a fallout zone (in case). Water is definetly a commodity here.

this is my first post i useually just sit back and reaad but if sit-x were to happen i bug in for a while till the shock of it all settled and id venture out to one of a couple of sites that have been prepped, or at least have more than i have at my place

I'd bug in temporarily I have supplies for 45 days stored but I am sure many would leave and I could potentially extend my supplies to last about 2 years
by raiding the houses of those that leave..

additionally I am near the woods and have a wood burner so cooking and heating would be fairly easy to do also hunting I also have a sees store so I can plant when the time is right so for a while anyway I would bug in until bugging in was no good then I would bug out..



Respectfully
GEO

this is my first post i useually just sit back and reaad but if sit-x were to happen i bug in for a while till the shock of it all settled and id venture out to one of a couple of sites that have been prepped, or at least have more than i have at my place

I don't know if this will help anyone but it came to me in one of those Dee D Dee moments. We are both backpackers and campers so have gear for each. We have big travel-camping trunks that the gear is in. Because I got damn tired of forgetting to pack everything and its so easy to just load a couple trunks with everything we need. The whole thing was planned out of laziness and just worked out that way.

When we picked our house we are 15" above road crown in an area that sometimes floods.

The gear is stored in three stages. The first is backpacks set to go with everything and a matching fanny water carry pack for each with proper filters etc. The second stage is full camping fitting in two medium sized trunks for lanterns, stoves, camping utility items, and all the basics. The third stage is a large cargo trunk where the down and dirty survival stuff is, Solar shower, old but serviceable hunting gear,extra food, etc. We are good regardless. The fourth if we completely blow it, is a wood bottom inflatable boat and electric trolling motor.

Depends how it goes. If we have to fully bug out, it all gets loaded. If there is a lack of time its the packs on our backs or whatever stage we can load up to. The preference is to stay in place but the river always has the final say where we live and no one has higher authority as far as stay or go.

In sitx? Mother nature makes victims out of who she wants, soldier or civilian, it comes down to the human level, when things go bad. I'd throw a rope to a drowning anybody.

Illahee,, that sounds like excellent planning and attitude. Adaptability and ability to think on your feet will contribute more to your survival than all the gear you can carry will. Three points I would like to add.
1) In a roundup such as martial law (even if it's just locally) I would want to become invisible. I can't bug in and become invisible too. Too many people, including the post office know where I am.

2) In bugging out timing is critical and every case will be different. There will always be an optimal time. In a best case scenario I'd try to beat the hordes. The longer things are locked down, the tighter the lock down will become.

3) Whatever the reason for sit-x the most attention will be turned toward wherever the catastrophe occurred and/or wherever the population is the most dense. When Katrina hit New Orleans no one's attention turned to Normal, Illinois.

Yeah, I don't much worry about a lot of stuff. Martial law, planet x and the whole panic room poo poo.

Way I see it God gave me sense to stay out of the way of bad stuff, but if uncle comes and snuffs the population or the big asteroid comes that is pretty much out there and out of my control for the most part.

When God calls and tells me to come home, i'm gonna shake deaths hand and look forward to a much better life ever after.

In the mean time he gave me sense to watch the rain and the river, so I honor that fully. A poor citizen pays no attention and ends up using the resources of his community to save his neck while endangering the lives of his rescuers. I am a little smarter than that. (I hope)