About Laying Low (Bugging In)

[NorthernRaider]

About Laying Low (bugging in)
http://preppersuk.freeforums.org
© 2011Northern Raider

In general in the UK many members of our community are now focusing their efforts on bugging in, IE living full time in the locality of their Bug Out Location, such as (wisely) moving out of the cities, bypassing the burbs and moving lock stock and barrel to a small rural community. They normally still maintain the capability of bugging out if forced to by retaining BOBS, Caches, BOVs etc but they focus primarily on prepping their normal home to be their retreat.

The British preppers are now assessing the growing problems of (A) being able to bug out successfully and (B) finding a secure and safe BO Location when they do bug out.

Gross overcrowding and overpopulation in many areas combined with a road system that is even on a normal day close to gridlock for at least 6 hours each day. They note that even a single vehicle accident such as a car and caravan overturning can lead to massive tailbacks and localised gridlock for hours, especially as the police of today appear to thrive on closing roads often for 24 hours to investigate every possible fact of the accident. Indeed we all know of cases where entire regions have become gridlocked because of a small accident, or road works, or bank holiday traffic, or ½ inch of snow or sporting event or the dreaded farmer accidentally tipping an overloaded trailer full of hay bales onto the road. Heck up here the three main north south roads became gridlocked one day recently because of a herd of horses got onto one of the roads.

Consider also our unpredictable climate, there is a 3 in 4 chance it will be bad weather to content with as well.(Cold, Wet, Windy or even all three)

We also consider the problem of bugging out during a crisis if 20 million unprepared and panic stricken people decide to flee the towns and head to the hills.

Consider for one moment if the riots of August 2011 spread to every city and large town and the violent unrest continued for a week, Our police and military could never hope to contain it, this could see millions trying to escape the fires and looting.

Consider the implications also that as well as you trying to cope with 20 million evacuees but also perhaps the public transport systems are not working either because the train, tube and bus drivers are among the 20 million heading out of town as fast as they can.

Consider also the fact that if mass panic did occur and the 20 plus millions did decide to flee how many of them are equipped to do so? How many of them will have enough food and fuel and more importantly how many out of say 20 million refugees have a destination to go to where they will be welcome.

Consider also the government, regional and local authorities along with the military will not want 20 million souls plus a few hundred preppers clogging the roads and paths and exhausting the immediate fuel stocks within hours.

Those considerations among other are making many preppers choose to relocate now and attempt to adopt “The Good Life”.

(Yes I know there is equally as many preppers with the most wonderful and varied reasons why they just cannot move right now, I’ve given up trying to reason with them and now just encourage them to become very capable Urban Preppers)

So where does this leave us folks who have relocated to the boonies and perhaps what issues do we need to consider?
In the short term if rural preppers are to survive the initial crisis and the immediate aftermath I think we are all in agreement that not being disovered by the authorities or by packs of feral sheeple will feature highly for the first few weeks. This in itself will give us some interesting issues to overcome.

We are living and surviving in our rural retreat, we need to stay warm, stay clean, stay healthy, stay motivated, stay alert, stay secure and stay fed. That is a lot to deal with if the world around us is unravelling.

I see problems with running central heating because boilers (furnaces in Americanese) need power as well as gas, and nearly all modern CH systems have noisy vent systems which on a quiet day or night can be heard from hundreds of yards.

I see problems with wood burning and multi fuel stoves if we use them during the day because even bone dry wood and supposedly smokeless fuel both smoke until they are up to operating temperature, not to mention the smell of burning wood and coal can be detected for over a mile.

I can see problems with lighting if very strong blackout protocols are not in place, I don’t think lined curtains will be sufficient, shutters and boards probably will need to be in place at least before dusk.

I see problems with concealing larger livestock and keeping all livestock both quiet and secure in the initial post collapse period

I see noise from firearms may persuade SOME more cautious types to avoid your area of operations, but equally I foresee other bolder and possibly better armed people being attracted by the gunshot.

I see people noticing wind turbines more if they are actually turning and are more likely to investigate them, I feel turbines may need to only be turned on after dark, and ideally lowered out of sight during the day.

Water wheels and water turbines are noisy, they can be more easily concealed than wind turbines but they will need very good noise suppression measures.

If you are using motor vehicles and animals for transport or patrolling you are going to have to be very careful you don’t leave a trail of hoof prints or tyre marked mud heading back to your retreat. Indeed you don’t really want the sound of a 4x4 engine heading repeatedly back to the place you live in. Once the societal collapse has settled down engine noise will become far more apparent.

Folks even the good lady wife boiling up cabbage could be the cause of your discovery as the smells of many cooked meats and veg travel long distances, and the hungrier the sheeple the most sensitive their noses are.

Your stockpile of firewood or coal will need to be well hidden at all times as will the parking arrangements for your BOV. Aerials for radios will need to be lowered during the day or well hidden.

In the short term at least noise reduction protocols will need to be very strongly kept in place, especially at night. In time after the die offs and rage has subsided you will gradually be able to relax and start rebuilding and hopefully enjoy a long and fruitful life.