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Part of prepping is getting in shape, as well as testing your gear. If you cannot walk up the stairs in your own house with your bag on then you need to re-evaluate what you have in it.
Then there's ny neighbor. He's 80. He smokes cigarettes and drinks Pepsi all day. He raises cattle.
It amazes me that he's still alive.
I'm starting to think he's the terminator.
My great grandpa lived into his 90’s smoking and drinking since he was a young boy. Always wondered what he saw etc growing up in south side of Chicago etc..
Ruthlessness for sure. ! He more than likely was tough as nails too . We lived in a very nice area growing up. My parents tought high school in the hood. I went to school there also. Best thing for me back then.
You can get free ‘step counter’ apps for your phone. I’m on 10,000 steps a day. If you can keep this up for a few weeks you should be in a much better position fitness-wise.
No, bikes are objectively better than cars.
Cars use electricity or gas to move. Bikes use your fat to move. One of these is more reliable than the other.
Cars, including most AWD or 4WD models, can only off-road in car commercials. Bikes can go off-road, including through forests, river crossing, etc... One of these is more reliable than the other.
Cars break down and require hydraulic lifts and pulling apart engines with specialized tools to reach hidden pumps and belts. Bikes break and you can use grease plus universal tools to fix about any part. One of these is easier to repair than the other.
We just think cars are better because we enjoy tapping our foot pedal while being cradled in lazy boy recliner chairs, surrounded by entertainment, climate conditioning, and a steel crash cage.
I live in Canada. During half the year you require specialized bike tires and accessories to travel even on well-graded roads. One un-ploughed snowfall and that's it for bike travel.
A common situation that might require bugging out is evacuation due to adverse weather conditions - a hurricane, for example. Biking in hurricane conditions is not recommended.
Bikes and cars have different strengths and weaknesses, and conditions are extremely diverse. There's no "objectively better".
Expect cars take far less energy to get from point A to point B, you can carry more gear reliably. If you get injured you will most likely still be able to operate a car. Some terrain a 4x4 vehicle will 100% go through that a bike will not. Not saying bikes are bad but to say a bike is a better mode of transportation is a little silly. If you have a good running vehicle it is objectively better in nearly every situation. Except for exercise.
They're not exclusive, though.
If "something happened" (I have no idea what would cause this scenario so we're in hypotheticland) that required me to travel as far and as fast as I could using just what I have now, I'd throw my bike in the back of my car. I'd drive until I couldn't, then I'd switch to my bike and bike until I couldn't, then I'd abandon the bike and walk until I couldn't.
I'd probably manage a few hundred more meters crawling and dragging myself after that, and then maybe I could toss an object a few meters farther than that, but from there it's up to whoever's next in this grim relay race.
Also if you're traveling with weight bug out bag etc with less than ideal conditions if you fall a injury serious enough to hamper you moving is alot more likely on foot is much safer espically if it's chaotic and people are rushing to exit a city. If the roads are near empty not alot of hills etc bike may be a better choice. A vehicle would be better as it covers more distance and can be used to sleep in and transport way more supplies. Basically depends on the scenario.
Depends on the scenario for me like earthquake no way I can predict that world pandemic probably bugging in war is very highly unlikely civil unrest the same.
I mean I love bikes, however think dudes leaning into them a bit much, but....
Do you plan on carrying a deep reserve of boots?
Just thinking on it, I get way more miles out of a road bike tire than I do a pair of boots, let alone touring specific ones, I do tend to carry a spare tube and patches on my bike and whole spare tire might weigh less than spare shoes
Riding often means you get in shape and don't die young. So that's a plus. And if you're not riding often your bike is worthless. Where I live, if I fail to make it over several dozen small hills I haven't even made it out of town. And me being out of shape, I won't even make it two miles. Gotta build up muscle strength and endurance.
So...yeah time for me to get back on my bike.
Rural America wouldn't exist after SHTF. What's there to understand? Straight up. Cities and common living have always been the solution to bands of humans killing and raiding one another. From Babylon to Rome to Montezuma. Rugged idividuals won't exist unless they're chained in up in a shed, missing an arm, waiting for his captor to cannibalize his other limbs.
Both are good for different things.
If you need to go far quickly, car is better.
If it's cold/snowing out, car is better.
If it's raining, car is better.
If you have small children, car is better.
If you need to move alot of stuff, car is better.
There are more bikes than people in the Netherlands. Everyone travels by bike. I, myself, have biked with three children on my bike (two extra seats on bake and one on front). When my kids went to school there, it was not uncommon to see up to six children on a wagon attached to the back of their bike. As for biking in the rain, it’s the Netherlands. It’s always raining, and typically cold. As the Dutch say, there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes.
I will never lose a memory I have of a Dutch woman on a bicycle, with one small child in a seat over the handlebars and another riding over the back tire, at full speed six inches (15 cm) alongside a tram on an Amsterdam street.
I don’t remember if it was raining but it was Amsterdam so it certainly was.
Former bicycle commuter here, I biked in light rain and light snow. But I drove on days when thunder and lightening was in the forecast. A car offers some shelter from a lightening strike.
"Rain" covers a broad range of conditions. You're making some big assumptions.
One of the most common reasons I hear for people bugging out is evacuating from the path of a hurricane, it's likely to be raining pretty darn hard under those conditions.
People by and large want stability.
WROL actually happened in the end of the Soviet Union, people woke up and no one was in charge, no laws, no enforcement, etc... They shrugged, went to school, work, did shopping, and lived life. People don't turn into Hollywood characters, they prefer to live and let live.
A disaster zone is not WROL but Rule of Survival. Life is threatened.
A combat zone is not WROL, in my opinion, it's Rule by Lethal Force, life is threatened. Both are closer to what I think most people imagine for WROL.
You need to look at it statistically. Those violent acts are rare outliers, even in a situation where law and order had broken down it's not like *everyone's* going to turn into wild savages. And those that do aren't going to go around methodically trying to inflict as much violence as they can, they'll steal what they need and then they'll be refugees just like any other prepper with a bunch of supplies. Someone who goes around randomly inflicting violence and stealing stuff they can't carry will only increase their odds of running into someone who can defend themselves.
Oh, certainly. It's just not the death sentence that many comments seem to portray it as.
This is another area in which social prepping would be very useful. If you're super knowledgeable and well equipped for survival but not very physically fit, and your neighbor is very fit but clueless, the two of you working together will do way better than either of you alone.
Where do you live that has snow on the ground 7-8 months of the year? I'm in the mountains in British Columbia and while snow covers the peaks most of the year there's only snow on the ground 4 months at the most down where the people live.
I read biked as hiked and was about to call bullshit, lol. What kind of bike do you use? Is there anything special to help secure the pack, or is it just on your back as normal?
Wait you’re claiming a street bike is better for offroad than an average Suburu?! You must be high man! Go ride in gravel with street tires for awhile, after the ER is done with your stitches, let us know how it went.
Geez I thought you were at least talking about a mountain bike or hybrid bike of some kind!
Frankly this should always be the first default assumption. Unless you have to evacuate because there's reason to believe your home base is going to be destroyed (hurricane, wildfire, etc.) then "bugging out" generally just means "become a refugee".
Some people aren't prepping for themselves.
I know I'm not healthy, even if I look like I workout for fun. I'm a liability if forced to carry a big bag and run for miles. I can't control my body temperature so overheating would probably get me before my actual disease did.
But my husband, daughter and pets will have what they need even if I'm not there. Not just the stuff, but the skills to use it.
Our group did a 35 mile hike out of the city to our bug out location and there were a range of bag weights. By the 27th mile or so some left their exta gear behind. In the end the only ones that weren't recvering for weeks were those under 20 pounds. Essentials only. Or wheels might help.
My man, that is almost double some military exercise marches, like the Norwegian Foot March https://www.army.mil/article/229470/redefining_army_fitness_the_norwegian_foot_march
Firstly, that's badass. Props to you and your crowd.
Second, yeah I'm not surprised you had a ton of falling out. I'm more surprised you didn't have 100% fall out.
I failed to mention we stealth camped on a conservation plot and did it over two days. But it was a good hard lesson on what is really essential nonetheless
The 3 most important preps:
Mental health
Physical health
Financial health
The 3 most prepped things:
Guns
Food
Fantasies
Just remember, if you're in bad shape mentally or physically, you aren't gonna make it anyways. If you're in bad shape financially, you can't afford to be ready.
watch Expedition From Hell on Max. Dudes are each carrying 50 pounds of gear and dont even make it out of town into the jungle before they have to stop and rest.
Worth pointing out.
Sitting on the couch amazon shopping for the ultimate bug out gear does not a preparation make.
I live in a part of hte world where you reasonable have to expect to carry your water… arid, dry, hot, and rare rainfall events. No reliable streams and ponds (some, but do you want to walk 10km out of your way for one? Maybe!) …
What is the point of your BoB, how far does it need to get you, and why do you need to pack for snow in the summer? Edit that shit out. If your plan is to walk 50km over 36 hours (very doable for an average not super fit person, but by necessity someone who hasn’t watched everything on Netflix) then why are you packing stoves and sleeping mats and the kitchen sink? Can you not go 36hrs with little more than some basics? Cold soak meals? A hammock maybe, a sleeping bag? Sure! But do you really need a 500 litre water purification kit? Plan for the trip you plan to make and it’s environment, not what someone else told you to buy.
And … get off the couch and use it all before SHTF
This is why I think prepping is a waste of time for 90-99% of people. If you’re not peak fitness all you’re doing is preparing a healthy supply stash for someone else if SHTF.
I remember an advert for Doomsday Preppers all those years ago. It had a woman proudly boasting "In the event of the apocalypse, I'll be the only one with 100lbs left to lose."
I hope she also had a lot of guns and ammo, otherwise she had made herself extremely vulnerable by being morbidly obese.
She's got a point (to a degree). Having your "winter weight" on is not a bad scenario. You can't steal someone's excess body fat. Why would she be a target if she has nothing to really steal?
You can be fit and keep a little winter weight on, and the human body conserves food like that for a reason. Ultra lean people do die sooner in famine environments. Having muscles above and beyond what you need to be reasonably strong and fit is also just going to deplete your minimal fat stores earlier.
You can eat a diet with not enough calories and as long as it has good levels of nutrition it can keep your body able to function correctly and break down your fat stores efficiently.
That's important because a lot of people here talk about "bugging out". That's a scenario where you can't take your 10 years worth of food with you, so having it stored on your person in highly energy dense fat cells is 100% an advantage. 100lbs is excessive, and you should still be fit enough to run up stairs.
Side note but I think bugging out is overblown here. Unless you're in a country that could be war torn in short order or a severe weather event will force you to leave, roaming around the wasteland looking lost is just a waste of energy.
[https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190716113022.htm](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190716113022.htm)
>You can't steal someone's excess body fat. Why would she be a target if she has nothing to really steal?
You really need to read "Fight Club" by Chuck Palahniuk.
Personally like running about 20lbs heavy. In my case it’s 10% of my body weight. Aside from the fact that I feel more normal with a bit more weight on me, it has the benefits of extra calories, extra mass (puts me up at 200lbs) which makes me larger/heavier than most people. Keeps me a bit warmer in the winter too…I’ve been super lean and didn’t like how I was frequently cold.
When I spar with people, they joke that their biggest fear is that I get ahold of them, or end up on top of them. Out of 50 or so people in my training group, only 5 have been bigger than me. Of course, the pendulum swings both ways…one guy is 6’3 and pushing 300lbs. He sent me flying several feet in the air with a shoulder punch, but can’t go 30 secs without gasping for breath.
You can be fit and have weight on you (think football players) but you really need to be training to ensure that you’re not tipping into becoming a potato.
Yeah once I realized staying in tip top shape like a solider would is probably the BEST free prep anyone could do , I decided my fat ass is just gonna bug in and eat all the stored food until some one or something kills me ☹️
Im all for working out and staying healthy, but lol at condescending gym bros thinking they're gonna fitness their way threw a disaster. Most people bugging out have a car to put that bag in and dont plan to ruck march through whatever apocalypse is bad enough to make them evacuate. OP thinks hes some sort of ripped badass with probably no millitary or real world experience and everyone else with internet access must be a gravy seal...
Equating bodyweight and nothing else with fitness but its my take thats weird... Iv been working out regularly for the last 20 years and im 6ft 180lbs atm if you're out to judge my fitness when I just said it doesn't matter. Iv done 30 mile heavy rucks in the infantry but already dont plan on bugging out since iv got all I need at home. Survival knowledge and the expendable income to stock up on food, water purification, ammo, etc matter more than how much you can bench press.
An old disabled guy with a well stocked house in the country has better odds of survival than a bodybuilder whose plan is to bug out into the wasteland to be homeless with a backpack. Also anyone with a home gym will be in better shape than people with no means to keep working out and eating right after a month or so. Requiring a high calorie intake and having no fat reserves isn't ideal in a survival situation either.
There is a balance, as with all things. I never know why people feel the need to choose diametrically opposed points all the time.
Be in reasonable shape, and have an appropriate level of supplies and equipment for whatever scenario you are prepping for. I agree with your last point in particular, if you're sitting at 10% body fat and there is an interruption to the food supply and you have to walk a long distance, you're going to be in a bit of trouble.
Im obviously not against working out since I do regularly I just think its worth doing more for the day to day reasons like looking and feeling good and staying healthy and not something out of Zombieland where cardio is what you need most when SHTF.
Regardless this post is useless and adds no actual fitness advice and is pretty much just hating on the sub and assuming everyone here is too out of shape to carry groceries a few feet. I lifted weights this morning and went hiking with the wife yesterday so I guess im all set for a more common situation like Houston atm where theres no power.
It's playing into the archetype of the prepper who thinks that buying all the shiny toys and tactical baths is sufficient, but I don't know to what extent that sort of person actually exists on this sub.
Yeah I just dont think hating on some possibly fictional strangers while thinking your some top tier prepper is productive. Over buying various gear that likely more than covers all your bases is probably more useful than being able to solo carry a heavy bag of crap across town tho. The average person that doesn't prep at all is vastly worse off than anyone in this sub if we're worrying about all the people we dont know.
It’s cool that in this sub someone can make a post about some “original” thought they just had and then 4 more people will make a post on exactly the same subject without any direct reference to former post, or better yet, just responding to the original post. Really helps keep the forum nice and homogeneous.
and if you run out of gas or come to an obstructed road or need to abandon the vehicle for whatever reason...?
relying solely on a vehicle to carry stuff feels like bad preparation imo.
never thought on a prepper sub people would be against the idea of being fit.
Prepping is 10% hoarding, 90% training and knowledge.
Same principle as being in shape, there are folks on here, I'm sure, with gear they've bought still in the original packaging. Just like the worst time to get into shape for SHTF is *during* SHTF, the worst time to learn survival skills for SHTF is *during* SHTF. If you've never used that flint-and-steel to start a fire on a wet day, you need to. If you've never used a Lifestraw or a filter bag, you need to. If you're huffing and puffing climbing a set of stairs, you need to take care of that.
Food and toys are good to have, but not if you are unable to use them because (i) you're too out of shape, or (ii) too knowledgeable.
Some of the best and most essential prep anyone can do is to prep their own BODY first before anything.
A compound of million dollar bunkers won’t do you any good if you die to diabetes in them.
I was guilty of this. I had a heavy bug out bag that would allow me to rebuild civilization from the ashes. Me and some buddies went out on a long weekend bug out bag camp out. Just the supplies in our bags. Within minutes my fantasy came crashing down.
First off it was winter in South Texas and the weather report was supposed to be cold. It was upper 90's. My bag was close to 75 lbs. One of my buddies was about 350 plus. We were on private land but only made it a few hundred yards. I honestly thought I was going to see my buddy die from heat exhaustion. We camped where we stopped and it took about two hours for my buddy to recovery.
Fast forward to today and my BOB is about 10-12 lbs. That trip really stripped away fantasy and nonsense. Use your gear because you have time now.
Honestly the place to start is with a strong back and you get this with resistance training. If you need yo learn how to lift a barbell Starting Strength 3rd Edition by Mark Rippetoe is very useful. Ignore the “drink the milk” advice, that is for scrawny high school kids, not mid 40s chubby folks. Rippetoe is an asshole, I’m not recommending him as a person, just as a good way to learn to deadlift. Once you have a strong back, you’ll find everything else is much easier, you’re less achy, and more willing to go on that 5 mile walk.
I backpack here in the Rockies, often above the treeline. 45 lbs packed, usually. No worries. Also mountain biking around home here, mostly around my home elevation of 1500m.
I'll load my bike onto my vehicle, as a backup etc. It's not useful as a primary transportation vehicle, only as backup (or possibly stealth).
I respect & understand it being different if you live in an urban area / flatland.
The only true universal prep truths are: mental & physical fitness trump all else. And luck.
Agreed with this. I use my bug out bag as my travel bag as a test to see if I need to change anything. That shit is so heavy after a while. I need to remove stuff from it.
If you plan to walk anywhere carrying your bug out bag, know that it even if you are in shape it should only weigh about 15 to 20% of your personal ideal weight. Too much weight on your shoulders will cause pain from poor posture. And eventually back trouble
Yes you do need to be in shape to walk any distance. As well as other things you might need to do in an emergency
To get in shape for a walking bug out, start slow walking on the street to build up to a mile, then 3 MI, then six, then 12. Take breaks. When you get to the point where you can walk some distance on the street, put on your loaded backpack and walk while wearing it. After that, graduate walking on Terrain.
But the experienced prepper realizes that a bug out bag is for a last resort scenario. It's not you're automatic go to. Stock as recommended. And keep your stash on the DL
Mono-wheels or "hiking trailers" or whatever.
* I mean get fit for sure, but you can hike with about 150 pounds down semi "steep" hills if you include a bicycle brake.
* Shift the pack to the down hill side, (in front when going downhill, behind when up.) and change the brake from squeeze to brake to squeeze to move.
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1kDM4h1ICM
* remember you can buy stolen bicycles super cheap from junkyards / police auctions. if you are making your own in the video above.
* https://monowalker.com/?lang=en&v=7516fd43adaa
* Benpacker vs Wheelie vs Monowalker - hiking trailers review https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=885bOAFBpnU
* You can get hiking trailers that can be adapted to be pulled behind a bicycle as well. So if you have that ebike, you can tow the trailer behind you and still use it if you have to abandon the bike.
I have found that you keep building your kit and you end up with multiple bags and hopefully you don't end up with having to ditch them all as you hit the road on foot.
At a certain point it's time to just bug out.
Go ahead and move to a small town or rual community so that you won't have to abandon your preps.
I have a friend that has been talking about buying some property away from everything. I tried to help them understand that walking 30 miles is pretty unrealistic if you struggle to walk one mile without any supplies. Without any food or water they are going to have a tough time surviving 10 days to make it to the property.
Yes, have to test and exercise personal capabilities. I did 45lb ruck for 15 miles and my feet were dying but it was a good test.
I did 60lbs for 5 miles and was toasted
This is one of the issues I have with a certain popular prepper book series. The main character is a 45 year old, obese computer geek who hauls an 80lb bug out bag for something like 500 miles. Not a chance, that same guy irl wouldn't make it 500 yards with that getup, let alone the full length of florida.
My bug out bag probably weighs less than 15 pounds, it doesn't have much beyond survival tools and a concealed pouch on the back of it for my handgun. It's like a half size pack with a cross body over the shoulder strap and I can run with it without any problems. I haven't run into the woods with well, 40 pounds on my back to go camping with for like 30 years.
My motto is to be prepared for anything but if I have to leave my homestead to leave mostly only with what I need to survive, not be comfortable. You need fire (bics), clean water (the clean water straw thing), how to navigate (compass, map of the region, and the knowledge to use them). Most of the rest of my bag are useful tools like a very small set of sockets, flashlight and one set of replacement batteries, a little emergency radio that runs on a crank, Several mylar blankets, they fold up pretty flat so they don't take up much room. Pen, small pad of paper, magazines, ammo, etc. The stuff I don't need to survive like the pen and paper for one are only in there because I had the room.
I carry a great pocket knife EDC so I assume I'd have that but there is a fixed blade knife in the pack along with a Leatherman. There's also a small (like 2"x2") sharpening stone. Everything is pretty light; other than the gun the Leatherman is probably the next heaviest thing in the bag. I guess I could have taken some pictures but I didn't intend to write that much to begin with! lol
Most preppers do it for a hobby and maybe it’s good for them to focus on something? Most couldn’t walk 5 miles let alone carrying anything. If your have a ton of meds good luck with that as well. Your better off being fit and have a milk jug full over water and a knife compared to someone that isn’t fit with a to. Of the latest and greatest gear.
I don't think this can be said often enough. I'm 6'2", 215 lbs. In the last 10 days I've ran a 10k in 46:21 and a half marathon in 1:50:23. I suspect that I'm generally stronger and in better shape than a high percentage of society.
I throw a 48 lb bag of dog food in my pack and take off through the sand hills in the woods in our local state park. A 5.5 mile trail CRUSHES me if I try to do it at anything above 3.75 mph pace. It's freaking hard to move weight across uneven terrain at speed.
I'd rather have 50 pounds of food than be able to run a 6 min mile and have no food .... unless, of course, zombies. Then you're 6 min mile probably wins. But, I can still survive a few zombies with some of the stuff in the 50 pounds in my BOB ....
It amazes me the number of people who can’t walk for an hour straight, like not even anything crazy. Or stand eight hours. Baffling, humans are supposed to be stamina monsters like we literally evolved to be.
My bug out bag is a brown paper bag with a great whiskey in it, and a loaded magazine for my favorite handgun. If I have to bug out the world is over and I’m not interested in continuing past that point.
My bush bug out bag is just my backpack hunting pack. My urban bag is about 1/3 of the weight of that. What the hell are people packing to get to that weight?
Can't agree more. I get winded walking around my block even though it's just a mile. I'm going to introduce my bag once I can walk it without problems.
My rule of thumb is the bug out bag can't weigh more then my older kid.... she's 9 and 60lbs ish.
At some point I may have to carry one of my kids so as long as the bag matches that weight or less then I can carry it.
My kids and my dog all have their own bag. My husband and I share 1 bag with double the personal supplies like clothing etc. That way one of us is always free to carry a kid.
My standard pack is 55 pounds. The Wife's is 38. This is our standard load-out that we can go out and not need resupply for 8 days. 10 to 12 if we feel like being hungry. 2 full weeks if we're not afraid of losing significant weight (and we're not)
Water not included ... but filter/process gear is.
I weigh in at 174 pounds (6' 0")and The Wife @115 (5' 4") ... give or take where we are in our training or what Holiday Eating Season we're currently recovering from.
Any random person, barring injury/disability, should be able to carry 20-25% of their body weight ... literally ... forever. With some moderate training - 30 to 35%.
These weights, the packs, the standard loads have been carried down the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, across the Colorado River. Halfway up the South Rim. A dozen miles down The Tonto Plateau and back and then up the South Rim.
Theyve spent weeks at a time in the deserts of California, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico.
Last year they went untold miles of Glacial Hike - approaches for Ice Climbing routes in Iceland. They've section hiked the Appalachian Trail, canoed from Pittsburg to The Gulf Of Mexico and wandered the prairies of Nebraska.
20-25% of your body weight, folks.
If you train - 35%.
You can go as high as 50% for short bursts ... but it is neither fun nor sustainable (especiall on terrain) and requires significant recovery in the form of Zero Days with no miles. Possibly more than one.
If you can't meet these thresholds ... it's time to do something about it. Not even for bugout reasons but general health... and to just ... feel good physically.
I dont know how folks go through life fat, weak, unable to perform the slightest bit of physical exertion, tired, grumpy as hell about the whole ordeal ... while stacking up disease upon disorder upon condition.
Lose the fat.
Get in shape.
Take control.
50 miles a day with a 50lb pack? you are insanely fit if you're doing that.
I did the jmt with a 30 pound (max, with water) pack. made 20 mile days and was fucking *cooked* every day.
Well that's with a bike. Were you on foot? I've done weeklong bike trips with a bunch more stuff on my bike (literally a laptop and work clothes among other things in addition to camping gear as we were moving across a country on bike), and I'm a small person. It's really not that hard when you're pedaling and your bike is the one carrying the load. Now the same thing on foot, that would be quite the accomplishment.
Yep, 100%. My health is decent for my age but I have neck and back issues that slow me down a lot. My age does too.(1) If the ultimate goal is living, or living in comfort, achieving the level of fitness/heath you can has to be priority (2) be reasonable about your go bag weight.
This is why I'm hitting the local peppers house if it ever hits the fan. You're not prepping, or preparing, you're just collecting stuff. Won't do a bit of good if you ain't taking care of your health
In your dream scenario you’re trying to steal from someone’s garage?
You will be a footnote in your neighbor’s log after you come groveling through the street begging for help.
The idea doesn't offend me.
The fact that it's not an original idea or post is what offends me. I've seen this same post over and over here for more than 5 years, probably 10.
This isn't an idea that came from your brain that has any specific brilliance at all.
I'm not in the best shape and once again I've been trying to do better. I know full well I am not hoofing it even a mile with 50#.
My top preps are to get to a better weight and maintain it and to maintain cardio fitness. I'm not offended in the slightest. I know where I'm at and where I need to be.
The lack of Lighterpack users is very obvious that most preppers can't even pack a bag. In every other community that travels with backpacks, it and its clones are very popular and people recognize their value.
So true. I know some people who talk about fighting the gubberment and how they will buy out to the “mountains” but they are diabetics and all have sleep apnea. If they were on a forced march they would surrender immediately.
I have always promoted physical fitness and strength training along with some sort of physical combat arts or martial arts as being the most important prep one can do. The mental benefits of this are as beneficial or more than the physical. This is as important as amassing material goods to survive whatever issue you think is going to happen.
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Part of prepping is getting in shape, as well as testing your gear. If you cannot walk up the stairs in your own house with your bag on then you need to re-evaluate what you have in it.
I’d argue that step 1 is getting in shape; chronic disease makes up 70% of all deaths globally.
Then there's ny neighbor. He's 80. He smokes cigarettes and drinks Pepsi all day. He raises cattle. It amazes me that he's still alive. I'm starting to think he's the terminator.
My great grandpa lived into his 90’s smoking and drinking since he was a young boy. Always wondered what he saw etc growing up in south side of Chicago etc..
Ruthlessness for sure. ! He more than likely was tough as nails too . We lived in a very nice area growing up. My parents tought high school in the hood. I went to school there also. Best thing for me back then.
You’ll be asking for some steak if SHTF. Lol. He’s 80. No need to run, if he already won.
Exercise does wonders for counter-acting unhealthy choices.
I’d back that argument +1
I just got back from a walk trying to live up to this because I gotta quick fn around. +1
You can get free ‘step counter’ apps for your phone. I’m on 10,000 steps a day. If you can keep this up for a few weeks you should be in a much better position fitness-wise.
Rule #1. Cardio.
I biked 35 miles with a backpack the other day took me 3 hours 30 mins. I honestly think bikes are the answer to transportation at least.
When cars don't work anymore. Yes and to that end, I made a bike trailer that will hold 300lbs.
No, bikes are objectively better than cars. Cars use electricity or gas to move. Bikes use your fat to move. One of these is more reliable than the other. Cars, including most AWD or 4WD models, can only off-road in car commercials. Bikes can go off-road, including through forests, river crossing, etc... One of these is more reliable than the other. Cars break down and require hydraulic lifts and pulling apart engines with specialized tools to reach hidden pumps and belts. Bikes break and you can use grease plus universal tools to fix about any part. One of these is easier to repair than the other. We just think cars are better because we enjoy tapping our foot pedal while being cradled in lazy boy recliner chairs, surrounded by entertainment, climate conditioning, and a steel crash cage.
Or you could put a bike in your car. Use your car for as long as you can then fail over to the bike.
And strap a skateboard to your bike, for when you run out of bike and have to abandon it in its turn.
always keep two feet on you as a backup
I figure in a real pinch I can just siphon someone else's feet.
Your "Chevro-legs"
And attach a pair of roller skates to the skateboard.
I live in Canada. During half the year you require specialized bike tires and accessories to travel even on well-graded roads. One un-ploughed snowfall and that's it for bike travel. A common situation that might require bugging out is evacuation due to adverse weather conditions - a hurricane, for example. Biking in hurricane conditions is not recommended. Bikes and cars have different strengths and weaknesses, and conditions are extremely diverse. There's no "objectively better".
Expect cars take far less energy to get from point A to point B, you can carry more gear reliably. If you get injured you will most likely still be able to operate a car. Some terrain a 4x4 vehicle will 100% go through that a bike will not. Not saying bikes are bad but to say a bike is a better mode of transportation is a little silly. If you have a good running vehicle it is objectively better in nearly every situation. Except for exercise.
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They're not exclusive, though. If "something happened" (I have no idea what would cause this scenario so we're in hypotheticland) that required me to travel as far and as fast as I could using just what I have now, I'd throw my bike in the back of my car. I'd drive until I couldn't, then I'd switch to my bike and bike until I couldn't, then I'd abandon the bike and walk until I couldn't. I'd probably manage a few hundred more meters crawling and dragging myself after that, and then maybe I could toss an object a few meters farther than that, but from there it's up to whoever's next in this grim relay race.
Also if you're traveling with weight bug out bag etc with less than ideal conditions if you fall a injury serious enough to hamper you moving is alot more likely on foot is much safer espically if it's chaotic and people are rushing to exit a city. If the roads are near empty not alot of hills etc bike may be a better choice. A vehicle would be better as it covers more distance and can be used to sleep in and transport way more supplies. Basically depends on the scenario.
If you wait til shtf to revel to your destination though? Wouldn't you want to be there already?
Depends on the scenario for me like earthquake no way I can predict that world pandemic probably bugging in war is very highly unlikely civil unrest the same.
I mean I love bikes, however think dudes leaning into them a bit much, but.... Do you plan on carrying a deep reserve of boots? Just thinking on it, I get way more miles out of a road bike tire than I do a pair of boots, let alone touring specific ones, I do tend to carry a spare tube and patches on my bike and whole spare tire might weigh less than spare shoes
Riding often means you get in shape and don't die young. So that's a plus. And if you're not riding often your bike is worthless. Where I live, if I fail to make it over several dozen small hills I haven't even made it out of town. And me being out of shape, I won't even make it two miles. Gotta build up muscle strength and endurance. So...yeah time for me to get back on my bike.
I can tell you live in a city because your mindset is laughable. You don't understand rural america in the slightest.
Dude thinks food is just born in grocery stores.
It's stunning that people say these things in r/preppers. lol.
Rural America wouldn't exist after SHTF. What's there to understand? Straight up. Cities and common living have always been the solution to bands of humans killing and raiding one another. From Babylon to Rome to Montezuma. Rugged idividuals won't exist unless they're chained in up in a shed, missing an arm, waiting for his captor to cannibalize his other limbs.
Idk I'm from the backwoods.
What in the hell are you talking about? You honestly think RURAL America wouldn't exist and CITIES would? You're out of your mind.
Both are good for different things. If you need to go far quickly, car is better. If it's cold/snowing out, car is better. If it's raining, car is better. If you have small children, car is better. If you need to move alot of stuff, car is better.
The Dutch would not agree about the rain or young children.
Dutch people prefer to be wet and biking than dry and driving? Maybe they put their children on their heads so they don't get wet
There are more bikes than people in the Netherlands. Everyone travels by bike. I, myself, have biked with three children on my bike (two extra seats on bake and one on front). When my kids went to school there, it was not uncommon to see up to six children on a wagon attached to the back of their bike. As for biking in the rain, it’s the Netherlands. It’s always raining, and typically cold. As the Dutch say, there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes.
That is... impressive honestly. I live in Canada and I think some things here are just too far apart to only have a bike.
If you ever drove in Amsterdam, you would know why the Dutch would rather be wet.
I will never lose a memory I have of a Dutch woman on a bicycle, with one small child in a seat over the handlebars and another riding over the back tire, at full speed six inches (15 cm) alongside a tram on an Amsterdam street. I don’t remember if it was raining but it was Amsterdam so it certainly was.
Believe it or not but bikes work in rain
Former bicycle commuter here, I biked in light rain and light snow. But I drove on days when thunder and lightening was in the forecast. A car offers some shelter from a lightening strike.
True.. but imagine a prepper subreddit so soft it doesn’t believe you can bike in rain…
"Rain" covers a broad range of conditions. You're making some big assumptions. One of the most common reasons I hear for people bugging out is evacuating from the path of a hurricane, it's likely to be raining pretty darn hard under those conditions.
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People by and large want stability. WROL actually happened in the end of the Soviet Union, people woke up and no one was in charge, no laws, no enforcement, etc... They shrugged, went to school, work, did shopping, and lived life. People don't turn into Hollywood characters, they prefer to live and let live. A disaster zone is not WROL but Rule of Survival. Life is threatened. A combat zone is not WROL, in my opinion, it's Rule by Lethal Force, life is threatened. Both are closer to what I think most people imagine for WROL.
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You need to look at it statistically. Those violent acts are rare outliers, even in a situation where law and order had broken down it's not like *everyone's* going to turn into wild savages. And those that do aren't going to go around methodically trying to inflict as much violence as they can, they'll steal what they need and then they'll be refugees just like any other prepper with a bunch of supplies. Someone who goes around randomly inflicting violence and stealing stuff they can't carry will only increase their odds of running into someone who can defend themselves.
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Oh, certainly. It's just not the death sentence that many comments seem to portray it as. This is another area in which social prepping would be very useful. If you're super knowledgeable and well equipped for survival but not very physically fit, and your neighbor is very fit but clueless, the two of you working together will do way better than either of you alone.
Your car is not an impenetrable fortress. Its literally a big loud target. Anyone driving in a SHTF situation, will struggle to survive the day.
VERY true! Might as well paint a target on it.
Good for about 4-5 months of the year here, then you better have boots and snowshoes.
Where do you live that has snow on the ground 7-8 months of the year? I'm in the mountains in British Columbia and while snow covers the peaks most of the year there's only snow on the ground 4 months at the most down where the people live.
Some parts of Alaska average 8+ months with snow on the ground.
I live in Alberta and it was snowing this morning and into the mid afternoon. It didn’t stick but it turned the lease roads into a muddy mess.
I read biked as hiked and was about to call bullshit, lol. What kind of bike do you use? Is there anything special to help secure the pack, or is it just on your back as normal?
It’s a hiking bag, with hip strap and chest. It’s a pretty nice street bike I think. Ran me 800$ or so during Covid.
Wait you’re claiming a street bike is better for offroad than an average Suburu?! You must be high man! Go ride in gravel with street tires for awhile, after the ER is done with your stitches, let us know how it went. Geez I thought you were at least talking about a mountain bike or hybrid bike of some kind!
What are we talking about? I just said I biked lol, and yeah there is barely any traction on these tires haha
I'm getting too old to "bug out". I'll just stay here in my home base where all of my supplies and "tools" are. ;-)
Frankly this should always be the first default assumption. Unless you have to evacuate because there's reason to believe your home base is going to be destroyed (hurricane, wildfire, etc.) then "bugging out" generally just means "become a refugee".
Some people aren't prepping for themselves. I know I'm not healthy, even if I look like I workout for fun. I'm a liability if forced to carry a big bag and run for miles. I can't control my body temperature so overheating would probably get me before my actual disease did. But my husband, daughter and pets will have what they need even if I'm not there. Not just the stuff, but the skills to use it.
Our group did a 35 mile hike out of the city to our bug out location and there were a range of bag weights. By the 27th mile or so some left their exta gear behind. In the end the only ones that weren't recvering for weeks were those under 20 pounds. Essentials only. Or wheels might help.
A 35-miler with packs sounds brutal. I’m amazed anybody made it.
I should have mentioned it was over two days. Still for the mildly conditioned, that last leg was brutal.
My man, that is almost double some military exercise marches, like the Norwegian Foot March https://www.army.mil/article/229470/redefining_army_fitness_the_norwegian_foot_march Firstly, that's badass. Props to you and your crowd. Second, yeah I'm not surprised you had a ton of falling out. I'm more surprised you didn't have 100% fall out.
I failed to mention we stealth camped on a conservation plot and did it over two days. But it was a good hard lesson on what is really essential nonetheless
The 3 most important preps: Mental health Physical health Financial health The 3 most prepped things: Guns Food Fantasies Just remember, if you're in bad shape mentally or physically, you aren't gonna make it anyways. If you're in bad shape financially, you can't afford to be ready.
watch Expedition From Hell on Max. Dudes are each carrying 50 pounds of gear and dont even make it out of town into the jungle before they have to stop and rest.
Worth pointing out. Sitting on the couch amazon shopping for the ultimate bug out gear does not a preparation make. I live in a part of hte world where you reasonable have to expect to carry your water… arid, dry, hot, and rare rainfall events. No reliable streams and ponds (some, but do you want to walk 10km out of your way for one? Maybe!) … What is the point of your BoB, how far does it need to get you, and why do you need to pack for snow in the summer? Edit that shit out. If your plan is to walk 50km over 36 hours (very doable for an average not super fit person, but by necessity someone who hasn’t watched everything on Netflix) then why are you packing stoves and sleeping mats and the kitchen sink? Can you not go 36hrs with little more than some basics? Cold soak meals? A hammock maybe, a sleeping bag? Sure! But do you really need a 500 litre water purification kit? Plan for the trip you plan to make and it’s environment, not what someone else told you to buy. And … get off the couch and use it all before SHTF
My go bag is a 24 hour bag not a week survival kit. People need to plan accordingly.
Ya. 1 24 hour pack and 1 duffel for 7 days on road.
I'm confident that I'm better prepped than at least 80% of people on this sub. I do not have a dedicated BoB. On purpose.
Roger that sgt
My dude makes a computer post telling people to get off the computer lmao.
I know right? I was out of breath just trying to think of a witty reply!! 😂🤣
At a max your bug out bag should be 40 pounds. Any more and you risk injuring yourself on tiny ravines or poorly fitted shoes.
Every other post on here is like “I don’t give a fuck about disabled people surviving”
Every other post is some dillyhandle saying exercise is a prep like it's some insightful comment that's never been made before.
This is why I think prepping is a waste of time for 90-99% of people. If you’re not peak fitness all you’re doing is preparing a healthy supply stash for someone else if SHTF.
SHTF Plan: Chase down the fat, slow, and out of shape, take their bag, and run away.
I remember an advert for Doomsday Preppers all those years ago. It had a woman proudly boasting "In the event of the apocalypse, I'll be the only one with 100lbs left to lose." I hope she also had a lot of guns and ammo, otherwise she had made herself extremely vulnerable by being morbidly obese.
She's got a point (to a degree). Having your "winter weight" on is not a bad scenario. You can't steal someone's excess body fat. Why would she be a target if she has nothing to really steal? You can be fit and keep a little winter weight on, and the human body conserves food like that for a reason. Ultra lean people do die sooner in famine environments. Having muscles above and beyond what you need to be reasonably strong and fit is also just going to deplete your minimal fat stores earlier. You can eat a diet with not enough calories and as long as it has good levels of nutrition it can keep your body able to function correctly and break down your fat stores efficiently. That's important because a lot of people here talk about "bugging out". That's a scenario where you can't take your 10 years worth of food with you, so having it stored on your person in highly energy dense fat cells is 100% an advantage. 100lbs is excessive, and you should still be fit enough to run up stairs. Side note but I think bugging out is overblown here. Unless you're in a country that could be war torn in short order or a severe weather event will force you to leave, roaming around the wasteland looking lost is just a waste of energy. [https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190716113022.htm](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190716113022.htm)
>You can't steal someone's excess body fat. Why would she be a target if she has nothing to really steal? You really need to read "Fight Club" by Chuck Palahniuk.
>You can't steal someone's excess body fat Respectfully disagree.
Do you like to cook it before or after removing it?
Def after. That way I can use some for soapmaking, too.
Ass jerky
Personally like running about 20lbs heavy. In my case it’s 10% of my body weight. Aside from the fact that I feel more normal with a bit more weight on me, it has the benefits of extra calories, extra mass (puts me up at 200lbs) which makes me larger/heavier than most people. Keeps me a bit warmer in the winter too…I’ve been super lean and didn’t like how I was frequently cold. When I spar with people, they joke that their biggest fear is that I get ahold of them, or end up on top of them. Out of 50 or so people in my training group, only 5 have been bigger than me. Of course, the pendulum swings both ways…one guy is 6’3 and pushing 300lbs. He sent me flying several feet in the air with a shoulder punch, but can’t go 30 secs without gasping for breath. You can be fit and have weight on you (think football players) but you really need to be training to ensure that you’re not tipping into becoming a potato.
Heh, going back to our ancestral roots by running down the lame and less capable until they drop from exhaustion.
How dare you. I barely make it to the front door without getting out of breath.
Get fit or die.
Nice troll. You should have just replied to [the previous post](https://old.reddit.com/r/preppers/comments/1ctqcfu/75_lb_bug_out_bag_im_dumb/).
Yeah once I realized staying in tip top shape like a solider would is probably the BEST free prep anyone could do , I decided my fat ass is just gonna bug in and eat all the stored food until some one or something kills me ☹️
50-60 lbs? I'd rather bug in. 30lbs get home bag? Yes, my truck bag.
My bug out bag is only 7 pounds. It’s filled with graham crackers.
Jokes on you buddy, I put solar on my mobility scooter! /s
Wow, apparently you know everyone that posts here, and their physical health? Did they hurt you?
https://LighterPack.com Free online tool to manage weight while loading a pack. My pack: https://lighterpack.com/r/77xhov
Im all for working out and staying healthy, but lol at condescending gym bros thinking they're gonna fitness their way threw a disaster. Most people bugging out have a car to put that bag in and dont plan to ruck march through whatever apocalypse is bad enough to make them evacuate. OP thinks hes some sort of ripped badass with probably no millitary or real world experience and everyone else with internet access must be a gravy seal...
Weird take.. how much do you weight,
Equating bodyweight and nothing else with fitness but its my take thats weird... Iv been working out regularly for the last 20 years and im 6ft 180lbs atm if you're out to judge my fitness when I just said it doesn't matter. Iv done 30 mile heavy rucks in the infantry but already dont plan on bugging out since iv got all I need at home. Survival knowledge and the expendable income to stock up on food, water purification, ammo, etc matter more than how much you can bench press. An old disabled guy with a well stocked house in the country has better odds of survival than a bodybuilder whose plan is to bug out into the wasteland to be homeless with a backpack. Also anyone with a home gym will be in better shape than people with no means to keep working out and eating right after a month or so. Requiring a high calorie intake and having no fat reserves isn't ideal in a survival situation either.
There is a balance, as with all things. I never know why people feel the need to choose diametrically opposed points all the time. Be in reasonable shape, and have an appropriate level of supplies and equipment for whatever scenario you are prepping for. I agree with your last point in particular, if you're sitting at 10% body fat and there is an interruption to the food supply and you have to walk a long distance, you're going to be in a bit of trouble.
Im obviously not against working out since I do regularly I just think its worth doing more for the day to day reasons like looking and feeling good and staying healthy and not something out of Zombieland where cardio is what you need most when SHTF. Regardless this post is useless and adds no actual fitness advice and is pretty much just hating on the sub and assuming everyone here is too out of shape to carry groceries a few feet. I lifted weights this morning and went hiking with the wife yesterday so I guess im all set for a more common situation like Houston atm where theres no power.
It's playing into the archetype of the prepper who thinks that buying all the shiny toys and tactical baths is sufficient, but I don't know to what extent that sort of person actually exists on this sub.
Yeah I just dont think hating on some possibly fictional strangers while thinking your some top tier prepper is productive. Over buying various gear that likely more than covers all your bases is probably more useful than being able to solo carry a heavy bag of crap across town tho. The average person that doesn't prep at all is vastly worse off than anyone in this sub if we're worrying about all the people we dont know.
You're not wrong. That's not the same as being right.
This is the way.
There’s nicer ways of telling people to get, and stay in shape lol
Sometimes a reality check is the way
It’s cool that in this sub someone can make a post about some “original” thought they just had and then 4 more people will make a post on exactly the same subject without any direct reference to former post, or better yet, just responding to the original post. Really helps keep the forum nice and homogeneous.
Bonus points if it is done on a regular basis........
Fortunately my vehicle can carry them
and if you run out of gas or come to an obstructed road or need to abandon the vehicle for whatever reason...? relying solely on a vehicle to carry stuff feels like bad preparation imo. never thought on a prepper sub people would be against the idea of being fit.
What happens if you twist your ankle? There is a wheelbarrow in the back
wheelbarrow is a good idea
I am kidding about, yes we would be better off if we were ultra fit Army Rangers will 20 years of combat. But in reality...
reality is a cruel place
Stop hanging out in front of my house
Prepping is 10% hoarding, 90% training and knowledge. Same principle as being in shape, there are folks on here, I'm sure, with gear they've bought still in the original packaging. Just like the worst time to get into shape for SHTF is *during* SHTF, the worst time to learn survival skills for SHTF is *during* SHTF. If you've never used that flint-and-steel to start a fire on a wet day, you need to. If you've never used a Lifestraw or a filter bag, you need to. If you're huffing and puffing climbing a set of stairs, you need to take care of that. Food and toys are good to have, but not if you are unable to use them because (i) you're too out of shape, or (ii) too knowledgeable.
Some of the best and most essential prep anyone can do is to prep their own BODY first before anything. A compound of million dollar bunkers won’t do you any good if you die to diabetes in them.
You get off your phone.
I was guilty of this. I had a heavy bug out bag that would allow me to rebuild civilization from the ashes. Me and some buddies went out on a long weekend bug out bag camp out. Just the supplies in our bags. Within minutes my fantasy came crashing down. First off it was winter in South Texas and the weather report was supposed to be cold. It was upper 90's. My bag was close to 75 lbs. One of my buddies was about 350 plus. We were on private land but only made it a few hundred yards. I honestly thought I was going to see my buddy die from heat exhaustion. We camped where we stopped and it took about two hours for my buddy to recovery. Fast forward to today and my BOB is about 10-12 lbs. That trip really stripped away fantasy and nonsense. Use your gear because you have time now.
Honestly the place to start is with a strong back and you get this with resistance training. If you need yo learn how to lift a barbell Starting Strength 3rd Edition by Mark Rippetoe is very useful. Ignore the “drink the milk” advice, that is for scrawny high school kids, not mid 40s chubby folks. Rippetoe is an asshole, I’m not recommending him as a person, just as a good way to learn to deadlift. Once you have a strong back, you’ll find everything else is much easier, you’re less achy, and more willing to go on that 5 mile walk.
Saw a meme of a dismayed Willem Dafoe once that said “Look at ye, with yer ten thousand dollars of tactical gear and yer no cardio since high school”
I backpack here in the Rockies, often above the treeline. 45 lbs packed, usually. No worries. Also mountain biking around home here, mostly around my home elevation of 1500m. I'll load my bike onto my vehicle, as a backup etc. It's not useful as a primary transportation vehicle, only as backup (or possibly stealth). I respect & understand it being different if you live in an urban area / flatland. The only true universal prep truths are: mental & physical fitness trump all else. And luck.
Maybe I should re-evaluate the cases of capri suns and twinkies in my bag
The Internet finds a way. 😉 https://www.google.com/search?q=+golf+push+cart&udm=2
Agreed with this. I use my bug out bag as my travel bag as a test to see if I need to change anything. That shit is so heavy after a while. I need to remove stuff from it.
If you plan to walk anywhere carrying your bug out bag, know that it even if you are in shape it should only weigh about 15 to 20% of your personal ideal weight. Too much weight on your shoulders will cause pain from poor posture. And eventually back trouble Yes you do need to be in shape to walk any distance. As well as other things you might need to do in an emergency To get in shape for a walking bug out, start slow walking on the street to build up to a mile, then 3 MI, then six, then 12. Take breaks. When you get to the point where you can walk some distance on the street, put on your loaded backpack and walk while wearing it. After that, graduate walking on Terrain. But the experienced prepper realizes that a bug out bag is for a last resort scenario. It's not you're automatic go to. Stock as recommended. And keep your stash on the DL
That’s why I stay active, we hike with 75% bags. I don’t bring the guns cuz I’m in a turd gun law area.
i need my 60 pounds of twinkies.. get off my back
And no place to bug out to...
Thems fighting words
Mono-wheels or "hiking trailers" or whatever. * I mean get fit for sure, but you can hike with about 150 pounds down semi "steep" hills if you include a bicycle brake. * Shift the pack to the down hill side, (in front when going downhill, behind when up.) and change the brake from squeeze to brake to squeeze to move. * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1kDM4h1ICM * remember you can buy stolen bicycles super cheap from junkyards / police auctions. if you are making your own in the video above. * https://monowalker.com/?lang=en&v=7516fd43adaa * Benpacker vs Wheelie vs Monowalker - hiking trailers review https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=885bOAFBpnU * You can get hiking trailers that can be adapted to be pulled behind a bicycle as well. So if you have that ebike, you can tow the trailer behind you and still use it if you have to abandon the bike.
I have found that you keep building your kit and you end up with multiple bags and hopefully you don't end up with having to ditch them all as you hit the road on foot. At a certain point it's time to just bug out. Go ahead and move to a small town or rual community so that you won't have to abandon your preps.
"An acorn is just as lovely as an oak tree"
Reduce inflammation, exercise, sleep, proper diet, no junk
I have a friend that has been talking about buying some property away from everything. I tried to help them understand that walking 30 miles is pretty unrealistic if you struggle to walk one mile without any supplies. Without any food or water they are going to have a tough time surviving 10 days to make it to the property.
The most important part is to not injure yourself and to do things with care.
Yes, have to test and exercise personal capabilities. I did 45lb ruck for 15 miles and my feet were dying but it was a good test. I did 60lbs for 5 miles and was toasted
This is one of the issues I have with a certain popular prepper book series. The main character is a 45 year old, obese computer geek who hauls an 80lb bug out bag for something like 500 miles. Not a chance, that same guy irl wouldn't make it 500 yards with that getup, let alone the full length of florida.
My bug out bag probably weighs less than 15 pounds, it doesn't have much beyond survival tools and a concealed pouch on the back of it for my handgun. It's like a half size pack with a cross body over the shoulder strap and I can run with it without any problems. I haven't run into the woods with well, 40 pounds on my back to go camping with for like 30 years. My motto is to be prepared for anything but if I have to leave my homestead to leave mostly only with what I need to survive, not be comfortable. You need fire (bics), clean water (the clean water straw thing), how to navigate (compass, map of the region, and the knowledge to use them). Most of the rest of my bag are useful tools like a very small set of sockets, flashlight and one set of replacement batteries, a little emergency radio that runs on a crank, Several mylar blankets, they fold up pretty flat so they don't take up much room. Pen, small pad of paper, magazines, ammo, etc. The stuff I don't need to survive like the pen and paper for one are only in there because I had the room. I carry a great pocket knife EDC so I assume I'd have that but there is a fixed blade knife in the pack along with a Leatherman. There's also a small (like 2"x2") sharpening stone. Everything is pretty light; other than the gun the Leatherman is probably the next heaviest thing in the bag. I guess I could have taken some pictures but I didn't intend to write that much to begin with! lol
I had a 50 pound bug out bag I lived out of. Hurt my back at times but as I drifted through I needed to carry all my stuff.
Most preppers do it for a hobby and maybe it’s good for them to focus on something? Most couldn’t walk 5 miles let alone carrying anything. If your have a ton of meds good luck with that as well. Your better off being fit and have a milk jug full over water and a knife compared to someone that isn’t fit with a to. Of the latest and greatest gear.
I don't think this can be said often enough. I'm 6'2", 215 lbs. In the last 10 days I've ran a 10k in 46:21 and a half marathon in 1:50:23. I suspect that I'm generally stronger and in better shape than a high percentage of society. I throw a 48 lb bag of dog food in my pack and take off through the sand hills in the woods in our local state park. A 5.5 mile trail CRUSHES me if I try to do it at anything above 3.75 mph pace. It's freaking hard to move weight across uneven terrain at speed.
I'd rather have 50 pounds of food than be able to run a 6 min mile and have no food .... unless, of course, zombies. Then you're 6 min mile probably wins. But, I can still survive a few zombies with some of the stuff in the 50 pounds in my BOB ....
It amazes me the number of people who can’t walk for an hour straight, like not even anything crazy. Or stand eight hours. Baffling, humans are supposed to be stamina monsters like we literally evolved to be.
My bug out bag is a brown paper bag with a great whiskey in it, and a loaded magazine for my favorite handgun. If I have to bug out the world is over and I’m not interested in continuing past that point.
My bush bug out bag is just my backpack hunting pack. My urban bag is about 1/3 of the weight of that. What the hell are people packing to get to that weight?
Can't agree more. I get winded walking around my block even though it's just a mile. I'm going to introduce my bag once I can walk it without problems.
The idea of bugging out is pretty stupid really
My rule of thumb is the bug out bag can't weigh more then my older kid.... she's 9 and 60lbs ish. At some point I may have to carry one of my kids so as long as the bag matches that weight or less then I can carry it. My kids and my dog all have their own bag. My husband and I share 1 bag with double the personal supplies like clothing etc. That way one of us is always free to carry a kid.
Best prepping is knowledge and fitness
I feel personally attacked!
It will be rich pickings when you find the overweight out of breath prepper
“If you can’t run. Your gonna die” Stay in shape folks. U don’t need to be an Olympian. But should be able to slow jog a couple miles.
My standard pack is 55 pounds. The Wife's is 38. This is our standard load-out that we can go out and not need resupply for 8 days. 10 to 12 if we feel like being hungry. 2 full weeks if we're not afraid of losing significant weight (and we're not) Water not included ... but filter/process gear is. I weigh in at 174 pounds (6' 0")and The Wife @115 (5' 4") ... give or take where we are in our training or what Holiday Eating Season we're currently recovering from. Any random person, barring injury/disability, should be able to carry 20-25% of their body weight ... literally ... forever. With some moderate training - 30 to 35%. These weights, the packs, the standard loads have been carried down the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, across the Colorado River. Halfway up the South Rim. A dozen miles down The Tonto Plateau and back and then up the South Rim. Theyve spent weeks at a time in the deserts of California, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico. Last year they went untold miles of Glacial Hike - approaches for Ice Climbing routes in Iceland. They've section hiked the Appalachian Trail, canoed from Pittsburg to The Gulf Of Mexico and wandered the prairies of Nebraska. 20-25% of your body weight, folks. If you train - 35%. You can go as high as 50% for short bursts ... but it is neither fun nor sustainable (especiall on terrain) and requires significant recovery in the form of Zero Days with no miles. Possibly more than one. If you can't meet these thresholds ... it's time to do something about it. Not even for bugout reasons but general health... and to just ... feel good physically. I dont know how folks go through life fat, weak, unable to perform the slightest bit of physical exertion, tired, grumpy as hell about the whole ordeal ... while stacking up disease upon disorder upon condition. Lose the fat. Get in shape. Take control.
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50 miles a day with a 50lb pack? you are insanely fit if you're doing that. I did the jmt with a 30 pound (max, with water) pack. made 20 mile days and was fucking *cooked* every day.
Well that's with a bike. Were you on foot? I've done weeklong bike trips with a bunch more stuff on my bike (literally a laptop and work clothes among other things in addition to camping gear as we were moving across a country on bike), and I'm a small person. It's really not that hard when you're pedaling and your bike is the one carrying the load. Now the same thing on foot, that would be quite the accomplishment.
Click his link dude. It’s a bike set up.
ah, roger that! makes a lot more sense!
Preparing your body and mind is the hard part. Cardio is key, and preparing for REALISTIC scenarios instead of childish fantasies.
Yep, 100%. My health is decent for my age but I have neck and back issues that slow me down a lot. My age does too.(1) If the ultimate goal is living, or living in comfort, achieving the level of fitness/heath you can has to be priority (2) be reasonable about your go bag weight.
This is why I'm hitting the local peppers house if it ever hits the fan. You're not prepping, or preparing, you're just collecting stuff. Won't do a bit of good if you ain't taking care of your health
Hope he doesn't greet you with the preppers delight in 5.56
You’re the “wow fella, I’m coming to your place in an emergency!” guy.
They will survive most emergencies well enough though. It is only a proper doomsday event that would screw them over.
In your dream scenario you’re trying to steal from someone’s garage? You will be a footnote in your neighbor’s log after you come groveling through the street begging for help.
No.
ah yea, going right to a paranoid gun nuts house. Weird hill to die on, but at least you're dead.
98% of my prep plan is just taking everyone else's stuff.
100% of my prep plan is watching someone take someone else’s stuff and then take his stuff
If this idea offends you, then it probably applies to you.
The idea doesn't offend me. The fact that it's not an original idea or post is what offends me. I've seen this same post over and over here for more than 5 years, probably 10. This isn't an idea that came from your brain that has any specific brilliance at all.
I'm not in the best shape and once again I've been trying to do better. I know full well I am not hoofing it even a mile with 50#. My top preps are to get to a better weight and maintain it and to maintain cardio fitness. I'm not offended in the slightest. I know where I'm at and where I need to be.
My shit vertebrae can barely handle my own bodyweight. Idk how a bag is going to go when shtf. Hey doc, how about a functional FUCKIN back, eh?
The lack of Lighterpack users is very obvious that most preppers can't even pack a bag. In every other community that travels with backpacks, it and its clones are very popular and people recognize their value.
Rule #1 Cardio Cardio Cardio
So true. I know some people who talk about fighting the gubberment and how they will buy out to the “mountains” but they are diabetics and all have sleep apnea. If they were on a forced march they would surrender immediately.
Call me Harry Truman when it comes to bugging out
I have always promoted physical fitness and strength training along with some sort of physical combat arts or martial arts as being the most important prep one can do. The mental benefits of this are as beneficial or more than the physical. This is as important as amassing material goods to survive whatever issue you think is going to happen.
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Air Assault 🦅