Getting home if tshtf

What kind of plans do you have for yourself and family to get home in an emergency situation? It doesn’t matter how many supplies you have stored at home if you can’t get home to use it. What happens if communications are down and you can’t reach one another? A lot has to do with the age of the children whether they can get home or to a rendezvous point. Have you made arrangements with the school for a friend or family member to get them if you can’t? How far your job is from home and the type of environment you live in. What kind of physical condition you are in if you have to walk instead of drive.

We planned for several routes home and have driven them looking for possible problems or places to stay. Each vehicle has a get home bag with a map and a two way radio. We have a primary route and want to follow it if at all possible with rendezvous points along the way. If the roads are blocked or the cars won’t start it will come down to staying where we are or walking home. That short commute to work will be completely different on foot. Leaving the safety of your workplace will be a hard decision and will depend on the situation. Think about the area you would have to travel through and how long it would take. Instead of that thirty minute drive at 70 mph you will be walking about 3 mph depending on the terrain.

This is something to think about if tshtf, some planning could be a lifesaver.

That's a very good question you are asking and a very important one too. There is however something else people must think about and that is.

You may not even have a home to go back to if tshtf or your area where your home is has been cut off or surrounded by the not so nice guys. In which case you may have to abandon the idea of getting home altogether and find yourself another suitable area to evacuate to and meet up with family etc there.

All of which makes good planning sense.

my worst fear is to be on vacation in another state or country, have global credit freeze, impacting fuel transportation to the airports and making you stranded at that location.

Im going to hawaii in october for my honeymoon and thats when the S is sopposed to hit the fan. My god, being stuck on hawaii... an island that is completely depending on imports to feed its population.... no joke, i have nightmares about it. At that point im stealing a sail boat and trying my luck at sailing back to california.

Fortunately for me I live in a semi remote-ish area where there is no major city nor is there a lot of farmland or anything like that so I would assume that any "bad guys" would have no desire to take my hometown over. At least not initially anyway. I am also fortunate enough to have my wife be a stay at home mother. While my older 2 children are adults, my youngest goes to school relatively close to home. We are in no way considered well off, but we make my income work and do not depend on the government for any handout whatsoever even though we would probably qualify for something or other. Even so, we usually have enough food/water on hand to survive at least a month and we would be able to use our camping equipment to cook on and so forth.

If the S were to HTF while I was at work, whether it be natural disaster or nefarious people, I have already instructed my wife to stay at home and wait for me. The first thing she needs to do - and I hope she would remember this instead of just panic - is if she hears of something going down she needs to immediately fill the bathtubs and as many containers as she can with water while the water supply is still running and before it becomes contaminated. Since I work in the Seattle area about an hours drive from home, I have also let her know that, depending on what has happened, it may even take me a couple of days to get home. If Seattle were to get nuked for example, I am going to guess that I am far enough in the very southern end that I would most likely survive all but the largest of nuclear blasts and the typical prevailing winds should not blow the radiation cloud my way - but I would guess that the EMP would render my car useless - so I would have to get a reasonable supply of water to carry with me and start hoofing it home. We also are quite friendly with our neighbors, so I think we would all gather together and form some sort of community watch and take turns "patrolling" the neighborhood to keep us safe and begin figuring out who has what skills and we would all help one another until (if) whatever happens passes.

This is a great thread because it really helps you think and find a location if everyone is all over the place when tshtf. I already told my parents (I live with them and my two sons) that If a natural disaster were to occur such as an EQ, it would be best to meet our local park. I told them NOT to come looking for me but rather I'd get to them. If they come looking for me, chances are they will encounter more trouble and put the entire family at risk. As for a man made disaster such as a riot, or God forbid , a Zombie Outbreak (yeah, yeah, I know lol).. I told them to stay put and close the doors, Ive read enough zombie survival guides to fight my way back to my house.

For the sake of this thread, we'll say that "it all goes down" while I'm at work. EMP.

I'm fairly certain my trunk release is not mechanical, so I'll have to spend a little time getting to the trunk from the back seats. I should be able to get the little I have out of the trunk, which in my case includes a stroller. This is good.

The next step is making the 5 mile trek down the road and up a big hill to my kids' preschool. I'll have to rely on the oldest walking home with me.

From there it's another 2 miles to get home.

The only real concern is the first part of the 5 mile section because it's all rather exposed, so it would take a lot of time to get there if I'm trying to remain hidden.

I had this problem a couple of years ago, because I was working in China when all the bird flu stuff was going on.

How was I supposed to get back to the UK if it really went bad? There wouldn't have been any flights.

So it was either by land across China, Russia and Europe, probably not a good idea if law and order had broken down.

So my plan was to find a large yacht, that could be made available (you know what I mean), then I had the choice of sail east across the Pacific following the coast to the north, then cross the north america and find another boat across the Atlantic. Or go south along the coast of China, round India, and around the bottom of Africa (avoiding the middle east).

Any way I went it was going to be a very long journey !

reply to post by camaro68ss

Well I hope to add some useful information to try and help.

Here's some tips that may save your life, in a SHTF scenario.
I try to think of all these things just to keep ahead of the "pack".
Here we go...

Your Job:
The place you work usually has exits labelled around each door by law so you should be able to find an exit out of any building you are in relatively easily. Other than doors, look for low level windows or fire escapes. If you are in any type of high-rise, look for all the corridors with emergency stairs. You should know where the exits are incase of a power loss to begin with. Try taking a lunch break and finding them. Just glance around. Don't be suspicious. But if you are at it alone, and need to get to your family/home, you need the quickest way out of the building you are in.
Ok so that should help with your buildings, now look at the route you travel. Find spare time in your day to drive on backroads, alleys, or if you walk, travel through different access paths in order to find as many different routes to your job as possible. Remember these routes. These are your paths to freedom. They are exits too, and avoiding main roads in the event of a catastrophe will be the best solution.
Now if you only have one road in or out, or there is a fenced area, or gate protecting your place of employment, this is where things get interesting. If there is no way off the property without being herded like cattle through a gate, you will need to McGyver your way out. It may not be easy, but try to stash chain cutters or bolt cutters where only you know the location. Your cars trunk is ok if you drive, but usually ceiling panels are excellent sources to stash hidden tools in buildingds. I know it sounds extreme, but for $40, it may save your life and if the SHTF, people aren't going to care if you cut a fence. Just don't get noticed. I know, I know...easier said than done. But if it gets you to safety...thank me later.
But if that isn't possible, then you're going to have to follow the pack through the gate.
(hopefully it's busted by the time you reach it anyways)

Now the same goes for your local habits too. Bars, grocery stores, malls, etc.
You should always be aware of your surroundings in any event. You need to know your way out.
Taking extra care to notice most fire exits in buildings, or maintenance exits, etc.

Trust me, I am over-analytical by nature and it's hard to get used to it...
But once you get in the habit of actually knowing your surroundings, you worry less about getting out and more about how fast you can exit any situation. The worst place to be is an elevator and I avoid them at all costs these days. Only when necessary (20+ flights) do I ride then, and using stairs keeps me in shape.

Ok so let's talk about staying in shape.
Firstly, anyone who even posts on a survival forum should be in decent shape already.
If you haven't started to workout, or at least do some cardio, now's the time.
Please put down the remote, the xbox, or cancel your cable bill and use the money for a gym.
Not only will you out-run, out-lift or over power the weak links, you'll look good too.
Then you may not complain as much when you can run 100ft+ without panting heavily.
It may save your life to use your spare time to workout rather than sit around doing nothing.
Sitting around thinking about what to do will accomplish absolutely nothing without action.
So, get active and be in the right mindset to handle any situation.
Or at least try to.

It may save your life in more ways than one.
(plus looking good can help a plethora of ailments...so why not?)

I have a whole mind chock full of more ideas and hints and if needed i will post more.
These are just a few important things that may help someone, one day.

Stay alert, stay active, stay alive.

If we can't get home or there is no home left to get to we have a few other places where we can meet. Relatives and friends homes, ballpark or city park. We sat down down and gave each one a number in order of preference. They are along the route of my wifes workplace, it will be easier for me to go find her and help her get home. Our children are grown but they are included in our plans because they will need our help and we will need theirs.

A lesson we learned after the tornado outbreak last year is that during an emergency cell phones are usually useless. All the networks were busy and many of the landlines were down. This is where we found the value of our two way radios sure they don't have much range but they helped us keep in touch while looking for family members. This is why we keep a pair in each vehicle with spare batteries in a sealed mylar bag. If there is an EMP hopefully they will still work and when we get close enough we can talk.

If the roads are blocked it will necessary to find other ways home on foot. Secondary roads, railroad tracks or power lines. Map some of these out and find the best path home or to a meeting place. I'm not going into detail about what's in each bag but a few things are real important; A water filter bottle, knife first aid kit, lighter, pen and paper and a couple of space blankets.

i'd like to suggest that in such a scenario, wherever you happen to be at the time the shtf is your new home and whatever you thought you had is gone forever. better keep a survival kit in your trunk or something.

let's say it all goes down when you're out.

your neighbor will assume by your absence that you are already dead or captured, i know I would, will seize control of your abandoned assets...which includes your wife and children; who will go with him at that time as he was the only one around in their moment of their most urgent need.

let's say you make it back to your home a couple of days later...your neighbor, knowing this is a possibility will be on the lookout so as to take you out before your family sees you. he'll probably succeed since your are tired, hungry, dirty and badly wounded after fighting for your life trying to get back to what was once your home and he's well rested and well taken care of by his two wives, newly acquired servant girls and dutiful sons.

anyone who truly believes that ts may htf should stay close to home or accept that they are going to lose their home if they are out in the streets playing around.

Originally posted by WickettheRabbit
For the sake of this thread, we'll say that "it all goes down" while I'm at work. EMP.

I'm fairly certain my trunk release is not mechanical, so I'll have to spend a little time getting to the trunk from the back seats. I should be able to get the little I have out of the trunk, which in my case includes a stroller. This is good.

The next step is making the 5 mile trek down the road and up a big hill to my kids' preschool. I'll have to rely on the oldest walking home with me.

From there it's another 2 miles to get home.

The only real concern is the first part of the 5 mile section because it's all rather exposed, so it would take a lot of time to get there if I'm trying to remain hidden.

The first 24 hours of an EMP i think people wont freak out as in go on a rampage and start looting and killing. They wont know what happend and only a few of us know the signs of an EMP. So i think your 5 mile walk will be ok within the 24 hour time line. after that when people start to get hungery and thursty, then your in trouble.

Originally posted by camaro68ss

Originally posted by WickettheRabbit
...stuff I said...

The first 24 hours of an EMP i think people wont freak out as in go on a rampage and start looting and killing. They wont know what happend and only a few of us know the signs of an EMP. So i think your 5 mile walk will be ok within the 24 hour time line. after that when people start to get hungery and thursty, then your in trouble.

I think you're right. I guess in my head I was thinking it was going to be more like The Road.

Bump for a later read

I've consider this as my 30 mile commute begins with me traveling through the heart of Baltimore ... someplace I'll avoid if anything really bad goes down. So my trek home will be considerably longer and I can only hope I'll not have to walk.

I'm fortunate in the fact that the rest of my family work and go to school very close to home, no more than a 10 minute walk all within our suburban neighborhood (at least to the time being, my 15 year old wants to go to the University of Wyoming...)

Best I can do is keep gassed up and keep a good set all weather gear & boots in the trunk.

Originally posted by WickettheRabbit

Originally posted by camaro68ss

Originally posted by WickettheRabbit
...stuff I said...

The first 24 hours of an EMP i think people wont freak out as in go on a rampage and start looting and killing. They wont know what happend and only a few of us know the signs of an EMP. So i think your 5 mile walk will be ok within the 24 hour time line. after that when people start to get hungery and thursty, then your in trouble.

I think you're right. I guess in my head I was thinking it was going to be more like The Road.

I disagree. Granted, my survival scenario is in a huge city, even smaller cities will have some of this stuff going on. The one thing I've learned is you want to set yourself up with as much information as possible before making your move. Taking off as soon as you realize what's going on is what everyone is going to do. That makes for a very unsafe situation.

1) Get ready to stay put for up to 3 days.
2) Get to as high off street level as you can.
3) Make sure you have a view of the surrounding area.

The first thing people are going to do is leave their homes to go get candles and ice, or walk out of their workplace and call their families, jamming up the phone lines, and decide it best to just go home. Then they're going to realize their cars don't work. People will walk to the store, get there and realize the store doesn't have power, while the ones at work will begin a mass migration home. The rumor mill starts going, mass panic sets in, now you have a scared mob of people.

The immediate danger is the rioting. There are going to be mobs of people springing up all across the city. When people are afraid, they tend to follow. The ones they will end up following are the ones who create more havoc. When the riots die down, you are then in a situation where people have realized it's time to start surviving.

This is when you want to travel. People have calmed down enough not to destroy things, are coming to the realization there is no help coming, lock themselves indoors to deal with their new depression and sort out their supplies, and generally cling to that one last bit of human element.

The only you should have to deal with is the same thing you would deal with on a regular basis: the people who carry guns every day. Those will be the ones out, and those are the ones you want to avoid. They'll stay close to home, and their numbers will be small, so it won't be too difficult. Now it's just like walking home from school.

reply to post by Rede2go


HIT the sewers if not flooded allows for CLOSE compact ummm interactions and they tend to follow beneath streets. TAKE some bikes and wet gear and GO! I hope IF there was a SHTF situation this information didnt get into the wrong hands if so then I guess 1 must make it to the abduction zones LEVEL BRIGHT OUT

reply to post by camaro68ss


Vacation locally, it is better for your local economy and it also saves on the environment and your pocketbook. Wake up to the fact that the negative points of distance traveling for vacations far exceed the benefits. If you want to go see your kids or parents, that's different, as long as it's not too often.

reply to post by Rede2go


If your skilled then use hot air balloon option if there are no no fly zones established or flying somethings to interfere.

Originally posted by michaelbrux
i'd like to suggest that in such a scenario, wherever you happen to be at the time the shtf is your new home and whatever you thought you had is gone forever. better keep a survival kit in your trunk or something.

let's say it all goes down when you're out.

your neighbor will assume by your absence that you are already dead or captured, i know I would, will seize control of your abandoned assets...which includes your wife and children; who will go with him at that time as he was the only one around in their moment of their most urgent need.

let's say you make it back to your home a couple of days later...your neighbor, knowing this is a possibility will be on the lookout so as to take you out before your family sees you. he'll probably succeed since your are tired, hungry, dirty and badly wounded after fighting for your life trying to get back to what was once your home and he's well rested and well taken care of by his two wives, newly acquired servant girls and dutiful sons.

anyone who truly believes that ts may htf should stay close to home or accept that they are going to lose their home if they are out in the streets playing around.

While in many cases you are probably correct, I would have to argue that in my case I don't believe this to be true. First off, my neighbors and I are quite friendly and helpful to one another. Sure we all may disagree with each other from time to time and even get on each others nerves sometimes, but I quite honestly can't see the scenario you described happening in my neighborhood. While we aren't exactly in the remote countryside, we are certainly not surrounded by a big city or anything like that. We are more like the "good ol' days" of America where you actually hang out with most of your neighbors and when all us "menfolk" are out mowing the lawns on Saturday, we'll chat over the fence with each other and so forth. We watch each others kids, loan our tools and stuff to each other, drink beers together...all that stuff.

Plus - while I'm away from the house at work or whatever, my wife is well armed and she knows how to handle a weapon. If anyone tried to take her as their own, I would come home to dead guys on the lawn.

reply to post by tallcool1


tshtf scenario will also involved a breakdown in rational thought and alliances.

behavior today would not continue after the event. why people predict Utopian alliances their neighbors in this situation is beyond me.

the idea of being even a few miles away from home becomes a different experience...perhaps some people live in a rural area where the human factor is diminished, but what about people who live in the suburbs or urban?

Roadblocks, rouge law enforcement, gang authority could make a 5 miles trip into a 50 miles trip...

Murphy's Law will be the Word of God.