# Adventures In Bug Out Drills



## warrior4 (Oct 16, 2013)

So I decided today would be a good day to conduct a Bug Out Drill. Weather was mostly sunny at 44 degrees Fahrenheit with a light WNW breeze starting in early afternoon. The scenario was to go from sitting on the couch to out the door quickly and heading out of town to a local wooded area.








Most of what is in my BOB, minus a few items I'd rather not put in a picture.








13 minutes from sitting on the couch and another 5 minute drive heading out of town to my location. Mine is the silver car.








The kind of woods I'll be tromping through.


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

Cool thread! Looks like state land.


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## warrior4 (Oct 16, 2013)

More to come later tonight, but first we pause while your humble warrior makes dinner.


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

warrior4 said:


> More to come later tonight, but first we pause while you humble warrior makes dinner.


Looking forward to your adventure. I do a spring bug in the first or second week of May when the leeks(ramps) are up.


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

Are yall sleeping in the car?


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## warrior4 (Oct 16, 2013)

After about a 10 minute walk on marked paths, this is public land with several marked hiking paths, and another 5 minutes walking through the brush this seemed like a good spot to start building a shelter








Close up of the site. It's in a bend in a creek under a tree that had fallen across the creek.








After about a half hour I had the frame of the western wall up and was starting to pile wood for the northern end.








After about another 15 minutes I had really started building the northern wall which is on the right.








Another 15 minutes and I've got the Eastern wall starting to go up. Then reality hit.


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## warrior4 (Oct 16, 2013)

So remember how I said this shelter is being built around the limb of a tree that had fallen across a creek? Well where that tree used to stand there is a path, close enough for people to use as a bridge so I'd literally have people walking on top of me. Which is also what happened, luckily the guy was cool and didn't ask questions. But I started thinking if this were a true Bug Out situation would I want unknown persons walking on top of me? I decided no, so I admitted defeat and decided it was probably a good idea to walk out and have some lunch.








My BOB inside the shelter frame before I took off. Had I continued working on the shelter I would have basically made it into a huge brush pile with a spot for a fire with a heat reflector on the southern end of the shelter.








The tree that became a one way sign/bridge saying, "Hey Everyone! warrior4 is sheltering right here!"








So like I said it was time for a spot of lunch. The camp stove worked very well and 9 minutes later tasty spaghetti courtesy of Mountain House and time to think of lessons learned.


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## warrior4 (Oct 16, 2013)

In my time in the woods I saw 15 other hikers, two parties of which had dogs with them. In about an hour of work I got the frame of a shelter built and had lunch.

I also figured that scouting around a bit more would have probably led me to a site where there wasn't a tree leading to exactly where my shelter was set up. My KA-BAR knife was wonderful doing some light chopping work. I'm fairly sure that I was able to spot people before they spotted me. I figured my next purchase should be some large emergency type blankets that I can fashion into a shelter. So I did that.








A trip to Cabela's later and now my shelter building time has decreased from several hours to around 20 minutes.

All in all a good trip out to the woods to test out some of my gear which all worked very well.


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## jro1 (Mar 3, 2014)

warrior4 said:


> In my time in the woods I saw 15 other hikers, two parties of which had dogs with them. In about an hour of work I got the frame of a shelter built and had lunch.
> 
> I also figured that scouting around a bit more would have probably led me to a site where there wasn't a tree leading to exactly where my shelter was set up. My KA-BAR knife was wonderful doing some light chopping work. I'm fairly sure that I was able to spot people before they spotted me. I figured my next purchase should be some large emergency type blankets that I can fashion into a shelter. So I did that.
> 
> ...


Sol also makes an emergency shelter with aluminum pegs! Light weight and ready to go!


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## jro1 (Mar 3, 2014)

Just when you think your in the middle of nowhere...
Think of how busy that trail might have become if S really did htf?


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## warrior4 (Oct 16, 2013)

jro1 said:


> Just when you think your in the middle of nowhere...
> Think of how busy that trail might have become if S really did htf?


I knew I wasn't really in the middle of nowhere. The point was more to practice shelter building with the secondary goal of trying to remain unobserved. If it were a true Bug Out situation and I still had the amount of daylight I did left I'd try to make it to a location other than a spot in the woods.


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## AquaHull (Jun 10, 2012)

warrior4 said:


> So I decided today would be a good day to conduct a Bug Out Drill. Weather was mostly sunny at 44 degrees Fahrenheit with a light WNW breeze starting in early afternoon. The scenario was to go from sitting on the couch to out the door quickly and heading out of town to a local wooded area.
> 
> View attachment 15559
> 
> ...


I had the same weather as you did. Maybe real close to the same area:Confuse:


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

warrior4 said:


> I knew I wasn't really in the middle of nowhere. The point was more to practice shelter building with the secondary goal of trying to remain unobserved. If it were a true Bug Out situation and I still had the amount of daylight I did left I'd try to make it to a location other than a spot in the woods.


If I could offer any suggestions it would be carry and use a tarp shelter. Stay away from the rivers and creeks and hiking trails on state land /state game areas as there is lots of traffic.
If you carry and use a tarp shelter it will allow you more time to gather wood for a fire, procure water, forage etc.

I did my first bug out in a state recreation area years ago that I had hunted previously so I knew where the hidey holes were. Me and my son inlaws headed for one of the hidey holes and never saw a single person.

I use similar to this design. Out of one 10x12 tarp I have a floor and closable doors which keeps the bugs out and the rain. Its big enough to bring my pack inside. No poles need to be carried. Only one pole needs to be cut when you arrive at your chosen location. I carry light weight aluminum stakes and the guide lines are already attached set up is 15 minutes tops.


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## Prepared One (Nov 5, 2014)

It's good that you practice with your preps. I do as much as time allows. When I first got my BOB lined out I hiked some trails and it helped me evaluate weight distribution and organization. It also helped with deciding what is necessary and what is unneeded dead weight. You have to remember it's only meant to get you to a more permanent location. Keep it up.


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## Daddy O (Jan 20, 2014)

warrior4 said:


> So I decided today would be a good day to conduct a Bug Out Drill. Weather was mostly sunny at 44 degrees Fahrenheit with a light WNW breeze starting in early afternoon. The scenario was to go from sitting on the couch to out the door quickly and heading out of town to a local wooded area.
> 
> View attachment 15559
> 
> ...


Hey man, I really like your enthusiasm, going full bore on a drill, but I can't help but laugh at how Sheldon_esque_ it is. 
Did you take Leonard and Penny too?


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

edited ..


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## Daddy O (Jan 20, 2014)

It's a cultural reference. You're probably too old to get it.


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

Daddy O said:


> It's a cultural reference. You're probably too old to get it.


Yeah your right. I know of the show but can't stand it and have not watched a full episode ever.

Anyway changed my mind on my comment but it looks like you saw it anyway... lol


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## warrior4 (Oct 16, 2013)

Daddy O said:


> Hey man, I really like your enthusiasm, going full bore on a drill, but I can't help but laugh at how Sheldon_esque_ it is.
> Did you take Leonard and Penny too?


As Adam Savage from the Mythbusters once said the difference between science and screwing around is writing it down. Don't worry though I'm not going to wake my wife up in the middle of the night, demand she wear a safety vest and hardhat, paint glow in the dark arrows on the floor, to simulate an earthquake and aftershocks.


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

warrior4 said:


> So I decided today would be a good day to conduct a Bug Out Drill. Weather was mostly sunny at 44 degrees Fahrenheit with a light WNW breeze starting in early afternoon. The scenario was to go from sitting on the couch to out the door quickly and heading out of town to a local wooded area.


Did you use the S word - Scenario... Hawgryder, real old man, auntie and a few other are going to have a stroke... we do not do Scenarios here....


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

MM: Ummmm 

Warrior: Thanks for the pictures and information.


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## Targetshooter (Dec 4, 2015)

I would find another place ,, that many people at that time just think when TSHTF how many will be doing the same thing your doing .


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## warrior4 (Oct 16, 2013)

Targetshooter said:


> I would find another place ,, that many people at that time just think when TSHTF how many will be doing the same thing your doing .


A good point. The exact spot I was in is now fairly low on the list as is the general area as far as a realistic Bug Out stopping point. Mainly because it's only about a five minute drive from a major population center. It may feel like "out in the woods," but "the city" is still just down the road and it's on a fairly busy state highway that I could easily see many people using to get out of dodge. Like I said the main purpose was to practice shelter building and in that regard it's a great spot to practice that because it is close.


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

Maine-Marine said:


> Did you use the S word - Scenario... Hawgryder, real old man, auntie and a few other are going to have a stroke... we do not do Scenarios here....


Your famous for the "keyboard scenarios." I prefer to hit the woods and practice life long skills. If you can't see the difference then you my have me on ignore friend have problems.


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