Bugging out to another country?????

When I moved to Thailand I only took 3 pairs of socks and underwear, a coupme of tee shirts and a paperback book. Things are so cheap here I just bought everything I needed once I got here. I really don't see why one would have to live "clandestinely", unless one was a fugitive from the law. And as far as blending in, I cannot blend in with Thai people but there is no reason to. And living off the land is not that difficult as it is tropical and there is plenty of building material and food available and native people are very friendly and willing to help you. The one difficulty about moving here though is employment. Most jobs are restricted from foreigners so unless has adequate savings or a steady income from a retirement pension, as is my situation, it is not easy to live here indefinitely unless you do actually live off the land.

My friends and I have begun to think on and about various SHTF scenarios...

For the most part we will group together at a designated house and consolidate all of our supplies. At that point we will assess the situation and decide on the best course of action. If things aren't "that" bad we will dig in and conserve supplies and wait things out to see if they improve or to get to a point to re-assess and re-plan.

If the location we've picked isn't safe or practical then we have a bug out plan and a location in the mtns to go to with a few backups.

We have discussed plans to leave the country if things warrant that as well but with our level of knowledge going somewhere like AK probably isn't the best idea. We know going south to Mexico would have its own problems so we are brainstorming that now.

We would prefer to stay and fight for our country but if the odds or situation is overwhelming I wont die stupidly when I can bug out and fight another day.

I think the tricky thing will be timing. If the country is at war (civil or otherwise) I would think the borders would be locked down and travel outside the country would be hard to do. Perhaps trading all your goods to a ship captain to stow away or something...

So in my mind either you time it perfectly (hard to do) or you leave early or too late. We've all got passports but those may be useless if SHTF does occur.

In my mind the only major barrier keeping someone from bugging out to a foreign country would be language and culture. Since I believe that culture is carried within a language you can breach that barrier with some effort.

I am not saying it is impossible to bug out if you don't speak the native language, where you are going, but I do know that the transition would be seamless and you are much less likely to be taken advantage of at the outset.

I am fluent in Spanish, English, and passable in Portuguese. If I had to bugout, the entire American continents would be comfortable for me, as well as selected European locations and of course Australia. Leaning on personal experience I would probably make way for Colombia or Peru keeping Brazil and Argentina as secondary choices.

I am working on learning Mandarin so that I can add another large portion of the world to my options.

What makes you think that any other country would want you? What do you have to offer them that they can't get else where?

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Originally Posted by SARKY

What makes you think that any other country would want you? What do you have to offer them that they can't get else where?

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To which one of us on this thread are you asking that?

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Originally Posted by SARKY

What makes you think that any other country would want you? What do you have to offer them that they can't get else where?

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What makes you think they can keep me out? Everyone seems to be assuming that in bugging out you are going to be concerned with customs and legitimate border proceedings. If it's a real TEOTWAWKI scenario, not just a temporary TSHTF, who cares? And if it's just a TSHTF scenario, why bug out to another country? If you want to move and be an ex-pat, cool, but that's something TOTALLY different.

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Originally Posted by Alpine_Sapper

What makes you think they can keep me out? Everyone seems to be assuming that in bugging out you are going to be concerned with customs and legitimate border proceedings.

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Note to self: Alpine_Sapper may have tweaked onto my plans to invade the US of A. I'll have to keep a close eye on that one

For me there would be three options, going to Russia(NO!), Sweden(I'm not rasist, but I don't generally like them, or more spesificly their culture...), and Norway(Darn long way). Best option would be hiding in the woods in my own country.

Bugging out to Sweden or Russia is sort of like walking across the street isn't it? That would be like me buggin out to Canada. I'd only do that if they re-instated the draft.

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Originally Posted by NCO

For me there would be three options, going to Russia(NO!), Sweden(I'm not rasist, but I don't generally like them, or more spesificly their culture...), and Norway(Darn long way). Best option would be hiding in the woods in my own country.

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Well you do have great forests, i would bug out your way, Norway or Finland

Only down side is the harsh winter. To live from the land, that can be done with relative ease, but to survive winter you need four basic elements:
1. Skiis, or other way to move effectivly in deep snow, skiis is the most energy efficent.
2. Warm place to sleep/rest. Tent with a stove could do the trick, but building a little log house in dence bushes and having earth roof that grows grasses and such on it would be harder to find AND warmer + bear and wolf safe.
3. Enough fuel, meaning wood. You need a lot of if which means you'll need to be able to fell trees with out compromising your position.
4. Food and means to get more of it.

For me most likele scenario would be all out war with Russia, in which case I would be called back in service and far too busy shooting russians to think of any bug out plans...

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Originally Posted by Jason_Montana

I've got places in Mexico, Ecuador, Manitoba and the Yukon mapped out. If the USA becomes unbearable I have options.

So, what is it about the USA that you are most tied to- the land, the people, or the ideals....

For me, its the ideals. I still believe in the constitution and the beliefs that this country were founded on. However, those things are being compromised in a battle that is being fought without guns, in a war that the common person can't really engage in. If those things disappear- there are nice people and big mountains other places.

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Do you have any spanish speaking skillls? If things went that bad I believe I would try to make my way to brazil or one of the carribean islands. I don't speak any portugese but It is such a diverse country with a lot of ethnic and racial groups- another melting pot easier to get lost in than Mexico. The carribean islands as most of the people speak English or some dialect of it the only impediment would be getting there across the water.

The farthest Id go might be Georgia.[US] But I think Im gonna stay put. I have everything I need right here. Coulnt imagine trying to survive in a foreign land and I dont think Id try.

What if everyone in the US bugged out to Brazil only to find everyone in Brazil had bugged out to the US?!:no::turned:;)

I guess I am a bit hardheaded and stubborn,I would just have to stay,fight or die fighting.

I've got your back Crash....

Good to know. Thanks.

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Originally Posted by Schleprok

I've got your back Crash....

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me too crash.

Thank you both!

I keep our passports as part of my BOB, eventhough, as AlpineSapper said, I probably won't be too "concerned with customs and legitimate border proceedings". North, South, I would have to burn that bridge when I come to it.