Has anyone here ever actualy "bugged out"?

Just curious, i was wondering what with all the planning and whatever here, has anyone ever had to use it for real?

If so, did your planning work for you? Did it work against you? I know that probably sounds stupid, but i can picture some people bugging out with a monster pack on thier backs, then finding out half a mile into the woods that they can't carry it all lol.

Does anyone ever carry out practice runs of bugging out, whether for just a day or longer?

I have found even doing a couple of nights with your BOB can be invaluable as far as whether you brought the right kit is concerned.

CX.

reply to post by CX
My brother and i used to go out at various times of the year in to the woods with just a knife, a small pup tent, fishing pole, and two days worth of food. we would spend a week out there. My dad would drop us off about four or five hours drive from the neerest town and come back at a designated date to get us. We had a lot of fun doing that, and it was a good learning experience.

A good suggestion (if you have a treadmill) is to actually train with the pack on your back. Try jogging with it because it will take time and conditioning to get used to. If your just an everyday person and don't do any cardio type excercise,when the time comes, you ain't gonna make it.

reply to post by CX


We have a 60 second, 60 minute, 12 hour and 24+ hour plan that we practice regularly....especially the 1min and 1hr scenario...the shorter the plan the less kit we take.....but as yet, I've only activated the 12hr plan during a hurricane....

reply to post by CX


Depends how you mean. I've never bugged out due to anyone being after me or a natural disaster. I have however bugged out because i was just tired of some stuff, i went away for about a month in the middle of nowhere in the UK. It was late autumn and pretty cold at night where i was. I have plenty of experience surviving but it was still draining.

I enjoyed the experience though.

Originally posted by CX
Just curious, i was wondering what with all the planning and whatever here, has anyone ever had to use it for real?

If so, did your planning work for you? Did it work against you? I know that probably sounds stupid, but i can picture some people bugging out with a monster pack on thier backs, then finding out half a mile into the woods that they can't carry it all lol.

Does anyone ever carry out practice runs of bugging out, whether for just a day or longer?

I have found even doing a couple of nights with your BOB can be invaluable as far as whether you brought the right kit is concerned.

CX.

Yup, on 911, Sat here all cosy and smug at my bother in laws place near an RAF station in NE England on that day, when suddenly lots of military aircraft starts taking off in a hurry, not the normal two warbirds going up to harry a russian tupolev, the whole damn lot seemed to take off in a hurry. Someone, cant remember who comments " oh thats not normal" when from outside a voice was heard shouting. I stuck my head out the door and asked what was up?. " Someone is attacking the Yanks " came the reply "and it could be us as well soon thats why the RAF is scrambling". So I turned on the TV watched 3000 people die in realtime, was violently sick, probably cried a bit. Then listened to the UK govt explaining a state of alert had been declared by the attacks on NYC and Washington, and that a plane from the UK was unaccounted for ( false alarm thank god). Ten minutes later myself wife and child were in the BOV and headed up for the upper part of Teesdale where we stayed for 24 hours until I was sure no further attacks were imminant. After that went back home and immediately increased stockpiles and fuel caches by 50% in case the supply network was halted. Point of note a helluva lot of the cellphone network was either overwhelmed or turned off by the govt on that terrible day, they did the same on 7/7 and after the Glasgow airport attack.

[edit on 30-1-2009 by Northern Raider]

Originally posted by CX
If so, did your planning work for you? Did it work against you? I know that probably sounds stupid, but i can picture some people bugging out with a monster pack on thier backs, then finding out half a mile into the woods that they can't carry it all lol.

CX.

Not so stupid.
Every year some 2000 or so people start the Appalachian trail. They plan for months and spend hundreds, even thousands of dollars gearing up. The trail is 2187 miles and it can be walked in 5-6 months.
Fully 25% of these folks quit at the 30 mile point which is the first place the trail reaches a road.

Many others shed a good percentage of their posessions. Sometimes they reduce their pack weight by as much as half.
You would be surprised at how little you need to survive if you have to carry it all on your back.

I never really thought about it that way but reading about 'through hiking' the Appalachian trail would be extremely educational if you are putting together a self survival kit.
Extremely good at getting weight to a minimum and efficiency to a maximum.



[edit on 30-1-2009 by badgerprints]

[edit on 30-1-2009 by badgerprints]

I have yet to bug out fully.

I am in training by walking many trails through my local NP, with full pack on.
I will then evaluate my equipment and chop and change as I need to.

reply to post by badgerprints


I used to frequently ultralight backpack in the Sierra's. I have hiked the large portions of the PCT where most of my hiking was 15 miles + per day, and the complete John Muir in 10 days . The problem really isn't getting into shape. This happens in a week on the trail unless one is massively obese. Obviously you would be much better off training or as one suggested the treadmill. But when its your life or family on the line, you will learn to deal with it.

If you really wish to lighten your load. Read up on Ray Jardine and numerous other ultralight backpackers. When I did the JMT, my base pack load was 16 lbs. This included home made backpack, bivvy (made of tyvek, don't laugh it really works), sleeping bag (15 degree down bag), water filter, pan/pot, alcohol stove, alchohol, clothes down to 20 degrees, other items like mini first aid kit, duct tape, etc. This pack weight doesn't include food or water. The food is the killer weight. Even dehydrated food starts adding up.

Hence lets say you did bug out, once you got to where you were going you had better have a regular food supply and a good long arm. I.e. deer, elk, etc.

Getting there is the easy part I suspect, staying there and living is the issue. I am in southern california where if TSHTF, I am screwed anyway. Too many people would be trying to leave. Different scenario all together for me.

Take care,

Closest I've been is a few long distance solo cycle rides. I seem to recall that even traveling light my pack damn near killed me. Most of the weight was two days water supply (wasn't sure I'd be able to get any en-route, this is before I learned a little).

I was never more than 3 days away from friends and broke the journey regularly. Still, I underwent some training prior to it, sometimes cycling 60 miles with a pack full of books.

Best advice; try to anticipate problems and ensure you can deal with them without assistance.

For your bugout packs, how much weight did you start with? And how much weight did you remove after your first trip?

I ask because I bought some military-grade backpacks for my wife and I. Most of us can guess what essentials to bring. But planning hardly ever matches with reality. You can plan for so much but once you're out in the field you realize most of the stuff is unnecessary.

Do you equip yourself with guns? We live in a rural area with lots of lions, tigers and bears... Okay, no tigers. But I see firearms taking up most of the weight. Luckily, Molle straps allow me to distribute firearms and their accessories around the body.

Personaly i would take a hike with just a few pounds in it, just do a daytime trek with some food and basic gear and see how you get on with that. If you can do a few miles with that, think about upping the weight or amount of gear next time.

It depends on how used you are to walking with weight. Some people struggle with just the couple of miles walking with no weight.

ff you are only getting used to walking with weight, it doesn't matter if you start off with a basic BOB and begin light. If you feel confident with a light load, take more gear next time until you build up to the full BOB.

That said, it depends on how far out you plan to bug out to. Not forgetting that many have their prearranged bug out locations, but what if they are occupied or unaccessable? You may have to divert another few miles. Are your legs, back and lungs up to it?

Remember, you don't want to be dieing on your back when you reach your destination, you'll have more than enough to do for you and your family. The hard work starts after that trek out!

This is where i think it is so important to learn to live off the minimal amount possible. Carrying a lot of weight on your back is no easy feat at the best of times, but when you add to that uneven, marshy or hazardous terrain, it can emotionaly and physicaly draining.

I take my kids over the forest regularly for a fun trek, just a few miles if that, but i make sure they carry a few basics in their little backpacks. Thier lunch, a tarp or some kind of shelter, warm clothing and a few other bits. This way they get used to the weight and also the distance.

I don't do that as practise for a bug out or anything, but i guess it would be handy when the time comes.

CX.

reply to post by CX


Thanks for the tip. I'll give that a try.

My friends and I have come up with scenarios. These scenarios are based on the location of the crisis. Like, if Event A (West) happens, then go to Location C. But if Event B (North) occurs, go to Location E.

Any planning is worth having. Even if its just rudimentary as mine. A plan is better than no plan at all. At least when TSHTF you will be one step ahead of most people.

reply to post by CX


Yes, I practice. . . the group of men I am involved with practice 'Bugging Out' twice a year. . . none of us knows when it will be called, each time it falls to another in our group. . . we get a call with a code word an then the clock stars running. . . the meeting location also vaires, it is included with the code word, and there's quite a few of us. . . we include 'All' family members in the bug out every 2 yrs. . . yes, were both well equipted and armed, as well as organized.

reply to post by guppy


Web Gear an weapon is 'Not' cunsidered part of your pack. . .i have to guess that you haven't bee in the military.

If by "bugging out" you mean surviving in the wild with minimal supplies, yes, I do it annually. Every year my buddy and I hike about 10 to 15 miles into G. Washington National Forest with simple hiking packs and practice survival for 7 to 10 days. That means being able to travel lightly and survive with whatever you can carry and your creativity. We always travel with a tent, but try to improvise shelters as we go. We fish for brook trout, set traps for small animals and forage for edible plants. It is truly an awesome experience. We were doing long before Man Vs. Wild et al. I recommend everyone who enjoys the outdoors give this a try - it is most humbling!!!

reply to post by Panda Bear


Panda, would you like to elaborate about web gear and weapons? Or was that just meant to prove something?

reply to post by kozmo


I did know a guy whose idea of camping was going with a survival knife, tarp and rope. If only I still knew him, I'd ask him to show me the ropes of his survival skills.

Funny story. His girlfriend, at the time, was high maintenance. When they went camping for two days, he was shocked to see 5 bags packed. The bags were loaded with urban clothes and modern amenities, like a hair dryer.

Kozmo, do you recommend any survival websites? Thanks.

First rule of survival.
#1 Survive by any means necessary.

Bugged out once when my Landlord came home Drunk and tried to kill me. Long story. Kept a bag in my car and took off for a week and live out of there. I took showers in the back of my work with a hose and cold water. Dude came to my job to apologize the next day, but I still stayed away for a week. I moved out the day I came back.

reply to post by reticledc


I never thought about it that way, but I guess I "bugged out", too. The minute I knew I had to get out of a marriage, I started planning. Financial matters...check. Storage of personal items away from residence...check. Important paperwork...check. Had to leave unexpectedly ahead of planned date, even before I could return home after being out of town, so knocked on surprised friend's door with weekend suitcase in hand and slept on floor two weeks until I found an apt. Left with my self-respect and dignity, but not much more. Kept sanity. Stayed focused. Ate beans and bread for a year. Ran daily. Life good. Survived.