The Bug Out - A short story

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Excellent story. I'm STILL upgrading my bug out process. Just this weekend I finally sat down and drew up the list of what we will/won't bring re: guns & ammo. Foolish to bring everything, not everything lends itself to traveling fast and light, takes up space in the vehicle better served with other needs. For instance shotguns - great by the nightstand, but they take up space in the car and if you're reduced to foot travel, how many rounds can you hump on foot, plus all the other necessaries you'll have to tote? Then, because we're doing a "high alert" drill over the next week (Iran, Aug 22) everything that is going was readied with ammo and put in position where it can be loaded into the vehicle in seconds. I had to ask myself how long would it take to realistically load up and hit the gas pedal? Realized that we'd be upset, maybe slightly paniced, and running around like beheaded chickens to load up. Bad. Currently drawing up a bug out "to-do" script for each of us, so we can quickly and efficiently, without any waste motion or taking precious moments to make decisions, get loaded and gone. Gasoline, we have about 80 gallons in 5 gallon containers. It'll fit in my wife's van better than my truck, but she's sensitive to fumes. Easy answer, I drive her van, she drives my truck. Simple planning like that, things you can anticipate now, which you would probably overlook in the rush to get outta dodge.

In talking this over, my wife refused to leave unless the cats were taken care of. The CATS! Shouldn't surprise me, lot's of people refused to be evacuated after Katrina because the JBT's wouldn't allow their pets to come. Explained to her that catching all the cats, and getting them into travel crates would be impractical when we're trying to run for our lives, they'd be miserable and afraid, constant yowling to be let out grating on our already frazzled nerves, apt to escape when we open the crates for feeding, potty, etc. and then they'd be as bad off as they would've been at home, except they're LOST IN A STRANGE CITY on top of it all. Finally got her to agree to leave them IF we got those extended food & water dispensers for them, leaving them behind to take care of themselves but knowing at least there will be food and water for them. For our high alert drill, these will be filled but not "deployed", so they only take 30 seconds to set out. She seems satisfied with that compromise. There is an emotional aspect to the business of evacuation, you don't want to be racing the clock, trying to make every second count, and your teenage daughter is crying and refusing to pack her bags saying if her cat doesn't go, then she doesn't go. You don't have time to reason with her, or fight with her over such things at such a time, and you jolly well can't club her unconscious unless you want even more problems. Do everything possible ahead of time to make sure you won't have to deal with someone's emotional state getting in the way of you getting yourself and your family safely out of harm's way.

What a great, thought-provoking read!
 
Great story! Made me change my thinking from "grab everything I need" to "grab what I can and go".
 
Great story. Given my location and situation, it confirms that I would bug in, not bug out. (close enough for hell traffic on a good day, far enough out to be downwind of major targets)

On the other hand, where I live guns are less common but grocery stores are everywhere. :evil: Loot a bunch of BBQ's, cook up all the meat you can loot (and make jerky from as much as possible) and use the food to lure out the neighborhood and get organized. People panic because they are looking for direction, be the director.
 
Wow, very good read, is there any place that has all of the short stories that have been posted on THR in one location?

what is the possibility of getting a fourm just for stories?
 
Nice ending.

However if You are a member of the large group that needs to "Bug Out", You have picked the wrong place to reside. Rural America still beckons. No disrespect intended, but I feel I've been Bug Outed to death. Essex
 
uh...wow

Surprise ending is putting it lightly

Ive got some...uh..planning to do

*rethinks bug out strategy* :evil:

good read
 
My take on both stories

I had the 'pleasure' of reading this story last year through an email attachment someone sent me but part of the story was missing -- the scene at the gas station -- but I certainly got the jest of it, and later got to read the whole thing in it's entirety. I assumed that our "hero" dad either was having a heart attack or had been shot and the last sound he would ever hear was his daughter's screams.

Being a woman, I guess I was easily persuaded that her screams indicated that she was in trouble - serious trouble, since it didn't seem to read that she was screaming just because the big bad dude had pulled her away from her father. I interpreted the story to mean that she was facing the beginning of possibly her final life-ending crisis as well.

I read this story while I was reading Lights Out, which is exceptional as well, and I think that at the time I read this short story, I assumed that the girl would be dead after a brutal handling by the bad guys, but having now read entirely the Lights Out story, there is the possiblity that the bad guys would hold on to the girl as long as she pleased them or it was expedient to have her around......either way it is a haunting story, well written (my husband writes great murder mysteries so I can tell good and bad writing!) and it does get the main point across -- title being Bug Out -- meaning being it should be a successful bug-out, and then proceeded to be a fine example of what not to do before a crisis (let your equipment get pilfered), and what not to do during a crisis (panic, not be able to execute the plan, etc).

I do have to add to the poster up above who persuaded his wife to agree to leave the cats, we don't have kids, so my cats ARE my children and my husband knows I don't go anywhere without them. :)

My bug-out pre-planning consists of having all my pet carriers (5) set up in the tub/shower of our guest bathroom -- we don't ever use it so it's easy to pile up the carriers, extra TP and PT and close the shower curtain & no one knows the stuff is there unless they peek.

We covered the tub with 2 pieces of board so we'd have an even surface from front to back, stack the carriers, have the cats' color photos laminated with their name and phone number on the back along with their current rabies tags clipped to the door of the carrier and the doors stay unlatched always (they're inside cats so they don't wear collars with tags). This room is also our safe room so we periodically have bad weather drills and so we've practiced gathering them up and shoving them into the carriers! Because of their temperment, some are more easily "caught" than others so we know which ones to get first, second, third, etc. so that we're not trying to extricate a cat from under a bed at a crucial time.

I also have a bug-out bag specifically for the cats with dry and wet food and water, medicine, couple of 'first aid for cats' books etc. We live in a condo where space is a premium and we each have a bug out bag (each with food water and a little money) that we're responsible for, plus the cat's bag.

I devised a way to easily recognize what to grab without thinking too much about it by using some really big neon colored tags I got at Sports Academy in their luggage section, and I numbered them 1-4 (4 is an extra bag of food if there's time to grab it) and all the bags stay in one closet in the guest room and we are not allowed to ever set anything in front of the closet door or impede progress in any way in getting those bags and the cat carriers out the front or back door of the condo. We can be out of the house with cats and all bags in less than 10 minutes, and quicker than that if things run as smoothly as possible and there's intense urgency to do so.

We manage to keep our cars at least 3/4 (mine) 1/2 way full - my husband sort of just goes along with me on our preps -- he's ex-military and feels he will handle whatever comes up, but I try to think in practical terms liek if we had a gas leak in the neighborhood or a fire, so I've done our bags in such a way to deal with those type evacuations. I even leave 2 emergency N100 masks on top of the cat carriers so that we will have them handy in an emergency and smoke or fumes shouldn't be a problem right at the first. My husband must enjoy life more than I do, since I seem to ponder what I hope is the improbable more than he does, but I rest more easily at night, knowing I'm able to be/stay prepared enough to be able to get the family AND the cats out at the same time without having to leave anyone behind with food.
It's a challenge, but for me a challenge I had to meet and succeed. But enough about me.....

I want to say I'm grateful for all the time and thought and inspiration that had to go into the writing of both Lights Out and The Bug Out. I really appreciate the fact that any of those people could be my neighbors -- especially in Lights Out and the subtle way the problems became more and more serious were quite realistic to me, given the situations that arise during the stories. Reading Lights Out, after the first few chapters, I told my husband that no one was sick, no one had pets and it didn't seem anyone had a swimming pool so it seemed contrived, but as the story progressed these items were introduced at times when it made sense for them to be the focus of attention, proving a good point with each situation and giving the reader reason to ponder the consequences in his own neighborhood!

Very well written, both stories, and thanks for sharing them!

Rose
 
I've seriously started exercising, mostly because of this story! I've lost 15 pounds and two inches off my waist since january, and now I can bike for 4 miles or run for 1/2 mile before I wear out. I've still got quite a ways to go, but compared to where I was in january, I'm doing much better. Still working on the BOB, with limited funds.
 
Imworkinonit -

Kudos to you for having such thorough plans and provisions!

But a question - have you ever tested that plan? Seen how long it takes you to get x- number of cats into crates, load up and go?

Have you ever driven for more than 2 hours on the highway with the cats in crates? When we moved, we had to do exactly that. My wife drove the vehicle with them inside and it was pure hell. Constant yowling. They puked, shat and pissed until their tanks were dry. And this was on an ordinary day when we were not upset or frantic for our own safety, just moving the last load of boxes and of course, the cats. Our cats are indoor/outdoor so they might not even be home when we get that "15 minute warning". I guarantee you, I will not have presense of mind to make critical judgements about traffic, roadblocks, listening to which way fallout is drifting on the radio, etc. when I have frightened cats in the back howling like they have been lit on fire and the stench of cat-diareah permeating the van. I believe that taking them, in our case, cuts down the probablility of survival for both us and them. I'm grateful my wife was able to see this reality for what it is. YMMV.
 
ImWorkinOnIt,

Thanks for your post - best first post I have ever read. Your idea about the colored/numbers tags on the bags is a fantastic idea. For myself, implementation of that idea will give me a way to tell others what to grab when things are time critical. I'm going to add to the concept with a "A" and "B" next to the number, so that my crew can split the bags between two vehicles for redundancy.

Makes one less thing to think about as things approach critical mass.

Be safe, BSR
 
Do not ask for help, commandeer the vehicle and render the former owners safe. If it comes down to you and I, its more important that I live than you. I'm selfish that way.
Click to expand...

If everyone was like this, why in blazes would anyone want to go on living? Sounds like a person would be going from bad to worse.

Thankfully, I live in the country, hundreds of miles from a large city, so shouldn't have to bug out.:)
 
Dad should not have tried to take too much. Bug Out to me means you get your kit and are gone within 10 minutes tops. He should also try to keep a rotating stock of ammo handy. I keep a minimum of 150 rounds handy for each gun, it will be more when I am back from school (two weeks). Also, the BOB will be coming shortly. Right now it is more like Bail Out Battle Order (BOBO, that's great!)

At the end when the wife chased the kids away he should have given the kids each a big scoped rifle and orders to plug any monkeys. Badguys think twice when their guys start going down before they even get thier firearms up. Its also stuff like this that enforces my desire to train my wife in the defensive use of a firearm. I will trust those whom I trust. In this city I can count that number on Anne Bollyne's hand.

Oy, I'm venting. I should sign off before I go bonkers here.:uhoh:
 
Thanks for the story. I "enjoyed" it, as in I wasn't happy Everybody Died, so that means Halffast did a good job writing it. Better than the usual "I'm a Jack Bauer Wanna Be" who demonstrates how to use all their preps and how clever they are compared to the Sheeple.

The primary thing I took away from the story is that time counts and orchestrating how to get outta dodge when you have to is difficult. Hitting the stores is not recommended, even though most people will be missing some important things. Shelter in Place needs to be seriously considered.

In real life, a few modifications to your vehicle can improve your BO capability. I would guess that most of the time will not be off road. You will be either in a traffic jam or driving down the road, but that being said here are a few recommendations.
1. Tow points front AND rear. Many cars have them already, but a quick trip to the tractor supply/ace hardware to buy a clevis or tow ring and is cheap.
2. "snow chains" are fairly inexpensive, especially at the end of the season on ebay. They can dramatically improve the off road performance of street tires for ~$50. Put them on at least once to test. Where I live a very light rain will cover a dirt road in a thin layer of snot and front and rear locked 4x4 with nice ORV tires can easily slide off on a sloped road.
3. Nylon straps/logging chains which you will use with #1. <$30 from harbor freight.

(#1-3 will set you back less than $100 per vehicle)
4. A can of fix a flat (<$5), "slime" and/or a "tubeless tire repair kit" ($5), needlenose pliers ($4) and a means of putting air back in the tire like a 12v compressor (~$30). Fixaflat will put water in your tire, so you will later have to dismount it. slime is not recommended for highway speeds.

and the more expensive options:

4. Add a "lunchbox locker" or limited slip to your RWD/4WD vehicle. Something like the Aussie or powertrax locker. <$300 and you can put it in yourself in a few hours. (Go all the way and put in a torsen/limited slip in the front :)

5. When you buy new always (_especially_ for the family/wife's vehicle) at least get limited slip/traction control and preferably All Wheel Drive. It usually adds about $1500 to the cost of a new vehicle. This is an option on minivans (sienna, mountianeer, astro/safari, MPV, etc.), SUVs (RAV4, Suburban, etc.), subaru, audi, volvo, etc. This will give you more traction, but not clearance or favorable "attack" angles.

my $0.02,
rearden
 
Alright ...

Everyone take a deep breath, sit back, and think about baseball for a minute.

O.K. Now, turn your attention back to this situation you all seem to love imagining.

Now ask yourself: WHY is your first instinct to run away to an unknown destination with improvised equipment and provisions? What do you hope to accomplish by abandoning your base of operations? Where do you plan to go? What will you do there?

I live in Maine. To my near-southwest, millions of people, literally millions, somehow expect to be able to "bug out" to my neck of the woods in the event of disaster. Word -- they will NOT make it. From top to bottom of the emergency preparedness establishment here, the situation has been discussed and gamed to death. That bridge will not permit passage of millions of refugees northeastwardly. It won't. Don't even try. Your timing might be ... inauspicious.

I happened to find myself in the Washington, DC area on the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001. Not surprising, as I worked there. Never mind the stuff we saw in the air and on the ground; the biggest panic-inducer was what we heard on the local radio. Everything from the Dalecarlia Reservoir being poisoned to the State Department being blown up to funny goings on at Fort Detrick to you name it. Roads and phone lines became impassable for days. When the immediate dust settled, I went home to suburban Maryland. Got there, after a fashion. Ate a good meal, and prepared for war.

I really don't fear those sort of nuclear devices which a bunch of rag-tag ragheads might set off in a metropolitan American area. Not so much. But I DO fear what happens to masses of people when they panic, as I have witnessed close at hand, and the things they do. What happened in New Orleans a few years back merely confirmed my take.
 
10 Ring Tao: "I don't think enough people consider bugging in."

Or bugging around. I've spent several years reconnoitering my area for everything from fresh water to edible wild plants to shelter to infrastructure to things I'd rather not relate. I admit we aren't a likely nuke target, but even then a little one and a few rads wouldn't frighten me into running away to ... where? Labrador?

Dirty bombs are not that effective, or that deadly, except as panic inducers. I make Geiger counters rave based on childhood and young adulthood exposure to some industrial and experimental stuff, and I haven't had any health effects at all. And my daughter beat me at chess by the age of six -- no ill effects. I've had her read my childhood copy of Walt Disney's "Our Friend the Atom." Radiation is a good thing, in moderation -- and not a bogeyman from which to run screaming in terror barring extremely unlikely eventualities such as occurred in Ukraine, 1986.
 
"Imworkinonit -

Kudos to you for having such thorough plans and provisions!

But a question - have you ever tested that plan? Seen how long it takes you to get x- number of cats into crates, load up and go?

Have you ever driven for more than 2 hours on the highway with the cats in crates? When we moved, we had to do exactly that. My wife drove the vehicle with them inside and it was pure hell. Constant yowling. They puked, shat and pissed until their tanks were dry. And this was on an ordinary day when we were not upset or frantic for our own safety, just moving the last load of boxes and of course, the cats. Our cats are indoor/outdoor so they might not even be home when we get that "15 minute warning". I guarantee you, I will not have presense of mind to make critical judgements about traffic, roadblocks, listening to which way fallout is drifting on the radio, etc. when I have frightened cats in the back howling like they have been lit on fire and the stench of cat-diareah permeating the van. I believe that taking them, in our case, cuts down the probablility of survival for both us and them. I'm grateful my wife was able to see this reality for what it is. YMMV."


This why I refuse to date, marry or even talk to a woman who loves cats. Not worth it.
 
Man, the ending had me freaked out like Christian Bale.

For me, bugging out is simply not an option. I live in the country, and I know of nowhere else to go to. My neighbors are armed, so we could hold down the area if necessary; I hope.

My biggest disadvantage is living right next to a highway. If traffic gets gridlocked here, and there are desperate mobs...well, things could get hairy. I hate to think of what I may have to do. I like to help people, but you can't help everyone.

The closest thing I can think of bugging out would be getting out of St. Louis and to home, because I visit friends there occasionally; a 470 mile drive, including passing through Indy and Dayton on a usual route. I keep a 5 gallon can in the bed of my truck, but that wouldn't be nearly enough to get me close to home.

I usually take my rifle and a couple pistols and some ammo, as well as the emergency pack in my toolbox with some Mountain House. Speaking of, this story motivates me to rearrange my truck toolbox tomorrow, perhaps.

I'd hope that I would hear of an attack quick enough through my packed crap in my truck, get my tank(s) topped off and make a b-line for home.

Country roads, take me home...

The story made me incredibly thankful to have a Mile Marker hydraulic winch welded to the front of my truck. And a 3/4 ton truck. Man, an SUV taken out by a love tap? Those are some weak tie rods.
 
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