Stay put or bug out that is the question

We are sorry for the down time we did not have a laptop or computer to post anything recently, now however the laptop is fixed and we are back. We will try to get to as many requests as we can this week and next week.  We will also be doing a radio show. So stayed tuned. Thank you for everyone's support for our down time. 

So to bug out or stay put that is the question. 

The very idea of leaving the security of your home to “bug out” to the woods has never sat well with me – In nearly every instance it’s better to hunker down or “bug in” than to bug out. I mean, why leave the safety and familiar surroundings of your home, for the open and unforgiving wilderness.

For many people this is their first line of preparation against disaster, unfortunately, most will end up joining the multitude of other refugees freezing in a cave and eventually end up dead or wards of whatever government is still functioning.

Most people live in a safe area. Or at least in an area you feel safe in. However, in a disaster situation in most cases depending on the disaster I would more than likely bug out. Because lets face it in disasters even the most safe places can turn unsafe in the blink of an eye.  So having a safe bug out location is a good idea. But not all situations are the same. Sometimes you just have to stay put and hope for the best. 

Most people are thinking  “what about an end of the world as we know it” type event, well if such an event were to take place, there would be no 100% safe place for most of us, and really do you think you would be better of making a go of it in the open wilderness as opposed to hunkering down at home. If stuff is blowing up or earthquakes are going off  finding a real safe place will be a challenge. 

 I’m not saying we should never bug out to the wilderness; all options should be kept open, what I am saying is that there are better ways to survive most disasters than heading into the bush.

You need to weigh the risks of bugging out vs. hunkering down and make your final decision based on logic and type of threat or the situation at hand, after all survival is about adaption no one can really plan out every type of what if event. Every decision in a survival situation should not be made with emotion but with logic, sadly most people rely on emotions and feelings most of which are run for the hills. While sometimes it can save our lives acting on an emotion, some times it can also be our down fall and that is where logic needs to kick in. 

Relying on emotion instead of logic can make for some interesting adventures; however without sound planning beforehand those adventures are likely to be sort lived. 

When making survival plans for your family you have to honestly weigh the risks of your decision based on logic. In almost every disaster scenario, it is better to stay put (bugging in) or head to a pre-arranged safe place at an out-of-town relatives or friends house than it is to head to the woods to eat twigs and pine bark.

For most people an evacuation bag is a better choice than a bug out bag. An evacuation bag should contain the gear necessary to get you from point A to point B, whereas a bug out bag (in most cases) is geared more toward wilderness survival . I have both, but admittedly my bug out bag is an option of last resort.

Knowing when to go is much more important than the contents of your survival pack or even where you will go. You don’t want to jump and run before you need too, but you don’t want to wait too long or you may never reach your destination.

If you wait for the authorities to give the order to evacuate it may already be too late. The roads leading to safety could be blocked and impassable by motor vehicle and walking to your destination may be impossible or too dangerous to attempt.

On the other hand if you jump and run in response to every potential disaster you’ll soon deplete your resources and the patience of your family, school and employers.For example, say you live in an area prone to tornadoes like Texas and you evacuate to Arkansas every time the clouds turn dark or the wind shakes the leaves. You would literally stay on the road. But waiting until the twister is at your door will put you at an unnecessary risk.

There are no easy answers; all you can do is weigh the dangers of bugging out vs. hunkering down depending on the situation and logic. You have to consider the nature of the threat and ask yourself which gives the best chance of survival with regards to the type of disaster you are facing.

Then, there are times when evacuation is a no brainer, say you live on the Florida coast and a category 5 hurricane has been predicted to hit that coast within twenty-four hours, in that case you would be stupid not to go now, even if you have no prearranged bug out location…

On the other hand let’s say there is snow storm heading your way and you have food, water, heat and a way to cook even if the power goes out for an extended amount of time then you are probably better off to hunker down where you are.

In my opinion the bugging out vs. hunkering down debate is moot because it all comes down to the type of threat, your personal situation and preparedness level – in the end you’ll have to make that decision based on that knowledge and common sense.

Do you plan to “bug out” or “bug in” please let us know in the comments below. And do you rely on emotions or logic when it comes to planning your bug out?