Bugging Out. Something to think about.

Bugging Out. Something to think about.

For the purpose of explaining things in this article, let us assume that this shtf situation is going to last for at least 5 years. Let us also say that bugging out in this article means not living in the city. You could be living at a country retreat in a house, in a house somewhere out of town, possibly even in a small town or you could be camped out in a wilderness/country area.

1) There are many ways/choices/methods in which you could opt to survive. One would be to go into the country/wilderness with nothing at all, in which case you would have to make your own tools from stone, wood or bone, make fire by a friction method, & construct a primitive shelter from wood, stone or earth. Now this would mean a lot of hard work, & this work would be for the most part continuous. Comforts would be at a minimum. Your defenses would be very primitive, & your best defense would be to stay unseen; hidden from view.

2) You could go bush carrying a lot of modern gear, some modern gear is good, but all modern gear has its limitations & is rarely sustainable. Two modern items that are worth considering are 1) medical supplies, which I consider vital, & 2) a modern firearm. The modern firearm is not really sustainable, although a .22 rimfire rifle or an air rifle would allow you to carry quite a lot of ammunition without adding too much weight. The larger the modern caliber, the more weight you carry & therefore the less ammo you can afford to carry. Reloading equipment, primers & lead would add even more weight. Modern gadgets for the most part are not sustainable or vital to your survival. Torches, solar chargers, multi tools, compound bows, radios, walkie talkies, satellite navigation, fuel stoves, heated gloves, night vision goggles, cigarette lighters, matches, ferocerium rod, etc, etc, are not vital additions to your equipment & they are not sustainable or they will add weight & take up room in your pack that could be better served by carrying more important vital items such as water, food, medical supplies & ammunition.

If you were to opt for carrying all modern gear that was not sustainable, then sooner or later you could end up living a stone age lifestyle such as in the first option of going bush with nothing.

http://www.pakguns.com/showthread.php?8458-Bug-Out-Weapons-Bag;

3) You could equip yourself with sustainable equipment that will not run down, break or wear out. This type of equipment is dated, by that I mean it is hundreds of years old in its function & technology. Your comfort will not be the same as lying on an inflatable bed in a tent cocooned in a sleeping bag, but there would be a certain amount of comfort that can be maintained/sustained! Flint & steel fire lighting will mean that you are never without fire. Your tools are unlikely to break if you look after them. The moccasins on your feet can be repaired by yourself & even replaced when needs be. A long bow or a muzzle-loading flintlock will supply your meat as well as the traps you have made to set up your trap line.  In short you will have a more comfortable lifestyle than the stone age option.

Put some serious thought into the gear that you choose, if you do not have the experience, then use your imagination! Some people say that you cannot learn anything worthwhile from watching movies, I disagree. Some old movies did in fact foresee the future, & many modern dramas are based on real life, based on the fact that there are bad people out there & it only needs you to be in the wrong place at the wrong time to get yourself in a heap of trouble!

Primitive skills are important, good equipment is vital but A) you need to know how to use that equipment to the best of its advantage, & B) with the skills comes knowledge & understanding.

People on forums have often commented that with all their modern equipment, including powerful telescopic rifle sights mounted on a powerful super accurate rifle that people like me will not live long post shtf. But what these people fail to comprehend is that they do not have the skills that I have, & they, unlike me are not a part of my environment. I can smell things they don’t smell, I hear things they don’t hear, & I sense things that they cannot.

You will not become a part of a wilderness environment overnight, it takes time, patience, experience, & a willingness to learn. Don’t rely on modern gadgets, rely on good proven tools & above all rely on yourself, your abilities & your skills.

Keith.