Thread: Planning a bug out route

How does one go about this?

Believe me, my plan is to bug in for 90% of scenarios I've considered. In the rare event that bugging out is the way to roll, we've identified some like minded extended relatives back in eastern WA. It's a long haul, but a full tank + 1 jerry can will just get us there.

I live in the southern metro Puget Sound area. The biggest concern of course is getting east of the mountains. I-90 is the fastest in most cases, and stays open (mostly) year round. It's also heavily traveled, thus would be an obvious choke point should the government seek to contain an epidemic, etc.

I realize I'm bringing up something that's way south of 1% probability, but I'm unsure what my options should be.

Ideas:

1) I-90 snoqualmie pass
Good: high speed, direct
Risk: obviously road block/check point. Weather/rockslide may close

2) White/Chinook/Cayuse Pass.
Good: Lots of small side roads from my place towards Mt. Rainier
Risk: slower, most all these are closed each winter

3) I-5 corridor south towards Portland
Good: Terrain and weather is less a factor. I could follow I-84/Columbia River east.
Risk: wouldn't everyone try this?

If you don't have prior knowledge, which you probably won't, you are going to have to play it by ear. Do practice runs on each option looking for logical points of disruption whereupon you would have to dump the vehicle and continue on by foot. Get topo maps and study these areas for green spaces where you can hike relatively unhindered and on the most direct azimuths. Sort out comms such that you can arrange for your partners on the other side to pick you up on their side of the mountains. Consider investing in NVG to travel by night, hole up by day. Stash all your goodies at your destination prior to all this business. If you're not in good shape, get on it asap.

In a major earthquake all passes are expected to be blocked, all bridges are expected to be damaged. This is per a FEMA/USGS paper that is available online at the FEMA website. Your best bet around here might be a boat, or your feet. Last time I went over the I90 pass on a holiday weekend it took 6 hours to reach the top of the pass... That was just heavy traffic....

I like these kind of scenarios. If I couldn't get their by car I would have a bicycle with a gas motor (moped) that gets 200 MPG. If I can't get gas then the moped still has peddles to push. With a good bike you could be there in a few days. Last choice is lamberfeeties, you can't carry enough to get you as far as you plan to go. You will die on the road.

jj

Move over the mountains now, or plan on walking.
Just enough gas will not be enough.

I figure 2- 3 times as much fuel as "normal".
If I have something even remotely resembling a trail, I can push through. It WILL take MUCH longer.
You have to drive your routes with a logbook, note potential blockages, bridges, water near roadways, ANYTHING that you can think of that could hinder you.
Finding alternate, hopefully primitive roads that are less known is a plus, as are "trails", waterways, whatever it takes for you to get where you're going.
THEN the problem is:
Is where you're going still going to be viable.

I kinda feel a serious 4wd, with a bicycle as backup is a good way to go.
A canoe might be aweful useful as well.

Regarding bicycles...

Two years ago I actually road a bicycle around Mt. Rainier (http://www.redmondcyclingclub.org/RA...formation.html). That included a net 10,000 ft elevation gain and over 150 miles. I'm not saying I didn't feel like crap afterwards, or that I could do it again tomorrow - but it's a baseline. I'd like to think I could do something similar in a desperate situation.

Here's the unfortunate reality dose however:

1) it was a weekday in July. Dry roads and clear skies.
2) I was wearing cycling clothes and only carried basic tools and 2 water bottles. Basically carried nothing that wasn't related to cycling.
3) I trained like mad in prep. for that, including eating and resting properly days prior
4) I did not bring my wife and kids with me!

I appreciate the feedback from you all. Until my kids are older (5 and 7 now), I can't consider any non-motorized bugout scenarios for the family.

I am in Portland and find myself challenged with the same question. Ironically, one of our BUG OUT locations is a cabin in Mason county (south Puget Sound). My wife loves the idea of Bug Out to the cabin and live off the land. I don't think that area would be good. The cabin has solid neighbors, but is place that would be quickly vandalized or overrun from people fleeing larger population areas.

Crossing the Columbia river without a bridge, or crossing the bridge in an emergency, would be pretty difficult aqnd bears some thinking. Crossing through the Portland metro is very problematic. I live on the Washington side of the river in Vancouverr, and that's a specific part of my planning- that the vast majority of the region's population is across a big-a*s river from me.

Assuming ANY bridge will be passible could be a fatal flaw in planning.
The larger one's will definitely be problematic.
Some could be missing altogether.

Get dirt bikes.

Originally Posted by Thebastidge

Crossing the Columbia river without a bridge, or crossing the bridge in an emergency, would be pretty difficult aqnd bears some thinking. Crossing through the Portland metro is very problematic. I live on the Washington side of the river in Vancouverr, and that's a specific part of my planning- that the vast majority of the region's population is across a big-a*s river from me.

There should be plenty of boats readily available to "borrow" to get you across the river. Then you just need to figure out how to get to your destination from there.

Originally Posted by Zepoll

Get dirt bikes.

This is my plan!!

I won't be bugging out.I'm thinking I'm in a "safer" area
But if I was back in the Pugetropolis area,I would be doing as Rix said,finding alternate routes.
Just takes a weekend or 2 to go back up into the woods and the USFS roads and trails.Take your Gazette or any other map book and check out the back roads.
I think I-90 will be a parking lot as will the roads around Mt Rainier.But Hwy 12 should be about the best bet east.But still tons of rivers and bridges

The big thing to remember about bugging out is like Smurf said ,he has a place to go.And have family or friends at that end.
Maybe just a fortress?
I believe those that are planning to bug out to the great unknown don't quite understand the people in those areas won't be too accepting of them thar city kinds.

The other thing about heading across the passes and trying to use the back roads .The people in those areas will definitely know the trails better than you as most living in the hills hunt in the hills.
They will also be listening to the news and might just see this as an opportunity to rob some city folk of their goods

For got the most important part.
I think we have to start watching what is going on closer and try to anticipate the right time to exit.
Try to be ahead of the pack,watch the roads being blocked from our rear view mirrors or at our destinations

Something to consider is that during the holidays-any holiday- whether you live in Seattle or Portland the main roads (highways) are parking lots. Now add a dose of anxiety. Better yet, a dose of panic. Given the geography of the puget sound and surrounding areas (including Portland) there are not a lot of options. Now consider the opportunists. They block a road, a bridge, take advantage of a pinch point of any kind and it's good ol' fashioned extortion of the worst kind.

The Puget sound area is a deathtrap. I5 is a parking lot every day at rush hour, and don't even talk about traveling on a holiday. How bad is it going to be when 95% of the people decide to get up and go in a panic? Stay off the highways if possible.

South Puget Sound area, two likely scenarios. Tsunami washing back and forth in the sound driven by an earthquake would scour both ends of the lake. Say bye to Bill Gates house on the shore. The other is a Pyroclastic flow down the valley from Rainier. Not much time to get out, go North and up 90.

Don't forget that the local government will try to be "helpful" by closing off alternate routes and trying to channel everyone into a queue. Find out what the "plan" is for an emergency in your area from the emergency preparedness commanders.

To kind of finish my thought about exiting first.If there is something big going on,why not just make a test run to your BUG out destination?
A practice run.I truly believe you should have goods AT or close to your final location.Then all you have to have is enough for the trip....and a few days delay.

Maybe each time you practice you take some goods with you? Buy a con-ex or a cargo trailer to keep at a friend's/family member's place.Even a decent travel trailer would do the trick.
If I was going east from puget sound,I would want to travel lite and fast.

A good alternative route would be to follow the railroad tracks to your destination. Think about it.

jj

If your in western WA it would be better to bug in, have a large cache buried on a mtn top or stored on the east side, incase you do get the chance to evacuate.

I like the dirt bike/quad idea. I live in Vancouver and going South to family will not be an option. You have to anticipate any major road will be grid locked and/or closed/controlled by whom ever. My plan is stay in place as long as possible before leaving. Having a small child makes the lean and mean senarios not my first choice. I have enough on hand for 60 days and plenty of ammo for what ever.

Pulling a trailer with the quad you could take quite a lot with you. Now, how to convince the wife we need 2????