What makes a good BOL "Bug Out Location?"

[doug1980]

What are some of the criteria that makes up a good Bug Out Location, for you, for both short and long term use? Does it have to be in the mountains miles away from civilization? Does it have to be hidden? Should it be your personal property? Do you even have a BOL? Should it be fairly close to home?

 

[E5RANGER375]

if i told you then it wouldnt be a good BOL anymore now would it?

so thats my answer:

"What makes a good BOL "Bug Out Location?" "

tight lips!!!

 

[doug1980]

LOL well that is true. But I don't want the actual location, I have my own, several actually. But in all reality I doubt I will be able to get to them when or if needed.

 

[E5RANGER375]

lol, i know but if i tell you details it wont be hard to guess. i have a couple lined up, just in case. i deffinately wouldnt recommend bugging out to a family members house because you will be easy to find if your being sought.

i'll give you a hint. Think common places that mobs of people will have no use for once SHTF. no not a grocery store, lol. Mo fo's will be stopping in them 2 years after a SHTF incident, hoping, lol.

and no not the woods. although you may need to spend some time in the woods till you get to your final BOL.

things to look for:

security
good visibility for you
solid structure
multiple exits
resources close by, even after SHTF, there will be plenty of resources availible
...... i have said enough. I dont mean to be rude.

 

[doug1980]

lol, i know but if i tell you details it wont be hard to guess. i have a couple lined up, just in case. i deffinately wouldnt recommend bugging out to a family members house because you will be easy to find if your being sought.

i'll give you a hint. Think common places that mobs of people will have no use for once SHTF. no not a grocery store, lol. Mo fo's will be stopping in them 2 years after a SHTF incident, hoping, lol.

and no not the woods. although you may need to spend some time in the woods till you get to your final BOL.

things to look for:

security
good visibility for you
solid structure
multiple exits
resources close by, even after SHTF, there will be plenty of resources availible
...... i have said enough. I dont mean to be rude.

Now see you have the right idea. Most people think that heading out into the bush is the best idea, but they have no idea just how difficult it is to survive there. Staying in an Urban environment is much better in my opinion.

 

[techres]

2+ tanks of gas range from any city of 30K or more residents. And that only will delay the arrival of a mass migration.

 

[jd4320t]

If it's something major I'm guessing I won't be able to make it out of the city. So, I have a few places around my area that already have some security(perimeter fence) set up that I would choose. If I can't make it from home then my basement would have to do. Since I'm alone the trick would be getting some like minded people to be on my side which might be hard in my area. A big plus for me is there are PLENTY of women around who might need my help

 

[6birds]

2+ tanks of gas range from any city of 30K or more residents. And that only will delay the arrival of a mass migration.

That's a good start.

Doug, think of it this way. If it's a midwest earthquake, with bridges falling, or invasion by Mexico, to get the rest of our jobs, you MAY not be able to scram. Planning a short term ride close to home if fast and easier to prep for, and you're not trying to move all your gear cross country. We can bug-in for months, and with several large families close by, that part of our plan is ready.

A different scenario is economic collapse, where social rules and stability slowly crumble as sheep get angry with the government's slow solutions to infrastructure problems (think post Katrina-New Orleans over a 12-15 state region, over 3-6 months). Sheep everywhere, waiting for someone to "save" them.
There's a perfect opportunity to bug out of town (at least where i am now) and get to your ammo dump before it gets really mean. We have a place in northern WI, an off-grid hunting camp, and if we can get there, that's where we'll be to ride out a longer term situation, with my large family living all around us. That part of the plan is also ready, but with the risk of having to drive 600 miles to get there, may be a longer shot.

Hope that helps.

 

[patton487]

I found an interesting short story called "The Bug Out" heres a link:
The Bug Out - A short story - THR

A little disturbing, and propably what will end up happening to most. Cities first, but eventually it will make its way to rural areas.

 

[cosermann]

A good bugout location is one that maximizes mitigation of the various risks involved for a particular "situation." Therefore, there is no one answer.

 

[Dr Falken]

Here again, I think it all depends on what flavor of SHTF. I guess I really like the Rawlesian idea of living fulltime at your BOL. That way you maximize your resourses and time to build it up, and you know your systems are sustainable, for the most part. This would negate the actual "bug out" when the ballon goes up, or if your trying to decide if it's going up...much as in the story "The Bug Out". On the other hand, if you've found yourself on the wrong side of the law, being able to go someplace and get money and supplies would be real handy... So why aren't you living at your BOL? Should you be? Why risk the the trip during a SHTF situation getting there.

I think that there are a few schools of thought on what a BOL ahould be. In my mind, it would be a homestead or farm, but with maybe better security and location, with systems for food, water and energy harvesting and well thought out supplies, but it would have to be a place that I can live at with my family.

 

[tweekie1]

From were i am at. I think I would hit it to Holt road and Minn av by the guard post. At least they have the fire power to keep out the MNZ. Being a mechanic,I could probly get in for free.(hope) With a daugter and son as ex milt I would think that would be our best shot. We have no place to bug out to being so far into the center of the city and not a lot of money to set up a place. There are probly a lot of people like me who work everyday to pay the bills and don't have a whole lot left over. Thats the plan we have set up and all I can do is hope it works out. I at least have made sure all my kids have there ltc and have #1 beretta Storm,#2 sig 2022 and #3 sig 2022 on them at all times.
tweekie1

 

[longbow]

Techres-2 plus gas tanks......Wish I could do that.

I have to make a stand at my place. 4 hours in the car and my wife is a mess for a day an half.

I need to look harder for a larger cave entrance in my area....I know there is one, just haven't seen it open up yet.

 

[flatlander]

2+ tanks of gas range from any city of 30K or more residents. And that only will delay the arrival of a mass migration.

Not to be an a$$ but...
That means a MIN of 600 miles from any town/ city of 30k or more. With that criteria I would end up in the desert or some such place. The Midwest is out as well as pretty much anything east of the Mississippi. Now the problem is...how do I get there after the event? ...move there now?
The theory is nice but the practicality of it troubling to say the least. I'd love to be able to do that but it just doesn't seem to be in the cards for me.
Just sayin'
YMMV
Bob

 

[indysafe317]

I would love to find just a few acres in Southern Indiana for a good price that don't have restrictions. Any thoughts or suggestions

 

[TiminMishawaka]

I would love to find just a few acres in Southern Indiana for a good price that don't have restrictions. Any thoughts or suggestions

Check craigslist. I've found a couple deals on a couple acres posted by a farmer occasionally. It's usually wooded and not good crop land which means less property taxes to them. It's still something you can put a cabin and garden on.

 

[TiminMishawaka]

Good thread. It's just me and the dog now. My BOL can literally be my pickup truck and wherever I get to with it. I'm in a 150,000 person city (SB/Mish combined) so I'm not in a primary target but what concerns me is my sisters and brother in law are (Chicago). I've already told them that if anything happens to drop everything and head here. I've got enough supplies here for everyone for quite some time. The hope is to get everyone here than caravan to Missouri to the family farm. The trick for that trip is going to be gas, which I haven't figured out yet. I would like a couple acres closer but I'm in the midst of trying to sell everything here to move to Florida in the next year or two so it doesn't make a whole lot of sense now. The hope when I get to Florida is to have something with canal to ocean access in the back yard so I can just load up the boat and go - floating BOL. After I get to Florida, sisters and brother in law are on there own which makes me a bit nervous because they're flat out sheeple.

 

[Dr Falken]

My wife has family in Southern Missouri and we've thought about that in a SHTF. Route planning would be critical, as well as gas. But you could have enough gas stored to do that (depending on distance). I think the biggest deal would be getting across the Mississippi and or the Missouri Rivers. They would be bottle neck/control points, or in the event of a New Madrid centered earthquake, compleately gone. As a matter of fact I think there was a Sci-Fi book on that very topic. Even in the best of times, one would definately have to avoid St. Louis.

I can appreciate worrying about the family members that live in Chicago. I have a few, and they should know better, but they want to stay in Chicago. I wish they would commit to at least coordinating with me if they have to bug out, so that way there could be planning and setting aside of items. Unless they gear up now, it will be too late for them when the realize that they can't G.O.O.D. Oh well, I try and plant the seed.

 

[TiminMishawaka]

Good point Doctor,
I do have family back in the sticks in the Alton, IL area that could be a stopping point if the Mississippi is nuts. The big problem with the Mississippi is for about 3/4 of Illinois, the main artery of getting across is through East St. Louis and St. Louis. I stay out of those areas as much as possible when the S is far from the fan much less when the slightest thing goes wrong. I know the back roads around Pike and Calhoun county well from my deer hunting days there but the other problem is most backroads don't have bridges that cross the Mississippi around there - it's a system of ferries and lord knows who will be controlling those.

Looking at a map, it looks like there's 3 viable alternatives to St. Louis - Chester, IL, Cape Girardeau, MO and Cairo, IL. Cape Girardeau is the most populated of the 3 and has only 1 bridge. Chester is the closest to overflow from St. Louis and has only 1 bridge. Cairo is the furthest south but has a relatively small population but has 2 bridges and a railroad bridge (my cousin proved a 4x4 bronco can cross a railroad bridge - now he's an engineer for Boeing, lord help us all). Looks like Cairo's it for getting to Missouri. Longer trip but 3 times as many ways of crossing the river dry. I was going to go fishing in Montauk this summer anyway. This will take me an hour or two out of the way but I think I'm going to drive the route all back roads and see what's on the way. I'll let you know what I find.

 

[Regionnus Rattis]

My kids are away at school and then there's the in-laws and my dad. So I have had to plan some intermediate BOL's and assembly locations, in the event of something major and loss of communication somehow, until we can group up.