Trust me, not even the ants are in the barren backroads... They'd rather be on my lawn, getting splashed by my sprinkler system. The backroads are nothing but dirt, rocks and two trees.All that putting of the backpack on the ground, I think you're lucky you didn't get fireants, and then wouldn't THAT have been SHTF!
Yeees, I know how hard it is to keep a straight face when discussing SHTF or bugging out. But try to.Really??????
There was no mention of a "destination" or your location in your original post. I guess um...yeah back at you. If I had to bug out I'm not sure I would have a destination, since my home was destroyed or taken for me to leave. My only child/son died 4 years ago so no family to save/help/rescue. If I have to leave I'm in the shrubs and there is no place to be in a hurry. No destination to get to. My area has trees to hide and shade. so my point stands. Whats the rush? Different scenarios. Both valid. One size doesn't fit all.Um... yeah, have you been to the valley and experienced the over 100 heat and 100% humidity? How long do you want be outdoors in such an uncomfortable environment? I know I sure as hell want to get to my destination asap. Besides, this was just a hiking trip, to me. I want to get it done as fast as possible.
There was no mention of a "destination" or your location in your original post. I guess um...yeah back at you. If I had to bug out I'm not sure I would have a destination, since my home was destroyed or taken for me to leave. My only child/son died 4 years ago so no family to save/help/rescue. If I have to leave I'm in the shrubs and there is no place to be in a hurry. No destination to get to. My area has trees to hide and shade. so my point stands. Whats the rush? Different scenarios. Both valid. One size doesn't fit all.
Where are you going to drive too?
Supulveda pass on I5?
Had to run up to S Dallas area the other day. I go in on I 35 off hwy 46 N of San Antonio in New Braunfels. Took 8 hrs to drive to S side of Dallas on a Fri. Spent 2 hrs in downtown area of Austin on 35, over an hour in Round Rock...came home to Boerne area on Hwy 281.Supulveda pass on I5?
If leaving a sprawling urban environment, one possible option (I like the motorcycle idea too) for family and gear is a Deuce and a half....
Either push them out of the way or run over them......
Several here in Texas for sale (auction)
Government Auction
With few exceptions, bugging in is always preferable to bugging out.
Plus its easier to prep the place you are at everyday. There are exceptions, (you are a billionare, own a blackhawk helicoptor, have a huge security detail that works for you) but if I am bugging out things have REALLY gone wrong and I am on plan C.Agree. Far less check points in your living room.
This has been an interesting thread it brought back some real distressing memories.
In Oklahoma, I knew some serious, hard core survival types. One had a family farm in Michigan and his plan was to take his specially equipped van, fully automatic weapons and make his way to that farm to ride the turmoil out. It was before IKE and Rita but I still questioned him and pushed him. "Do you REALLY think you'll be able to make it to Michigan in that van?" What about fuel? What about being a target as you roll down the road? People will want what you have and they will stop you! Of course, all of those questions were answered during our hurricanes. Fuel? HA!
I suggest a different approach. Bicycles! I've been a rider all of my life and in 2011, rode 3,414 miles during the hottest, driest summer in history! My typical ride was 17 miles in the morning then 17 more in the late afternoon or evening. Why 17 miles? That was the distance that my two oversize water bottles would sustain me. Any more than 17 miles got me dehydrated as I didn't carry enough water, then. I could RIDE more than 17 miles but I couldn't hydrate more than 17 miles.
As a young man, I raced bicycles in Kansas City and after moving back to Tulsa, my favorite trip was out to Keystone Dam and back, a distance of 26 miles.
On a bicycle (or a motorcycle), you really sweat when you stop. If you keep moving, the sweat evaporates and keeps you cool. Done correctly, the water that you put out will equal the water that evaporates to keep you cool.
It's very easy to dehydrate on two wheels without realizing it. I learned to LICK my skin as I rode ....usually on the biceps or slightly above. As long as the sweat tastes salty or reasonably fresh, hydration was OK. If the sweat became bitter or sour, I was well on the way to dehydration. You can't just fix that by drinking water. Once dehydrated, it is hard to restore your balance and usually it meant the ride needed to end. The trick was to drink enough to keep dehydration at bay. Never get INTO it because it could take a whole day to get OUT of it.
That would be my alternative suggestion. Rig a SHTF bicycle with panniers (carriers) so no fuel is required. Pack food and water, extra tires and tubes and the bike could take you around traffic on or off road.
In Tulsa, a large lady asked me if I would get her into cycling. I agreed but insisted the she NOT know what distance she had covered. She agreed. This lady was PLUS size, had never ridden any distance and was out of shape in every way. Her first ride? 27 miles!
She was pissed! It illustrates that the only thing that keeps us from riding distances is our own mind. We say that we can't do it.......therefore, we can't.
As for me? At 66, I'm not going anywhere. Here's where I make my stand, here's where i die if necessary. Dying right here scares me a LOT less that getting in that gridlock and being at the mercy of the masses.
Flash
Water. If SHTF some emergency things to do are fill your bath tubs with water. Also, every water heater has 40 gallons in it which includes your neighbors water tank ..... jus' saying. Personally, in our immediate area there are hoards of sheep that will run leaving their goodies behind. Ten homes could net 500 gallons of water without any work. Toilet basins all have 2 gallons of water.