# How far would you have to walk home from work, after emp.



## Swrock (Dec 14, 2018)

For me its 24 miles from my driveway to parking lot at work. If we had an emp event where truck wont run and had to get home, I keep one 9mm with extra clip in my truck. Small ice chest pack pack for water and snacks that I always have at work. Walking stick is a beefy flounder gig that can double as a weapon.
I did a 24 mile walk one day just to see if I could make it ok. Took about 10 hours.


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## Sasquatch (Dec 12, 2014)

I'm 57.9 miles away. It's a 20 hour walk. Luckily I have a river that goes from my work to almost my backyard. I can take that route if the highway is clogged up. Already have the GHB in the truck so all I'd have to do is grab it and go.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

What is this work thing you speak of ? Not overly concerned about EMP out here. Anywhere with in 30 mile circle of the farm I would likely be no farther than 5 miles for a safe place. Straight walk home from towns near here would at best be 15 miles.


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## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)

Depends. I don't work in the same place day to day. Sometimes, I'm 2 miles from home. Sometimes, 20. On occasion, 30-50.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

From my "work" place door to my home door is eight feet.

It has been that way since 1982.

The furthest we travel for any occasion is 35 miles.

Shopping trips are within 18 miles.

There is a GHB in each vehicle along with a shotgun in each, with 100 rounds of OO buck.

IF there was a high threat possibility, we would not leave at all.


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## TiaD (Oct 20, 2019)

I'm 21 km (roughly 13 miles), and according to google, that should take me just under 4 hours. I keep a get home bag in the trunk of my car, along with my trekking poles. I'm looking forward to the day when my commute is a short walk from the cabin to the barn or workshop


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## Prepared One (Nov 5, 2014)

I have GHB's in all my trucks. Since I work out of my truck it just depends on where I am when the balloon goes up on how far I have to walk. Could be across town (Houston) or across Texas and beyond. With my luck I will be in Chicago, New York, or some other god forsaken liberal ass city. Geezzzzz, I might be in California!!!!:vs_OMG:


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## RedLion (Sep 23, 2015)

17 miles or 24 depending on what office I was at. With that said, I do keep a folding bike in the trunk of my car and I drive my car to work 90% of the time, so I would likely not have to walk, unless it was a real snowy/slippery day.


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## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

Don't have to move a muscle. Haven't wasted my time making someone else rich in 10 years. Live at my BO local. 

Depending on the day and time of year I might have to drive into town 20 miles and pick up the wife. One of the benefits of having an old truck and motorcycles with no computers. I won't be walking anyplace.

Might have to walk down the stairs and throw another log on the fire that's about it.


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## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)

Chipper said:


> ....One of the benefits of having an old truck and motorcycles with no computers. I won't be walking anyplace........


Assuming an EMP is the only way your truck can be rendered useless is a dangerous tactic.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

Walk home from work?

I'm retired. :vs_smirk:


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## Swrock (Dec 14, 2018)

rice paddy daddy said:


> Walk home from work?
> 
> I'm retired.


Good for you. Hope you are enjoying retirement. Bout 3 more years for me.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

Swrock said:


> Good for you. Hope you are enjoying retirement. Bout 3 more years for me.


I stretched it out to age 67 & 1/2. I was the boss at work, my boss was several hundred miles away and only came up a couple times a year.

I'd still be there today, EXCEPT our warehouse was in the ghetto of the Murder Capitol of Florida - Jacksonville.
I carried a 357 magnum at work, the bad guys dumped dead bodies on our street, the vice squad would do prostitution busts in our parking lot. Sometimes I felt like I was back in Nam.


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## MountainGirl (Oct 29, 2017)

Swrock said:


> For me its 24 miles from my driveway to parking lot at work. If we had an emp event where truck wont run and had to get home, I keep one 9mm with extra clip in my truck. Small ice chest pack pack for water and snacks that I always have at work. Walking stick is a beefy flounder gig that can double as a weapon.
> I did a 24 mile walk one day just to see if I could make it ok. Took about 10 hours.


That was a really good idea - to see what a 24 mile walk was like. Good job.
Like RPD, we're retired and hopefully we'll be at home if an emp hits. The small town we get supplies from is 11 miles away, fishing spots are about 5, and we can both walk that easy. God help us if we got caught in Spokane. We're in and out of that city fast, maybe once every two months, and the stores we shop are on the north (closest to us) edge, so that's good - it would be a three day walk...more if we stayed off the main highway for part of it. We carry water & snacks & a few other things in a small pack in the truck, and we always wear good walking footgear.
Thanks for starting this thread - it gave me an idea for another, and you'd be more than welcome to join in.


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## MountainGirl (Oct 29, 2017)

rice paddy daddy said:


> I stretched it out to age 67 & 1/2. I was the boss at work, my boss was several hundred miles away and only came up a couple times a year.
> 
> I'd still be there today, EXCEPT our warehouse was in the ghetto of the Murder Capitol of Florida - Jacksonville.
> I carried a 357 magnum at work, the bad guys dumped dead bodies on our street, the vice squad would do prostitution busts in our parking lot. Sometimes I felt like I was back in Nam.


Man, I bet you dont miss it at all. Glad you're out of it.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

MountainGirl said:


> Man, I bet you dont miss it at all. Glad you're out of it.


I miss the money.


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

Easy 12 miles. Force marches are still easy for me. Airborne shuffle would be better but I'd be having some untrained, undisciplined folks coming with me.


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## rstanek (Nov 9, 2012)

I’m retired but my wife insists on working for awhile yet. Her work is about a two day hike, I would meet her as soon as I possibly could. We both have a BOB which each have a five day supply.......


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## The Tourist (Jun 9, 2016)

SOCOM42 said:


> From my "work" place door to my home door is eight feet.


LOL, looks like you beat me to it again! I have a great little polishing nook here. The sharpening stand, the computer and the coffee maker are all within arms' reach. Right off the kitchen is the fireplace, and I got it rocking and rolling. I like the set-up of the master bedroom, it's down an L-shaped hallway, and my wife and the mutt are snoozing quietly, and it's overcast here, so the bedroom is dark.


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## Piratesailor (Nov 9, 2012)

Retired... but wife works and is all over town. She may have to walk 20 to 30 miles. She’s a marathon runner so she can do it but she’s lite on the prepping side so she not well prepared no matter what I say or do.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

The Tourist said:


> LOL, looks like you beat me to it again! I have a great little polishing nook here. The sharpening stand, the computer and the coffee maker are all within arms' reach. Right off the kitchen is the fireplace, and I got it rocking and rolling. I like the set-up of the master bedroom, it's down an L-shaped hallway, and my wife and the mutt are snoozing quietly, and it's overcast here, so the bedroom is dark.


My business, unlike your bench top operation, required machines weighing in at 4 tons down to 1-1/2 tons,

they all sit on a floor that is a foot thick of concrete and steel reinforcing rods.

The smallest floor based machine is a Bridgeport milling machine.

One of the three CNC mills is eight feet high, and cost $248,000.00,

a bit more than your sharpening rig.

I still go in and run them three days a week, and I am 10 years older than you.

Speaking of dark bedrooms, mine is blacked out, no light at all,

this is for migraine attacks.

However there are four flat screen monitors attached to CCTV cameras that

give me 360 degree observation outside even at night.

They are turned off during an attack.

You did mention that you were a bill collector,

that means you were on the road almost all the time.

When I worked for someone else while living in the big city,

home was no more than a mile and a half away.


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## The Tourist (Jun 9, 2016)

SOCOM42 said:


> CCTV cameras...They are turned off during an attack.


That surprised me. If I had full coverage cameras (mine face the 'blind' side of the house) I'd leave them running to document the circumstances.


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## Prepared One (Nov 5, 2014)

rice paddy daddy said:


> I stretched it out to age 67 & 1/2. I was the boss at work, my boss was several hundred miles away and only came up a couple times a year.
> 
> I'd still be there today, EXCEPT our warehouse was in the ghetto of the Murder Capitol of Florida - Jacksonville.
> I carried a 357 magnum at work, the bad guys dumped dead bodies on our street, the vice squad would do prostitution busts in our parking lot. Sometimes I felt like I was back in Nam.


Your making me homesick, sounds like a neighborhood I used to live in. Ahhhhh, the bad old times.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

The Tourist said:


> That surprised me. If I had full coverage cameras (mine face the 'blind' side of the house) I'd leave them running to document the circumstances.


I should have been more detailed, only the screens are shut off, the DVRs and the cameras are always on.


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## The Tourist (Jun 9, 2016)

SOCOM42 said:


> I should have been more detailed, only the screens are shut off, the DVRs and the cameras are always on.


Ahhh, now I get it. I have lots of glass at my house, it's only the garage side that needs a camera. Sadly, just keeping one or five pistols in the bedroom is now not as safe as it used to be. We have pistols where we need them. Fortunately, (and because it's a more wealthy neighborhood) we have good police coverage. And thanks to more reasonable Wisconsin CCW privileges, there's always something on my belt.


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## Nomadikhan (Jun 2, 2018)

Im just over 17 miles, I work quite near the freeway which gets me 12 miles of the way. Another 4-5 is state route with option of a bicycle path. From there I have maybe another mile of back road. Not a bad travel really. I have my glock 17 with three mags and I always keep my kel-tek sub2000 in the trunk with five 30 rounders loaded. At any time i have just over 200 rnds of 9mm with me and ready. If I anticipate being more then a two hour drive from home I bring my AR and rig as well..


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## Demitri.14 (Nov 21, 2018)

I am retired, so no work. However I live 12 miles from town, where I might be, not too bad of a walk. I Live 35 miles from my camp in the "wilds". I think I could make that in 2 or 3 days cross country. ( I would stay away from the major roads) All of the kids know that when SHTF, that is where they will find me.


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## Chiefster23 (Feb 5, 2016)

I’m retired now so no commute. But my last 15 working years were at a locomotive repair shop 50 miles from home. The shop had numerous propane fueled forklifts and tractors. These simple machines would be a useful vehicle in an emp event. No electronics so they should operate although the range on these types of vehicles is nowhere near 50 miles. Just something to consider. Golf carts should run and I would think some older farm tractors should run too.


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## Michael_Js (Dec 4, 2013)

18 miles -- crossing many bridges. I have a top box carried with ammo (for my carry & PCC - same caliber), change of clothes/shoes, my CERT bag/helmet, and a folding mountain bike...

In the car - my GHB, water, fire extinguisher, take-down PCC and other stuff 

I don't want to have to do it, but I will! 

Peace,
Michael J.


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## Pir8fan (Nov 16, 2012)

I'm just under 3 miles away.


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## Eisregen (Jan 13, 2020)

I'm home by the foot very fast because i work only ~2 km away. 

2 km = ~1.24 mile


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

Most days, I work from home. If stuff goes down, my biggest concern is getting the kids from schools that are less than 2 miles away, then packing up and heading to the folk's place ~9 miles out of town.

However, it if happens to be one of those days I'm at the office, it's 37 miles. I have an extensive GHB in the truck and ample firepower. The struggle will be deciding what stays and what goes in order to maintain a decent pace. I plan for a need to camp/stay somewhere, but that might be the office itself. Moving at night would be ideal in the dark new world of an EMP.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Kauboy said:


> Most days, I work from home. If stuff goes down, my biggest concern is getting the kids from schools that are less than 2 miles away, then packing up and heading to the folk's place ~9 miles out of town.
> 
> However, it if happens to be one of those days I'm at the office, it's 37 miles. I have an extensive GHB in the truck and ample firepower. The struggle will be deciding what stays and what goes in order to maintain a decent pace. I plan for a need to camp/stay somewhere, but that might be the office itself. Moving at night would be ideal in the dark new world of an EMP.


Good point about moving at night. I often debate with myself, if an event happens in the late afternoon and I'm somewhere safe but need to walk over 10 miles, is it better to try and catch a nap for an hour or so and start fresh after dark or is it best to immediately start the trek?

If I was 10 years younger, probably immediately start the hike. But now I think I'd wait until dark.


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## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)

Slippy said:


> Good point about moving at night. I often debate with myself, if an event happens in the late afternoon and I'm somewhere safe but need to walk over 10 miles, is it better to try and catch a nap for an hour or so and start fresh after dark or is it best to immediately start the trek?
> 
> If I was 10 years younger, probably immediately start the hike. But now I think I'd wait until dark.


Part of the equation you're missing is weather. If it's summer, it makes sense to make tracks at night. If it's going to be -20° at night, you might be better off hunkering down until the sun comes up.


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## paulag1955 (Dec 15, 2019)

Back Pack Hack said:


> Part of the equation you're missing is weather. If it's summer, it makes sense to make tracks at night. If it's going to be -20° at night, you might be better off hunkering down until the sun comes up.


Good point.


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## Joe (Nov 1, 2016)

@Swrock Good exercise here. I am 9 miles from work 3.5 to 4 hrs walk. The colder it is the faster I would walk.


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

Slippy said:


> Good point about moving at night. I often debate with myself, if an event happens in the late afternoon and I'm somewhere safe but need to walk over 10 miles, is it better to try and catch a nap for an hour or so and start fresh after dark or is it best to immediately start the trek?
> 
> If I was 10 years younger, probably immediately start the hike. But now I think I'd wait until dark.


I feel quite comfortable outside at night, especially on a partially or fully lit one. The human eye is an astounding miracle for how well it can adjust to intense daylight and near pitch black night.
Movement during the day is overt and obvious to any observer. Movement at night in a world where the lights are out and NV likely isn't working either, well, it just makes sense. Rest up, prepare to leave an hour or so after sundown, and you'll have perfect night vision for the whole trip, with the shadows as your friends.
Depending on the location you happen to be in when things go awry, you could have masses of people rioting and starting fires. It's best to be able to spot them a mile off and avoid it altogether. You can't do that as easily during the daytime.


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

Something occurred to me during this thread...

We are all thinking about what we would do to get home from a relatively short distance.
But what would you do if you were on a business trip, or vacation, across country?

For me, this is a nightmare scenario. Hundreds or thousands of miles from my family, and long distance transportation becomes a luxury commodity that is heavily guarded and disputed.
How would you get home?
Would you get home, or just live there now?
Would your plan of returning become a long term, 5-10 year affair?
What would life be like if/when you return?
Comms are down. How would your family know your status?

If anything else, this scenario stresses the importance of a Faraday protected HAM radio plan. It would be one of your only bets for getting a message back home (chain relay across the expanse).
Until Kevin Costner promises to deliver your letters, of course.


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## MountainGirl (Oct 29, 2017)

Kauboy said:


> Something occurred to me during this thread...
> 
> We are all thinking about what we would do to get home from a relatively short distance.
> But what would you do if you were on a business trip, or vacation, across country?
> ...


If you dont mind me adding in just one little thought...
Have a detailed conversation with your spouse/family, if you haven't already, about this kind of possibility - so at least they know what your _intentions_ would be...based on how far from home you were.


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## Swrock (Dec 14, 2018)

I thought alot about this after reading the book "Going Home". The guy was 250 miles from home on business when the EMP hit.
I dont get far from home. Could be offshore fishing though. Wonder if emp would affect my outboard motor. Carburated Yamaha 150. Likely fry my GPS but I can make it in with my compass.


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## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)

Kauboy said:


> Something occurred to me during this thread...
> 
> We are all thinking about what we would do to get home from a relatively short distance.
> But what would you do if you were on a business trip, or vacation, across country?
> ...


There will obviously be cases of people who just will not make it 'home'. And you might just have to accept the reality of you being one of them.


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