Not bugging out, but getting back home

[Mannlicher]

The scenerio I worry about most is not bugging OUT, but in trying to get back home, in times of natural disaster (read: hurricane, since I am in Miami) or social unrest,(as we experienced around a month back when the Free Trade thingy was going on here)

Between my work location, and my home, are 18 miles of really bad territory. I often wonder how I would make it from point A to point B in times of stress. My wife works with me, so I need to get her home safe too. She is NOT into guns, trecking, bugging out, or any of the things we think are so important.

There are a million things that can go wrong, and guns are not going to be the only things that you would need. Carrying an effective one, if the roads were not passable would really mark you, and not having a rifle or shotgun could be just as bad.

I honestly don't know how I would get there, if it were down to walking through the types of places that I would have to go through.

 

[Jeff White]

Do you absolutely, positively have to pass through the bad areas to get home? A detour even if it meant driving or walking miles out of your way would be the best bet.

Jeff

 

[Josey]

I remember my time in Miami. Hurricane Andrew. There were four legged critters out and about also. There was a research lab that was wiped out and several monkeys with pathogens from AIDS to flu virus were wandering around. The homeless population was looting everything they could get their hands on. There were some unusual circumstances/incidents that I remember. The first thing is to be able to prove you live where you do. No proof, no entry period. There will be increased military and police presence. I really wouldn't parade a long arm. A pistol, either CCW or open would not attract undue attention. The main thing is simply being aware. If you feel a threat, leave. You cannot defend a home that is no longer there.

 

[outdoorman63]

i understand

i seem to have the same worries..i have to cross 2 rivers to get home from work..mighty mississippi and the missouri rivers...seems to be a logistical nightmare to me

 

[mr_dove]

This is actually the scenario that most people will run into. While living in Buffalo, NY, we had a huge blizzard during rush hour. About 5 feet of snow fell during those hours. Plows could not get to the roads because all the commuters were there. Once the commuters started getting stuck the freeways became parking lots.

Hundreds of people were stuck in their cars overnight. The vast majority of them were unprepared and had no idea what to do. People who were close enough to home hoofed it back but I'm sure the average joe wouldn't consider walking more than a few miles to get home.

So, I guess the moral is to be prepared for whatever is most likely to hit and be ready to walk home.

It sounds like some alternate transportation would hit the spot. Bikes are best in metro areas but you need a place to store them. I'd suggest looking for a mini-storage facility as close to your work as possible. You can store all your get-home gear there, including 2 bikes.

You would only have to hoof it to the storage area before you head home. I never thought of this before now but you could even hide out in the storage container until things cool down. That would depend on the problems you were facing though. I'm guessing a storage area would make pretty good shelter if that's all you needed.

Othewise, I only see 1 option. Plan a way to get through the 18 miles and prepare everything you might need AND plan an alternate route (if one is available).

I think we're all unclear on whether you're talking about 18 miles of ghetto or 18 miles of swamps, it is Florida after all.

Commuting by bike is good as well. It will give you a better knowledge of available routes even if you end up on foot in the event of a disaster.

 

[JamisJockey]

Longish....

Mannlicher:

Location is the first consideration. Secondly, how will you carry your get home gear.
Since you live in Florida, cold weather is less of a consideration then wet weather. This means a poncho for each person, maybe a fleece pullover during winter.
How? A good backpack placed in your vehicle is the most convienint method. Something that you can hike with long distance (This means waist belt and padded straps)
Weapons? Something low maintenence like a revovler, unless you CCW 24/7 without fail. At minimum, a fixed blade knife (I've got a sharpened Swiss bayo in mine).
Food isn't much of a consideration. You're looking at 1-2 days. You can survive without food, or on a mimimum thereof. I'd suggest one MRE per person per anticipated day, plus maybe something like 1 energy bar per day.
Water is more of a factor. Purification tablets and a canteen or a portable filter, like one that is incorporated into a water bottle. This means you won't have to store water in your vehicle, but you will still have to find it.
Other items:
A flashlight per person and extra batteries. First aid, hat, sunscreen, bug repellent, firestarting gear, sunglasses or goggles (for dusty or snowy environments), and hiking boots.

Just a few suggestions. I've got most of the above in my commuter incase I have to hoof it home someday.

 

[brownie0486]

Most could get home with an ATV, except those crossing major waterways/rivers.

Don't know how one could keep an ATV at work for most of us, but that is the best transportation ione could be in for a Bug-In to the homestead.

No one has mentioned what time of year and weather conditions which, where I live, are a major consideration in the winter time. During the blizzard of "78" in New England, if you didn't have a skidoo/snowmobile you were stranded and could not even walk out of the area without life threatening consequences.

If all hell broke loose, I may have to get to an ATV store and secure myself a ride somehow, if I could even reach it on foot due to weather conditions.

Brownie

 

[Vermonter]

Drive an SUV and join a 4WD club so you know how to use it and equip it.

Keep warm clothes, blankets, food, 2-way radio and weapons in it.

 

[fish2xs]

Mr_dove:

which blizzard are you referring to?

I grew up in w.n.y thru the blizzards of 77, 85 and was back
in town 2 Christmas' ago when they got 7 feet in 5 days.

My best plan was having an idea ahead of time what might
happen (news/weather) and making sure I was on my way out
of trouble early...

 

[TamThompson]

If there's an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) or severe gas shortages, forget the ATV. A mountain bike with panniers would be a better choice--you can ride it on the road or cross-country (although you can get flats from stickers, so carry a patch kit and extra tubes.)

 

[JamisJockey]

A mountain bike with panniers would be a better

Not to mention:

• More portable then an ATV
• Quieter then an ATV
• Requires less maintenence.
• Less heartbreaking if you have to ditch it
• Can be pushed or carried if necessary.

Here's the best way to carry a bicycle (standard frame)

Something like this could even be carried on a day-to-day basis in a van or truck.

 

[mr_dove]

fish:

I'm terrible with dates but I think it was the blizzard of 2000. There was another in 2002 (I think) but that happened over night so nobody really got stranded.

 

[Mannlicher]

I see that I am not alone in seeing difficulties with this.

To clarify, Miami is North/South, and not much East/West. Everglades to the West, Atlantic Ocean to the East.

The urban terrain between Point A and Point B would start with the worst Ghetto in Dade County,(Little Haiti, Over Town, Liberty City), and change to 'nicer areas' like Brownsville, Westchester, Coral Way.

Hardest part is not the distance, but the 'hood I would have to go through. I don't see making it without a large armed group traveling together, and even then, well , look at Baghdad these days..........
Even on a good day, with no accidents blocking the roads, it takes over an hour to do the 18 miles. I shudder to think what it would be if a natural disaster were occuring, or there was real civil unrest.

 

[c_yeager]

I always thought that the point of a 'bug out bag' was that it was to be the best you could do if you couldnt take the time to get home and pack up properly. As such, it should just be kept in the trunk of your car. You won't need a LOT, just enough stuff to keep you OK for a couple days untill things settle down again.

 

[444]

Kind of off topic, but it is weird, the feeling you get when something like your vehicle is unavailable to you. You can make all your plans and think you are prepared, but you forgot that everything is tied in to that one thing; your vehicle. For those that live in Nevada, it is the same as betting a half dozen football parlay tickets and win every game but one. And every ticket was tied into that one sure thing.
Several times I have been in that situation and almost couldn't believe it. I have been stuck, way out in the boonies and it occured to me that it didn't really matter what kind of gear I had, it didn't matter how much money I had, it didn't matter where I worked or how big and expensive my house was: I was stuck and none of that was going to do me any good. On one occasion I walked 12 miles before someone picked me up and I wasn't even 1/10 of the way home. My dog had quit on me and I had to beg the people to go back and get him also (a little money didn't hurt anything either).

 

[tommytrauma]

Mannlicher;

There are a million things that can go wrong, and guns are not going to be the only things that you would need. Carrying an effective one, if the roads were not passable would really mark you, and not having a rifle or shotgun could be just as bad.

That was my line of thought when I started keeping a Kel-Tec sub-2000 in the truck. Unobtrusive to carry, but a hell of a lot more accurate and easier to shoot than a handgun. It's a compromise, but a good one.

 

[DrDremel]

This is the scenario I see as the most realistic and likely is that in some time of crisis, I need to get home. When the blackout of 2003 hit the Detroit Area here, it took forever to get anywhere from the traffic. If people knew it was a terrorist attack or whatever, there would have been panic. There was some panic at some stores. Hundreds of places looted in Detroit alone. Should I have to drive through an area that is in full riot type situation, I am damn well going to make sure I have the gear to make it home to my wife and kids.

 

[litman252]

I don't have much to add except:
One is always considerd paranoid, untill something hapens then you are prepared.
Glad to see many of you have plans, I am learning from all of you.
Tony

 

[TimRB]

"This is the scenario I see as the most realistic and likely is that in some time of crisis, I need to get home."

This is a big factor for me also, and one of the main reasons I commute by motorcycle. I travel 30 miles each way through some mountainous wooded terrain. We get a lot of rain, and occasionally have earthquakes. Even though I ride a good-sized road bike there have been plenty of times I have gotten through where others, even 4X4s, could not, simply because I was small enough to get under or around fallen debris and trees.

So there at least is *one* good reason left to live in California.

Tim

 

[7.62FullMetalJacket]

Know your area. Avoid any Fallujah/Watts scenarios. Have a plan with alternate routes. Might be wise to scope these routes out during the "good" times to see what may or may not be viable during civil unrest.

The bug out bag is critical. You also need a concealable weapons, extra mags, and extra ammo. Binoculars to scope out the terrain and obstacles. Some energy food and water. Poncho to stay dry, fire to keep warm. Lighting. Long guns are a trouble attractant. You will not likley be engaging targets past handgun range.

In your case you may want to hunker down at work until the emergency passes. If you are squeezed between swamps and ocean with the only means of passing is through dangerous areas, then this must be a consideration.

If you have kids, have a retention plan. Have a relative that lives near you (or really good friend) secure them for the night.

Move during the day. The night is not your friend unless you are ready for it and can properly survive, evade and escape in unknown areas (don't want to test that resistance thing (SERE).

 

[Hutch]

Yup. I'm having nightmares about having to commute 550 miles each week for a 6-month consulting contract. Via airline. With what I can carry on. Try that little exercise on for size. Hmmmmm......

 

[Dave R]

Mannichler, I used to live in Davie and commute to Miami. There are many north/south routes. I-95 goes through some bad neighborhoods, but the Turnpike to the west avoids most of them. A good alternate route might be west to the Turnpike, then up 75/595, which is mostly upscale suburban.

And there are some other N/S surface streets out west that could approximate the same route.