Previously, I wrote about Bugging-In, staying in your current dwelling to ride out a crisis situation. This article is about Bugging-Out, the act of making the determination that it is better to vacate the premises than stick around during a crisis.
My hope is that anyone contemplating this option has taken a long and hard look at Bugging-In before deciding it wasn’t an option for you. I say that because Bugging-Out is a much harder and more dangerous option. I can assure you that in my own a personal case, my evaluation process would be as painfully detailed (as I could be), before making my decision to vacate the premises during any true crisis situation. But I surely don’t look forward to doing this and pray every day that my group and I never have to put our plans in motion.
Why, you might ask, do I so fervently not want to Bug-Out? Because it’s a logistical nightmare, fraught with a host of potential issues and threats, and even though I have thought about this for years, figured out load plans to fit everything into my available vehicles, discussed the plans with my primary team members, done a ton of research on routes, and potential threats, I am fully aware that virtually anything, out-of-the-blue could trash our plans. So, we have built as much flexibility, as well as redundancy, into them as we can. But the question remains, will it be enough?
If you have ever coordinated the move from one home (house, apartment, condo, etc.) to another, then I expect you have some idea of what to expect in a Bug-Out. Except in a Bug-Out, you have less time, more stress, and much more risk involved.
I expect many of you are more than a little confused by now. Probably wondering “why is he casting doubt on the type of plan that he’s actually planning on using during a crisis?” Because it’s necessary even if somewhat counterintuitive. With all the apprehension, I am convinced that at some key point, it’s the better option for myself, my family, and my team (remember I live in a major city). But I am not foolish enough to think it will be easy, I know better.
What makes Bugging-Out hard? The list is long, and will vary from person to person, group to group, and region to region.