Getting Home

[JohnyMac]

One of my biggest concerns is 'getting home' if the schumer hits the fan.

Each week I take a 360 mile round trip down to the Philly area to visit, shop, and do what ever my Mom needs. Each time I go I think to myself if this will be the trip that the apocalypse happens leaving me at my Mom's door step or traveling down/back from her house.

I have gone over many different scenarios on how to get home along with reading fictional books on characters doing this task. Well this morning I read on the Survivalblog this article which I felt worthwhile to post here and discuss.

My only enhancement to the article is I would move off roads entirely on day two of ones trek and move over to rail road lines. A quick DuckDuckgo search will bring up the RR lines in your state to print and plan your route if the time comes.

My GHB (Get Home Bag) is simple and is similar to other folks BOB or GOD bags but I will list what I have in it here:

1) 10'x10' light weight tarp,
2) Military mild weather sleeping bag wrapped in a Military Gortex Bivy Sack,
3) Military SS canteen and cup,
4) 2, space blankets
5) 50 yard hank of paracord,
6) Water straw & purification tablets,
7) Esbit folding pocket stove & extra solid fuel,
Tomahawk from my Hawkeye period,
9) Five days of food (Mostly my rice, dehydrated veggie, & jerkey recipe I have posted before) not much so I will have
    to find some more food on the way,
10) Instant coffee & tea plus condements,
11) Baofeng radio plus one extra battery,
12) 250, rounds of 9mm ammo (I use 9mm for my EDC now),
13) Assorted items, e.g. socks, tooth brush, foot powder, extra boonie hat etc.
14) PVS-14 night vision monocular,
15) Bump helmet night vision ready,
16) Extra battery's for night vision,
17) Extra cash and a few PM's,
18) Fire starting kit, and
19) In an Altoids can some first aide supplies, e.g. band-aides, anti diarrhea tablets, Aleve, etc.

This pack goes with me in which ever vehicle I use to go down to my Mom's or more than 30 miles away from home. Believe it or not, this pack weighs in at a tad under sixteen pounds.

I am also thinking about buying a used bike at a garage sale to keep at my Mom's as this would make traveling a lot easier on and off a road. Didn't the VC use bikes in the Vietnam Conflict to move goods off road?



In closing, looking ahead and planning is important. Of course we all know that the best laid plans never survive the first salvo of weaponry BUT you will be leaps and bounds ahead if you start with a plan.

   

[zanedclark]

Thanks JohnyMac

z

[Nemo]

Nice load up.  Methinks I need to do a Spring review/replace/adjust on mine.

Is yours in a regular small pack or a one strap sling bag?

I have mine in the sling bag and after trying that a few times for mile or 2 walks, replacing it is required.  Rummaging around a large flea market or gun show or such that one strap bag is great.  More than about a half mile or with no real place to drop it for a bit its not acceptable to me.

Give that a consideration.

Also you might consider a medicine bottle kit like I posted here a year or forever ago.  That thing you can keep with you near always when needed.  For the situation where you must just drop and go or jump and run thing. 

Nemo

[JohnyMac]

Although not ideal (Think Grey Man) I use an Army three day patrol pack . This pack came with my Large Army Alice Backpack. When not out and about it lives attached to the Large Army Alice Backpack.   

[Jackalope]

   Johny, I carry most of what you carry in your bug out pack.  I do have some additions.  In conjunction with the PVS-14, there's a Torrey Pines Logic T-10 thermal viewer.  I find that the T-10 nicely compliments the PV-14 because it finds things that are not readily visible with night vision or the naked eye.  For instance the T-10 will work through fog or smoke.  To keep the PVS-14 running there's a Suntactics portable solar charger coupled with a USB AA battery charger and some rechargeable AA batteries.  I also carry an Icom ID-51A transceiver that's waterproof, along with some AA battery packs kept in a tin box for EMP protection.

   Even in the summer I carry a watch cap. along with gloves, and a down vest.  I also carry insect repellent, as it would be hell to hike with the hordes of mosquitoes and blackflies that reside in my AO.

[JohnyMac]

Some good additions Jackalope ESPECIALLY the insect repellent.

[Jackalope]

   In relation to Bugout packs/bags, here's an excellent article regarding redundancy prioritization: http://www.americanpartisan.org/2018/05/realistic-redundancy-prioritization-and-selection/  I tend to carry a lot of gear, and the article offers guidelines as to which items should be redundant in your gear.  For example, I have multiple items for starting fires, several lighting devices, and multiple compasses.  I've been known to carry multiple radios occasionally too, but then again I'm usually the radio guy in the group. The article offers justification for carrying multiple items, as necessary, or when required by the mission.

[Erick]

   In relation to Bugout packs/bags, here's an excellent article regarding redundancy prioritization: http://www.americanpartisan.org/2018/05/realistic-redundancy-prioritization-and-selection/  I tend to carry a lot of gear, and the article offers guidelines as to which items should be redundant in your gear.  For example, I have multiple items for starting fires, several lighting devices, and multiple compasses.  I've been known to carry multiple radios occasionally too, but then again I'm usually the radio guy in the group. The article offers justification for carrying multiple items, as necessary, or when required by the mission.

Its always good  to discuss/think thru different approaches.

But i believe the beginning of the linked article teaches exactly the wrong lesson. (it gets better later down as the author makes some good points.. but I just want to focus on the anecdote at the beginning)

There is ALWAYS that anecdote that extra piece of gear that saved someone's butt somewhere,.. sometime.

There is always a story someone who life was saved by that one extra thing.. An extra set of batteries!, That set of binoculars! that extra firearm! That extra 100 rds of ammo! That extra radio! That extra pair of boots!

Guess what ,...if we carry all those EXTRA things that helped out someone somewhere, we'd all the loaded down with 85lbs of gear like the active army/ USMC sometimes are... and guess what, they can substitute a call for fire for maneuver.... And they often do because their loads have slowed them to a crawl.

But we cant!

Also keep in mind these guys often ride where they go. in a pinch Helo extraction is available (if casualties) and everyone is well fed and at the peak of their physical abilities.

None of these things apply to a Prepper/MAG Patrol.

Any load out means accepting some calculated risk for a payoff.

A much better rule of thumb is this IMHO:

Every piece of gear needs to earn its weight on your kit.
(Unless it weighs near nothing) .. if you dont predict need it at least one in ten times you go out... consider not carrying it...
Because those other 90% of the time it will weigh you down.

Making you move slower (easier target) and more exhausted which means less judgement and situational awareness.
How many men died or got badly injured (which in a post Apoc is the same thing) because they missed a bobby trap or ambush a more rested man would have spotted?

The answer.. probably quite a few more than guys who lives were saved because they carried that one extra thing.

[Jackalope]

    Erick, you're looking at it from a patrol or recon viewpoint, where maneuverability, speed, and stealth are essential.  I look at it from a get home pack or BOB situation, where if I don't have it, then I could be screwed.  So, we're looking at two different scenarios, with two different time frames, and likely differences in distances to be traveled.

    Yes, weight is going to be crucial, but I also need to prioritize which pieces of gear I'll absolutely need if I'm by myself and on foot and I'm many day from home.  For me, my priorities are water, food, warmth or comfort, shelter and security.  In my case, my bugout bag has multiple water filtration methods, food for multiple days, and multiple ways of making fire.  Normally, I only carry one firearm, but if I'm going far from home, then I'll have several firearms in the bag or on my person.  I consider lighting sources to be part of my security equipment, so I carry extra lights.

     I hike on a regular basis due to my work, and before each trip I perform a triage of my backpack's contents.  Items which can be left behind are removed from the pack, and then returned when the trip is completed.  I would likely perform the same triage before commencing the long walk home when  the SHTF.  To be honest, at my age I'm not too worried about my speed, but I will be concerned about my endurance.  I'm going to be fatigued, no matter what I'm carrying.  But, I also know my limits and I'll be resting as needed.  I've been a sherpa on many hiking trips, so hopefully that experience will help during the long walk home.  This dude is old enough to avoid running and gunning.  If I'm tired, and my situational aware has diminished, then it is time to call it a day and bivouac for a bit.  I do agree with you regarding each piece of gear needing to earn it's weight....but I also look at each piece of gear and determine how screwed I would be if something happened and I didn't have that particular item.  For example, it's better to have a firearm in reach, than wishing you had one when some bad guys decide to rob you.

    Local AO patrol or RECON is much different than a 200 mile walk to get to BOL.  The bottom line is both you and the article make valid points, depending upon the situation. 

[JohnyMac]

Good discussion. 

[Erick]

Jack:

absolutely yes I do look at it from a Tactical/Patrol perspective.

A bug out of the type you describe is a different thing.
But even on a bug out there is a limit to whats reasonable to carry and its likely lower than most realize.

[grizz]

What about your mom, are you going to leave her behind or figure a way to take her with you?

[JohnyMac]

Grizz, I was wondering if anybody would ask that question. 

I have asked myself this question often and I always come back to the point that the chances are greater that lets say a EMP would happen during my three hour drive south then north then the 3-4 hours while I am at her house. So I would worry about that question if the event happened while I was there.

My Mom uses a walker so walking 180 or so miles wouldn't work for her.

With that written, my brother lives 10-minutes from her house. If the worst scenario happened I would most likely give her a kiss and a hug and hit the road.

Thoughts Grizz?
 

[JoJo]

 Our parents are long gone but my wife visits our children in the Police State of New Jersey while I stay home and take care of our cats. If an EMP happens I have no positive idea of what I would do.
 If cars still run she would have to cross two bridges and my only hope is she starts home immediately before others realize what has happened. If the cars don't run it might be all over because the kids are not preppers and also like my wife suffer from Normalsy Bias with the exception of one son who lives 30 miles away. Her whole family, everybody would panic big time. 

[grizz]

Grizz, I was wondering if anybody would ask that question. 

I have asked myself this question often and I always come back to the point that the chances are greater that lets say a EMP would happen during my three hour drive south then north then the 3-4 hours while I am at her house. So I would worry about that question if the event happened while I was there.

My Mom uses a walker so walking 180 or so miles wouldn't work for her.

With that written, my brother lives 10-minutes from her house. If the worst scenario happened I would most likely give her a kiss and a hug and hit the road.

Thoughts Grizz?

I was curious what your plan was since you didnt mention her.

My family is over 4k miles away so if the SHTF while I'm visiting them I'm REALLY  SOL!! I wont have any weapons or vehicles or preps and VERY slim chance to make it 4K miles back to my home. Although I believe most of my family would work with me to get back to my home vs staying on the east coast sh*t hole states. And mom would come with us, some how...

Now if the SHTF while I'm here and they're there, all we can do is pray for each other.

[grizz]

Our parents are long gone but my wife visits our children in the Police State of New Jersey while I stay home and take care of our cats. If an EMP happens I have no positive idea of what I would do.
 If cars still run she would have to cross two bridges and my only hope is she starts home immediately before others realize what has happened. If the cars don't run it might be all over because the kids are not preppers and also like my wife suffer from Normalsy Bias with the exception of one son who lives 30 miles away. Her whole family, everybody would panic big time.

Police state is an understatement. If the SHTF, NJ will be a massive blood bath because its the most densely populated state with basically three main roads out, the GSP, ACX and Turnpike. As it is now, one accident will stop traffic, imagine everyone in the state flooding those roads, the road rage, the countless accidents, it will be a nightmare.

[JohnyMac]

Talking about NJ JoJo. May I be so bold as to suggest your wife/family borrows  a sailboat and head south to Rehoboth via the Atlantic. Then work inland. Or through the canal.

Keep in mind if a boat has a older diesel engine which most sailboats and a lot of 'V' bottom trawler types do, no electronic ignition. I have started diesel engines thousands of miles from land when some idiot left the batteries and there was not enough juice to turn over the engine.

Just thinking out loud her folks.   

[JoJo]

 Jm the Mispillion or the Broadkill rivers would be a lot closer than the Rehoboth canal.