The Bag.
The Location.
The overwhelming distance between the two.
The bugout plays a huge role in prepper lore. For many people the bugout seems to be the answer to all our problems. If things get crazy and we gotta go, then we look to our bugout location. We gather our family, grab our bag and go. We might go on foot, or we might use some other kind of transport, but we up sticks and move somewhere we know is safe.
There is an incredible emphasis put on the types of things that should go in a bugout bag. There are also slews of articles that detail what type of bugout locations you should consider – even what you should have waiting for you at your bugout location.
Personally, I think many preppers fall short when it comes to bugout preparations. I think that the entire process deserves a lot of time and planning. I am talking written plans, multiple locations, dry runs, mapping of resources in these surrounding locations, and many other things that are essential to make a bugout work.
If you have one location, and you are drawing one line from point A to point B, your chances of failure are high. It doesn’t matter what tools or guns you have strapped to that bag of yours.
Perhaps the largest swathe of uncharted territory regarding the bugout is WHEN. When is the right time to bug out? You could say, “In a financial collapse,” but what does that mean. No one is going to get in front of a camera and proclaim, ‘It’s time to bugout.’ Knowing when to bug out is just as important as everything else.
Related: Would You be Able to Leave Someone Behind?
REDOUT Concept
To decide when the time is right to bug out you can lean on a concept known as REDOUT. I prefer this because it creates some hard and fast rules about when the time is right. Without that you are just playing guessing games.
Before you can take full advantage of the REDOUT concept you have to be able to gather intelligence in many ways that will help you make decisions. Survival intelligence is a massive part of preparing for disaster. Unfortunately it’s also something many preppers overlook.
The following tools will help you gather intelligence after a disaster.
- Emergency Radio
- Police Scanner
- Talking with community members
- Drone with HD Camera
All these tools will help you verify the items on your REDOUT checklist:
- Resources
- Environment is unsafe
- Destination
- Overwhelming force
- Unprepared
- Threat has increased
REDOUT Bugout Signs
1. Resources
Part of your bugout and urban survival process should be to map out resources in your area and on the route to your bugout location. You need to know what you could have access to in times of need. These resources should include natural ones, like rivers and streams, as well as retail locations and other resource hubs.
There will come a time when resources are running short or running out altogether. Remember, the more accessible and popular a resource location is, more likely it will be picked clean and possibly occupied.
If your resources at home and in the surrounding area are running out, then it’s legitimately time to consider bugging out.
Related: 7 EMP Proof Items for Your Bugout Bag
2. Environment is unsafe
What has the disaster done to your home and the surrounding areas? When we talk about an unsafe environment it could mean things like gas leaks, radiation and flooding. An unsafe environment can also mean that other people or the elements have made it unsafe as well.
If you are putting your life and your family’s life at risk by staying where you are, the time has come to bug out.
3. Destination
Do you have a place to go? For many, the idea of a bugout starts and stops with the bag. Some people don’t have a location or locations chosen. If you are lucky enough to have planned a location it comes down to which is the better position – where you are, or where you’ve planned to go.
Are you better off at your home, or would you be better off at the new destination? Your bugout location might be stocked with goodies and hidden from the world. Or, your bugout location might be a quiet spot in the woods.
The condition of your destination or BOL will dictate how the bugout goes, so your intelligence gathering should include understanding the area around it and any likely threats.
4. Overwhelming Force
You could very well face a time when a hostile force takes power in your area. Following a serious collapse this could even be the government. If you are faced with overwhelming force you will have but two options; kneel or evade.
The ability to recognize overwhelming force from a distance is what will dictate your success. This is where your survival intelligence will come into play. You do not want to recognize overwhelming force when it arrives at your front door.
If you hear word that a powerful gang has taken control of your town or city and they are ruling by force, then it’s a clear sign that you need to get out of there!
5. Unprepared
As preppers we hate to admit that we might be unprepared for something. It’s kind of in the name. The truth of the matter is, we cannot be prepared for everything. If an asteroid lands on your house, you cannot prepare for that. If you live 20 miles south of Yellowstone and it blows, you cannot prepare for that. If North Korea gets crazy and lucky with a missile that lands on your town, you cannot prepare for that.
There could come a time or a situation that you are unprepared for. Remove the ego and be prepared to recognize the fact that you are unprepared for this particular situation. This will give you a clear head to consider what comes next. In most cases it means its time to bug out.
Related: 50 Prepper Items To Shop For At The Thrift Store or Yard Sale
6. Threat has increased
During or following a disaster, you could find that you are getting along just fine with your preps. The safety of your home may be all you need. For millions of Americans this is the case after storms and other disasters.
Sometimes, however, the threat from the disaster can increase. After a serious disaster, things can get worse in a hurry. Look at Puerto Rico. While some may have been capable of surviving the situation after the hurricane, once the hordes of desperate people showed up it was a different story.
If the threat from the environment, the people or something else increases you must take that into account – and if you cannot deal with that increased threat, its time to bug out.
The BUGOUT Plan
Once one of these triggers has been engaged you will have to lean on a solid bugout plan. Do not wait until you need to leave to sew up the holes in your plan. You need to follow the full process from start to finish.
- You need to write your process.
- You need to wargame your process.
- You need to be your biggest critic
If you aren’t considering things like rally points and survival caches, your bugout process is likely not complete.
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Top 5 Awesome Bug Out Vehicles You Can Actually Afford
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Best bugout article I’ve read with a LOT to consider.
I have one trigger that will make me bug out: If there is a life threatening factor, it’s time to go. However, as you clearly pointed out, there’s a lot of work and planning that needs to be done if we intend to succeed in our exodus.
I don’t know your situation, but I used to live in Indiana…Right between Chicago and Gary. I guess you could say I already bugged out when I moved to a small town. Then I started to get prepared with the help of many great neighbors. No regrets! NEVER going back to the big city again. Green Acres is the place to be! LOL and good luck my Friend!
Hi Sheepherder, I looked at my situation and came up with the same idea as you, but instead of moving to a small town, I moved to a small country on the far side of the world, I still put a lot of time and money into prepping because I feel that when the SHTF, the whole world will be effected by it, but here in New Zealand I think we have some insulation from the US of A.
Sheepy & Auckland, after 28 years in the USAF, then trying to make it on the outside, but constantly failing due to government interference, I came up with a similar strategy when I was looking for a way to evade the financial mess that is heading our way, and the government that make the rules as they go, but also I was looking for somewhere that wont be under an EMP because some nation that hates our guts will chuck one our way fairly soon, I moved to China, and only about 500 miles from Pyongyang North Korea, you may think my new location is fraught with danger by being nuked by my old outfit but the war people talk about with NK is only talk, it will never happen because NK will attack America, they are, and always have been just Sabre Rattling.
Will not attack, Claude, we need some way to edit our correspondence
I usually write it in a file, edit, and then post. Best to you, and agreed, NK is only going to attack her own people. niio
Hi Kyle, Mike
Like you I strategically planned home improvements, timed the market and sold this past fall. Took cash equity moved to rural location, bought house in rural location with well, developed property for self-sustenance (gardens/chickens/orchard-berry&fruit/solar generator w/ 600W in panels and addl batteries). I’m single female – concept of bug out doesn’t work. I’ve prepped, reinforced doors, have shutters for inside window, ammo/firearms. I’ve stocked barterable items and plan to hunker down. Hopefully I will never need to use all this and can enjoy my idyllic countryside living.
Interesting.. Sounds like you have found nirvana.
Didn’t see anything about rifles, shotguns, handguns and ammo.
She said ammo/firearms, no need to mention what she has.
Hello NS_Gardener,
Did you get a few acres, and if you don’t mind how much did you spend on your new location?
NS_Gardener: Nova Scotia? I think a single female would be in pretty much the same boat as a single male bugging out. It would be dangerous.
Bugging out alone has drawbacks but if one wants to stay unseen it would increase the chances of succeeding at that. A female alone is probably more vulnerable than a male but age and health all come into the equasion.
I wouldn’t want to do it again today.
ClergyLady: True. I did bugout, right to this house and into a very good small town. Miles of pasture and brush, mountains, all separate us from other towns. One main line in and out, coming off a main trunk, a state route. Hundreds of boltholes, back roads, washes, and brush. Mind the cattle because bossy sees a human, her first thought is it must be football season and she’s always eager to make kickoff :). We all know that, but outsiders won’t. We know how to avoid rattlers, angry javelina (which always are on edge, anyway), and so on. Most do not. Here, we’re cool, part of the ‘hood, mostly Native American Metis and mestizo/AKA rednecks. niio
When SHTF, a person’s gender will not be of importance. However, a person’s mindset and capabilities will make for a high percentage of either failure or success. Two people will be the best number for survival because three and four people will eventually cause division within the group. And me personally, I would rather be paired with a female opposed to a male when both are equally efficient, capable etc…because in my personal experience with pretty much anything, a female and a male are thinking in two different boxes. Being able to use this as a team, they are badass together. As to where two men thinking in the same box, are less likely to think outside that box. And I believe that this situation will call for a whole lot of thinking outside the box. I don’t think that neither a male nor a female are smarter than the other, just that they are both smart in different ways.
Since EVACUATION (I refuse to use the silly term “bug out”) is not an option for you, and since you already have your own land/set-up, have you considered banding together at your location with other(s) of suitable character and mindset? This would mutually enhance security and the chances of survival.
Yea.Friends- A married couple, and 2 married sons all would aim to work with me here on my land. My son’s live in town and this rural place is the aim.
We have many preparations at our home and have neighbors around us that are our friends and I have enough firepower for all of them. Our biggest concern will be food… however a pond stocked with catfish and perch will help that. I feel getting to know your neighbors and “engaging” looters together is better than going somewhere when all you have is your family and a bag.
Hi NS_Gardener – I did the same thing. I sold my house in the Southwest just as the market was topping in the area where I lived and bought a country house outside an extremely dinky town in the Midwest. It’s on 5 acres, can’t be seen from the local highway, is on a deadend dirt road, and has its own well. Like you I’m also a single female (an older widow in her late 60s) so bugging out doesn’t work for me either. The folk in town are protective of me which is a big plus. I love being out here with all the quiet. Beautiful, beautiful quiet. That’s why I’m so excited that I found this place. Now I can prep to my heart’s content, grow a garden, and raise some chickens for eggs.
Add rabbits for meat n fur. Then you’re set. also others may be willing to trade you for meat.
Lisa: What breed do you favor? A woman here in town ‘inherited’ a troop of tame rabbits. they moved into her back yard, and she started to feed them. She doesn’t try to control them, but made places for them to hide from predators. When she needs one, she sets a a live trap and gets the rabbit at night. While this is not very efficient, she gets what she needs for the family. In Arizona, it’s difficult to raise rabbits due to the heat, and people are going back to the original courtyard, something like her. Rabbits can handle a lot of cold, but not the heat. Does are less likely to kill their young in a burrow, even one made of a buried plastic tub. Predators can’t dig them out and most human raiders don’t know where the rabbits are. Hers scatter and come back to their hiding places in the yard. 🙂
I raise Am Chinchilla. Just got the great stuff, TAMUKs.. Heat tolerant strain out of Texas A&M. We are changing out the LED lights in the AC bunny barn, adding a passive heat exhaust fan. We don’t breed in the summer (that’s the R’s winter).
Lisa: We have a Chinchilla giant running with the jackrabbits. Every spring, she shows up with a nice litter. So far, they stay out of the peas and beans, and stick to Rush peas (a legume what gets a small tuber underground aka hog nuts). I leave salt for them and some other things. They and the quail come to feed every morning when summer dries up wild plants. She likes the salt, but the others hardly touch it. When I can get back into rabbits, American Blues are good in the ground system, but I’d like to have some of the Chinchilla’s babies, as well. People come here from the city and dump dogs, so a cage system is out.Down in Mexico, they’re starting to use the old way. Let the rabbits fig the heck out of part of the garden, then move them when kindling season is done, then use the old rabbitry as garden. It sure makes digging out caliche that much easier 🙂 niio
Red,
Jacks do not interbreed with domestics. different # of chromosomes. Somewhere out there is a buck. There is a possiblity of colony. What you’re describing.
she burrows, jacks don’t burrow, and I find only one new burrow in her territory each year. there are no cotton tails around. Chromosomal differences would explain why I do only find one burrow. The young would be sterile. I have a dachshund trained to hunt rabbits and he’s a wizz at finding them. the only other rabbits, domesticated, are blocks away, and rabbits are too territorial to go exploring, especially with all the coyotes, strays, and owls. niio
A family member asked me to build him a BugOutBag. I gave him a water filtration straw (hydroblu), and a mini bic lighter. The rest is just customization..
awesome article btw!
BOB: Aww; you missed a chance to have some fun spending someone else’s money.
And a roll of tp and a can of Spam….;)
Watch the series ” Jericho”. I moved to a small town 3 years ago. Bugging out is not an option for me. I’m retired. My neighbors and I will just hunker down and band together. The majority of us are well stocked and prepared. The unprepared… well, that’s going to be a hard choice. They don’t know our secrets and we aren’t telling ours. Bugging out or Hunkering down, the signs are still the same. THX
Excellent series! Also the movies “The Road”, and ” Book of Eli”. Lots of info there and thinking.
I live on Cape Cod. Basically the only way on/off are the bridges or by boat. This is true for other areas too I’m sure (like the Florida Keys or Manhattan). For me, I think the logical thing would be to try to relocate inland asap to a more secure and less overdeveloped area. Be aware of highways and train tracks that might be used to transport chemicals through your area and also of chemical dump sites from mining/manufacturing that might contaminate your soil/water. If your home site is relatively secure, though, staying home in a smaller town might be your best bet. At least you know who the crazies and troublemakers are and you’re not trying to travel through an urban wasteland trying to get to your bol. Just saying.
Yes, there are a lot of advantages to staying in place if there isn’t a danger in your local area. You know the people around you and can probably cooperate with them, and you won’t be forced to rely on the contents of your BOB. The problem is a lot of people are reluctant to move even if there IS a nearby danger, which is why I think the REDOUT checklist is a good thing to keep in mind.
I sold and moved out of MA – how could you avoid all those illegals, refugees, homeless and layabouts? Within 1-2 days there will be riots/looting/anarchy and guess what, they’re coming to Cape Cod and all the other high rent areas for your STUFF.
LOL! Good luck to them trying to get across the bridges! All kidding aside, I’m not nearly as worried about people coming down here as the people we already got. You mentioned all the layabouts and freeloaders – add to that the wackos and drunks that gravitate to resort areas and the sketchy people who come “looking for work”, not to mention the privileged snowflakes who come to vacation here and its gonna be like “Night of the Living Dead”. There are a lot of good folks too, but it’s gonna get ugly fast. I plan on leaving the first – the first chance I get! Honestly though, it’s probably going to be at least a couple years before I can afford to do it and then I’d have to convince family members. Plan and pray in the meantime.
Amen to that! How do you feel about Vermont, N.H., and Maine? All 3 now supposedly allow one to carry a concealed firearm WITHOUT a permit. N.H. has no state income tax. The fact that they are COLD has the additional benefit of acting as a barrier to waves of riff-raff.
All three are beautiful and worth considering. Again, circumstances are such that a move is out of the question at this time. Oh, well…do what I can with what I’ve got.
(NH my home state) It is the center of the opioid traffic — lots and lots of space cadets and crime! Houses are all old and need a lot of maintenance, at least those houses in the small towns built during the factory days. Cold and damp. And property taxes are through the roof!!!!!!! I’d rather pay income or sales taxes. VA, NC or SC are way better.
Add Texas to “through the roof” property taxes. It’s like the politicians have learned how to steal from everyone.
The property taxes are felt the most in the urban and near suburb areas of Texas. We left the burbs over 5 years, ago. found a few acres, to retire to and the property taxes were great, but increasing, this year, due to the suburbs moving out here. We are still in the county, but the small towns are expanding outward. Texans are starting to look to eastern Oklahoma, or Arkansas, as California follows Michigan to fuel the expansion. Lucky for us we have relatives scattered between here and the mountains of Arkansas.
NH has ski high property taxes in most counties. Make sure you check property tax rates before you buy. Maine has lower property taxes but they have state income taxes. I found 10 acres in SW Virginia — low property taxes and you can find untouched acreage for a reasonable price and near the BR parkway too. New England also has more socialist-Democrats in past 10 years, and some public schools teach socialist ideology, so if that is not your thing, look carefully.
We live within an hour of the only nuclear plant here in Arkansas, I’m concerned with the outages/power grid failure which may be a result of war or other forces. We will be going to the Smoky Mountains. We have been adding things to our supplies here & there & I found this really great wholesale merchandise to the public website ALOT of really great super cheap useful things, so then forgetting/not caring for a long time how I might appear to “the outsiders” I placed the order for a 6 pack of pepper spray, 4 ski masks, We live within an hour of the only nuclear plant here in Arkansas, I’m concerned with the outages/power grid failure which may be a result of war or other forces. We will be going to the Smoky Mountains. We have been adding things to our supplies here & there & I found this really great wholesale merchandise to the public website ALOT of really great super cheap useful things, so then forgetting/not caring for a long time how I might appear to “the outsiders” I placed the order for a 6 pack of pepper spray, 4 ski masks We live within an hour of the only nuclear plant here in Arkansas, I’m concerned with the outages/power grid failure which may be a result of war or other forces. We will be going to the Smoky Mountains. We have been adding things to our supplies here & there & I found this really great wholesale merchandise to the public website ALOT of really great super cheap useful things, so then forgetting/not caring for a long time how I might appear to “the outsiders” I placed the order for a 6 pack of pepper spray, 4 ski masks, Butane Gas 7.8oz for Stove,Solar Lighters 50ct, Grounding.Adaptor 3 Outlet, Budpak Maximum Triple Antibiotic 0.50z, Budpak 1% Hydrocortisone Anti-ltch Cream 0.50z, Screwdriver Set with Hardened Bits 8 in 1, Dust Mask 10ct White, Fancy Heat 2.5 Hour Methanol Gel, Hammer, Combination Sharpening Stone 6 inch, Nylon CableTies 16 pc-16 inch, Nylon CableTies 120 pc -inch, First Aid Kit 8pc, Christmas Tree Ornament Hangers 75ct -Silver, Pot Pad & Heat Proof Gloves, Multi-Use Strap Wrench, Foldable Water Bottles, Knocker MensThermal 2 pc Set-Size M/34-36, Assorted Colors Knocker Mens
Thermal 2 pc Set -Size XL/42-44- Assorted
Colors, Medex 2 Ear Loop Face Mask, Assorted Bandages 100 ct, Tarp Blue Color 5 ft x 7 ft Light Duty, All Purpose Blue Poly Tarp
8 ft x 10 ft, Dynamik Multi Purpose Shop Scissors 8 inch, House-Works 5 in 1 Survival Kits, Quality Home Long Matches 40 ct, Pharmacys Prescription Hand Sanitizer Original 8oz, Chalk White and Color 2 pk, Storage Caddy Pop Open, Swan Hydrogen Peroxide 16 oz., Ri-pac Zipper Seal Freezer &
Storage Bags 25 ct – Quart Size, Ri-pac Slider
Freezer & Storage Bags10 ct-Gallon Size, Air Vent Food Container, Plastic Water Pitcher 2L,
Adult Emergency Ponchos Assorted Colors, Nut Cracker in Poly Bag, Roscan Salad Tong,
ClotheslineDiamond Braided 3/16inch x 50 feet, Bottle Can Opener 3 Way, Stainless Steel
Spoon 8 pc, Disposable Plastic Gloves 100 ct-Large, Simmer Ring, Plastic Fly Swatter, Pic Bite Relief 0.47 fl oz Formulated for Instant Bite & Sting Pain Relief, Butane Gas Stove Burner Black Color, Black UtilityTape 0.75 in x
50 ft, Permo Seal Plastic Spray 8.5 oz, Cat Toy 6 Styles Mixed, Plastic Flashlights, Liquid Hand Soap 7.5 fl oz-Clean Citrus, Arm Sleeves for Welding or Farming 1 ct-Mixed Colors, Nails 1 1/2″ 2 OZ, Emergency Vehicle Window
Breaker & Seat Belt Cutter, Sliding Window Lock 2 ct, Free Items for Orders Over $100. Had to take alot of things out of my shopping bag because the total was getting up there & some items you had to order bulk like 6 or 12 of, since I don’t need 6 shovels I went ahead with the list above, some things were a good deal and stuff for my house right now. Not even realizing that shopping list until after I placed the order and got the message that it was pending & I would be contacted tomorrow for payment. I then started looking online at my shipping options & how much that was maybe going to cost me, then I realized that ALOT of the things I ordered are restricted items & cannot be sent through the mail or courier service. I messages the seller & said I would have to remove some items. From the looks of that shopping list I was fully ready to be reported or contacted by the FBI, Homeland Security, etc. Luckily it was an import company and the proprietor only suggested I but a whole pallet of merchandise next time, that way it could be shipped through freight.
ES: What is the name of that website? Having another one is always good to have.
Great article! No one can be totally prepared. All you can do is the best you can. Look at where you are and what you know. If you can’t leave your home for, say 6 months or longer, can you survive? No electricity, no gas. In a severe crisis you may have to deal with what you have. I doubt we’d leave. Where we are it would take 3 hours to leave the state. But, I have done a plan if that should be necessary. We have 5 adult family members within a short distance, and we live about as remote as it gets in this area. Lots of wild food here, also seeds, garden and a stream. Just give some thought to what you use everyday and make sure you have it.
Living in Southern California makes bugging out a near non-issue. I cant see competing for resources with 12 million other people. There’s very little to the north, to the south is Mexico, and a very big desert stretching for a thousand miles to the east. For us, the most realistic course would be to remain in place and prep as well as possible.
Once upon a time, I lived in Richmond CA, and I came up the exact same conclusion, there is nowhere that you could bugout to with a drive of a couple of hours or so, east of the desert sounds great, but its a long way.
Keepin it real, head west young man, buy a boat.
You’ve done a good estimate of the situation, but do what you can to have a bugout plan anyway. You could end up competing with a lot of those 12 million people for resources that are already yours, and if they’re determined enough to get your stuff, you’ll be overrun in the end. Sometimes, no matter how tough the road looks, you have to get on it and move out.
Maybe some already have
CLOVIS, N.M. (KRQE) – A homeless New Mexico man is living in a tunnel he made himself right near a public park, and the city where he has dug this intricate home in the ground can’t do anything about it.
“Dig yourself a house underground and you always have a home. I think it’s sweet,” said Rosey Burge, Clovis resident.
Eight feet underground is where Sean Heron lives. He decided to get some peace and quiet by living where the sun doesn’t shine.
Heron didn’t want to be on camera, but says he’s been homeless for a year. It wasn’t until recently that his hideout was discovered by someone who posted a tour on Facebook.
The underground tunnel has drawers, closets, a bed and more. All of this is just behind Beacham Field in Clovis, a recreational baseball field.
The news has many people wondering how long he’s been living there.
“He could live under our houses and we wouldn’t know either. Wow,” said Cathy Joiner, Clovis resident.
Joiner lives across the street from the underground fortress, and when she found out he was living there, she says the word “shocked” was an understatement.
“Kids be out here, you know? This is a park, Beachem Field. They play baseball, all kinds of kids be in the park, toddlers,” Joiner said. “What if he attacks? Or what if he decides to come across the street to my house?”
Wahila your body needs sunlight to produce vitamin D. Your nervous system needs it to function. D also helps your body to absorb calcium and promote bone growth. Vitamins are a good idea. It also promotes hair and skin health. We take a multi vitamin and Nature’s Bounty extra strength hair, skin and nails. My wife has thin blond hair and until the Nature’s bounty couldn’t grow it very long. It keeps your nails from getting brittle and cracking.
If the guy has been living there for over a year and has caused no problems, leave him alone
Agree! He bothers no one. Solved his homelessness. That took work. Deed him the spot of protect it for his lifetime. Have to see what our government entities actually do.
As an Am Indian I agree. He’s been there a year and isnt bothering anyone. Good for him. I just want people to see it can and is being done.
I think people get visions of CHUD from the 80 s horror flicks. LOL. But he is putting to the test something we see worked for more than a year.
City Humanoid Underground Dwellers
I actually like that he is making his own way and not begging someone for a stick and morter house. He has adapted and overcame his problem
Yes I agree New Zealand is a pretty place and I love the Poly and Micronesian people. They are the salt.
But I remain because like a good sheepdog I wish to help those who may not have the benefit or foresight to be ready for almost anything.
I believe it is true and good to help those widows and orphans and defend the weak and downtrodden.
So I want to show survival techniques from my family as we are a shrinking kind of people. But we will exist as long as the lessons taught by my family go on to the next generation. I stand on the shoulders of the giants that came before me.
And one day my face might shine from the great totem that is mankind.
Just working on survival day to day. But making it. Looking longingly at 40 acres in the middle of nowhere. Back up spot that will be mine providing I find evidence of a survivable amount of water there. Will check it out soon.
Things falling in place here. Still no power but it doesn’t seem to matter much. Well powered. More important than electric lights. What a luxury to have running water.
Clergy lady, u have posted several times about not having power, what is your issue? Why no power for so long?
See below ClergyLady’s responses. Some old gear which failed.
Plus however, criminal neighbor(s). Willing to work hard at doing bad things, yet too slack to show up regularly at any real job?
Yup. Druggy family member took out my power. What a pain that was.
It helped me decide to go off grid solar and I’m so glad I did. Quite expensive but with the distance and new powerlines and poles getting power was going to cost a lot any way we went about it. Solar is working and I’m happy. The contractor I went with built a beautiful set up with batteries in a heavy weatherproof metal locked box on the stand for the panels. Looks neat and works well. Have 4, 335w panels and 8, 220 amp hour batteries. Storage carried us easily through several days of monsoon rain. Modern panels are making power even in low light.
Practice, and make it real. Shut off the main breaker at your house some weekend and spend 2 days w/o power. Cook over a wood fire in your backyard in the middle of winter. Go camping at a state or national park. We use the public campgrounds at Big Bend Nat Park as a base camp for wilderness hikes. Back in December a windstorm blew up, which is more common in the world than you think, 35 mph steady with gusts to 55, the storms last 24-48 hours, this one cleared the campground in a couple of hours, tents and tarps and belongings flying everywhere (none of it mine), people in a panic, the two of us sitting in our windproof tent making chili and trying not to gloat…you have to know what’s out there waiting for you.
Nature does that for us!
Some folk on our island were without power for over two weeks. We were lucky to be back up in two days. We had wood heat, propane stove, gasoline lanterns, and a UPS that continued our Internet for about eight hours, until our service provider died.
We hooked the PTO gen to the tractor and ran it about two hours out of every eight, just to keep the freezers and refrigerators happy. A lot of our stash is shelf-stable, though. I know people who lost thousands of dollars worth of frozen and refrigerated food.
For us, it was more like a camping trip than a disaster, but for others, it was a disaster.
I live in a small town 75 miles from a 200k + population city and another 60k + town in between so I’ve bought a secluded 2 acre place and put a trailer on it within 2-3 minutes of walking distance to a Clean Mountain Feed Lake. I’ve set up for long term with a cme/emp protected Solar System for the place with enough wattage to keep a refrigerator, water heater, well pump and lights going and the materials to set up a rain water catch system to gravity feed the trailer. I plan to have a well drilled to set up a trailer feed that way but haven’t got there yet. The sewage is on a septic tank. My food, seeds, necessary and protection supplies are well stored, secured and hidden within the location so all me and the wife have got to do is backpack into the location and wait for the kids and grandkids to arrive. Once the family is there we will utilize the security supplies to protect the perimeter and issue security details. We will follow the Laws of our State and defend ourselves and Property accordingly.
“Look at Puerto Rico. While some may have been capable of surviving the situation after the hurricane, once the hordes of desperate people showed up it was a different story.” What? That must be some other Puerto Rico. Sorry, bad example. My daughter and I were comparing what is REALLY going on in Puerto Rico vs what would happen in the US, just today. First of all there is no “hordes of desperate people showing up”. Some people are dying but they are the people who were already very ill and depending on machines. What is happening in Puerto Rico is that people are dealing with a very bad situation, while helping each others. Here in the states people know there is such a thing as “fake news” and rightly so. But when it come to PR, they believe everything they read. People are actually helping each other, people have improvised running water by using PVC pipes, creeks and rain water just like their grandparents did, People may not be eating steak, but they are not starving. No one is eating each other, as some idiots threaten to do here in the states or saying “I’ll steal your stuff”. Yes, there are criminals, same as always, but people are fighting back. Sales of guns have gone way up. My brother lives in one of the worse hit areas. His small farm was stripped bare, and his attitude is “all the bigger trees where torn down, so now it’s easier for me to plant new ones.” My ex husband, is glad because he is now selling vacuum cleaners door to door “because people have to clean up.” He’s 69, same as my brother. My brother was feeding people from his church with the fruits and vegetables that fell. In other words, people see the bright side of things, even after 6 months of no electricity or running water in much of the island. Here in the states people are without water and electricity for 6 days and are already in panic mode. Puerto Rico has survived a lot before and it will survive now. Yes, some people depend of the useless FEMA, but most do not and most people are not leaving the island. (Hint: when you are a Puerto Rican, you can tell which people leaving are not Puerto Ricans when they are interviewed, different speech pattern, many of the people leaving are illegals from the Dominican Republican passing off as Puerto Ricans. There were 200,000 of them two years ago. Imagine, they get put in planes without having to provide proof “because their documents were destroyed by the hurricane”. Homeland Security is as unless there as here in keeping illegals out. Are things bad? Sure, but people are surviving and many people have taken into their homes people who are worse off. The ones complaining are the ones who decided to go with the Dominicans to the states and are now caught in FEMA limbo.
As to me, I moved 12 years ago to a small town in the middle of nowhere, to a property surrounded by neighbors who are cops and retired military. And to get here, there is one highway. South of us is a wealthy town, which somehow convinced the state to modify the highway in the area around their town, so you can now close the entire highway in case of a disaster. In other words, to get here people would have to take back roads if the highway is closed. And, taking into account that here winter last 7 months, I’m not expecting “hordes of desperate people”. Location, location, location.
Do you mind sharing your location in private. Im a single mom of an almost 10 yr old daughter. Currently in CA and looking to buy somewhere
Maya, I don’t know how to reply to you in private. Clicking on your name sends me back to this page.
But you can click on my name and go to our website. From there, you can click on the “Contact Us” link if you have questions or want to know more about buying into our co-op.
We’re more into the positive aspects of sustainability, rather than the negative aspects of prepping.
PR… glad you’re making it.
My power has been off 3 months today. Running water just on the last two days and really enjoying that. A while longer for power to be on for me. Long story but vandalism started this mess. We are just fine. Actually I don’t miss electricity much at all. Less that I’d have thought. Since we’d just moved three weeks before losing power there was no solar set up as planned. I run a generator a while each evening to keep the refrigerator cool. Food holding ok. I have lots of canned and dried food. I even grew some garden and did some canning while moving.
My seed stores are safe. Plenty of food. Friends in same boat with me hauled water for both homes. I bought gas for both generators and they kept them filled each afternoon.
Cooperation is a wonderful thing. We work hard and help each other by each doing what they can.
If I do buy the far far rural 40 acres I have been looking at… both families,will have a place.
I have a used class c motor home, a cabover camper for the truck and a tent, camp stoves, lanterns, a rocket heater that has an optional pellet gravity fed hopper. I can cook on it also. Air mattresses, blind materials et. We are 7 people in two homes making it just fine with three of those being teens. It is sort of camping in, instead of camping out. Doing great! Sure is quiet and peaceful.
I live about and hours drive from a large city but not a major big city. A mile off of the Interstate. Neighbors are helping and glad to see me back after almost a dozen years away working.
If I get the land I’m looking at it will be for vacationing and a possible bug out spot. Actually I’m far enough out right here but I’ve got that uneasy feeling that we need to have something even further out. A duggout in a hillside and a way to get water… water is the kicker. If a real SHTF experience faces us we won’t be hauling water long distances. Gas and safety will be issues.
I’ve lived alone in the woods for 10 months surviving off the land. At 71 I don’t have to agility or strength to do it today. Planning and supplies as well as gardening and hunting or raising animals for food will all be part of the overall picture.
I’m glad PR is finding strenth in helping one another. My friends here and my husband and I are making it fairly comfortably because we are helping each other.
Solar and completing the new greenhouse here will come with time. Just an added layer of protection.
Clergylady, you have mentioned the pellet hopper for the rocket stove. Can you give the brand name and maybe where you got it? Or just the pellet hopper add on? I’m trying to find a method for heating my home. I have not had heat in my home for over 6 years, now. Use electric space heaters and sure tired of doing so. Have fireplace, but due to remodel where they added on about 3 feet of new brick on the bottom, my wood stove has a gap of about 8 inches, so I can’t use it.
I’m 69 y.o. woman alone. I have 5 acres and have prepped for awhile. Should have most of the items I’ll need, just retired so now no money but I’ll do what I can and trust the Lord to help with the rest.
Blessings
Scared ? Yes I am, we have been collecting for awhole year and I am at loss for words. I hate the news media! I am 78 years old ,have bad arms , broke one a year ago . And now instead of my golden years I have all this to plan on. Sad yes I am~ But survive and do the best we can love you all~
Glad you’re making it BeeLover. I’m 71 broke a leg and broke a rib in two places just about 4 weeksago. Still working at this place but no lifting and fewer hours a day cleaning up a destroyed trailer et my stepson left behind when I evicted him.
All I really know to do is depend on God, a few good friends, and what I can accomplish. Seems like perecious little but I can see things getting done. Without power we are still going now after three months. Somewhere there is a light at the end of this tunnel.
If SHTF I will stay here unless I’ve been able to get the cheap 40 acres in nowhere southeastern NM. Then I’d have a prepared spot to go to.
I have some burried staches of things on the mountain north of me. But reality is, the days for me to live on the mountain without a shelter and better provisions is gone unless I go with a family. Use my experience and use their brawn.
Good idea to go with Family most of mine thinks I am a nut, and that I should depend on God, I agree that I depend on God, bu the gave us a brain and I think he expects to use it to avoid trouble when we can.. Wish there were more family thinking my way , but alas I will do what I can with what I have and the rest is gonna be as the chips fall!
Pray to God but row towards shore.
Or the one I heard, “Pray to God, and pass the ammunition!”
We believe and have experienced first hand the power and goodness of God. God does expect us to use our minds and common sense for our betterment but my wife and I pray on our knees every night for God’s guidance and protection. He never fails us. So, work hard, prepare and trust in God and you’ll do fine.
220 amp breaker in the top of the breaker box was broken and burned back up to the meter.
Ended up because of changes since that pole and breaker box were put in back in 1982… with new pole, new breaker box, new meter, et…
Now working on getting mobile homes and well to pass current regs for inspections.
Giving up on my doublewide. Just bought a 2015 mobile home for the two of us. Now before it can be delivered and hooked up we must get rid of an old singlewide with a ripped roof that my stepson left here..
I’ve been working on getting the walls down. One more section of wall then see if the neighbor who recycles scrapmetel still wants the frame. If we get that moved off then the new home can be delivered and inspected. And because of distances another pole, breaker box and meter installed… then I can have power again.
It started as vandalism and has become a maddening comedy of new rules and regulations. I am believing it will get worked out but what a pain it has been! And still is!
Incredibly expensive mess!
But it has been a good experience practicing living without power and running water. Made my really glad for the new heater I was saving up to order. The gravity fed rocket stove works just fine!
Makes one appreciate a stove with no moving parts or electricity needed to opporate it. I can cook on it and keep a 3 gal pot of water heating on top.
My generators have been handy. A used 1400 Honda, was an appreciated gift and a 9k purchased at a moving sale is handy.
Plenty of food on hand has been a blessing with the extra expenses.
Once all the inspections are past I’ll get back to work shooting for solar power for most of our needs. I Wish this hadn’t happened and the $ money could have gone into solar investment here.
We are Blessed to have made it pretty comfortably even with my husbands dimentia. He doesnt really understand but isn’t complaining. Out basic needs are met. We have food, heat, friends haul in water, and life keeps on going.
Clergylady, check out Handeeman on Youtube. He and his wife live off grid in SW Arizona. He built a rainwater collection system and a solar array. He has also built a utility trailer based solar system with a friend that they intend to make and sell. I’m sure you could adopt some of his projects for your property(ties).
I really appreciate your posts! Great info! Bugged out over 12 years ago. Over 90 miles from Phoenix, in an area of about 25 square miles. Mountainous, with 4 seasons. 4 small towns within the 25 sq. miles! Lots of veterans and other patriots. Suggest you look for a similar place!
Another way to ‘bug out’ is – buy a deep-water sailing vessel, learn how to sail and fix it (if you don’t already know how), stock it with necessities, fishing gear, and leave North America. Will need some skill(s) which are in demand in other places.
Knew a couple (school teachers) who sailed their boat to New Zealand after arranging to migrate there. There are also quite a few American expatriots living in Mexico, both in the mountain villas or aboard their boats in marinas.
Bear in mind most regimes are exceedingly negative about private-owned firearms. So about all you can have aboard is a simple 12G shotgun which doubles as a 25mm flare gun.
There are also lots of Americans in China, and most cities have a club or bar where they seem to frequent, my city doesn’t have one, but I do sometimes get to Beijing where they have a large restaurant & bar called the Columbus Company, it is mainly for Americans to meet, eat American food, and find out about employment opportunities, there are also a lot of Canadians in the club, which shows they will let almost anybody in.
Don’t be mean to Canadians; mostly refugees from an insane and corrupt set of regimes. But they unwisely fled in absolutely the wrong direction.
I and my extended family went to New Zealand, not by boat, we flew, but there are many Americans here, and we seem to be made quite welcome, despite the governments of the US and here not being so cordial. Firearm laws here are fairly strict, no automatics, no semi automatics and a hunting licence worth $40 for each category of firearm, rimfire, center fire or shotgun. Pistols are possible, but the laws for storage, practice and transportation are not worth the effort, hunting with a pistol is completely illegal.
Pistols have a very limited set of uses. Unless an owner is an expert and practiced, rarely useful for ranges greater than circa 10 meters.
The best general-purpose firearm type is the 12 pump shotgun. Works for both hunting and home defense.
The best general-purpose non-firearm projectile weapon is the crossbow. New / additional bolts / quarrels may be made of many materials, and require no gunpowder reloading.
Those who want ‘sexy’ weapons which are war-like in appearance are usually making a mistake. Brandishing what looks like a military weapon may deter some with bad intent. Or it may encourage them to return when they think an owner is less wary or attentive.
For defense and hunting… a 12 gauge is king. I carry, all the time, a 1911-style .380. However, I constantly practice with it. That said, the 12 gauge is still the best. I lean toward #4 shot but any round will do!
It seems a lot of well traveled and moved on folks are reading these posts.
I wish more here in the states were interested. Still, I am gratified to see so many waking up to the need to get out of the large cities if possible, have a safe place ready to go to, or at least bags packed ready to flee on a moments notice.
I have never been a fan of large cities. Born in DC, I lived in Seattle, and Glendale, CA all by fifth grade. That summer when I was 11 we moved to a rural spot 8 miles from, a small town. I was free to roam a neighbors unused ranch in the hills, cut my own Christmas tree( yes I used my lathing hatchet and cut a beauty, by my self), ride another neighbors horses by grabing a handful of mane and swinging up to ride bareback. I told my folks we had moved to heaven. I grew up in that area, married and stayed in the county till I was 25. Many people still go there to experience the rural beauty of the area and do lots of wine sampling.
I still prefere the rural life. I enjoy gardening, canning, sun drying and shade drying different edibles. I love wild foods and actually save seed from the best lambsquarter plants in the unused area around a water faucet in the yard. I eat sprouts and scatter that seed each spring. One plant last fall gave me a pint of saved seed! When I wanted something fresh and different a month ago, I sprouted 2 teaspoons of seeds and added the young sprouts to salads. I still have 3/4 cup of seed to scatter and hope most of it survives birds and ants to grown a nice patch of greens to enjoy. I now do the same with mullen seed I collect and scatter along an irrigation ditch bank where I collect many wild edibles or medicinals. I also cut armsfull of alfalfa for my tea and to feed my critters. Rabbits, chickens, and ducks all appreciate the fresh greens. I use the fresh tips as tea or in salads. Alfalfa sprouts from collected seed are good too.
I found paint advertised in craigslist this week. I will pick up 6 1/2 gallons this afternoon when I drive through Albuquerque. $40 should give me enough to paint my sheds that are needing paint. Shades of browns mixed for the larger shed and mixed grays with 1/2 gallon of white for the other shed. I have a soft muted green shade to paint my home when it is moved in. I hate the loud orangy brown it is right now.
If this is as far out as I get to move then it will be the best but least showy place in the area. I have fruit trees ready to plant. Most of my garden is up and awaiting transplanting when frost danger seems to be past. I have a small forrest of choke cherries that have come up around my old treess that died while I was away. They must be thinned. I will move many to an area toward the road where wild plums are creating a thicket, wild gooseberries and wild roses are begining to make progress at reproducing themselves. It may look a bit wild or unkept but I love the fruit and letting it have a quarter acre to spread out in makes me very happy seeing them growing so well. Rose hips, plums, gooseberries, choke cherries plus bush cherries, apples, apricots, a nectarine, and a different plum all grow well in that area and they seem to draw water from an irrigation ditch that cuts through that corner of the property. They survived without care during the 11 years I was away. So did part of my original planting of grapes I started from cuttings. This year I added 2 more grapes and have 2 more to help fill in the old arbor. I also have two raspberried ready to set out. I miss the wild blackberries of other places I have lived. Most don’t do well in this climate but I’d like to try one along that ditch. They do love water.
I am waiting to get them home moved in to start a new root cellar. The old one was just a plastic barrel burried in the ground. The new one will be a bit larger but near the new home. An old unsed mobile freezer that was made like a camper to set in a truck bed will be part of it. It has 8″ thick insulated walls and a walk in door. It will be half dug in and fully covered with dirt except the door. I haven’t used it since 2005. It’s time to do something different with it.
Well stay aware and be ready. That’s what prepping is about.
Check on social media in your area – I bet you’d be able to find someone who has blackberries growing who’d be more than happy to give you some cuttings. You could check at your local dump too – groundskeepers are always getting rid of plants they dig up and replace on properties, and blackberry canes are a pretty invasive “pest” species to a lot of people. My friend has gotten a lot of decorative plants for her garden that way and for free. Another crop plant you might want to consider is amaranth. Green mulch, grain and edible greens for you and livestock. Happy planting.
Good suggestion miss kitty. As for amaranth I have it growing in flower beds. I have encouraged the heaviest seed heads. They are a nice cereal grain and good greens.
Enigma.
Have a12ga and more, but often carry a 38 revolver when I walk the property. The only snakes I shoot at are poisinous. Dogs after my critters get shot. If someone came after me or mine to cause harm I’d have to see how that played out. I honestly don’t want to shoot two legged critters. But I’m not going to get hurt or loose family or friends to thugs without defusing a situation or defending us.
I was a good archer growing up. I think I’d like to try a crossbow. Easier to get more power into a shot and some are scope capable. At 71 I know my pull isn’t what it once was. Also I like the quiet. I liked that about my 75 lb longbow and 90 lb recurve. From what I read the crossbow develops far more pull that my bows ever did. Somehow I can’t get enthused with the newer bows with all the pullies. I understand they have multipied the power available. The mechanics is obvious but I just don’t have an interest in them.
My younger son has a crossbow. I should try his out. My older son loves weapons and usually is carrying a pistol. My middle son prefers his shotgun with a bandelero of impressive looking ammo. My daughter has her cc permit with a lovely pistol somewhere on her person. I just open carry here on my property.
Each to his or her own preference. But I don’t see the point in the “sexy” looking weapons. It looks like being ready to go to war. I see weapons as something less imtimidating and more everyday. And yes I have shot dogs on the run if I catch them killing my critters. Not shot at, but killed them. I have killed rattlers. And yearsago when living on a reservation I used my 22 rifle for headshots, killing enough quail for dinner now and then. Proficiency with your weapon of choice is the point. A shotgun solves some of that. And at close range it is an intimidating leathal weapon.
First off, agree that people should leave non-venomous snakes alone. They help suppress rodent populations. Unnecessary to ‘shoot at’ every single snake.
When a snake has a broad triangular head, then probably venomous. Not that many cobra, fer de lance, boomslang,, etc. in North America..
In the venomous case, you can point a firearm’s barrel near the snake’s head and it will do the aiming for you. A snake aligns its head with the nearest perceived ‘threat’; then all you need do is pull the trigger. Technique probably works also with a spear.
So many folk panic when they see a snake, and they shouldn’t. About the only time to get excited is when one is slithering into your bedroll.
Same lack of excitement needed with bats and other small wildlife – they don’t want to stay in your abode once discovered. Open nearest door or window as appropiate, go to the furtherest corner of the space they’re in, and mildly ‘herd’ them toward that opening. Most will depart without great drama.
Exception is bears and like large predators. Very careful and earnest efforts must be made to keep them out or to kill them whenever they’re threatening/stalking humans.
Two-legged predators are much more problematical. Often cunning, and may watch from some vantage while plotting nefarious deeds. Or such seek to slyly insert themselves into situations under guise of being somehow helpful. Like a Larry Nassar and Jerry Sandusky.
Crossbow a very fine thing due its relative silence. Can be aimed like a firearm, but hasn’t the same range. So a background may be less important.
Your preference for simpler ones is correct. Might be that local pawn shops have older crossbows, or someone is cleaning out a garage, basement, or attic, or storage unit.
Yes. I’ll have to look for appropriate crossbows. Still quite interested in one.
Just had surgery on my right arm so my left hand is currently acting as my dominate hand. Trying to finish getting the repo mobile home ready to move in. Being one handed is slowing me down a bit. .
Off grid solar power is working satisfactorily. The wood flooring is now put down. Tomorrow I need to purchase the trim finish strip then put down the 1x3s I purchased for baseboards.
Sewer line is hooked up. Water trench is dug and parts are ready to assemble. Ill have to get the gas line done and inspected. Not as fast as I wanted but but still making progress toward getting ready to move in.
I’ll use my old furniture but I’ve picked out the frame and mattress I want to buy.
I found a sturdy small dinning table on the side of the road where it was left behind when someone moved. I’ve painted it and set it in the kitchen.
The surgery to repair my arm after a fall is quite a pain. The Dr cut out a slice of bone and I now have a long plate and 7 screws holding my arm together. Not supposed to use the hand at all for two weeks, then just very light use for the next 2 months. In not a good patient. Had the surgery then 4 days later helped carry the wood flooring for my livingroom from storage to where it is now on the floor. Friends put it down for us.
Now I’m trying to figure out how to drive. Since I can’t turn the key or shift the truck into drive, reverse or park, I have to figure a way around that. I bet my husband can do what I can’t. He doesn’t drive anymore but could turn a key or shift gears for me. The 5 on the floor cars will have to wait a while.
I’ve been painting left handed. I can now drive an 8 penny nail. Working on driving a 16 penny nail with my left hand. Still feels awarkward. I don’t have months to wait so practicing on being more ambidexterious.
Moving day is getting closer.
Good friends have really been a blessing. One couple drove almost 100 miles each way to first paint my livingroom and hall then returned a week later to lay a floating wood floor. Monday I hope to nail the 1×3 baseboards in place. That is what I’ve been practicing for.
I bought a special cutoff saw for the used metal roofing we will cut up for skirting. I hope I can handle that. Then sheet metal screws to attach it to the trailer.
Moving back to the country is a lot of work but very worth it. The injuries and surgeries this year have really slowed me down but I don’t find a quitting spot.
Sorry to hear that you’ve had additional woes. You do need to let your injuries heal. Silly-stupid to make matters worse due overweening ambitions.
There was a Medieval crossbow design which used a cocking lever, instead of having operator strain and punish fingers, or use a slow windlass. A detachable cocking lever may be clipped to the crossbow’s stock.
Have also seen a hunting design using short bolts which had the cocking lever hinged on the side of the forward stock.
Harbor Freight or such for a nail gun. Mike
I need to watch for a nice crossbow.
My off grid solar power is running the new home and were very happy with it.
I tried an old wrist rocket with arrows. Interesting. With more practice it could be effective.
Winter is getting close. 6 weeks till average first snow. Trying to finish the move. What a year. But with hard work, good friends and God’s blessings were getting through.
Two bad falls really have slowed us down. A step broke and dumped me … Leg broke just above the ankle… Broke ribs on step edge’s. Then when bagging trash on the floor of an old trailer we tore down I fell one leg through that old floor. Weight landed on my right wrist. 4 months later it wasn’t useable and still hurt so Dr did surgical repairs this week. Now I have a long piece of steel and 7 screws in my forearm. Even with the surgery It is already less pain than I’d been in for these past months. Recovery time is long but I’m hopeful for good results.
Already back working to be able to move in quickly.
A friend and I busted the thieves that have been plaguing me. That created a bit of excitement. Even before getting busted here they were facing a long list of other charges. That should settle things for a while.
I bought a trailer load of 2″ styrofoam. I figure to insulate the skirting metal with it. Anything that keeps my home warmer is a plus. Any that’s left will go in the walls of my sheds. Its a never ending thing getting moved, preparing for winter, being ready for unforseen disasters. Life goes on and we get ready for the possibilities we don’t want to have to face.
CL, even the vipers have their place and are usually non-aggressive unless stepped on or messed with. No need to kill them unless they are threating you or your animals.
Crossbows are great. I’m no longer able to draw and hold a long bow or even a compound bow in fact I can’t hand cock either of my crossbows but with the cocking systems of today, my 10 yr. old Grandson can cock either of my bows. Also my 50 lb bow out shoots my Son in laws 75 lb compound in energy and flat shooting. The disadvantages are the weight and flexibility of using in tight spaces. Mike
Mike: CL lives in an area rattlers are common and often aggressive. They only get killed as needed, and I haven’t had to kill any here, in AZ. We know rattlers keep rodent populations down. Up around Shiprock when they killed off the rattlers, a lot of people died of hanta virus and then a few cases of black plague appeared. The bible is adamant that killing anything just to kill it is taking innocent blood. David, a shepherd, was enthusiastic about wolves. New Testament, the word wolf should be wild dogs, strays, not wolf. If makes no sense that Jesus, who is supposed to be Jehovah, would tell David to write one thing and state another. And now that you’re dozing off off from some useless trivia, I bid you a good-night 🙂 niio
Need to keep a better eye on where and on what you’re stepping. There’s not only iffy flooring etc., but critters like snakes, spiders, and scorpions.
Good news about your solar setup. Folk who live on remote islands use such setups, yet also have windmills.
Re coyotes: Is that druggy relative still around? If so, your outdoor improvements still at risk.
The coyote is currently well contained, nowhere near me. His own doing.
I’m really enjoying the solar setup. Water connections should be done today or at the latest tomorrow. Solar power for the well is close to being a reality. I’ve been gathering supplies for that project. I have two good wells here. The one in my new backyard area is the one I plan to take solar soon. I’m connecting to the waterline from the other well for now.
Yesterday I picked up the two final trim end pieces for the newly laid wood flooring. Almost $40 each for the two sticks of trim. Crazy! I have 1x3s for baseboard. My pneumatic nail/stapler will attach it to the wall. I’ll hold the boards in place with my heels and shoot it one handed. It’s still too soon to use the right hand.
I found the bed frame I want, so I’ll get that ordered this week. Once the water is connected I can start cutting the metal for the skirting.
I’ll see the surgeon Wednesday. So far I’m pleased. The pain has already been alleviated and the dull ache in the forearm is far less pain that I was led to expect. Taking an anti-inflammatory may be helping with that.
I’m ready to finish painting in the bathroom. So moving in is getting close. I’m not sure when the gas line to my propane tank will be installed. I can get by okay without it but it would be nice to have hot running water. I’ve just been glad to have cold running water.
My rocket stove will move with us. It burns sticks, chips from my chipper, and pellets. That makes it very handy. I can heat a large pot of water and cook on top of the second heat chamber. That top is 16 inches across and gets very hot. It was money well spent. I have a heat activated ocilating fan to sit in front. That helps circulate the heat.
Our packing is well underway. We’re both sooo ready to get moved. Its a smaller home and just right for the two of us. Once we’re settled in we will start selling or donating the many duplicated things we have here.
Household items are something we have in abundance. We married in 2010. Moving back to this property we had my parents tiny home I’d built for them. I had left my large old doublewide mobile home and taken little with me to a small apartment when I left to go to work. My husband and I combined households when we married so there is an abundance of stuff to be gotten rid of.
I am not one to sit doing little so once moved I’ll be pursuing plans for greenhouses, raised gardens, new coop and wire covered run areas for chickens, ducks, and a bigger home for the rabbits. An old abandoned boat will be stripped out and made into a pound for the ducks.
I have doublepane glass doors that I use for hot beds in early spring. I use dry stacked cinder blocks. I’d like to build something more permanent and hinge the doors. I have no shortage of plans to work on. 🙂
Glad to hear that you’re doing better Clergylady. Praying for your continued healing and that God puts a hedge of protection around you and yours.
Thank you Miss Kitty. I need that.
Aside from raised beds and container gardening, I hear tell vertical gardening has its merits,.Such as shading Western sunlit walls yet providing veggies and/or flowers. Wonder if squash may be grown like gourds?
Redundancies: As you know, good to always have a spare tool and utensil.
Heavy glass doors: might think about pulleys and frameworks.
Enigma: Last year I raised melons, kajuri, a small sweet melon, on the fence. It usually works, but cucumber beetles wiped them out. they grew well, last winter and spring peas grew there. But, the beetles…they also got into a patch of calabacita, but only some damage. Scorpions and so on got the rest. So far, no sign of vine borers, but they like buffalo gourd better, and lizards will ripe the vines apart looking for them. niio
Still far from really moved in the new home but in it anyway. Furniture will come soon. Moved old cookstove but really need a new one. I can cook on the 4 burners anyway. Have 4 odd chairs and a table set in what will be the livingroom area of the open room. The new bed is wonderful. Makes one marvel that a queen mattress 10″ thick can fit compressed in a box. Heating with a camp stove. Not ideal but we’re waiting for the gas tank to be connected to the home.
Our first snow of the year is turning the yard white. The heating stove will be in as soon as we get a break in the weather. 4″-6″ Of snow predicted by noon tomorrow. Enough to make driving a mess. Have a Dr appointment 60 miles away for my husband. I dread that drive. He stopped having a heartbeat, breath, pulse, eye reactions… Any response last Thursday. I did CPR then while trying to keep him breathing I called 911. After his cardiologist saw the pacemaker record when it was checked she wanted to keep him in a hospital until she could do surgery. A lead inside the heart had broken.
It’s repaired and he’s home. Dimentia about the same. He has wanted to be in the new home and the new bed…so why not. It’s no worse than the old place and he’s happy. I carried some clothing in today before it started snowing. Yesterday I filled 5, 5 gal propane tanks and talked to the gas company owner about getting the home connected. His worry is someone to dig the ditch for the pipe. His usual guy broke an arm and was to have surgery today. We’ll make it work. My tractor with a backhoe needs a $75 part. If my neighbor can go in with us he knows what is needed. We’ll get it going and dig the ditch.
Husbands daughter is coming in for a few days visit. Glad she can get away. Husband hates being a good patient. 🙂 But he’s healing up from the repairs.
I’m tired of camping in. I want things done. I want furniture, a stove, hot water, good heat and I want a hot shower! Just a few I wants.
Hey, really no complaints. CPR seldom is real effective so I’m chalking it up to prayer. He’s still here, able to do everything for himself, and getting better.
Moving and finishing up whatever is still needed, will happen.
My arm is healing but I’m impatient.
Update. Decided against the far away 40 acres I’d been looking at. No sign of water out on the desert.
Injuries healing up just fine. Basics moved into this home. I just bring a wagon full of items 2 or 3 times each week. Lotes of clothing, hope to get a start on stored food, washing machine, bookcases and books and office supplies to still bring in but have the basic necessities moved in. Most can wait out the winter. Good way to see what we actually need and want. Smaller home but plenty of room. I miss my music. Have an area saved for my digital piano.
Leg and ribs seem to be fully healed. Surgery on forearm is healing but I still have to give it some more time.
Fuel pump still doesn’t have the tractor running. So will have to keep waiting for trench and gas line.
I love staying busy but having to do this in nibbles instead of bites. Winter means many days not working outside so much. I’m going to start cutting lumber tomorrow so I can build 2 small sets of shelves. Its a start and I may end up using screws and power screw driver instead of a hammer and nails. I can’t nail as well left handed as I hoped to be able to do.
Lol if we needed to bug out right now it would be easy bags are still packed and handy. Load the truck and go. The reality is at this age we’ll bug in unless its something local like a wild fire. Necessary papers are handy in a deep clipboard with storage. First aid, food, survival tools, my butchering kit, even my small animal trap is handy right now. Camping equipment is all piled together. I bet a real bug out will come when nothing is as convenient as you’d like.
Still moving and fixing up things a little nibble at a time. The rocket stove/pellet stove is doing great. Everything else is slow.
Lol. Too bad bugout couldn’t happen at a time like this. Bags packed and handy, butcher kit is handy, camping gear is all in a pile, food readily available…. Truck outside would be easy to load and go.. Unless it a wildfire or something equally compelling we’d plan to bug in as opposed to bug out.
Good practice. Winter and snow. High winds took out the solar array so back to a few hours each evening of running the generator. Array stand in shop to be rewelded and new bars for the panels. Engineer guessed winds were 140 mph. Windsheer 1×2 mile area with signs down et. Cooking quick simple meals… Cooking dinners by either flashlight or candle light. Good practice for not so great times. Too cold to want to cook outside in the mud. Husband with dementia handling it all far better than I would have thought. Good to find that out now. Great practice for IF!
A lot of you are wrong you need to bug in during the chaos and then when it settles down go get supplies so plan for a year but be able to escape in case people are pounding on your door
I find the entire concept of “bugout” fallacious and fraught with assumptions. It seems to be presented as a temporary situation until things get back to normal. Either that, or a temporary situation until one can “live off dead people’s stuff.”
I agree with @Tsauce that you need to plan to “bug in.” If you only spend two weeks a year (and perhaps a few long weekends) at your bugout site, you aren’t going to be familiar enough with the local environment to survive much longer than your supplies.
If your intention is to rapidly come up-to-speed on living off the land, I can tell you from experience that it doesn’t happen that quickly! You need a full turn of the seasons at your site to have much of an idea of what your resources really are.
Finally — and I’m somewhat guilty of this — if you think the “bugout life-style” is in your future, why are you doing anything else at the present? Do you really need the city job or the city life-style so much that you cannot simply bugout right now?
As I said, I’m somewhat guilty of such hypocrisy. We don’t farm with horses, for example. But at least we grow enough food to feed ourselves!
As usual, Hooser hits it. Great information.
OK, the truth. What you need is not a bunch of gear. What you do need is a good sleeping bag, a good pair of boots, enough canteens to carry a day’s worth of water, some high density food, and some warm clothing. Guns generally make people take unnecessary risk. If you must carry, a .22 is enough. Ensure you have the ability to purify water, a small bottle of bleach is essential. A heavy bladed knife is necessary to cut brush for fires and construction of shelter. Learn from reality. You need to rest, eat and drink. Do not expect the roads to be passable, stores to be stocked or help from strangers. Walk, and keep a low profile.
Dan: Make the bleach powder or tablet form. You get more bang for the buck. Clergy Lady advice, look next to the dryer sheets for the tabs. Next best, powdered iodine, if you can find it.Eating utensils, and you’ll appreciate a fork or chopsticks after one bout with round worms or a tapeworm, should be brass or copper. niio
I ordered the build the cellar book and refused the next two offers, until the price became affordable for me, but it wouldn’t accept my payment so now my order is just the cellar. Any chance I can receive the next 2 books at the $37 price for both, along with the cellar book?
Well written, thoughtful, concise! It’s impossible to prep for all problems. I bugged out several years ago and know my area, my neighbors, and what to expect. south is tucson, not a pleasant place at times, but it’s not local folks who would be the problem. also south are ranches and ranchers who know too much about liberals and flakes.
Our village is off the main drag in a canyon with myriad boltholes, mines, and so on. Water is pumped via solar. a lot more people are preserving food now. 3 years ago, we bought a freezer. It was delivered in a few weeks. Last one, it took months to get it. Arizona has a weapons problem. Too many liberals means it’s hard to find ammo, let along a gun. Libs are stripping shop shelves. yard sales are a good call for weapons and ammo. Estate sales and so on. niio
Good article. I was a bit disappointed in some of the comments. Though I did not read all of them (it is late for me and I need to take my pain meds and go to bed), one of the things I noticed really bothers me.
I am 68 years old, with several physical disabilities, as well as several chronic illnesses that I have not found modern or old tech ways to treat. Even with morphine plus hydrocodone three times a day each, I still have at least level three pain and it is now usually close to level four as I get older. And the diabetic neuropathy in my feet, I could not even walk if it was not for the Gabapentin I take. And that messes up my memory significantly.
However, even in the shape I am in, I simply cannot bring myself to just lay down and die in the event that something happens that requires me to evacuate. It just is not in me. Right now I live in a third floor (top floor) of an apartment building near downtown Reno, NV. Certainly not the best prepper residence, but it is where I have to be at the moment. Because of it, I do have to leave for many situations that could come up. That is not my issue.
I began learning what is now considered prepping beginning during the Cuban Missile Crisis when I was 9. From the age of 14 I was actively preparing (as a survivalist), and when I graduated high school that became even more of my life. Since I could not join any of the active military services due to medical conditions already developing, I joined Civil Defense and was a part of that until it became FEMA and they quit doing things like local hands-on prepping and became a money agency.
I have spent hours upon hours in various types of wilderness hunting and fishing, a little prospecting, some Search & Rescue, Wildlands firefighting, and such, so I learned wilderness survival. And once I began living in more suburban and urban areas I began to practice what I had read about the areas and have now, over the last nearly 20 years added many things specifically for suburban and urban disaster situations.
And yes, as I stated, I would need to relocate for many reasons, unlike when I lived in the boondocks, not even close to a small town. All the amenities I needed at the time. It would seem like I would never even consider evacuation such a place. However, I had already learned that no matter how ideal a place might be for prepping, there are things that can happen that mean that if you do not leave on a timely basis, you are not going to survive what happens in that ‘ideal’ place.
Which means, if you do not plan for it, even if you do change your mind and do decide to leave, your chances of doing so are going to be very low. Without a plan, and the few things extra required to implement a relocation plan, there are so many things that can prevent you from making it to a safe place, healthy, with what you need to continue to survive.
So, no lying down and dying, just because where I am is great for most disasters, but due to a variety of issues, I would not want to leave. Nope. Not me. I have the game cart loaded, and if I have to, I will walk on these agonizing feet, pain in my ankles, knees, hips, back, shoulders, arms, and hands, and head for one of the several places I have cached items to get me through, or at locations with other people that will help me just as I would help them if the situation was reversed.
I simply will not give up. God already knows I will go kicking and screaming, doing everything I can to prevent it, when God has decided it is my time. That is part of God’s plan for me. It does not matter what happens, if I give up, God is not going to be happy with me. I have long known that when God decides it is my time, it is my time. It is God’s decision though, not mine, so since I cannot know for sure, I will be doing what I can to prevent going, until I am actually there. That is what God wants from me.
Just my bit of a rant, some history for why, a little additional explanation, and definitely just my opinion.
I like what you wrote. niio
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Police scanners will not be much help, more and more jurisdictions are going encrypted radios.
As far as the homeless…..if you can’t follow the law….your breaking the law…end of story….what makes them so elite that they think they can do anything they want ? And everyone else has to follow the law ? The homeless need to put on there big boy pants and quit acting like poor little animals …..The fact of the matter is we can give them a house to live in ….food….water…..heat….and they will still screw it up….for themselves and everyone else. What do you do with those people ? Oh i all most forgot….give them lots of money …too vote for Democrats ……