If You’re Planning To Bug In, Stop Doing This Immediately 🏠

Source: https://www.askaprepper.com/

Bugging out is one of those things everyone associates with preppers, but the reality is that, when a crisis hits, most preppers are going to stay right where they are.

Bugging in is a more practical choice for the majority of us; instead of setting out on what could be a dangerous journey to a location that could be pretty austere, we can keep on living in a home that contains everything we own – a really valuable survival resource.

The problem with bugging in is that because it’s so easy, a lot of preppers get a false sense of security. Your home’s already well equipped, your stockpiles are in it and you know how you’re going to defend it when the SHTF.

That’s all you need, right? Wrong.

There are some mistakes preppers make when deciding to bug in, and they can be deadly. If you’re planning to spend the apocalypse at home, here are a few things you need to consider.

Is Bugging In The Right Solution For You?

Bugging in really is the best option for many – probably most – preppers, but it’s not for everyone. Obviously if you live in a high-rise apartment in a big city you’re already planning to leave in a crisis, but there can be other reasons your home isn’t a safe place to stay.

That can be as simple as living right beside one of the routes out of that big city. In a crisis you could have thousands of refugees streaming past your home, and they’re going to want your stuff.

If you’re planning to bug in you need to make very sure it’s viable.

Do you have access to a reliable water supply if the faucets run dry – one that won’t be polluted if local industry disintegrates? Is there a fire risk from surrounding buildings or woodland? Is there a way to replenish your food reserves if a crisis goes on longer than expected?

Have You Cut Off Your Options?

Even if bugging in is a viable option, you need a bugout plan too. No matter how perfect your home is as a survival refuge, things can go wrong. Anything can happen, from wildfires to the military deciding to secure and evacuate your area.

Related: How To Understand The Signals From Animals Just Before A Natural Disaster Strikes

If you do need to leave in a hurry you need to have a bugout bag ready to go, a list of things to load into your vehicles if you have time, and at least a rough idea of where you’re going to go.

Ideally you’ll have a couple of potential bugout locations in mind, and you’ll already have visited them to make sure they’re suitable.

Are You Really Self Sufficient?

You can have a basement stuffed with food, but it won’t keep you alive unless you have all the essential nutrients covered.

We’ve heard of preppers who stockpiled nothing but rice and pasta – great for carbs, but not so good for protein, fat, vitamins and minerals.

It’s not enough to simply buy up whatever’s going cheap at the local Costco; you need to make sure you have a food supply that will deliver balanced, nutritious meals three times a day.

Proper meals aren’t just good for nutrition, either; they really help with morale.

Did You Plan For The Worst?

Your home might be safe and well-equipped to survive the apocalypse, but sometimes an ordinary home just isn’t enough. What if fighting breaks out between troops and looters?

What if there’s a nuclear attack in your area? Most American homes won’t even slow bullets down, and even the most solidly constructed one isn’t proof against radioactive fallout.

If you want to be truly safe you need a refuge in or near your home. Ideally you want a fallout shelter or bunker, one that’s large enough to live in for at least two weeks after a nuclear attack.

If you can spend two weeks inside a solidly built bunker that’s surrounded by at least a foot of earth – three feet is better – and has a filtered air supply, radiation levels will have fallen to tolerable levels by the time you come out. The good news here is that any bunker solid enough to protect you from fallout will easily stop bullets, too.

A rebarred concrete fallout shelter with three feet of earth over the roof is perfect, but it’s also very expensive. It’s possible to make one much more cheaply with sandbags.

Who Knows You’re Prepping?

Do you tell your neighbors about the latest steps you’ve taken to be ready for a crisis? Do you proudly show visitors round your stores of food and equipment, and invite them to ooh and aah at that new security system you just installed?

Or do you regularly post prepping advice to your neighborhood association’s Facebook page?

Related: How To Deal With Neighbors And Friends That Come Begging For Food At Your Door In A Crisis

Well, stop. Right now.

It’s natural to be proud of what you’ve done to be self-reliant and ready for anything, but human nature is something we just can’t rely on. No matter how nice and trustworthy someone is when life is good, circumstances can make them change.

When your neighbors are running low on food and water, when their power has been out for a week and there’s no sign of it coming back on anytime soon, when desperate refugees from the city are prowling round their house and they don’t have any guns or ammunition, their minds will turn to where they can get the things they need to survive. And they’ll know, because you showed them.

No matter how prepared you are to defend your home, if a big enough group of determined people want to force their way in and take your stuff they can do it. The best defense you have is anonymity.

Don’t let people know you’re prepping unless you can trust them with your life, because that’s literally what you’ll be doing.

Bugging In VS Bugging Out

We’re huge fans of bugging in, but it’s a decision you need to plan carefully. Planning to stay at home in a crisis isn’t the easy option compared to bugging out; it needs just as much work.

Before you make the final choice – stay or go – make sure your home is really somewhere you can ride out the end of the world in. Otherwise you could be in for some unpleasant surprises.

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