Would it be worth it to buy a bug out property?

[CountryGent]

Few things are as exciting as acquiring more acreage, so my gut reaction is buy that land. After settling down from the high of considering more land, I still say buy that parcel. More the better. In all seriousness, you don't want to be near a major metro area when it goes down, particularly a contagion. So, imho, your plan has merit, but do your homework before putting cash on the table. Good luck.

P.S. Much like @The Heretic, we live at our "bug out location", which is acreage and a home well prepared for emergencies. I am still considering expanding the holdings though.

 

[The Heretic]

FWIW - I have spent time in eastern Washington, a little in Idaho and some in Montana. I looked at land near Kettle Falls and Republic/Okanogan/etc.

If you can hack the winters and the wildfire risk/etc., and you can be there when SHTF and not worry about others finding the property, then it is an option. Me, I prefer the wetside of Orygun. But if I was to go east of the Cascades and stay there, I would probably choose western Montana.

 

[The Heretic]

As for flying to your BOL - consider that about 6 months out of the year, that weather won't cooperate for most private aircraft and pilots trying to fly over the Cascades. Also consider that some SHTF scenarios may result in you getting shot down by the government. Also consider that ground traffic may be severely restricted - look at what is happening in China right now.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Describe "worth".

 

[The Heretic]

Consider that for every hour it takes to drive somewhere, it would take at least a day to walk there - assuming you can walk that distance with a load-out that would get you there (that you aren't sick or injured, that you don't have sick or injure, elderly or younglings with you who can't walk at speed or distance or with a load-out). And that is optimistic. If you have to go cross country instead of following a road, then it will take longer. With detours even longer.

I work in Portland. It is 25-30 miles to get home to my BOL. If an Cascadian earthquake hits, I am not sure I can make it home. Half the time I am east of a river so I would have to cross the river. Either way, I would have to detour considerably south to avoid the west hills, then head back north to rendezvous with my kids - that could easily double my trek. I would be walking as none of the roads will be passable.

I am 66, I have a heart condition and a bad back which flares up when walking or even just standing. I am severely out of shape. I wouldn't make it to the Cascades much less cross them. Neither of my kids would either.

 

[2Wheels4Ever]

It boggles my mind that people still think bugging out in SHTF is a good idea. For one, you are leaving an established location that should have a decent amount of supplies and resources. There is no way you are going to be able to adequately load what you need into a vehicle, and any money spent on making your bugout location readily provisioned could be better spent at your permanent address. Secondly, the roads are going to be one of the most dangerous places to put yourselves in. Grid lock, lack of gas, robbers, and a myriad of other hazards with befall upon you while you are attempting to reach your bug out location. On top of all that, how are you going to defend your bug out location if it is surrounded by land? Any person with a hunting rifle is going to have an easy time picking you off if they so choose. At least in a city you can band together with neighbors if need be, make barricades, set up sentries and pool resources if necessary.

 

[EHJ]

It boggles my mind that people still think bugging out in SHTF is a good idea. For one, you are leaving an established location that should have a decent amount of supplies and resources. There is no way you are going to be able to adequately load what you need into a vehicle, and any money spent on making your bugout location readily provisioned could be better spent at your permanent address. Secondly, the roads are going to be one of the most dangerous places to put yourselves in. Grid lock, lack of gas, robbers, and a myriad of other hazards with befall upon you while you are attempting to reach your bug out location. On top of all that, how are you going to defend your bug out location if it is surrounded by land? Any person with a hunting rifle is going to have an easy time picking you off if they so choose. At least in a city you can band together with neighbors if need be, make barricades, set up sentries and pool resources if necessary.

What he said.
Besides - look at historical events that we seem to think we can evade the circumstances from...

Everyone we seem to think are 'bugging out' in times of crisis? They're called refugees.

 

[ZA_Survivalist]

"So flying is the only real option.. some folks here fly.. but many don't."

Here ya go Sport. When it's time to GFOD this is the answer as long as ya don't need to take a lot of stuff along.
Autogyros don't stall or spin, which is real nice. The Kellets and DeCiervas had a great safety record.

View attachment 665046

If I had the time, space and means something like that would be awesome. I have a ton of clients with their own planes and gliders. No helos though.

 

[OldTengu]

Only if you've got the money and time to prep it for your arrival, or, at the very least, have the means and knowledge to live off of the land during the process of homesteading.
Frankly, it seems like you're relying on us to create an itinerary and do the planning for you. There are several reasons why that's not a great recipe for success, while suggesting at the very least that you don't have the knowledge to successfully make this work.
1. Regardless of whether or not you own the property, there is a strong likelihood that if you aren't on it at the time and event occurs, someone else may be by the time you arrive. Focus on reinforcing your current resources and bugging in first. Then, make sure you have a vehicle stocked for emergency and for the potential of living out of for days, at a minimum. THEN, focus on the next location.
2. Fully research the location. Where my BOL is, life flight will not go, as it's too windy. I've had family members be denied ambulance service to their home in the same area during winter as the area is too remote and conditions are generally very icy. The ambulance drivers made the request that they were met at a safer location, which we were able to fulfill. Make sure you know whether or not these are situations you may face, and that you are prepared for them as well.
3. Understand that the BOL will need to be at least as well stocked as your home. Since the idea behind a BOL is that it's for use after a situation arises, and that you're planning on being there an unknown amount of time, the stock needs to reflect that. This is why there should be an emphasis on area knowledge, preparing the area, and increasing the number of skills. For example, if you're in an area that has good fertile soil, make sure to plant heirloom vegetables and fruits that will return on their own each season without your help. Stock the BOL with the means to can these items yourself, as well as prepping yourself with the knowledge of how to do so. This will have the added benefit of attracting animals that may be harvested and preserved as well.
4. Understand that getting there is an issue unto itself. You will need multiple routes planned, in and out.
Good luck.
Edit:
Another reason to not have strangers help with your plan, is operational security. We can tell you all day what to prep and do. It's not beyond the capability of some here (I'm sure) to figure out where you're doing it.

 

[The Heretic]

It depends on the SHTF scenario, how soon you are aware of it and are able to bug out, the locations, etc. - not all SHTF scenarios devolve into Mad Max situations overnight.

My kids would probably be better off at my BOL than at their current home - but they would be ok for at least a few days and would probably not face human threats trying to get to my house. Here they would have water, food, some modicum of isolation, protection and less risk from threats. If an earthquake hit, they could maybe get here before things get too bad in the areas between their home and mine.

It just depends. I would not want to stay in any of the residences I have lived in before living here and if I had a BOL with shelter, food and water that I could get to, I would abandon any of those residences, if for no other reason than the neighbors sucked (except for the one place in Hillsboro, but even there it would eventually be overrun by people I would not want to deal with).

My kids are not in a terrible neighborhood near the edge of Aloha, but they look forward to selling their home and building on the property I buy further out when I retire.

 

[notazombie]

I'm not going anywhere.

 

[Cavedweller]

Don't want to say you should or shouldn't - that's a personal decision. But I would add one caveat to those already mentioned.

Before you buy, talk to locals or maybe local law enforcement. Ask if meth or heroin use is common in the area. Pick up a local paper and look at the crime blotter. Are a lot of people being arrested for possession, burglary, etc? Many rural areas are being overrun by druggies. Most of them support themselves by thieving. in many places, If the property is vacant, you can pretty much count on it being broken into. You're lucky if all they do is steal everything and don't vandalize the place.

Also, someone mentioned the attitude of rural folks towards ousiders. There are many fine people in rural areas, but there is also an element that has no respect for the property of absentee owners. You may think your property is remote and well hidden, but somebody will find it. There are people out there that just roam around because they have nothing else to do, particularly when they are on a meth high. They do not respect boundaries, and "no trespassing" signs won't keep them out, particularly where law enforcement is sparse.

The world has changed and it's not the kind of place where you can just leave a rural property vacant with anything of value on it anymore, unfortunately.

 

[RVTECH]

It boggles my mind that people still think bugging out in SHTF is a good idea.

I agree.

I posted this a couple years ago and think it might 'resonate' in this thread:

Recently I responded to a PM about this issue and the following is a theory I came up with regard to the bug in/bug out controversy. Mostly it was a case of writing as I was thinking as opposed to an edited composition AFTER thinking about it but read it and tell me if this has any merit or just stone craziness!

I am certainly no expert (and there are probably a LOT less than claim to be) but if I had to illustrate it I would create a scale from one to ten with the most urban life environment at one and and the most rural at ten. I believe in an unspecified SHTF scenario the closer one is to a rural environment the better the chances are for survival and not leaving the domicile would be a big part of it - IF certain natural resources were close and available such as wood and water. This is also factoring in an assumption of greater safety in a rural environment due to fewer people who possibly have more of a 'groupthink' mentality due to the lifestyle and probably greater longevity of people living in the environment as opposed to urban where people tend to come and go much more frequently.

The longer one lives in an area the more one has 'vested' in it and less willingness to leave. Therefore if one is at 'one' or 'two' on the scale then they most likely are surrounded by concrete and buildings with few natural resources, a less rooted community with possibly unstable or dangerous people, leaving would almost be a necessity to ensure any chance of survival. Now the closer one is to the center or the larger numbers on the scale means one is most likely in a safer environment with resources close at hand and a much larger area to move about in to acquire the resources with less competition - AND being able to return to one's domicile to utilize the resources. So while those in the low end of the scale have little choice BUT to leave those at the greater end have less need to leave with more reasons to stay.

As I said before familiarity and awareness of one's environment are a powerful influence and I firmly believe those of us on the greater end of the scale have the greater advantages and influence to stay put. This is all just a theory (more like a hypothesis) but there is evidence to suggest I might 'have' something. Kind of like Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

 

[BigNickShooting]

I think it's a bit too late ... The time to bug-out is NOW. State of Emergency already declared in WA. Think about it ...

 

[The Heretic]

I think it's a bit too late ... The time to bug-out is NOW. State of Emergency already declared in WA. Think about it ...

Governments, more so the smaller the government, declare "emergencies" for an inch of snow. In the case of COVD-19 it allows them to do things they need to do and allocate resources legally and prepare. That doesn't necessarily mean that it is time to head for the hills. Having food/water/shelter and a plan are what is needed.

Personally, I am prepared to a degree and fortunately, if necessary, I could work from home.

 

[GOG]

I was able to move to my BOL almost eight years ago. Three water sources, in the woods on a mountain in a canyon on a dead end road off another dead end road.
I would have preferred NW Idaho, but my wife preferred the Rogue Valley. At any rate the only way we could do it was when we were retired.
It takes time and work to get things right and there was a learning curve.

If it's possible, I encourage you to be well situated before a crisis.

 

[41mag]

IMHO any possible SHTF Act 1 I've been able to contemplate, is subject to so many variables that 'planning' is difficult at best. Consider the variations in just the general consensus, of what a BOB should contain, and how much of what. I've seen plenty of well considered models listed here in just the last 6 months. I've tried time & again to built a concise suitable realistic BOB. Left hanging for a few months, then reviewed for whatever I may have left out, always reveals flaws and omissions.

I've reviewed my previous extensive lists of various conspiracies theories I once favored, and discovered after some decades none of them had actually occurred.
Along the way, I also discovered my actual goals as well as physical capacity have evolved. If I can rely on settling on solutions for my own BOL adventures, I sure can not pretend to answer inquiry from others. Good luck.

 

[Bushman]

What he said.
Besides - look at historical events that we seem to think we can evade the circumstances from...

Everyone we seem to think are 'bugging out' in times of crisis? They're called refugees.

Bugging out to your own property at an alternate location makes you a refugee...got it.

 

[EHJ]

Bugging out to your own property at an alternate location makes you a refugee...got it.

Minus that whole, "international border" thing - pretty much.
A displaced person fleeing their domicile.

 

[CamoDeafie]

Bugging out to your own property at an alternate location makes you a refugee...got it.

He does have a point. I mean.. look at the mess from Katrina, Harvey, LA riots, Ferguson,the wildfires.. each and every one of these events had people evacuating, or in other words, "bugging out".

It doesn't matter where to as it does how to get there

The roads were basically parking lanes, and people had to either leave a lot of stuff behind, or abandon vehicles.