Posted: 3/12/2008 10:22:29 PM EDT
| I am considering my bug out options for my current situation if shtf. I don't like it one bit and am curious as to how others would approach it. I am staying near Portland with hardly any supplies, no access to firearms, and essentially just some camping gear, my car, a roof over my head, and a pocket knife. I can't have firearms here, I can't stockpile what does not fit in my closet. Everything I own from supplies/firearms/ammo/food is 1100 miles away in Wyoming. My car is fast but that means nothing when traffic is stopped and it's bad enough getting anywhere in Portland. Should I put together a BOB and just bank on tossing it in the car and jetting for Wyoming? Am I insane for even thinking I could make it back to Wyoming? I feel pretty "unsafe" with this situation, what would you guys do? |
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Protus is right. Its just too far to be able to even have odds in your favor of ever getting there. I'm about 250 miles from my BOL and most of the time I think thats too far. If the roads are blocked/clogged and I had to resort to the heel toe express my pack would weigh so much it would take me a month to get there. If you cant move to another place where you can have more preps look into renting a storage site. You dont need a large one to hold quite a bit of food and water for one person. Also since your in the Portland area go out when you have a chance and do some hiking and camping and find a secluded spot where you could get out of town at least if the SHTF. |
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consider a storage vault out of town and on the way to WI -- place gas cans, firearms, and ammo for a cashe. Or cashe the stuff with a friend on the way to WI. Hope you don't need a gun on the way out of dodge. Note sure what your situation is, but there are a number of ways around a firearm ban -- (perhaps a university). Firearm law might not cover a black powder revolver, or a per 1895 mauser. And if these pieces were locked in a suitecase with the bolt of cylinder stored somewhere else, you might be able to argue that you don't have a functional firearm, only a collection of parts that together don't constitute a firearm. I would not want to be in a big city sans a few pieces. |
| a lot is dependent upon what the shtf situation is. if it's a tsunami, then what you have is what you've got. if there are a couple of hiccups on the way you should be able to get a jump on the sheeple. you may want to get the storage unit on the east side of portland or just outside of it, so that on your way to wyoming you can make a quick stop and be back on the move. |
| I'm taking a guess here that you're in school, staying on campus where they don't allow firearms. The storage facility idea is something you can do immediately, and remedy your short term problem. Long term, move off campus and prepare however you have to. Survival is about surviving, and whatever you have to do to accomplish that is up to you provided it's moral. |
| Map out the most out of the way out of where you are and have the storage on that route.DRIVE that route so you know it.Do not pack so much stuff it takes a long time to load it in your BOV.Most people will instinctively take the routes they always do and there will be traffic jams. If you think and plan ahead you will likely still be able to get out...and while fast may be nice I prefer a vehicle that will let me make a path if necessary. M |
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Even in a best case scenario, you'd want to make sure you have supplemental fuel for bugout travel. Depending on the nature of the SHTF, there could be some supply issues. Ideally, I'd want to double my range cushion to make sure I can get there even with potential for slow traffic or lengthy detours. 1100 miles ain't gonna happen. Cross your fingers for a whole lotta nothing until you can be in a better spot. |
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We have a tendency here to see every SHTF or bugout due to EOTWAWKI national events. If you apply Prepare for the most likely scenario first and least likely last, I think you goal is not that unattainable. Its all a matter of scenario and timing. During Katrina, for example, tens of thousands of folks traveled over 1,000 miles to wait the crisis out. The likelihood of an event to cause a bugout is far more likely for regional or personal crisis than national and even those national crisis that could precipitate one the most likely is economic upheaval which would not negate such a journey if planned for. One of the largest mass exodus in US history was the Mid-west dust bowl where tens of thousands of American with not enough food to eat made their way from around Oklahoma etc. to California just in the hopes of a better life. To put this in perspective, 1,000 miles is 17 hours driving time a distance I have done in life non-stop more times I can count. Even a worse case, its about three months on foot averaging 12 miles a day. Can you count on it 100%? Of course not and plans need to me made to cover those contingencies that you can not. Can you count on a long distance bugout location? In many scenarios, I would find it preferable to staying where you are. I'd have a BOB. Take a look at some of the long-distance Bob threads with emphasis on food gathering. Three months you can't carry so wild plant identification, hunting, fishing, foraging, and bartering skills are all items that should be of interest. There is no never just harder to plan for. Tj |
Motorbike might be another option - Usable even when roads are gridlocked, and doesn't take up much storage space. A "dual-purpose" bike like the KLR-650 would probably be the ultimate choice - capable of pretty fast on-road travel, or can go off-road when needed.
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*drools* i've had my eye on one of those for a long time. yes the main roads may be blocked off, but there are plenty or roads to get you were you want to go. finding fuel in an all out shtf even is another story. |
seasonal but would be the best option weather permiting |
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Dual purpose motorcycles are nice, but I suspect your a student with a limited amount of cash. I'd suggest a mountain bike; you should be able to cover 25 miles per day easy. Also, they can be stored easy enough. Bikes are the most efficient form of transport. You could travel as far as your vehicle could take you and then peddle the rest of the way. As far as hardware goes, one could keep something locked up in your trunk. As long as the ammo is seperate you should be OK from the law. Just keep targets and such in your trunk; that way you can say "honest, I was just going to the range for practice". The university shouldn't have any reason to look in your vehicle....just don't tell anyone. |
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If you can travel 1100 miles the S has not HTF hard enough to worry about driving 1100 miles. If the SHTF you'll have trouble traveling 11.00 miles. Any event outside a personal one (and those are important too!) that you can travel 11.00 miles in isn't S at all. Think about a big Cascade's earthquake ripping from Everett south to Portland. Think about a vocanic eruption pouring thousands of tons of ash into the air killing transportation. How about a massive winter storm out of the gulf of Alaska dumping 3 feet of snow on the area over two or three days? These are what I call S - you'll not be able to escape these things. You need to have a MINIMUM of seven days of food, water, and shelter (heat?) on hand. |
Any kind of nuclear, chemical, or biological event the Army/National Guard/police will close the area to limit contamination. Violations of the quarantine will be met with extreme violence. |
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Tons of very good information here. Thank you again for the contributions to this post! h Now if I am still here after June (waiting to hear of acceptance into OCS for the Coast Guard) then I will have to rethink things but I think my above plan should be somewhat sufficient to keep me alive for a few days. Any other advice? |