Bug Out Procedure

Discussion in 'General Survival and Preparedness' started by sheen_estevez, Feb 24, 2008.


  1. sheen_estevez

    sheen_estevez Monkey+++

    I was watching the show Shockwave the other day and they had a couple that lived through the wildfires in San Diego. This couple found themselves with only minutes to leave the house and the guy grabbed his video camera and shot his escape. As the family leaves they load the kids up in one vehicle and his wife gets in, he then jumps into another vehicle and out they drive. At one point they hit a wall of fire and the dude, who is in the lead is forced with a decision to make, stop as many of the cars were doing, or punch it and go through. He punched it and went through the fire, filming the whole time, on the other side he dries out and there is no fire but then you can here him going into a almost panic because his wife and kids have not appeared from the fire. She ended up following him through but not without hesitation. As it turned out some of the people that stopped at the wall of fire died in their cars. As I watched this my first thought was boy that guy was stupid for going in his own vehicle, My first thought is to keep everyone together to get out of the danger area.
    So to my question

    If and when you ever have to bug out do you do it as a unit or do you each grab a vehicle and convoy out of the danger area?
     
  2. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Convoy is best (carries more stuff) but only if you have inter vehicle comms working. Had she known he went thru OK, there would have been a less agonizing wait.
     
  3. sheen_estevez

    sheen_estevez Monkey+++

    I can get more in my one vehicle than ever in the other, the radios a good idea, of course they didn't have BOB's or anything so they really got out with just their vehicles. I don't know my first thought is to leave my car and bug out together, then I'm in control, but then again I am a control freak
     
  4. Canadian-guerilla

    Canadian-guerilla Monkey+++

    i consider myself fortunate that i will be bugging out solo
    i have family out in the county, will probably head there

    i think the question is
    will the masses be bugging out too ?

    will everyone get the " bug-out info " at once ( TV-radio )
    or will you have special insight/info that others lack
    when the time comes, my first priority will be to get out of the city
    and i have 4 different routes planned
    depending on whether everyone leaves at once

    i've made my caches out in the county
    tried to explain to my sister to buy more foodstuffs
    IMO
    depending on the severity/degree of TSHTF
    i believe cities will be a deathtrap

    good luck to those who stay
    trying to defend their home and supplies
     
  5. sheen_estevez

    sheen_estevez Monkey+++

    I'm lucky also I live in a rural area so chances are I'm bugging in anyway, unless there is a forest fire (as on the show I referenced) at which point it is a regional thing so I'm not looking at masses leaving.

    got me thinking though, yes you can get more out with 2 vehicles, in most cases would you even have time to think about what to grab, or would it be just the BOB (in my case 4 BOB's) and a quick grab of the family tent and supplies that are all kept in the same location in the garage then I'm out of here, whole process can be done in 5 minutes or less and on the road

    Point here was the man made a decision that the wife may not have followed, just the video he shot of it you would have to question if it was a good move but under the circumstances it was the one he had to make, had his wife not just followed it could have turned out very bad for her and the rest of his family. My thinking is to keep everyone together for better or worst
     
  6. monkeyman

    monkeyman Monkey+++ Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    If its all optional (as in the situation isnt dictating the choice) I would say best case would be 2 people in each vehicle but convoy at LEAST 2 vehicles and have coms between them. If you have everyone and everything in 1 vehicle all your eggs are in 1 basket. If it breaks down, gets stuck, gets in a wreck, etc then you are now on foot with only what you can carry and also more exposed. If you have multiple vehicles then the 1 gets stuck the other can try to pull it out, if it breaks down and parts can be retrieved you can do so in the other, if the 1 goes down or has to be abbandoned in a hury you jump in the next (transfer what goods you can if possible) then keep going, in potentialy dangerous situations one can scout then call the others up and so on. Basicly multiple vehicles just increases options and contingency plan abilities. There is also something to be said for at least 1 passenger 'rideing shotgun' and navigating and such in each vehicle as well as being able to rotate out and drive in shifts to keep on the move if its a longer trip.

    So in short, if have multiple vehicles in good order and viable for the trip and especialy with coms then would prefer more than 1 vehicle for the BO.
     
  7. sheen_estevez

    sheen_estevez Monkey+++

    Makes sense, in that case I don't think I would put all my kids in one car as the guy did in the show. He was one step away from loosing his entire family if his wife decided she couldn't drive through the fire. Food for thought as you plan
     
  8. monkeyman

    monkeyman Monkey+++ Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    Well if its younger kids (not old enouph to be rideing shot gun or driveing or whatever) then I could also see some argument FOR it as well as the argument against. Basicly have all the kids in one vehicle and make it the job of any other vehicles to protect that one. For instance you are alone in the front car and see the wall of flames, call the car with the kids and tell them to hold place back a ways while you go through, you make SURE it is 'safe' and doable THEN call them and let them know its clear and to come through. That way if there had been a log on the road in the flames and its a death trap then none of your kids/family die for the mistake. If its a hostile area and you have 3 vehicle, all the kids are in the one in the middle , one runs in front as scout and such and the other covers the rear so the kid car is safe(er) in the middle, then say comeing to a road block or obstruction or choke point(possible ambush sites) the scout car approaches (if HAVE to pass through and not around) and the follow car takes position between the potential threat and kid car and they wait as far back as possible while the scout car clears/accesses the situation then lets them know to follow, attack, wait, or run and the kids are ALL kept in the safest possible position.

    Now there is also the flip side argument that if the 'kid car' is taken out all the kids are taken where if they were spread through all the cars then 'only some' of them are lost with 1 car. So it comes down to which way you want to hedge the bet, best odds of protecting them but likely an al or nothing OR lower security for al of them but less likely to loose them ALL.
     
  9. melbo

    melbo Hunter Gatherer Administrator Founding Member

    If they weren't loaded down with essentials I don't see why they took both cars unless an effort was made at saving some property?

    I'm bug-in. If I had to bug out, fire or virus or nuke, I'd take one vehicle. Things may get dicey on the way out via roads and I'd not trust my wifes risk taking abilities like I trust my own. I'd have been that guy who drove right on through the fire, made it through on rims only and kept on truckin'.
     
  10. sheen_estevez

    sheen_estevez Monkey+++

    I also don't trust my wifes risk taking abilities, she is strong willed but not that strong. As far as saving property unless it is a total SHTF situation I can replace everything I own, I can't replace my family, so something to think about as you are making plans. Of course my first option is to bug in and let the world go by
     
  11. monkeyman

    monkeyman Monkey+++ Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    I figure mine might not be likely to do some of the high risk things on her own BUT I also figure in an emergency, seeing me do it sucessfuly first, and knowing she has to follow to come along since cant generaly do both then I figure she would NOT be likeling it (she dont like to drive on snow) but would do it. If proved she wouldnt then could get back to her vehicle and leave the second along the way as well as in the drive.
     
  12. melbo

    melbo Hunter Gatherer Administrator Founding Member

    OT.
    I once was party to lighting the road on fire with 5 gallons of gas.
    The poor guy who came upon that mess hit his brakes and skidded to a stop right in the middle of it. I hope he was OK.

    We got the hell outa there.
    I was 13 or 14
     
  13. sheen_estevez

    sheen_estevez Monkey+++

    You and fire, I don't know man, setting roads on fire, sending propane bottles across the yard, I'm staying away from you man
    [lolol]
     
  14. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    I seem to remember a pic of a burned up boat motor somewhere along the line, too -- [booze]
     
  15. NWPilgrim

    NWPilgrim Monkey++

    I would only caravan if each vehicle could be self-sufficient and provide mutual support. That would mean at least two adults ready and able to act in each vehicle. And they should discuss ahead of time that they stick together come hell or high water, and have comms established. Otherwise the vehicles become liabilities to each other. You are multiplying the risk then not the advantages.

    For a single family bugging out I would keep everyone in the same vehicle. It is just too darn easy in a crowded, hectic situation eve with comms for people to get separated or confused, to hesitate a moment too long. Comms can go out, too.

    Two adults in one vehicle are going to make wiser decisions in a rapidly fluid situation than each making decisions alone in their own vehicle. Especially if one or both adults have kids in the background to care and comfort.


    I think this guy in order to save a car, or a few more things, came within a hair's breadth of losing his family.
     
  16. E.L.

    E.L. Moderator of Lead Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    I can understand the thought of saving all of your assets, as for me however I have more insurance than I need. Too bad we couldn't walk out and let it all burn up! Now in a SHTF situation, it would all depend upon the threat level. If we got a big jump on it, I would be tempted to load up both of the 4x4's with trailers and essentials and get the hell out with everything we could. With two vehicles, you also have the opportunity to jump ship to the other in the event something happened to one of the vehicles. Too many variables.
     
  17. monkeyman

    monkeyman Monkey+++ Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    Yeah, while theres a lot of potential factors, the thing I would be looking at the MOST for the idea of multiple vehicles is just siple redundancey. Kind of the same way that while I COULD find sticks along the way and make fire, I would be sure to have a couple Zippos with spare flint and fluid, a Bic or 3, matches and a flint/steel to make sure if something happens to one (or 4) then I still have fire. I figure with the BOVs, I COULD just hike if it came to it but if there is 2 or more vehicles then aside from agruably increased tactical options as an after though, I figure the main thing for me would be that if the water pump goes out on one, it gets stuck, it gets in a wreck in the traffic, etc then the other may be able to pull it out if stuck or if its broke down or stuck to bad then you just jump in the other vehicle and keep going without wearing out the boots.

    IF I had unlimited funds it probably wouldnt be as much of an issue since would probably set up a dedicated bug out vehicle with trailer and have ATVs or dirt bikes on the trailer as bail out vehicles to use if the primary vehicle was disabled. Currently though it would be more realistic for us that the bail out vehicle would just be convoying with the primary.
     
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