Protecting Your Bug Out Site

Originally posted by dooper
Misdirection is another tool.

Your strategy of misdirection can be applied in another way..

If your site is to be cultivated in any way, perhaps a good move would be to plant root crops. Everyone knows what a potato (the root tuber) looks like, but how many know how to identiy a potato-plant (the growing top)? Same goes for turnip/carrot/beetroot/etc

Those are all good plants, and are more easily hidden, especially if they are "spread" about.

The problem with staying anywhere for very long is that you will increasingly leave unmistakable signs of your presence.

Trails. Well-packed earth. Tracks.

That's why one must be somewhat mobile, changing up locations, scattering supplies in many different locations, and never, ever leave out the same way twice, and for certain, never return the same way.

If help is available, fully one-fourth should be on the distant edges of a wide perimeter keeping watch.

You won't get much work done that way, but you'll not be surprised either.

reply to post by citizen smith


Your on too something

Bushwacking is the way to go, stay off the beaten path

Originally posted by citizen smith

If your site is to be cultivated in any way, perhaps a good move would be to plant root crops. Everyone knows what a potato (the root tuber) looks like, but how many know how to identiy a potato-plant (the growing top)? Same goes for turnip/carrot/beetroot/etc

I've long advocated for the use of root crops to disguise one's food supply but the practice is not without its own set of hazards.

"Streptomyces species are ubiquitously present in soil and some can infect tuberous vegetables such as potatoes and sugar beet. Hence dietary exposure to a Streptomyces toxin could possibly cause repetetive pancreatic islet-cell damage, and so be diabetogenic in humans genetically susceptible to autoimmune insulitis." (Zimmer, Alberti and Shaw, 'Nature', 2001)

There's also the chance that there are others who have already bugged out and are waiting in paranoid fashion for the procrastinating survivalists to show up. Stake out very carefully the land on which you intend to stay, watching for punji stick pits and shiny foil in the trees.

Originally posted by whitewave
Originally posted by citizen smith

If your site is to be cultivated in any way, perhaps a good move would be to plant root crops. Everyone knows what a potato (the root tuber) looks like, but how many know how to identiy a potato-plant (the growing top)? Same goes for turnip/carrot/beetroot/etc

I've long advocated for the use of root crops to disguise one's food supply but the practice is not without its own set of hazards.

"Streptomyces species are ubiquitously present in soil and some can infect tuberous vegetables such as potatoes and sugar beet. Hence dietary exposure to a Streptomyces toxin could possibly cause repetetive pancreatic islet-cell damage, and so be diabetogenic in humans genetically susceptible to autoimmune insulitis." (Zimmer, Alberti and Shaw, 'Nature', 2001)

There's also the chance that there are others who have already bugged out and are waiting in paranoid fashion for the procrastinating survivalists to show up. Stake out very carefully the land on which you intend to stay, watching for punji stick pits and shiny foil in the trees.

On another forum we debated this for ages and came up with the idea of random planting. IE dont plant food stuffs in straight lines or squuare patches, plant them in mixed up clumps so that to the passing eye they just look like the rest of the wild plant growth. it only attracts attention if it looks organised and cared for.

reply to post by Northern Raider


I did see a "survival garden" DVD that advocated pretty much the same thing. It also suggested using natural depressions as water reservoirs and bits of household rubbish that could be used as water-viaducts without drawing too much attention to what was being grown.

Might be time to give it another watch...

reply to post by Northern Raider


Maybe we were on the same thread then or different thread, same subject. LOL.

Any geometric pattern would be easily recognized as man-made. Rectangularly laid out and cultivated gardens are obviously recognizable as gardens so the pattern needs to be broken up. Same as with anything you want to camouflage...break up the pattern.

Don't come and go to/from your retreat the same way, thereby leaving a man-trail. Easier said than done as we are all creatures of habit to some extent. Breaking up patterns includes patterns of behavior as well.

Anyone clever enough to stumble onto your retreat and wait for an opportunity or weakness in your defenses will watch for a pattern to know when to strike. It only takes a day or 2 of watching your neighbors to know which ones get up at dawn and leave by a certain time, if they come home right after work or run errands, etc.

It will take a while to adjust to being in "survival mode" as opposed to relatively comfortable suburban rut mode. Behavior changes are things that need to be prepared for now as well.

reply to post by whitewave
I have to disagree with using multiple paths to your location or garden. To make it less obvious you want to use the same path. Go out in the woods and follow deer and elk around. They always use the same paths and after using the same path for a while it will be hard packed and you won't leave tracks.

reply to post by Anuubis

Having performed scores of successful ambushes, we always hit those who were foolish enough to follow trails. Always.

People are lazy, creatures of habit, and careless.

That's one thing you can rely on.

And if you know it, you can use it.

No single area should be used for very long. Crops should be distant from your hide. Never use trails, and never, ever, return the same way you went out.

And never, ever enter your hide area without scouting it at length.

You just may have an unwanted guest, patiently waiting for you.

depends on how you present yourself, you show up at my home with good intentions, prove you're no threat, then sure, have some tomatoes, you show up bearing weapons, (or are a zombie or some mutated cannible, never know) then you'll be dead.
and even if i'm not there, anyone would be hard pressed to actually get inside, it's a pretty inaccessable area if you're not familiar with it, and since it's only close friends who even know where i live, let alone have been over, (who also know they're welcomed in if things do burn down) I'm pretty well covered.

Otherwise, long as you don't impose a threat, are not hostile, i'll help, I'm not going to be a douchebag, i figure everyone would pretty much be in the same boat at that point, and I'm already pretty self-sufficient, I grow plenty of vegetables, plenty of chickens for eggs, , pretty much everything i need, and can actually support, and have room for, a good number of people. and wouldn't mind helping out a couple poor SOB's, maybe even could build a new community out of it.


[edit on 8-4-2009 by Gren]

i really disagree with the ones that are saying- basically shoot first ask questions later... you need to assess their abilities to help provide for the group first. if they are willing to help the group as a whole, and not just take some food and move on, then work them in, help them get set up near, to help with daily chores, defense, food gathering, whatever. if you guys think you can shoot everyone that comes by, you wont last. you will not be able to last on your own for an extended period. if they have nothing to offer, or are not interested in helping, send them away at gunpoint, then promplty move somewhere else, cuz they will come back to get what you've already got, and will probably bring help. we are in this together, and with kill first mentality you better have some hired guns, or you wont last long. IMO