I am married, but because I like to prepare for the worst, these plans are made assuming that my husband will not be with me and I will be alone with four children. If my husband is with me, these plans will not change by much.



****A note of thanks for all of those who have contacted me with suggestions or offered them on threads. Every comment and criticism helps me to improve my plan. ****

Bugging-In

The plan to bug in at my own home is dependent only on my inability to get to my primary choice for a bug-in location.

My house is a trap, but if I don't have time to get out I can either hide in the attic, if I have time to move food, water, and supplies up (my escape plan from there would be to bust a hole through the side of the attic, over the car port and exit by way of the roof). I have a second story fire ladder which can be used to leave the roof without having to jump.
The other possible hiding place would be to barricade in the the master bedroom, which has an attached bathroom. This might be more difficult to do because the doors are very weak, all floors are uncarpeted (meaning there will be no traction to keep the doors blocked), and the only exit would be through the bedroom window into a rosebush. Use sofa, kitchen table, and chairs to block hallway to the bedroom door.

We do not own our home, so we are unable to make some of the necessary upgrades that would be needed to make the home more secure. However, when the SHTF, some things that have been suggested to me (like bolting furniture to the floor when barricading) can and will be done. I doubt our landlord would mind terribly if we put our lives above his house, and if he does, then it can be dealt with at a much later date.

If there is time and the roads are clear for travel, I want to rendezvous with my parents at their house about 25 miles away. This will probably necessitate taking back roads only. Their house is larger, more easily defensible, and I will be with people I know and trust. My step-dad also has a small arsenal for defense. If able I will transfer my own stockpile of food and water to their house.

Bugging-out

My plan to leave my bug-in location will be between 30-60 days.

After the initial panic has passed, and travel becomes less restricted my plan is to head to the family farm out-of-state, by driving, which will take 24 hours with two drivers, at least 36 hours with one driver. The car is always up-to-date with oil changes and tune-ups. Will need to work on keeping the gas tank at least 3/4 full and the wiper blades changed. I have learned how to change a tire (yes!). I still need a US road atlas to keep in the car.

I choose this location as my first option because it already has an extensive orchard (peach, apple, sweet and sour cherries, plum), raspberries and grapes, and the family is currently talking about using some of the land for vegetable planting. My family used to have flocks of chickens and geese free ranging through the orchard and it could be started again. A small goat herd could be acquired to keep the grass and poison ivy cleared. They could also be used for milking. There is a lot of surrounding land that can be used for grain planting (as of now, it is mostly corn and soybean, mostly genetically engineered crops). If there are survivors in those surrounding areas, trade might be an option for what we need with regards to grain. Livestock is not as plentiful in the area. The water table is relatively high, and before lines were laid for water, wells were common. There is a creek directly across the road from the property for use if need be.

If unable to get to the farm, there is another location two hours from the farm that belongs to another family member that I will go to. This is also a farm property, and even more isolated, although not as developed for farming as my first choice. In the event that both of these locations are overrun, I will be bugging in with one of several other family members in the same state, none of which are farm properties.

As a last resort, I'm heading to the mountains. This is only if I must leave my home by foot, and if my current location is unsafe. The mountain begins only a mile from my home. The only drawback to this alternative is that the trails in these mountains are fairly well-known and used by many outdoors enthusiasts. This might only be a problem if I encounter people of hostile intent. If I go far enough, and the weather is favorable, I could conceivably camp in the area. Wildlife threats include bear, mountain lion, and rattlesnakes.

But I'm divided between the mountains and open plains. More food and water in the mountains, but the elements can be brutal, and it's hard to see the zombies through all the trees. If the outbreak occurs during the winter months, the mountains will be out of the question until warmer weather.

The plains offer a clearer view of the land, but water is harder to come by unless I can find a property with a working well. I currently have no BOL for the plains, except an historical house on the arsenal property, which may or may not be habitable.

Transportation:

By car. I'm not counting on outrunning zombies with four children --not unless I have to. It will be easier and safer to transport the children, everyones BOB, food, camping gear, and weapons by vehicle.

Local city maps are kept in the car, as well as a map for the nearest national park and state park.

Ideal stockpile items for the car (a 2006 Ford Freestar minivan):
* extra waterproof gloves and hats for each family member during winter months.
* 4 blankets
* box of camping gear (2 1/2 ft X 1ft X 1 1/2ft) in the trunk: dishes, emergency tent, small stove. I won't be keeping fuel in the car, however.
* First Aid Kit: a basic ready-made first aid kit, with additional items, acquired as needed for the time being.
* Emergency food and water (until adequately stocked with prepared foods, use foods available in the kitchen. Namely, oatmeal, dried beans, rice, bouillon cubes, tea, sugar, honey, peanut butter, canned goods. Don't forget the can openers and the bottle opener! These will only be carried with us if we are at the house when disaster hits and we must leave).

I do carry my BOB with me when I leave the house by car, so that if we are unable to return home we have something to rely on in the interim. The only problem will be the insulin, because I usually do not carry any with me unless we are going to be out of the house for most of the day. I always have the younger child's diaper bag with me. Once I have my concealed carry permit I will be able to carry my gun with me as well.

The older three children are responsible for bringing their BOBs with them whenever they leave the house. So far, one of them always remembers they need to bring their bag, and the others collect theirs as well.
See this page for the children's BOBs.

Currently, I do not keep any supplies in the vehicle because my husband sometimes takes the car and removes everything that he thinks should not belong there. When he gets his own vehicle and stops taking mine I will be able to keep a separate BOB in the car.

However, if it necessary to bug out by foot, I will have the three older children on their scooters (they move more quickly that way, and are closer to me than if they are on bikes), and the baby in a Maya wrap adjustable sling in front. The #3 child is still a toddler, and it is conceivable that the scooter may have to be abandoned at some point because he tires out earlier than the others.

This arrangement is not ideal, as it will make it extremely difficult to carry the BOB and the youngest child's diaper bag, which is essentially his BOB. I may have to combine the diaper bag with my own. The two older children will be carrying their own smaller, simplified BOBs. I may or may not be able to carry food supplies with me.

Weapons:

I intend to avoid confrontation as much as possible.

Back-up Plan A:

I have one.

Back-up Plan B:

I have one.

Option of Last Resort:

I have one.


I need to work on a plan that would enable me to travel safely to these areas alone.

Things to take into account when planning:

*travel time with one driver

*there will only be one available driver

*need to refuel, probably at least ten times, and will need to find gas stations with the ability to get the gas from the tanks. I need extra gas cans filled with fuel.

*safety while outside of the car, getting gas, personal needs, praying

*safety while sleeping. I will need to be able to get sufficient rest for driving

*breastfeeding the baby and feeding the kids at regular hours, especially since one child is on insulin.

*avoiding large cities--I will need to preplan a route, with possibilities for detours should the main route I plan be inaccessible for whatever reason. There is a possibilty that I might have a GPS available for use, but a road atlas for the US is still a must for the car.

* I will need to cross a major waterway and depending on the season, the amount of rainfall that year and resultant flooding, and the condition of the bridges, I will need a plan for crossing it. If need be, I might have to travel hundreds of miles out of my way to cross it. There is also the possibility of people not letting others cross the bridges for whatever reason.

*Human threats: raiders, murderers, people needing help. I probably won't stop for people needing help seeing that I will be an unaccompanied woman with young children. This will be for safety reasons only.

*Need to be on the look-out for traps (see above)


*When stopping I need a plan for defending myself and the children, since the children will be unable to defend themselves if needed. I might consider purchasing small knives for the two older children, because it might be better that they be able to defend themselves with some type of weapon despite their small size. It seems foolish to leave them defenseless when they could easily be outrun. I want to give them a fighting chance, even if the odds are against them. Something might happen to me and I don't want to leave them unprepared, despite their weaknesses.

Additional things to acquire:
*sleeping bags (rated for about -20 degrees F)
*heat and cooking source

Baby Carrying Gear:

Two options: A sling and a backpack. If I have to carry both the baby and the toddler, the baby will be carried in the sling, and the toddler in the backpack. When the toddler is too big to carry, I can use the sling exclusively. I find the sling better to use than the backpack because babies and toddler become heavy on the back. Using a hip-carry with a baby over nine months of age or a toddler allows the hands to be free, and I can also carry a BOB (which is a backpack).

There are many ways to carry an infant using the sling; but for moving quickly, the front carry, with the baby facing towards the body, is the most secure. The sling can be pulled up around the neck to support the head. In the picture below, the baby is two months old and being uncooperative (trying to stand on his legs), but there is no worry that he will fall.

With both the baby or the toddler, both hands can be used as needed for carrying or doing other things. Slings are adjustable for comfort depending on the wearer.






And when the kids are at school...?

They aren't. We're a homeschooling family, so the kids are at home regularly. Now, when they start driving...