Getting Out Of Dodge Realities

[mrblond]

BURT, I am surrently in a similar situation, I have trying like heck to relocate, I keep applying, praying and buy lotto tickets, I know what I want and am looking for, I have lived in the country, mountains and the city. I feel safer in the woods unarmed than I do in city armed, go figure

I am with ya brother. I don't really live downtown or anything but even where I am at, its bad. Homies driving up and down the road, rap music rattling my windows... If the housing market was better, id sell and get the hell out of here and try and buy some property somewhere, maybe in Eastern Oregon.

 

[tim007]

head east to the off shore winds and clean air lol .. take back roads

 

[Sgt Nambu]

I visualize a couple of Tec 9's glued to the skids with strings running to the triggers! Maybe a Molotov cocktail or two! I'll be bugging in. To many physical issues to successfully make a run for it these days!

 

[SonicBlue03]

Enjoy life on the ground, suckers. Lil' Nellie and I will be just fine.

 

[powersbj]

Good article on the pros and cons of airplanes, helicopters and ultralights for getting Outta-Dodge.

Can You Take to the Sky?, by Greg G. - SurvivalBlog.com

Not very price accurate but his main points true. However he doesn't talk about useful load... A 172 with 4 adults is not going to carry gear or a full tank of gas. A helicopter r-22 is going to carry you and a wallet and nothing else etc... The subject can get complicated...

 

[MissJ]

Hope I don't sound condescending because it is not meant that way....but here goes....

For those of you living in less than ideal survival situations....welcome to the club! There are maybe a handful of people in the USA who have the unlimited funds and mindset necessary to be TRULY prepared and even they can still be caught off guard on their way to or from an important meeting or even a vacation.

My point in bringing this up is simple: don't talk about what you WOULD do if you had more money, or what you PLAN to do in 1 year when you move to some place safer...have plans for RIGHT now....tomorrow....or whatever. Most of preparedness is a mindset, not a checklist.

That being said....a basic get home bag is a must for any vehicle. It should never leave your vehicle. if your bag is so big that you have to take it out sometimes....then it is too big. If you have a small vehicle with limited space....then just keep a smaller get home bag that will always fit.

Most preppers who have really given it some thought will know that no matter WHERE you are or WHAT the heck happens, getting home will almost always be your first concern....even if the plan is to eventually bug-out; you need to acquire supplies specific to the situation, and most importantly regroup with loved ones.

Depending on the situation; freeways and bridges are likely to be impassable and backroads will be risky due to ambush and choke points. Now, if a wildfire is about to burn your home....you'll just have to take your chances with the roads but if, for instance you are facing a pandemic or zombie attack - the roads are a terrible idea. It's so situation dependent that AWARENESS and MINDSET become your primary tools. That is why forums like this are so helpful and popular!

Prepping is all about back up plans....and then back up plans for your back up plans.

 

[AMProducts]

MissJ is really on point here, but a few things:

Don't leave your BOB/GHB or other bag in the car, keep it on you. In general a well prepared BOB/GHB may have several thousand dollars worth of stuff in it, maps, compasses, handguns, ammo, optics, radio equipment KEEP IT WITH YOU, YOU PAID A LOT OF MONEY FOR IT!

Keep some of the more common lower value items in the car: food, water, clothes, blankets.

That said, do you know all of the back up routes? How many do you know by heart? I remember back when I lived in LA, I used to have to commute to hollywood where I worked... Even on a good day it was a nightmare, as a consequence I knew at least 9 different ways of getting from my place of work to my home and I had an "in case" value for each.

Now that I've moved to WA, even though I'm close to seatac I never drive on I5 or 405 because the back roads are faster and more predictable, and the only people that really use these roads are the locals that take them as a normal part of daily commuting. I will point out my friends who moved to SEA 2 years ago got around using GPS navigators, as a consequence they can barely find their way around. I use a map, have been here for 2 months and can get just about anywhere in western washington via a back road.

From the time I've spent in portland, it reminds me a lot of the west side of los angeles, narrow streets often with cars parked on both sides, poor road infrastructure, freeways that are in perpetual need of repair, and a number of very significant choke points when it comes to major freeways. However, at the same time, there are a variety of alternatives to the freeways, large wide streets that for whatever reason were designed to handle large volumes of traffic that usually never see it because they are too far away from the freeways. At the same time... LA is a big city, about 60 miles from the ocean to the mountains, even then you still have another 50 miles of suburbs before you get to the desert. It would probably take a solid week to walk from the west side to the desert, in portland in a day you could be outside of the city and have a reasonable expectation of finding fresh drinkable water.

 

[JackThompson]

Great thread!
I just finished my get home bags (3 sets) and put them in my vehicles.

I have 1 map and compass, but need to add 2 more as time permits. The vehicle I'm in most of the time has one.

My plan is to take back roads back home where possible, but instead of walking on the roads, I'll walk the tree line as far away from the roads as possible, while keeping the road in view.

I've though about how to get home when roads get congested, and thats my current plan. My goal would be to have a bike rack on the back of each vehicle and have a mountain bike attached to each one. You can move slow enough to be aware of your surroundings, don't appear to be a prime target as you aren't on a motorcycle or helicopter, and make almost no sound, so you are past people and moved on before they're paying attention.

 

[HenryJ]

... My goal would be to have a bike rack on the back of each vehicle and have a mountain bike attached to each one...

Bikes on vehicles tend to disappear. My Dad has lost two now. Well secured and cheap bikes as not to draw as much attention. A rig where it could be secured inside might be a better idea? A good pair of walking shoes might be a good plan "B".

 

[Stomper]

Neighbors think they are saving the environment driving their Prius' and turning all their lights out. One is a disabled ex-Marine whom I talked to a while back. Had some hope, but he got rid of every gun because they made his wife uncomfortable. My boot would have made her uncomfortable and the AR would have stayed.

ROTFLMAO.... Burt, you da man!


I'm a lucky man... I married an Australian woman who had bit of an anti-gun attitude, just like much of her fellow Aussie nationals... But it didn't take long for her to "see the light" after having a few rational conversations, explaining American historical events, and her seeing/hearing the news on all the goblins running around doing what they do.


Dang, I married good!

 

[MissJ]

I agree the best plan is to be able to get home on foot. Then, if other things work out great! But you've always got your feet!

My GHB contains (among other things) comfy shoes, socks and a change of clothes into dark, comfortable clothes. I just put some old ratty dark blue jeans, a black t-shirt and a black hooded sweatshirt. Didn't cost me anything. The bag itself is mossy-oak camo which may or may not be good, but I didn't want to buy a different bag. If you were trying to move stealthily at night for instance you could use engine grease to help camoflauge your face, hands and shoes if they are white. For most scenarios you'll just be trying to get home, and so escape and evade tactics will not be necessary as most of the panicked people will ALSO just be trying to get home.....but if you do just a little extra planning it is not too hard to make your GHB double as an E&E bag and doesn't have to cost you very much $$.

 

[MissJ]

I know I may be taking it too far-ovethinking it a bit....but another layer of complexity that could be easily fixed: WATER

What if you have to cross water and the bridges are not safe, or traffic is at a standstill? If the conditions are safe enough (like people will not try to shoot you....lets say a BIG earthquake just happened and a river separates your from your family) you can just SWIM...this is not possible with a dirtbike, mountain bike etc.

Keep a big trash bag or two in your GHB (cheap, lightweight, compact, million uses). Strip down to your undies, put your clothes and shoes inside, possibly your bag too, if it fits and won't drown you, and SWIM. You will need to be adept at swimming....and swimming with ANY kind of a load is very difficult. If time permits and you have some cordage and a knife you can make an improvised floatation device for your gear out of sticks and paracord. (Think mini Huck Finn raft that holds your bag).

I've actually done this before when playing around at the river. It took some time (like an hour) and wasn't very pretty or comfy but it DID float me with no gear. I couldn't steer it very well. I think a better option would be to make a float for your bag and then you just hold onto it while swimming across. If you get into trouble, you can ditch the bag and use the float to keep you from drowning.

 

[knuckle Head]

ROTFLMAO.... Burt, you da man!


I'm a lucky man... I married an Australian woman who had bit of an anti-gun attitude, just like much of her fellow Aussie nationals... But it didn't take long for her to "see the light" after having a few rational conversations, explaining American historical events, and her seeing/hearing the news on all the goblins running around doing what they do.


Dang, I married good!

Does she have a sister?? If she does please PM a picture of sister : )

 

[JackThompson]

MissJ,

Great point! I will have to add some of our kids little floating toys to my GHB. They're like little inner tubes and when flat don't take up any space, blow up in 2 minutes and will keep you afloat over the Columbia river just fine. (Keeping in mind you will be 1/2 mile down river when you get across!)

My packs have 2 liter water bladders built-in, and if filled with air can hold the pack up in water fine. I keep gallon jugs in the vehicles so I could fill it wit water once across. I keep a few zip lock sandwich bags in the kit too, for water tight storage.

Back roads are ok, but again, travel in the woods as far as you can from them while keeping them in sight for reference.

 

[knuckle Head]

I know I may be taking it too far-ovethinking it a bit....but another layer of complexity that could be easily fixed: WATER

What if you have to cross water and the bridges are not safe, or traffic is at a standstill? If the conditions are safe enough (like people will not try to shoot you....lets say a BIG earthquake just happened and a river separates your from your family) you can just SWIM...this is not possible with a dirtbike, mountain bike etc.

Keep a big trash bag or two in your GHB (cheap, lightweight, compact, million uses). Strip down to your undies, put your clothes and shoes inside, possibly your bag too, if it fits and won't drown you, and SWIM. You will need to be adept at swimming....and swimming with ANY kind of a load is very difficult. If time permits and you have some cordage and a knife you can make an improvised floatation device for your gear out of sticks and paracord. (Think mini Huck Finn raft that holds your bag).

I've actually done this before when playing around at the river. It took some time (like an hour) and wasn't very pretty or comfy but it DID float me with no gear. I couldn't steer it very well. I think a better option would be to make a float for your bag and then you just hold onto it while swimming across. If you get into trouble, you can ditch the bag and use the float to keep you from drowning.

Excellent point, But I may suggest using trash compactor bags, you can usually find them at costco, samsclub and walmart, if not available your do a net search. I line the inside of my backpack, GHB and other things with them, they are a lot thicker and I have found them to be completely water proof for long periods of exposure tot he elements

 

[AMProducts]

When it comes to floating your gear across a body of water there are a few options... if it's a "minor" river (something smaller than the columbia) don't swim with your gear... tie off to it, swim across and then haul it over with a cord...

So one of the things I've picked up from years of canyoning... pack all of your stuff in little waterproof stuff bags, this is good for 2 reasons: first, it makes it easier to sort through and find what you're looking for. Second, all of those little bags are waterproof... so if it rains heavily all your dry socks don't get soaked. And since the whole package is a series of watertight compartments... guess what? it's a boat!

Having a backpack that floats is an absolute necessity any time there is water involved. Also, if you need more buyancy you can also empty water bladders and inflate them with air.

 

[ATCclears]

This article could be more concise (ie., the author rambles on):
Bracken: When The Music Stops – How America's Cities May Explode In Violence | Western Rifle Shooters Association

The article does highlight a few interesting considerations relative to this discussion/thread, in that it doesn't take much to foul up a few major intersections. His reference to the LA riots of the early 1990's resonated with me.

Peter

 

[AlphaCoyote]

Bugging out seems like a lot of work and logistical problems. Bugging in has always made more sense, as explained in many threads here.

Tell you what: When you bug out, can you give me your house keys? I'd like to bug in somewhere with nicer furniture than I have. If you could leave some Beef-a-Roni in the cupboard, that'd be great. We could negotiate about the women folk, but I have to tell you, I'm partial to Mrs. Alpha. Otherwise I can bring my own supplies over to your house. I'll even feed the cat. But where would I forward the mail?

 

[michaels]

ATC, thanks for the link.

It's the reason I LOVE the internet.

 

[AMProducts]

This article could be more concise (ie., the author rambles on):
Bracken: When The Music Stops – How America’s Cities May Explode In Violence | Western Rifle Shooters Association

The article does highlight a few interesting considerations relative to this discussion/thread, in that it doesn't take much to foul up a few major intersections. His reference to the LA riots of the early 1990's resonated with me.

Peter

Wow, that is some of the most extreme survivalist fan-fic I've read since the turner diaries. Both of which are just grounded enough in an alternate reality to make it seem plausible. But the similarities end there. Vigilantes showing up to conduct "sniper missions" against rioters? How about store owners defending their property?

The fact of the matter is, in any civil disturbance situation, there will always be many factions but they can be broken down into three categories, there will be the ones intent on violence, the ones intent on looting, and the ones intent on stopping them. Trying to break this whole thing down by race is foolish, because there are plenty of minorities who own stores and have the will and the means to defend their livelihoods.

And the comparisons to lebanon, and yugoslavia? In both cases the countries broke apart, and much of the killing was done by left-over military factions not gangs, or would-be militias, these people had tanks, heavy artillery, mortars and metric tons of small arms. Sarijevo was on the receiving end of weeks of heavy artillery bombardment, in addition to snipers sent to terrorize the population.

The fact of the matter is that whenever you are in a strictly small-arms combat, fatalities are generally low, and when you have an urban population that is largely disarmed, or is very under-armed when compared to heavily armed suburban or rural population incursions by said urban population to spread mayhem and violence will not be a continuing problem, especially since many suburban cities have their own police department who will play whack-a-mole with a PR-24 and have significant resources compared to urban police.

In this case, I'm going to give it to Cooper: "The rifle itself has no moral stature, since it has no will of its own. Naturally, it may be used by evil men for evil purposes, but there are more good men than evil, and while the latter cannot be persuaded to the path of righteousness by propaganda, they can certainly be corrected by good men with rifles."

As long as there are more good people than bad people, there will be a very limited lifespan of any civil disturbance.