Bug out tips, advice and techniques that will save your ass when the chips are down

This guest post by Robert B and entry in our non-fiction writing contest.

Remember in times of crises. The Government or Military can use FEAR! clean water, food, electricity and shelter to “control or move you” where ever they wish. Don’t fall for it. Take care of your self.

Drink a glass of water every morning before you leave home. If something does happen you will be one step up on dehydration.

When your cars gas gauge is at ½ of a tank gas, Make that your new empty. Fill up!

Go to your local community collage and take Health and Nutrition class. You will be amazed what your body needs and how it uses the fuel you put in it.

I read a lot of the bug out bag list on foods. The items I see the most are high energy fuel drinks full of caffeine and sugar, energy bars full of sugar and tuna in a can. The tuna is a great source of protein but it will not supply for body with lasting energy for travel or hard work. Once opened it is only one meal. Caffeinated energy drinks full of sugar will only speed up your metabolism burning any fuel you have in your stomach that much faster. Large amounts of sugar will give you a short time energy boost, only until your body starts delivering insulin to counter act all the sugar. Then you will have a down and become tired. Not what you need when you are Bugging out. Energy bars with low sugar content are better.

You can carry a one to two week supply of food that will not be heavy in your pack and will take up less space the 2 MRE’s and will provide your body with long sustaining fuel for your travel and hard work.

First two days and you can’t cook

• 2 packages of instant oatmeal
• 2 power bars, low in sugar
• 2 bags meals ready to eat. They make beans and rice meals that are already cooked ready to eat in the super marked in plastic or metal bags like MRE’s. Mexican style and others.

When you can cook

Breakfast

• Tea bags with natural flavors can make your water taste better and provide caffeine.
• Steel cut oats will give your body long lasting energy, add some nuts and dried cranberries

Lunch and Dinner

• Brown rice and beans are light weight and can provide a person a week or more supply of food. Combining the two will provide your body with protein and carbohydrates with a long energy burn time.

Snacks

• Almonds and dried cranberries are great energy source.

Water

• Every time you stop purify and top off your water supply. Get it when you can.

Noise and light discipline

Check your equipment BOB for metal sounds or clicks when you are moving. Learn where everything is on and in your BOB. Learn to never use a flash light at night. if you have to use a red or green lens. Clean up before you leave your area. Leaving trash lets everyone know you have been there and what you have been eating. Camouflage your camp site back to the way you found it. You were never there!

• A cigarette can be seen ½ mile away at night and you can smell it over a mile.
• Learn not to talk too much. Some one talking can be hard a long way off.
• Learn to make a Dakota fire pit to conceal your location when using a fire. Make your fire under a big pine tree. It will defuse the smoke as it drifts upward so it is harder to see.
• If you can, sleep in a different place other than where you build your fire and cook your meal.
• Heat up rock if it is cold at night. When your fire goes out wrap the rocks in a shirt or towel to help you stay warm.
• Start a small garden
• Learn to be self sufficient.
• Learn how to make a hobo stove. Youtube
• Learn to read a map and a compass.
• Learn Bush craft. Look up Ray Mears on Youtube
• Carry at least two large construction strength trash bags. Good for shelter and many other uses.

Leather gloves- Always wear them. As soon as you take them off something will happen. Around the fire, cutting wood, gathering wood and making camp have them on. One small cut on your had or a slip of an axe will drive you crazy in the field.

Get Pine Tar soap for your bag. The soap has a pine scent. Regular soap is sweet smelling and attracts bugs. After being in the woods for a week you will be able to smell some one who has just washed with soap or put on deodorant a good distance away. Get a natural deodorant as well for your bag. Keep your self and your feet clean. In the military we could go 7 or more days with out a bath. You feel like a dead man walking.

Be creative where you sleep. Sleep in a tree if you can or any place your fist thought is “I would never sleep there”! Good spot! I don’t think any one wants to wake up at the other end of a gun.

Movement is a dead giveaway. In the military we have a saying! “If you can be seen you can be killed.

Don’t move to fast during the day. If you travel during the day move very slow and stop often and wait to see if you are being followed. Never walk a ridge line or silhouette your self on a hill side. Never cross a field in the day time. Skirt around it.

• Travel where the vegetation is thick and stop often and listen.
• Never travel in a straight line for too long.

Thick vegetation is the best place to sleep. When you find a spot crawl on you knees over 50 yard to your spot Not in a strait line and make a second exit the same way in a different direction out and close to a water source. If some one walks up on your position they will make a lot of noise walking through the thick wooded growth giving you time to hear them coming. If you decided to stay at this camp for a while go out 100 to 150 yards and circle around your camp. Get a fill of the land and your surroundings Find to fall back positions. Make a camouflage blind at both locations. If you have to run and can place distance between you and them you can hide and let them move on.

• Best time to cover allot grown quickly is one hour before the sun comes up and as dawn is starting.
• At night find a 6ft staff and attach a knife at the end of it for defense against 4 leg as well as 2 leg varmints.

If you are not sure your safe in the area you decided to stop at for the night, Do only one thing at a time. Wash your feet, dry and change sox one at a time. Try to keep everything in your BOB except what you are using at the present time.

One thing they teach you in the military is know where your weapon is at all times. Sounds easy? In basic training they are always waiting for you to set your weapon down and start doing something else. Soon you will be preoccupied and loose track. You will find your weapon out of arms reach and that is too far. Learn when you move it goes with you. It is a part of you! NO EXCEPTIONS AND NO EXCUSSES.

Learn the art of Camouflage. A lot of people plan to bug out in a vehicle. Think about when you stop for the night. Where will you park? If some one can see your car they will know you are close by.

Learn to camouflage your gear and yourself. Break up your body outline.

You can be camouflage and have some one walk right past you. That can be a lot easier than trying to out run some one.

Learn how to dig a sniper hole. In the military I have stood on top a snipers spider hole and never knew he was under my feet. He can sleep and eat in there for weeks with out coming out.

Bug in unless you have to bug out.

Your home can store more food and water than you can carry. Your home can provide you with shelter and security. It would be easier to defend your home than to defend yourself in open country. Removing interior doors can be used to board up windows. Pulling security in the open country or trying to sleep with one eye open will wear you down fast.

Build a safe room to store your emergency food and gear. Build hidden doors to storage rooms or floor storage areas.

This contest will end on April 22 2013  – prizes include:

• First Place winner will receive - A $500 dollar gift certificate courtesy of LPC Survival that is good for $500 off anything on their site. And  a Wonder Junior Deluxe hand-mill courtesy of Kitchen Kneads,
• Second Place winner will receive – Two cases of MRE’s courtesy of Camping Survival and a $150 gift certificate off of Hornady Ammo from LuckyGunner.
• Third Place winner will receive -  a one year subscription to Personal VPN service courtesy of unspyable.

Well what are you waiting for – email your entries today. But please read the rules that are listed below first… 

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