Bug Out Location: How To Find One You Can Afford

A Complete Guide to Finding (& Buying) A Bug Out Location

Because finding a terrible one is easy. Just setup shop anywhere and suffer whatever consequences that will bring.

While finding an amazing location takes Hard Work, Time, Research and Dedication. But that’s what YOU want, right? A safe place you can run to when the world goes sideways.

With my help you’ll avoid making a costly mistake and find a perfect location that’s RIGHT for you!

TOPICS IN THIS GUIDE…    (click to expand)

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7 Tips For Finding An Ideal BOL

To find the best locations, you must make wise choices. A checklist can help with that:

↓ My Checklist For Finding The Perfect Bug Out Location

1. Distance

There are two main factors when figuring out your total Bug Out distance, and they kind of work against each other.

1. Your total bug out travel distance
2. The distance of your bug out location from dense populations

When it comes to your travel distance, you want to keep it as short as possible. The further you need to go, the more opportunities there are for things to go wrong.

If the SHTF event hits hard, roadblocks could be set up within hours, making your escape a lot more complicated.

↓ Where To Bug Out: A Survival Guide

The second aspect is the proximity to high-density populations. I’ll make this one relatively easy, don’t pick in a Danger Zone County.

Want a free Danger Zone County Report?

Now that we’ve identified two primary aspects to your bug out distance, let’s discuss in more detail…. If you’re purchasing land to serve as a bug out property, you must calculate the distance from your current home.

Your Travel Distance = The total distance from your current home to your bug out location.

Example Of A Bad Walking Bug Out Route

If walking, try to keep it within a five-day travel distance. At a max of about 12 miles per day (trust me, that’s a lot). You’re looking at a location that is no more than 60 miles from your takeoff location.

Side Note: Make sure you buy a good bug out bag for this trek.

Want a free 104 item bug out bag checklist?

If you are driving, plan to go only as far as a single fuel tank will take you.

If you plan anything further, put together a long-term bug out fuel storage plan. One without relying on gas stations. But regardless of how much fuel store, it’s not advisable to attempt a multi-state travel.

Traveling THAT far takes a lot of time (especially if you are avoiding the jammed interstate system). And it adds lots of potential run-ins with unfriendlies along the way.

You must honestly ask these two questions:

• Do you believe you can get from your current location to your bug out location safely during a crisis?
• Is the location a safe distance from high-density populations?

If you can confidently answer both of these questions in the affirmative, then that location is one worth further investigation.

If not…move on and keep searching.

2. Water Availability

Ideally, you want a natural water source on your property. Why? Because you can’t survive long without it.

So, why would you choose a property that puts you in direct conflict with the most crucial survival resource?

Unless you’ve got a massive self-replenishing water storage system (think large tanks and rainwater collection systems), you’ll want a pond, lake, river, or stream nearby.

For those planning to bug out in the desert, your BIGGEST challenge will be water procurement. If that’s you, check out this device that creates water from the air.

For everyone else, purchase land with water on it. The most obvious benefit of water is for drinking, but if water is abundant, it can do so much more than just hydrate.

Water is also essential for sanitation and is perfect for constant power generation (if you have running water, that is).

If you’ve got running water moving down a slope at a decent speed, you can tap into that energy by setting up a hydropower generator. Don’t underestimate this potential; small hydroelectric systems can power a basic homestead.

So, the water challenges to overcome are:

• Are there any water resources on (or very near) the property?
• How reliable is this water source?
• Is it seasonal or available all year round? (You don’t want a trickling stream that dries up at the first sign of a mild drought.)

Bonus points if your water source has enough kinetic energy to generate power.

↓ The Problem with Lakes & Ponds as Bug Out Locations ↓

3. Keeping Your Bug Out Location Concealed

Even if you’ve chosen a highly remote bug out location, far from high-density cities, unfriendly people could still stumble upon your hideout if you’re not careful.

You found this spot, so it’s very likely someone else will find it too.

Look for areas that are far from obvious paths of travel.

If you’re scouting a location in the mountains, don’t pick one near a mountain pass. That’s the easiest route for travelers and will naturally attract attention.

If it’s a challenge for you to get to your survival location, that’s a good thing for concealment. The harder it is for you, the harder it will be for others to stumble upon it.

Once you secure your land and set up a cabin, shelter, RV, or tent, make sure it blends in with the surroundings. The last thing you want is for wanderers to spot it from a distance.

Fire and Scent Management

Will smoke or the scent of your fire carry for miles? Keep your fires contained and try to light them only at night to hide the smoke.

As SurvivalistPrepper points out:

Even if you live in a semi-rural or rural area, the smell of your cooking will carry very far—sometimes over ½ a mile.

Defending Your Property

Also, consider how easy it will be to watch and defend your property. You don’t want to be stuck in a bad defensive position if a group of bandits comes knocking.

To borrow a solid point from PrepForSHTF:

Defending your bug-out location or safe haven during a crisis is uncharted territory for most people. Without specific training in defensive or offensive tactics, you’re more likely to lose your supplies—or worse, your life—if you barricade yourself inside and try to fight it out.

Concealment is always your first line of defense—avoid conflict altogether if possible.

Concealment vs. Water Availability

Now, keep in mind that concealment and water availability can sometimes clash.

People are naturally drawn to water for obvious reasons. They’ll either follow rivers and streams or search for ponds.

So, while you’re planning, make sure you know your property’s strengths and weaknesses. The best locations may not be perfect, but with the right strategy, you can work around potential drawbacks.

↓ How to Defend Your Property from THE PURGE! ↓

4. Self-Reliance Opportunities

Having some form of basic grid-independent power generation is a huge bonus for any survival property.

I mentioned a power generation option earlier, but let’s talk about solar power for a moment—because who doesn’t love the idea of harnessing the power of the sun instead of paying a monthly bill to the electric company?

Do your homework, especially in regions that get a reliable amount of direct sunlight. If the sun’s always hiding behind clouds, your solar panels might just end up being very expensive, very fancy decorations.

Now, let’s talk about nutrient-rich soil. If your land is mostly rock with a sprinkle of dirt, good luck growing anything. Gardening will be a challenge, and you’ll be wishing you’d packed some freeze-dried veggies.

Firewood & Livestock Considerations

Is firewood available?

If you’re planning to heat your shelter or cook your meals, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got a good stockpile of firewood. And not just a few branches—abundant firewood is a necessity. Think long-term here. No one wants to be chopping wood every five minutes while they’re freezing.

Can you raise livestock on your property?

• Is there enough grass to keep goats?
• Can you grow food to support chickens?
• How plentiful is the wild game or fish in the area?

These are the questions that will either make your bug-out plan feel like a self-sustaining paradise or a horrible survival nightmare.

↓ Why did I buy land in West Virginia as my bug out location? ↓

5. Land Property Costs

As a realist, the cost of property will always be a factor.

I’d love to say you can snag a bug out property for under $3,000, but let’s face it—that’s a little like expecting a unicorn to show up at your front door.

The truth is: The best properties will cost more. So, you’ll need to balance each of the 7 qualities I mentioned earlier to find one that fits your budget.

Or, You Could Always Try This Option…

But, if you’re planning to squat on some remote public land, then property costs? Well, they’re not really much of an issue, are they?

Just remember, this isn’t exactly the most legal option, and things might get a bit… complicated if someone decides to knock on your door (or, more likely, show up with a clipboard).

↓ Overlooked Affordable Bug Out Locations

Want a free 104 item bug out bag checklist?

6. Government Red Tape For The Land

Double-check any zoning requirements before you start building structures, growing crops, or raising animals on your survival property.

After SHTF, the government might be too busy with, well, everything else to come knocking. But until that day arrives… they will be watching.

To get your survival setup in place before the world turns upside down, you’ll want to avoid the red tape as much as possible. The less hassle, the better.

So, do yourself a favor and investigate the zoning requirements before you sign on that dotted line. Trust me, you don’t want to find out too late that your dream survival property is off-limits for livestock because of some obscure zoning law.

7. Land Location and Natural Threat Potential

As you can see from this map, there are very few areas in the US where you’re not in a high-risk zone for something…

You might find a good location with a large stream running through it.

• But what’s the possibility of water from that stream flooding your new bug out cabin next spring?
• Is the location in tornado alley?
• Are wildfires a concern?

Take a look at all these factors based upon your proposed location. While this factor alone shouldn’t deter you from purchasing a good bug out property it should be a consideration.

There may be ways to mitigate the natural threats once you build your shelter.

• Maybe you build the structure higher up on the hill than you originally intended to avoid any flooding potential.
• You could clear some land surrounding the home to make it a defensible area and have a better chance of surviving a wildfire.
• You might build your bug out cabin with better fasteners or keep it lower profile to stand up better against high winds.

Once you have secured your survival property, you must plan how your future homestead will operate.

↓ The Best Places To be When SHTF: Strategic Relocation

How To Find Private Locations For Sale

You can find bug out location ideas online.

• Land And Farm
• Land Watch
• Lands Of America

Start with a couple of rural land websites. You can filter your search by area, type of land, and price. Let’s go through an example, shall we…

For grins, let’s say I live in the metro Atlanta area (I don’t). First, I would start looking for the most sparsely populated counties in Georgia.

Find Georgia and click it.

Looks like the least populated county in Georgia is Taliaferro County. This is based solely on absolute population – make sure to consider density, too which is absolute population divided by square miles.

Now, I have no actual experience in this area… And it might be a terrible selection. I see that Taliaferro is a county located between Atlanta and Augusta. So it might not be “ideal” but this is as good a place to start your search as any.

The bug out location distance is about 95 miles from the heart of Atlanta. So it might be a bit out of reach for a hiking bug out unless you live significantly East of Atlanta.

In this case, a good bug out vehicle is recommended.

So let’s roll with it and see what we find. Enter Taliaferro County into one of the three rural land websites and hit the big red search button.

Now scroll through the results until you find something worth exploring further.

This bug out property seems to have some potential. It’s a price that some people might be able to afford. It’s 5 acres, providing some defensible space to work with.

It sounds like there’s water potential with a creek bordering the rear of the property. If coughing up 11k seems like a pipe dream, then maybe you can team up.

One often overlooked aspect of survival is creating a trustworthy survival coalition.

• Maybe you have some extended family or close friends who are also preppers.
• Maybe they would jump at the chance of teaming up to purchase a good bug out property together.
• You could build several small cabins on a 5-acre parcel of land.
• If you found one family member and a couple of friends, you might get access to this property for only $2,750.

Yes…that’s still not free, but it looks much more affordable when you team up. Plus, if you team up with a group of like-minded friends, you’ll all have higher survival rates when SHTF. That’s how I would start my search for a private location to purchase.

I would do this several times and come up with a list of several properties to visit.

Never, ever buy a property sight unseen. I’ve heard of people doing this when they find a great deal online, which typically results in major disappointment.

Find a buyer’s real estate agent you trust and go see the properties with your own eyes.

Another place I’ve seen some interesting bug out property listings is Craigslist. I saw a potential bug out property about a month ago selling for 5k in a remote location in Colorado. Now again, buyer beware…

Most times, these lower-priced survival locations are priced that way for a reason. It’s your job to find out why the price is reduced and then determine whether that’s a deal-breaker or not.

Want a free 104 item bug out bag checklist?

How to Find Public Bug Out Land Options

Maps. I always start with maps. I love topographical maps. Get some topo maps of the remote government lands that surround you.

My favorite topographical maps are National Geographic’s Trails Illustrated Series. They are the right size, have the right amount of detail, and are waterproof.

I highly recommend buying one for your area.

Side Note: I like National Forests more.

I’d avoid National Parks. National parks are too busy and have too many full-time park rangers constantly patrolling the backcountry.

Topo maps provide crucial terrain detail. They are necessary to hunt for a worthy location.

I look for remote areas with as many of the 7 bug out location essentials I described above. The good news is…you can begin this search online with Free Online Topo Maps.

http://www.digital-topo-maps.com/

If you visit this website, here’s what you’ll find.

You have zoom controls on your left, and make sure to pick “My Topo” in the upper right-hand corner. Let’s say we are looking for some land in Northern Georgia (Chattahoochee National Forest)…

Here’s what a topographical map of this area looks like.

I focus on areas with water nearby, but getting to it is also a pain. Some rough service roads might be nearby, but I’d avoid anything near a paved highway. Mark up some potential survival locations and then schedule some time to visit them.

Plan some overnight camping trips to these remote locations to scope them out.

Once you find a decent, free location, you can begin forming the rest of your plan.

Figuring out such details as your overall bug out distance, caching, shelter, homesteading, etc. If you have an RV or camper, that might work if you can drive to the location. Otherwise, you might need to start stocking supplies (caching) in your new bug out location (hide it well).

Also, make certain your bug out bag, bug out bag checklist, and bug out plan are 100% ready to go.

Want a free 104 item bug out bag checklist?

Prepare, Adapt & Overcome,

P.s. - I just found out 2 out of 3 Americans don’t feel prepared for a 3 day disaster!!!

I guess this goes to show how modern society continues to embrace ‘living a fragile life.’ What’s crazy is… it’s so easy to fix.

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