I was recently reminded how cooking smells travel. I was snowplowing the driveway and my spouse was cooking dinner. The smells coming from the kitchen exhaust vent were to say incredible! I could smell exactly what the meat, onions and sauces that were being prepared up to 100 feet from the house. Now I was hungry but not starving. Imagine someone that was really hungry and how intuned their nose will be. It would be like ringing the dinner bell for everyone in the area. Rember that the next time you are outside and you smell you neighbors cooking or barbecuing 🤤
I tried cooking on low heat, inside an oven with a Sterno can, wrapping it and the pot in foil to conserve heat and only for 2 hours (in this case half cup beans/ half cup rice/ half cup flour/ filling the rest of a 2 quart crock pot, crock only, with water). Opening the oven only enough to extinguish the Sterno by sliding its cover back on (cooked with external lid only halfway open). Then letting the whole setup cool in the oven until the next morning, eating it lukewarm so smells didn't project. Also, not seasoning it until right before eating it for the same reason.
Geez i don't know what happened to my last message, (that is why i edited it) it seem to say exactly the opposite of what i wrote! spell check i guess. Anyways cigarette smell travels FAR & lingers a long time too. Best Wishes :)
With all that is going on the world, this is probably one of the most valuable and important TH-cam channels in existence. Thank you for all of your selfless and hard work, video after video, to provide this critical information.
@@dontask3528 Thanks but no thanks. I prepare to live in the real world. People have been screaming about it being the "end times" for thousands of years, and every one of them has been 100% wrong.
@@greeneyedlady5580 well said, no place for bronze age mythology in this day and age. More evil has been done in the name of a fake God than any other reason.
@@jetjaguar4285 you want to plan for the future but you scoff when it is laid out before you. So here ya go. If you would read the Bible, you would find it laid out before your very eyes. War will come soon. Famine will follow. Soon afterward, 1/4 of the world will be killed by famine/hunger, war. And that is just the beginning. Men's hearts will fail them . You don't have to believe now. But you will believe before it is over. Remember.
My biggest challenge is not to survive on my own. I have parents who can not be moved from their place that quickly. When it comes to Food, Water, Shelter and Medication, I need to bug in with them and try to manage their survival too.
I'm in the same situation. It's a challenge. Of all of those, medication seems to be the biggest hurdle as our parents age. If you haven't already, have the meds they take moved to a 90 day (or more, if insurance will do that), prescription. It's not perfect, but it's a bit of peace of mind. Some conditions can be handled naturally, but, if not, it's a step in the right direction.
@@durgan5668 I live in Germany. The longest period of medication is the heart medication for my dad and that's 3 months, but you have to finish it, and you can't get more before the 3 months expire. Also, the issue that my mom finished Chemo therapy and radiation only a year ago but still has a lot of side effects is helping a lot. At least, we are always stocked on food and other supplies. My parents have experience war, so they know that SHTF very fast
We finally secured 5 acres in a private wooded area off the beaten path. My hope is this summer to buy a structure that can be moved it and start preparing it to stay in for long weekends and in the eventuality of SHTF.
Fun fact, the homeless in Sacramento County like to target other homeless who have backpacks. One guy got accosted with a machete, and most use bicycles to get around. The homeless are a perfect example of what bugging out actually looks like. Mobile refugees, a Mad Max microcosm.
My son lives out in Lodi CA. He tells me of the homeless out there. Life is hard for these prepoers who throw all their waste everywhere. Yep, landless refuges. Real bugging out is having some rural land to bug out on; then your not a refuge. Your home, the land, is there.💫
Bugging out is exactly that, the homeless of California but on a national or global scale. If they use knives I will use a gun or swords. Being unprepared is tentamount to being a victim. Also, that situation is in a urban environment. Most prepoers will flee to the wilderness. Few homeless for handouts there 💫
@@cconnon1912 they may rule in the ruble of the burned out cities but not in the fortified rural areas. The homeless will be locked into cities with no way out. They'll die of hunger and thirst. Period!💫
@@josephpetrick3499 - that was a joke. But fortified “rural areas”? Sounds like an oxymoron. Your “rural areas” better have resources, like water, timber, wild game, and natural deterrent from others looking to take it from you and eat you. The homeless is the last thing I would worry about. But then bugging out is not likely in our lifetime, so this is all speculation.
We had to bug-out in October of last year, but only overnight. The creek near our house flooded, and surrounded our house with about 3 feet of turbulent water. We had to wade through that to gather our goats into the barn, which was a couple of feet above ground, where they climbed up on top of the hay bales. We took the two dogs with us and evacuated to our son's home, which was just a few miles away. We were wearing tall rubber boots. We took with us a handgun, spare shoes, and a coffee cup that was in our hand when the water suddenly came up. What I learned? That we should have our bug-out bag in the car, or next to the door, because when you are abruptly having to evacuate, you don't want to have to think. You really can't think. We did have sense enough to move our vehicles -- 3 times -- as the water came up. Our neighbor was not as fortunate. Her car and van were totalled by the flood waters.
Granny Fisher I agree with you that your bugout bag/boxes, etc. should be rear your exits. We keep ours near the garage door so if we have to leave we can throw them in a vehicle or on our back and get moving. There are times where searching for items to take is not possible. Glad to hear that you fared well and were able to get to your son’s house 🙏
We lost our home to a fire years ago - actually the second floor/attic/roof burned, and the first floor was destroyed by 3 hours worth of water used to douse the flames. Fire happened at 5:30 a.m. on a snowy morning. I was in pajamas, house slippers, and a robe. Husband was in sweatpants, a coat, and rubber boots. Insurance said few things could be salvaged due to toxic fumes released during the fire: no personal hygiene items, no prescription meds. Bedroom closets on the second floor were gone, so we had no clothes, no socks. If not for an emergency insurance advance, we wouldn't have had so much as a toothbrush. After the house was rebuilt, we both put together bug-out bags in our closets and routinely take them out, check contents, check straps, usually add some (small) new item or two. Bugging out doesn't mean TEOTWAWKI; it may just be having important necessities for a few days until you can return home or (as we did) move into other quarters for the duration. Now if there's a societal SHTF, bugging out is our LAST option for precisely the points you made, Kris.
We worry about this as well. We don't have house fire bags, and that's a great idea. We recently went from a single fire extinguisher in our kitchen to 2 in our basement, 2 in our family room and a large one in our garage. If SHTF there is risk of being burned out by marauders who we would be shooting at, but a larger risk of power surging causing a fire.
@@bukboefidun9096 We were guilty of having a single fire alarm in the upstairs hallway. The fire started from a bad wire in the attic under 18 inches of cellulose insulation The fire marshal said it could've simmered for days before it flashed over. The dog woke us, and all we knew was the power was out then realized fire was breaking through the ceiling, THEN the smoke alarm went off. Fire marshall said we were lucky to get out in time. Now we have smoke alarms everywhere from the attic to the basement, and in all bedrooms. Good point on fire extinguishers - I have one on the kitchen, really need 3 more minimum!
@@bukboefidun9096 True! Our German Shepherd saved us. She got special treats to the end of her days. Best dog *ever*. The new dog is another GSD but young and still a total doofus - lol.
I think bugging-out has been romanticized by many movies, the Walking Dead, etc. It's a great movie or book plot, but in real life, I'm not bugging out. Ever. I don't live where it will ever flood, there are no dangers like trains full of toxic material, or anything else, etc. I have too many animals to move, so to coin a nautical term, I'm going down with my ship like a good captain if some completely insane disaster manages to happen. Another great video Kris! A virtual high-five!
Do not ever leave it off the table, it may have to be an option to survive, but I do understand someone willing to go down fighting rather than to consider it...just not me.
hate to break it to you....but you more than likely live in the fallout zone of 1 of the 93 nuclear reactors in the US if they were to ever meltdown...which are specifically targeted by other countries with nuclear weapons to maximize lethality
@@casey5018 Thanks to M.A.D. It is unlikely the world will see renewed use of Nuclear warfare. Also, you won’t get enough warning to get out of the driveway let alone to safety in such an event. Your best bet would be to pray for salvation and get ready to meet Jesus. Until then pray they never get used again.
This is exactly why we moved to a remote area with no neighbors & very, very few will ever even drive by the long dirt road I live on. Bushcraft skills are your best defense. If a collapse happens you won't be able to go to videos or Google to learn it on the spot. Practice makes perfect. Foraging for food isn't as easy as most think. One mistake can kill you! Don't wait until SHTF to learn what you can eat & how to prepare it to make it edible much less tasty! I've been learning this since I was a kid being taught by my great-grandma who lived through the Great Depression with 3 kids to raise after her husband died. I learned about the antibiotic properties of turkey tail & how to make sure it was indeed that & not a poisonous imitator!! Don't wait, start now, it's never too late until it is!
You got it right! Move far away from people. it's people who are the total problem. They want what you have to stay alive. I have bug out land off grid in six states. I think my Oregon or Colorado land will be my pick of when the time comes soon now. Far from people.💫
@@drock213 Not right! Maybe your just stupid to the coming chaos. Stupid doesn't live long so just stay away from the prepared. Yeah, you do what's right, die or waste away when the time comes. If your right you will be dead and right....into the ground. Unprepared and tied to the social umbilical cord.
Solid video! One important thing to remember is that you need to have options for where your bugout or evacuation locations might be, and have supplies staged at those locations before the need to go there ever comes up. Yes, it sucks and its expensive. Additionally, you need to plan for an emergency at those locations too. What if your 3 day bugout trip to get to your primary or secondary location takes longer than anticipated? What if you get to those locations only to find out that they arent viable options for shelter? They could be damaged or someone else could already be there and you dont want to fight them for that shelter. Everyone needs to make sure that they have the ability to get more food and water from their surroundings, more than you might otherwise plan for. You need to make sure your shelter is actually strong enough to last for many weeks rather than just a handful of nights. This also applies to get home bags. What if there is an emergency and you get home only to find out that it isnt home anymore? A lot of people only keep a bottle of water, a crappy poncho, and a protein bar for their get home bags, but they need more than that, in case their "get home" scenario turns into a "bug out" scenario.
Good video! The best way to practice this stuff is to take up backpacking. A good three-day trip can give you a point of reference. I sure learned about sunscreen.
Hiking is how I practice too! I also like the fact that having a day pack ready to go in my trunk for a spur of the moment 3 hour trek is great practice for keeping track of the readiness of your get home/BOB gear (ex I always need season appropriate clothing and shoes, water, snacks in the car, and it trains me to keep an eye on the weather forecast). Good exercise too 💪
I'm posting under your comment because it's an excellent one. I'm taking liberties to add to it, I spent 28 years in the Infantry before age and time took it's physical toll on me. Traiming and preparation. 1. Pack the minimum what you think you need. 2. Take the pack on a one mile walk, high school track, four laps (1/4 mile laps) is recommended so if things just aren't working out you don't have a long walk back to the house or car. 3. Once you think the pack and weight is right for you, do a one mile trail or road walk with hills. 4. Work your way up to three miles, three times a week, this is a base line fitness training. 5. Once a month do a six mile walk. 6. After three months try and overnight 12 mile hike, the end point should be near your car or a place that can help, if this is your first time doing this many miles in one day you're still in for a shock. 7. After three months start a three day out camping living off ONLY what you carry...up to 10-12 miles walking each day. 8. Once you reach success in all that, now do it all again in the heat, the cold, and in bad/Rainey weather. That is the starting point. -tests you mentally. -tests you physically. -tests your equipment, back pack, footwear, and clothing. -tests your skills. The best learning curve is experience.
This is so true. The first time I went backpacking my cotton boxers chafed and wore a hole in my thigh. I had to cut my 3 day trip short. It was a really painful walk home the next day, but I learned from my mistake. Proper clothing for easy movement is a huge part of moving over distance efficiently.
The difference between my first backpacking trip and my most recent one 40 years later is the experience and skills that enable survival no matter what I forget. My never forget list is shorter as a result. We pack our fears--in backpacks and in go bags. Definitely cover the basics, with duplicates, for fire, water treatment/storage, cooking, a good knife/machete, shelter, clothing, food, hygiene, first aid, and comfort. Comfort might be a peppermint or cough drop or some i stant coffee--a spirit lifter when times are desperate or boring. I'll take boring.
This may be illegal these days, not sure, but I've read the Native Americans used to plant wild edibles along their long range hunting and travel paths, in case things didn't go as expected and they were gone longer than they thought, they'd have a source of food. I've heard they did this with things like Jerusalem artichokes, and other plants that would thrive on their own. Maybe people could plant some of these along their route?
Indians traveled at a much slower pace. You may be able to plant some eatables at rest areas. If you are on foot, while bugging out, you are pretty much screwed.
I love the mix you've got going, with abstract sort of "armchair" thinking and planning, and then the concrete, how-to videos that are the meat and potatoes of the actual knowledge and skills that people would need to have, like cleaning clothes, staying warm, getting water, preserving food etc.
Had to evacuate during the N Cal fires --it's not something you WANT to do. Best off at home, but you must have plans for evacuation. Mr. City Prepper thanks so much for all your work.
When you said "..bugging out should be your last resort.." , my first thought was that bugging WILL be your last resort...once you get far enough away there may be a point after which going back won't be an option. Being self reliant will be the only way you succeed. Good talk, thanks!
"Being self reliant will be the only way you succeed"...Absolutely not the "only" way...take some time and apply more thought, you are boxing yourself in.
Please let people know that they need a pre-planed location to go to. Please don’t let them believe they will just start hunting and foraging there way to glory. This will not happen. Private land owners don’t want trespassing. Public land will be full of …. Well unskilled people who will try to pray off of you. Have a purpose and a destination….. not some cave or river 35 miles over to the next county
I'm an old fart, been in the prepping thing for several decades (going back to 1980s) and all along, I've been saying that the obsession with bugging out is a recipe for becoming a refugee ... and to be clear: there CAN be legit reasons to bug out, but the mindset of bugging out as some end-all be-all or necessarily first line of action is ridiculous
Bingo! Bugging out should be seen as nothing more than an "unscheduled & unintended relocation" from A to B, via a TBD route. Best have place B ready now or soonish. Just think in terms of Risk Mitigation for all sorts of realistic scenarios in a declining & desperate Empire.
@@francp3147 basically my point in a nutshell ... not critical of "bugging out" per se, does have various perfectly valid applications such as emergency evacuation for wide variety potential reasons - wildfires, chemical spills, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes etc ... or even potentially in a sustained, perhaps even permanent 'grid down' situation, if staying put would be untenable, pose grave immediate risk etc However, the notion of bugging out at first sign of "IT" (whatever form that might take) is a sure recipe of turning into a refugee .. and the proponents suggest an already supplied bug out location, fine, but they never seem to explain what's next, and gloss over being a newbie, potential for not getting there in the first place, reaching it and finding already looted or having to fight it out (and speaking of gun fights, it's like they think they're magically impervious or something) ... basically .... fantasy BS
Kris, thanks so much for this. To protect our hidden preps we have a decoy food prep supply. We put the oldest canned vegetables and meat we have on a book case in our basement. It is only scantily hidden so it will draw the attention of anyone trying to raid our preps. We don't keep all of our preps in one place. They should be spread around and easily found. As people reach or exceed the three days without water and three weeks without food, their brains begin to work differently. The frontal cortexes, which keep you from raiding someone else's preps or going around shooting people, dissipate and primal instincts kick in. You'll do anything to alleviate how you feel when you haven't had water. If you've ever had a hangover, that is how you will feel on days two and three, and the feeling intensifies. Alcohol is dehydrating, so that's why you feel awful. But when you reach day three, you'll do anything to get some water. Same with food. Get prepared, stay prepared and do your best to bug in.
@@ctcv-to8kq HI, I appreciate your asking, but as some who has been engaging in preparedness since 1993 and written a syndicated column about it, I don't give out my address to anyone except family and neighbors for obvious reasons. My apologies.
We made the mistake of bugging out from our home in Webster, Tx. We were instructed to evacuate due to a Cat 5 hurricane. What improved our bugging out was a ham radio in each of our family’s vehicle and taking back roads by using maps. Many other citizens ended up stranded on the freeway going out of the city.
Yup We did likewise for hurricane in gulf Flooding and wind damage we "bugged in" taking turns guarding the street with 2 neighbors. 11 days no electricity but shared my generator 2 hrs a day ww2 neighbors to keep freezers going. Cooked out, used battery lanterns, candle lanterns, torches and solar. Brought neighbors together as they returned. Very conservative area Alabama gulf coast.
That also happened both in Katrina and Rita, engines overheating, cars stalling, meds running out, people fighting panic. Cops freaking out and shooting people on foot. Wasn't pretty.
This also happened several years ago in FL. People trying to flee the state spent days in their cars, and never reached their destination, or even hit state lines!
Get a gazetteer for your state and surrounding states you may need to enter. Before SHTF, scout your best alternate routes to see their condition and any chokepoints. Have at least 3 different ways to go on the back roads. If you are going to leave, you need a place to go to and you leave before things devolve into violence. Hams are good but CBs are cheaper and will also serve, while traveling by vehicle.
When we lived in the Sierra Nevada mountains in CA fire was a constant threat. We lived 7 miles from town so we had a bug out plan for the children when the adults were all at work. Each person ha a bug out bag packed and ready to go. We practiced a lot, and thankfully never had to actually bug out. Many years later, our oldest daughter was home with her young son when they had to evacuate. Guess what she had packed and ready to go? Yep, a 72 hour go kit. She was able to evacuate in less than 19 minutes. All that practicing as a child/teenager must have really stuck.
I have never had to bug out, but I have lived within 2-3 hours of places that did. I was shocked to see how quickly resources disappeared 100+ miles from danger as people passed through.
Some things folks need to remember. Extra socks and foot powder. And don't go cheap on foot gear. When you move out on your LPC's (Leather Personnel Carriers), take care of those feet. Wash, dry and powder 'em. The last thing you need is the loss of mobility.
We will be bugging in 100%. We have been extremely "grey" so far with easily, an entire years supply of food. And seeds for growing. Our immediate family members know only to come to our home if anything catastrophic takes place. They will be relieved to find what we have prepped for them. Also, we have google mapped all homes with pools within a mile or so. We intend to barter for water when necessary. God Bless us preppers and rapture us ahead of this stuff.
I will rely on rain water in my area for sanitary/cleaning flushing... after my cases of water and many milk bottles are used, and don't forget the 80 gallons in the hot water heater.
Excellent video and I'm glad you made it. It's a hard truth for many so-called preppers. Running into the woods at the first sign of trouble with your 50 lbs "bushcraft" bug-out bag to start homesteading in the wild isn't going to end well for most. Your best bet is to BUG-IN with your stockpiled preps and most of society will Darwin themselves from the equation within the first 90 days. Your chances of survival skyrocket after that. Do your homework, folks. DO NOT PANIC!
Had to evacuate during Hurricane Irma. Like people with fires in the West by the time they bugged out all the shelters, hotels, and friends had either bugged out too or went to places filled to capacity. Timing is everything, because of depleted resources after a severe weather event, inability to drive roads with downed trees, downed electric wires, and no power in the area, including cell towers. Flights and public transport are generally closed 24 hours before a severe weather event, so factor that in too. People can't predict where a fire or hurricane will make landfall with reliable accuracy until just before it hits. Evacuating near by could put you in the direct path. If you decide to stay have a local backup last minute evacuation plan too with gear packed before the event forces your move. Let friends/family or trusted neighbors know your plan in case you need rescue. Look for opportunities nobody else thought of to find shelter, like air b&b rentals.
I spend weeks at a time packing into wilderness areas every year for the elk hunt. When you pack in miles you have to keep it light and plan on using a lot of resources the wilderness offers. If there is anything I suggest for most is to practice this and use it always. You never know if it will be needed.
One thing people often forget is their passport, basic documents, phone numbers and cash. That and a helmet as I live in Tokyo so falling debris from unstable high rise structures with aftershocks are a major concern post a catastrophic earthquake.
Every time I watch one of your videos, I learn another prep thing I need to do that I had not even thought about before. So at times, it may make me feel inadequate but it also tells be where I need improvement.
There is a reason I am a pilot and own a airplane, I can fly nonstop (using autopilot) from Northern Idaho to the Southern Bahamas in 12 hours with 8 people.
With all the other helpful tips you've given this is the one that some of us have been crying out for in the comments for a very long time. Thank you for addressing it!
IMO: Backpacking long distances = voluntary bugging out for recreational purposes. If you can't go for a week long hike, today, with what you have, in the physical condition that you are in, then you aren't ready to bug out on foot. Note - in actual bug out, add certain items not needed for backpacking (firearms, ammo, money, etc).
This is me and I know it. I may have all the equipment and bag ready to go but I know I couldn’t make a week long trek on foot. Yet. I’m pushing more each day to get in the shape I need to be in to reach this goal. Hopefully a week long bug out situation doesn’t happen before I reach this goal (or ever if I’m being honest).
After getting back in touch with my outdoors habits and skills, I'm glad to have this knowledge in case I ever have to bugout with my family. Don't forget important documents as well, if you believe you won't return to your home.
8 miles south of Boston - Being a sanctuary chyte wh@le it’s already dangerous living here. This weekend we are getting hit with a blizzard that could knock out power for days possibly weeks. I am prepared but I worry what will happen with the local welfare class when their apartment/section 8 housing is sub-zero & my home is 75 degrees comfy.
Having plans within your plans are just as important. Making sure you adjust the plan based on if your children are in school vs out of school. Situational preparation is just as important.
If wild edibles are not present on your bug out route go on the internet and buy seeds and ( plant) several secret garden spots of Perennial plants overlooked by others ( but not by you) just off the road. You can plant these plots over a plastic bucket cache of vacuum sealed food
To add - you can do this more stealth like by making seed bombs (soil, clay, seeds) if they are viable for the type of seed you’re using. As you practice hiking your bug out path, toss these a few feet off the path.
My situation and what i am doing to improve it: My wife is out of shape and wants to improve her self but does not try very hard. I have built get home bags for both of us. I dont think she can carry her bag even 5 miles even though i have kept hers very light. TRYING TO IMPROVE: I have been asking her to go for walks in the evening. Now i am carrying my get home bag on these walks in hopes that she will eventually do the same. I dont want to push her too hard. I would rather see her decide on her own that she needs to be able to do this. We live in a remote desert community and we are often many miles from home so we carry our bags in our cars at all times. We need to be able to use those bags during the smallest incident. (flat tire, engine trouble,out of gas EMP) I am gently trying to nudge her to be able to take care of herself when i am not there.
What if you try going for walks together and making your couple activities/time centred around exercise? Could even be biking nearby just to get started. Diet is #1 before activity so fasting with electrolytes would be a good way to get started.
With my HW engineering, IT, Programming and linguistic skills, I'm prepping to become one of a growing number of expats to Go Galt & go abroad. Going to a nice, safe, livable and affordable place, thousands of miles away, with its own community of Western expats. Putting all the pieces together, month by month. Splitting in Q3/2023, rain or shine.
Having a solid plan is the best way to start. It’s also the best time to run logical “What If” scenarios. If you have younger kids, make a game of it. When my kids were young, I went full on Baden-Powell on them, everything was a game, all games were a competition, and they loved it. As they got older, they were charged with teaching other kids. Heck, we filled our scout troop up just by my kids playing survival games at recess and other kids joining in. Practice Makes Prepared - go outside and practice. Even our military does in classroom instruction, then follows it up with practical application. It sets the skill in your mind. You don’t have to build a log cabin, try building a tarp shelter. Don’t have a bow drill or a ferro rod? Use a dang lighter, learn how to bundle your tender, learn how fire works first, then all the sexy ways to start a fire will make more sense, and most likely will be more successful. (Just don’t cheat with liquid fire enhancements..)
Thanks for all the effort! I'm definitely not immune to any of these scenarios and not a prepping pro. Extremely greatul to live in the Missouri Ozarks, family, modest skills, a group.
There is a lot of space to spread out in the Ozarks. We have a homestead that is very remote so it will have to do as a bug in location. Caves, forests, rivers, and creeks. Missouri has a lot of advantages. You may be interested in checking out the book series by T.L. Payne. It is an EMP survival scenario set in the Ozarks in the Ft. Leonardwood area. It has preps, skills, training, and groups in a speculative fiction format.
Bugging out requires a plan. Part of that plan requires a place to go where you are expected. Without a place to go, you're a refugee, and without someone there already it isn't a secure plan. Anything you don't take with you you can expect to lose- if you don't lose it when (if) you get back, great. My tips are (1) bug out early if you can, (2) someone stays behind if you're that worried about the supplies you can't evac with, (3) the folks who are full time at the BOL reverse the trend with some coming back when you return. Stabilize, repair, reset. Even living "in the middle of nowhere", have a bug out plan even if it means bugging INTO a city for a wildfire or flood. City folks will but out to "nowhere" the rest of the time.
I have had to evacuate twice due to wildfires. The first time was with my cat, the neighbor's cat, and my 130 lb malamute that had just had surgery and was sporting a huge e-collar. We all crammed into a small Jeep Wrangler and fled. Thank goodness I had bug out bags prepared for me and my pets, and that we had a safe location to go to. During the second evacuation my safe location was put under an evacuation warning shortly after we arrived, as the fire was spreading so fast. Thankfully the warning was dropped, and we did not end up having to flee that location also. Note to self for the future: Prepare a plan B! On the topic of maps, AAA members can get maps as one of the perks of membership. I recently picked up updated maps of my state as well as several surrounding states.
This is best video yet! Thanks. Everyone should test themselves with walking around your neighborhood and see how long you last, than try again and push yourself further while your at it learn the environment. Also bugout is inevitable.
I am so thankful and grateful that I live at my bug-out location, but I do keep a bug-out bag in my car just in case I'm ever required to leave my bug-out location. Even though it's in a rural location, you just never know. Thank you, Chris, for sharing your common-sense approach and great guidance procedures with us all.
As someone with a MOBILITY DISABILITY...I will HAVE TO use my RV to bugout. But I do have a location hubby & I can get to by several different directions. Our prayer is none of us need to use this option. LUCRETIA
Let’s hope none of us have to bugout of our homes 🙏 I glad to hear that you have identified multiple routes out of your area to get to your bugout location. Well done 👍👍
We have been a prepping family for over 20 years. Each video of yours, that I watch, I learn something new, or you bring up points that I had not thought about very much. Unless something happens to our home making it uninhabitable, we will shelter in place. Everything that we have done to prep is right here at our fingertips.
We have only ever planned to bug in, but when fire came within a mile of our house we had to evacuate. This was no easy task with horses, dogs, and cats. We have an RV but could not take it as we only had one tow bar which we needed for the horse trailer. You see, we had never needed to take both trailers at the same time - of course, after that we bought a tow bar for each trailer!
Living in an area that has frequent hurricanes that require evacuation has certainly enlightened me about bugging out or getting to another safer location. My first choice is to stay home if the storm is passing to my east. If I am unsure of it's path and it's too close to call, I leave. I take important documents, a few sentimental photos, about one week of clothing, my frozen foods in an ice chest, snacks for the road and secure my house. Then I wait until the optimal time to hit the road, usually at 2am. I notify my friends that I'm on my way and tell them my planned route, checking in with them every now & then with my location, why I stopped, what time I stopped (sometimes texts are delayed). I do this as a safety measure. If I stop telling them where I am and I never arrive, they know that I'm between that last location & their place, what time I was last there, and since they know my route, they know where to look for me. Some say I'm paranoid; I say I'm smart. While I prefer to stay home where all my preps are, if I have to leave on foot, I have all the camping tools that I need to make it, although I prefer to not have to use them. I hope the worst I have to do is evacuate by car.
I live alone. I have a bug out bag and a bug out box in the trunk of my car. I feel like I need to have another bug out bag at work or at a different location just in case my home is hit by a tornado, which is common in my area.
I can't tell you how much I love your channel. I don't feel panicked after watching them, and feel I have a solid idea of what to do to build up my security net. I recently bought a house with a nice sized yard and have been looking into ways to make it sustainable. Establishing long term patches of useful platlife, including walking onions and garlic, maybe even mushrooms if I get ambitious... that's one of my goals on the land I have. And the comments sections on these videos have given me great ideas to look into (or possibly invent! ) to make a much more sustainable home as well, making use of resources we'd otherwise discard... I learned our tap water is toxic to houseplants, which is why I have never gotten a plant to live long... My kiddo helped water my experimental plant, so I might need to find a new aloe... it looks so sick now.... I couldn't be mad at him for trying to help XD.
I said from the beginning when I first heard people talking about Buggin out there was a stupidest thing I’ve ever heard of. Less you have an address we populated high-rise why would you wanna leave all of your stuff behind. No one can carry all of the stuff they really need for more than a month
Suggestion. Plot your bug out course of travel in advance. Bury cache cans of supplies along your planned course of travel. Canned meats, noodles, rice, bottled water, extra clothes, hygene products, and any other items you think you may need. This will allow you to travel lighter and faster. You can mark the sites where your supply cans are buried by assembling various rocks around them.
This the mentality of many bugout advocates: "So our house in a local power grid blackout situation and I see the house lights down the street are still on... well, time to abandon the house and head out on foot to the bugout location 50 miles away."
A fantastic bug out and really all around tool is a survival guide or book. Usually relatively cheap and then you don’t have to memorize every single thing about everything. Doesn’t have to be charged lasts basically forever. Buy a couple and put them in a waterproof bag. It also works as entertainment in a pinch. Yes it’s also good to actually practice the skills and memorize what you can. But having everything written down step by a step is a massive plus.
I’m not having an easy time since my mother died fitting everything I need into a backpack. One problem is that shelters may consider tools as weapons. Another problem is that there are so many homeless people now you can’t find a patch of wilderness anywhere within walking distance of the city that isn’t occupied or monitored. I would love to build a stick fort and play survivorman instead of sleeping at the salvation army. So far this isn’t working out for me. The woods isn’t the fallback plan people think it is.
When the water stops running you can use the sewers after a good rain for travel. The only places that can account for 90+% of their inventory during emergencies are libraries. Always best to get out sooner than later. But if you have wait make sure you can secure your elates and know your entry points, exit points, Cover, and concealment areas.
Great content as always!!! You should put together a series actually drilling these things in real life scenarios......like do a 3 week survival video where we can watch you actually implement things you've shown us!!! I know I'd watch that! Thanks for everything!
You nailed it. 8lbs per gallon of water. Bugging out is a disaster 90% of the time. WATER,WATER,WATER. MY wife and I just decided in our late 60's that we will defend home no matter what. We live in Colorado and bugging out into the mountains is a joke. People need to do small things to fortify thier house. We just fortified our crawl space.
Thank you. Too many preppers on YT are pushing the idea of bugging out as the first response to any shtf situation. While it shouldn't be put off until it's too late, it shouldn't always be the first option either.
Thank you! I'm sure your videos save lives; disasters can occur in a moments notice, or less. I know you have given me a lot of useful information; with every single video I learn something new.
Always solid advice coming from your channel Kris. A very good practice is what many refer to "Geo-caching", however in this case you are hunting your own private geo caches. This ties in well with your previous video about hiding/burying resources along your potential routes. Keeping a list of lats & longs will be your very own private treasure map and not many will know what it means. Take care!
I'm a veteran. i thought I was in good shape then covid hit. i reevaluated everything. I'm better prepared now. i agree leaving should be a last resort.
the only way out is by air parasail... gyrocopter...electric heliocopter ( rechargeable solar )... next option is a sailboat only if at the ocean... anything else you are someone else's food at best.
I have a bugout location setup with 2 redundant backup locations if that one is compromised. And the majority of preps are also stored in caches. At my staging area.
i am currently working a long term bug out to a small country house 2 hours out of Denver. Denver is collapsing just like San Fran, Chicago etc. well be ready by April of 2022...
Some eye opening points made in this video, this is a lot harder than it seems Think the best thing to do is get good with bushcraft, it goes hand in hand with prepping and bugging out, at the very least have several good spots to camp out that one knows the terrain of well, make it an practice to survive for as long as possible, weeks, stretch yourself to stay out there for months if possible
I’m staying put. Getting an above ground pool, off season from Walmart. Huge discount. There’s my water supply. Got a life straw etc. I think if you leave home, if or when you return, squatters will be the new kings of your castle.
Great tips. It's makes sense to hide and secure any preps that you can't bug-out with, providing that home base isn't flattened or completely flooded-out. However, one prepper went into detail about how things can unfold... how the horde may not be aware of attic hiding places at first, but once they learn it from one house, they'll know to look for it. Is this a realistic? I guess it depends...
I've invested into my life and purchased 60 acres that back up to the national forest. I want to make sure I have all the tool to protect my loved ones. Past 8 years I now have almost everything I need.
Katrina took everything I had. My cousin in Lake Charles offers me a place to stay. A month later Rita comes. We evacuate to Lafyette. It seemed like Mother Nature wanted me to go home. It took everything my cousin had. We started our lives over again. The $2,000 I got taught me how to be a minimalist. Everything I need fits in a Trans by Jansport 36 incline. Everything else goes in my vehicle. If i have to let it go on the way to BOL I will let it go. Stuff isn't worth my life.
All take the risk of leaving their preps behind when one starts to prep. Never think that what you are prepping you will actually use, that's a fallacy! Agreed for many that bugging out will be the last resort resulting in reaction instead pro-active. One needs to know when to go! And be prepared accordingly. Thanks for the reminder.
Even 1 of the plys from a 2 ply facial tissue is adequete to start a fire with ANY ferro rod. Make it like a ball but with a concave top & have your other very fine kindling/tinder stuff set up already to put straight on.
I like your channel, been watching for a while. I noticed some of your viewers are in the dark regarding actual survival and bushcraft techniques. Three channels they should add, imo, are Donny Dust, Tom Mcelroy, and Ranger Survival. Dust teaches a somewhat mountain man approach to survival. Drying meat, making primitive tools, etc. McElroy teaches basic survival in multiple environments. Ranger Survival teaches everything he's learned from the Army Rangers. My kids asked to go "bug out" in December to see if we could. With only 2hrs before dark in freezing temps. One's feet got so cold she started crying so we went back to the house. I write that trip as a failure. We tossed some stuff, added others. Fire wasn't an issue, it was all in the location, which we didn't have choice over. Plus 2 hrs til dark including hike time was not nearly enough for us to set up a proper camp with reflectors for the fire, or many small things a 'comfortable' camp needs. I've spent 2 weeks rough camping in the snow with strong winds by myself. It was much harder with 2 others, and posed different challenges even without the snow and winds. Practice is vital. Watching these videos is great, but how many of us are going to be able to rebuild a car engine by watching a video? If you don't practice it, it will become a very difficult situation.
Some firearms do not work correctly from the factory. Learning your specific weapon's limits and that it can actually be trusted, or if it needs repair. It is best to know or resolve it ahead of time. I have had many factory firearms that needed repair despite being brand new from the manufacturer. Ruger, Bear Creek Arsenal, Smith & Wesson, and Savage have all given me weapons that needed repair after delivery and on the first range trip for some.
Download the Start Preparing! Survival Guide here: bit.ly/3xWhVwZ
Don't forget to hit the download to to your hard drive, when the pdf opens! thank you :)
I was recently reminded how cooking smells travel. I was snowplowing the driveway and my spouse was cooking dinner. The smells coming from the kitchen exhaust vent were to say incredible! I could smell exactly what the meat, onions and sauces that were being prepared up to 100 feet from the house. Now I was hungry but not starving. Imagine someone that was really hungry and how intuned their nose will be. It would be like ringing the dinner bell for everyone in the area.
Rember that the next time you are outside and you smell you neighbors cooking or barbecuing 🤤
I tried cooking on low heat, inside an oven with a Sterno can, wrapping it and the pot in foil to conserve heat and only for 2 hours (in this case half cup beans/ half cup rice/ half cup flour/ filling the rest of a 2 quart crock pot, crock only, with water). Opening the oven only enough to extinguish the Sterno by sliding its cover back on (cooked with external lid only halfway open). Then letting the whole setup cool in the oven until the next morning, eating it lukewarm so smells didn't project. Also, not seasoning it until right before eating it for the same reason.
cigarette smell too.
i quit smoking 11years ago BUT i can smell or "feel" the nicotine from surprisingly far away.
Never considered that, Anchorage!
Geez i don't know what happened to my last message, (that is why i edited it) it seem to say exactly the opposite of what i wrote! spell check i guess.
Anyways cigarette smell
travels FAR & lingers a long time too.
Best Wishes :)
@@RogueWave2030 Take notice the next time you’re out around your house and the neighbors are cooking
With all that is going on the world, this is probably one of the most valuable and important TH-cam channels in existence. Thank you for all of your selfless and hard work, video after video, to provide this critical information.
Wow, thank you!
Another channel that is good as far as current events and Bible prophecy is "Hope For Our Times". He stays on top of what's happening.
@@dontask3528 Thanks but no thanks. I prepare to live in the real world. People have been screaming about it being the "end times" for thousands of years, and every one of them has been 100% wrong.
@@greeneyedlady5580 well said, no place for bronze age mythology in this day and age. More evil has been done in the name of a fake God than any other reason.
@@jetjaguar4285 you want to plan for the future but you scoff when it is laid out before you. So here ya go. If you would read the Bible, you would find it laid out before your very eyes. War will come soon. Famine will follow. Soon afterward, 1/4 of the world will be killed by famine/hunger, war. And that is just the beginning. Men's hearts will fail them . You don't have to believe now. But you will believe before it is over. Remember.
My biggest challenge is not to survive on my own. I have parents who can not be moved from their place that quickly. When it comes to Food, Water, Shelter and Medication, I need to bug in with them and try to manage their survival too.
I'm in the same situation. It's a challenge. Of all of those, medication seems to be the biggest hurdle as our parents age. If you haven't already, have the meds they take moved to a 90 day (or more, if insurance will do that), prescription. It's not perfect, but it's a bit of peace of mind. Some conditions can be handled naturally, but, if not, it's a step in the right direction.
@@durgan5668 I live in Germany. The longest period of medication is the heart medication for my dad and that's 3 months, but you have to finish it, and you can't get more before the 3 months expire. Also, the issue that my mom finished Chemo therapy and radiation only a year ago but still has a lot of side effects is helping a lot.
At least, we are always stocked on food and other supplies. My parents have experience war, so they know that SHTF very fast
Just stay
I have my 93 year old mom here with us, so I am in the same boat. I would prefer to bug in anyway.
Im in the same boat. The only way my parents will ever leave their home is in A PINE BOX! 😂🤣🤭
We finally secured 5 acres in a private wooded area off the beaten path. My hope is this summer to buy a structure that can be moved it and start preparing it to stay in for long weekends and in the eventuality of SHTF.
Fun fact, the homeless in Sacramento County like to target other homeless who have backpacks. One guy got accosted with a machete, and most use bicycles to get around. The homeless are a perfect example of what bugging out actually looks like. Mobile refugees, a Mad Max microcosm.
My son lives out in Lodi CA. He tells me of the homeless out there. Life is hard for these prepoers who throw all their waste everywhere. Yep, landless refuges.
Real bugging out is having some rural land to bug out on; then your not a refuge. Your home, the land, is there.💫
Bugging out is exactly that, the homeless of California but on a national or global scale. If they use knives I will use a gun or swords. Being unprepared is tentamount to being a victim.
Also, that situation is in a urban environment. Most prepoers will flee to the wilderness. Few homeless for handouts there 💫
Homeless people will rule when everyone bugs out or tries. Lol
@@cconnon1912 they may rule in the ruble of the burned out cities but not in the fortified rural areas. The homeless will be locked into cities with no way out.
They'll die of hunger and thirst. Period!💫
@@josephpetrick3499 - that was a joke. But fortified “rural areas”? Sounds like an oxymoron. Your “rural areas” better have resources, like water, timber, wild game, and natural deterrent from others looking to take it from you and eat you. The homeless is the last thing I would worry about. But then bugging out is not likely in our lifetime, so this is all speculation.
We had to bug-out in October of last year, but only overnight. The creek near our house flooded, and surrounded our house with about 3 feet of turbulent water. We had to wade through that to gather our goats into the barn, which was a couple of feet above ground, where they climbed up on top of the hay bales. We took the two dogs with us and evacuated to our son's home, which was just a few miles away. We were wearing tall rubber boots. We took with us a handgun, spare shoes, and a coffee cup that was in our hand when the water suddenly came up. What I learned? That we should have our bug-out bag in the car, or next to the door, because when you are abruptly having to evacuate, you don't want to have to think. You really can't think. We did have sense enough to move our vehicles -- 3 times -- as the water came up. Our neighbor was not as fortunate. Her car and van were totalled by the flood waters.
Granny Fisher I agree with you that your bugout bag/boxes, etc. should be rear your exits. We keep ours near the garage door so if we have to leave we can throw them in a vehicle or on our back and get moving. There are times where searching for items to take is not possible.
Glad to hear that you fared well and were able to get to your son’s house 🙏
Ill be putting bug out bags in our cars. Thanks, Granny :)
Good point on no time to think.
Ugh. I got work to do.
We lost our home to a fire years ago - actually the second floor/attic/roof burned, and the first floor was destroyed by 3 hours worth of water used to douse the flames. Fire happened at 5:30 a.m. on a snowy morning. I was in pajamas, house slippers, and a robe. Husband was in sweatpants, a coat, and rubber boots. Insurance said few things could be salvaged due to toxic fumes released during the fire: no personal hygiene items, no prescription meds. Bedroom closets on the second floor were gone, so we had no clothes, no socks. If not for an emergency insurance advance, we wouldn't have had so much as a toothbrush. After the house was rebuilt, we both put together bug-out bags in our closets and routinely take them out, check contents, check straps, usually add some (small) new item or two. Bugging out doesn't mean TEOTWAWKI; it may just be having important necessities for a few days until you can return home or (as we did) move into other quarters for the duration. Now if there's a societal SHTF, bugging out is our LAST option for precisely the points you made, Kris.
Wow - great real life example! Thank you for sharing it.
We worry about this as well. We don't have house fire bags, and that's a great idea.
We recently went from a single fire extinguisher in our kitchen to 2 in our basement, 2 in our family room and a large one in our garage. If SHTF there is risk of being burned out by marauders who we would be shooting at, but a larger risk of power surging causing a fire.
@@bukboefidun9096 We were guilty of having a single fire alarm in the upstairs hallway. The fire started from a bad wire in the attic under 18 inches of cellulose insulation The fire marshal said it could've simmered for days before it flashed over. The dog woke us, and all we knew was the power was out then realized fire was breaking through the ceiling, THEN the smoke alarm went off. Fire marshall said we were lucky to get out in time. Now we have smoke alarms everywhere from the attic to the basement, and in all bedrooms. Good point on fire extinguishers - I have one on the kitchen, really need 3 more minimum!
@@gsdalpha1358 frightening how fire cab smolder then spread fast.
@@bukboefidun9096 True! Our German Shepherd saved us. She got special treats to the end of her days. Best dog *ever*. The new dog is another GSD but young and still a total doofus - lol.
I think bugging-out has been romanticized by many movies, the Walking Dead, etc. It's a great movie or book plot, but in real life, I'm not bugging out. Ever. I don't live where it will ever flood, there are no dangers like trains full of toxic material, or anything else, etc. I have too many animals to move, so to coin a nautical term, I'm going down with my ship like a good captain if some completely insane disaster manages to happen. Another great video Kris! A virtual high-five!
Do not ever leave it off the table, it may have to be an option to survive, but I do understand someone willing to go down fighting rather than to consider it...just not me.
Like me you live in your bug out location.
hate to break it to you....but you more than likely live in the fallout zone of 1 of the 93 nuclear reactors in the US if they were to ever meltdown...which are specifically targeted by other countries with nuclear weapons to maximize lethality
You should like the kind of person that would swallow a bunch of pills and die in bed
@@casey5018 Thanks to M.A.D. It is unlikely the world will see renewed use of Nuclear warfare. Also, you won’t get enough warning to get out of the driveway let alone to safety in such an event. Your best bet would be to pray for salvation and get ready to meet Jesus. Until then pray they never get used again.
This is exactly why we moved to a remote area with no neighbors & very, very few will ever even drive by the long dirt road I live on.
Bushcraft skills are your best defense. If a collapse happens you won't be able to go to videos or Google to learn it on the spot. Practice makes perfect. Foraging for food isn't as easy as most think. One mistake can kill you! Don't wait until SHTF to learn what you can eat & how to prepare it to make it edible much less tasty! I've been learning this since I was a kid being taught by my great-grandma who lived through the Great Depression with 3 kids to raise after her husband died. I learned about the antibiotic properties of turkey tail & how to make sure it was indeed that & not a poisonous imitator!! Don't wait, start now, it's never too late until it is!
You got it right! Move far away from people. it's people who are the total problem. They want what you have to stay alive. I have bug out land off grid in six states. I think my Oregon or Colorado land will be my pick of when the time comes soon now. Far from people.💫
You people are not right
@@drock213 Not right! Maybe your just stupid to the coming chaos. Stupid doesn't live long so just stay away from the prepared.
Yeah, you do what's right, die or waste away when the time comes.
If your right you will be dead and right....into the ground. Unprepared and tied to the social umbilical cord.
Solid video!
One important thing to remember is that you need to have options for where your bugout or evacuation locations might be, and have supplies staged at those locations before the need to go there ever comes up.
Yes, it sucks and its expensive.
Additionally, you need to plan for an emergency at those locations too.
What if your 3 day bugout trip to get to your primary or secondary location takes longer than anticipated? What if you get to those locations only to find out that they arent viable options for shelter? They could be damaged or someone else could already be there and you dont want to fight them for that shelter.
Everyone needs to make sure that they have the ability to get more food and water from their surroundings, more than you might otherwise plan for.
You need to make sure your shelter is actually strong enough to last for many weeks rather than just a handful of nights.
This also applies to get home bags. What if there is an emergency and you get home only to find out that it isnt home anymore?
A lot of people only keep a bottle of water, a crappy poncho, and a protein bar for their get home bags, but they need more than that, in case their "get home" scenario turns into a "bug out" scenario.
Good video! The best way to practice this stuff is to take up backpacking. A good three-day trip can give you a point of reference. I sure learned about sunscreen.
Very true!
Hiking is how I practice too! I also like the fact that having a day pack ready to go in my trunk for a spur of the moment 3 hour trek is great practice for keeping track of the readiness of your get home/BOB gear (ex I always need season appropriate clothing and shoes, water, snacks in the car, and it trains me to keep an eye on the weather forecast). Good exercise too 💪
I'm posting under your comment because it's an excellent one.
I'm taking liberties to add to it, I spent 28 years in the Infantry before age and time took it's physical toll on me.
Traiming and preparation.
1. Pack the minimum what you think you need.
2. Take the pack on a one mile walk, high school track, four laps (1/4 mile laps) is recommended so if things just aren't working out you don't have a long walk back to the house or car.
3. Once you think the pack and weight is right for you, do a one mile trail or road walk with hills.
4. Work your way up to three miles, three times a week, this is a base line fitness training.
5. Once a month do a six mile walk.
6. After three months try and overnight 12 mile hike, the end point should be near your car or a place that can help, if this is your first time doing this many miles in one day you're still in for a shock.
7. After three months start a three day out camping living off ONLY what you carry...up to 10-12 miles walking each day.
8. Once you reach success in all that, now do it all again in the heat, the cold, and in bad/Rainey weather.
That is the starting point.
-tests you mentally.
-tests you physically.
-tests your equipment, back pack, footwear, and clothing.
-tests your skills.
The best learning curve is experience.
This is so true. The first time I went backpacking my cotton boxers chafed and wore a hole in my thigh. I had to cut my 3 day trip short. It was a really painful walk home the next day, but I learned from my mistake. Proper clothing for easy movement is a huge part of moving over distance efficiently.
The difference between my first backpacking trip and my most recent one 40 years later is the experience and skills that enable survival no matter what I forget. My never forget list is shorter as a result. We pack our fears--in backpacks and in go bags.
Definitely cover the basics, with duplicates, for fire, water treatment/storage, cooking, a good knife/machete, shelter, clothing, food, hygiene, first aid, and comfort. Comfort might be a peppermint or cough drop or some i stant coffee--a spirit lifter when times are desperate or boring. I'll take boring.
This may be illegal these days, not sure, but I've read the Native Americans used to plant wild edibles along their long range hunting and travel paths, in case things didn't go as expected and they were gone longer than they thought, they'd have a source of food. I've heard they did this with things like Jerusalem artichokes, and other plants that would thrive on their own.
Maybe people could plant some of these along their route?
Just don't get caught.
Excellent idea.
Indians traveled at a much slower pace. You may be able to plant some eatables at rest areas. If you are on foot, while bugging out, you are pretty much screwed.
Verry good info! Thank you.
I wouldn’t recommend this, because this is extremely illegal and can get you life in prison easily.
I love the mix you've got going, with abstract sort of "armchair" thinking and planning, and then the concrete, how-to videos that are the meat and potatoes of the actual knowledge and skills that people would need to have, like cleaning clothes, staying warm, getting water, preserving food etc.
Had to evacuate during the N Cal fires --it's not something you WANT to do. Best off at home, but you must have plans for evacuation. Mr. City Prepper thanks so much for all your work.
When you said "..bugging out should be your last resort.." , my first thought was that bugging WILL be your last resort...once you get far enough away there may be a point after which going back won't be an option. Being self reliant will be the only way you succeed.
Good talk, thanks!
"Being self reliant will be the only way you succeed"...Absolutely not the "only" way...take some time and apply more thought, you are boxing yourself in.
Please let people know that they need a pre-planed location to go to. Please don’t let them believe they will just start hunting and foraging there way to glory. This will not happen. Private land owners don’t want trespassing. Public land will be full of …. Well unskilled people who will try to pray off of you. Have a purpose and a destination….. not some cave or river 35 miles over to the next county
I'm an old fart, been in the prepping thing for several decades (going back to 1980s)
and all along, I've been saying that the obsession with bugging out is a recipe for becoming a refugee ... and to be clear: there CAN be legit reasons to bug out, but the mindset of bugging out as some end-all be-all or necessarily first line of action is ridiculous
Bingo! Bugging out should be seen as nothing more than an "unscheduled & unintended relocation" from A to B, via a TBD route.
Best have place B ready now or soonish. Just think in terms of Risk Mitigation for all sorts of realistic scenarios in a declining & desperate Empire.
@@francp3147 basically my point in a nutshell ... not critical of "bugging out" per se, does have various perfectly valid applications such as emergency evacuation for wide variety potential reasons - wildfires, chemical spills, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes etc ... or even potentially in a sustained, perhaps even permanent 'grid down' situation, if staying put would be untenable, pose grave immediate risk etc
However, the notion of bugging out at first sign of "IT" (whatever form that might take) is a sure recipe of turning into a refugee .. and the proponents suggest an already supplied bug out location, fine, but they never seem to explain what's next, and gloss over being a newbie, potential for not getting there in the first place, reaching it and finding already looted or having to fight it out (and speaking of gun fights, it's like they think they're magically impervious or something) ... basically .... fantasy BS
Jacob agree 100%
I concur.
Refugees become marauders or victims.
@@bukboefidun9096 True. Look at the one's coming across our southern border. And the one from north Africa and the middle east going into Europe.
Kris, thanks so much for this. To protect our hidden preps we have a decoy food prep supply. We put the oldest canned vegetables and meat we have on a book case in our basement. It is only scantily hidden so it will draw the attention of anyone trying to raid our preps. We don't keep all of our preps in one place. They should be spread around and easily found. As people reach or exceed the three days without water and three weeks without food, their brains begin to work differently. The frontal cortexes, which keep you from raiding someone else's preps or going around shooting people, dissipate and primal instincts kick in. You'll do anything to alleviate how you feel when you haven't had water. If you've ever had a hangover, that is how you will feel on days two and three, and the feeling intensifies. Alcohol is dehydrating, so that's why you feel awful. But when you reach day three, you'll do anything to get some water. Same with food. Get prepared, stay prepared and do your best to bug in.
Great information
@@georgiasteinberg2545 Thanks. My pleasure.
To protect our prep's we have firearms with which we will shoot em in the face
What's your address? Just asking for a friend.
@@ctcv-to8kq HI, I appreciate your asking, but as some who has been engaging in preparedness since 1993 and written a syndicated column about it, I don't give out my address to anyone except family and neighbors for obvious reasons. My apologies.
We made the mistake of bugging out from our home in Webster, Tx. We were instructed to evacuate due to a Cat 5 hurricane. What improved our bugging out was a ham radio in each of our family’s vehicle and taking back roads by using maps. Many other citizens ended up stranded on the freeway going out of the city.
excellent point! those backup plans on rarely traveled roads is way better than being jammed with the traffic.
Yup
We did likewise for hurricane in gulf
Flooding and wind damage we "bugged in" taking turns guarding the street with 2 neighbors. 11 days no electricity but shared my generator 2 hrs a day ww2 neighbors to keep freezers going. Cooked out, used battery lanterns, candle lanterns, torches and solar. Brought neighbors together as they returned. Very conservative area Alabama gulf coast.
That also happened both in Katrina and Rita, engines overheating, cars stalling, meds running out, people fighting panic. Cops freaking out and shooting people on foot. Wasn't pretty.
This also happened several years ago in FL. People trying to flee the state spent days in their cars, and never reached their destination, or even hit state lines!
Get a gazetteer for your state and surrounding states you may need to enter. Before SHTF, scout your best alternate routes to see their condition and any chokepoints. Have at least 3 different ways to go on the back roads. If you are going to leave, you need a place to go to and you leave before things devolve into violence. Hams are good but CBs are cheaper and will also serve, while traveling by vehicle.
Foraging! Yes! I actually started my prepping journey with wild edible and medical plant knowledge. We often call them “weeds.”
When we lived in the Sierra Nevada mountains in CA fire was a constant threat. We lived 7 miles from town so we had a bug out plan for the children when the adults were all at work. Each person ha a bug out bag packed and ready to go. We practiced a lot, and thankfully never had to actually bug out. Many years later, our oldest daughter was home with her young son when they had to evacuate. Guess what she had packed and ready to go? Yep, a 72 hour go kit. She was able to evacuate in less than 19 minutes. All that practicing as a child/teenager must have really stuck.
I have never had to bug out, but I have lived within 2-3 hours of places that did. I was shocked to see how quickly resources disappeared 100+ miles from danger as people passed through.
Some things folks need to remember. Extra socks and foot powder. And don't go cheap on foot gear. When you move out on your LPC's (Leather Personnel Carriers), take care of those feet. Wash, dry and powder 'em. The last thing you need is the loss of mobility.
We will be bugging in 100%. We have been extremely "grey" so far with easily, an entire years supply of food. And seeds for growing. Our immediate family members
know only to come to our home if anything catastrophic takes place. They will be relieved to find what we have prepped for them. Also, we have google mapped all
homes with pools within a mile or so. We intend to barter for water when necessary. God Bless us preppers and rapture us ahead of this stuff.
I will rely on rain water in my area for sanitary/cleaning flushing... after my cases of water and many milk bottles are used, and don't forget the 80 gallons in the hot water heater.
Excellent video and I'm glad you made it. It's a hard truth for many so-called preppers. Running into the woods at the first sign of trouble with your 50 lbs "bushcraft" bug-out bag to start homesteading in the wild isn't going to end well for most. Your best bet is to BUG-IN with your stockpiled preps and most of society will Darwin themselves from the equation within the first 90 days. Your chances of survival skyrocket after that. Do your homework, folks. DO NOT PANIC!
Had to evacuate during Hurricane Irma. Like people with fires in the West by the time they bugged out all the shelters, hotels, and friends had either bugged out too or went to places filled to capacity. Timing is everything, because of depleted resources after a severe weather event, inability to drive roads with downed trees, downed electric wires, and no power in the area, including cell towers. Flights and public transport are generally closed 24 hours before a severe weather event, so factor that in too. People can't predict where a fire or hurricane will make landfall with reliable accuracy until just before it hits. Evacuating near by could put you in the direct path. If you decide to stay have a local backup last minute evacuation plan too with gear packed before the event forces your move. Let friends/family or trusted neighbors know your plan in case you need rescue. Look for opportunities nobody else thought of to find shelter, like air b&b rentals.
I spend weeks at a time packing into wilderness areas every year for the elk hunt. When you pack in miles you have to keep it light and plan on using a lot of resources the wilderness offers. If there is anything I suggest for most is to practice this and use it always. You never know if it will be needed.
i dont understand that though. what makes you think YOUR home will be the one to not get raided, all your resources stolen and you wont get darwinned?
One thing people often forget is their passport, basic documents, phone numbers and cash. That and a helmet as I live in Tokyo so falling debris from unstable high rise structures with aftershocks are a major concern post a catastrophic earthquake.
Every time I watch one of your videos, I learn another prep thing I need to do that I had not even thought about before.
So at times, it may make me feel inadequate but it also tells be where I need improvement.
Sure would like more info about emp and saving my solar panels and accessories.
Thank for your hard work to share so much.
EMPShield has military grade surge protectors for home,solar,car ect.
Faraday cages.
Blackout of 2003 we had to leave because of the chaos. It was a good lesson showing me how I could be much better prepared
There is a reason I am a pilot and own a airplane, I can fly nonstop (using autopilot) from Northern Idaho to the Southern Bahamas in 12 hours with 8 people.
Wanta be friends? 😁
I am in my 70’s are you a pilot and can you fly Jimmy Buffett’s plane? Restored 1951 Grumman albatross?
Can you take enough supplies for 8 people in your plane?
@@tsunamis82 probably has all the supplies in Southern Bahamas lol, it's his plan
@@tsunamis82 prob not
With all the other helpful tips you've given this is the one that some of us have been crying out for in the comments for a very long time. Thank you for addressing it!
I am so glad you put this video out! I've been thinking the same exact thing all along this last year every time you try to promote bugging out.
IMO: Backpacking long distances = voluntary bugging out for recreational purposes. If you can't go for a week long hike, today, with what you have, in the physical condition that you are in, then you aren't ready to bug out on foot. Note - in actual bug out, add certain items not needed for backpacking (firearms, ammo, money, etc).
This is me and I know it. I may have all the equipment and bag ready to go but I know I couldn’t make a week long trek on foot. Yet. I’m pushing more each day to get in the shape I need to be in to reach this goal. Hopefully a week long bug out situation doesn’t happen before I reach this goal (or ever if I’m being honest).
After getting back in touch with my outdoors habits and skills, I'm glad to have this knowledge in case I ever have to bugout with my family. Don't forget important documents as well, if you believe you won't return to your home.
8 miles south of Boston - Being a sanctuary chyte wh@le it’s already dangerous living here. This weekend we are getting hit with a blizzard that could knock out power for days possibly weeks. I am prepared but I worry what will happen with the local welfare class when their apartment/section 8 housing is sub-zero & my home is 75 degrees comfy.
Having plans within your plans are just as important. Making sure you adjust the plan based on if your children are in school vs out of school. Situational preparation is just as important.
If wild edibles are not present on your bug out route go on the internet and buy seeds and ( plant) several secret garden spots of Perennial plants overlooked by others ( but not by you) just off the road. You can plant these plots over a plastic bucket cache of vacuum sealed food
To add - you can do this more stealth like by making seed bombs (soil, clay, seeds) if they are viable for the type of seed you’re using. As you practice hiking your bug out path, toss these a few feet off the path.
You keep pumping these out like clockwork! Do you ever sleep?🤣 You're doing the community a service! Thank you!
team effort :) but yeh, it's a lot of work.
@@CityPrepping behind the best leaders, are the strongest teams.
My thoughts exactly, they just keep coming out.
My situation and what i am doing to improve it: My wife is out of shape and wants to improve her self but does not try very hard. I have built get home bags for both of us. I dont think she can carry her bag even 5 miles even though i have kept hers very light. TRYING TO IMPROVE: I have been asking her to go for walks in the evening. Now i am carrying my get home bag on these walks in hopes that she will eventually do the same. I dont want to push her too hard. I would rather see her decide on her own that she needs to be able to do this. We live in a remote desert community and we are often many miles from home so we carry our bags in our cars at all times. We need to be able to use those bags during the smallest incident. (flat tire, engine trouble,out of gas EMP) I am gently trying to nudge her to be able to take care of herself when i am not there.
What a wonderful husband!
What if you try going for walks together and making your couple activities/time centred around exercise? Could even be biking nearby just to get started. Diet is #1 before activity so fasting with electrolytes would be a good way to get started.
With my HW engineering, IT, Programming and linguistic skills, I'm prepping to become one of a growing number of expats to Go Galt & go abroad. Going to a nice, safe, livable and affordable place, thousands of miles away, with its own community of Western expats. Putting all the pieces together, month by month. Splitting in Q3/2023, rain or shine.
I am constantly working to improve my bugout bag, but bugging out will be my LAST option
Juste in case your home IS burning, i think it's worth having a bag out of your house hidden in the backyard. Or any other safe place.
Number one is if you have no place reliable to go, don't even think about it.
Home field advantage: laying out my kids toys and Lego’s as booby traps for any potential home invader.
lol...srsly
Legos and the little green army men are enough to deter the strongest!
Legos? That's cruel. Lolol.
A layered LEGO defense is the best defense.
Don't forget Home Alone!
Nobody can walk over marbles. Tripwires for paint cans, etc., etc.
Having a solid plan is the best way to start. It’s also the best time to run logical “What If” scenarios. If you have younger kids, make a game of it. When my kids were young, I went full on Baden-Powell on them, everything was a game, all games were a competition, and they loved it. As they got older, they were charged with teaching other kids. Heck, we filled our scout troop up just by my kids playing survival games at recess and other kids joining in.
Practice Makes Prepared - go outside and practice. Even our military does in classroom instruction, then follows it up with practical application. It sets the skill in your mind. You don’t have to build a log cabin, try building a tarp shelter. Don’t have a bow drill or a ferro rod? Use a dang lighter, learn how to bundle your tender, learn how fire works first, then all the sexy ways to start a fire will make more sense, and most likely will be more successful. (Just don’t cheat with liquid fire enhancements..)
Thanks for all the effort! I'm definitely not immune to any of these scenarios and not a prepping pro. Extremely greatul to live in the Missouri Ozarks, family, modest skills, a group.
sounds like you have a great community around you
There is a lot of space to spread out in the Ozarks. We have a homestead that is very remote so it will have to do as a bug in location. Caves, forests, rivers, and creeks. Missouri has a lot of advantages. You may be interested in checking out the book series by T.L. Payne. It is an EMP survival scenario set in the Ozarks in the Ft. Leonardwood area. It has preps, skills, training, and groups in a speculative fiction format.
I feel the same way about where I am 😄
@@kdavis4910 Lol.
Bugging out requires a plan. Part of that plan requires a place to go where you are expected. Without a place to go, you're a refugee, and without someone there already it isn't a secure plan. Anything you don't take with you you can expect to lose- if you don't lose it when (if) you get back, great. My tips are (1) bug out early if you can, (2) someone stays behind if you're that worried about the supplies you can't evac with, (3) the folks who are full time at the BOL reverse the trend with some coming back when you return. Stabilize, repair, reset. Even living "in the middle of nowhere", have a bug out plan even if it means bugging INTO a city for a wildfire or flood. City folks will but out to "nowhere" the rest of the time.
I have had to evacuate twice due to wildfires. The first time was with my cat, the neighbor's cat, and my 130 lb malamute that had just had surgery and was sporting a huge e-collar. We all crammed into a small Jeep Wrangler and fled. Thank goodness I had bug out bags prepared for me and my pets, and that we had a safe location to go to. During the second evacuation my safe location was put under an evacuation warning shortly after we arrived, as the fire was spreading so fast. Thankfully the warning was dropped, and we did not end up having to flee that location also. Note to self for the future: Prepare a plan B!
On the topic of maps, AAA members can get maps as one of the perks of membership. I recently picked up updated maps of my state as well as several surrounding states.
And have a plan C
Those wildfires must be terrifying.
Another great one, Kris. I have some property I will be moving to soon, but it's 8hrs away. Let's hope things hold until I can leave this city...
This is best video yet! Thanks. Everyone should test themselves with walking around your neighborhood and see how long you last, than try again and push yourself further while your at it learn the environment. Also bugout is inevitable.
This is the first prepper series I've seen that doesn't come off as ridiculous. Keep up the good work.
I am so thankful and grateful that I live at my bug-out location, but I do keep a bug-out bag in my car just in case I'm ever required to leave my bug-out location. Even though it's in a rural location, you just never know. Thank you, Chris, for sharing your common-sense approach and great guidance procedures with us all.
Vital information presented matter of factly. So great to have a channel that I can share without my less informed family members calling me paranoid.
As someone with a MOBILITY DISABILITY...I will HAVE TO use my RV to bugout. But I do have a location hubby & I can get to by several different directions. Our prayer is none of us need to use this option. LUCRETIA
Let’s hope none of us have to bugout of our homes 🙏 I glad to hear that you have identified multiple routes out of your area to get to your bugout location. Well done 👍👍
We have been a prepping family for over 20 years. Each video of yours, that I watch, I learn something new, or you bring up points that I had not thought about very much. Unless something happens to our home making it uninhabitable, we will shelter in place. Everything that we have done to prep is right here at our fingertips.
We have only ever planned to bug in, but when fire came within a mile of our house we had to evacuate. This was no easy task with horses, dogs, and cats. We have an RV but could not take it as we only had one tow bar which we needed for the horse trailer. You see, we had never needed to take both trailers at the same time - of course, after that we bought a tow bar for each trailer!
Living in an area that has frequent hurricanes that require evacuation has certainly enlightened me about bugging out or getting to another safer location. My first choice is to stay home if the storm is passing to my east. If I am unsure of it's path and it's too close to call, I leave. I take important documents, a few sentimental photos, about one week of clothing, my frozen foods in an ice chest, snacks for the road and secure my house. Then I wait until the optimal time to hit the road, usually at 2am. I notify my friends that I'm on my way and tell them my planned route, checking in with them every now & then with my location, why I stopped, what time I stopped (sometimes texts are delayed). I do this as a safety measure. If I stop telling them where I am and I never arrive, they know that I'm between that last location & their place, what time I was last there, and since they know my route, they know where to look for me. Some say I'm paranoid; I say I'm smart.
While I prefer to stay home where all my preps are, if I have to leave on foot, I have all the camping tools that I need to make it, although I prefer to not have to use them.
I hope the worst I have to do is evacuate by car.
Great points made in this video. Only in a life or death situation would I bug out.
My sentiments exactly.
Same
I live alone. I have a bug out bag and a bug out box in the trunk of my car. I feel like I need to have another bug out bag at work or at a different location just in case my home is hit by a tornado, which is common in my area.
I can't tell you how much I love your channel. I don't feel panicked after watching them, and feel I have a solid idea of what to do to build up my security net.
I recently bought a house with a nice sized yard and have been looking into ways to make it sustainable. Establishing long term patches of useful platlife, including walking onions and garlic, maybe even mushrooms if I get ambitious... that's one of my goals on the land I have.
And the comments sections on these videos have given me great ideas to look into (or possibly invent! ) to make a much more sustainable home as well, making use of resources we'd otherwise discard...
I learned our tap water is toxic to houseplants, which is why I have never gotten a plant to live long... My kiddo helped water my experimental plant, so I might need to find a new aloe... it looks so sick now.... I couldn't be mad at him for trying to help XD.
I said from the beginning when I first heard people talking about Buggin out there was a stupidest thing I’ve ever heard of. Less you have an address we populated high-rise why would you wanna leave all of your stuff behind. No one can carry all of the stuff they really need for more than a month
Bless you Kris. I am prepared to help people where we want to.
👍👍👍
Suggestion. Plot your bug out course of travel in advance. Bury cache cans of supplies along your planned course of travel. Canned meats, noodles, rice, bottled water, extra clothes, hygene products, and any other items you think you may need.
This will allow you to travel lighter and faster. You can mark the sites where your supply cans are buried by assembling various rocks around them.
This the mentality of many bugout advocates:
"So our house in a local power grid blackout situation and I see the house lights down the street are still on... well, time to abandon the house and head out on foot to the bugout location 50 miles away."
A fantastic bug out and really all around tool is a survival guide or book. Usually relatively cheap and then you don’t have to memorize every single thing about everything. Doesn’t have to be charged lasts basically forever. Buy a couple and put them in a waterproof bag. It also works as entertainment in a pinch. Yes it’s also good to actually practice the skills and memorize what you can. But having everything written down step by a step is a massive plus.
I’m not having an easy time since my mother died fitting everything I need into a backpack. One problem is that shelters may consider tools as weapons. Another problem is that there are so many homeless people now you can’t find a patch of wilderness anywhere within walking distance of the city that isn’t occupied or monitored. I would love to build a stick fort and play survivorman instead of sleeping at the salvation army. So far this isn’t working out for me. The woods isn’t the fallback plan people think it is.
Another amazing video. Thank you for helping us to survive rather than feeling helpless and scared. Can't wait to learn more:)
Excellent video. Thank for reminding me that bug-out might be my last option but it might be the only option and needs to be prepared for.
Hi from Syracuse NY brother and thank you for sharing your thoughts and facts and truth
Thanks for all you do Kris, These are truly exciting times.
When the water stops running you can use the sewers after a good rain for travel.
The only places that can account for 90+% of their inventory during emergencies are libraries.
Always best to get out sooner than later. But if you have wait make sure you can secure your elates and know your entry points, exit points, Cover, and concealment areas.
Great content as always!!! You should put together a series actually drilling these things in real life scenarios......like do a 3 week survival video where we can watch you actually implement things you've shown us!!! I know I'd watch that! Thanks for everything!
Canadian Prepper does that to a certain degree. He tries out most all of the stuff he sells, plus more.
@@lisacaldwell3460 love Canadian Prepper!!
Thank you for this video God Bless you Kris.
You nailed it. 8lbs per gallon of water. Bugging out is a disaster 90% of the time. WATER,WATER,WATER. MY wife and I just decided in our late 60's that we will defend home no matter what. We live in Colorado and bugging out into the mountains is a joke. People need to do small things to fortify thier house. We just fortified our crawl space.
Good stuff - Simply thinking and discussing a plan while calm and have a clear head is invaluable. Thanks.
Thank you. Too many preppers on YT are pushing the idea of bugging out as the first response to any shtf situation. While it shouldn't be put off until it's too late, it shouldn't always be the first option either.
Thank you! I'm sure your videos save lives; disasters can occur in a moments notice, or less. I know you have given me a lot of useful information; with every single video I learn something new.
Always solid advice coming from your channel Kris.
A very good practice is what many refer to "Geo-caching", however in this case you are hunting your own private geo caches. This ties in well with your previous video about hiding/burying resources along your potential routes. Keeping a list of lats & longs will be your very own private treasure map and not many will know what it means.
Take care!
I'm a veteran. i thought I was in good shape then covid hit. i reevaluated everything. I'm better prepared now. i agree leaving should be a last resort.
the only way out is by air
parasail... gyrocopter...electric heliocopter ( rechargeable solar )... next option is a sailboat only if at the ocean...
anything else you are someone else's food at best.
Thank you Kris.
Times are uncertain & scary. But this information helps.
I have a bugout location setup with 2 redundant backup locations if that one is compromised. And the majority of preps are also stored in caches. At my staging area.
i am currently working a long term bug out to a small country house 2 hours out of Denver. Denver is collapsing just like San Fran, Chicago etc. well be ready by April of 2022...
Some eye opening points made in this video, this is a lot harder than it seems
Think the best thing to do is get good with bushcraft, it goes hand in hand with prepping and bugging out, at the very least have several good spots to camp out that one knows the terrain of well, make it an practice to survive for as long as possible, weeks, stretch yourself to stay out there for months if possible
Bugging out should bring to mind the thought of contingency plans....how to replenish or sustain any consumable items packed in a bugout bag.
Sill-cot key? When I was a kid growing up in the streets of Houston Texas, I just used a pair of pliers.
Couldn't agree more. Unless you're rich, it's hard to replicate everything you've prepped at your main location.
I’m staying put. Getting an above ground pool, off season from Walmart. Huge discount. There’s my water supply. Got a life straw etc.
I think if you leave home, if or when you return, squatters will be the new kings of your castle.
Great tips. It's makes sense to hide and secure any preps that you can't bug-out with, providing that home base isn't flattened or completely flooded-out. However, one prepper went into detail about how things can unfold... how the horde may not be aware of attic hiding places at first, but once they learn it from one house, they'll know to look for it.
Is this a realistic? I guess it depends...
THANK YOU for providing this info free! I LOVE YOU as a human being for it!
Outstanding video. Provides food for thought as well as some thought provoking ideas.
I've invested into my life and purchased 60 acres that back up to the national forest. I want to make sure I have all the tool to protect my loved ones. Past 8 years I now have almost everything I need.
I keep saying this. You only bug out to only bug in somewhere else. You better plan. There is not bugging out indefinitely.
Katrina took everything I had. My cousin in Lake Charles offers me a place to stay. A month later Rita comes. We evacuate to Lafyette. It seemed like Mother Nature wanted me to go home. It took everything my cousin had. We started our lives over again. The $2,000 I got taught me how to be a minimalist. Everything I need fits in a Trans by Jansport 36 incline. Everything else goes in my vehicle. If i have to let it go on the way to BOL I will let it go. Stuff isn't worth my life.
All take the risk of leaving their preps behind when one starts to prep. Never think that what you are prepping you will actually use, that's a fallacy! Agreed for many that bugging out will be the last resort resulting in reaction instead pro-active. One needs to know when to go! And be prepared accordingly. Thanks for the reminder.
Even 1 of the plys from a 2 ply facial tissue is adequete to start a fire with ANY ferro rod. Make it like a ball but with a concave top & have your other very fine kindling/tinder stuff set up already to put straight on.
Most bugging out is going to a hotel or a relatives home.
I like your channel, been watching for a while. I noticed some of your viewers are in the dark regarding actual survival and bushcraft techniques. Three channels they should add, imo, are Donny Dust, Tom Mcelroy, and Ranger Survival. Dust teaches a somewhat mountain man approach to survival. Drying meat, making primitive tools, etc. McElroy teaches basic survival in multiple environments. Ranger Survival teaches everything he's learned from the Army Rangers.
My kids asked to go "bug out" in December to see if we could. With only 2hrs before dark in freezing temps. One's feet got so cold she started crying so we went back to the house. I write that trip as a failure. We tossed some stuff, added others. Fire wasn't an issue, it was all in the location, which we didn't have choice over. Plus 2 hrs til dark including hike time was not nearly enough for us to set up a proper camp with reflectors for the fire, or many small things a 'comfortable' camp needs. I've spent 2 weeks rough camping in the snow with strong winds by myself. It was much harder with 2 others, and posed different challenges even without the snow and winds. Practice is vital. Watching these videos is great, but how many of us are going to be able to rebuild a car engine by watching a video? If you don't practice it, it will become a very difficult situation.
Some firearms do not work correctly from the factory. Learning your specific weapon's limits and that it can actually be trusted, or if it needs repair. It is best to know or resolve it ahead of time. I have had many factory firearms that needed repair despite being brand new from the manufacturer. Ruger, Bear Creek Arsenal, Smith & Wesson, and Savage have all given me weapons that needed repair after delivery and on the first range trip for some.