Bug out drill

[Toepopper]

I have done a time study of how long it takes to bug out on foot and climb up the mountain behind my house, wearing my BOB, web gear, rifle and ammunition. This is a heavily forested area with huge trees, making observation from the air very difficult. It would be advantageous to be at the top of the mountain for better lookout location and during the winter months it is warmer up on the top because hot air rises. Being on top gives you a better escape route as you may choose any direction to go from there. I am 61 years young and had no trouble getting up there carrying all that equipment and was surprised at how few aches and pains I had the next day.
One thing that scares me is those thermal gun sights they are currently using on helocopters . Is anyone familiar with these sights? I wonder if all helicopters are now equipped with this technology? I saw some film of some Afghani rebels being mowed down - the film was shot through one of these thermal sights and you could clearly see the silouettes of the Afghan people on the ground laying in a ditch. The helo dropped some type of multiple mini bombs or cluster bombs on them. Not much you can do to defend against that technology except shoot down the helo.

[Watchman]

The technology is called FLIR (forward-looking infrared radar), although I don't know what radar has to do with it. Every couple months or so DEA brings a chopper into our area and it hovers and flies a grid pattern, looking for meth labs. The "radar", supposedly, can pick up heat signatures as small as a cat or dog. Unless the trees are on fire, I believe it would still pick up heat signatures.

[Watchman]

LG is correct - but when society breaks down to the point that the guvmint MUST corral cities and other hotbeds, they will be getting outside help through the UN. Most notably China, Russia, and Cuba, maybe Venezuela. These are the ones who will be rooting out entrenched patriots.

[Toepopper]

Thats OK, let them try to bring those foreign troops in here and we will see just how long they remain in a vertical position. I seriously doubt if the dumbed down American population will tolerate any foreigners rounding them up or actually trying to take their guns. It will be fun and your grandchildrens grandchildren will still be talking about the time their forefathers stood up and said ENOUGH!!!

[WillyPete]

Well, I can say that I have not done any type of BUG-OUT drills and I'm not likely nor very able to do any of that type activity.
My plans are to bug-in and stay put under any circumstances. My main concern would be getting back not bugging out and I cannot realistically practice getting home.
I do have a kit in my rides at all times and I do mental exercises about getting home pretty much every day. When the time comes, I'll make an attempt to contact my family then, saddle up and hit the road. I'm usually not more than 4-5 days walking from home at any time.

[308gun]

I keep my truck/jeep packed and ready as if a level 6 huracane was coming my way not to bug out but fight my way home... got gun/ammo/ cleaning kit, bob, food, tools , water lots of extra always travel with me.... knife/ax .. clothing/hat/coat boots/socks/bible fire starters repair items like chain/rope /tape ... fish line.. and auto repary items flat fixer, fire ex. brake fluid, coolint/ power steering / extra motor oil/ buy the cheap non/name brands most work just as well ... maps of many different types /// get a good tapco map your area also... and good compass if you end up on foot.... a few cheap smokes lighters to start a fire... and last a good first aid kit always....

[WillyPete]

I finally got to do a dry run trial of a bugout, get home type travel and found out something you don't hear/read about very much.
Anyone planning to do any long distance walking had better have some properly fitting under clothing, you will regret it if you don't
I did a walk of around ten miles over several hours non-stop except for a 1 hour break waiting for a storm to pass.
That night when I showered, I screamed out loud from the pain of water running over and into the abrasions on my legs near my crotch. I had rubbed myself raw because my under clothing did not fit well.
Shoes and socks were not a problem, they held up like I knew they would, no foot troubles. Outer clothing did its job of keeping me covered but, I'm going to obtain some better skivvies!
I only carried a day hiker bag with minimal provisions as I was under my own impression that getting home would not be a problem, which is exactly what happened, I got home fine.
I did find out something else that is discussed on occasion. DOGS.
On my route home, I passed by a yard and a large rottweiler was standing at the edge of its yard . Bad thing, I did not see this dog until I was right beside it. I saw the dog but continued on my way in a non threatening manner, the dog had other ideas. The dog slunk behind me as if it was going to hamstring me and attack, it was poised to bite the lower end of my legs. I immediately turned toward it, got really big, growled and charged at it. It ran away and I continued walking. The dog attacked again so I charged at it barking, growling and snarling and it ran away again. I kept my eye on it and turned away again. The dog came at me again so I chased it into its yard yelling at it to go home. It finally went home and left me be. I just walked on home.
What I found out is, if you are walking about, either for a real bug out situation or a dry run, carry somesort of protection. Not necessarily a firearm but perhaps an innocuous walking staff, take something with you to keep the dogs at bay.
I had a pocket knife but had zero time to deploy it and, when that dog came at me the second time I was ready to rip its head off for daring to attack me. If I had gotten a grip on it, it would have been dead. I can't run very well so one of us was going to stop permanently and I wasn't going to be the one. I may have been able to dissuade it from attacking in the first place if I had a walking staff to lightly strike it at first attack, or break its neck if it really attacked.
Keep some defense options with you when out for that walk, lethal and non-lethal.

[Toepopper]

That is the reason most of the ground pounders in Viet Nam went "Commando", that is they did not wear any skivies. Good point on the dog situation too.

[WillyPete]

"Commando" is not something I considered but, as for now, I prefer to provide the "support" where necessary so that various parts aren't banged around if I need to sustain some accelerated travel for any period of time.

[Toepopper]

The protocal for going commando is usually weather/terrain related. When its 110 degrees with 100% humidity, skivvies, especially the boxer type, will get soaked with sweat and start to ride up on your legs from the constant movement of "pickin em up and puttin em down." When you are unable to stop walking due to circumstances beyond your control this can be an uncomfortable, annoying, blister causing situation which will only add to your distress and put you in the hurt locker prematurely. During any bugout situation you don't need this to happen.
Ten miles is a long walk. I doubt if I could go that far in my current state of old age and decrepidness, and I know my wife can't. One thing that will lessen the pain threshold is to walk on the ground rather than pavement if you can. Walking on the bare ground is less of a shock to your bones and ligaments and will cause less pain than walking over hard pavement where there is zero cushion.

[WillyPete]

Thanks for the clarification toepopper, when the inevitable occurs and a long walk is warranted, I'll just shuck the skivvies and "go commando" to stop the burn and stay out of the hurt locker. Most likely though, I won't be taking any long walks excepting reconnaissance missions, we'll be bugging in as the rest of my family is horribly not prepared and not open to the idea. I'm a nut case as far as they're concerned because of my concern for what may happen. I'm still doing what I can to help take care of them should this world go nuts.

[fern]

There are times for good nut cases Willy! I believe this is one of them!

I think Watchman sent an email to everyone regarding the fact that I will be giving my Patriots book he is sending to a family I met that is preparing!!! Finally!!! I have met someone that feels there is something not quite right out there! They do not watch fox or much of any tv. They are not talk radio listeners. They just have a gut feeling and started putting back food and storing fuel, etc. I have been buying the food grade barrels from their son. I went to pick up a few more last week and his Dad was there to help me load. We started chatting about the weather and suddenly he asked me what I was doing with all these barrels. I was honest and told him that I was filling them with grains, legumes, etc and that is when he started sharing the conversations between he and his wife. He took me into his huge garage and showed me their pantry of stored foods and a ton of things they had canned. Although they had food grade containers coming out of their ears, he had not considered any for their use. I ended up sitting in their back yard with them for almost 3 hours and talking. It was truly refreshing and a first for me other than this forum. I made a deal to buy four of the large 275 gal. cage containers and will be delivering the book when I pick the first 2 of those up. He sent me off that day with a list of wholesale suppliers of certain things using their company name. I gave him a list of contacts that he needs...including Mild Silver. He had a mrsa (is that the correct letters?) infection on his leg. I gave him part of my bottle of 5000 silver and it has cleared it. I thank you Watchman for the book and I am thankful for the opportunity to give it to this family. All good!

[SS5R]

My wife and I do quite a bit of walking but we never walk unarmed. That is a number one rule whether in the city or the mountains. One gun, and one knife, each. A large powerful dog bent on attacking can sustain a number of blows unless you have a baseball bat size stick.

We didn’t do a bug out drill but last weekend my wife and I took a drive into the mountains of the national forest where we would go as one of our choices if we had to bug out. With the use of google earth we found out that we can go north about 15 minutes and take a forest service road that connects with another forest service road that is 15 minutes to the west of us. The west road is the one we usually take. So that gives us two access points one west, one north to get to same place we have explored before. During the winter you would have to chain-up but I think you could still get in at least part way. There is good year around water and a lot of game, small and large.

[WillyPete]

This was a known, well I thought I knew it, route that I have driven numerous times. During my drives I pay attention to what's around and I have never seen this dog before so, I did my trek in my usual fashion, no walking staff. Never again, I take a walk, the staff is with me.
Even if that dog had attacked me then, I could have done just as much, if not more, damage to it as it might have done to me. I know dogs rather well having trained and worked around dogs for years. That's why I charged the dog, to make it know I AM THE BIG DOG HERE, you are nothing to me except maybe a snack. Packs on the other hand, little chance of survival there depending on how many of them but, several would have been hurt by me.

[308gun]

I learned in a real time bug-out . some background ,We were sent on recond in force ,into North Vietnam to find and destroy a down chopper with secert hardware, found and destroyed it, We started recieving rocket incoming , and were orderded to pull out , at this point I was still in N.V. and became the tail , the front of our unit got hit hard and overrun it got so bad our C.O. told air boys to drop it on us. At this point we were in full bug out and battle at the time , in order to get out and catch up , i had to ditch all non - life saving gear , first my E-tool was destroyed, next my poncho, next my water in canteens had to go, the ONLY items to stay were loaded mags. rifle and K-Bar knife , even FRAG vest had to go , we did as last group take cover in the trees till full daylight next day and had covering shell fire all night... BOTTOM LINE , if your life counts on it all the junk goes as useless dead weight.... YOU think different in hell.