Small Town America = Perfect Bugout Location? Part 3 Location Location Location... A simple rule from the battlefield for those not used to conflict, Space = Time = Responding vs Reacting to a situation Responding to a situation allows time to evaluate a situation, critical thought and strategy to be applied, a plan to be implemented. Reacting means dealing with the hand you are dealt relying almost solely on training and instinct which has a significantly higher probability of a less than ideal outcome. There is a 15-mile buffer of corn, soybeans, and wheat surrounding my small town of 16k people. While you can be more isolated by sitting in the woods somewhere there are many things you give up by doing so. If you are isolated in the woods, who will give you information about what is going on around you? Your "secret" location may not be secret and definitely won't remain a secret once you start living there. We're not even going to get into maintaining 24-hour security of a remote location in this post, if you're managing security who is working? If you're sick whos' maintaining security? Small Town America is the perfect balance between isolation and community support. There will always be a bad actor or two...but they are well known and easy to keep track of within a community, not so much while isolated in the woods. In your environment do you have space/time? Do you still think isolation in the woods is your best option? #America #veteran #commonsense

Small Town America = Perfect Bugout Location? Part 2 Bugout vehicle or SUPPLY DUMP for the unprepared? I love a good kitted out vehicle BUT is it a good answer in an emergency...probably not! Planning to drive around a vehicle with supplies hanging off of it through or around people without those resources doesn't pass the common sense test. It falls into the same category as Marie Antoinette's infamous "let them eat cake" comment before she lost a vital appendage. Humans are basic despite all of our beliefs of having a more evolved mind. Those in need/fear will fill that need through almost any means necessary. Remember everyone fighting over toilet paper? Now replace that with food, gas, housing and you can see where this goes. Everyone that has ever seen combat knows this simple truth...people survive and not always in a pretty or socially acceptable way. Back to the kitted out vehicle with gas, food, housing hanging from every square inch... I would venture to say they're not going to remain attached very long! I'm not saying don't prepare a vehicle to give you mobility...just saying don't advertise everything you're taking with you! #America #veteran #commonsense

Small Town America = Perfect Bugout Location? Last week I talked about Local Support Networks when dealing with disasters either natural or manmade. While there are those that plan to "go to the woods," often this is not the ideal approach and I'm going to use this series of posts to talk about how that concept is only the preferred option as a last resort. First lets take a look at why going mobile to a remote location in times of emergency is not ideal. If the disaster is natural or manmade there will be hinderances to travel! While you may have the perfect "prepped" vehicle the majority of the nation does not and they will be on the roads with you. If anyone has seen an "organized" evacuation BEFORE a hurricane you can understand that no 35" tired 4x4 is going to get you through TRAFFIC! You know the condition of the resources you are leaving FROM but you do not know the condition of the resources where you are going TO! One we are talking about physical supplies but two also PEOPLE you may need to lean on! No matter how prepared you are and the size of your knowledge library you CANNOT BE AN EXPERT IN EVERYTHING! I don't know about you but if I have a appendicitis I'm not going to have my family operating on me on the kitchen table, I want a doctor that has done it before! The people around me are great people and I know them all by name (small town America)! I know doctors, farmers, mechanics, builders, vets....all in my Local Support Network. If bad things happen DON'T PANIC, and you don't have to ditch everything to go to a bugout location, far from it! Have a plan to support yourself in your current location, and people to lean on for specialty skills. If you don't have a PRACTICAL skill that can contribute, now would be a great time to LEARN one! More posts on this topic to follow! #America #Veteran #commonsense