One Escape Plan Is Not Good Enough
Human beings are busy creatures. We wake up in our homes, go to work during the day, go out and socialize when our shifts end, and spend time back at home with family in the evening. When Sh*t Hits The Fan (SHTF), you should know your plan for escape from any one of the above mentioned locations. Escape plans require creativity, preparation, logistical analysis, and pragmatism. While some of your escape plans may look great on paper, you should be able to execute them when necessary. Let’s walk through some things to consider when creating your SHTF escape plan.
Situational Awareness
Before you can hop in your car and drive down the highway, you need to first consider your situation. Where are you? Who are you with? Where are the exits located? What do you do after making your exit? Escaping your situation alone is different than escaping with others, so you should be able to answer the following questions:
- Will I be on my own when escaping my immediate location?
- After escaping my immediate location, will I meet with others before making it to safety?
- If so, consider training others to make it to the secure location without your assistance.
- Do I need to retrieve anything before making it to safety?
Once removed from your immediate location, you should identify your primary route to safety. Your significant others should follow this primary route as well. You don’t want to delay an escape by waiting for others to meet you outside of the secure location. It’s important that you have the necessary supplies to sustain you during your escape. I recommend strategically placed bug-out bags to better ensure your successful escape.
Logistical Analysis
Escape plans come in many forms. Folks on the island of Manhattan would need to consider an escape plan by water or air, while those in land-locked states need to escape by land. No escape plan is the same, so you should prepare the logistics of your escape in advance. I suggest first identifying your secure location and then working backwards. Do you have a bunker you want to get to? Where is it? How do I get there? What are my contingency plans? Again, exiting your immediate location is the first step. From there, you’ll need to get to your primary escape route. Let’s use an example: my secure location is a bunker isolated in a forest fifty miles from my home. I’ve identified the exits from my immediate location. I know my primary escape route is by back roads in my vehicle. I have a bug-out bag in my home and in my locker at my place of employment. Therefore, my steps should be as follows:
- Exit immediate location
- Retrieve bug-out bag
- Follow escape route
- You’ll need to consider whether conditions allow for your primary route. You should have a contingency plan just in case.
- Arrive at secure location
Be Pragmatic
Escapes should be as quick as conditions allow for. You should balance heroism with survival chances. Not everyone can be saved, so you should prioritize the safety and security of you and your loved ones. You should only grab the essentials for your route to safety, but it’s important to have survival needs at your secure location. For a more in-depth review, I suggest you read the Survival Evasion Resistance Escape (SERE) Operations Manual.
If you have any questions, comments, or additional tips, don’t hesitate to contact me. You can also head to the Bunker Basics Store to check out some survival gear.
