[The Reaper]

Nothing wrong with staying in place at home, I lean in that direction as well, just doing a little rock drill here. Sounds like you have a great place to be. I don't want to bug out and leave my stuff behind either. But we might have to eventually, for some reason.

And I agree, your knowledge is a resource that could be used to good effect.

As an alternate, think about how you would get by if we lost electric power, or water, or gasoline, or the ability to transport food, or any number of fragile systems, and you were on your own. Would you stay or would you leave where you are now? Different people will have different answers. Some will be right. Some will not. The best time to plan is before an emergency hits. If you live near the East or Gulf coast, you might want a hurricane plan. Midwest, tornados, or flooding. Kali, earthquakes or wildfires. Up north, winter storms. Or we could all lose the electric grid. Think about it now and decide what you need to do to take care of yourselves and your families. Any plan that you are prepared to execute is better than no plan.


Final point for tonight, not directed ay anyone in particular. You can decide if it is you or not.

This ain't the movies, and you are not Jason Bourne.

You can plan to haul all that and the kitchen sink, but if you have never walked long distances with a heavy load, you have no idea what it is like.

To say that a wife can hump half her body weight cross-country for twelve hours at the time is to be ignorant of that activity. To plan to take 50 pounds of weapons and 45 pounds of food, water, and supplies is unrealistic, unless you are a pack mule for a living.

I would dare say that most of the males on here who think themselves fit (but who have never rucked before) would in fact, be lucky to carry fifty pounds (or one third of your body weight) twelve miles in three hours. That is less than the load of an average infantryman. It will kick your ass, blister your feet, find your weaknesses, and leave you laid up for a day or two.

Test yourself, know what your realistic limits are, come up with a good, solid plan with contingencies (like PACE), and acquire skills. Buying the latest toy and locking it away without having thought of whether you are going to go or stay, acquiring sufficient water, food, shelter (to include warmth and dryness, free of insects), communications, hygiene, etc. is a false security.

Useful skills and the ability to use them are far better than accumulated goods, unless you have a warehouse (and security for it).

Far better to leave a few supplies with a friend at his house, or cached in a remote location than to try and haul 150 pounds of gear on a 100 mile tactical movement. It ain't happening, folks.

If you have more resources to move than you can carry the distance, consider quickly cacheing them (starting early) along the way at relatively secure or remote locations that you hope to return to some day and recover them.

There is a lot to be said for either keeping a low profile, or a very high one. Be the gray man. Hide your weapons, but have at least some of them accessible in short order. If you leave home wearing cammies, or a ghillie suit, or for that matter, an Armani suit, in most neighborhoods, you are going to attract some serious attention. Dress like and as poorly as the locals, at least till you get out of town. Or if you are truly in a lawless situation, get together with some of your pipe hitting brothers you can count on, jocked up and armed to the teeth, and move with a purpose.

Just my .02, YMMV.

TR