What To Expect And Bring On A Bug-Out To Someone Else’s Place
A SHTF ‘bug-out’ to someone else’s place may not end up the way you envisioned.
Will the doors be open?
The circumstances which caused the decision to bug-out (evacuate) may be a factor that will affect how well one is received. The relationship with the person (people) at the presumed destination will be a factor. One’s past history, reputation, and behavior will be a factor. The probable length of stay will be a factor. One’s skills, potential contribution, and what is brought to the table will be a factor.
There are all sorts of factors which may help or hinder one’s ability to get in the door at the other end of a bug-out. In fact, the door may very well be shut…
Generally, bugging-out is a last option for people. Most plan to hunker down at home if things get ‘bad’. After all, home is where your supplies are – so why would you leave? Unless a hurricane is bearing down on top of you, it is generally a good idea to stay put at home and implement your survival plan rather than venturing out into the unknown… But there are always caveats. And only you can make the judgement call. Circumstances are everything…
For example, if utilities have been down for an extended time, and if you live ‘in the city’ or in a very densely populated MSA (metropolitan statistical area), at some point it’s going to get real bad there.
For the sake of this discussion, lets presume that the circumstances are real bad, and the ‘SHTF’ is not going to be over any time soon. It is long-term, and truly TEOTWAWKI.
While avoiding the ‘rabbit hole’ conversation of whether or not ‘to bug out’, lets just presume that the threshold has been crossed such that a person (or persons) must leave their home or else suffer terrible consequences due to their location and situation.
What should that person expect to encounter? What are some of the obstacles to overcome and what should they bring along?
Here are a few thoughts:
First, have a plan. Figure it out BEFORE the SHTF.
Understand (as quickly as you can) the extent of circumstances surrounding the SHTF, enabling you to make quicker decisions before the herd gets into motion.
Before it ever happens, ask yourself, Where might I go? Do I know others who already live in a safer location? Have I talked to them (even casually) about the notion?
Swap roles and ask yourself how you would feel if everyone (or some of the people) you know suddenly showed up at your door – with all those additional mouths to feed… What would you expect from them if you let them in?
If you are the one who is already living at the so called bug-out location, and you’ve spent much of your time, money, and energy getting set up for your own preparedness, you might have second thoughts about running prematurely short of food and supplies if others come knocking on your door (all the reason to store more). Maybe you have planned ahead by having some extra food and supplies beyond your immediate needs, but if the ‘balloon has gone up’ and the world as we know it is experiencing significant breakdown, now it’s ‘real’… Tough decisions have to be made.
How can the person doing the knocking offset this? Answer: Bring something (significant) to the table. Know that acceptance will also depend on one’s track record. If there’s a history of being more of a freeloader than a ‘doer’ (for example), then don’t expect a warm welcome. If there are no practical skills whatsoever, things might not go in one’s favor.
Even if you have a good record of being a responsible individual, by bringing practical supplies with you (e.g. food, ‘tools’ for security, etc..) and by having the skills to contribute to the overall survival condition of the bug-out location, you may stand a better chance for the door to open after you show up… Thresholds are very different for everyone, but the more you can offer the better it will be.
Note: The hypothetical BOL in this discussion is NOT ‘the woods’ (hardly anyone will actually be able to survive there). We’re talking about an established home or homestead in a safer location than otherwise (wherever that might be) which is occupied by preparedness-minded individuals.
The circumstances will dictate the scenarios of how someone will be traveling during their bug-out. If there’s a vehicle, then a fair amount of supplies could be brought along (as opposed to walking – which most people today could not do anyway).
From the perspective of the person who is already residing at the BOL, I would imagine that food would be a high priority for a ‘friend’ or relative showing up at the door. Do they have any with them? How long will it last?
Next, I would ‘size them up’ with regards to their practical skills. What can the person do that will contribute in a meaningful way?
Having more bodies can mean better security (important), however at what cost? Are they capable?
I realize that some of these notions may seem cold, however if you put yourself into a SHTF world like we’ve never seen before – we may literally be talking about life or death decisions. Naturally, we do not ever wish for such circumstances to ever come upon us, however when I look at the vast majority of today’s modern society and how very different and dependent they are compared to, say, 100 years ago, then I realize how deadly it could become if the modern world as we know it were to fall down around us…
This is a very broad subject with many subtopics. But it’s worth general discussion.
What’s your opinion?
Either put yourself in the shoes of the person bugging-out or in the shoes of the person at the destination BOL. If you’re doing the knocking, what might be your best attributes? If you’re on the other side of the door, what are you thinking? What things would you expect them to bring to the table (assuming you open the door at all…)?
