Assessing Your Location's Viability
Ideally you have already assessed the viability of your current location. Do you plan to stay put in an emergency or head to greener pastures? The topic of relocating or “bugging out” has received a lot of attention by preppers – which makes sense given that most people live in densely populated areas. There are always trade-offs inherent in deciding to leave your home during a wide-spread crisis. Can you travel in safety? Are you willing to lose everything that cannot be moved with you? Are you willing to disrupt your jobs and children’s education? On the other hand, not leaving may expose you to running out of resources and potential violence from others who are desperate.
Understanding the Crisis Context
Two examples can be considered to help bracket the problem and clarify decision making:
1. If the crisis is localized and there are resources to respond via governmental agencies and surrounding communities – then it will likely be of short duration (days to a couple weeks) and have limited potential for violence. In such a case, if you have stockpiled to meet basic needs and can be secure in your home, then you are probably better served by staying put.
2. On the other hand, if it appears to be a long-term event (many weeks or months) based on:
a. Widespread loss of the power grid.
b. Breakdown in the supply chain (international shipping or domestic trucking).
c. Financial/economic collapse where you cannot access funds.
d. Or any other event resulting in social breakdown, violence, or the declaration of martial law.
Then you are unlikely to be safe in an urban or dense suburban setting. Time to fall back on a remote location if possible.
Making the Difficult Decision
Between these two alternatives lies a very difficult decision. You do not want to sacrifice most of your assets and career unless there is no alternative. On the other hand, if you wait until the threat is perfectly clear, then you probably cannot travel safely to another location. There is no right answer to this dilemma – the best solution is to:
1. Already live in the most secure and sustainable location that your job, family, and finances will allow.
2. Have a backup/bugout plan if this site is not viable long term. Know your destination – bugging out without a plan is an act of desperation.
3. Have access to the best intelligence on what is going on (police scanner and Ham radio along with conventional news and social media).
4. Have a vehicle and supplies ready to go in the event you must leave.
Every Day Carry Essentials
On a related subject, you may have heard of Every Day Carry (EDC). This refers to those items you always have on your person or in a briefcase / backpack or in your car. These are the tools to help get you back safely when away from home. Almost everyone has a cell phone – but do you carry a plug-in charger (wall & auto) or perhaps one of those 5-volt battery packs made to recharge your phone? Other typical items are a pocket knife and/or multitool, flashlight, a firearm (if you can legally carry), a means to start a fire, extra water/snacks, warm clothing, boots, gloves, etc. It makes sense to have small, frequently used items in your pockets or purse. Larger items can be packed in a bag you carry when traveling. Car related items can be in the trunk or under the seats. Think through what items would be useful should you need to navigate an event that disrupts power, travel, etc. There are many books and articles available to get more ideas.
You can find much more in my book “Thriving in Times of Chaos” available on Amazon. It provides time-phased actions to become more sustainable in any location along with links to additional information and useful products. A more complete description of the book along with a PDF version are available on my website.
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