Trial Bug out or in

[Scythe13]

Have you considered, or have you done a trial bug out or bug in? If so, how did you find it and what help and knowledge did you learn from it?

[Straight Shooter]

To be honest S13 no on both counts always doing prep stuff but you raise a good point ,we all need to try out our preps and ideas .....its no good finding out after he event.

[Nix]

Yup, been thinking along these lines as well, thanks for the reminder.

Bugging in no probs for me but bugging out is a whole new ball game. My primary bug out shouldn't be a problem, it's the emergency "grab your kit and run" scenario that needs a trial run. Unfortunately, this would be solo as there is no way on this planet that my family would do this unless their lives were in immediate danger and they actually realised it. That would be a miracle in itself. Get the picture?

I tell a lie, if it was a warm summers day and the tent had mains hook up for hair straightners and dryers plus unlimited hot water in a convenient shower/toilet block just outside then they just might try it for a few hours...

[Scythe13]

Nix, have you thought about doing a 5 minute camping warning? Tell everyone to have a bag ready, and at some point you'll call it and you all have to be out of the house in 5 minutes. Anyone left at home in those 5 minutes will be burned alive...or you could just say they are not allowed to come camping. One or the other.

[Nix]

Good idea, "burned alive" might work but they'd definitely stay in if it meant they didn't have to go camping!

[Skean Dhude]

I have tested both. Both went OK, not as well as I had hoped but that was due to two things. In the Bug In, everyone else had other plans and compromises had to be made which wouldn't happen after an event and of course I had visitors who called around. I was reminded of two things. One bottle leak and two;pens dry out. So I take a bit more care with my bottles and I have replaced all the pens with pencils.

As far as bugging out went, It went really well. I missed all the refugees so it really just tested my preps. They were deficient the first time, lots of silly mistakes and missed half the kit picking up the wrong bag, but I fixed that and the repeat test went fine. I now have labels and laminated lists on each bag. Can't do anything about the traffic though. Just have to hope that I've planned enough.

[Sunna]

their was a guy on p2s a while back who bugged out with min gear he said he nearly went mad with bordom no radio ,books ect having to stay quiet he only lasted a few days .

[Midnitemo]

I have visited the location of my Bol but i can't take up residence only visit briefly while the land is still in use by my employers as i don't want to get the sack!

[Bucket]

Bug In- main problem was electricity- went through a lot more power than I thought being home all the time, why I started looking a generating a lot more of my own electric (wind turbine, solar panels)- that and snacking, going through snack stores horrendously fast.

Bug Out- at BOL maybe twice a month -doing it up at the moment, once livable may stay there a week, test it out.

[Jonas]

You can check out you "bug-out" gear without "bugging out". Pitch the tent in the back yard and let the kids sleep out there overnight! You'll get a chance to see if the tent components are all there, see if you need extra pegs (which you should have anyway), find out how long the batteries will last in the hand-held radios and the lanterns, and your children will have a blast!

If you have a portable SW radio, nighttime is the time to try it out too. Download frequency charts from the internet and check stations. Find the ones that come in clearly, then type up your own frequency chart, take it to the local print shop, and have it laminated.

Fire starting is a knack that gets easier with practice. When you go to start a fire in the barbecue or the fireplace, don't use matches or a lighter - try out the flint and steel method. It takes a bit to get good at it, but when you need the skill, you'll have it.

You don't need to cook over a campfire to check your bug-out cooking gear, just cook a couple of meals with it on the stove. You'll find any weaknesses fairly quickly, and you have the time to fill in the gaps and/or fix problems before you're 20 miles north of nowhere and it's too late.