Bug in or Bug Out: The Only Answer is Both

You need to be prepared to bug out or shelter in place for an indefinite amount of time, period.  Many preppers seems to hedge all of their bets on only one or the other.  Being adaptable is a life priority and heightened preparedness depends on it.  You simply must have both plans firmly established.  No matter how poor your current home proves in terms of sustainability, you need to be equipped to stay there long-term to ride out an emergency or social breakdown.  Likewise, no matter how ideal your home is for survival, you must have a plan for rapid egress and escape to another location. 

The current crises of Covid 19, now compounded by pre-election civil unrest, has awoken many people from their slumber.  Those who are still asleep are simply hopeless and will never move to prepare themselves no matter how clear reality becomes.  The growth of the prepared population is, indeed, a good thing, and at this point I am not being unreasonable when I suggest that the “new normal” is here to stay.  What is that new normal?  Increased uncertainty and instability.  The movement to “tear down” the system in the United States may be the beginning of the end, or the beginning of a violent reaction to neutralize this domestic threat.  Either way, unrest will be with us for the foreseeable future, if not large-scale violence.

 For many who were already preppers, the current situation has made it more clear than ever that bugging out is not necessarily feasible, or even a good plan, in the face of emergency, depending on the nature of that emergency.  The pandemic has been an example of this.  A prolonged crisis may make leaving a primary residence near employment and other necessities unfeasible.  Therefore, your suburban home, or even urban apartment, must be well supplied and made as defensible as possible.  The onset of a sudden crisis, whatever it may be, may also make bug out impossible.  When leaving the shelter of your home you expose yourself and your family to greater danger.  If a bug out evacuation cannot be made well ahead of the onset of chaos, bugging in is most likely the safer scenario.

However, there has been many examples of why bugging out is also a vital plan.  Mass riots prove that the need to flee an urban or suburban setting quickly may be warranted.  If enough warning is available, the move to leave the area may be the best decision.  Natural disasters also pose a threat that can effect anyone, no matter how rural and secure your home is.  Wild fires, massive flooding, hurricanes, etc…, can force you to flee.  Being able to load the family and essential supplies into the vehicle and leave quickly is of paramount importance.  Keep a series of bags/crates packed so that you can load the car within minutes and evacuate with all essentials in tow. 

We live in remarkable times that demand personal responsibility for safety and security.  Being able to sustain at home for a long period of time, and being able to evacuate the home within minutes, are both essential life plans.