A word of warning to those plan on bugging out if SHTF.

[Ole Cowboy]

Great thread and an eye opening one for many and coincidentally this subject came up at work last night. One of my fellow workers has turned the idea of bugging-out into some kind of exciting Jeremiah Johnson adventure....which it definitely isn't. Fightin' off hordes of looters, livin' off the land and what he can carry in his backpack.....I asked him if he thought the movie "Rambo" was true-to-life!

You are so right. Want comedy then join a Survival forum and sit back and laugh at the visions of Walter Mitty, Rambo's who spend their time waiting on the mailman to deliver his newest piece of TactiKool from the Gear of the Month Club.

 

[Younggun]

The true key to survival when SHTMFF is to have a beard. With out it all you will really need is one bullet so you can off yourself and avoid the suffering.

It is scientifically proven that a bearded man can walk 327 miles in 123 degree heat with a 485 lb ruck in under ten minutes. Shave his beard off and he can't even stand.

 

[TundraWookiee]

Ideally I would bug in but already have a bug out bag together in the event I need it. I worked for forestry in Alaska and was on backcountry trail crew. W see consistently had to do multi-day or weeklong trips into the backcountry on foot and canoe and would do anywhere up to 8 miles a day. You learn very quickly what is important to pack and look for lightweight alternatives as well as learn the importance of a quality pack. There is a monumental difference between walking/running 5 miles and hiking it with a full pack. For most people bugging out permanently isnt going to be a good option unless you have a better way of hauling your gear than your back. Pack animal, 4 wheeler/dirt bike or something along those lines are the only way to make it happen unless you leave alot behind.

Good thoughts in here though.

Sent from Kate Beckinsale's closet.

 

[TX69]

The true key to survival when SHTMFF is to have a beard. With out it all you will really need is one bullet so you can off yourself and avoid the suffering.

It is scientifically proven that a bearded man can walk 327 miles in 123 degree heat with a 485 lb ruck in under ten minutes. Shave his beard off and he can't even stand.

 

[Sapper740]

The true key to survival when SHTMFF is to have a beard. With out it all you will really need is one bullet so you can off yourself and avoid the suffering.

It is scientifically proven that a bearded man can walk 327 miles in 123 degree heat with a 485 lb ruck in under ten minutes. Shave his beard off and he can't even stand.

Don't have a beard but I have a very hairy back and chest. How far will that get me?

 

[vmax]

Don't have a beard but I have a very hairy back and chest. How far will that get me?

a long way in prison

 

[breakingcontact]

Most I've ever hiked in a day was 17 miles. I wasnt being shot at but was carrying 60 pounds.

 

[itchin]

Lol gross.

 

[granite]

Not sure if this was discussed. Too many pages to read.

I guess my take on bugging out is different. we can't predict " why" we would need to bug out. OP is making it about getting from a to z in a set time period. What's the rush? Slow and stealthy seems to be the trick. Move slowly. Avoid people. Survive as you go. Eat grasshoppers if you have to. Get familiar with edible native plants. A knife, a ruger 1022 ( or bow/ crossbow for stealth), and water(could be problematic) can probably take you pretty far.

 

[itchin]

I'm staying home and shooting anyone who fucks with me. If I run out of supplies or absolutely have to leave it'll be last resort.

 

[Mexican_Hippie]

I can see some of y'all now....

 

[Sapper740]

a long way in prison

lol!

 

[Southpaw]

I can see some of y'all now....

Sure, but the real question is who is going to be Wez's Bitch?????

 

[Younggun]

Sure, but the real question is who is going to be Wez's Bitch?????

TxDad.

 

[lokiaga]

All that putting of the backpack on the ground, I think you're lucky you didn't get fireants, and then wouldn't THAT have been SHTF!

 

[M1Garand]

With 26.06 million people in Texas all on the move at once (SHTF(not including out-of-state'rs)) it makes zero difference where you are as every resource we enjoy will be pilfered. Just because you live in a rural area does not mean you'll be better off. It will just take a little longer to get to you.

So it won't make a difference that I have my own source of water, my own source of food, my own little community? It sounds like I have a good head start.

 

[M1Garand]

Interesting read and allow me to thank you for your candor and truthfulness. Having spent many years on various survival forums you would almost never read a post like yours. More along the lines of: "I set out with my 35 lb BOB (bug out bag), hiked 100 miles in less than 2 hrs, never needed a drink, killed a bear on the way with my 'Curly-Moe-Shemp' survival knife", etc etc.

Of course their story always falls apart when one asks for a list of items in the BOB. Which they cheerfully provide and gloat over, but a rational view shows his BOB weighs in excess of 100 lbs. One guy swore on line his 8 gals of water, 3 long guns (AR/AK/Shotgun) and over 1000 rds of ammo, food for 2 weeks when weighed was less than 35 lbs and ALL fit in s small ruck.

Anyhow I digressed, but applaud your honesty. That said here are some tips that I suggest you follow especially if you want to remain alive.

1) Temps above 98 degrees are an auto red flag. Your body begins to really struggle to stay cool beyond its operating temp. Take as many breaks as needed as often as needed and drink plenty of water. I don't go out without my Camelbak 100 oz. Maybe I drink it, maybe I don't, but its an easy carry in its organic backpack.

2) No shortage of Army studies on what us Infantry guys can carry. Limit yourself to 20% of body weight....YES I KNOW all too well that average combat load is between 145 and 159 lbs and I have carried that load much of my life.

3) You really need to work up to the level at which you want to be. Standard when I was on the DMZ in Korea, 1/9th Inf (MANCHUS) was cross country, 15 miles, 3 hrs, full winter ruck, steel pot, weapon, basic load, 2 canteens full (around 110 lbs) We did this every Sat am, did a practice on Wed at 10 miles. You don't start out at this level, its takes a while and a dedicated training regime and its not easy to maintain. Not sure what level you want to go to but I would suggest be able to go 12 miles in under 5 hr cross country on trails with a carry weight of under 20 lbs. This would be a AR rifle, 90 rds of ammo, 100 oz water and a hand full of energy bars.

Things to remember: You cannot adapt to extremes in weather or water intake. The healthy operating parameters of the general population are fairly narrow. If you have a lineage of a mountain sherpa or a desert dweller you can extend those parameters a bit, but few of us do so your number goal is to stay healthy.

I'm not too much into the whole "SHTF" deal, even though I've lurked on survivalistboards/forums (forget at the moment) for a good few years. Mostly learning what is useful and discarding what is useless. Whether it be medical related stuff, firearms tips (Some guy was pretty much saying "anything that isn't a semi-auto is useless", I happily disagree, bolt-guns and pump-actions are easier to maintain and aren't picky about what ammo you feed them.) or even fitness tips. This was done to give a view about how most people would fail in such an extreme, out of the blue "WE HAVE TO GO NOW" type of SHTF scenario. Everyone usually thinks they're all right if it were ever to happen. But, as the experiment proved; even someone who's more in shape than the average person failed to do it. I did pretty good, getting to the 5.5 mile point before starting to throw shit out of my pack. I imagine the average survivalist would've gotten a heat stroke or something like that.

I do appreciate your tips, though. I'll make sure to heed them. But remember, I'm not carrying 145 lbs of gear (I doubt I will ever, it'd have to be via vehicle or something.) 30 lbs is relatively light, and the heat was the main killer. I also tend to like doing extreme things, perhaps I'm just a bit of a masochist.

 

[M1Garand]

Great thread and an eye opening one for many and coincidentally this subject came up at work last night. One of my fellow workers has turned the idea of bugging-out into some kind of exciting Jeremiah Johnson adventure....which it definitely isn't. Fightin' off hordes of looters, livin' off the land and what he can carry in his backpack.....I asked him if he thought the movie "Rambo" was true-to-life!

LOL @ Your fellow worker. Tell him to come hiking with me when I do it again, and then we'll see if he can hack it. Also... are you saying I'm not going to be able to mow down rows and rows of enemies with an M60 from the hip, one handed while taking no damage at all myself? D:

 

[M1Garand]

Not sure if this was discussed. Too many pages to read.

I guess my take on bugging out is different. we can't predict " why" we would need to bug out. OP is making it about getting from a to z in a set time period. What's the rush? Slow and stealthy seems to be the trick. Move slowly. Avoid people. Survive as you go. Eat grasshoppers if you have to. Get familiar with edible native plants. A knife, a ruger 1022 ( or bow/ crossbow for stealth), and water(could be problematic) can probably take you pretty far.

Um... yeah, have you been to the valley and experienced the over 100 heat and 100% humidity? How long do you want be outdoors in such an uncomfortable environment? I know I sure as hell want to get to my destination asap. Besides, this was just a hiking trip, to me. I want to get it done as fast as possible.

 

[M1Garand]

Guys, I appreciate the humor; but this thread was made for serious discussion. Please try to keep it professional.