"Bug-Out" Locations

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Pikachu711

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Have you given much thought as to where you'd go if you as a van dweller if&nbsp;there were some type of&nbsp;major problem were to occur in our&nbsp;country? What I'm&nbsp;thinking about is some type of major problem such as a massive power&nbsp;failure, major communications failure (telephone, internet,&nbsp;electrical, etc.) with little hope of a quick solution offered by&nbsp;local &amp; regional authorities. Do you know where you would travel as a van dweller to a remote location until a&nbsp;major ongoing problem(s) was resolved?<br /><br />What I'm looking for are suggestions from you for possible "bug out" suggestions. I'm looking for&nbsp;suggestions in your part of the state/country&nbsp;where we could be safe until the ongoing regional/national&nbsp;emergency situation is resolved. These can&nbsp;be&nbsp;established locations such as some such as Slab City, CA or other similiar type locations.<br /><br />Any suggested locations should be accessable be 2-wheel drive vehicles as well. It wouldn't make sense to suggest a site that only 4-wheel drive vehicles could access. We should make any "bug out" area accessable by a majority of van dwellers.<br /><br />Please give this&nbsp;issue some thought! What is a good&nbsp;suggestion for a&nbsp;"bug out" location&nbsp;in the event of some type&nbsp;ONGOING SERIOUS regional/national emergency were to occur?<br /><br />IMPORTANT NOTE: I'm NOT&nbsp;attempting to turn this&nbsp;topic into an "end of the world"&nbsp;discussion.&nbsp;There are other forums for that subject. Please limit your replies to your suggestions for possible "bug out" locations in your part of the country and why.<br /><br />Thank you for your attention!&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
 
me personaly,i would go to sea knowing how to sail.the last place i would go is to the slab city, no water for miles, an full of teeker's as is. if i could'nt get a sailboat,here in california!!. i would head for northen cal, a place call the lost coast.gun's and fishing poles in hands&nbsp;think hunter gather. you could live off the land an sea.gary
 
RAILROADGREEN53 said:
me personaly,i would go to sea knowing how to sail.the last place i would go is to the slab city, no water for miles, an full of teeker's as is. if i could'nt get a sailboat,here in california!!. i would head for northen cal, a place call the lost coast.gun's and fishing poles in hands&nbsp;think hunter gather. you could live off the land an sea.gary
<br /><br />RAILROADGREEN53, if I knew how to sail &amp; had access to some type of sailboat I'd do the same thing. I was only using Slab City as an example of a location where van dwellers travel to and live off the grid.<br /><br />In my case, I'm in the middle of the desert here in Las Vegas. I know of&nbsp;remote places I'd travel between here &amp;&nbsp;California that will involve&nbsp;boondocking on BLM land. There's quite a bit of BLM land&nbsp;to find an isolated place to hide.<br /><br />At one point I was a "time keeper" at a commercial&nbsp;gold mine that was&nbsp;almost&nbsp;7-9 miles off of southbound I-15 on BLM land. It was all&nbsp;dirt roads to the remote site. All these roads were passable for 2-wheel drive vehicles. I&nbsp;had to work this site for almost&nbsp;2 months. Very remote areas out there on BLM&nbsp;land. I recall seeing people living out of there vehicles as we'd drive out there on a daily basis.<br /><br />Where I'd travel&nbsp;for a temporay&nbsp;escape is something I've always given some thought to in&nbsp;the proper situations.<br /><br />Thanks for your comment!&nbsp;It makes perfect sense.&nbsp;
 
I've given a lot of thought to it, beginning before Y2K.&nbsp; I have a dozen-or-so places earmarked in New Mexico on BLM or USFS land where there's water.&nbsp; Seems the problem is, knowing what a person might need to bug out from, what's going on behind you, so's to know what to stash at the bugout.<br /><br />At the moment I don't have a clue, aside from the broad-spectrum obvious items such as digging tools, maybe 50# each of pinto beans and rice.<br /><br />But I figure a person needs to do his anticipated bugging out somewhere not-too-far from where he's located, as opposed to having to travel long distances to get there.<br /><br />If someone wants such locations for New Mexico/eastern AZ I could provide locations, but they'd never be any help to anyone much outside the area.
 
<br /><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>This is something I've frequently pondered myself. Although I'm more-or-less living in my bug-out location, cuz I live in my camper, but I own the land, I've still wondered what I'd do if I happened to be on a road trip, &amp; it all hit the fan.</strong></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>I guess I'd try to make it home, if it was possible, but most likely it wouldn't be, unless I just HAPPENED to be within a single tank's worth of gas away, &amp; if the tank was FULL when it happened, cuz most likely, gas isn't gonna be available, &amp; you're only gonna get as far as the gas in your tank will take U.</strong></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>Another reason to not let the gas tank drop below half a tank on a road trip, IMO.&nbsp;<img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" /><br /><br /></strong></span>
 
Well the three needed things are food water and shelter... Considering food would be a major issue I sure as heck would not share my spots as it would be a death sentence... On the way I would raid some warehouse for even dog food and dry goods to survive... Getting away from populations would be key and understanding that all the rules will have been thrown out, kill or be killed would be the rule to survival... So lets hope for all of humanity that there is always some sort of control in place, cause it will get ugly fast...
 
I hate to agree with SoulRaven on the state of the people.&nbsp; Joining up with total strangers is risky and would likely lead to problems.&nbsp; I would like to believe the majority of people are good, but when times get hard and food gets scarce - it will get ugly.&nbsp; But on topic, Michigan (my home state) anywhere more north than the thumb area (the further the better) has plenty of woods, lakes, rivers, and game - Food!&nbsp; Only big issue is WINTER!&nbsp; Yuck!&nbsp; So when my time finally arrives when I can bug out of this 9-5 rat race - I'm going to be bothering all of you people for your honey holes out west - warm in the winter - cool in the summers.&nbsp; Fish Hunt Camp.&nbsp; What I'd do if I had a million dollars anyway - so why wait or work for the million?&nbsp; I'll be joining you nomads soon!&nbsp; <img src="/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif" alt="" align="absMiddle" border="0" />
 
Hi Pikachu...Yikes, what a hard question to answer and not slip into the spinoff ideas...lol... as is evidenced by the replies....<br /><br />I don't think in terms of bugging out. Frankly, the last place I would want to be is in a vehicle. It only takes a small power outage to shut down all gas pumps in an area. If I am away from home I will make do, if I can get home, that's where I am going. Or into Mexico where many people already live close to the land and I could offer what I know, and my labor to make it. <br /><br />My wife and I own our own place a half block from the Rio Grande and we have our own hot water well, which is essentially what we drink here in town with a bit of cleaning up and sterilizing...<br /><br />2KW genset is on the list of stuff to buy and I believe I will soon buy a hand pump as well. I keep a lot of wood on hand, several propane bottle full. A couple cans of gasoline also. I keep as much food on hand as I think reasonable...cans of spam and fish, beans, corn, rice, green coffee beans etc....none of the dry goods keep all that long tho...I also have trade goods and some other wherewithal...as well as a small solar power system.<br /><br />Unlike Steve, I want to be in an area with my neighbors who I know and are like thinkers to myself and believe strength and survival comes with living and working together. I chose this community because we pull together, not apart.<br /><br />I live in the desert and my off grid neighbor friends already forage for food and medicine and I think my chances would be better with them, where I could fish the river even for carp and hunt bunnies and they could forage for things like Mesquite beans, etc. and we could share dinner.... many of us utilize the waste stream and grow food, etc. already.<br /><br />In many ways this is the perfect place to weather most anything....<br /><br />Although I love vandwelling, I am not a believer in it being a good way to survive a disaster involving more than just a section of the country. I think we may fool ourselves a bit by thinking what we do could take place in anywhere that wasn't as rich and abundant as our country is.<br /><br />I don't say that lightly, I have traveled the third world a lot and what we do is laughable and unreachable to them. A pleasure of the very rich in their eyes. They are busy scraping together a living and trying to obtain at least the standard of living that gives them a few things beyond survival.<br /><br />So, I believe that what I am saying is perhaps rather than thinking about living as a refugee in hiding, think in terms of a suitable, affordable spot to base camp in, near water and take the measures you need to to own it. <br /><br />Even if you need to join with a few others to be able to afford it. Possibly joining something like Escapees or some other club that owns their own RV parks. <br /><br />One possibility is going to Why, AZ and paying yearly for a spot in Coyote Howls East campground and get a solar power system bought and paid for and installed on your rig. It only cost $500 a year for a spot including well water and access to a bathroom with showers and a clubhouse with a computer area and wifi and you will have a real home. <br /><br />Just saying. Don't let fear guide you...it will lead you off into the ozone. I have been in several disaster situations and no matter what the fantasy books, doom and gloom radio programs and movies say, people usually show their best when the chips are down. I was in NYC during the first blackout in 66 or 67 or whenever that was, the crime rate dropped to zero during the duration....it changed my view of people for the rest of my life....<br />Peace,<br />Bri
 
&nbsp;This province (BC) has, like, a million miles of logging roads crisscrossing it. I'd boot off into the back country and maybe head up a decommissioned one. Those water bars tend to keep the faint of heart out and I can hear 'em a ways away.&nbsp; &nbsp;
 
Willy said:
&nbsp;This province (BC) has, like, a million miles of logging roads crisscrossing it. I'd boot off into the back country and maybe head up a decommissioned one. Those water bars tend to keep the faint of heart out and I can hear 'em a ways away.&nbsp; &nbsp;
<br /><br />I'm of the same mindset as you when it comes to traveling on less traveled roads. The roads I'll most likely be traveling on is nicknamed "powerline" road. By it's&nbsp;nickname it's the dirt roads that were used primarily by the&nbsp;utility company used to install all the powerlines.<br /><br />I recall seeing only a handful of people living out of their vehicles when I was traveling up powerline road many years ago on a daily basis. They're a great way to escape a crowded area.
 
&nbsp;Nice thing about logging roads, abandoned or otherwise, is that there are often large pullouts and landings from log sorts where one can camp. The log sorts (old &amp; new) often have a surfeit of firewood for one to burn.
 
well yes, i have given it tought and have several locations depending on were i am at when&nbsp;shtf and no i will not share any of the locations on an open forum.&nbsp; highdesertranger
 
UPDATE: When I started this new thread I didn't really give this subject too much until I read a few of your responses.<br /><br />highdesertranger does bring up a very valid point. I'm going to ask each of you who respond to this thread to NOT be overly specific on a "bug out" location you may consider using in the future. Please use only general terms&nbsp;to the precise location since we all will want to keep our locations "private" since this will be a survival situation. Isn't that the intent of a "bug out" location.<br /><br />My apologies to any of you who have already mentioned specific locations you may be considering for "bug out" locations.<br /><br />Now I'll let all of you get back to what you were doing before I had you read this message.
 
Fun thread, worth reading all the viewpoints.&nbsp; Illustrates the variety of individual perspectives on whatever people believe is in the future.&nbsp; I suppose a lot of a concept I'd call 'the bugout threshhold' and what each individual considers it to be is a major piece of how a person might approach it.<br /><br />My personal thought is that I already know what sort of person I am, and what sort I'm determined to remain, regardless of whatever circumstances life hands out.&nbsp; Including the whole range of possibilities that might lead to bugging out.&nbsp; If the future deals a hand I consider worth bugging out for I'm not interested in scowling into it and becoming a hardass, spending my remaining time in this life hiding behind rocks and trees, having shootouts and sharpening my array of survival knives with compasses on the handle.<br /><br />Any bugging out I do, I'm going to do my best to smile into it.<br /><br />Having said that, seems to me a few basics might make it easier.<br /><br />Water, food and shelter, someone mentioned, and that's valid.&nbsp; A few medical supplies, even antibiotics might be nice, but certainly a supply of whatever meds your personal vehicle requires to keep going a while.<br /><br />Despite the appeal of mountains, small game's easier and more abundant at lower altitudes.&nbsp; A bit of feed grain is a great means of bringing them to you so's to get them into the pot.&nbsp; <br /><br />Windmills in a lot of the southwestern US have been replaced by solar collectors running pumps and storing it in stocktanks.&nbsp; Just knowing where a few of those are could go a long way toward providing a bugout site, because the game is already coming there for water.<br /><br />If survival isn't fun a case can be made that it is something other than survival, seems to me.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
 
I'M NOT WORRY ABOUT GIVE UP LOCATION'S, THE PACIFIC A BIG OCEAN.YOU CAN SEE SOMEONE COMIMG FOR MILES. BUT BOTTOM LINE AT THE AGE OF SIXY,I WOULD'NT LIKEY LEAVE HOME. AS THAT I HAVE VERY GOOD LIFE. BUT WTH THE (GUN'S)I OWN I WOULD NOT GO EASY!!! YOU ALL HAVE A NICE DAY. GARY
 
I'd just go home &amp; hide behind Momma's skirt <img src="/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" />. She cooks a mean batch of beans &amp; rice and has lots of it stashed already; that and oatmeal &amp; raisins and a coupe full of chickens. I think she's got a hog running around there too; that I might get serious about butchering this fall anyway.<img src="/images/boards/smilies/idea.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" /><br /><br />gus
 
I've been thinking about this a bit this morning and remembered something. For every off the beaten path hiking spot I thought I was the only person to know about, there were at least 3 people (I knew) who knew about it. If you expand on each person knowing at least one other (unknown person to you) knowing about it. Well, it's really not much of a secret any ways. I'm willing to bet there are many people who have the same places in mind to go to in a SHTF scenario anyways.<br /><br />It's not like there's any undiscovered country left here, not with all those topo maps out there.<br /><br />I think there's still value in picking a rally point at least. Those who are comfortable enough to team up during SHTF conditions and help each other is not a bad thing.<br /><br /><br />Any of you guys ever watched Jericho when it was on? It's a good look at one of the ways how things might play out.<br /><br />
 
ALL my bug-outs are 4WD or on-foot access only. Just my preference.
 
I was just thinking about my wife's friend Judy, who has an infrared camera she uses from an aircraft to find hot spots in a burned over area. She came to visit us once here in NM and she had taken a contract for a treasure hunter type who wanted her to photograph an area of mountainside for him. <br /><br />Apparently he is after the buried treasure that many look for here. (it is told that the Apaches buried much of what they relieved the Spanish of during the heyday of the Camino Real from Mexico City to Sante Fe...and it runs by just over the first mountains east of here) She took photos of it and explained that the camera could differentiate between talus slope mountain side and an area they had a cave below it due to the heat signature.<br /><br />Of course we never saw what she came up with but she photographed our faces to show that she could tell if we had a stuffed up sinus...<img src="/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" /><br /><br />I know of a couple mines that guys have bought or developed and they have gone to great lengths to make a small fortress/hidey hole in it for the Zombie Apocalypse.<br /><br />Hopefully folks don't think that they have any ability to hide if someone has a serious want to know where they are...LOL<br /><br />As usual, YMMV!<br /><br />Bri
 
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