[SAR-1L]

I have been struggling with this for quiet some time. So have been planning for both, I tried searching the forums for threads about this as I am certain it has come up but couldn't find them, sorry.

Which is better to Bug Out or Stay Put?

I have spent my entire adult life learning skills, rather than hoarding equipment, cause equipment can break, can be stolen, can be lost, wear down, be damaged etc. Skills stick with you, and increase if you use them on a daily basis, they are weightless, and when combined with other things like common sense, survival instinct, experience, and etc, well your mind is the most important tool in your kit.

But there is pros and cons to both staying put and staying on the move. I myself am definitely a scavenger, and believe eventually by staying put I risk meeting an overwhelming force which I am unable to defend against. Not only this but having what others want is a big red target on your back. Where if you are extremely resourceful and unlike most have the opportunity as I have to spend a huge chunk of your time learning skills, and getting training through various resources, well you can live off nearly nothing, keep under the radar and be extremely lethal in your resolve to survive.

So you know what my bias is, what is your bias, and why? Not looking to debate against you, merely learn from you and see outside perspectives.

 

[Fuzzee]

Life is a fluid situation and shtf will certainly not make it change. People will lose stability like nickels in a pocket with holes in it. You'll have to decide just like the rest of us depending on what happens and the homefront is like. If it's chaos here, too dangerous, or environmentally hazardous, the foods run out, the chances of survival are better elsewhere, I'm gone.

 

[Montana Rancher]

I've lived off the land enough to know I am staying put and if it comes to it dying in place. Bugging out to scavenge and live off the land may look or sound romantic, but the reality is it will be a brutal existance.
IMO everyone will have to contend with other people killing you for your stuff, it doesn't matter is that is a stocked house or a stocked backpack. The advantage of staying put is security, comfort, fellowship with family's members and friends, food, shelter, knowledge of the terrain, edible local plants, neighbors, I could go on for a long time.
Bugging out with a good setup gives you a small food stock, enough ammo for 2 good fire fights and very little room for error. If you get the flu, sprain an ankle, infected wound or a freak winter ice storm/hurricane/natural disaster that could be all it takes to turn the tide.
You could offset some of these disadvantages with a couple cashe's to prolong your misery, at a minimum I would do that.
With all your skills it would be smarter to find a stocked prepper that needs some extra manpower and start a conversation.

 

[Smitty901]

Location, Location , location
Depends where you are, We are buging in. Away from major cities and even a ways from some smaller ones. Plenty of room ,good shelter we can defend.
Everything we will need can be gad here.
The requirement to defend is why we have chosen to prepare as we have, it has been number one on the list.
If I lived in Milwaukee or Madison I would RUN.

 

[jc-hunter]

At 54 yrs. old, and for several reasons, I have come up with this plan/plans:
A. Bug in as long as possible, with as much as possible. I have planned for 6 adults so there are hopefully enough people to defend the home.
B. Even though Plan A is in place, plan B is mobile with (3) 4wd vehicles to bug out with and try to take the basic survival items onboard. But with no real destination other than "the backcountry".
C. Plan C is in the worst case scenario of, vehicles wont run and home is undefendable or on fire. That would be to bug out on foot with weapons and bug out bags. Same , no real destination.
I dont know what else I could add to these, other than trying to find a bugout destination. But any other homes would likely be in the same situation as why we left ours, so the backcountry seems like the best destination. Especially since 3 of us know it well. Far enough out to be secure, but close enough to come in and try and scavenge without harming innocent people. I have no problem harming evil people to get what we need, but we will not take advantage of good innocents.

 

[Verteidiger]

^^^^ this.

 

[alterego]

I strongly feel that my current homestead is the bug out location, so I intend to defend it as a last refuge, unless nuclear fall out were involved at which point we would load up in the F350 and GTFO.

 

[Seneca]

I've spent a lifetime hoarding equipment....and practicing skills...lol

True things can be lost or stolen, and I accept that as a chance I take. Prepping is nothing more than taking the necessary steps to give yourself the best shot at surviving a disaster or crisis. Everybody starts in a different place. Urban or rural, own or rent. Apartment or house. Good neighbors bad neighbors...no neighbors. Single or married with or without children. Wealthy middle class or poor. Pro gun or no gun.

That said, If my starting place is in an inner city one room flat next to gangbanger central...I'd be bugging out to a second location ASAP! provided I had a safe or safer place to go to and a safe way to get there. On the other hand, If I was in a stable rural community then what would be the point of bugging out.

 

[JPARIZ]

I've given this quite a bit of consideration myself. If I "bug out" it's going to happen long before TSHTF or long after. This is for several reasons. #1. Most normal means of getting out of Dodge will be impossible and I'm NOT getting stuck via accidental or intentional roadblock with too many eggs in my basket.
#2. My BOL is secure for as long as necessary. It will wait for me.
#3. Everything I need is right here and it's defensible.
#4. Home is one heck of a lot more comfy.
#5. I have pets.
#6. Over time the population will decrease which increases my chances of escape.
Bottom line is I have both options. I'll hold out here until it is impossible to remain. The trick is invisibility.

 

[Rigged for Quiet]

We don't have a personally owned bug out location, but we do have locations that are of significant distance away that we are welcomed at, and are expected, if we had to get the hell out in a hurry. If we had to walk out, we have a few places, but I have minimal confidence in getting everyone moving in stereo, if you will, for a forced march.

I hope that by the end of summer a recently aquired RV will be through the planned renovations and updates that we could head for more remote areas. Lotta work to do before that though.

 

[JPARIZ]

Might want to consider alternate methods of travel.

 

[Rigged for Quiet]

Indeed. It's but another option, even if a preferred option.

 

[PrepConsultant]

We will be staying put. Although, we will be on several thousand acres in Montana with friends and family near so it makes it much easier that way. We have cattle,chickens and sheep. One I get there and we get our stuff straight I would like to add quail,pheasant and rabbits. We also have a very large garden and several water sources. Not to mention the elk,deer, pronghorn and the rest of the wild animals. I am also planning on adding some dairy cows and hogs into our situation.
We are working on solar,wind and geothermal setup also. My goal it get get off grid as much as possible. The sheep will even give us wool.
We also have several fuel tanks on the ranch that would last a while if the power were to go out for an extended amount of time.Most of the gas and on road diesel is used in the vehicles for running to town and stuff. So if SHTF we would stay out of town for a while and that would save fuel for us to use on generators and other things we needed. The off road diesel we would still use for the machinery to cut and gather hay for the animals and since the DOT man wont be around we could still use off road diesel in the vehicles.But we are trying to get things set up where we need the least amount of fuel as possible.

 

[alterego]

We will be staying put. Although, we will be on several thousand acres in Montana with friends and family near so it makes it much easier that way. We have cattle,chickens and sheep. One I get there and we get our stuff straight I would like to add quail,pheasant and rabbits. We also have a very large garden and several water sources. Not to mention the elk,deer, pronghorn and the rest of the wild animals. I am also planning on adding some dairy cows and hogs into our situation.
We are working on solar,wind and geothermal setup also. My goal it get get off grid as much as possible. The sheep will even give us wool.
We also have several fuel tanks on the ranch that would last a while if the power were to go out for an extended amount of time.Most of the gas and on road diesel is used in the vehicles for running to town and stuff. So if SHTF we would stay out of town for a while and that would save fuel for us to use on generators and other things we needed. The off road diesel we would still use for the machinery to cut and gather hay for the animals and since the DOT man wont be around we could still use off road diesel in the vehicles.But we are trying to get things set up where we need the least amount of fuel as possible.

how much will all this cost?

 

[JPARIZ]

What is your life worth?

 

[Kidzthinkimahoarder]

Staying put. We live in a rural community about 20-30 miles from 3 different towns. Our little mountain top is covered with friends and family and I feel that several of us would pull together and stick together.

As a 42 year old woman, I've never thought about the way I was raised or have chosen to live as skills of a prepper, it was just the way we lived. So.. between my husband, boys, family, and the few friends we'd band with... we have our bases covered.

 

[PrepConsultant]

how much will all this cost?

Who cares? It will be a little expensive but it is worth it to me! I have a friend that has a ranch that we are going to live next to. We help with the ranch and we get some benefits in return. We have helped build a few of their places and they are going to help us build ours. We have a sawmill and everything. The insulation and roofing materials will be about the most expensive part. I have worked as a diver on the oil rigs and overseas security contractor and able to save over the years. I did lose quite a bit when the market crashed in 08 but still have a little to play with.
But who cares what it costs. Like someone just said, how much is your life worth? We have most of the stuff set up already. Not quite everything but enough to get things rolling. I don't go out drinking on weekends and stuff like i used to. I used to spend WAAAYYY too much money partying, I learned to slow down and spend my money a little better.. Others should do the same.
The main question is. How much are you willing to spend to save yours and your families life??

 

[Smitty901]

Big part of being prepared in making as much as you can a part of your life. It becomes your norm.Another reason we are staying put.
Planting trees for the fuel. Whatwe need will be here.

 

[Piratesailor]

I've given this quite a bit of consideration myself. If I "bug out" it's going to happen long before TSHTF or long after. This is for several reasons. #1. Most normal means of getting out of Dodge will be impossible and I'm NOT getting stuck via accidental or intentional roadblock with too many eggs in my basket.
#2. My BOL is secure for as long as necessary. It will wait for me.
#3. Everything I need is right here and it's defensible.
#4. Home is one heck of a lot more comfy.
#5. I have pets.
#6. Over time the population will decrease which increases my chances of escape.
Bottom line is I have both options. I'll hold out here until it is impossible to remain. The trick is invisibility.

I'm of the same mind. I'll stay as long as possible. All situation are different so decisions have to be made at time of impact; what ever that might be. I'm 20 miles south of a major city but the evacuation routes in pretty much any scenario are to the north. Out BOL in our case is 8 mikes south of us with 6 different routes of access.

 

[Lucky Jim]

I'm a city feller and will be using the PIBE strategy (Play It By Ear), because it all depends on what kind of Apocalypse hits us.
Basically I'll hopefully stay snug and safe in the city and will only get out into the countryside to forage for brussel sprouts etc and live in my tent if I HAVE to.
"It's a dangerous business going out your door"- Bilbo Baggins
Here's my Doomsday List in no particular order-

1- Chernobyl-type nuclear plant accident, but on a much bigger scale, poisoning an area as big as the USA or the whole of Europe and Asia.
2- Massive meteor or asteroid strike wiping out millions with blast and tsunami, and kicking up enough dust to black out the sun for years like what clobbered the dinosaurs.
3- World War 3 exchange of nuclear weapons poisoning virtually the entire planet.
4- A plague wiping out most humans on earth after accidental release from a bio research lab, or a deliberate release by terrorists to wipe out the population of a specific country, or perhaps a virus naturally evolves that has no cure.
5- EC Event (Economic Collapse) triggering total breakdown of law and order resulting in looting gangs etc.
6- EM pulse (from a solar flare or nuclear bomb) blows out the electricity grid and electronics, it'll be bad but hopefully the govt will have contingency plans to get relief food and medicine convoys up and running.
7- Mega-earthquake bigger than anything the earth has experienced before, demolishing a whole bunch of cities across countries or continents.
8- Mega-tsunami triggered by gigantic quake at sea, wiping out coastal areas for a hundred miles or more inland.
9- Runaway volcano that carries on spewing out dust and ash for months, throwing a grey wind-carried shroud around the planet blocking out sunlight and triggering subzero temperature drops.
10- Haywire weather (nonstop storms, tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards, floods etc) caused by global warming, pollution, ozone depletion etc