Buying a bug out place just incase?
Posted by Objective-Patient-37@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 71 comments
Concerned that a near future spread of monkeypox, avian bird flu, etc. and further in the future, Nipah, ebola, marburg, etc. so I'll be buying a cheap property in the middle of nowhere - where I know a large community (they've lived there over 100 years, tons of cousins as well as deep roots with the Amish) since it seems like in a pandemic, everyone will need a support network of some kind.
Have any of you bought a bug out property? Should I move my food storage there (1 year's worth)? Winter will be freezing up there, so...?
Financial-Tiger-5687@reddit
Trailer buy a trailer or rv
OnTheEdgeOfFreedom@reddit
Other people have made the point that isolating from a pandemic only works if the pandemic is human-transmissible and air borne. It works for something like Covid. But bird flu isn't human transmissible (and yes, I read the news, but one case poorly documented proves nothing) and is spread by falling bird poop. You aren't going somewhere birds don't exist. The others you list pretty much require actual physical contact; you can avoid that without being in the wilderness.
I think you need to do a little research into transmission vectors before you start spending money on property. This has the feel of making a decision based on misunderstandings about how diseases spread.
Could we see a novel, highly contagious, potentially fatal airborne pandemic tomorrow? Yup. It's always possible; Covid proved it. But it was well handled with a little isolation, masking and vaccination. No one had to run into the wild.
I say all this as someone who left the US in part because I could move somewhere where Covid was handled better and the environment meant there wasn't much spread to begin with. But I had other reasons to move; I wouldn't have done it just for Covid.
burningbun@reddit
was there not in the news animals could catch covid? or at least carry the virus? theres also speculation the virus was purposely released to infect.
OnTheEdgeOfFreedom@reddit
I can't even tell the trolls from the ignorant anymore.
Yes, animals can catch covid. There's a bunch of diseases that animals can get and give to humans and vice versa, and Covid happens to be one of them. There are diseases that don't work like that, like measles, which is a strictly human disease. But what that's got to do with OP's comment or mine I have no idea. Five minutes in Google will let you check which diseases can be caught by humans, by animals, or both; and how they spread. Every disease is different.
There is zero evidence to believe Covid was constructed deliberately, though there's a trace of circumstantial evidence to suggest it was caused by a lab accident. We'll never actually know. There is absolutely no serious belief by anyone that it was a deliberate release. That is an especially stupid conspiracy theory which males no sense at all; and you should probably do basic fact checking before "speculating" out loud about these things.
SadCowboy-_-@reddit
You most likely won’t be able to drive to your location in the event of a mass exodus.
Do you have a route mapped to walk or hike there?
Do you have the physical endurance and strength to ruck there? Remember you’ll be carrying the things you think need.
Does your family have the ability to walk it?
Do you have the backpacks needed to carry essentials to your bugout location? Food, water, shelter, meds?
My bugout location is a 7 day hike (110 miles) away.
Objective-Patient-37@reddit (OP)
I'm not sure the next plandemic will be a case of mass exodus. If big cities are nuked, I know where fall out shelters are.
SadCowboy-_-@reddit
Nuking cities over viruses is far fetched.
How far is your bugout location? What’s your threshold for bugging out, and what I mean is… at what point will you decide to leave before everyone else?
AdvisorLong9424@reddit
I have 2 properties that suffice for bugging out. One is a 200 acre deer camp, one is a 400 acre duck camp that's boat access only. I have either stocked well with provisions. I can hook up the boat and be at that property in 30 minutes with a 15 minute boat ride.
burningbun@reddit
are they now deserted or do you have people living/taking care.
getting there when shtf is the challenge.
AdvisorLong9424@reddit
Im at one or the other almost every weekend. The deer camp I have people there if I'm not up there. Not worried about getting to either of SHTF. Like I said in half hour I can be loaded and at one. The other one is easy driving to get to where the power ends. Then it's gravel for the next few miles.
DistinctJob7494@reddit
Yeah, if you like the place and it's got the right resources, I'd say go for it. Maybe drill a few wells around the property or open up any springs if you're in a mountainous area. You can also cash small buckets of supplies around the property or even build a hidden bunker if you have the time and money.
Dry_Source666@reddit
I more concerned about the next government funded Covid-19
Objective-Patient-37@reddit (OP)
This is exactly what people dont understand
Dry_Source666@reddit
?
WrenchMonkey47@reddit
Just remember that if you cannot walk to your BO location within an hour, it is useless to you, and someone else may be in it if/when you arrive.
ATXNYCESQ@reddit
Why an hour? People out there would need to know it’s there, AND not have a place of their own, AND not worry about getting shot going into it. Where our place is, none of those three things is likely to be true for any one person.
As far as walking there in an hour, I feel like 1 hour drive/1 day walk is pretty good. You’re going to make it part of the way in your car, most likely (maybe even all the way).
WrenchMonkey47@reddit
People forget why they build BO locations. The typical scenario is that society has gone totally out the window. You won't be getting on a plane or train to travel to your BO location. Driving may be impossible either due to EMP or simply that everyone else is trying to drive somewhere, and no one goes anywhere because the roads are now packed. So that leaves walking, biking, or offloading if you have an ATV. I used one hour as if there is societal mayhem, you don't want to be out in the panicking masses for too long. The earlier you can get to where you're going the better off you will be. Also, you don't want crowds of people following you to your BO location. The longer the crisis is, the more people will be out there looking for any type of security and normalcy. Someone with a destination and determination might be someone to follow around if you're not prepared yourself. So minimizing your travel time to your BO location is important.
Objective-Patient-37@reddit (OP)
Good points.
Right now, I'm just concentrating on preparing for the next pandemic as I'm not going to stay in the tyrannical state my main place is in.
coffeekreeper@reddit
The person you're replying to is trying to make it sound like a less-than 1 hour walk time to a secondary location is standard or a well known metric, and this isn't the case at all. When you really think critically about the point of a bug out location, it makes zero sense that it would be within walking distance from your usual spot.
One definitely needs to take into consideration the distance from their "home base" and their bug out location, but less than an hour on foot is ridiculous unless you already live on the outskirts of a city or in the middle of no where. There's no major city in America that you could walk in for under and hour and suddenly be in the boonies.
Lets take a major outbreak of a deadly clade of H5N1 as an example: We have a human-to-human transmittable virus that has a 37-50% mortality rate. People are dying rapidly. Why would you see someone fleeing the city and go "You know what I should do? Get all my buddies to follow that guy." No one is going to care about some grey man bullshit when shit really hits the fan. Theyre going to be concerned about the fact that half of everyone they know is dead. No one is going to be stalking you to your bug out location hours away. That's a paranoid delusion.
Environmental_Art852@reddit
I am very rural here. Pop 1900. My nearest city is 12 or 14 miles away. But I am on a country highway. Full visibility. I know the 25,000 city inhabitants can make it this far. And I heard about being in the cuts, backroads off of back roads sounds ideal
ATXNYCESQ@reddit
That’s sort of my take. Of course, everyone (including the commenter I was replying to) will have their own risk assessment and strategy, and that’s totally, totally fine.
Personally, I chose my place in the woods to be (1) off of a back road off of a back road off of a back road, (2) within 1 hour of my house in the city, by car, on back roads, (3) with potable water on site, (4) hard to tell if anyone is there or not at any given time.
Perhaps most importantly, I also chose it as a place I’d want to spend a lot of time at even in times of peace and plenty, which I do.
I figure, if I learn that LA or Tel Aviv or Kiev or whatever has been hit with a nuke, I grab my bags and start driving. If my city has been hit by a nuke, hopefully I’m hot vapor. If it’s civil unrest or pandemic, I have more time—trick is not to wait too long.
But that’s just me.
cancerdad@reddit
That assumes that everyone is going to choose to bug out at the exact same moment, which seems unlikely.
anony-mousey2020@reddit
I think it greatly depends on what your BO plan is.
coffeekreeper@reddit
A BOL less than an hour walk form your current location would be absolutely pointless. The entire reason for a BOL is to have something to move towards that is isolated from everything. Crowds of people are not going to follow a single person fleeing the city.
WrenchMonkey47@reddit
OK. So when SHTF/TEOTWAWKI, how do you reach your BOL in the middle of nowhere before someone else does?
Traditional-Leader54@reddit
You have to watch for the signs and be ready to head out before everyone else does. You might jump the gun a few times but what have you really lost besides some time?
coffeekreeper@reddit
Even if you jump the gun, you're effectively gaining experience in making that trek under stressful conditions. Part of my prep includes getting to my wife's place of business in the event that we are separated and SHTF or internet/gps/cars go down. Same thing with getting back home. Its no different when it comes to getting to your bug out location. Everyone who has one should have prep on how to get there if shit goes south or under sub-optimal conditions.
coffeekreeper@reddit
If I own a cabin in the middle of the woods, on some obscure parcel of Appalachian land, the chances of anyone knowing about it but me are minuscule. Does the possibility exist? Yes. Will I pull up to my BOL ready for potential intruders or confrontation? Yes. Do I expect anyone to find it? Absolutely not.
Your train of thought is implying that you believe that the moment SHTF people are going for a cabin that they don't know even exists.
How do I get there before someone else? I have preps for that.
cancerdad@reddit
If your worried about communicable diseases, why go to a place where you have a large community and have tons of cousins? Do you think the community is immune to these diseases? Wouldn’t you want to limit all interactions with other humans?
Objective-Patient-37@reddit (OP)
Good question.
Ideally the spread is lesser or slowed or ended due to the near-absence of people. THe cousins and Amish are maybe 1 person per square mile.
I'm just thinking a place that had ingress and egress by a river and railroad woudl be better than middle of nowhere.
Bulky_Photograph_269@reddit
It's a waste of money.
Kaliking247@reddit
Nope buying anything today is expensive let alone property. As far as food storage and everything else of you're looking at this as a decent fall back shelter you should probably have something stored there in case you're in a leave with only what you carry situation. That said it would be a waste of money to just buy a bunch of stuff. Even worse if you have everything up there and someone gets there before you in a shtf situation. My personal advice would be to try to have 2-3 weeks worth of dry goods up there. If you have a decent cellar or have the money to put something underground I'd store and hide stuff there. You should also look into having at least something to notify you of people being on property that you can check. If you have some ties to the Amish up there I'd say hi the next time you go up there and see if the have some dry foods to buy just as a friendly exchange. They may alert you if someone is up there.
GigabitISDN@reddit
By all means, if you want a vacation spot, go for it.
I'm not sold on the idea of bugout property for the purpose of escaping disease. Are you going to escape mosquitoes? Birds? What about waterborne contaminants that spread by rain or contaminated aquafers?
HeinousEncephalon@reddit
More sunshine always helps! It beats a dark apartment building with crappy hvac filters and 50 self-centered people.
macbeefer@reddit
I have indeed heard that sunshine could work on the coronavirus. 🍊
SelectCase@reddit
But you need to inject the sunlight in order for it work on the corona
DesertPrincess5@reddit
So many from Los Angeles drove to the desert in Palm Springs!
SymBiioTE@reddit
Would love to. Not very wealthy.
Traditional-Leader54@reddit
I wouldn’t buy a second property solely as a bug out location. We purchased a second home in 2021 just before interest rate soared as a vacation home and a real estate investment. It was a farm house in need of a significant amount of work but with a lot of potential for increase in value. Coincidentally it’s also in an area with a significant Amish community.
muuspel@reddit
Hey, you and OP are going to be neighbours! Congrats!
lilith_-_-@reddit
It’s a good idea if I’m honest. If you’re under 40 you’ll probably use it one day. Can’t answer the food question but I’d make sure I can fit all my shit into one vehicle/trailer to head to the bug out location. And depending on said location(probably an isolated area) you’ll want to find local resources. May it be a stream, or neighbors. Lone wolves can only survive so long. Communities go a long way. It really depends on the catastrophe at hand though. And you don’t want people knowing it’s your bug out place.
Hungry-Evening6318@reddit
What’s the name of the movie?
lilith_-_-@reddit
“Leave the world behind” It explored one aspect that could be a collapse of the USA. It’s mildly realistic in the sense that these vulnerabilities explored in the movie exist today and can be exploited by enemy forces
Hungry-Evening6318@reddit
Thank you
lilith_-_-@reddit
Anytime, enjoy! It made me anxious. Although I was fucked up on prednisone at the time and hallucinating
MostlyBrine@reddit
The strangers were there for the weekend, as the owner had the property listed on Airbnb
lilith_-_-@reddit
I’m talking about the ending. The daughter found the bunker in the neighbors mansion house or whatever.
MrHmuriy@reddit
I'm happy to just live a reasonable distance from the city, but not so far that an ambulance can't get to you. I don't see the point in spending money on something you won't use all the time, especially when it's not the price of a cell phone or even a car, but a house.
Vegetaman916@reddit
We did a mining claim under an LLC for our primary place, but we also have a few little couple-acre properties scattered about with survival caches on them, in case of need during transit, or even as temporary quarantine camping for some of our members in the event of a new pandemic.
Always a good idea, and land never goes bad.
Objective-Patient-37@reddit (OP)
Sounds like Aspen / Pitkin County, CO area
DisplaySuch@reddit
Why haven't you moved to a safer location if you already have the money?
Traditional-Leader54@reddit
Because job opportunities and available schools in areas suitable for a bug out location leave a lot to be desired.
DisplaySuch@reddit
Sorry you can't find a balance right now. Many of us rural folk have already left the city. Stay safe!
Traditional-Leader54@reddit
We left the city 5 years ago but our primary residence is in the suburbs with a second one in a rural location in the middle of nowhere. Thats how we balance it.
Spectres_N7@reddit
Nope. I'm not well off, I'm not rich, what ever you own requires upkeep and maintenance so I don't have time or money. I will probably die first before any length of time has passed and even IF I could do said all to arrive at My bug out place in where ever. I have idea of where to go if natural disaster SHTF scenario occurs. And that's as realistic and probable that it will get for myself. I also have to take care of an elderly parent and a relative who has more than usual problems. 🤷
Nemo_Shadows@reddit
A deliberate spread of something becomes harder and harder to protect oneself from because it is not a natural process to begin with but an artificially induced one with a known outcome and in that it does not matter how far one goes to avoid it, once it is in the wild it takes on a life all its own.
N. S
silasmoeckel@reddit
Bought one love it.
Don't move preps get additional preps.
TheLostExpedition@reddit
Just live where you plan on thriving. If you want a remote place. Move there now, make it nice. Settle in and relax.
Firefluffer@reddit
After watching the general initial freak out and indecision by some in the prepper community over Covid, I guess I remain not a fan of the bugout philosophy for things like pandemics.
When do you leave your job and go to your BOL? Do you have the option to work remotely? Will the community you’re going to accept you or will they see you as a threat? Will travel be restricted?
For those reasons, I’m a stay in place guy, but I’ll also likely work through the next pandemic like I did the last.
bdouble76@reddit
Is it possible to start a new food storage there? Keep what you have at home, at home. In the case of an emergency, you're all set at both properties, and when you do decide to leave, you can pack extra with you to add to your stores at the new locale.
apoletta@reddit
Consider it a “retirement place” if you can float that why not. Then see if you can use it as a source of income in the short term.
Eredani@reddit
For me, it's hard enough to get to Costco five miles away on the weekend... let alone a bug out location 50 miles away during an emergency.
I feel like many bug out plans fail to consider the possibility and impact of mass human migration during a major disaster. At least the OP has a specific destination, hopefully within a reasonable distance. Some folks just want to "head for the hills," and one guy here had a bug out location 1,000 miles away.
If I were to buy a preparedness focused property, I would live there full time.
Finally, moving all your preps (food, water, power, medical, security, comms, etc.) to the bug out location makes perfect sense... until you can't get there for whatever reason. Could be traffic, weather, martial law, wildfires, war zone... who knows? You might think you have everything covered until the government implements a travel freeze and sets up checkpoints or roadblocks. Seems too risky to me.
IGetNakedAtParties@reddit
Great idea if you stock it as a cache with long shelf life food but also changes of clothing, boots, fuel, repair consumables and (hand) tools.
Also consider multi fuel heating and cooking, water sources, solar and batteries have storage issues if not used and maintained, maybe you can have an agreement with your cousin regarding sharing the investment on a solar installation which they maintain and benefit from, but in a crisis you can use with them for essential needs.
You should consider how far away it is and what terrain, you should consider how to get there with blocked roads (tyre chains, saw, winch) without your vehicle (motorbike, bicycle, panniers) or on foot as a last resort.
Halo22B@reddit
Your main threat is a deadly pandemic.....got it The threat vector is people ...got it Mitigation is to have a remote bug out location....got it You found one and it's cheap....got it It's in the middle of a large population.....???????
anony-mousey2020@reddit
Not op; but if it’s like the area I am familiar with ‘a large amish population’ is nothing like you see in the mid Atlantic Amish sects in Lancaster Pa, N Maryland, etc.
The location I am familiar with has literally more cows per capita and the largest towns of 3-10k are separated by 30-40 miles.
anony-mousey2020@reddit
I know of a similar sounding enclave that is primarily Amish because it was virtually being abandoned. Amish moved up from Lancaster County in search of farms over the years.
The area I am thinking of did fairly well through lots of the pandemic - because of its sparse population until it didn’t (lack of healthcare).
In any case; are you asking should you move your food there now? Or should you generally store food there?
I mean, in a pandemic, roads aren’t going to be shut down/blocked or overrun. If anything driving was a dream during COVID. Why not just relocate your food with you? Buy a trailer, now. Make a point of always traveling to your BOL on the regular for vacation and bring the trailer.
That way, it looks like, ‘oh man, just wanted to come to my beloved hideaway’ and neighbors are see nothing unusual.
Eurogal2023@reddit
Considering that is what a BugOutLocation is for, I think it is a good idea. Think offgrid holiday home and store dry food in a rodent safe place, and canned food in a fros free are like a deep cellar.
Objective-Patient-37@reddit (OP)
Thanks! I agree 100%
What triggering events might you suggest would warrant leaving, from the main home to the bugout?
Eurogal2023@reddit
Well, I live at my BOL so hardly noticed that when the Covid rules blocked people in, but in general I might say follow the news and especially your favorite "woo woo" websites and see what they predict. But the best is obviously to follow your own intuition.
What I found shocking was that at one point during Covid in Germany travel restrictions were limiting people to their home municipality so very many people were denied access to their BOL's/holiday homes.
In Germany befor the second world War many people just survived because they left the country on intuition, often leaving very valuable property behind.
So I would really suggest you fill your BOL up with stuff that works for offgrid life, and make the most out of your Amish contacts while at the same time making sure you are not too heavily dependent on them
ShowtimeSonic16@reddit
I like the idea. Would just be nervous if you could make it to that location when needed. How are the roads getting there? Major city traffic to deal with? Could you make it there without a vehicle?
Super_Bat_8362@reddit
You can use self-storage units as well, that's my method since I'm a poor boy lol