Small White Cottage
July 9, 2023 by Linda Loosli 41  Comments ,

15 Reasons Why You Do Not Want To Bug Out

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I’m sharing 15 reasons why you do not want to bug out. First of all, I have never liked the word bug out. For years we have heard we need a 72-hour kit either from your local church, county, or state agencies. Frankly, they are less than optimum when natural disasters or a doomsday event happens.

Yes, they will be fine for a day or two if you haul water with them. I’m coming on pretty strong today because I am sick and tired of seeing negative comments on Facebook that have to do with our government.

A Small Home in a Neighborhood.

I’m pretty opinionated in my views, but you will NEVER see them on Facebook. I have better things to do with my time. This is an updated post, I’m hoping some new followers will learn something from this article.

Okay, I better step down off my soapbox and explain why I will not bug out or leave my home after a disaster unless there’s an evacuation directive given. If my house caves in after an earthquake, yes, I’ll have to leave, that’s another story.

If and when we go to war things will change, we even need to be ready for disputes within our own country.

Possibly, even our neighborhoods. Maybe “war” is a bit strong, but oh my gosh, I would hate to live by some of the people who are making negative and threatening statements on Facebook or blogs and websites.

Storms I Have Lived Through

I have lived through a tornado in Illinois, an ice storm in Illinois, major flooding in Utah, and horrendous winds in Utah. I’ve bailed water from flooded homes and sandbagged many houses over the years.

I was very concerned about where I lived in the St. George, Utah area because I lived fairly close to a major freeway and the government indicated it would be a main evacuation route if things got tough in SoCal or Vegas.

I can bet you right now we will have riots on that freeway when a major disaster hits! The county where I lived has warned us about this. It’s the main thoroughfare for California and Nevada heading to northern Utah. I now live in Northern Utah, and although there are certainly safety issues with a large city, in many ways, I feel safer now.

The county is expecting 400,000 to 500,000 people to head to Utah if the west coast has issues, and I think there is a good chance it will. There is no other place to go, they will head this way.

72 Hour Scenario

I’ve told you before about the first 72 hours after a disaster. For the first 24 hours, the lights will go out because we’ll have no power. We may look across the street to see if the neighbors have power, nope, it’s dark there too.

Think twice before you flush those toilets it may back up into your house. Run some water in the sink first to ensure the sewer lines are still working.

Just giving you the heads-up here. If you don’t have an emergency toilet, you better get one NOW, and a shovel to bury the refuse away from any water source.

In the next 24 hours, we’ll be checking with our neighbors to see what’s going on. We may get an alert IF the disaster is only in our neighborhood.

If you haven’t registered your cell phone with your city or county please do it today. Just Google Reverse 911 with your city or county. You’ll then follow the instructions to add your phone number to the emergency database.

Hopefully, your neighbors have stored some food and water because the local grocery stores will be empty within 48 hours, or less. I can picture checking on a few of my neighbors, unless, of course, it’s a pandemic. Then I’ll not leave my home.

Read More of My Articles  12 Tips Old Preppers Can Teach New Preppers

Walkie-Talkies

In my neighborhood, I could only get two other families to purchase good walkie-talkies so we could communicate if we had to stay in our homes.

I taught a class once and this is the set the search and rescue team suggested we all get. I’ve seen these at Costco sometimes as well. Walkie Talkies

The next 24 hours people are going to start getting agitated, if they haven’t already. Here’s the deal, some people are prepared, but most are not prepared for any disaster or unforeseen emergency.

I have had people say, “I’m going to Linda’s during or after a disaster.” Really? You may want to think again.

I can’t feed the neighborhood or supply enough water for everyone. It’s not going to happen. I have asked many neighbors to get prepared for the unexpected. Some have followed my advice and many, many have not. Do I get discouraged, sure I do! Some people think the government will take care of them.

Some people believe that faith in their church will carry them through anything. When people get hungry, they get mean. I’m saying mean. They will do anything to feed and hydrate their family.

Today, I am begging you to see if you can get your neighborhood to be prepared. I feel like screaming from my rooftop to warn people, but history has shown just a few are listening.

A lot of my readers leave me comments they are prepared, or at least working on it. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You rock, but I have probably told you that before! I don’t have a tent, bunker, trailer, camper, house, or shelters of any kind in the woods away from civilization as a bugout location or destination I can use. That’s why I plan to use my current location, my house, as my go-to solution to “weather the storm.”

So, here are my thoughts today on why you don’t want to bug out unless you have the means and resources to do it.

15 Reasons Why You Do Not Want To Bug Out

  1. Your house would be your safest bet to keep you from the weather, hot or cold. I may have told you about my friend who purchased a tent that would fit 8-10 people. I couldn’t even get that box in my only car, a Honda CRV. Nope, it would not fit. I am not buying a tent as a long term solution. Period.
  2. Our homes hopefully have the food we have stored for emergencies. A challenge with my car as a bug-out vehicle is its size. I don’t have room for lots of gear and supplies for any extended period even if I did have a backup place to go.
  3. Our homes should have water stored to go with that food and to keep our family hydrated. I do have a large basement with a storage room for lots of stuff.
  4. I have a comfortable bed and mattress in my home and will sleep better than a cot or in a sleeping bag in a tent. Even if the power goes out, I have a stash of blankets and extra clothes for warmth. There are also multiple bathrooms if one happens to become inoperable.
  5. I have the cooking devices I’ll need to prepare meals or boil water.
  6. I have an emergency toilet complete with bags, kitty litter, and lots of toilet paper if the sewer systems can’t be used. I made “family cloth” fabric pieces that are ready to use once the toilet paper runs out. I cut flannel into 9-inch squares. Personal hygiene is important all the times, particularly during emergency situations.
  7. I have three different ways in my home to wash and rinse my clothes. Yep, I even have a clothesline.
  8. I have fuel stored in my garage that is not flammable, and propane in my yard that is flammable and ready to use.
  9. I have all my kitchen supplies with pans, Dutch ovens, my Sun Oven, etc., right here at home.
  10. I have all the first aid supplies at my fingertips. I could suture a bad cut if I need to do that.
  11. I have the tools, shovels, etc., right here ready to use. I have so many essentials in my emergency kit, like flashlights, extra batteries, a lantern, and headlamps to see in the dark. I also have first aid kit items in case someone gets hurt.
  12. I have solar power ready to power up my Bosch bread maker or my wheat grinder. Of course, if I have no power I have a hand crank wheat grinder ready to start cranking to grind the hard white wheat I have stored. I still have my large stainless steel bowl to make bread by hand. I love that bowl. By the way, my mom used to have one to make her bread. If you don’t have one, get one. Stainless Steel Bowl
  13. It’s safer being at home unless of course we have an earthquake and our home is flattened. If you think going up to the mountains to survive is going to be safer, think again. The terrain can be tough to negotiate. We don’t know what’s in the mountains, are there dangerous people up there looking for food or water? You may run into strangers who are not friendly. You may become a target with little defense to protect yourself, think about that. There’s also the likelihood of wildfire events in the mountains too.
  14. The roads may not be safe to drive, even if you can get gas for your car. You may remember I used to say to keep your gas tank half full. Now, I recommend no less than 3/4 full. Those fuel pumps at the gas stations don’t work without electricity. If you do have to leave, I hope you’ve checked that spare tire and have kept your vehicle emergency kit up to date.
  15. Please get together with your neighbors and see if you can put a plan together to help each other. People will get mean when they have no food or water after a disaster. You’ll be safer at home with all the preps you have been gathering over the years. Your neighborhood is YOUR community, we must work together.
  16. You should have all your critical documents available if you need them. Things like insurance policies, copies of stocks and bonds, copies of wills and medical information, and so much more.
  17. Depending on their age, your kids are likely to be safer at home too.
Read More of My Articles  20 Ways to Use Old Sneakers for Emergency Prepping

Final Word

May God bless this world, we have major issues coming. If we are prepared we will not be afraid. I am prepared for anything that comes my way. I hope our neighbors don’t plan to depend on us for survival. We must all bring something to the table. The government will not be able to help everyone right away. There are not enough medical personnel to take care of our entire community.

Trust, me on that one. I took a C.E.R.T. class and the county gave us the statistics. Our city in southern Utah had like 180 beds in the hospital. Yes, the medical personnel will make do in schools and churches, but we must be able to take care of our own medical needs until help arrives. Please take some classes and buy this book. I call it my medical bible. If we don’t have power a Kindle version will not work. Medical Handbook

Please buy my book before you need it: “Prepare Your Family For Survival” by Linda Loosli. My book is available worldwide online and in every bookstore. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for trying to be prepared for the unexpected. May God Bless this world, Linda

Survival Food Storage

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41 Comments

  1. I’ve only got one neighbor interested that is a decent person. The rest aren’t interested or are not quality people and some may even become issues. A few will leave immediately because they do that now when storms come in. That’s actually good for me as it expands my buffer zone.
    The ole “I’m coming to your place”. You gotta be very firm in “no your not unless you bring a lot of something to the table otherwise your a threat and I gotta kill ya”.
    Yes it’s harsh and yes I know what it makes me. Probably not what you think it does though. It makes me a man who doesn’t want to kill folks he knows. I got enough mental issues.
    Bugging out is hard. In the Army we “jumped” all the time. With the majority of soldiers being trained and only a percentage not it is still very hard physically, resource wise and exhausting in leadership.
    Have a bugout plan and please make a load out list. You won’t remember everything in the moment.
    I haven’t gone to any classes in years. I became disgruntled after attending and even teaching and “preppers” showed up unprepared. It’s a hobby more than real.

    Reply

    1. Hi Matt, great comment as always. I like the term it gives me a buffer zone. I love it! I know what you mean when you say “preppers” come to classes or whatever and are unprepared. The bug out plan is awesome. I have a list of things to grab if I have to leave in minutes in case of an evacuation. You for sure have an advantage of having learned skills in the military. I wish we were neighbors. Happy Sunday! Linda

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      1. The last time I moved my family and one other guy helped move “the stuff” before everyone else showed up to help us move the rest of our stuff.
        It took a15ft trailer and pickup bed loaded to the max. This didn’t include my camper, clothes, meds, batteries, fuel, generator etc. that would need to go on a bug out. This was just preparedness stuff I didn’t want my coworkers seeing.
        It’s sparked a lot of conversation among us about the reality of bugging out.
        So my question to those reading this is how much preparedness “stuff” do you have that you would need to go? Do you have the vehicles to do it? How long would it take you and only you to load it? Now will you need to go help others load up or vice versa?

        This will play deeply into bugging out because very few of us have a true supplied retreat.
        We’ve yet to discuss convoy procedures, advanced party or timeframes in setting up camp.

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        1. Hi Matt, this is such a great comment because I think about this all the time. I have one car, a Honda CRV and it cannot haul much of anything. It would take several trucks to haul “my stuff”. This is why I’m bugging in if at all possible. Great comment! Linda

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          1. Thank you for another thoughtful article about family preparedness and Safety. I know from personal experience that Bug out bags are necessary for family Safety.I have an Apocaplyse Box in my car at all times. I think the glamour factor in Bugging Out is overrated. It seems to appeal to young super fit former military types who shop REI for the latest trendy gear. The rest of us would be better served Sheltering in Place unless common sense tells us to Evacuate. Hiking is not something I want to do unless absolutely necessary. Though i keep hiking boots for each family member. I love my nest and intend to stay put as long as possible.
            I did visit a friend in Portland during the riots. She was at End of Life and I did Hospice care. Imagine my surprise to discover no preps at her Home. I immediately went to Hardware store and purchased a drill and deck screws and large pieces of plywood to secure every window. When riots started and they set the police station on fire there was not any supplies available in hardware stores then. I am glad I listened to the Holy Spirit, trusted my gut and prepared. Her home was safe and secure while “protesters ” demostrated 150 feet away. I posted my latest marksman sillouete tarket on door and a ” Guarded by Smith and Wesson ” sign facing protestors.I took turns guarding the house all night with her husband. We were only house on block not robbed and looted. We were watching the police station burn and nothing was done to stop it. It was unbelievable and in 6months I never saw one police officer patrolling downtown Portland. We were 100% on our own. Then they LEGALIZED ALL DRUGS AND LET INMATES OUT OF JAILS AND PRISIONS. There were Homeless Junkies shooting up on street in broad daylight, sleeping on sidewalks, people 15 deep living and sleeping on sidewalks.You could not walk on sidewalks. Garbage and human waste , feces everywhere. Total breakdown of civility and not shown truthfully on television news. Go watch YouTube see riots in Seattle CHOP and Portland. If you have windows get plywood and drill and be prepared to defend your preps with precious metals ….lead if need be. The Revolution is coming and has already hit Seattle and Portland . My WWII Vetran Father warned me about this . He would say ” Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition”. Quit worrying about your neighbors. Do a risk assessment and be prepared to DEFEND your family. Lose lips sink ships. Who do you think they will come to when the spit hits the fan? If they are not for you they are against you. If you have a community of like minded families that is great. But in Liberal area or High Crime inner city be very careful who you tell that you have preps. Lose lips sink ships. Be prepared to be Bold as we are in Age of Dellusion. Hold the Lantern and Light The Way. I am sending Love and Hugs from Washington State, USA, Jeanne of In Loving Hands Counseling.

          2. Hi Jeanne, oh my gosh, I LOVE LOVE LOVE your comment. I totally agree with you. Who would have ever guessed in the USA that we would have to board up our windows for safety from humans, weather related storms, yes, of course. WOW! You nailed it my friend, thank you for sharing! I’m going to write the same thing on my window coverings as you did for your friend. My daughter was just approached by a homeless person (it appeared he was on meth) in her truck leaving work. He came right up to her window yielding a knife, He slashed one of her brand new tires, thankfully she was not hurt, physically but emotionally yes indeed. Orange, California, I wish she would move closer to us but her job and son keep her down there. Stay safe, Linda

    3. Matt, years ago I used to encourage others to ‘stock up’, have some kind of emergency plan in place. Pretty much I got the same response of ‘coming to my place’. I told those people they should come here Now, learn how to do stuff. And for my 2 sisters, their adult children, I did tell them to come to my rural home. As we are now getting older, it will be vital to have the younger set with us. It will be vital too for the young ones to have the knowledge we older ones can share. I’m only 59 but have had some health issues but can still teach skills, if not able to do myself. My biggest fear is EMP, and how one could affect cars.

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      2. Hey Linda! I seldom comment anymore but still read your articles. This article was written in 2019, I believe before the pandemic? (Virus found in December of ’19). Whew, that caused problems much like you talk about. Now, 4 yrs later, frankly Nothing has changed in most mindsets, let alone in behaviors, even though all of us were affected. Still are, with the inflation rate. That’s not a political statement. I too am (still) tired of the vitreous of the blame game. I don’t care who is in power, it’s up to individuals to prepare for themselves for ‘just in case’.
        My life certainly changed as I aged, along with my immediate family. As my youngest son and grandson (2 yrs apart, lol) moved out, and my job changed, I no longer needed an office, so I have rented 3 rooms to lodgers. I explain to each of them that I have ‘food insecurity ‘ hence my shelf stable food stuffs. These 3 guys are used to living ‘up north rural’ so they totally get my extra water, oil lamps and 2 wood burners.

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        1. Hi Wendy, I know this is why I republished it! I did add some new information but it’s hard I still do not understand why people do not “get it”. Even some of my own family members. They tease me when I buy a few extra cans (10) of my favorite canned goods. Well, Mark and i will be set, I hope the world gets it soon. I’m getting emails (about 2-3) a week from readers asking or telling me their credit card limits are being reduced drastically. Here comes the year 2005-2008 all over again. I didn’t live during the Great Depression, but I owned my own mortgage company for about 15 years. When “Countrywide” started closing Home Equities I knew something was coming and it was not good. Then all BANK credit card balances were called due on demand or limits drastically reduced. Then Countrywide and other HUGE banks closed down. So many banks closed or were bought out by other banks. Linda

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  2. Hi,
    Two products that are absolute must have is Activz Liquid silver and their silver gel. We have been using these for the Last 3 years. great to use daily , will help you from getting sick.
    My grandson broke out with a bad rash a couple of years ago and was over to our house. we put the
    silversol gel on him several times that day. Our daughter called us the next day and the rash was gone. His other grandmother had seen him with the full rash, then saw him the next day and could NOT beileve it had cleared up that fast.
    At that time he called it the itchy cream. They also have a silver facial cream and silver hand cream.

    One story I remember reading about silver a while ago happened in the 1800’s. a major pandemic broke out, people stayed home and locked their doors. People who had pure silver cups survived
    and other people died.
    Right now the Jimbakker show.com has the silver sol liquid on sale . It is normally $40 for a 16 oz bottle.
    Running a special for 6 for $155. Made with Purified silver 60mcg and deionized water. I just received my 6 bottles expires Feb 2020.

    There is also silver soothing throat lozenges ,made with nano-silver, honey &peppermint essential oil. These are also on sale right now.

    Reply

    1. Hi Brenda, I love your comment because I’m a firm believer in silver products. I really wish more people would try them. Great comment! Thank you for sharing your story about your grandson. I love it! Linda

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    2. I make my own silver and it works great, but WAY less costly. I am looking into how to make a gel form. It would probably stay more stable.

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  3. Linda ~ as I have told you before, I have tried to teach my neighbors about getting prepared. There are so many excuses that it is mind boggling. And, yes, some of my neighbors have said they are coming to my apartment. I told them that they would have to bring their bedding to sleep on the floor, all of their non-perishable foods and LOTS of money. They always ask why the money. I tell them that they are not using my resources without payment. And, if said neighbors are unsavory types, they will be met with a gun in their face. I would prefer to stay in place if possible but I am also ready to bug out if that is the way to go.

    Matt ~ I am a primitive camper and I can load my SUV with all of my camping/survival gear as well as food and water in a matter of a couple of hours. I generally take my time loading but push come to shove, 2 hours tops. I keep my gear organized in bins and while I don’t take all my stored food when I go camping, it is all in one place so to speak and easily loaded.

    Keep preparing and keep telling people to prepare! Another thing is that most governmental agencies and the Red Cross are advising 7-14 days of preps. 72 hour preps just won’t cut it anymore. And I tell people who say they cannot afford to prepare – get one or two extra cans/boxes/bags of soup/pasta/beans. I saw a post somewhere where a guy made up a 1 month (or maybe it was 1 year) supply of stored food: spaghetti noodles, sauce mix and canned parmesan cheese for dinners; pancake mix and syrup for breakfast; and tuna pouches and crackers for lunches. While this might have been the cheap way to go, it would also be very boring. AND the rotation would likely be a nightmare! Something to think about though. I have canned and boxed goods that I rotate all the time as they are things I eat on a regular basis. I also have FD foods that I use as a back up if I run out of something and don’t have the money to go to the store. But keeping at least a 4-6 month supply of non-perishables is my insurance plan.

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  4. I live in a small town so most of the problems will be minimal for those around me. We have had gatherings about preparedness and some think we will be taken care of and others think some of us are nuts.
    Other than a tornado our natural disasters are limited. I have plans to stay at home until not feasible. My bugout locations are with friends or near them. We all know how to do without and are ready for this scenario. People are the loose cog in the mechanism. How they will act or react.

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    1. HI Cheef, you are really lucky to have a place to bug out with friends if you need to bug out. It’s all about planning before a disaster or unforeseen emergency. I applaud you!! Linda

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  5. Reverse 911 is not available in our area – what we have is Nixle. We get notifications on areas to avoid because of traffic accidents, police activity, washed out roads, etc.. It’s great!

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  6. Hi Linda,
    Thank you so much for your, “Prepare Your Family for Survival,” book! It is full of valuable, practical information, and has been a great resource for preparing for emergencies! We have a responsibility to take care of ourselves and our families by being prepared, and there is a sense of accomplishment in knowing you have done all you can to prepare your family and help others that you are able to help (and trust God through it all.)
    My mother was raised on a farm in South Dakota during the Great Depression, so she and her family knew the reality of hard times and they had to live using all the “pioneer” skills you talk about. She said their family never went hungry, as many others during that time did.
    She and my dad taught my siblings and I how to live frugally, to cook, bake, sew, garden, can and freeze food, and hunt. We made laundry soap from lye (made from ashes.) We hung out our clothes on a clothes line, even in the winter in the Midwest. The clothes would sometimes freeze & you had to bring them in and stand them in front of a radiator to finish drying. Though I have a washer and dryer now, and don’t make lye soap, I am so grateful for all she taught us and for having all of these skills!
    I have taught my daughters most of them, also, and now am working with the grandkids!
    We now live in Seattle, so when we had the heavy snow last month and also lost power, we were prepared with lanterns, camp stove, easy to prepare food, cell phone chargers. We were able to help some others who were not prepared. The grocery shelves were literally cleaned out in one day prior to the predictions of the second snow. How great to have what we needed on hand, and not have to try to get to a store and wait in line for up to 2 hours to just buy what happened to be available!
    God Bless you for helping others prepare for any type of situation!

    Reply

    1. Hi Jan, thank you for your kind words. They mean so much to me. Oh my goodness, that snow in Seattle (I watched the TV) was unbelievable! I love hearing you were raised with skills you have passed down to your kids and grandkids. Kudos to you and your mom and grandma!!! I’m so glad you mentioned the stores were empty in one day, people need to hear this firsthand. I personally saw the empty stores when I was 16. I swore that would never happen to my family, and it never has. I can’t imagine waiting in line for two hours to get food or water, I hope people learn from this comment to be prepared before they need to be. Thanks for sharing your story! I LOVE it! Linda

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  7. Y2K started me with prepping. At the time it wasn’t called that. Fanatic seems to come to mind. About 10 years ago we got serious about it and started reading on how and what to prep. We have since sold our house and downsized. A lot. So for the last five years now we have been preparing a place for our family to come to if need be. A homestead of sorts.
    I would like to think nothing will happen but, that doesn’t seem likely. EMP, nuclear, storms, war, etc. This spring we will build a storm shelter/ root cellar. Our garden has gotten big and I have been working on skills for survival with no or little electricity. I think we will be ok unless we get a direct attack from someone or something. We are in our 70’s. We are healthy and still kind of strong. Never to late to make plans and prepare. Never to late to start. If nothing else our family will have someplace safe to go. If you haven’t started it is time to begin. Just some basics are better than none. Water, canned foods, snacks, can opener and so it begins…
    Thank you Linda for so much info. Love it.

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    1. Hi Mary, I’m 69 so I can totally relate. Mark will be 73. It’s so funny because I remember being prepared before it was called prepping!! AND I remember Y2K!! I love hearing how you have downsized and are preparing for what comes your way. I feel an urgency to get my garden enlarged. I’m concerned about an EMP, it’s inevitable. Our power grid is so antiqued we must be ready to do things without power. May God bless you and your family. We can do this! Linda

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  8. Go, Linda! I too am tired of the negative stuff on internet sites, FB, and All the news channels. I laughed at your comments about ‘tenting’ it. I’m with you there. I have a tent but that’s for fun camping, not a backup home. Might be ok to sleep in, sit in shade if electricity goes out…as to going into a strange area, as ‘bugging out’ implies, seems dangerous or just silly to me. Well, unless a person has a second home, well-stocked. It’s better to stay, if possible, in a person’s own home where you know what you have on hand. You know something about neighbors, even natural resources. And, this is why I have a get home bag in my car: home is where I will land and stay!

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  9. Hi Linda, great post as usual. I really need your book to add to my “collection”. I have recently moved to a small mountain town and there a lot of “preppers” here. One of the people I met suggested I read William Fortschen’s book “One Second After”. It is about an EMP attack and how the main character, his family and his community deal with the aftermath. Linda, it scared the you-know-what out of me! It is very eye-opening and everyone needs to read it. For those that think they can hunt or fish to survive, you see that isn’t true for very long. Those that need medication to survive had better stockpile their meds and you see why in this book. The author was only going to write the one book but his readers clamored for a sequel (One Year Later). It doesn’t get any easier to read, nor does his third book (The Final Day)!

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    1. Hi Pam, yes I read that book, One Second After. It’s not my favorite book, it dragged too long. It does talk about the cars that won’t work and the insulin you may not be able to get. My favorite book was written by Ted Koppel. “Lights Out”, it’s real-time issues we will have to deal with. Our country is so behind the times. One Second After is fine, but it doesn’t touch the real issues like Ted Koppel’s book. God bless this country. Linda

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  10. I am bugging I , yes I am prepared, been at it for 3 years. My question is, Won’t the sewer back up in your drains with people still flushing toilets with what ever water they have? The sewer system is run by your city or county if you have no electric for a period of time it will not function, hence backing up in your home, that is unsanitary. Just a thought . if you have a well and septic your golden.

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    1. Hi Pamela, yes, if you lose power the sewer lines will not work. I checked with my city/county and they do have a generator but when it runs out of fuel we will be on our own. I am located above the sewer line drains but those below will get flooded with sewer before me. But, in any case, we will not want to use our toilets and therefore I have emergency toilets. We will not be able to shower, etc. If we had a septic tank it would be golden for sure. Linda

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  11. As far as bugging out, won’t all the highways and side roads be crammed with people in cars and RVs attempting to flee? I can imagine thousands of vehicles sitting bumper to bumper for days, going nowhere. Then the cars, etc. get abandoned compounding the backup, because you can’t live in the car sitting there day after day. Bugging in seems to be the only sane solution.

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  12. I agree with staying at your home for as long as possible. You only have 24 hours to get out in most case before the roads get jammed. Many look at us and think we are crazy for talking about prepping or stocking up with medical supplies. If one is staying home, one should also have defensive weapons and ammo to protect the home. The ones that laughed will be out to take by force your supplies for their own needs. It may become necessary to barter with neighbors for supplies that you may need. The 72 hour kits will get you by if we are talking about short term emergencies. I am ready for short or long term plans. I do have a short term bug out bag packed to have something to grab and go in a hurry. It will be good for about 6 days. I use 5 gal. plastic pails with lids to keep rice, beans, etc. in long term storage. I have collapsible water jugs to fill in a hurry in advance. Fill the bath tubs and everything you can with water. I have full medical bags that can treat everything including trauma. I have various ways to cook, shower and treat water if it came down to it. I could go on and on but it would become a book. Many survival skills people can learn from u-tube channels as well. Each situation will require a different plan. My last comment will be that all families should have a emergency plan. Everyone should know where to meet in case of an emergency. Sorry for being so long. Your articles are always full of information and I enjoy reading them.

    Reply

    1. HI Kerry, thank you for your kind words, my friend. I LOVE LOVE LOVE your comment. I really love hearing that people are prepared for the unexpected. This tells me they understand the city, county, state, the American Red Cross, or whatever cannot possibly take care of everyone. They will not deliver water and food. It’s not going to happen. I saw a family on the news this last winter where there was so much snow the families could not get out to get food. REALLY? Good grief, if you know a storm is coming get prepared. No one delivers food and water. We need protection that’s for sure, we need skills as well. You are awesome and keep up the good work! Linda

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  13. Linda:

    I have told you of our preparations. But you never said they were good or bad. I know that the food and water are good. With 5 chest freezers and 6 refrigerator freezers. I am also stocking up water. We have 5 gallon jugs that we use for water and I want to buy more so that we are well stocked. Something you did not mention if they were a good idea. I respect your Opinion

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  14. What a great article! I also dislike the term ‘bug out’, I’m also not that fond of the term ‘pepper’, as it conjures up visions of someone living behind bunkers etc.. I decided a while ago that I have no place to bug out to that is better than where we presently live. It isn’t perfect, and I believe we need to store more water (husband isn’t as in on this as I am), but I don’t know of a better place. Plus I’m too old to sleep in a tent lol.
    I’d be interested to know more about the silver products you referred to. And the walkie talkies sound like a good idea, I do, fortunately, live fairly close to some other family members.
    I refer to myself as a ‘Girl Scout’, Be Prepared!

    Reply

    1. Hi Suzanne, I agree, I don’t care for the words bug out or prepper. I’m a mom, and a grandma with skills to survive most any disaster. Now, I live on the Wasatch Fault line (Northern Utah) where an earthquake is way overdue so….. it depends on where it hits. I don’t worry about it because it’s out of my control. Mother Nature is charge of that. I’m too old to sleep in a tent as well. I love hearing you are Girl Scout and well prepared! Love it! Linda

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  15. Unless our house burns down, or we get hit with the mother of all flash floods–which are the only two natural disasters I can think of that would cause us to have to relocate–we will bug in, for all the reasons you mentioned.

    An EMP could also cause us to relocate as our town would no longer be able to pump water. We have a van with a 15′ long bed and a 15′ long closed trailer to pull behind it, so if we had enough time we could bring a LOT of stuff. The van is old enough it’s unlikely an EMP would disable it.

    One thought for those who might HAVE to bug out in a vehicle is to bring a siphon hose and a hand pump rated for fuel. That is unless you can get where you’re going on one tank.

    Reply

    1. Hi Ray, great tip on the hand pump to siphon gas. My little Honda CRV could go pretty far with a full tank. I’m more worried about our three power grids getting hit but an EMP of course would be bad as well. I have a friend who is in Cyber Security and his concerns are the power grids way before an EMP. He’s got the knowledge, more so than me. Hank Brown: https://amzn.to/46LIuGo and https://amzn.to/44JUwhO
      Hank Brown (copy and pasted from LinkedIn)
      PMP, CISSP, MBA, LtCol USMC (ret)

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      United States Naval Academy
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      – Experience in Military Training, Logistics, Maintenance Management and Communications- Cyberspace Ops / Full Spectrum Security Professional – Portfolio Manager for 2 Cyberspace Operations Programs – VP Cyberspace Operations: Led proposal production as prime and sub-contractor – Managing Director for IT Services – PM for overseas cyber security assessment for Fortune 500 company acquisition in China – PM for 50-60 placements with international organization headquartered in Washington DC – Naval Academy graduate and instructor – MBA in Finance – Distinguished Graduate Amphibious Warfare School – Designed/ Implemented Joint Cyber Fires Process at USCYBERCOM. – TS/ SCI + – Integrated Joint Special Technical Operations (IJSTO)/ Special Access Programs (SAPs) – Small Arms Expert in Firearms Handling and Training – Experience in Military Training, Logistics, Maintenance Management and Communications

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