I work on West End, but it's only about 4 miles to the house for me. From there, I'd grab the bug out supplies, take Charlotte westward, then swing south and back east once I got clear. The trouble in my case is that the bulk of Nashville sits right between me and where I need to go.

Of course, if the wife is at work, she'll be in North Nashville in a FSA stronghold.

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Possibly OT, but did anyone notice that Mountain House has been out of stock for several months now for all their #10 cans of freeze-dried foods?

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Local, yeah, they basically told everybody to stop selling them as they are VERY far behind. I was very disappointed to see that too...blew our method of ordering a case per month...

I’ve since switched to Emergency Essentials SuperPails:

http://beprepared.com/quickshoplist.asp_....

Same 30 year shelf life, much better price per calorie, less storage space but more energy and time to cook.

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BTW, motorcycle is the best choice for a true 'bug-out' vehicle for its speed, efficiency, and nimbleness. Just have a 'bug out' bag or set of bags that can be bungeed or strapped to the back. I'd say get a dual-sport (BMW, Suzuki V-Strom, Kawasaki KLR650) in case you need to go offroad to avoid traffic or populated areas, stay at or below 800cc for maximum efficiency..

Yep, here is my bug out bike – even has 2 wheel drive.

http://www.imz-ural.com/gearup/

Gets about 45 MPG, great cargo capacity…you do tend to stand out, unless you are in the woods.

What are "wilding" events?

I googled it and found nothing.

Flash mobs that attack random people.

Charlotte and the 40 might be the biggest problems...it doesn't take much for Charlotte to come to a stop. I'm on music row and getting from here west towards Dickson co. is just not going to be fun.

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Running shoes could be the problem for some of you. Do not buy a cheap pair and think you're just as well off with a crap pair shoes if you can save a few bucks. The sneaks themselves are very important and you should certainly spend time feeling out what's right for you. If you have a normally-sized foot with a normal arch, try out Saucony. If you have a more narrow size try Mizuno. Those are the two most comfortable brands I've worn.

My GTFO kit has my hunting boots, along with wife's and kid's. If we bug out, we will bug out with what is on our feet at the moment, and have our hunting boots for our "Other" pair of shoes.

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We have fire ants everywhere around here and those ****ers are NASTY. Barefoot is not much of an option where you could step on them, which is pretty much everywhere.

I live a bit north of Dallas, in the burbs, and we have those bastards in spades here. Last thing you want to do is step into a fire ant mound barefoot. I've seen those things bring down leghorn hens.

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Last thing you want to do is step into a fire ant mound barefoot.

Been there when I was kid way outside of Houston...they don't call them "fire" ants for nothing...

May be one can look or what/how happened in former USSR when it broke apart. There might be some analogies as to what may happen here. As someone who lived through that, I can tell you that it DEPENDS. In some places (Baltic states, Ukraine) everything was more or less peaceful with next to no violence, just a substantial drop in life standard. In other places, lots of violence which stemmed mostly from ethnic problems and historical grievances (Caucasus, Tajikistan, Moldova, Uzbekistan). In most cases, however, the violence was instigated by some political force. Mobs on streets with looting were extremely rare IF they were not part of something else (ethnic conflict). However, street crime did raise by a lot everywhere, and a lot of organized crime appeared. The most helpful strategy was actually neither being armed nor rich - in fact the latter often backfires - but knowing your neighbors very well, having a good circle of friends and being fit enough so that attackers will pick an easier victim.
What that says with respect to current situation in the US is the following:
(1) most likely the politicians will not do anything to avoid the situation, or will do something when it is too late, just like it happened in USSR
(2) probably what happens will be determined in which state you live. States with decent mineral/manufacturing base which are not subsidized by Federal government will likely do OK. Oil, gas and so on will still be needed. However, if the state income is based on business such as selling houses to each other - or if state is heavily subsidized by Feds - then situation may be bad.
(3) One can also look a history and see which cities are prone to riots and as we all know history usually repeats itself.

1 bit of advice for all you looking at the 5 fingers. Be very careful if you take them trail running. You don't want to kick a rock with your pinky toe...

There are a lot of backroads around Charlotte, at least until you get to the Krystal (Cabot). My other good option is Briley and then heading out toward Ashland City. I figure that might not be such a good plan though - lots of folks working on this side of town seem to live out there.

There really aren't many very good ways out of the area where I am due to the river, Briley, Charlotte, and the interstate.

Anyone see these effects migrating to Canada??

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lots of folks working on this side of town seem to live out there.

Yup...my that's my commute.

Drb (gossip?) - I'm not sure the people in the Ukraine had that much to begin with...wasn't that more or less a few people that were VERY well off due to connections and then the rest of the people just scraping by? It might be a comparison to here...but I think we have MANY more people relying on being GIVEN their necessities...

The violence will be bad here, I think. Multi-ethnic societies are prone to falling apart spectacularly when they go and ours has never known a period in its history where one group wasn't being robbed to pay for the livelihood of another (the groups have changed over the years, but that's it). That builds a lot of resentment. The question for us is which groups will be at each others' throats first.

Looks like I will soon be living at my retreat in Northern Idaho very soon.
2 acreas of farm land.
20 AK-47.
4 AR-15.
Full battery of small arms.
100,000 rounds.
2+ yr supply of dehydrated food for 15 ppl.
2,000 gallon propane tank.
20 kW generator.
Large Photovoltaic array with battery backup tied in to gen.
State-of-the-art CCTV and perimeter security.
Most importantly - 12 very close friends incl 4 vets with combat experience and an MD with 10 yrs working in the ER.

Teot: Sounds like koresh... Beware.

Mpilar - I think that as of late we also have here a few who have a lot and many more who have (or soon will have) nothing. You are right though that people in USSR were much more reliant on themselves and their families for most necessities - for example, almost everyone had a vegetable garden while here only crazies like me have those :).

Thanks, Karl! Proud to say I have most of those items checked off.

Mpilar, you are correct that Charlotte can shut down pretty quickly for the cookie cutter carpool gang. In a true bugout situation I'm not real worried about getting out of the QC and back home to the mountains. That YJ may get **** for MPGs but she's good to go if I have to play rough. She's got the scratches to prove that I'm not against using solid objects as pivot points to squeeze in and out of places that most others dare not tread. If you have to travel any distance to get to your "bug out base" location, then find a reliable, tough, and 4WD truck/suv/Jeep and know how to drive it in adverse conditions.

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If you have to travel any distance to get to your "bug out base" location, then find a reliable, tough, and 4WD truck/suv/Jeep and know how to drive it in adverse conditions.

That's the ticket. Know where you are going, and how to drive the method you intend to use to get there.

I have a Dodge 2500 Diesel 5.9L Cummins with 6 speed manual tranny. Full Tank of fuel gives me >700 mile range on the highway.

My bugout point is about 190 miles, but it's safe and secure. If I could find a closer spot, I would do so, though.

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@Bighiller

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Anyone see these effects migrating to Canada??

What Karl is talking about is an event that would fundamentally ripple around the globe. It would not be only the USA. It could start in Europe, USA or china but would spread.

It is difficult to say what would happen here. It depends a lot on where you are in Canada. Rural Alberta is a lot different than Vancouver or Toronto. We tend to be at the end of supply lines for groceries etc. in much of Canada, certainly for anything like produce coming from the States.

The financial items in Karl's list certainly apply, our large banks are heavily invested in the USA (which is why they were part of the TARP bailout). We also have our own real estate mess which has yet to collapse. Getting ones financial house in order certainly applies here, as does some emergency food stocks.

The Canadian government and many of the provinces are in a lot better financial shape (in relative terms) than the USA. I doubt our health care system would go under the same way because it works different.

A good guide might be to look at the 1930's

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You should have been saving 10% of your gross income and have two years of this available to you; that translates into at least 4 months of your current gross income. Note that taxes are paid on this, so you really have at least six months of living expenses. Anything in "investments" does not count; these must be liquid assets - that is, cash. Now, distribute this through various instruments and places so you cannot lose access to it even in the event of "bad" things happening.

What are these instruments and places where you can't lose access (house safe, Credit Union, Local bank)? I don't believe I'll have to run anywhere but I might need more ammo. If really bad things happen then lots of cash in the fire safe will really not be useful if there is nothing to buy.

Spirit,
MPilar and I are actually talking about Charlotte Pike, one of the major roads here in Nashville that we have to deal with. It's a big bottleneck for me if I need to leave the city in a hurry.

The problem and challenge with GTFO and SHTF plans is what to expect when the unexpected happens. So far, most people are probably considering only scenarios they feel comfortable with. Perhaps friends are the most valuable asset we have. But there are so many black swans lurking out there nowadays, it's hard to be sure in what direction the enemy will come at you. Even a 'survivor' may need some doses of...luck...or serendipity...or the grace of God. AK-47s and a tin can may not be enough.

It can be illustrative to study the past...Argentina...postwar Germany, etc. You could learn something too from a good film, like the Jason Bourne films, or 'Army of Shadows' (about the French Resistance). I learned a lot about a survivor from good books like 'Never Die Alone' and 'The Sledge Patrol.'

Corbra2411

That is a Great Sig.

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"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." Benjamin Frank