Some Myths About Bugging Out on Foot

Going on foot is always a struggle. Always hard to survive for extended periods out of a pack. I usually make an altoids tin sized fishing kit with some snare wire. If you don't mind hand casting, you can fit a lot in a kit that size, or you can cut a pole.

For me, it is more like looking a longhunter or fur trapper campaign than a mad scurry for the finish. If you aren't eating, planning ahead to replace or renew resources, and staying in good health, you aren't going to get very far without a lot of luck. Not that I am as expert as I sound, or anything, but it is steady advice.

I'll see if I can think on something else to add.

 

Add the bike rack and bike now.

 

I do carry my mountain bike with me for exercise purposes. not sure how successful I would be biking several hundred miles, but i would be alot faster than walking, providing the roads were safe to travel

 

And it can carry your pack in paneers.

 

We live in the country (da sticks) and when I read these bugout threads I always wonder where folks are going and hopefully not here.

 

Depends...do you need a woodworker?

 

AxesAreBetter,
Don't think so.

The problem with cities and suburbia. For the most part, they cannot exist without a huge supporting infrastructure. My Mom grew up during the Great Depression. She commented about how "easy" they had it because they had dirt as compared to the city's concrete.
Folks will leave and head to the country. When they get there, they will see food growing, hear chickens clucking, see cold frames and rabbit coops. Some areas near water have fish. In winter they will smell food cooking. Everyone knows the smell of a summer's BBQ travels. All the above will create real problems.

 

I would add in a small pack rifle of some sort or a hand gun. You have to cut out the maybes. are there trains running towards your home? siphoning gas could get you killed. A moped with a gas can is not a bad Idea. First off keep the truck full at all times when on the road. And keep 15 gallons of gas in the RV. That would get you within walking distance. My get home bag is about the same as yours. I use a military poncho and liner as blanket and tent. Back pack with 14 food bars, water filter straw, med kit, multi tool, knife, Fire starter, Tinder(dryer lint) , compass and map, gps, paracord, radio, canteen, fishing kit,and one Ruger SR-22 handgun with extra magazine and 100 round box of CCI mini mags. That gives me 120 rounds. Always keep at least a case of bottle water in your RV. IF ON FOOT I AM GOING TO TRAVEL AS LIGHT AS POSSIBLE. The more you try and carry the more calories you will burn. I like those cereal bars that are individually packed Nutrigrain brand. I carry 14 of those two per day. A small zip loc with a dozen or more Multivitamins. A small zip loc bag of wet wipes. A good flashlight with extra batteries and at least one extra bulb.

 

Wow a tough call for getting home. I am assuming you have physical maps for all the area's you travel? and spare gas cans?

My thoughts, I would stick with bicycle as your 3rd back up with cans of that green goo for tires (or insta flat) there is a thread on this goo that was posted a few days ago. Paniers for your mountain bike or a towing cart for the bike (the tow rigs are awkward, my sister uses them on her cross country rides and as they add drag I wouldn't use them but they are an option)

 

when I was In the army my rucksack weighed 65 lbs and I did a lot of 12 mile road marches of course I was 20 something and had a S on my chest. Now that I am 51 and beat up and broke down I doubt I could make it 5 miles with a 25 lb. pack

 

A great read.
thanks

 

My EDC is a Swiss army computer back pack weighing about 30+ LBS
IF an EMP has stricken and all electronics are fried then I can cast off all the junk and be reduced to about 20 lbs or so .
I expect that, at that moment I have but a few moments to gather water in my collapsed bladders in the bag and move toward home. Adding more weight back into the bag.
I am accustomed to carrying this weight all the time so it no big deal .
I have lots of diverse terrain elevations only range a thousand feet or so ,no big deal . the bigger problem will be the crowded streets of people trying to get home or to stores which will be a big disappointment for them.
I carry breakfast bars in a stainless cup with a lid ( water boils faster when there is a lid on the vessel) ( also keeps dirt out .)
I have a FAK and colloidal silver and kit solar generator for making it , as well as other standard meds; Benadryl, aspirin and such.
On the bike I keep other FAK, water, tools, fuel, flat fix, rain coat, and supplies as well as a 2 wheel cart for carrying gear, with quick pins it can be assembled in minuets .
Having to leave the dead bike I anticipate it being stripped in my absence so ,I will take what is worth hauling as far as it goes like the gas tank, if it's still relatively full, and the battery ,LED lights. and spare 12 volt solar panel .
Some things will be good for barter and some good for self defence, even having the tools can be an advantage bartering for skills for food or help .
Been in enough desperate situations to know what's worth hauling .
Those of you accustomed to being able to have home to fall back on, don't appreciate not having it, and think minimalism is the way to go.
If you are on foot after a disaster, and home is an unknown,, you are a refugee .
If your not home , your don't know what, if any condition it is in, till you get there.
I have learned that it is more important to be cautious than anxious , so travel is with that in mind.
I have small binoculars in the pack for scaning the way ahead, so with out a doubt, a 5 mile trip may take more than a day, depending on conditions.
One last thing .
Having gear to start with is the edge . being able to drop some along the way is way ahead of not having it to begin with.
If you've ony a FAK for one event, and there are several, then what ?

 

There are some 2 and 4 stroke gas engines for most bikes... some get 80 mpg... costs vary by quality... $140.00 on amazon up... might be worth researching....

 

I ride a motor cycle. But yes there are some good motor options for bicycles if your willing to make the investment and practice using it.
On a bicycle however I believe it is best to have a trailer for bugging out, due to the fact that wearing a back pack on a bicycle is hazardous.(very high center of gravity . not so much for side to side, but going up and down hills.

 

IMHO A bicycle used to travel is one of the best options if it will meet your needs. In a high stress environment people will be even more suspicious than in a normal situation, it’s just human nature. So a stranger traveling down your block on foot carrying anything will get everybody’s attention. And due to the slow nature of walking intention to pass through peacefully will be blurred. However riding through at a good clip will shorten reaction time and manifest intent of passing through in a clearer fashion.

Now I know that traveling faster will limit your reaction time in an ambush situation, but if an ambush is up ahead it won’t matter unless you’ve taken the stealth, escape and evade method of travel.

Face it you can only do what you can do to survive, nothing more. For the most part it will be a matter luck combined with skill, with your situational awareness level being the deciding factor on which one you will be relying on most.

Just sayin,

CT.

 

The reality is they'll be so sore, they'll be immobilized. Bag balm, foot powder, moleskin, pain killers..the list goes on of stuff they'll need once the aches and pains kick in if they haven't trained previously

 

Bugging out on foot.....99% does not even know what bugging out even means or entails, nor would they have anyplace to go....99% would die or expect Military or Red Cross to take them to a fully stocked shelter with free wifi....99% of America is fat, unhealthy and totally dependent.....after being in Afghanistan I gave up on any decent expectations of how Military would even get anything done if a bad situation really happened....saw an endless SNAFU for a year, made me sick on how bad Military is...I served from 1979-1991 and got out....Volunteered in 2009 and got back in, did two years and got right back out.....Lunacy at it's finest....Get to your home if you can, Leave your home if you have to, other wise take as many with you as you can.....

 

Not that I don't enjoy being on foot ,hiking is not the problem, so much as the where to go and how much can I haul with me if at all.
The direction one may plan to go may not be safe any longer, alternatives need to be considered.
Not knowing the nature of the event that creates that issue nor how much notice one might have in the event .
On coming fire ,you know it exists and possibly approaching you shouldn't be waiting for an announcement .
The same with a rain induced flood or off shore storm approaching , pandemic, or invasion, Knowing about it's existence and waiting to be told, "is not prepared." These there is time to act and sort your thoughts and go through lists.
Getting caught in the panic is not something you want at all.
An EMP or earth quake are probably the worst, seeing there is no warning for either one.
And the condition for things may or may not be favorable for retrieving your BOB or GHB or INCH bag.
If your Bag is in a parking garage and it's collapsed or flooded , getting it may be well out of the question . "The best laid plans of mice and men",,,,
I am no minimalist, but I am fairly skilled at improvising in the heat of the moment.
I have some rather large water tight ammo boxes I plan to pack with gear and stow, away from the house, in the event the house is either lost to some one invading or burned down. It's a bird in the hand.
The shuttle does not fly with just one computer.
Where life matters, redundancy matters .

 

When i lived in California, i had an "earthquake Barrel " buried in the yard. Everything a family of 4 could need for a couple weeks of camping, some cash, some food, and a weapon and ammo. Just incase the house collapsed, or gas leak, ect.

 

This is why we do more than merely share on the key board, but practice the skills we need so they are second nature.
This is what I discourage the minimalist approach , if one has only one means and it's lost he has nothing.