Water. How Much Is Enough To Store?

     Recommendations for storing emergency water are all over the internet, even on government sites that say that you should have at least one gallon of water per day per person.  That recommendation is repeated countless times by well-meaning individuals with You Tube Channels about "prepping" and how it should be done.  Life should go on as close to normal as possible, so there are some things that need to be considered.

     I found a suggested basic list online and modified it to suit my family's needs and preferences.  My list is prepared specifically for what I think we will need, and if in the case of a water non-availability event, it must be strictly adhered to and monitored for compliance.

     Here is my list of daily water requirements for the seven (7) people in my immediate family:

• ·         Guard Dog - 40 oz. per day - I have a large 80 pound dog that is very protective and also very territorial.  That is a major asset for us.  I want to keep it watered, fed and happy so that it will continue to be an asset in maintaining our security.
• ·         Cooking - 160 oz. per day - 4 cups to make breakfast, 8 cups to make lunch, 8 cups to make dinner.  I'm figuring water for one serving per person for instant oatmeal or grits, or their equivalent, but the catch is ONE serving.  Not two or three apiece.  I know that the real servings are rather small.  Lunch and dinner may consist of cooking vegetables, potatoes, rice or pasta to supplement the rest of the meal.
• ·         Wash Body - 48 oz. per day - Taking a sponge bath is the Plan Of The Day until water is plentiful again.  Showering is not possible unless you take one outside when it is raining.  Just wear your bathing suit or set up a privacy fence.  A plan to divert rainwater ahead of time from a downspout to be used for bathing is an excellent idea. 
• ·         Wash Hair - 48 oz. per day - At this rate, if you only wash your hair every other day with your allotted water reserve, you would be able to use 96 oz. per wash.  Again, planning ahead of time to divert rainwater would be extremely useful. 
• ·         Wash Dishes - 64 oz. per day - Scrape off all the food you can from the dishes and use a damp dishcloth, not a sponge to wash them off.  Better still, disposable paper plates that you can burn for disposal would be a great idea.  In order to be able to do that, you need to make sure you have plenty of paper plates on hand.  If you buy a size with a smaller diameter than a dinner plate, you can get a larger quantity of paper plates for around the same price as the dinner plates. 
• ·         Wash Clothes - 128 oz. per day - This is a calculated figure in that if you allot this amount per day, every few days you can effectively wash clothes, by hand only.  Remember, when the water supply is affected by an event, doing laundry every day will not be possible until water service is restored. 
• ·         Brushing Teeth - 3 oz. per day - Using 3 oz. bathroom cups, dip the brush in the water in the cup, brush your teeth, spit out all you can, take a little sip and rinse your mouth, spit thoroughly, and drink the rest.  Don't just pour it down the sink.
• ·         Water Garden - 32 oz. per day - I would accumulate this allotment for three days, then use a cup with a pour spout to distribute the water around the bases of the plants at sunset.  Before watering, be sure to "hill" the plants with a ring of soil around each plant so the water won't simply run off away from them. 
• ·         Coffee/Tea - 16 oz. per day - Two cups of coffee or tea would be a much-appreciated creature comfort during stressful times.  Accumulate it over a couple of days if you choose to, and then make a container of Country Time lemonade or Kool-Aid for keeping the kids happy.
• ·         Cleaning - 24 oz. per day - Sanitation of food preparation areas is critically important for not spreading germs and sickness.  A prepared chlorine bleach solution or Clorox Wipes would be excellent to have for this, but be sure to store several containers for this function as they will get used up quickly.
• ·         Drinking - 64 oz. per day - That is just half a gallon of water and you might think that's not much, but drink that much every day for a week as a test before a crisis, and see if you don't get waterlogged.  Who knows? Maybe you'll want more than that.  That is exactly why you need to plan ahead to see what you really need.

     The calculations and considerations that I have employed to determine the amount of emergency water my family of seven (7) needs, brings me to a minimum requirement of three (3) gallons of water per day per person.  This was calculated over a multiple day period. That is how much water I plan to store for each person for each day, and for as many days as possible. 

     You can modify your daily habits like I did to compliment your water storage.  Something as simple as buying your orange juice (OJ) in a slightly larger container.  Instead of getting your OJ in smaller containers, go ahead and get the full gallon size and there's your water storage container!  You don't have to do it all at once.  A gradual accumulation of containers that are filled and sanitized right after they are emptied will end up providing a great source of safe drinking water before you realize it.  Be sure to sanitize the tops and threads too.

     When I made the change, I stopped buying the 59 ounce OJ containers, and switched to the full one gallon Minute Maid OJ containers.  I was impressed at how fast they accumulate!  I already have 18 of those one gallon containers filled with water for emergencies.  We also re-purpose the Welch's Grape Juice 96 ounce clear plastic containers to supplement our water storage.  I had begun saving the 96 ounce ones long before I started using the one gallon containers, and I have over 40 of those holding my emergency water supply.  I have over 60 gallons of water stored in re-purposed clear plastic juice containers!

     When it comes to storing these jugs, I don't just sit them on the floor. I buy Rubbermaid bus boxes (like the grey ones they use to clear tables in restaurants) from Sam's Club at two for $12 and change, to store my water containers in.  Each of the bus boxes holds eight of the 96 ounce containers, or six of the 1 gallon jugs, or twelve of the 59 ounce OJ containers that I previously bought my OJ in.  Now there is a dual purpose for this.  First, if a container leaks, my home doesn't get water damage, the repair of which would cost many times the amount for the bus box.  Second, if water was unavailable and the containers did leak, I wouldn't lose the water because it would still be in the bus box.  That makes the $6 (two for $12) cost of each bus box well worth it to me.

     You won't realize how bad you need/want it until you don't have it and can't get it.  I know personally because years ago a hurricane flooded our city's pump station and shorted out all the water distribution pumps, and the whole city was without running water for ten days.  It was just like in the movies with armed National Guard soldiers guarding the refrigerated trailer trucks positioned in the barricaded shopping center parking lot as the river of cars snaked through the maze.  Each car only received one case of water and one bag of ice, both shoved into your car through an open window, no matter how many people you had in your car.  You weren't allowed to stop and put it in your trunk because it would stop the traffic flow.  I was in that line and I don't ever want to have to do that again.

      In summary, I believe that the people that only store one gallon per person per day are going to be surprised to find that their emergency supply is insufficient to carry them through the crisis at a reasonable consumption rate.  It's better to not need all you have stored, rather than consume it all earlier than expected.  Right now it's easy to say, "It's only water."  Well then if it's only water, you have no reason to not store a sufficient quantity for your family. 

     Plan ahead so that unpleasant surprises are minimized.

Have a Great Prepping Day!

Bob Hotaling

Bic vs. Zippo As The Lighter For Your Fire Source.

     There are a lot of recommendations to carry a disposable lighter such as a Bic for lighting your fires or candles when there is a natural disaster or a power outage emergency.  As it turns out, only having the disposable type of lighters may not be a good choice, depending on temperatures as well as the wind.

 

     Last week, I was outside making up a rope handle for pulling two of my granddaughters on a snow sled and I needed to melt the ends of the nylon rope so they wouldn't become frayed.  In the 20 degree temps I flicked my Bic lighter to melt the nylon rope ends and all I got was a small 1/4 inch to maybe a 5/16 inch high flame that was very weak.  Apparently the gas gets cold and doesn't burn as readily.  This was a new lighter that hadn't been used over five times before this.  Given this situation, I took out my Zippo Windproof lighter, gave it one flick and instantly it had a nice big flame to do the job.  While it's important to stock up on a few disposable lighters, you better be sure to get some reliable ones too.  I recommend the $10 Zippo Windproof lighter.  As an added piece of information, when you buy a can of Ronsonol lighter fluid, it lasts a long time.  I would dare say that it will last longer than a 5 pack of Bic lighters would.  I've been using my can of lighter fluid to refill my Zippo Windproof for almost a year now, and there's about 1/4 of the can of fluid still left.  That's a long time for supplying me with refills for a lighter with such a strong flame.

     The performance of the Bic lighter confirmed the value I had placed on having another type of lighter included in my Every Day Carry (EDC), not just a disposable one.  I remember in high school that Zippo Windproof lighters were always the good ones, even in the cold winter, so that is what I chose as my secondary fire source in my EDC items.  A little checking showed me that Zippo has been making lighters for over eighty years, and they were the preferred lighter of soldiers in WWII.  If the $10 price seems a bit high, consider the quality of the lighter as it is very well made.  It is also made here in the USA in Pennsylvania.  Another high quality American Made Product!  It also carries their warranty:

"It works, or we fix it for free!"

     Here's a video of my Zippo Windproof lighter lighting and performing perfectly under the wind produced by the outer edge of the blades of a 52 inch ceiling fan while running on high speed:

 

     You might wonder how would a disposable lighter would perform under those conditions.  I tried it and couldn't even get a new one to light, let alone keep burning!

     I hope this information has been helpful to you in raising your awareness in selecting a reliable fire source for your needs and preferences.

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful prepping day!

Bob Hotaling

 

Treet vs. Spam For Your Emergency Food Storage

    There have been countless praises for folks using Spam as a meat source for their Emergency Food Storage.  Some people have said it was terrible but others have commented how good it was.  I have eaten Spam, but I have also eaten a product called Treet.  While some people may not like Treet or Spam, I like them both, but I prefer Treet simply because of the lower cost of the product.  A few people even said they can distinctly tell the difference between the two.  I grew up eating an occasional fried Treet or Spam sandwich, and I thought after frying either of them, they were equally as good.  I also feel like in a taste test with back to back samples of each, people really wouldn't be able to tell which was which.   

     The difference in sodium is only 30 mg.  I doubt the palates of most of the population can differentiate between sodium content at that level when both products are relatively high. 

     I think there is no need for taking strong sides in the Treet vs. Spam comparison, although people have done so.  People should be grateful that there is a low cost meat product out there that serves them well as a Prepper storage food.  The cost is really where the big difference comes into play.  Spam costs 40% more than Treet, i.e., $2.48 vs. $1.50, and both are relatively the same as far as nutrition goes, and both are rather salty.  However, I see lots of pictures of people's pantries on YT showing case after case of Ramen Noodles in their food storages.  Now that's a salty product!

     It all boils down to personal preference and an extra $0.98 per can to pay for the Spam, when they have basically the same value when the an emergency strikes:

To put food in your growling belly!

 

Treet vs. Spam Evaluation

Items for Comparison:                            Treet                         Spam

Cost                                                        $1.50                        $2.48

Cost Difference:                                  40% less                    40% more

Main Ingredients on Label:            Chicken & Pork           Pork with Ham

Ounces per Container:                              12                              12

Serving Size in Ounces:                             2                                 2

Servings per Container:                             6                                 6

Calories per Serving:                              140                             180

Fat Calories                                            100                             140

Total Fat in Grams:                                  11                               16

Saturated Fat in Grams:                         3.5                                 6

Trans Fat in Grams:                                  0                                  0

Cholesterol in mg:                                   50                                40

Sodium in mg:                                        820                              790

Total Carbs in Grams:                              4                                  1

Fiber in Grams:                                         0                                  0

Sugars in Grams:                                      2                                  0

Protein in Grams:                                      6                                  7

Vitamin A                                                  0%                               0%

Vitamin C                                                  0%                               0%

Calcium                                                    6%                               0%

Iron                                                           4%                               2%

     In summary, it would be good to have either meat product in your emergency food storage.  Another factor that makes them so popular is their distant best by dates which is a particularly important piece of information when it comes to emergency food storage.  I bought these two cans last week, and the best by dates are as follows: 

Treet - September 2016;

Spam - December 2016. 

     Take your pick of either one, but in my opinion, I suggest having several cans of one or the other in your emergency food storage.  I would simply buy whichever one was less expensive, and for me, that's Treet. With the cost savings, I can buy a can of Beach Cliff Fish Steaks for my preps.

     Keep building your preps, even if it's only one or two cans at a time, and put them in a separate place if you don't have one already.  Don't forget matches and cigarette lighters for lighting your candles.

Thanks for stopping by and visiting.
Bob Hotaling

Selecting Food Cans From Grocery Stores

          Whether you are a Prepper or just someone that likes to maintain a large pantry, selecting the best available type of metal can that your food comes in is very important.  Some cans simply have "rolled" top and bottom edges (ringed cans) and can shift easily when they accidentally get bumped or are on a shelf that is subject to vibration when someone walks across the floor.  This can cause them to topple over and possibly become dented.  We all know that we don't buy dented cans because they may compromise the safety of the food inside regardless of the best by date.  There is a type of can with a "socket style" base available in grocery stores which reduces and possibly eliminates dented cans due to toppled stock in your pantry or food storage.   The cans  may have been out there for awhile, but I just recently discovered them.  They are now the preferred type of can for my food storage pantry, which is a combination of a regular pantry and long term food storage.  Using my foods this way, I am able to keep my grocery store foods rotated.  There are some grocery store foods that have best by dates four years out from now.  If it's a food we normally eat, you can bet that I have a substantial amount of those canned products in my food storage pantry. 

          When I began building my food storage pantry I didn't pay attention to the actual different types of cans I bought.  However, while stacking my cans on my wooden shelf I accidentally bumped cans that were adjacent to what I was stacking and very easily knocked them over.  It was then that I realized the real benefit of the distinct differences in the construction of the food cans.  Most cans are of the metal edge "ringed can" style with the same type of ring around the bottom and the top that allows it to slide very easily, especially when stacked.  You almost have to stack them in an offset manner to keep them from toppling over.  But even doing it that way, there are only four tiny points of contact with the can below, which is what makes it so easy for the upper can to slide and then tip over and fall.

Non-Socket Style Cans

          To stack the ringed cans exactly on top of each other is almost impossible without having the top can tilt into the recess of the ringed can below it due to a vibration or a bump to the shelf unit.  Unless your shelf unit is on a concrete floor, you will need to frequently check the cans just to be sure they aren't close to toppling over.  There's nothing that stops the shelf from even the simple effects of vibration from someone walking across the floor in a wood framed house.  That vibration will make the ringed cans jiggle ever so slightly and over time, shift position unbeknownst to you until you find them toppled over. 

          I have decided to only buy cans that have socket style bases whenever they are available for the product I am looking for, regardless of possibly costing a few cents more.  This socket style feature is where the bottom of the can is designed to snugly fit into the recess made at the top of the can below it. 

(Notice the indentation on the bottom of the can)

          You can even stack them three high without fear of them tipping over from an inadvertent bump or vibration. 

Securely Stacked Cans

          Even if it costs a few cents more per can for the style with the interlocking base, I'm willing to pay it because it's well worth it to simply not have to worry about your food cans falling over and becoming dented.

          When I first became aware of the stacking feature of the socket style cans, I thought it was only a few brands that used that can design.  I'm pleased to have found that the following brands use the socket style base of the can design on some of their cans. Not all of them though, so you have to look for the socket style can for each product.

Here's a list of the ones that I have found so far:

• Armour Star Treet
• Double Q Pink Salmon
• Hormel Corned Beef
• Del Monte Vegetables
• Chef Boyardee Pastas
• Green Giant Vegetables
• Sol-Mex Sardines
• Beach Cliff Sardines or Fish Steaks
• Star Kist Tuna
• WalMart's Great Value Sliced Potatoes

          In summary, whether you are a new Prepper or a seasoned one, or just someone who likes to maintain a substantial pantry, you may want to seriously consider beginning to use only using the 15 ounce (average size) stackable socket style cans when available to help prevent damage to your stored food.  I haven't found any 29 ounce cans with this interlocking feature, but I'm still looking!

Have a great prepping day, and thanks for stopping by!

Bob Hotaling

Gold and Silver Post Economic Collapse.

Seeking to acquire precious metals for use in trade after an economic collapse is a very interesting topic.  If there is a partial or complete economic collapse, the paper dollar will be worth absolutely nothing as a form of trade because there is nothing to back it.  The same goes for clad coinage.  It doesn't even have salvage metal value.  As far as gold or silver being traded openly for goods, you have to wonder just how fast people would be killed for those very metals when others see that they are using them as a source for trade, either the ones that have the gold or silver to trade, or the shopkeeper that accepts it.

One issue will be how many people would even have the calibrated scales necessary to weigh the gold or silver to determine what the value actually is?  Not many I'll wager.  Consequently, the purchasing power will most likely be determined by mere speculation of the proprietor, which will be unlikely to be acceptable to the person attempting to use it as a form of trade. 

I like the idea of saving copper and brass, and until recently, I believed that solid bars of it would be the best way to accumulate it, similar to gold or silver.  I no longer believe that.  One person made a comment online that what will really be valuable is copper in its manufactured form so that it can be utilized.  Mainly insulated copper electrical wire and various sizes of HVAC flexible copper tubing.  Perhaps also a few lengths of copper pipe and the fittings, and brass and copper valves.  I think the tubing would be the biggest asset because it could be used for water distillation, water heating, water supply and other such things.  PVC piping and fittings would be good to have as well, although they won't be as valuable due to copper's heat tolerance, but they could certainly be an asset for helping to establish a supply of drinking water. While these things would be good to have for trade, I would be inclined to hang onto them for my own use.

Now let's get back to the gold and silver.  Does anyone think that since large quantities of gold and silver would be mainly in the possession of the wealthy, that perhaps it might be rejected as a form of commerce by the general public?  I mean, man is the one that said it was valuable in the first place.  There is no guarantee that this couldn't change.  Using it as a method of trading for goods isn't even feasible to me.  The current value is so high that it wouldn't buy regular things without having difficulty in giving "change" back.  Even now, gold and silver is very expensive to acquire.  It's out of reach for most people, and even if it's not, who would you trust to sell you the .9999 pure ingots?  Just because the number is molded into the bar doesn't make it so.  The center could be lead! 

The monetary unit that I like to accumulate in a reasonable amount for storing is nickels.  The metal value is there, so it may be that nickels could be a quick form of new money that is universally accepted by everyone as a base in a new monetary system.  It's already in coin form, its value is known and accepted, it would be hard to counterfeit after a collapse, and it's not cost effective to counterfeit it now.  It's small enough so that anyone could have a good amount of them stockpiled to use for trade.  Even if there is no economic collapse, you still have the face value of the actual coins, so you don't lose anything.  Nickels are the only coin that is actually worth the value of the metal it is made from. 

For those folks that think the nickel won't go the way of the copper penny or silver coinage, read on:

"H.R.3694 — 112th Congress (2011-2012)  Introduced in House (12/15/2011)

Saving Taxpayer Expenditures by Employing Less Imported Nickel Act or STEEL Nickel Act - Amends federal law governing the production of coins to repeal the statutory alloy composition of the 5-cent coin.

Requires that the 5-cent coin be: (1) produced primarily of steel, and (2) treated to impart a color so that its appearance is similar to 5-cent coins produced before enactment of this Act.

Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury, in minting 5-cent coins, to use only steel produced in the United States unless: (1) the Secretary determines doing so would be inconsistent with the public interest, or (2) steel is not produced in the United States in sufficient and reasonably available quantities.

Prohibits the Secretary, in setting specifications for such coin, from: (1) requiring more than one change to coin-accepting and coin-handling equipment to accommodate coins produced pursuant to this Act; (2) facilitating or allowing the use of a coin with a lesser value produced by another country, or the use of any token or other easily or regularly produced metal device of minimal value, in the place of a circulating coin produced by the Secretary; or (3) requiring changes to coin-accepting or coin-handling equipment to accommodate both coins produced with the new specifications and coins produced on or before a specified date.

Directs the Secretary to submit to certain congressional committees the initial report concerning production costs and technologies required by the Coin Modernization, Oversight, and Continuity Act of 2010."

 The government wheels turn very slowly, but they do turn.  The change for the metal composition of nickels is coming.  The more it costs to produce them, the greater the pressure will be to change their metal composition.  Stock up or even hoard them while you can.  Don't you wish you did that for the silver coinage back in 1963?  Nickels will go the same way once the change in metal composition is passed.  Plan ahead.

Thanks for visiting.

 

God Bless America.

Bob Hotaling.

 

Bug Out or Not Bug Out.

People that would bug out need to ask themselves this question: 

Is a successful long term bug out without a specific, prepared-in-advance, secure location even possible?

Let's think about the practicality of bugging out.  While watching YouTube videos I have heard a great many people say they are simply going to bug out upon the occurrence of a catastrophic event.  People should really re-think their options before embarking on that solution well before the situation arises.  The available acreage people think they would be able to bug out to is not infinite.  Actually, it would be almost impossible to reach the large, open national forests in the Midwest from most major cities in a bugging out situation.  It would take months to get to the forests on foot.  The highways and roads would be impassable from disabled vehicles, probably most of which will have simply run out of gas.  The open land is in the middle of the country, but even so, most of it is private property owned by fellow citizens.  You can't just go and take it over.  You wouldn't allow that if it were yours.  I suspect that many people trying to reach that area would most likely be dead from ambush for their supplies, or near death from thirst or drinking bad water within the first thirty days of the trek.

Bugging out will not be a viable solution for survival during a real SHTF event.  The areas surrounding the cities is where the highest deaths will occur, from trespassers and aggressors fleeing from the city and being shot and killed by rightful landowners defending their families and property from the mob mentality.  It will not be a free-for-the-taking situation.  There will be serious consequences for all your actions.

I have made some calculations to get a feel for the number of people that would leave the cities in a bug out situation.  I share these calculations with you not for correction or rebuttal, but for consideration.  It's all variable at best anyway.  Even in a national event, let's say that only 15% of the population chooses to bug out from the largest 289 cities that have populations over 100 thousand people.  That would be 12,853,825 people bugging out in a national event.  That's almost 13 million people going to where exactly?  I also believe that people would be so fearful during such an event, that some would just go running out the door and down the street with no preparations whatsoever other than the clothes on their back.  Perhaps they will figure on just finding something to eat on the way to wherever they're going.  Which is nowhere.  They're just going. 

Where do people think there exists such a vast expanse of open and cleared, un-owned land anywhere within 200 miles of these cities that wouldn't be vigorously defended by the legal landowners against millions of fleeing people across the country?  Even in a regionalized event, there would be thousands and thousands of fleeing people.  Where would they go?  In my opinion, to their doom.

The 15% of people I'm talking about potentially bugging out is almost thirteen million people from only 289 cities.  That equates to only 4% of the total continental US population bugging out.  Just 4%!  Suppose people from smaller cities decide to bug out as well.  There is nowhere for all those people to bug out to!  There simply isn't enough free land to accommodate them all.  If you went to the woods, you would be able to stand in one place and see tents and shelters as far as the eye could see.  Where do you think all the deer and wildlife would be?  They would be long gone except for a few stragglers that would be killed off in a few hours.  What then?  How are those 72 hours of MRE's working out for you in your bug out bag at three weeks into this bug out decision? 

This calculation is intended to be fuel for promoting in-depth examinations of the proposed actions to be taken during any major negative event, be it man-made or natural.  You are free to disagree with me, but just think it all out.  That's all I want people to do for themselves.  THINK.  These extreme conditions even apply to the smaller regionalized events that don't affect the entire country.  These considerations and possibilities are not intended for evacuation for personal protection from hurricanes, winter storms, wildfires and the like.  That is not the same as bugging out in my opinion.  You would just be leaving for a few days and then coming back after the bad weather passed.

Now the sum of 306,675,006 people represents the reported 2010 Census of 100% of the population of the contiguous United States.

The population of the top 289 major U.S. cities is 85,692,164.  This population total is located within the 25,967 square miles that comprise U.S. cities with populations that exceed 100K. 

I used 15% of the population from these 289 cities for my calculations.  I think that is a reasonable number, but I also think that in a serious event it could realistically be much higher than that.  You can use whatever variable percentage you think it might be to represent the number of people in the 289 largest cities in the U.S. that would be bugging out. 

The figure of 220,982,842 represents the remaining continental U.S. population number that may or may not bug out.

There would be 104 people per square mile theoretically distributed in the continental United States according to the results of the 2010 census. That includes high mountains, deserts and wide open plains subject to incredibly cold winter temperatures.  It does not include the surface area square miles of lakes and rivers.

Now for some calculations:

43,560 S.F. equals 1 Acre

27,878,400 S.F. equals one square mile.

27,878,400 S.F. divided by 104 = 268,062 S.F. per person

268,062 S.F. per person divided by 43,560 S.F. per acre equals 6.2 acres per person.

Therefore, there is 6.2 Acres allotted per person based on 2010 census results with 104 people theoretically being distributed per square mile in the continental U.S.  Modernsurvivalblog recommends 30 acres for self sufficiency.  So a family of 5 might make it IF you already had the land.  However, if you didn't already live on it, when you got to it, you should expect squatters to be occupying your bug out location, and your food storage would have already been completely ransacked.  What do you do then?  Are you going to try to take it back like in the movies?  If successful, are you then going to defend it like all the landowners will have defended theirs when you were trying to cross their land to get to yours?  What if the squatters win?  Time for a reality check!  Bugging out exposes you to innumerable bad encounters that may take your life and the lives of your family members before you even get to your supposed safe bug out location.  I believe that if you don't currently live in your bug out location but have one, then you have prepared it and its contents for someone else's use. 

With this density of bugged-out population in the countryside, when the "Rambo" mentalities within your line of sight start shooting at the wildlife, you better be lying down on the ground.  I believe that there is going to be a great number of accidental shootings due to close proximity with the rest of the relocated population.  Maybe it would not be accidental so they can take your land or food storage.  If one of your family members was shot in a situation like that, would you think, "Oh gosh!  An accident!", or more likely, "We're being attacked!" and start firing back, but firing back at whom?  Your actions are likely to cause another accident, and before long the entire area would be a war zone.  Tensions will be extremely high and nerves will be frayed.  Any way you look at it, it will be a terrible situation to be in.

It would be much uglier in the country than in the cities because after the initial die-off in the big cities, the predator population would leave the cities and would be currycombing the countryside after calculating that there is far more return out in the country than in a city because in the country the people were really prepared.  The predators will be meaner and more violent when they are starving.  Weapons, food and water...  they'll take it all, or willingly die trying to get yours.

I believe the best plan is to store all you can in an organized manner, and then quietly stay put for a month or two.  Re-evaluate thoroughly after that time and then make new decisions based on sound information. 

There is good survival information at:  http://modernsurvivalblog.com/retreat-living/30-acres-for-self-sufficiency/

Whenever the event does happen, the multitudes will run amuck but the calm and prepared people will stand and survive, successfully removing the threat of those who would harm them and their families in order to plunder their resources. 

Think about it. 

Thanks for letting me share this with you.

Bob Hotaling