Mythbusting: Bug Out Bag and Bugging Out

Discussion in 'Survival and Wilderness Skills' started by Hammer, Jan 22, 2019.

  1. Hammer

    Hammer Member

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    A thought-provoking article from ISG:

    "....Talking guns and equipment is cool right up until people start using fiction to plan for reality. It often goes unnoticed, but there are plenty of modern examples of bugging out going on, right now.

    There are evacuations, which can be forced or precautionary, and then there are refugees. Let's talk about the differences...."

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    "...The bottom line is that your bag is to sustain your efforts while you execute a plan. It's not going to keep you alive. You are. The bag will help bridge the gap.

    If your plan is to "bug out", you've already failed. Use some common sense measures to ensure that you have the time to plan and act without being desperate. If desperation happens, you bag should help bridge the gap between the initial panic and a sensible course of action.

    In short, your bag is for sustainment of deliberate activity, not "survival". That's what your brain is for."

    https://www.integratedskillsgroup.com/blog/mythbusting-bug-out-bag-and-bugging-out

    There are many things in this article I agree with, and while I could elaborate, I'd love to hear thoughts from the collective brain trust.
     
  2. Bushman5

    Bushman5 Member

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    wish the whole "bug out bag/bugging out" romance that everyone fantasizes about, would get changed to "get home or to another town bag".

    No one is going to live out of a "bug out bag" for longer than a few days tops unless your carrying a wad of cash to get food/supplies or your looting daily to get food/supplies or you actually find something to shoot or kill for food

    furthermore, unless your a single male or female, "bugging out" with pets, family, elderly is a freaking logistical nightmare. (see Canada's Fort Mac fire videos for what i'm talking about. Least the solo male/female (preferably armed and trained) can go a week relatively quickly and unnoticed.

    My biggest fear is having to suddenly evacuate on foot.....and not having the BushCats with me. - there is a reason i built that custom expedition cart........one was for adventure, one was for when the Big One hits the West Coast of BC.....I can load the cats and their food into the cart, and carry my own gear with my webbing rig. Its a long walk to my (150 KMs) to my moms cottage in Aggasiz BC...but thats the plan. Wont be able to drive.....not with two cats, gear , and 2 million other people trying to flee down LITERALLY ONLY 2 x 2 lane highways

    I also wish the term "bugging out" would change.......this (NSFW/KIDS/LANGAUGE) is bugging out
     
    Last edited: Jan 23, 2019
  3. C99c

    C99c Member

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    It's 90% cosplay and "buy all the cool gear" like anything else that gains popularity; see also bushcraft, overlanding, gun and knife stuff, the EDC "lifestyle".

    Instead of delving into that side of it, because it'll hurt feelings (RIP No Whiners), look at the benefits to those who are serious about preparing for everything from a flat tire to a natural disaster to a Superwolfredmoonofdeathmoon SHTF TEOTWAWKI.

    The abundance of BS, in gear, the promoted need for that gear and multitude of trainers (legit and stupid) has allowed for some really good stuff to be brought to market and a lot of great knowledge to become available.

    The best Bugout bag one can build and maintain is the bag of bones, blood and muscle that we carry around every day. Fill it with knowledge, work to keep it light and strong and don't hang a bunch of unnecessary crap off of it.
     
    Last edited: Jan 22, 2019
  4. BlueDogScout

    BlueDogScout Member

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    I don’t live where I would need to bug out so I’m happy with that
     
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  5. OKcherokee

    OKcherokee Member

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    I think people like to fantasize their big out bag getting them through some crazy world altering event.

    In actuality, having some water and a roll of toilet paper and a change of socks would probably be more useful.

    For real. You ever had to **** on the side of the highway? Makes you get super resourceful with what in your car you can sacrifice.
     
  6. BlueDogScout

    BlueDogScout Member

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    I always have 2 rolls of tp in the truck
     
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  7. Rich275

    Rich275 Member

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    I once heard someone say that TP will be the post-apocalypse currency.
     
  8. Menace

    Menace Member

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    The bag I keep in my truck is nothing more than a "get home bag" in a sense. Some power bars, FAK, warm clothes, ammo, etc. for alot of the reasons that have already been covered in this thread. I'm more likely to face a, walk the rest of the way home, situation then I am to face an end of the world situation so that's what I've built my bag around.

    I have friends who call me crazy cause they say I dont have enough to ensure my survival. However, these same friends have built 80 lbs. bags and dont have the conditioning to hoof them more than a few miles. What good does that do you?
     
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  9. Black5

    Black5 Member

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    I take umbrage at the insinuation my bug out bag won't sustain me for more than a few days. And I have mastered the gray man techniques, as evidenced by being unobtrusive and non threatening in this picture.

    The lot of you should be humbled by my presence on this forum.

    bugoutbag.jpg
     
  10. Black5

    Black5 Member

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    And @Bushman5 , I was familiar with the term " bug out" from the military long before the honorable Mr. Rawles made his first bajillion dollars.:cool:

    What your buddy in the video is doing us hillbillies refer to as either "wigging out" or "losing your s**t.":)
     
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  11. Bushman5

    Bushman5 Member

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    aw you know what I mean :D
     
  12. Hammer

    Hammer Member

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    Interesting thoughts, folks. Thanks for chiming in.

    I would fully agree that the article is not written well, is overly verbose, redundant, etc. However, moving beyond that, I think there are still some valuable take-home points and/or reminders:

    1) The trendy obsession with "bugging out" is, for many people, built on fictional ideas of how these things tend to play out in reality, and there are plenty of recent historical examples to point to and learn from. Obviously, that doesn't mean that people shouldn't bother with "preparedness," but that, as a lot of people tend to do with self-defense for example, we tend to prepare for the scenarios we imagine, rather than real world info on how it tends to truly go down.

    2) Focusing on gear for such a scenario is putting the cart before the horse. Gear isn't going to do much for you if you don't have a well thought-out plan - not just for how to use the gear, but for where it is going to enable you to get to. And it may also make you a target along the way, depending on the circumstances. Regardless, what is your plan for all that gear? To get you home asap? To enable you to run off into the mountains and live indefinitely? If you live in a major urban center, what is your plan for getting away from the mass chaos, when every road is almost certainly going to be blocked with traffic, accidents, etc?

    3) Thinking you're going to just run off into the woods with a pack on your back and live that way indefinitely when society collapses is fairly delusional, and not well-supported by historical example, though it may be a popular notion promoted in lots of survivalist venues. People banded together into groups a long time ago, and have continued to do so, for a very good reason - because surviving as a lone individual in the wild is very, very difficult. Whether it's a mountain lion or someone more desperate than you are, lots of things out there are going to want to kill you and eat your and/or take your stuff. That becomes a lot harder when there's more than one of you. Finding consistent sources of food is also very hard, and becomes easier with teamwork, and so on.

    4) It's also important to recognize what I call "self-exceptionalism." We have an innate tendency to believe the above doesn't apply to me, that I'm different, that I'm not going to make the same mistakes that many others will and do, that I'm going to survive where many others will fail. This is somewhat natural, and sometimes this stubborn belief actually helps keep us alive in desperate situations, at least in the short term. But cognitive bias is still important to be keenly aware of, especially when it may be coloring the accuracy with which you anticipate situations - in fact it may be one of the more under-rated survival skills, imo.
     
    Last edited: Apr 5, 2019
  13. Black5

    Black5 Member

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    I totally agree on the notion that all these doofuses (doofi?) who think they're going to carry that 70# BOB fifty miles on their back while toting a combat load of ammunition are going to be in a world of hurt once they have to get out of the La-z-boy, put down the beer, and get to humping.

    I know a lot of these guys, and they're buying all these neat gadgets and crap, never using them, and smirking about how they're going to be one of the few survivors.

    Me, I'm trying to lighten my load.
     
  14. Black5

    Black5 Member

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    science-meteor-meteorite-asteroid-meteor_shower-asteroid_shower-scl130219_low.jpg

    I'm sorry.... temptation got the best of me...I won't hijack the thread...I promise.



    I may start another one though..
     
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  15. C99c

    C99c Member

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    It's common in articles, blogs and podcasts I come across for folks with nothing to really say that adds to the knowledge base to write or talk like the author did. Just regurgitation of stuff they've heard or read. Sometimes it is done well, but rarely. Especially if they are trying to sell you something or get their name out there. The Fieldcraft Survival podcasts I've heard and Rob Pincus come immediately to mind.

    Blue shop towels. In every vehicle. Multipurpose and way better than tp.

    First of all, I AM special. And natural instincts will kick in as my adrenaline dump allows me whatever strength required to outsmart and outlast the HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of folks that will show up in the local state park to "survive".

    But what guns do I need to take? For long range? Ninjas? Bigfoot (truck and mythical creature)? Serious question, totally not making fun of the thread in General Discussion because the OP referred to Yukon Cornelious as "the Woodsman in Rudolph". And because it was dumb.
     
    Last edited: Jan 23, 2019
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  16. jeeter

    jeeter Member

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    Somehow the article's not opening for me, but it sounds like he's making the argument that a bug out bag/survival kit should be viewed as a spare tire; use it as needed but don't rely on it.

    Darn right. I used mine not too long ago when the baby had a diaper blowout and the wife forgot to put wipes in the diaper bag.

    Plus, if you fold them right and seal them in a small freezer bag they take up less space than you're wallet.
     
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  17. TuffPossumGear

    TuffPossumGear Member

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    If there are one thing that I hope to keep in the forefront of my journey of preparedness, it is to avoid the fantasy land.

    Reality:
    I am 19. 20 in a week. Weigh about 135#. I try to work out a few minutes every morning. Ruck a mile with a 30# pack most every 3rd day. (post office runs). Ain't no way I could move the distance and speed I want/need to with even a 40# pack, if SHTF right now and I had to run for my life. Best I can do is say about 20 lbs. So I keep a small pack packed and ready to roll. Am I going to be living in the lap of luxury? No stinking way. What is the chance I will find myself alone, hungry, tending my blisters, crying to myself in a cold ditch? REALLY REALLY HIGH.... It's gonna suck. Biiiiiiig time.

    Best I can do is spend my life seeking to become a stronger, more skilled, harder to kill version of myself. And hope that that small bag of tools and basics along with whatever skills I have at that moment in time is enough to help me at least stay alive for a liiiiitle bit longer than otherwise.
     
    Last edited: Jan 24, 2019
  18. Hammer

    Hammer Member

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    Indeed.

    And if nothing disastrous happens during your lifetime, all of those things are excellent goals regardless.
     
  19. Shooterzshack

    Shooterzshack Member

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    Interesting perspectives. As a lifelong outdoor enthusiast I have always felt ready. I keep a “get home bag” in my vehicle. I have been a FF/Paramedic for more than a few years. I have been involved in a large mass casualty incident with loss of life off duty. I used my own shirt and skills for care. My main goal is to get home everyday. My home is my happy/safe place. Skills are the most important resource. I am pretty simple on the FAK.
     
    Last edited: Mar 23, 2019
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  20. Se7eN

    Se7eN Member

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    interesting posts by everyone.
     

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