Tactical walking tips for bugging in or out

[Maverick]

I would rather spend the exhaustive 3 or 4 day trek given that most my journey would be under heavy canvas for cover, getting to my destination is the goal not a fight or flight situation, the road offers no cover from spotters or prying eyes in the sky.

 

[Graynomad]

I would not even consider using roads, open fields or indeed any thoroughfare like power or railway lines if it's at all possible to avoid them. For many people there will be no choice of course, especially where you are Myrrph I guess.

 

[Myrrph]

@Graynomad sadly. yes.

 

[Gazrok]

I'm kind of in the same boat. No real indirect way home (from work), at least for a majority of the way.
Any way I slice it, I drive (or have to walk) through Tampa, for instance. Now, once past the main part of the city, there is a pretty decent more back way to go that is along a highway, but at least not the Interstate.

That said, you can still use a highway and stay relatively hidden if you're off the road, and just shadowing the highway (if on foot) from the woods that are often to the side. They may be fenced and someone's property, but for the most part, you'd be unnoticed (and if you were, there'd be a fence between you, so that's something).

Tactically (and just for my own comfort), I'd be sleeping during the hotter part of the day, hidden away in some wooded and shaded area...and traveling more open areas mostly at dark (and on the side of the road facing oncoming traffic), where I could more easily spot a car coming before they ever see me. Along most highways, you could simply drop and lay down and become invisible to traffic anyhow. (as long as you drop before they see you).

 

[Silent Earth]

Avoid roads and trails that may be used by refugees, bad guys of govt agencies is my primary concern

I would not even consider using roads, open fields or indeed any thoroughfare like power or railway lines if it's at all possible to avoid them. For many people there will be no choice of course, especially where you are Myrrph I guess.

 

[Silent Earth]

Gaz, a daft question cos I don't know the geography of your area, but could you not avoid Tampa by going by the sea or by an airboat through the glades?

I'm kind of in the same boat. No real indirect way home (from work), at least for a majority of the way.
Any way I slice it, I drive (or have to walk) through Tampa, for instance. Now, once past the main part of the city, there is a pretty decent more back way to go that is along a highway, but at least not the Interstate.

That said, you can still use a highway and stay relatively hidden if you're off the road, and just shadowing the highway (if on foot) from the woods that are often to the side. They may be fenced and someone's property, but for the most part, you'd be unnoticed (and if you were, there'd be a fence between you, so that's something).

Tactically (and just for my own comfort), I'd be sleeping during the hotter part of the day, hidden away in some wooded and shaded area...and traveling more open areas mostly at dark (and on the side of the road facing oncoming traffic), where I could more easily spot a car coming before they ever see me. Along most highways, you could simply drop and lay down and become invisible to traffic anyhow. (as long as you drop before they see you).

 

[Gazrok]

The glades are far south of me.
I actually live inland, so going the sea route would avoid Tampa, but put lots more miles on the journey.
I work in St. Pete, which is a peninsula to the southwest of Tampa, joined by bridges mostly.

So, on the way home, I'm going over a 6 mile bridge, then through Tampa, then more rural area all the rest of the way.

 

[psalm 7]

Someone that did'nt make that trip every day would enjoy it .
I study on get home tactics while making the drive to and from work every day trying to answer all the what if's . I drive through several small towns cross a lake and river , 2 stretches that are like wilderness areas and a interstate and a Air Force base to get to work . And its only around 40 miles one way .

 

[Brent S]

I'm feeling good about my 13 mile treck after reading about others. I could probably make that in one night. I hope that if things start looking bad, we would have enough warning to know when to stop going into work. I also think that if there's a natural or man made problem, that we would still have a few days before people ran out of food and things started getting dangerous. I actually have a rendezvous location that's only about a mile and a half from the house. From there a bug out location is about five miles away. I think travel would be limited to dark/dusk only if things got so bad I had to leave the house.

 

[Maverick]

this is on the back side of the property, that's a long lonely road to get here and a pretty good view of the road and this isn't even the BOL that's further out of the way

 

[Silent Earth]

Think I would be investing in a bug out Jet Ski or small boat rather than go through a city or get stuck on a bridge

The glades are far south of me.
I actually live inland, so going the sea route would avoid Tampa, but put lots more miles on the journey.
I work in St. Pete, which is a peninsula to the southwest of Tampa, joined by bridges mostly.

So, on the way home, I'm going over a 6 mile bridge, then through Tampa, then more rural area all the rest of the way.

 

[Silent Earth]

I tended to follow the old adage from YOUR founding fathers military doctrine of use what you have the most of to get around, EG if you live in a swamp use an air boat, if you live in a forest use a bike or quad, if you live where there is lots of water and few roads then take to the water, and if the route is barred with high risk threats go round or over (Microlight, paraglider, gyrocopter, boat , canoe, dinghy, air boat, quad, cycle, motorcycle or horse)

Someone that did'nt make that trip every day would enjoy it .
I study on get home tactics while making the drive to and from work every day trying to answer all the what if's . I drive through several small towns cross a lake and river , 2 stretches that are like wilderness areas and a interstate and a Air Force base to get to work . And its only around 40 miles one way .

 

[Silent Earth]

I paid a huge great amount of attention to the post H Andrew and H Katrina reports by respected preppers, like the chap who decided to bug out inland as advised by the experts, he loaded his vehicle with kit, extra fuel, water, clothing, food etc, tank fully topped off and extra fuel in jerry cans. But because EVERYONE was being told to bug out traffic was horrendous and he was driving at 5 mph for 14 hours solid before running out of fuel in nowheresville Georgia, the traffic chaos made him use his fuel up long before he got to his BOL even though technically he should have had fuel left over if driving at normal speeds, but 14 hours of 5 mph in low gear simply left him stranded.

I'm feeling good about my 13 mile treck after reading about others. I could probably make that in one night. I hope that if things start looking bad, we would have enough warning to know when to stop going into work. I also think that if there's a natural or man made problem, that we would still have a few days before people ran out of food and things started getting dangerous. I actually have a rendezvous location that's only about a mile and a half from the house. From there a bug out location is about five miles away. I think travel would be limited to dark/dusk only if things got so bad I had to leave the house.

 

[Silent Earth]

Beautiful scenery, Washington state?? looks like Scotland

this is on the back side of the property, that's a long lonely road to get here and a pretty good view of the road and this isn't even the BOL that's further out of the way

View attachment 4206

 

[Maverick]

Beautiful scenery, Washington state?? looks like Scotland

very similar

 

[Brent S]

this is on the back side of the property, that's a long lonely road to get here and a pretty good view of the road and this isn't even the BOL that's further out of the way

View attachment 4206

Exquisite!

 

[Silent Earth]

very similar

Actually the part of Scotland from Loch Ness up over geologically belonged to the north American plate, the line running NE to SW which includes Loch Ness is a fault line the northern bit coming from the North American plate and the southern bit from the Euroasian plate. so perhaps that's why the geography is so similar.

 

[Maverick]

The house in town were we are currently staying would take a while to trek here to the property by foot if we stay off the roads, we would be travel by day if off the road though I suppose a red lens flashlight would work but not advised because of the pitfalls that's not easily seen under a red light.

Edited: much of the cliff around here are basalt, these are not safe cliffs, being able to see ahead is paramount traveling by night with a red lens would border foolishness.

 

[Maverick]

As a followup to my post above: http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/cvo/cvo_columbia_river_basalt.html

 

[Gazrok]

Think I would be investing in a bug out Jet Ski or small boat rather than go through a city or get stuck on a bridge

Not something I'd have with me at work each day, hehe. Don't get me wrong, I'm hoping to be able to just drive to get home, but prepared if not able to.

I actually did consider the idea of having a blow up raft in the truck. Could have a battery powered pump for it, some collapseable oars, etc. in case the bridge was simply packed. Still something I'll likely do. I just don't have a lot of room in my smaller truck (and I don't drive the big one much, due to the price of Diesel these days).