When it comes to emergency or disaster prepping, having a designated “bug-out location” is an essential aspect of your plan. A bug-out location is a safe place you can go to in the event of an emergency or disaster, whether it’s a natural disaster, civil unrest, or other crisis.
The idea is to have a place where you can retreat to that is safe, secure, and well-stocked with supplies. However,…
As soon as the zombie apocalypse breaks out you need to act quickly. Time, tide and hungry zombies wait for no one! #ZombieApocalypse #Survival #BugOut
Your Bug-Out Location – Factors You Should Consider
As soon as the zombie apocalypse breaks out you need to act quickly. Time, tide and hungry zombies wait for no one!
Are You Bugging-Out or Hunkering Down?
Who Will You Be Taking With You?
Do You Have A Bug-Out Vehicle (BOV)?
Do You Have A Bug-Out Bag?
Are You Just Going to Hit the Road and Hope for the Best?
Do You Have a Bug-Out Location Prepped and Waiting?
Lets assume you’ve done your a proper assessment of your current situation and hunkering down is NOT an option. Most likely because you live in a city or crowded suburb. Those are big danger zones you should avoid as much as possible even when traveling and scavenging. This will mean you have to bug-out at the earliest signs of the zombie apocalypse. But where to bug-out to? I suggesting having an off the grid location prepped and waiting. Even if a zombie apocalypse doesn’t break out, it will be a nice getaway every now and then. Even Superman had he’s Fortress of Solitude.
What You Should Look for in an Ideal Bug-Out Location
Your bug-out location must match your bug-out strategy. How long are you planning on staying there? How many people are you taking with you? etc. But lets start with the fundamentals and work our way up to that.
Location Location Location
The location you choose will impact all your decisions. Choose wisely because the zombie apocalypse world will not be a very forgiving place filled with second chances. The location you choose should satisfy the rule of threes as a minimum.
The Rule of Threes states that in extreme circumstances, a human can survive:
3 Minutes without air
3 Hours without shelter
3 Days without water
3 Weeks without food
Other qualities to look for in your bug-out location:
Natural Protection – If your location has rough terrain or dense vegetation around it this will act as a natural deterrent for zombies. Great, free protection is a win. Zombies aren’t known for their grace. If they make it to your bug-out location, they will be damaged which will make killing them that much easier. It will also be a deterrent to people. Not everyone will have thought ahead and prepped for the zombie apocalypse. It’s safe to bet that people will be doing whatever they need to do to survive. Having as many layers of protection between yourself and desperate people as possible is always a good idea.
Camouflage – Your surroundings can hide your exact location from prying eyes. Thick forest, bush or even a well chosen rocky outcrop could obscure your bug-out location. Not being seen is good. If people know there is a well stocked fortified location, they WILL try and get in. You don’t want one of your team members taken hostage as a negotiating chip when they venture out.
Lumber – Gas, coal, burners… At some point, your stockpiled as a heat source for cooking will run out. Lumber burns and you can use that heat to cook. You can also use it to construct enclosures or furniture, even to extend your bug-out location and beef up your defences.
Shelter
Your bug-out location needs to provide shelter from the elements. The form your shelter takes will depend largely on your bug-out strategy:
How many people must your shelter support – The people in your team will need their own space. Having that sanctuary can be the difference between living with people and feeling trapped with people.
Will you be raising livestock? – If you plan to raise livestock, you will need to build enclosures. Can’t have the animals running around. That’s not my idea of fast food!
How big must your storage area be? – You will need a dedicated storage area for your supplies. Depending on how long you are staying, this may need to be very big. Building an underground storehouse will save space and keep your supplies out of sight in the event that your bug-out location ever gets raided. Make the entrance discrete and unassuming.
How many vehicles must the shelter house – Bug-out vehicles, motorbikes, bicycles. How many vehicles need to be sheltered? You may not need a complete enclosure, but basic protection from the elements should be considered. You may need your bug-out vehicles in the future.
Water collection and supply system – Having as many water collection systems in place as possible can only beneficial. Having a way of transporting the water into the house so you don’t have to go outside in the cold in those long winter months is something you should look into! Solar powered pumps or hand crank pumps that can be operated from inside the house will make life easier. Having gravity based, roof mounted systems can work too if there is proper filtration as part of the system.
Electricity supply – Hot water is a luxury most people don’t want to give up. Other creature comforts like a kettle, microwave, heating, lighting and entertainment systems all need electricity. Wether you are going to get yours from generators or solar power you need to have those systems in place and have fuel and maintenance equipment for them.
Gas - Cooking with gas is convenient and quick. Gas can also be used for heating and in a desperate situation as an explosive weapon.
Waste disposal – The 3 R’s should be followed to minimise waste production from your shelter.
Ablution facilities – Keep it simple and functional. Bathing will be less frequent, but knowing you can bathe after a long day of hard work will lift the spirits of your team
Reduce – Reducing the amount of waste will be essential. Supplies are limited. Using organic matter for fertiliser instead of trashing it is a good place to start.
Reuse – Finding new ways to use thing that will normally be discarded or cleaning and reusing containers will bring down waste too.
Recycle – Wherever you are able to.
Disposing of waste will mean leaving the safety of your shelter. You don’t want waste inside or too close by.
Water
I can’t emphasize the importance of water enough. It is literally something you can’t live without! And I don’t mean literally like its so incorrectly used today, I mean literally as in LITERALLY!
Is there a viable water source close by? – Well there should be! Storing water is fine, until you run out. Then you have to travel outside the safety of your shelter to either gather water from a natural source or scavenge for bottled water.
Rainwater Harvesting – A way of extending your water supply especially if your bug-out location is in an area that gets rain.
Water purification – Do you have a way of ensuring your drinking water is clean?
Irrigation – How will your crops be watered?
Livestock – Will you have enough water to allow you to keep livestock?
Ablution – Do you have a way of getting water into the shelters ablution facilities?
Food
It’s hard to do anything when you are hungry. Proper preparation and training can minimize the chances that you will go hungry, but no plan is perfect.
Is there wildlife is the surrounding area that you can hunt for food? – Followed closely by the question “Can you hunt?” If not, then you will run into a serious problem once your stockpiled supplies run out. This will once again mean leaving the safety of your shelter to scavenge for supplies on a regular basis. Increased exposure to danger is never a good idea.
Is there space and viable soil to grow your own crops? – If you planned well enough and chose a location with fertile soil AND you have a seed vault / seed bank, then growing crops is a definite possibility. This will still take time to grow so your supplies need to sustain you until your crops are ready for harvesting.
Livestock – Nothing too big like cows, but chickens or goats are definite possibilities. Relatively easy to raise and they don’t require much space. They do need to be fed though, that should be factored into your supply checklist. You will also need to develop a stomach for seeing blood. They’re not going to slaughter themselves.
Emergency rations - JUST IN CASE your supply runs low or you take more people in and need to feed more mouths. They take up a little space and have a long shelf life.
Getting To Your Bug-Out Location
So you’ve done your research, have the ideal bug-out location. You’ve built and stocked it. Now you need to get there!
You DON’T want a location that is too far – Be reasonable. You don’t want to have to stop on the way to refuel. Stranger danger!
Your bug-out location should have multiple routes you can take – Adapting to changing conditions is something you should take in your stride. Life doesn’t always follow your plans.
Avoid heavily populated areas as much as possible – Why? Because more people means more potential zombies. And there’s the real possibility of people trying to steal your bug-out vehicle.
Do you have a bug-out vehicle? – Or were you planning on taking your light, fuel efficient, front wheel drive car to your bug-out location? It doesn’t offer much versatility in a tight situation. You should read Your Zombie Apocalypse Vehicle and Your Bug-Out Vehicle, it may help you decide.
Defending Your Bug-Out Location
Assume people will want to take whats yours at some point. Plan for the worst while expecting the best right?
Do you have some form of secure perimeter? – A high wall enclosing your bug-out location is a good start.
Emergency barricade – A way to barricade the doors and windows in a hurry can come in handy when you least expect it.
Weapons – Do you have any? Do you know how to use them? Would you be willing to use them if you have to?
Lookout point – Having a vantage point to keep tabs on your surroundings will give you vital warning if any threat is approaching.
Combat training – Not really related to your bug-out location, but you should look into learning basic self defence.
Last But Not Least
Remember, always be ready to leave your location in a hurry. Even your well fortified and supplied bug-out location could become overrun. Never become complacent and always have a bug-out bag ready!
“There is no such thing as perfect security, only varying levels of insecurity.”
If you decide that hunkering down is the best strategy for you then you need to look into long term sustainability. No point in having a fortified location and no food. You may as well save money and just buy a coffin to climb into as soon as the zombie apocalypse breaks outs. Since growing food is a lot easier than dealing with live animals, stocking up on seeds for crops is a good strategy. Lucky for you, survival seed banks are available to the general public! There are companies who have taken all the effort out of the process.
What Is A Survival Seed Bank?
A Seed Bank is a collection of seeds stored in their dormant state for planting at a later stage. In the case of a survival seed bank, the seeds in question will be for edible crops, herbs and medicinal plants of various kinds. They are sealed in a way to protect them from getting spoiled before you need them. Before you ask, NO, there no Senzu Beans!
Having a survival seed bank and using it incorrectly could be a costly mistake. It’s all about sustainability here. Luckily the Survival Essentials Premium Heirloom Seeds come with support that is invaluable especially if your fingers are far from green.
FREE Rare Heirloom Tomato Variety Pack – Nine of the Most Sought After Heirloom Tomato Varieties – FREE!
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Bug-Out Location: You'll Want a Place to Run to When the Zombies Come
There may come a point during the Zombie apocalypse when you will have to get out of dodge. This is especially true if you live in a large urban area. But even us, in our typical suburban town, will have to make a break for it when the zombie hordes descends. Bug out locations are important because you will have two big worries during an emergency, access to your supplies and avoiding both living and dead zombies.
Obviously the undead zombies are the ones out to eat you and turn you into one of them. But living zombies freak me out more, they are the non-preppers of the world. People who believe that it is someone else’s problem to take care of them in an emergency.
When SHTF they’ll quickly realize that help isn’t coming. And instead of trying to eat you’re flesh they’ll be trying to eat up your supplies. Too many people and not enough resources will lead to a very desperate and scary situation. Look at the history of almost every emergency situation and you will hear horror stories of riots, mobs, and violence. Scary stuff! Definitely not something I want my family to have to deal with while we’re trying to survive.
Space, resources and privacy are three things that I look for in choosing a bug out location. You’re also going to want to be reasonable in where you’re bug out location is, living in Florida and having a bug-out location in Maine probably isn’t the wisest course of action. Here is a list of things to think about when choosing a bug-out location.
Location
Could you walk there in a reasonable time if necessary?
Will you have vehicles able to access this location in all seasons, with enough room for everyone in your family/Zombie team?
Is it a highly populated area? If so, probably not a good location for a bug out location.
Is it within walking/easy driving of a LARGE metropolitan area? I’m thinking Chicago, NYC, LA, this increases the likely hood of others traveling to this spot.
Site choice
Is this location already built up? Are there buildings on site? A well?
Do you own this place, are you going to rent a location (ie campsite, property, etc) or depend on state land (state forests, campgrounds, etc)? I highly recommend the first option since its more secure but start with what you can get and work from there.
How familiar are you with the area? Are you aware of the natural resources, natural dangers, local topography of the area? These are definite things to research.
Long term viability
Accessibility of water and natural resources you’ll need when you’re stores run out.
Security features and natural concealment/protection
Weather, elevation and space that is conducive to growing your own food
Once you have a place in mind it is important to think about how you and your family will get there. You’ll want to avoid major highways since everyone will likely be on those roads and creating a huge traffic jam. Find back roads ways to get there.
When you go to visit your location take a different route, you should do this for two reasons. First, it’s fun to go camping/vacationing out of town and finding new places. Secondly, like anything in you’re emergency plan it’s important to not wait until an emergency to try it out. Become familiar with all options.
If you can, start bringing some supplies there. It’s never a good idea to put all your eggs in one basic so don’t forget to keep supplies at home and in your cars as well. But it’s a good idea to have the basics at your bug-out location just like it is at home. Focus on the same places you would begin at home and then go from there.
Lastly, don’t advertise your bug-out location. A bug-out location is your greatest hope for survival in a really bad situation. It’s a great place to go if you have to ride out a storm or have your power our for a week. But more than that, you’re bug out location is where you will survive, long term, when the world as we know it has ended.
Wrapping your mind around that is very hard but really important, this is the mental aspect of prepping, and in my opinion it is the hardest part. It’s great if you have supplies and know how to build anything like MacGuyver. But if you haven’t thought through the mental aspect you’re going to be paralyzed with fear or indecision.
The mental part of prepping is realize that there will be people in your extended family, or friends group who aren’t prepared. They’re going to be caught completely unaware by a disaster. They’re probably the people who make fun of you now for stocking up on canned goods. When SHTF they’re going to be the first ones knocking on the door to use you’re supplies or go with you to the bug out location.
This is where you HAVE to be prepared to deal with the mental aspects. Every person you give supplies to takes food/water out of the mouth of your family, every person who knows how to get to your bug-out location but isn’t doing their part to help prepare is just going to be a drain on resources.
