A Different Take on BOL's

[The Stig]

Usually the phrase "Bug out Location" conjures up images of a hill top fortress or secluded cabin in the middle of a vast wilderness.

I'd like to present a slightly different take on the entire concept. I am not saying this is the "correct view" or the "only viewpoint" of a BOL but rather it is what works for us. Your situation may be so totally different that none of this applies. We have a large extended family in the area which IMO is what makes this work.

We work from the premiss that being prepared means being prepared for all types of traumatic events, not just a narrowly defined Max-Max total catastrophic breakdown. So this means being ready to deal with wide-spread societal collapse and lesser (and far more likely) events like hurricanes, earth quakes, chemical spills, riots, pandemics, wild fires, mud slides, blizzards, etc etc.

The typical model of a "BOL" is having a secluded location preplanned to which you can ride out a SHTF event away from the general population. Often this is a large plot of land, a cabin, or just a top secret location in the middle of nowhere. The idea is when needed you can load up the family, head out of dodge and then minimize your exposure to other folks and the issues they bring.

When we lived in suburban SW Ohio we toyed with the idea of purchasing land out the middle of nowhere SE Ohio for just such a purpose. But there are drawbacks to this sort of plan. One is cost. You not only need to purchase the land but also pay taxes, travel time and cost to get to it for routine visits, put in utilities (if you want to go that developed) or at least spend some sort of time developing it for habitation. The other is that it is static. It will not move. What if a wild fire sweeps through the area? Now your BOL is SOL. Lastly is that you are not present to guard your land. No matter how remote or desolate there's a pretty good chance that somebody knows of the "Old Johnson Farm" being bought and will come explore your "top secret" hideaway.

Another model is to live at your BOL. This has many advantages but still has problems. Being remote may make it difficult on employment and giving your family any chance to socialize with someone besides the bears. There are others, but you get the idea.

Plenty of people make the first to concepts work, and work well. There are several members of the colony who are in the process (or already have) of developing these sorts of locations.

But this didn't work for the Stigs. So here's what we came up with....

What if we think about a "bug out location" as something more than just one singular piece of land or property? What if we thought about it as a general area that would allow us to maximize the advantages and minimize the shortcomings? What if we combined an area that was rural enough to keep us some distance away from the hordes of ghetto rats that infest most cities, but not so far out that you can't get a phone signal or have to drive for a month to go to the store?

So we moved to a rural county across the country, in a rural state, with a whopping population of 17,000 people. Our little unincorporated area is about 2000 people spread over a wide area. That Mrs Stigs large extended family is spread across the county is a bonus.

Here are the benefits:

* We are away from urbanized areas on the coast
* Local area has enough families to provide for socialization during normal times and mutual aid during bad times (yet we can identify the bad apples ahead of time)
* Local area has enough services to allow for daily living during normal times, and some aid during smaller/localized events.
* We don't have to maintain two pieces of property, one of which can't be monitored/secured
* Area is small enough that outsiders coming in to cause trouble will be easily identifiable
* Should we face a localized event, there are some medium sized cities within a few hours and major metropolis within a days drive if we have to leave for medical treatments, lodging, etc.
* Large extended family in area provides for mutual defense and aid during catastrophic events. We can easily relocate if Casa Del Stig is damaged or becomes too unsafe
* Large family in area allows us to chose from a number of homes should we have a very localized event (forest fire or chemical spill)
* Local network will allow for information gathering and comms in smaller scale events.
* Costs not incurred buying/maintaining a secondary BOL can be rolled into preps.

I guess what I'm saying is that our rural county is a good mix of "normal living" and "can work in an emergency". Anything baring a total catastrophic societal breakdown can be handled in our area and the nearby town. If there is a total reversion to the stone-age world-wide, we are close enough to true remote areas and family owned land in the middle of nowhere, that we could go the more traditional "BOL" route.

In short, what I am saying is that we consider moving to the rural south as "moving to our bug out location" although it doesn't fit the classic mold. It allows us to work and live during normal times, keeps our budget in line and provides for a flexible response to smaller events and mutual aid for medium to larger events. I'm not saying this concept is perfect or not without it's own set of concerns, however, for the Stig family it provides the right response for this stage of our lives.

Thoughts?

Different BOL concepts?

[Evolver]

Bravo, You summed it up nicely!!! For now with our demographic situation our BOL is semi urban but it offers "The more the merrier" concept. We have chewed this over and over and for us our plan makes more since to us rather then trying to get to that certain off the beaten path place that we "think" is going to be the safe haven or the IF we could get there. If SHTF we are going to hunker down until the dust settles and when or if it does will go from there for the rebuilding.

[helomech]

Because I work a 7 day on and 7 day off schedule ( and can do a 14 day on 14 day off schedule if I want). I have been lucky in that I can live any where I want and still work where I do. We have some people I work with live in other countries and fly here twice a month. So me and the wife decided to buy a place out in the country. Our county only has 23k people and the nearest town to me is only 250 people. The school is great, my kids like it there. My nearest neighbor is about 3 miles away, and the gate to my house is a half mile away.

[4suchatimeasthis]

Stig, I think you pretty much nailed it, at least for us. After I remarried we lived in town in my old house for a short while, until we got this place "liveable" then we moved out here. Our town is small, but growing. However, where I live not likely to become any more populated. Our two tracts of land are situated between a huge cattle farm, behind us, and then the property between us and the road. We have an easement to get to our place, and tell ya what, the three dump truck loads of gravel pretty much did nothing, lol. It still looks like nothing more than a dirt trail along a guys field. We are fortunate that it drains or it would be a helluva long walk back to the house from the road.

Anyway, point being, I love that I am relatively close to anywhere I need to be. I could walk to get a gallon of milk if I had to (screw walking, that's why I own horses, lol), but yet we are in a very agricultural county, tobacco, cattle, and grain, lots of solid, hard working, God fearing neighbors, and we have already found our "bad apples" too.

We don't have as much land as I would like, but we do talk about trying to buy out the idiots next to us, it would make things just about perfect. We are 99% sure they are cooking drugs over there, several neighbors warned us about them when we moved in, and my hubby has reported them several times....still they are there, with traffic in and out all hours of the night and day. SHTF in a TEOTWAWKI sort of way, and I suspect 4-5 of the good neighbors would be hosting a "moving party" to encourage them to leave...or else.

[prepguide]

Stig I would like to offer my compliments on your post. Very well written and I found it to be very well thought out. I too live at my BOl and it is the go to place for three other families, all of whom have material pre-positioned here already. The place isnt' ideal (too close to a major interstate) but it has many positives.

Thanks for a great post. I am sure it will help others.

[Sniper-T]

Unless your BOL actually is a fortified battlement on top of a hill in seclusia... it will have some drawbacks, or limitations. The trick is to find them and account for them in your preps. I too, live at my BOL, and sure there are some things that I would like to change (and am working on changing)but if SHTF tomorrow, I'd be happy with where I am and what I have. If S doesn't HTF tomorrow? Then I will keep plugging away, getting my place closer and closer to my vision of Utopia.

I know not everybody would share my vision, and many would (and already do) think it is hell on earth. but that makes it all the more appealing for me!!

[Jimmy24]

This is such great subject matter. Great thread Stig.

I too live at my BOL. I have been here for a bit over 2 years. Course I got here by leaving my other BOL…lol…The county I live in now is surprisingly like yours Stig. It is very rural and with a population of just short of 16,000. The one I moved from was a tad over 50,000 for the county. The one before that is now at 400K!!!

Where I’m at now is not only a BOL for me, but is a life style. I have my big garden, minor livestock, combination woodworking shop and minor metal/experiment shop. I have a small bit of solar and wind, not as much as I would like mind you, but enough to run my lights (LED), a nice size fan, a radio and a small homemade high efficiency fridge. That in essence will get me by if a grid failure were to occur. Power was off in this location for 33 days after Katrina.

Yes I think the “BOL” is quite different for different people.

Jimmy

[Gunfixr]

That is what we have wanted to do. I feel it is about the best of both worlds.
Changes in life have made it a very difficult goal, but it is still out there, just in case.
Our only difference would be the extended family, as I just don't have one, and neither of us would bug out with hers.

[rentprop1]

so for you guys who live at your BOL's please list what would ever make you leave or simply evacuate.....or is this thought too deep that it needs its own topic, if so mods feel free to move.

I live at my BOL, there is almost nothing that would make me leave, as in almost nothing....... I can't stay if the place is engulfed with wild fires, even though I'm probably the only house with a water sprinkler system to the roof....or should there be some sort of pandemic in my immediate area .....I'm covered for things like flood, but should a tornado take the house , as long as I can scour the country side and pick up most of my crap, I can stay and rebuild.

thoughts ??

[Willie51]

We too now live at our BOL which we call paradise. YES, we moved out of south Florida back to the panhandle. It's very rural here (2 stops lights in entire town), conservative, safe with basically no crime and has plenty to offer. Both salt and freshwater fishing at it's finest! Also, plenty of wildlife to hunt if needed on the State Preserves nearby. The main thing to cause us to bug out would be a hurricane, since we're walking distance to the Gulf. The house is elevated, so flooding is not an issue. If we do have to bug out, we have a bug out trailer and an RV which we always jump in and go when storms are headed our way. We also have land inland on a lake fed by 4 rivers and creeks that can sustain us for a long time or forever if need be. If we need to go further, then we keep going north into Georgia or Alabama in the RV. The are no interstates or major highways that we have to take....just beautiful country and farm land. So, other than hurricanes, we don't plan on bugging out.

[helomech]

so for you guys who live at your BOL's please list what would ever make you leave or simply evacuate.....or is this thought too deep that it needs its own topic, if so mods feel free to move.

I live at my BOL, there is almost nothing that would make me leave, as in almost nothing....... I can't stay if the place is engulfed with wild fires, even though I'm probably the only house with a water sprinkler system to the roof....or should there be some sort of pandemic in my immediate area .....I'm covered for things like flood, but should a tornado take the house , as long as I can scour the country side and pick up most of my crap, I can stay and rebuild.

thoughts ??

I would leave if wildfires where close, or any disaster that was very short term. I will not leave for anything during a long term shtf event, or end of the world as we know it type event.

[GaMtnLady]

We, too, live at our BOL in a rural area not too distant from a very large metropolitan area. Good climate, good growing season, water on site, and not drought prone. We are on 2 1/2+ acres, with chickens, pigs and a garden. Just got a fireplace insert with a cook top and can't say enough good about it. I've been prepping for over a year and now, my husband really thinks I have the right idea. He is now a HAM so next on our list is power. We are both still working so not as much time as we would like for doing everything. I have to laugh when we watch Doom's Day Preppers who are preparing for "X". If that's it, you obviously haven't been paying attention to "Y" or "Z". We can't prepare for everything. It's just plain impossible. What is possible to me is to prepare to live in a self-sustaining manner and hopefully not move back to the 18th century to do it. Our object is to be prepared for next week, next month, next year, and the year after where we are. No plans for running. History shows us, that those who take action are the minority. I fully expect that if the SHTF, most folks in the large cities will sit and wait to be fed until they are too weak or too dead to make it to where I am. Survival of the fittest is not a joke as I fear we will soon find out. So our plan is to always be able to have Bacon, Eggs and Hash Browns for breakfast and then tackle what ever is next for the day.

[4suchatimeasthis]

^^^ Hey, you are our kind of lady! Come hang out with us gals in the Ladies forum :)

[Sniper-T]

Welcome aboard Gamtnlady! Sounds like you're well on your way! looking forward to hearing more of your posts
:)

[Jerry D Young]

Well, I think I may be a minority (as if I wasn't already), but if you live there, it isn't a BOL. It might be the homestead and a way to get away from things happening now. But if certain things happen, you will have to leave the place and go to a true bug out location. What might drive one out varies widely with the specifics of the home, but there will be things that will run you out.

So my thoughts on a BOL are that it should be somewhere well away from the homestead, preferably several of them in different directions. But they need not be another homestead or castle. Just a series of caches that contain what is needed to get by for several days, weeks, or even months until residency can be resumed at the homestead, or in the worst case, a new start is made somewhere else. My ideal BOL is a concrete block (or ICF w/CMU facing) 'hunting cabin' on privately owned land near or in a state or national forest. With thicker concrete walls and roof, a right angle entry and the building can be quite a good fallout shelter.

Constructed properly, the cabin can be nearly vandal and fire proof, with only bolted down steel furnishings (bunks w/o matresses, a table and benches, perhaps a counter top). All the necessities would be cached nearby. That can include a steel door that is removed and cached so the inclination by others to stay in it is reduced significantly. Also, with a hidden pipe leading from inside the cabin to a concealed point that can be used to blow smoke (or other irritants) inside to run squatters out, can make taking it back from unathorized use easier.

Things like a well or other water source and a septic system can be installed but not hooked up, with the rest of the components cached can make it more livable, without making it an ideal place for squatters.

Just my minority opinion.

[helomech]

Well, I think I may be a minority (as if I wasn't already), but if you live there, it isn't a BOL. It might be the homestead and a way to get away from things happening now. But if certain things happen, you will have to leave the place and go to a true bug out location. What might drive one out varies widely with the specifics of the home, but there will be things that will run you out.

So my thoughts on a BOL are that it should be somewhere well away from the homestead, preferably several of them in different directions. But they need not be another homestead or castle. Just a series of caches that contain what is needed to get by for several days, weeks, or even months until residency can be resumed at the homestead, or in the worst case, a new start is made somewhere else. My ideal BOL is a concrete block (or ICF w/CMU facing) 'hunting cabin' on privately owned land near or in a state or national forest. With thicker concrete walls and roof, a right angle entry and the building can be quite a good fallout shelter.

Constructed properly, the cabin can be nearly vandal and fire proof, with only bolted down steel furnishings (bunks w/o matresses, a table and benches, perhaps a counter top). All the necessities would be cached nearby. That can include a steel door that is removed and cached so the inclination by others to stay in it is reduced significantly. Also, with a hidden pipe leading from inside the cabin to a concealed point that can be used to blow smoke (or other irritants) inside to run squatters out, can make taking it back from unathorized use easier.

Things like a well or other water source and a septic system can be installed but not hooked up, with the rest of the components cached can make it more livable, without making it an ideal place for squatters.

Just my minority opinion.

So when you reach this place then it is no longer your BOL? I have already bugged out, and no real shtf is going to make me leave alive. Not going to happen. Sure for a disaster I will leave, but only short term, to the holiday inn. If things get bad all over I am staying here and fighting to the death. This is my BOL, I just got here early, so far about 7 years to early and counting.

[4suchatimeasthis]

^^^I guess it could still technically still be defined as your BOL, but only if you don's stay there permanently? So, go rent a place in the city, and then your home can be a BOL, lol. JK, obviously. I can see how for a single individual this might work, but I can't imagine that for a group or a family (especially with small children) it would be the best option. Not to mention, having several BOL in various rural areas.....well, unless you intend to become a squatter yourself (which raises problems with pre-positioning a cache), it would be prohibitively expensive to actualize.

So, I propose an alternative. If there is a regional SHTF (fire, chemical, weather related, etc), BO to a fellow preppers homestead, with whom you have already pre-positioned preps, and with whom you have a plan established. My place can be your BOL, and your place can be my BOL, lol. We each prep x amount of xyz, as per an agreement, and there ya go, problem solved, lol.

[Jimmy24]

Well, I think I may be a minority (as if I wasn't already), but if you live there, it isn't a BOL. It might be the homestead and a way to get away from things happening now. But if certain things happen, you will have to leave the place and go to a true bug out location. What might drive one out varies widely with the specifics of the home, but there will be things that will run you out.

So my thoughts on a BOL are that it should be somewhere well away from the homestead, preferably several of them in different directions. But they need not be another homestead or castle. Just a series of caches that contain what is needed to get by for several days, weeks, or even months until residency can be resumed at the homestead, or in the worst case, a new start is made somewhere else. My ideal BOL is a concrete block (or ICF w/CMU facing) 'hunting cabin' on privately owned land near or in a state or national forest. With thicker concrete walls and roof, a right angle entry and the building can be quite a good fallout shelter.

Constructed properly, the cabin can be nearly vandal and fire proof, with only bolted down steel furnishings (bunks w/o matresses, a table and benches, perhaps a counter top). All the necessities would be cached nearby. That can include a steel door that is removed and cached so the inclination by others to stay in it is reduced significantly. Also, with a hidden pipe leading from inside the cabin to a concealed point that can be used to blow smoke (or other irritants) inside to run squatters out, can make taking it back from unathorized use easier.

Things like a well or other water source and a septic system can be installed but not hooked up, with the rest of the components cached can make it more livable, without making it an ideal place for squatters.

Just my minority opinion.

You know what Jerry, your correct. I actually live in my BIL...BUG IN LOCATION....:p:cool:

Jimmy