Has anyone ever had to to "Bug Out"...in real life?

[hunter63]

All the different ideas on BOB's, GHB, GOOD, 72 Hour kit, PSK, EDC .....kits....from Motor homes and gear/supplies to restart civilization..... to a cell phone and credit card.........And every possible combination of bag, piece of gear, vehicle in between.

Makes me wonder if anyone actually "had" to bug out.....and why?
What happened....?
What did you bring...?
Was it ready....?
Where did you bug out to....?
How did you bug out ....?
How long.......?
Were you alone....?
Did it work for you and yours....?

What do you do different these day....?
What do you figure the chances or the same thing happening a second time....?

With the exception or a couple of practice Bug out' trips to a BOL, in a BOV, in a what if SHTF Scenario. ....
(Basically, loaded up the truck in 1/2 hour, drove to "The Place" in March to open up for the year.....because we didn't have much to do....)

I/we never had to......Thank God....But still spend thought, time, and money, for the "Just In Case".

Just curious.

[MrFixIt]

Had to bug out in the military several times, but I'm not sure that is what you're gettin' at...?

[wilderness medic]

All the different ideas on BOB's, GHB, GOOD, 72 Hour kit, PSK, EDC .....kits....from Motor homes and gear/supplies to restart civilization..... to a cell phone and credit card.........And every possible combination of bag, piece of gear, vehicle in between.

Makes me wonder if anyone actually "had" to bug out.....and why?
What happened....?
What did you bring...?
Was it ready....?
Where did you bug out to....?
How did you bug out ....?
How long.......?
Were you alone....?
Did it work for you and yours....?

What do you do different these day....?
What do you figure the chances or the same thing happening a second time....?

With the exception or a couple of practice Bug out' trips to a BOL, in a BOV, in a what if SHTF Scenario. ....
(Basically, loaded up the truck in 1/2 hour, drove to "The Place" in March to open up for the year.....because we didn't have much to do....)

I/we never had to......Thank God....But still spend thought, time, and money, for the "Just In Case".

Just curious.

I don't know what you classify "bugging out". That always make me think of Red Dawn, running from the police, or something along those lines.

I brought all I had. My emergency vehicle bag

No. I was about half done. Sawyer squeeze, UL shelter, UL sleeping bag, one MRE, flashlight, some other stuff.

From hotels, to the car, to the forest.

Two months.

Alone the majority of the time.

I don't know what you mean worked. If it didn't work how could someone reply to this?

Some things differen't. More snivel gear (snivel gear, snivel gear, for you hunter and food. It's a vehicle bag, nothing i'm grabbing and packing dozens or hundreds of miles. Other than that, the as Crash and others have said. The biggest thing to have is a high limit credit card/cash, and a vehicle to get yourself somewhere that isn't where you don't want to be.

I uhh... figure the chances of it happening again are almost non existent, but stranger things have happened.

[Rick]

Depending on what you are bugging out from. (hurricane, etc.) you might not be able to use a credit card if the store you are shopping at is without power or the ATM has no power. Consider enough cash in small bills.

I have not, Hunter. We were hit by a tornado in '78 and probably should have. There were huge holes in the roof after three trees fell on it. There was no rain in the forecast so we stayed put. No power but we made do even with three little ones.

[hunter63]

Had to bug out in the military several times, but I'm not sure that is what you're gettin' at...?

Not talking about military....Talking Katrina, house fire, flood, train wreck, forced evacuation......stuff.

[hunter63]

It's just interesting to see if all the planning helped and in what situations, what was something you missed the first time around...or how much stuff could have been left behind.

Was watching a program about a family living in the far northern artic circle......can't recall the name......
But what impressed me was the emergency tent set up away from the cabin....in case of fire or whatever that would destroy the house....No help coming.
Had never gave that a thought......Now have a "camp" older camping gear, water purification, tent, sleeping bags, gear, some freeze dried foods tools and "other supplies"......sealed up in a steel 55 gal drum.....away from the cabin.

[1stimestar]

It's just interesting to see if all the planning helped and in what situations, what was something you missed the first time around...or how much stuff could have been left behind.

Was watching a program about a family living in the far northern artic circle......can't recall the name......
But what impressed me was the emergency tent set up away from the cabin....in case of fire or whatever that would destroy the house....No help coming.
Had never gave that a thought......Now have a "camp" older camping gear, water purification, tent, sleeping bags, gear, some freeze dried foods tools and "other supplies"......sealed up in a steel 55 gal drum.....away from the cabin.

Yep, all my friends have a go to shelter in case main cabin burns down in the winter. Never really had to bug out. My parents had to bug out last year. They live in their hanger in Oklahoma and had a tornado coming towards them. They threw their stuff in the truck and out ran it. Luckily it didn't get their hanger but it was good they were prepared.

[Rick]

I think it's a great question and a good way to learn. It also puts bugging out into perspective about how few times it's really needed. Of course once is more than enough.

I've pointed out before, but for the benefit of new members, I study historical photographs of those that had to bug out (refugees). It's a great lesson to view what they started with and what they ended up with. In almost all cases they started with everything they could possible carry by pack, horse or horse drawn and/or push/pull wagon and ended up, often times, with nothing after eating the horse. Eastern Europe saw people eating tree bark during WWII and they left their homes with loads of gear.

Practice, practice, practice and then practice some more. Good post, Hunter.

[wilderness medic]

I reserve the terms bugging out and bug out bag for the doomsday mindset that we're going to be invaded and have to take to the woods. Wolverines!!

You have a good way of looking at it Rick. Look at history and study trends and patterns. How many times for how long have people talking about the end of the world stuff. I'm not saying it will never happen, just the odds are you will have some other disaster to prepare for rather than WWIII. I'd rather call it a 72 hour emergency bag, or get home bag. BOB gives me that creepy feeling of fleeing people, government, foreign invaders, law. Not a fan of that term so much anymore.

Run to the hills! The apocalypse is coming!
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[hunter63]

I used the term Bug out loosely, realizing it may be taken many ways and not here to debating details.

Just curious as to anyone ever HAD to "leave for any reason or face extreme danger" (that better?....LOL).

There are some Hurricane Sandy survivors that are members on here and details were passed along.

Red Dawn was one of the Dumbest movies I have ever seen.......JMHO

[Ken]

Not under circumstances that I'm willing to disclose, LOL!

[hunter63]

Not discussing upstairs bed room windows.......LOL

[Ken]

Posted twice.....

[finallyME]

Red Dawn was one of the Dumbest movies I have ever seen.......JMHO

What!!!.....come on. That movie was awesome....both of them.

[Grizz123]

- yes
- took what I could pack in my trailer and drove to Alaska
- lived there for 2 years
- bugged out due to divorce

[tjwilhelm]

Here's something I found very interesting about Bugging Out...what do you think about this, hunter63?

http://www.survivalcommonsense.com/f...a-bad-ideafeed

[Tokwan]

I and my family (late Dad and late Mom - I was still single then..) did have a Bug Out experience in 1990 ( I was 30 then).
I had just left the force at that time and was pursuing my MBA. It was during one of the weekend long leave and I decided to go back to see them (I was studying about 600kms away in Malaysia National Uni..(known as University Kebangsaan Malaysia).
It was a flood and luckily we had two simple inflatable rafts ( them cheap ones) and I remembered tying the two rafts close together, secured a wooded dinner table over the raft. Tied a tarp to the table stands (legs of the table) and that way, managed to get my Dad and Mom to a higher ground about 300 m away. Then I moved to and fro to save whatever that be saved.

[hunter63]

Here's something I found very interesting about Bugging Out...what do you think about this, hunter63?

http://www.survivalcommonsense.com/f...a-bad-ideafeed

I pretty much agree with what this guy is saying.....Wouldn't take much to stop you cold...one traffic jamb and your new home in at mile marker 294 on I-90.

Which is why I was getting to reasons people have had to actually load up and go away from what ever....Guess I won't use the phrase "Bug out" as most likely it won't be avoiding and battling the Cubans, seems that brings that vision....LOL

The idea was to see what people had, used and how it worked out, or didn't.....I'm thinking most occurrences didn't go as we might think.

[Tokwan]

Okay, continuation of my earlier post...I had my cmping equipment at that time and all of had to be moved to a temporary flood refuge center. Supplies came in very late but the center was overcrowded.
I then decided to move out, pitch two 4 men tent and a few tarps about 200 m from the center (at the same time checking in with the center authorities. I used whatever knowledge, my camping equipment to ensure my parents were comfortable and well fed. Their age were 60+ at that time and my Dad had diabetes..The center was just a hall and had a carpet for sleeping. I knew he was not going to be comfortable. In the end my 15 year (at that time) Sherpa sleeping bag, and self inflating sleeping mattresses made them both comfy...I was always comfortable in my hammock...

[1stimestar]

I think the term bug out is totally appropriate for running from a tornado. :wink: