WEEK 33

Planning to Bug Out When Away from Home

By now, you should certainly have put together your get home bag. It’s time to make plans for when you may have to use it. Disasters can strike anywhere and at any time, and you could end up having to make your way home or to another safe location unexpectedly.

Sit down and give some thought to your regular travel schedule. Most of us go to work at least daily. Where else do you travel during an average week or month? Shopping trips? Doctor appointments? Do you routinely visit relatives out of town?

Make a list of all the out-of-town places you go regularly. Then, for each one of them, plan out multiple routes to get back home. Consider that you may be on foot during part or all of your journey, depending on the nature of the disaster. Pay close attention to bridges and other potential obstacles. You may want to plan routes that take you around cities and towns, rather than going straight through. While direct routes will be quicker, it may be beneficial to avoid large groups of people.

Once you have your routes planned, test them out. Get to know each of those different routes intimately. If possible, travel them at different times of the day and night. Landmarks can look very different at midnight than they do at noon.

Consider how long it would realistically take for you to make those journeys on foot. The average person can probably walk no more than two or three miles an hour. If you’re in decent physical shape, you’ll do better than that. But remember, you’ll be loaded down with your emergency kit. The hope, though, is that you’ll be able to use your vehicle for most if not all of your journey.

If realistic planning dictates that you’ll probably have to spend at least one night “roughing it” on your way home, scope out likely places to hole up. Look for reasonably safe places to rest up for a few hours before continuing on, such as parks. You may not have the luxury of being able to secure a motel room for a night.

Look for locations where you can resupply on your trek, particularly where you can find water, from rivers, streams, lakes, and other natural sources. Be sure your emergency kit has several ways to filter and purify water.

 

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        WEEK 33 ASSIGNMENTS

          TASKS

          1. Plan multiple bug out routes from all your normal travel destinations, including your place of employment. Ideally you’ll have at least three routes from each location.

          2. Begin traveling those alternative routes regularly. Pay attention to how the routes look at different times of day and in different seasons.

          3. Inspect your get home bags and rotate or replace items as necessary.

          SAVINGS

          Add $15 to your Prepper Savings Account.

          TOTAL PREPPER SAVINGS ACCOUNT:

          WATER STORAGE

          One gallon (or two 2-liter bottles) per person or a case of bottled water for the household.

          TOTAL WATER STORAGE:

          GROCERY LIST

               3 cans vegetables, your choice

               2 cans fruit, your choice, but stick with those packed in water or juice, rather than syrup

               1 can chili or stew, your choice

               1 package or jar gravy mix, your choice

               1 jar peanut butter (if allergies are present, substitute an allergen-free version, such as SunButter)

               1 jar pasta sauce, your choice

               1 sack (4 lbs) sugar

               1 lb pasta, your choice

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