# hundred + miles from home



## johngalt1701 (Jul 17, 2014)

Hello everyone,

Im new here and to the community in general so forgive me if this ismentioned elsewhere. With the way our government has been going recently I do not have much hope for the continued survival of our nation and fear civil unrest/collapse of transportation/collapse of public services is a moments notice away. I've taken some small steps in terms of a BOB for my car (something to last 72+ hours) but the major issue is I work for the RR and, at times, am at least 180+ miles hike from my home and wife. What then can I pack in a relativly small bag to ensure i can get to my BOL and wife while still lasting me 72 hours it would require to hike home. Which route is best rough uncharted/back roads or following the major roadways to my final destination? Lastly with several years in the military i find these maps to be most informative, any clue where i can obtain such maps wherr a 10 digit grid can be plotted? 
Thanks for any advice you may have for me in advance.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Welcome. Do a search on BOB's, some really good info here.


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## Inor (Mar 22, 2013)

Hey John Galt!

Hello from Minnesota, thank-you for your service and I LOVE you nick!

I travel almost every week for business, all over North America. I always carry a roll of silver quarters, a couple packages of moleskin, 3000 calories in energy bars, a flashlight, a pocket knife, a Gerber multitool, several ziplock bags, a small Bible, a mini first aid kit, and some other stuff that I forget about. All in all, it weighs less than 10 lbs.


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## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

Follow the rail tracks.


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## jimb1972 (Nov 12, 2012)

I understand your problem completely as I am in the same boat. As mentioned above I would follow the tracks home. I carry a lifestraw, knife, and hopefully enough food to get me there.


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## ApexPredator (Aug 17, 2013)

If you want to extend your food alittle bit try dry weight gainer protein powders. Mix it with the water your drinking anyways no wasted space no wasted weight. Train yourself to cover 20 miles a day that is going to take a toll on you and thats not mentioning finding water or shelter everyday so be careful of overextending, or if your gonna travel the rail get some sort of bicycle I havnt bought one but I seen a neat little kit that had a fold up bicycle with a small 1hp motor that was the size of a piece of luggage and got like 80 miles to the gallon not sure how much assistance you would have to give it to make it all the way home but 20 on the engine and 20 on your legs will get you home in about your time frame but thats sorta best case.


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## Deebo (Oct 27, 2012)

THANK YOU for your service, to this GREAT country, and thanks for jumping in the forum fire.
I would deffinetly follow the RR, I bet there are some great "uncirculated" or hard for average joe to find, maps of the RR system. 
I would also add to all the "go bags" or whatever you call it, Some of the E rations, a high calorie, hi vitamin brick found online. I ordered a case, they taste like "hardtack", best I can describe it. 
PLEASE join our little comunity of "mostly like minded, mindless forum", and learn with us, and teach us some of your stuff.


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

Whatever the situation, the RR is going to try to still run for atleast a few days. Be it amtrac or freight as an employee you would probably have a chance of hopping a ride. So much the better if you can get some sort of schedules. You would make alot better time on a train then on the roads. Then its going to be a question of how close you can get to home on the tracks. Then I wouldbe looking at a cache for getting me from the tracks to final destination.


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## big paul (Jul 14, 2014)

post SHTF the rail tracks are a good idea but try to avoid the stations if possible, these are where other people might congregate and any contact could lead to trouble, also watch out ahead as you walk and look out for possible "ambush" points. do American power lines go overhead or underground? in this country we have pylons which go across country and we can use these as landmarks(provided they go in the right direction that is) .


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## jimb1972 (Nov 12, 2012)

ApexPredator said:


> If you want to extend your food alittle bit try dry weight gainer protein powders. Mix it with the water your drinking anyways no wasted space no wasted weight. Train yourself to cover 20 miles a day that is going to take a toll on you and thats not mentioning finding water or shelter everyday so be careful of overextending, or if your gonna travel the rail get some sort of bicycle I havnt bought one but I seen a neat little kit that had a fold up bicycle with a small 1hp motor that was the size of a piece of luggage and got like 80 miles to the gallon not sure how much assistance you would have to give it to make it all the way home but 20 on the engine and 20 on your legs will get you home in about your time frame but thats sorta best case.


Terrain is a bit rough for a bike, ties and ballast will beat the shit out of you. There are roads of some sort along much of the right of way, but not everywhere. I would spend some time learning what is out there that you can eat along the way, lambsquarters and other roughage can extend the food you have. Have some type of water storage that will let you fill up when you can and filter what you find.


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## Notsoyoung (Dec 2, 2013)

Figure enough supplies for about 15 days to get home. Allot will depend on the terrain and the climate where you live. Plan on traveling during the worst weather. If it is the dead of Winter and 5 feet of snow, there will be more challenges then when it is sunny and 75 degrees outside. It will also take more calories. You will also want to go around towns/cities,adding miles to your trip, and stay off main highways as much as possible. You will also end up spending much of your day just finding food. If possible you might even want to consider traveling at night and holing up during the day. Figure the amount of time you think you should normally be able to walk that distance and add about 50% to that time because of detours, looking for supplies, and because you need to take your time to carefully observe your surroundings as you travel.


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## jimLE (Feb 8, 2014)

*separate maps.one of the rr tracks and the other showing all possible roads.dirt/gravel/paved alike..and maybe one showing the tracks and roads.and maybe a satellite map of your area.one that shows at least some possible routes you can take from point A to point B..and if you ever out somewhere working.and have a few minutes.check out some of these routes.and do this in your spare time as well..get to know them well enough where you know which routes work best for you.and include cross country routes as well.even if it means taking game trails that livestock and wildlife alike use.you'll avoid at least most possible threats that way..plan your routes where your at least within a few yards of water when needed...be it streams,creeks,rivers,ponds and lakes.and go with the maps that have the printed compass on them as well as a hand held compass..use both at same time to keep your bearings straight..and like big paul pointed out.watch for land marks.these can not only help you keep your bears straight.but that can help plan your routes.you say 72+ hours.learn what foods will keep the longest in your g.h.b/b.o.b then choose the foods you already eat.on account going with something you dont eat already can be hard on your body system.and that'll make it harder on you..it'll slow down to say the least..*


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## jimLE (Feb 8, 2014)

*separate maps.one of the rr tracks and the other showing all possible roads.dirt/gravel/paved alike..and maybe one showing the tracks and roads.and maybe a satellite map of your area.one that shows at least some possible routes you can take from point A to point B..and if you ever out somewhere working.and have a few minutes.check out some of these routes.and do this in your spare time as well..get to know them well enough where you know which routes work best for you.and include cross country routes as well.even if it means taking game trails that livestock and wildlife alike use.you'll avoid at least most possible threats that way..plan your routes where your at least within a few yards of water when needed...be it streams,creeks,rivers,ponds and lakes.and go with the maps that have the printed compass on them as well as a hand held compass..use both at same time to keep your bearings straight..and like big paul pointed out.watch for land marks.these can not only help you keep your bears straight.but that can help plan your routes.you say 72+ hours.learn what foods will keep the longest in your g.h.b/b.o.b then choose the foods you already eat.on account going with something you dont eat already can be hard on your body system.and that'll make it harder on you..it'll slow down to say the least..*


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

jimLE said:


> *separate maps.one of the rr tracks and the other showing all possible roads.dirt/gravel/paved alike..and maybe one showing the tracks and roads.and maybe a satellite map of your area.one that shows at least some possible routes you can take from point A to point B..and if you ever out somewhere working.and have a few minutes.check out some of these routes.and do this in your spare time as well..get to know them well enough where you know which routes work best for you.and include cross country routes as well.even if it means taking game trails that livestock and wildlife alike use.you'll avoid at least most possible threats that way..plan your routes where your at least within a few yards of water when needed...be it streams,creeks,rivers,ponds and lakes.and go with the maps that have the printed compass on them as well as a hand held compass..use both at same time to keep your bearings straight..and like big paul pointed out.watch for land marks.these can not only help you keep your bears straight.but that can help plan your routes.you say 72+ hours.learn what foods will keep the longest in your g.h.b/b.o.b then choose the foods you already eat.on account going with something you dont eat already can be hard on your body system.and that'll make it harder on you..it'll slow down to say the least..*


Hey Jim,

Not trying to be the "Grammar Police" but try breaking your sentences down into paragraphs as well as add a space after the period at the end of the sentence.

Maybe add capitol letter to start a sentence. It just makes for a more pleasant reading experience.

Thanks


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## big paul (Jul 14, 2014)

we have been talking about this on one of my British forums and although when I was younger I could walk 4 miles in an hour, these days its probably more like 3MPH, off road on bad terrain it would be more like 2MPH and in inclement weather it could be down to as little as 1MPH!. it has to be said I could CYCLE a lot further and a lot faster than I can walk.


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## BagLady (Feb 3, 2014)

If your RR routes are consistant, you probably know a lot of the area's you go through. If it were me, I would plan some road time, and plant some cache's along those routes. Don't forget some sort of fire starter in your BOB. I agree with the others, 72 hours of rations will not be enough. jmo


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## Lucky Jim (Sep 2, 2012)

I used to be into cycle-camping, the furthest I managed in one day was 145 miles on proper roads in summer as an experiment to see how far I could get, but usually I averaged 50 to 60 miles a day, and any reasonably fit person could do that in summer weather.
The trick is to NEVER push the pace, so take regular snack breaks and ALWAYS walk up hills, and you can go on forever.
I mean, there'll be around 12 hours of daylight, so you only need to do about 4 miles every hour to notch up your 50, piece o' cake.
If the petrol/gasoline pumps ever run dry or get closed down, and if the main roads are roadblocked,bikes will be king..


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## big paul (Jul 14, 2014)

depending on the situation or event (whether its just a short term event or if its SHTF) we may want to walk or cycle a few hours early morning and again late evening, and rest up during the normal daylight hours, especially in the heat of the day with the temperatures we are getting in the UK at the moment(and keep up the liquid intake).probably I could walk 12- 18 miles a day(cycling would be more depending on surface conditions)on a good day, on a bad day it would be less.i have heard younger people on the British forums talking about walking 50 miles a day but that would entail walking ALL day EVERY day come rain or shine in fair weather and foul and I do not believe this is sustainable over a long period.


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## Notsoyoung (Dec 2, 2013)

The trouble with a bike is that it is just not practical to haul one with you if you have to travel while working. A small bag yes, but not a filled ruck. I used to have to drive a hundred to a hundred and fifty miles servicing cell phone towers (actually the equipment at the bottom of the towers, the radios and ancillary equipment.). I was using a company truck, and it space was limited. I had a small backpack with an old military canteen, a complete change of clothing with extra socks, an emergency blanket, knife, a couple of lighters, and breaking company rules, a .22 pistol and 100 rounds of ammo, and some 550 cord. I knew that I would have to find food on the way if it lasted more then a couple of days, but I had to keep it practical under the circumstances.

One thought, things may not get too uncivilized the first couple of days, so you could use the major roads. Just keep an eye on people and try to stay away from large traffic jams/crowd situations.


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## big paul (Jul 14, 2014)

if its just a GHB then keep it simple something light don't weigh it down with lots of gear, you want to get out and get home as fast as possible, I keep an "emergency bag" in the car permanently and it just carries a few essentials: 2 foil blankets, 2 disposable lighters, torch(flashlight) and batteries, 1 knife, 1 spark striker, 2 light sticks, 1 sharpening stone and a prepacked mini survival tin, and a water canteen. in the car is also a first aid kit, 1 shelter/basha, a compass and a folding saw. that's kept in the car always-stuffed under the seats. if I'm going away out of the local area I also take a separate bag with a weeks supply of dehydrated food and some trail mix bars and a larger water canteen.


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## MI.oldguy (Apr 18, 2013)

Welcome!. a simple ghb allotted for 72 hours would be a good start.the cache idea another op said sounds good. you know your route better than us.a stash every few clicks sounds excellent.since you may be walking I would have some really good walking shoes or boots handy and a few pairs of socks and some foot powder just to start with.if you can sneak a sidearm and ammo into your job all the better.


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## machinejjh (Nov 13, 2012)

I concur with a "deeply concealed" sidearm. It doesn't have to be a handcannon, but something small is still better than a stick with a knife taped to it.

There is good, sound advise that people have given you in this thread, and also throughout the site. Good luck in building your BOB, and pray you never need it.


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## Innkeeper (Jun 18, 2014)

Welcome a lot of sage advice before my post here. You should be able to get maps from your local DNR or other state agency, to and include the same Maps you used in the military, they are your basic Topo maps usually. if you are using maps make sure you have a good compass with you and maybe even keep one pinned to the inside of your coat, a spare is always nice. I see others mention life straw, I use a Sawyer Mini-Filter, keep one in each bag and one in my jeep in my oh-oh bag. A good pocket knife, strike anywhere matches or lighter, maybe some 8lb test fishing line and some hooks, small lead weights and bobbers so you can fish on your way. Lots of good ideas, but it helps to step back and look at the terrain your going to cross and keep your kit set up accordingly.


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## jimLE (Feb 8, 2014)

*i was in wal mart the later part of last week.i passed by the bicycle section where i noticed one certain bike..it has wider then normal tires on it.im guessing thier some where around 3 inchs wide.but yet,i didnt notice if it's a single speed,or 3 to 10 speed bike.i figure something like that would be great along train tracks..as well as trails dirt roads,as other places bicycles are needed..*


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## jimb1972 (Nov 12, 2012)

Pretty hard to carry a bicycle along on a train, but you might be able to keep one at your AFHT.


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## big paul (Jul 14, 2014)

you could always get a folding bicycle.


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## johngalt1701 (Jul 17, 2014)

It's been a long time since I've posted anything here. Or even visited the forum for that matter. But recently I've been reviewing my preparations after some storms, the recent civil unrest sprouting up across the nation and the impending presidential election. (I've got some odd Theory's about that. Pm me if you're interested). I've since revised my plan for a ghb and now, based on some advice I've garnered from here have something in the works that should suit my needs. My biggest priority next will be getting a vehicle (4x4 of some sort) up here at my away from home terminal, not only will this aid me getting to and from the hotel I stay at for work without having to depend on the shuttle service but also give me a means to cover more ground if not the entire trip back home. Thank you all for your input.


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## tinkerhell (Oct 8, 2014)

Good idea, don't make the mistake of letting the vehicle become a group vehicle with multiple keys floating around. It may not be there when you need it the most.

A vehicle is also a good way to store a little more in the trunk.

You should think about your plan B should your vehicle and gear get stolen.


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## tinkerhell (Oct 8, 2014)

Also, this is one situation where you could benefit greatly by having preps set aside for a coworker so you can benefit from their assistance if you both have the same home town to return to.


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