Prepare, Adapt & Overcome
Planning a successful Bug Out is complex and should never be taken lightly.
Below you'll find Skilled Survival's best bug out related articles laid out in a systematic approach.
We'll share all of our best articles in the following bug out topics:
Editors Note: Before reading on, you might want to take a second to bookmark this webpage. Putting together a successful Bug Out takes time.
You'll want to come back to this page often as you progress towards your ultimate goal of creating the perfect bug out plan.
Plus, we update this page often as new articles are published.
It all starts with finding a good bug out location. Here are our in-depth articles covering this topic in detail:
While this article does not cover bug out locations specifically, it's looking at the safest regions in the country to relocate or bug out to.
It including the following strategic factors:
This article provides important factors to seek out and ones to avoid when scouting out bug out locations.
Plus, it gives specific examples of how to find and purchase an actual bug out property in your chosen region.
A must-read for anyone actively pursuing a remote bug out location.
Once you've got a location locked down, you should spend time planning and preparing it to sustain you when the time comes to use it.
This article covers all facets of finding and creating your own survival retreat.
It including:
This article deep dives into the nitty-gritty of planning a bug out location or homestead for long-term survival.
It covers:
After you've figured that out, you need to research information on good bug out bags and also decide what gear to put in it.
Selecting a poor quality bug out bag can put your entire bug out in jeopardy. But what features and specifications make for a quality bug out bag?
That's what this article is all about.
Plus, at the end of this article, we give you our best bug out bag recommendations.
This is our flagship bug out bag gear article.
It's one of our most popular articles on our entire site. Why? Because it provides a high level of detail to help you build out your perfect bug out bag.
We not only tell you what gear to put into your bug out bag but we take the time to tell you why you should add it. Because the why matters more than the what.
This article is NOT about building a bug out bag, it's about building a get home bag.
Most people leave their bug out bags at home, ready to go in an instant. But what if you're all the way across town with SHTF? What if the freeways are on lockdown and you have to walk home?
Everyone and I mean EVERYONE, should have a get home bag. It's a smaller bag with some key survival supplies to help you get back to home base.
This bag build is the opposite of the get home bag, it's an INCH bag. I.N.C.H. is an acronym that stands for I'm Never Coming Home.
So it's a huge bag that you pack with survival gear that will allow you to live off the land. To live a nomadic survival life after a widespread collapse.
This article is for those who are serious about getting out of dodge and staying on the move permanently.
Most peoples bug out bags end up being way too heavy. Why? Because it's hard to stop adding useful survival gear.
As you build your bag, you keep thinking of more and more gear you want to take with you. But all that extra gear comes at a heavy price.
So this article provides target bug out bag weights and tips on how to reduce your load.
Here's another bug out article on weight management.
One of the best ways to figure out what you really need and what you can leave behind is to go camping.
But not car camping or RV camping, to go minimalist camping.
Documents are not sexy and they're not exciting.
However, for emergency survival situations, they're critical.
So this article tells you all the critical documents you should take with you when you bug out.
You'll also need to work on your actual bug out route paths - which must include at least one back up route. Your routes should include strategic rest locations with natural water sources.
Not everyone can relocate to a safe region of the country today. Instead, you may need to bug out from an urban city.
This is a must read article if you're bug out plan includes leaving a large urban environment.
High-density urban environments add an extra level danger when SHTF. Getting out takes a unique set of escape and evasion techniques.
A survival cache is a bundle of survival supplies you hide for future use.
This bug out article provides all the necessary skills related to utilizing survival caches along your bug out route.
It includes critical information such as were to bury a cache, how to bury a cache and what survival supplies to put in a cache.
This topic is for anyone who plans to bug out OR stay put. But if you intend to drive to your bug out location, you sure as hell better have a fuel storage plan.
One that includes stockpiling enough fuel to get to your bug out location. Don't assume you'll be able to fill up before you leave or while on your route.
If the grid's down and all hell breaks loose, gas stations will not be online.
Maybe bugging out on foot is not an option or not your first choice. Now what?
You should consider some alternative bug out transportation options.
I'll be honest, bugging out on foot sucks.
As an avid backpacker I know it's slow, it's tedious and it's an insane workout, especially if you're talking days of walking.
So why not bug out with a vehicle? Heck, a vehicle is my primary bug out choice.
Sure, you need a backup plan in case vehicle travel is not an option, but if it is, then you need a bug out vehicle up to the challenge.
If you plan on having a bug out vehicle it only makes sense to pair it with a bug out trailer.
A trailer allows you to bug out with a ton of survival gear and supplies.
Getting a bug out vehicle/trailer setup in place is not cheap. But for those who can afford it - it's an ideal bug out setup.
Another smart alternative bug out option is using a bike.
Now doing this right takes some serious planning. You need to get a bike worthy of bugging out and deck it out with saddlebags and a small pull behind trailer.
For some people, a bug out bike makes a lot of sense. Don't knock it until you see some of these bug out bike setups.
Finally, we have several articles related to specific bug out gear and food we recommend you pack.
These items will give help make your bug out more efficient and up your odds of success.
Survival shovels are excellent multi-functional survival tools. They can dig, chop, cut and many also have other survival tools built in as well.
Tools such as fire starters, saws, compasses, etc.
Making them a smart choice to add to your bug out bag.
Every bug out bag should be packed with a few calories. But there's a lot of options for adding food to your bag.
We think Mountain House is the best option, here's why...
First, freeze-dried food has an extremely long shelf life and its lightweight. Both of those factors make Mountain House a wise choice.
However, what makes Mountain House better for bug out bags than other freeze-dried meal companies is its pouches.
You can cook the food (by adding boiling water) right in the pouch itself.
This saves you from having to pack a separate stove which saves you precious weight.
Most people think some future widespread emergency will be full of chaos and excitement. But the reality is, there will likely be a lot of downtimes.
You need a plan to deal with boredom- so you should stash a set of playing cards in your bug out bag.
So get a deck with useful survival information on them.
Again, you may want to take a second to bookmark this webpage. Putting together a successful Bug Out takes time and is never 100% complete.
You'll want to come back to this page often as you progress towards your ultimate goal of creating the perfect bug out plan.
Plus, we update this page often as new bug out articles are published.
As a prepared survivalist, you should build a get home bag and take it with you whenever you leave your house. Period.
Because if you can’t get back home to your supplies and family, even the best preparedness game plan fails before it gets started.
So let’s cover in detail the following Get Home Bag topics:
First, there were riots and now the city’s been dark for months.
There’s no indication things are going to improve anytime soon. Roaming street gangs have formed and stealing everything of practical value in this harsh new world.
Roadblocks are everywhere and the few vehicles that still run are either gunned down in the street as someone tries to escape or they’re stolen as the gangs make their rounds.
Movement is what keeps me alive.
I travel light and only on foot during periods of low-light. Each day is becoming more difficult to find food and this life on the move is hard on me. There are quiet whispers of a community 200 miles outside of this hellish city working together to survive.
The squeeze on resources has choked the life out of this city. It’s time to escape… [Read more…]
How much does your bug out bag weigh?
I’m an ultralight backpacker. Which means I make difficult choices about what to bring and what to leave behind. I take the same weight-conscious approach when constructing a bug out bag because (all things being equal) lighter is better.
However, I always have a bit of room for a deck of cards. [Read more…]
A Guide To Help You Find The Best Survival Folding Shovel For You
Have you ever dug a large hole or trench without a shovel? I hope not because it royally sucks.
Trust me; a stick is no substitute for a shovel.
It doesn’t matter what material you’re digging through – dirt, sand, mud, snow or ice. Plus, if you’re not wearing gloves you destroy your hands. With gashes, scrapes, cuts, blisters, and bruises.
Even worse, you end up wasting valuable hours and spending excess energy. Digging without a shovel is a difficult, tiresome, and even dangerous chore. [Read more…]
An I.N.C.H Bag stands for I‘m Never Coming Home Bag
It’s a Bug Out Bag on steroids. If you build an INCH Bag, not only are you planning to get the hell out of Dodge but fully intend to never come back.
For some of us, there’s zero difference between our current bug out bags and an INCH bag. Maybe you’ve planned your bug out bag as an INCH bag from the very start. And if that’s you, great!
However, most people built their bug out bags intending to return home as soon as things are all clear. If this is you, you may now be interested in the key differences between a regular bug out bag and an INCH bag. Differences such as bag size, gear selection, weight, and supplies.
You also might want to plan an INCH Bag just in case SHTF happens and it’s NOT just a short-term emergency.
But what extra gear should you add? And what gear should you leave behind? We’ll answer both of these questions and more. [Read more…]
In today’s modern world, it pays dividends to be prepared for all possible emergencies.
From natural disasters to civil riots. From winter power outages to end of the world scenarios.
We can all agree that emergencies have occurred in the past, they happen in the present, and will happen in the future. So it’s irresponsible to stick your head in the sand and pretend that “it won’t happen to me“.
If an unforeseen emergency was to force you from your home, would you be prepared to leave on a few minutes’ notice?
If you can’t honestly answer that question with a “hell yes”, then you’ve some work to do. You need to get your “stuff” together and start planning your survival packing list. [Read more…]
Survival trailers come in all shapes and sizes. They also come in a wide range of prices. From the budget friendly DIY survival trailers to the “top of the line” budget destroyers (and everything in between).
So in this article, let’s start off looking at some badass bugout trailer rigs. Yes, I realize these survival trailers are outside of many of our realistic price ranges, but they’re:
Then we’ll shift gears and cover a few budget-friendly survival trailer options.
Your bug out bag documents are those pieces of paper (or digital documents) you’re going to want with you if forced out of your home.
They are very personal and specific to you and your family. It’s not something you should take lightly.
Everything you put in your bug out bag is in there for a reason. That’s why I always recommend you use a detailed bug out bag checklist, to ensure you don’t forget something important.
And for those of you who have already constructed your bug out bag, this article serves a specific purpose: to help you determine which documents are worth adding to your bug out backpack, and how to store them.
This article is Skilled Survival’s Ultimate 104 Item Bug Out Bag Checklist. A free bug out bag checklist that not only tells you what to add to your pack but why.
Before we jump in, make sure to bookmark this page right now so you can come back to this free bug out bag checklist to build out your bag over time. Go ahead, before you forget.
Your Survival Cache GuideReal quick, for those new to preparing and survival, a Survival Cache is a well-hidden stockpile of survival supplies. It’s a collection of extra supplies you want to keep hidden and in reserve just in case.
There are many reasons why survival caches useful. Here are a few of the most common ones:
So as you can see, there are lots of reasons to develop survival caches. However, behind all these reasons, there nearly as many survival cache options.
Options such as:
One of the major factors in making the right decisions for your survival cache is adapting to your geographic location. Different environments have unique survival cache best practices.
Swamp Caches vs. Desert Caches vs. Mountain Caches, etc.
Each environment has its own unique survival cache challenges you must be aware of and overcome to achieve long-term success.
In this article, I will provide you with my favorite survival cache ideas and also give you the most common survival cache mistakes. That way, you’ll get to learn from others mistakes and get it right the first time.
So let’s get started. [Read more…]