Bugging out in the UK

[Yorkshire Andy]

Also, if it's another pandemic you may not be allowed to travel to your bug out location. During the lockdown I was stopped by the police on the A9 South of Inverness on my way home after a back shift. I'm sure they took a step backwards when I told them I was on my way home after working on a covid ward

[grenfell]

Also, if it's another pandemic you may not be allowed to travel to your bug out location. During the lockdown I was stopped by the police on the A9 South of Inverness on my way home after a back shift. I'm sure they took a step backwards when I told them I was on my way home after working on a covid ward

That's an interesting story . I can vaguely recall something on the news about people leaving London for holiday homes but much less so about people being actually stopped by the police. There was a lot less traffic as I recall so most people must have obeyed the order to stay put. Which must add another question into this whole bugging out/ running away thing of when to do as authorities say and when to bend the rules.
In all honesty I think bugging out is verging on fantasy.

[Nurseandy]

Yes, I don't know what the penalty would have been if I been driving around for a jolly? Lecture, fixed penalty, no idea. As it was I had my ID badge and they took my story at face value, presumably they could have phoned the hospital to verify it had they felt the need.

[Frnc]

In all honesty I think bugging out is verging on fantasy.

It is. It's a bit of escapism. I like to think of it as a mini-backpacking trip. I never stress over it. Prepping is part hobby, part real life useful. There's a small chance we might have to bug out. Maybe it's minute in the UK at the moment. But the UK and US governments advise you to have a bugout bag and plan, just in case. If preppers don't want to, that's up to them. Not all preppers think the same about everything. There's no right and wrong really.

There is also the 'get home' scenario, bug out in reverse. Or you could be bugged in but have to go out scavenging/foraging.

But there are lots of other more day to day scenarios that contain elements of outdoor survival, navigation, first aid etc. These are more likely if you do a lot of hill walking, backpacking, climbing etc. You carry survival equipment and sometimes need it. You get in situations that have increased risk. Even in a city you can be cold and wet, without a car, trying to get transport. You could check into a hotel, but maybe not if its 2am.

All my life I've had tents, outdoors gear, so to me, having a bugout bag is not much different to when I was younger and able to go backpacking, climbing etc. In fact when I got my bugout bag together I was thinking about trying to go backpacking again, but on a bike, as my knees aren't up to walking far.

[steptoe]

I think bugging out is getting to be a silly term really , we prep for reasons and one reason is that iuf we had to leave the house and move due to something out of our control we could survive out in the wild but bare in mind the wife and i both have major health issues so we plan on staying put in the house and have many protection and safety things in place not giving to much away or saying to much on defence but in the event of us looking like we would be over run say riots in our area we could load the car in the attached garge to the house and store area load all the stuff behind locked doors then the wife can get in the car start the car i could then remnove the locks and other bits jump in the frotn and she can then just drive out pushing the doors if people are the other side or if no one round we can just open and leave and lock the doors behind us .

I have stuff for us to be able to survive out of a house or building and in the car but also if the car took a hit we then have our grab bags and on top of them we then have ot factor in carrying the protection stuff if you get me , but again a fold up trolley 4 wheel type for all terrain is a bonus but again if we left here i would head to the remote areas locval look for a barn or deserted building to hold up in then regroup our thoughts and work from there but this bug out term is more a army way of speaking , to me it is just being ready for the worst and hope for the best .

Again we would hold the house as long as we can as it is easier to protect something tou know and in an area you roughly know than to go to an area you know nothing or no one if that makes sense .

[steptoe]

I think bugging out is getting to be a silly term really , we prep for reasons and one reason is that iuf we had to leave the house and move due to something out of our control we could survive out in the wild but bare in mind the wife and i both have major health issues so we plan on staying put in the house and have many protection and safety things in place not giving to much away or saying to much on defence but in the event of us looking like we would be over run say riots in our area we could load the car in the attached garge to the house and store area load all the stuff behind locked doors then the wife can get in the car start the car i could then remnove the locks and other bits jump in the frotn and she can then just drive out pushing the doors if people are the other side or if no one round we can just open and leave and lock the doors behind us .

I have stuff for us to be able to survive out of a house or building and in the car but also if the car took a hit we then have our grab bags and on top of them we then have ot factor in carrying the protection stuff if you get me , but again a fold up trolley 4 wheel type for all terrain is a bonus but again if we left here i would head to the remote areas locval look for a barn or deserted building to hold up in then regroup our thoughts and work from there but this bug out term is more a army way of speaking , to me it is just being ready for the worst and hope for the best .

Again we would hold the house as long as we can as it is easier to protect something tou know and in an area you roughly know than to go to an area you know nothing or no one if that makes sense .

I will add we did look at buying a rural plot hidden away and putting a couple of steel storage container on there hidden away but again if you think about using it as a retreat but anything left there is going to get found sooner or later and how do you secure it when the mod have disused nuclear bunkers huge places with huge doors and security and people get in them

[Frnc]

I think bugging out is getting to be a silly term really , we prep for reasons and one reason is that iuf we had to leave the house and move due to something out of our control we could survive out in the wild but bare in mind the wife and i both have major health issues so we plan on staying put in the house and have many protection and safety things in place not giving to much away or saying to much on defence but in the event of us looking like we would be over run say riots in our area we could load the car in the attached garge to the house and store area load all the stuff behind locked doors then the wife can get in the car start the car i could then remnove the locks and other bits jump in the frotn and she can then just drive out pushing the doors if people are the other side or if no one round we can just open and leave and lock the doors behind us .

I have stuff for us to be able to survive out of a house or building and in the car but also if the car took a hit we then have our grab bags and on top of them we then have ot factor in carrying the protection stuff if you get me , but again a fold up trolley 4 wheel type for all terrain is a bonus but again if we left here i would head to the remote areas locval look for a barn or deserted building to hold up in then regroup our thoughts and work from there but this bug out term is more a army way of speaking , to me it is just being ready for the worst and hope for the best .

Again we would hold the house as long as we can as it is easier to protect something tou know and in an area you roughly know than to go to an area you know nothing or no one if that makes sense .

I agree with all of that. I hadn't thought of a barn or deserted building as an initial place to look for, it did cross my mind as maybe a long term option. I have all my camping gear anyway. If I had to walk 30 miles I'd need it. I might even need it to cycle that, depending on circumstances, time of departure etc. I also have the option of just lying on a thin but strong plastic sheet (folds up tiny, 40g) with my poncho draped over me, or rigged with cord and trekking pole or trees or something.
You seem to have thought everything through logically. Bug in. Get out using the car if necessary. What to do if you have to abandon the car. I'm the same, but without the car. I thought about what to do if I have to abandon the bike or can't use it in the first place. The contents of my panniers will fit into my rucksack. I have collapsible water bottles as well as the hard ones on the bike so I could ditch the bike bottles.

[steptoe]

I agree with all of that. I hadn't thought of a barn or deserted building as an initial place to look for, it did cross my mind as maybe a long term option. I have all my camping gear anyway. If I had to walk 30 miles I'd need it. I might even need it to cycle that, depending on circumstances, time of departure etc. I also have the option of just lying on a thin but strong plastic sheet (folds up tiny, 40g) with my poncho draped over me, or rigged with cord and trekking pole or trees or something.
You seem to have thought everything through logically. Bug in. Get out using the car if necessary. What to do if you have to abandon the car. I'm the same, but without the car. I thought about what to do if I have to abandon the bike or can't use it in the first place. The contents of my panniers will fit into my rucksack. I have collapsible water bottles as well as the hard ones on the bike so I could ditch the bike bottles.

I will say i have been thinking of it my whole life really i grew up in the age of we use to go and live in the woods in summer time lol had camps all over the place and so on , i was a scout to so again i think it rubs off on you , the whole of my married life after i settled down shall we say my wife and i have always been of the mind set be ready for the worst and hope for the best .
We stock huge amounts of stuff we would never use but if it is in our house then if the world crumbles we will be okish and have a head start on most , as to the thinking on what to do yes i do plan because of my health and also my wifes health as well now we have to know whats going to happen , plus as i say we have always done it , when i was out of work we would buy extra tins in and then as i say again times got tough we had food in the cupboards and that all came from my accident in truth because before we use to just go shopping but well once i eneded up sort of house bound when the wife was working i got in the habbit of extra means better life.

I would say we could fill a transit van if we took everything to make life easy on the road but in best part we could load our car seat down with all the best stuff and again i see us holding this place unless riots took on and the streets got over run then may be we would move but other than that we have it all here plus again health wise it makes more sense stay put unless over run .

I do hope one day this group here and other likeminded we all mange to sort a coms system be it cb ot something to connect and collect the group and help each other if it was shtf world , i would hope we could all slowly collect the group and then support each other , people called me nutty and other names because of our stockpiling as they called it funny when the lockdowns happend we got asked oh you don't have some of this or that if you get me , in the local street we always help others because that is just us we buy treats for all the kids in the street easter and halloween and so on we do goody bags , i believe we all need to hel peach other but also there is the fact that by showing you can help them they would help you and as many did for us in lockdown when the wife and i could not go collect meds people did it for us , you will always get some that just take but that is the world .

It is funny people look at communes and think they are all there to help but in those worlds they get hangs on but in a shtf world i would like to think this group and extended family could all slowly collect if we had to and again support the unit as i like to look at this group , a bit like the army no one left behind and if someone is struggling and me driving to collect them to a safe place or bring them stock them with food to stay where they are we should .

People have said because i have been dead 10 times i must be an angel that god wants on the earth but i reply if you knew me as a teen i was terrible it is as we mature we learn , anyway rant over but again yes i think people will try and stay put unless again riots were to happen and a treat to you or family would mean leave .

In your case without a car you are limited but a bike is a bonus , have you looked at the new electric type i have no balance these days so need 3 or 4 wheels but if you can ride one those look good and you could use solar panel rigged to top it as you rode may be and i saw a guy going over 35mph on one and he did peddle a little on steep hills but other than that just sat there .

We did look at buying a large quad size bike that we coudl hook a small 4 wheel cart to and then have that on a trailer on the car so if the car goes we could hide the car in woods or something then use the bike to forage and so on but again it is to much so we looked at a shelter that can fitted to the back of the car liek a tent to make living in a car a little better we use to have a camper but wife could not drive it . i think we all have different ways but again if it went to hell in a hand cart if people from the group contacted for help i feel we would all band together and support each other .

[Frnc]

I agree with all of that. I hadn't thought of a barn or deserted building as an initial place to look for, it did cross my mind as maybe a long term option. I have all my camping gear anyway. If I had to walk 30 miles I'd need it. I might even need it to cycle that, depending on circumstances, time of departure etc. I also have the option of just lying on a thin but strong plastic sheet (folds up tiny, 40g) with my poncho draped over me, or rigged with cord and trekking pole or trees or something.
You seem to have thought everything through logically. Bug in. Get out using the car if necessary. What to do if you have to abandon the car. I'm the same, but without the car. I thought about what to do if I have to abandon the bike or can't use it in the first place. The contents of my panniers will fit into my rucksack. I have collapsible water bottles as well as the hard ones on the bike so I could ditch the bike bottles.

I will say i have been thinking of it my whole life really i grew up in the age of we use to go and live in the woods in summer time lol had camps all over the place and so on , i was a scout to so again i think it rubs off on you , the whole of my married life after i settled down shall we say my wife and i have always been of the mind set be ready for the worst and hope for the best .
We stock huge amounts of stuff we would never use but if it is in our house then if the world crumbles we will be okish and have a head start on most , as to the thinking on what to do yes i do plan because of my health and also my wifes health as well now we have to know whats going to happen , plus as i say we have always done it , when i was out of work we would buy extra tins in and then as i say again times got tough we had food in the cupboards and that all came from my accident in truth because before we use to just go shopping but well once i eneded up sort of house bound when the wife was working i got in the habbit of extra means better life.

I would say we could fill a transit van if we took everything to make life easy on the road but in best part we could load our car seat down with all the best stuff and again i see us holding this place unless riots took on and the streets got over run then may be we would move but other than that we have it all here plus again health wise it makes more sense stay put unless over run .

I do hope one day this group here and other likeminded we all mange to sort a coms system be it cb ot something to connect and collect the group and help each other if it was shtf world , i would hope we could all slowly collect the group and then support each other , people called me nutty and other names because of our stockpiling as they called it funny when the lockdowns happend we got asked oh you don't have some of this or that if you get me , in the local street we always help others because that is just us we buy treats for all the kids in the street easter and halloween and so on we do goody bags , i believe we all need to hel peach other but also there is the fact that by showing you can help them they would help you and as many did for us in lockdown when the wife and i could not go collect meds people did it for us , you will always get some that just take but that is the world .

It is funny people look at communes and think they are all there to help but in those worlds they get hangs on but in a shtf world i would like to think this group and extended family could all slowly collect if we had to and again support the unit as i like to look at this group , a bit like the army no one left behind and if someone is struggling and me driving to collect them to a safe place or bring them stock them with food to stay where they are we should .

People have said because i have been dead 10 times i must be an angel that god wants on the earth but i reply if you knew me as a teen i was terrible it is as we mature we learn , anyway rant over but again yes i think people will try and stay put unless again riots were to happen and a treat to you or family would mean leave .

In your case without a car you are limited but a bike is a bonus , have you looked at the new electric type i have no balance these days so need 3 or 4 wheels but if you can ride one those look good and you could use solar panel rigged to top it as you rode may be and i saw a guy going over 35mph on one and he did peddle a little on steep hills but other than that just sat there .

We did look at buying a large quad size bike that we coudl hook a small 4 wheel cart to and then have that on a trailer on the car so if the car goes we could hide the car in woods or something then use the bike to forage and so on but again it is to much so we looked at a shelter that can fitted to the back of the car liek a tent to make living in a car a little better we use to have a camper but wife could not drive it . i think we all have different ways but again if it went to hell in a hand cart if people from the group contacted for help i feel we would all band together and support each other .

My balance is bad, or at least not great these days. After I ordered the bike I worried it might be an issue. But once you are going faster than walking speed you get held up by the laws of physics. I did put my feet down the other day because I was on a path and there was a steep drop into a stream close to the edge. I don't take chances. Ok, I did going down those steps if you read that post, that was hairy. I can't do a track stand, wouldn't even try to learn, but I can almost stop and then get going again without putting my feet down on a road.
I think getting a group together would be a good idea, but it might have to be your neigbours. I wouldn't even recognise some of mine, some I've not even seen. I'd have to rectify that. Hopefully we could barricade the ends of our street if it came to looters etc. One idea I heard was to designate one house as safe and put kids and elderly in it, and concentrate on defending that one house.
Speaking of communes, there are people living in the woods not far from me, trying to stop the land being built on. They've been there at least a year or two.

[GillyBee]

jubilee and VE day events have helped us get to know our neighbours. If anything is being planned for the coronation i woud suggest getting at least a little involved if you do not know anyone. Your street may have a Facebook page in which case consider following or joining it. If nothing else the people who organise such things will tend to want to ead in a crisis too so worth identifying now and seeing if they are sensible types.