Bug Out Vs. Bug In

[bubbadreier]

Okay so first off I am going to apologize and say that this has probably already been discussed elsewhere on the site but searching wouldn't find it for me so... Onto the discussion!

I see those that advocate Bugging In and those that advocate Bugging Out, both on this website and across the internet. What I want to know is for what personal reasons do you say one or the other?

For example, in my situation I live pretty much in the heart of the Oklahoma City Metro. Too big of a place for me, I was raised in the country and that is where I will go. Now, many say that they will ride out the worst of the storm Bugged In and then Bug Out, but I am of the mindset that I am going to try and get on the road to my BOL (2.5 hour drive, 4700 acre land) before the mass population tries to get out of dodge. That way I can hopefully get all the way there without even having to stop in traffic.

And I do have backup plans just incase that doesn't work, 3 months food stores in my house just incase I must stay for a time, hidden caches along the way to my BOL, and an alternate location for my BOL.

So what made you make your decision to BO or BI?

 

[rudyc]

i will bug in because most of my preps are here with me. i have enough food and water to last a good 30 days for me and my wife. if for any reason i have to get out, i live in houston texas, so getting out while every one is trying to get out would be a pain, i would only go to my parent's home (withing 2-3 miles away) because their house is more fortified than mine. i have 3 bug out bags, and the ability to create 4 more, ( incase any other people are visiting my home at the time, or if we bug out, it can be used to go out and scavage the area for needed items.) but for the most part, i am planning on bugging in. bugging in seems like the logical for a person in my situation. plus i am a city folk type of person. i have visited family that live in farms and ranches and what might be considered almost 3rd world country like conditions, but i like to "camp" in my back yard, and make mock bug outs in case i need to. i practice making fire with what ever i have, filtering water, cooking food. i am ready to leave behind anything if needed (fire, flood, earthquake,biological, nuke, whatever reason needed to get me out of there.). i have copies of important documents in physical form, in a flash drive, online. i have emergency caches in random places that i can remember where they are. but hopefully i never need them, since i would rather stay home and ride out what ever comes our way.

 

[Haloray]

I think it depends on the persons situation and the doomsday. I am hoping to get a home in the country soon (4 months) and would probable make plans to bug in (but always have the bug out as a second option) But in the city I could not imagine bugging in what so ever... I mean all someone would have to do is light your house on fire out of spite because you wouldn't share your supplies. But in the country you have a wider range of sight and more resources. Hopefully it will also be harder for people to run into you. The only major downfall is my husband works in town and it is going to be very expensive to drive back and forth.

 

[old_anorak]

I'll be honest. It will take dynamite to blast my ass out of my place. We have a farm. We've got everything we need. We're in the middle of AFU at the corner of BFE and nowhere. We have our own water supply, food supplies that are renewable, we defensible, we have transportation that does not require fossil fuels. In fact, if an emp strike occurred it really wouldn't be that big of a deal to us other than missing a few things like chatting with others online. We are not within feasible walking distance of any major city, anyone heading this direction from any of the outlying towns about 30 miles away will have to get through other farmsteads like ours before they get here.

If we do have to go, we have a plan, we can go by trucks and trailers or horses and wagons, either way, we can be gone.

 

[Trapper]

Most people who say they are bugging out have the idea they are going to live in the woods off the fat of the land. They have no idea what they are talking about or what they are doing. If you have a place to go, a way to get there and supplies to survive on then bugging out maybe your best option. If you dont have a full plan on where to go or what your going to do I hate to say it....your screwed. Unless your house, apartment, etc... in not habitable stay put if at all possible.

 

[old_anorak]

Yeah, I hear that all the time. "I'm going to live in the woods and off the land." Whose land buddy? It ain't going to be mine, I'll fill your sorry hide with buckshot for your trouble and I'll hang you if I catch you messing with my livestock. People don't seem to grasp the concept that there just isn't all this 'free land' and 'wildness' that you can just go and disappear into anymore. Someone owns it and they aren't going to be happy to find you squatting on it, the best you can hope for is to be run off and the worst is to be dead in a ditch with a hole in your head.

Now, let's get to the simple bit of what the heck they plan to eat. Okay, yes there are plenty of wild edibles. How many people can reliably recognize them when they are not in a stressful situation and on the run? Now put yourself in a high stress situation, you're possibly needing to feed your screaming children, nagging spouse, bitching in-laws, can you find that elusive wood sorrel and lambs quarter along with hundreds of others trying to do the same thing? What if it's the wrong season? Say it's winter and there is diddly squat growing, you are officially screwed. You can chew pine needles and make some tea. Not going to keep you alive and it's going to give you the runs. Survivorman didn't clue you in on that one, now did he?

Yep, you can eat bugs. Think you can get your kids, wife, husband, significant other to do it? You can catch minnows, they're fast little critters and you'll need hundreds to do any good.

Now we have a member that eats dead things that he finds and yes that is an option. There's a few things you might want to consider before you go scarfing down on whatever you find laying around. Does it look like it died a healthy death? Rarely does anything just drop dead in the middle of wherever. Animals hide to die. Animals dead out in the open have generally died of a fast acting poison or sickness.

There are few sicknesses that will pass from animal to human via eating them so follow some common sense. Don't eat any of the organs, don't eat the brain, don't eat the spinal cord.
Now for poisons, that's a whole different ball of wax. Most poisons if there is enough time tend to be fat soluble, so as well as the above rules, clean as much of the fat from the meat as possible from the carrion.
In either case cook the bejeesus out of it and then cook it some more.

Now if it looks like there was an injury; roadkill deer with a broken neck and you didn't hit it or weren't there when it was it. What's the temperature? If it's cool, that's better, meat keeps better.
How tore up is it? If the gut is strung halfway across the county, you might be able to salvage the hindquarters if you hurry.
My personal test is if the ticks and fleas are still in residence. If they are still there, it's a fresh kill and going in the back of my truck.

Trapper is right. So, so, so right. Don't make yourself a target if there is any way you can hold out. If you have to leave, try to get out early. What I mean is this. If you get that little itchy feeling between your shoulder blades, you know the one that won't let you sleep. Pay attention to it. Get yourself and your family ready to hit it as soon as you can. If you can take a day or two from work, do it and head to where you are going to ride things out, if nothing happens, consider it a little vacation. If something does happen, you are where you need to be and not stuck in traffic with some happy nimrod up your bumper.

 

[bubbadreier]

Well mind you I own the 4700 acres I am bugging out to. It has a 5 bedroom house with a 40,000 gallon pool that is full year round. It has three wells on the property and I plan to have two years worth of food stored there. I have already started my garden and I just ordered some heirloom seeds for next year. The property is on a pretty deserted lake, it has 5 stocked ponds, and has four natural caves the smallest goes back about 5 feet, the largest is about 16 feet back. It has a 5 acre island in the private cove that runs mid way through the property.

I know it's not perfect but its better than the house I live in, in the middle of the largest city in oklahoma.

 

[bubbadreier]

I know your comments weren't specifically directed at me, but you guy make it sound like anyone who is bugging out is a thief or an idiot haha

 

[old_anorak]

No they weren't directed towards you at all. I don't mean to sound like everyone who plans to bug out are idiots, but on a lot of other forums, I've come across people who claim that they will steal everything they need and live in people's vacation homes and all that mess. Then you have the mall ninjas that wouldn't know lambs quarter from poison ivy or their ass from a hole in the ground and they have no intention of learning anything to better themselves.

I have absolutely no problem with people who have a place to go, it's the ones who don't and don't have a plan. They are the ones who are going to be in trouble.

I hope I didn't cause any bad feelings. It sounds like you have it under control. I agree , OKC is nowhere to be and I'd be hotfooting it out of there as well.

 

[bubbadreier]

Well old_anorak you hurt my feelings.... hahaha I am joking! I know what you mean about certain people that are bugging out, I just felt like I had to defend my choice a little there!

I am just really curious as to what drives people to make there decision to BO or BI.

 

[old_anorak]

I suppose for me it's that I am a creature of habit and I like sleeping in my own bed at night. I've got picky about that as I've got older. Now one of the things I'm wanting to do is build a horse drawn gypsy wagon so I'll have my own bed on wheels so maybe then I'll be a happy camper.

 

[Maverick]

I am prepared for what ever thrown at my feet, I plan to bug in and prepped for such a plan, I am also ready to bug out if the needs arises. For anyone it's situation dependent, location dependent (always have a backup) Rule 1. nothing goes as planned

 

[bubbadreier]

True nothing ever really goes as planned!

 

[Warriorhealer22]

There's a lot of factors to this question and both must be planned for. Weather may be a driving factor. Your mobility may be a factor- hard to bug out if you or a family member can't be moved! Of course everyone should plan to bugout- I like the house being burned down scenario, which could happen with or without the help of others. Have a plan, practice it and make another. Just as well, everyone should plan to bug in.
My plan:
Fortunately I live in a nonsevere weather location that is surrounded by farmland. I live with my father at the moment who is mobile but not able to live harshly anymore so we plan to bug in. I hate to say this, but where we live there are a lot of old couples, so there could be a lot of work to do around here, I'll leave those details to your imagination. I talk with the local farmers so they know who I am, I don't really mention about prepping, but so they know my face. I can trade with them for food in return. I do have a short term bug out plan to a fellow friend who is a prepper should we have to leave the house for a time.