ZDay has come, and you make the decision to get out of dodge. I plan to travel by vehicle, but I can see several possible scenarios where that just isn't possible. The roads are blocked with stalled vehicles. The concentration, um, I mean relocation camps proposed recently by FEMA are in effect and armed patrols on the road mean all roads lead there. Somebody tries to solve the zombie problem with nukes and emp takes out all the chips in your vehicle. How bout Zombies ate everyone at the refineries and no gas shipments are going out? Any way you look at it, at some point you are going to be on foot at least temporarily. With that in mind I've come up with some thoughts and questions I'd like people to respond to each on different threads if possible..

WEIGHT- Take a look at all the survival plans folks have posted around this sight and decide how much that kind of kit weighs. I've always heard that a decent size pack was about a fourth of your body weight. If I learned nothing else in the military, it was that a ruckmarch can break you off. I know the standard load for a soldier is a lot more than 1/4 of your weight, and LLVI teams and others carry way more than the standard. But for the average person who has not consistently trained up to some serious loads, 1/4 is pretty good. Plus how much of the modern military still travels on foot without at least consumable supplies being motored in. So how much weight wise is wise to carry? You can debate what the items should be, but is there a consensus on load size?


DISTANCE- First off let me say that 83% of all statistics are made up on the spot. Most of these numbers are rough guesses on my part based on half remembered lectures and a whole lot of reading, so if its inaccurate please let me know, or just hop on and correct them yourself. Let's say it's the right time of year for daylight to last a good 12 hours. I've read and been taught that the best distance is made with a walk 45, rest 15 minute tempo, that gives you 8 hours of hoofing it. I'll guesstimate an hour total to make lunch, set up and break camp, and the occasional potty break. That gives you 7 solid hours of actual walking a day, give or take. A 10 minute mile (1.6 km) is power walking, not sure how long you could sustain that with a pack on, so lets say a 15 minute mile, cause the math is easy and it seems like a sorta decent guess. That comes out to 28 miles (45 km) a day. If you have to forage/hunt for food, cut that number way back. If you've got little kids with you, cut that in half. If its super cold or super hot, cut it down some more. If it is through brush or unfriendly terrain cut it in half again. Now think about where you're planning to bug out to. An hour's drive from your house now means a two or three day trip post Z-Day, can you carry that much food and water? Do you know where to find it on the way?

UPDATE TO DISTANCE I just tried going for a quick little hike with a light pack on paved surfaces, I now advocate revising that 28 miles a day number way down if you've got a pack. Ruckmarching takes specific muscles, and apparently I've lost all of mine. I still go to the gym, I still jog, but in the year and a half I've been out of the military I've completely lost the ability to ruck. Everyone with a bugout bag should try carrying it for a few miles, and see how long it takes, unless you're currently in the military where you're doing it on a regular basis, I think you'll be surprised about how much more effort than just running it is.


FOOTGEAR Gather around boys and girls and I will tell you a cautionary tale. There was a mildly retarded fellow in my basic training company we called Guffy(literally took the ASVAB 6 times until he scored high enough to get in with a waiver). Guffy was not a big fan of personal hygiene, so Guffy would ruckmarch in dirty socks. Guffy was not a big fan of keeping his uniform strack, so Guffy would ruckmarch with loose laces in his boots. Guffy was also apparently retard tuff, cause at the end of every march he would poor out a boot full of blood and never complained. I am not Guffy. Blisters are not fun, this I assure you, and I strive to avoid them. If you travel on foot post Z-Day, do not use brand new footgear, try something broken in. That being said, I am torn between tennis shoes and boots. I realize the lack of ankle support is a drawback to tennis shoes, but I think the weight and comfort level of the shoes may overcome this. I'm not sure which is superior to someone used to both, but if you never wear one of the two obviously don't choose it. Anybody got any advice to someone who routinely wears both?

PACK Once again I'm conflicted. Carried an ALICE pack and liked it, have bought a used one here lately, but I got out just in time to miss the MOLLE pack so I'm not sure if its any better. I know the MOLLE has a plastic frame, lighter but less sturdy, and different system to hook on the add ons. I will put out there for those who haven't used much of either, replace the metal ALICE clips with the nylon sheath from 550 cord, way more comfortable and just as durable. How bout a civilian make pack with internal frame? I know its supposed to balance better and has a smaller silhouette for traveling in heavy brush, but without the gap by your back its hotter. Anybody have experience with something like that and can give a few pointers? If worse comes to worse a back pack like school kids carry will work, but I'm looking for opinions on more serious packs to safely and comfortably carry 50+ lbs. (not a 1/4 of my body weight, but about what my ideal bug out kit comes to, and close to what I carry when camping)

This is all I've got so far, if there is another foot travel issue someone can think of, please feel free to add it to this page, comments or advice on the issues raised, start a thread at the bottom. thanks S1CREAMER