Survival Escape and Evasion

Survival Escape and Evasion, by Nemo

Post from Survival Blog

When reading survivalist literature, on various blogs and in fiction, there are many good ideas and suggestions, but often suffering from an idealization of circumstances, both before and after “the event”, which throws all into confusion. On the one hand, preparations for disaster are too often haunted by the twin hell-hounds of over-confidence and the myth of universal preparedness. Over-confidence, in that the prepper is assumed to have unlimited financial resources and time to purchase the items suggested and to acquire the training needed to do various things. Universal preparedness, being a myth, is based on the idea that the things prepared for are the things one will have to deal with. Reality is a sloppy mess at times, and the things that happen are often not the things one has thought to deal with. Chaos is always bubbling under the surface, and in a SHTF scenario, chaos bursts to the surface. Therefore, it is not theoretically possible to be prepared for anything and everything. One can prepare for those things one has the imagination to project out into the future, but one cannot prepare for that which has not been imagined.

On the subject of bug out bags and bugging out in general, these deficiencies of the imagination can be fatal. On the one hand, one can over pack their bags, leading to a slow and painful foot evacuation, which inevitably results in taking rests, perhaps at the exact moment when one must keep moving, or gear must be shed to lighten the load and continue the trek toward safety. Packing a vehicle, one should also keep in mind that there is a fair likelihood of not being able to complete the journey in a vehicle. Whether automotive breakdowns, road blockages, carjacking, or inaccessible terrain, the reality is the longer the vehicular journey to a safe place during a crisis, the greater the odds of a disruption and possible rehabilitating breakdown. Journeys should be planned and packing done with the assumption of getting at least part of the way there on foot. Your vehicle may get you closer to the destination and faster, but do not assume that a vehicle will get you all of the way there.

Bugging out is a problematic subject. Much has been written on this subject, and I do not wish to rehash it. But suffice to say, if you do not get the “jump” on traffic, whether by early warning or simply pulling up stakes and leaving before it gets really bad, then chances are you will be stuck in traffic at some point. Fuel costs will immediately begin spiking up, as soon as a generalized crisis is announced, and travel restrictions may well come into play at some point. If you are not fully prepared at that moment and ready to go, you may well miss a narrow window of opportunity to get from point A to point B.

Bugging in is a preferred option for many, especially the elderly and the disabled. Those without financial resources to secure a secondary residence are also likely to bug in. Bugging in consists of securing the home for an extended stay indoors with little to no outside relief. One can fortify the home with improved doors, locks, alarm systems, fences, et cetera. Certainly, one should store enough food and water to stay indoors for an absolute minimum of two weeks. For an extended crisis, one should store enough food to last for multiple months and up to one year. Fortification of the home should also increase exponentially with the projected duration and severity of the foreseen crisis.

For an extended crisis, one should also raise food resources, from gardening to small livestock, and even small luxuries like homemade beer and wine. I am of the opinion that black market trade will always exist, regardless of any national or local crisis, and many things can be obtained even in the worst circumstances, but the question becomes: What are you willing to trade in exchange for whatever is on sale?

One thing that one should not be without in a crisis is a firearm and plenty of ammunition. While it may be possible to trade for guns and ammo, even deep into a crisis, valuation will be so high as to require the buyer to give up things they had no intention of being without. Then, the owner of the gun may decide to simply take what you have and give you nothing in return. In which case you will be lucky to escape with your life. Therefore, always have a gun, regardless of any law. Every American should have at least one gun hidden away somewhere it cannot be found. The day may come when only such hidden guns are the last barrier between absolute tyranny and the possibility of one day achieving the freedom we once knew.

The flip side is, in certain circumstances, having a gun is the one thing that will surely result in the loss of your freedom. Checkpoints are an ideal gun disarmament zone. I have manned checkpoints and done other security work, and I can assure you that when I was at the checkpoint there was no such thing as a legal gun. Anyone attempting to cross through under suspicion of having a gun would be quickly detained or worse. The only exception to the rule is VIP’s. Are you a VIP? If not, then this advice is for you. There was at least one occasion when I had a legal gun that had to be left behind in order to cross an international border into a country where everybody hated me, and they would have killed me on principle. On the other hand, if I had tried to sneak a gun through security, I would have been in quite a pickle.

If you find yourself stuck in traffic on the way to your bug out and you see a checkpoint up ahead, know that your vehicular journey has come to an end. The only way out at this point is too quietly and with great stealth exit the vehicle with what you can easily carry in your hands and attempt to sneak into the cover by the side of the road. If you have not been seen exiting the vehicle, you may be able to escape into the woods and possibly continue your evasion until you reach your destination. Take with you any maps, GPS, and other material that may indicate your eventual destination. When the police and soldiers search your empty vehicle, they will find indicators that may alert them to go in hot pursuit. Your long rifle in the trunk is probable cause to initiate pursuit. Certainly, they will have your identity, either from insurance and registration left behind or from the VIN number. At this point in your escape, destroy and dispose of all identity documents. You can get new identity documents later, if you wish, and it may be wise to change your identity at this point.

From that point on, escape and evasion is the name of the game. Put all your training into practice, and this time it is for real. The likelihood of bringing legal guns through a checkpoint in a national crisis is virtually nil. The only result of passing through the checkpoint with guns in the vehicle will be your incarceration. So, leave the vehicle and sneak into the woods. Keep moving, and avoid highways. Do not attempt to camp out in the woods anywhere in that county or municipal jurisdiction. Keep moving, avoid highways, utilize drainage ditches to evade helicopters, stash and hide gear as necessary, change appearances, and in general consider yourself to be behind enemy lines.

One simple way to avoid this eventuality is simply to stay off the roads. Evacuate on foot, blend in with refugees, and affect a sad and discouraged demeanor, combined with dirty faces and worn clothing, and you are likely to attract less attention. I recommend taking with you in the vehicle, a folding shopping cart and a dirty change of clothes in case one must suddenly take on the appearance of “homeless” refugees. With any luck and perhaps a CB radio or a police scanner in the vehicle, one might take advantage of a rest stop to make this transformation before traffic is stopped at a bottleneck of a checkpoint.

I have a little experience in escape and evasion, running blockades, and even running from the law. Without going into details, I have crossed international borders during a national lock-down for reasons of security. I have crossed into hostile countries where there are people who would murder me if they only knew my identity. I have crossed international borders in violation of a court order. Of course I had to see the judge after the fact, but I was able to make that “bug out” when I felt it was necessary. I have also done quite a bit of E&E from basic common criminals. On at least one occasion, the gentleman in question had a gun and intended to shoot me with it.

No system of security is perfect. There is always the possibility of escape, and to make that escape one must remain confident that it is possible. The number one reason that people get caught is that they give up. They despair of escape, and so they remain where they ought not to be, awaiting capture. The second reason people get caught is that they do not believe they can get caught. Overconfidence can also be a disability. One must walk the razor’s edge between confidence and paranoia. At all times, remain calm, bland, and uninteresting. Security guards I have encountered while on the run did not see any signs of nervousness or else I would have been caught. Also, contraband in luggage is a sure way to get caught. Sometimes, one must travel very light to get through obstacles, human and otherwise. On the other hand, carrying no luggage at all is sometimes regarded as suspicious.

Bugging out should be considered a form of escape and evasion. Anything less is preparing to fail. Even when the crisis has not yet arrived, one should plan and execute an orderly evacuation as if behind enemy lines. Just as the hunter sees sudden movement in the brush, so do security forces alert to hasty moves and a high energetic state of “nervousness”. Whatever your plan, do dry runs with all principals involved, make sure everyone knows their role and the script. Have a perfectly reasonable explanation why you are traveling, and do not give an excuse to search the vehicle. If the vehicle is likely to be searched in any case, make an effort to have the more suspicious items not in the vehicle, i.e. pre-positioned at the safe house. Otherwise, hide certain things in parts of the vehicle that are not likely to be searched. A license for a firearm is no excuse at a checkpoint when the orders from on high are to disarm and arrest everyone suspicious. Plan, train, and execute; rinse, repeat. Practice makes perfect.

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How to avoid FLIR and Aerial Detection

How to effectively avoid FLIR and Aerial Detection

This article is from the "All Self Sustained" Blog, I thought it has some vital information that you would want to know about.

If you want to avoid FLIR you need to fully understand how FLIR works. As an electrical utility thermographer, I might shed some light (pun intended) on the subject. To qualify this, I am using the latest (I think) commercially available FLIR product, and am a level II thermographer, (total formal IR training: 2 weeks; experience using IR equipment: about 5 years.) I believe I am at least familiar with IR. Granted, my life is not depending on avoiding IR detection, so I guess I can have my opinions pretty safely. These are my observations about IR imagers using civilian equipment and are.. “just my opinion”. It’s up to you and yours to check them out in your world.

IR is not Xray, Hollywood be damned, it cannot detect a differential heat image through common solid materials, plastic film (black or otherwise) being an exception. However, a good imager system can see through holes in a masking material (“IR masking” camo net). And if you are inside a dumpster, body heating the bad guy’s side, he can “see” the hot spot on the dumpster’s outside. But if you are not leaning (heating) against that side, he can’t “see you”. Your body heat will not be detected behind most readily available un-holed blinding materials if you are not differentially warming/cooling those materials or allowing your own IR to reflect off of something behind/over you. BUT, if the shielding materials are alien to the surroundings, the material itself will probably stand out. See below.

•Glass will not allow your THERMAL image to transmit (pass) through; same as the dumpster scenario. The lenses of IR imagers are made of exotic non-glass materials because of this.
•Every piece (cluster) of matter, including gasses, emits IR if it is above Absolute Zero (minus 459.69 degrees F). The warmer a body gets, the more IR it will emit. Eventually it will enter the visible spectrum as it gets “red hot”.
•The surface of a piece of matter is where IR is emitted. Altering an object’s surface will alter the rate at which IR is emitted. Stoveblack is a classic example.
•Materials physically different from each other will likely emit IR at different rates. BUT the differences may be very slight.

IR imaging (read DETECTION) depends upon two objects having one or more differences in Temperature, Emissivity/Reflectivity, and Absorption of the compared objects. For this application, we can forget about Absorption, and you should all understand Temperature. Now, E + R = 100%, thus the more emissive a surface is, the less reflective. If two dissimilar objects are at the same temperature, a high E will “look” hotter to an IR imager than a low E, thus forming an image. Objects with different Temperatures and the right E’s could “look” the same, thus forming NO image. Two objects with similar temperatures and similar emissivities will present an unclear, poorly defined image. Herein lies your IR strength.

Here are some Emissivity values for a few materials, all in percent's, all plus/minus a point or two. These are for short wavelength commercial imagers and may vary slightly for long wavelength/long range military/LE equipment. Military techies should have similar emissivity tables for your equipment.

Human Skin 97
Black Vinyl Electrical Tape 96
Surface Sprayed with Dr. Scholl’s Powder 96
Water 95
Rubber, Black, Hard 94
Smooth Glass 94
Plywood or Lumber 90-95
Most Painted Surfaces (Non-aluminum Paint) 90-95
Aluminum Based Paints* 30-50
Oxidized Steel 90+/-
Snow 82-85
Vegetation 80
Clay and Gravel 40+/-
Note the materials that cluster around 95, 80, 40, and 10

Now, to apply IR-101: In all of the scenarios below, remember that your body (or ANYTHING above absolute zero) emits IR in ALL directions. If there is a reflective object behind or beside you, it will pick up your IR and reflect it like you were a light bulb. Whichever situation and methods you use, if you have the opportunity, have an ally check you out from a flank with your best IR detection equipment. Or get the flyboys to check you out with FLIR’s namesake. Do this by day AND night, as the sun will do weird (but predictable) things to the differential temps.

The BEST way to protect yourself from IR detection is get behind/under what is already there, and DON’T change the temperature of it. Since you obviously have to see and perhaps reach out, do so through the smallest portal(s) you can handle. Those “man-sized” targets detectable at 1100 yards are just that – man-sized – not the size of your nose and right eye. Remember that glass reflects some IR (100 – 94 = 6%), and the sky (space) is cold (approaching Absolute Zero), so if your scope is reflecting not sun, but sky, it will look COLD. If you have on a scope sunshade that is hot, the internal IR of the sunshade will reflect out as HOT.

I believe the GI Woodland BDU’s are treated with an IR emittance reducer. If so, the “cloth” E figure in the table will change and you have to adjust for the following discussion. Or obtain untreated camo fabric or defeat that treatment (starch, I believe). The IR reducing treatment makes sense for a situation where the woods is cooler than 98.6 F. I hope the Desert Daylight BDU’s are NOT treated, but the nighttime anti-starlight smocks probably should be. If your BDU’s image “cold” against hot sand, you are just as “seen”. I trust the techies were aware of this, and have specified correctly. But you need to confirm by looking through your equipment at your buddy against some typical backgrounds.

It has been reported that “fresh” BDU’s do indeed have an IR treatment that fatigues (pun) with laundering in “brightener” detergents. As a hunter, I am aware of the UV problem with animals with good night vision (is it an overabundance of rods, or cones, in the eye?) and there are detergents available via sporting goods stores that do not contain brighteners. If you need to maintain that BDU treatment, you might try that. But again, look at your buddies with your equipment.

Now, in sand or vegetation (E = 76-80): If you HAVE to have artificial cover for situations where your clothing will approximate the temperature of the surroundings, you want to expose matching temperature “stuff” with a similar E (around 80). Cover as much of your skin (97) as possible with cloth (80) (remember that I don’t know the E for treated BDU’s). But also remember that sweaty cloth in a hot, dry background might look cold due to evaporative cooling. If you are in a hot dry situation, a tented, solid (not net), dry camo fabric applied as a screen might do the trick for IR. (Remember, same T, similar E). Visual is another problem. Keep the outlines irregular for both IR and visual. Square stuff in a curvy world stands out, no matter the technology. Fresh local vegetation in front of the screen will help both.

Camo face paint is PROBABLY a high emitter, similar to regular paints (90-95), and sweat (water-95) is for sure. You really have to keep that face behind something. I don’t know what a synthetic ski mask would have for an E, but I bet it is below 97. A plain old cotton tee shirt mask would work, but remember the wet/dry/cooling problem.

Black ANYTHING is a good emitter. Blackened steel barrels, synthetic stocks, and painted surfaces (all E’s in the 90’s) should be cloth wrapped for IR and visual both. Black SWAT uniforms probably have a higher E than camo. You need to test.

Dry rubber boot soles (94) are nearly as hot as your face – sock ‘em (80).

Old cut local vegetation will be drier, thus HOTTER due to lack of evaporation.

The name of this game is to keep both the Emissivity and the Temperature of the screen and clothing the same as that of the surroundings and keep those portals small.

If you are on bare clay or gravel (38-40) and are worried about aerial observation, dig in. Cover yourself with almost anything sufficiently rigid and then cover it with at least a thin but full layer of the local “dirt”. This will match the E’s. Once the moisture of the new cover layer equals the moisture of the surface around you (evaporative cooling), you will be in decent shape IR wise. Remember that these low E materials have a high Reflectivity, so block your own IR from getting out from under the cover. If there is a chance your body heat will affect the top surface of the dirt cover, use insulating material between you and the bottom of the “roof” to keep it the same temp as the ground around you. Foam board or sleeping bags will do that. The most critical times of day for this hide would be as the sun changes, because rapid heating/cooling of a thin layer of dirt will show up compared to the slower heating/cooling of the intact soil masses. If you can set up in a shaded spot where this will not occur, you should be in decent shape. If there is no shade, make the cover layer thick to create a heat sink approaching that of the surroundings.

If there is no threat of aerial observation, and it is only a frontal threat, a “wall” of local dirt with small portals would be the best bet.

Any new foxhole will print either hot or cold depending on the season and surface temperature, even if the surrounding soil is bare. The deeper soil temp is probably closer to 55 F than the surface.

On snow (82-85), build a snow fort or tunnel in and make small portals. Try to dust loose snow to duplicate surface texture. Pray for new snow. If you wore an aluminized face shield behind that snow fort, it would reflect the “cold” off of the fort, and cover your hot face. This might be a shiny side application of the space blanket, and could be worth testing. Water (95) is your breath when it condenses. And it is warmer than the snow.
Only thing I can think of to do here is breath through a ski mask and let it condense before it fogs up over your screen.

As to “space blanket” applications: there might be some, BUT. If you are using the shiny side toward you to keep your IR from getting out, remember that the backside of it is probably not a good E match to the surroundings and it will heat/cool a lot differently than most natural things around you. If you are trying to put the shiny side out angled down to reflect the IR of the terrain right in front of you, there would be a 10% reduction in the reflection, more if it casts a shadow. If the shiny side is out and up, it will reflect the cold of outer space (or the heat of the sun) – and it is going to look REALLY weird to visual and starlight in EITHER case! I cannot think of a space blanket application that I would stake MY life on.

In an urban situation, you will have lots of “normal” IR blockers to get under/behind. Just remember that you are an IR light bulb on the cold surfaces behind you. You cannot casually set up back in the room shadows of a windowless building anymore. Remember, glass will NOT pass through (transmit) your IR image. BUT, glass (94) has a high emissivity and will show its surface temperature rather well. If you are near the window warming it with your breath, you will reveal yourself. If you had a small barrel portal through an otherwise intact glass window, you would be IR blocked, but visually seen. A loose pane of glass back in the room shadows might be a possibility, especially for a spotter. If the room is painted (90-95) and warm (approaching 98.6 F), you might blend in IR wise. But if there is one warm window/room in an “empty” building, something is amiss. The painted walls behind you might not reflect your IR really well, but a metallic light fixture might blink every time you turn your face toward it. The best I can imagine is forget about the “room” and get behind/under something that should be there – sofas, chairs, drapes, etc. and keep your portal small.

None of the above CONCEALMENT strategies are easy; none are guaranteed to make you disappear to an imager. But they will all help make you a less vivid IR image, thus less detectable. IR imagers may or may not have an adjustment to key in the emissivity for scanning and reading temperatures. I doubt military/LE targeting devices would have that – you don’t care what the actual temp is, you just want to see a picture. Military/LE devices probably have a temperature range adjustment to scale up/down according to environment. They probably have an adjustment to set the sensitivity – the difference in perceived T to go from black to white (dark green to light green; whatever). If this is finely tuned, it is like upping the contrast on your monitor.

There is one comforting thing to consider: unless you are in the desert, there are a lot of different “things” around you, each of them with a slightly different Temperature and Emittance combination. If you can make yourself “nearly” match the most common IR surroundings and the sensitivity is set very high in order to pick up your small T/E difference, the other guy is seeing a lot more clutter around you, so your image will be just one spot on the Dalmatian.

For the Ghillie fans: A man sized wad of only burlap and jute rope at 98.6 F plus or minus a few degrees will have the same E all over it. But if there was some leafage from an IR blocking camo net on one shoulder and a splotch of shredded BDU’s at the waist and some foreign force camo material shredded in there somewhere in a cluster, all well supplemented with local veggies, from an IR standpoint it would look like a pile of dissimilar “stuff”.

If you have gotten this far, perhaps a little DECEPTION is in order to up your advantage.

Remember that “Sarge WILL find something during an inspection, so ya might as well give him something so he will stop looking.” If you want to determine if indeed IR detectors are out there, you might want to give them a cowboy hat to shoot at. I don’t know what the E of a bare GI plastic canteen is, but if you either wrapped it with Scotch 33 electrical tape (97) from a demo/como kit or sprayed it with foot powder (96) from your ruck, and had 98 degree water (coffee? Body heat?) in it, it would make a darned good human face (97) to a distant IR imager. Topped with a BDU hat and moved about on a stick behind some intentionally inadequate screening after dark (by somebody else behind that cowboy’s large rock), I suspect you would soon know the targeting capabilities of the opposition – and also acquire a muzzle flash. A piece of most anything warmer than the terrain drug remotely through the grass at night should get IR attention. Just don’t pull it all the way to your position. But you get the idea.

If you want to just give him/them something to worry about, scatter some old tire shreds (94) around at points distant from your position. They will look hotter than most surroundings when they are actually the same temperature. Plus, they will heat up more during sunlight, and hold their temperature for quite a while into dusk. If you can make them move a bit, so much the better. If they are behind intentionally poor screens, thus not visually or starlight identifiable, so much the better. This would be a great application for decoys specially made for the purpose – a visually camo’d, high E lollipop on a spindly, flexible stick.

One of the new IR illumination chemlights would do something, but I have no experience with them. I suspect one of them tripped off in front of or to the side of your position, yourself in a shadow from it, would blind any thermal imagers looking at you – like a trip flare would blind a starlight. Obviously this would be a defensive action.

There have been some pretty impressive demonstrations of the capabilities of IR equipment. And it is indeed impressive stuff, but it ain’t magic. It can image warm footprints on a cold roof, or a “ghost” where you leaned against a cold wall and walked away. But those images fade pretty quickly – faster than the grass will spring back up on your trail to a nest.

I believe that if one person takes the time to study and understand the theory of IR systems and applies it to likely circumstances in his world and does it better than the other guy does, the first guy has an EXCELLENT chance of being the winner. That is true for sniping or bidding on a roof inspection. Even an unfavorable tilt in sophistication of equipment may be overcome with intelligent application of ingenuity. And it won’t take a lot of formal training. After that, it is experience behind an imager. In your case, looking at your buddies in drill hides, and correcting each other’s errors. I grant you that my “thermacam” is not a military targeting device, but if your life is professionally depending on IR avoidance, I hope you have access to IR theory training and support along with the opportunity to drill with your own imagers.

A rambling closure:

If you may be exposed to a “new” technology, you just have to learn it and apply it. Like you did for visual and starlight. In fact, most of those old rules apply to IR: Irregular outlines. fresh vegetation. local materials. etc... The only real new rule is “Similar E – Similar T”. Now, get with some equipment and TRAIN, DRILL, EXAMINE, Train, Drill, Examine, train, drill, examine…..


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Redoubt Kit Concept

Here is a great idea, and a really good concept, I think we should take this idea and make it happen for ourselves.

Original article at Survival Blog

Building a Redoubt Kit, by M.C.

Anyone who has seriously considered preparation for TEOTWAWKI knows that the ultimate preparation is to have a well-outfitted redoubt, located in a remote location. Unless you’re rich and you can purchase one with all the trimmings or you’ve been working on it for several years already, you’re feeling significant apprehension as current events imply time is short and you are unprepared.

Why Have a Redoubt Kit?

Now, if you are the diligent one that built a well-stocked redoubt but find that over time civilization has overtaken the area, this is for you also. Finally, if you have your redoubt, it has not been encroached on by civilization, and you think you’re fat, dumb, and happy, you still may want to consider a redoubt kit. Why? Things change, stuff happens, and if you ever have to abandon your redoubt, you’re going to want to do it with a lot more than a bug out bag. An example of this is in Rawles’ book Patriots, where the group had to flee the redoubt because of impending forces. If that happens to you in a typical Montana winter your chances of survival are very slim, unless you have a redoubt kit.

Most of us have carefully assembled our bug-out bags, spent time educating ourselves on how to survive, and acquired new skills—all of which make us feel better. However, the more educated we become, the more we are confronted with the reality that true survivability is attained by reaching a state of “sustainment”. Unlike having a year’s worth of supplies stored, sustainment serves to provide an endless or perpetual supply. Growing and preserving food while harvesting the seeds for the next season is an example of a sustainable supply. Having a solar electrical system to provide power for lights and other amenities is another. A redoubt contains these and many more products and processes, that when put together provide a relatively comfortable and sustainable living. This is not to say that bartering with others for expendables or skills you don’t have is a failure to reach sustainment. On the contrary; this factors in the larger concept of a redoubt community.

I believe the redoubt to be essential to sustainable survival, though it can take different forms. Native American tribes demonstrated this before the explorers disrupted their way of life. Everything they needed came from the environment where they lived. Some were nomadic hunters, and some were farmers of the land. There were those, like the Apache, who lived in high mountain deserts of the southwest, and by contrast there were the Inuit, who traveled the icy sub-zero temperatures of the arctic. Survival sustainment can be achieved just about anywhere, but you must have the skills and knowledge of the environment you’re in to be able to be successful. It’s a lot of work, and it’s a full time job, make no mistake.

The natives made their own tools out of what was available, and these served them well until the invaders came with firearms and cannon, which were a definite game changer. I bring this up because acquiring the skills of the Native American in an environment of your choosing would not be enough today. The population expansion in the United States alone is a game changer in that it leaves fewer places for a redoubt to exist and in harsher environments. So, there’s no doubt you need a redoubt (pun intended). I believe time is short and if you don’t have a lot of money or you haven’t been working your redoubt and are nearly complete, there is an alternative for you to consider– a redoubt kit.

What’s a Redoubt Kit?

The redoubt kit is like a big bug-out bag, except that instead of being designed to keep you alive for a short term, it’s designed to get you into a state of long-term sustainment. The kit can be a small-to-medium sized trailer, depending on what items you need to support yourself in the environment you choose. It could also be buried in or near your location or some combination of buried and trailered. Maybe instead of a trailer, you need a boat. There are too many variables to cover here. Folks want to be in an environment they are comfortable with, because that’s what they know. From a Louisiana swamp to the mountains of Montana, it’s really about where you choose to find your redoubt and for that reason the first step is to identify the location. You really can’t plan or build your kit unless you know where you’re going.

Selecting a site for your redoubt kit is very similar to buying one except you won’t own the land. You’re not even going to rent it. For this reason, your target areas should be places like national forests, BLM, state preserves or reserves, and other governmental lands. Why? Because unlike private properties that will likely be protected by hostile owners, the government employees entrusted with managing these lands are not going to be working after TEOTWAWKI debuts. Their posts will very likely be abandoned.

Am I advocating that you be a “squatter”? I have no right to give you permission to do so. It is not the ideal solution and carries potential legal ramifications, depending on where you go; you should know that. If you have financial means to purchase a property, then do it. If not, you have to consider less than ideal options and your alternative is staying in a city under siege where your family will eventually succumb to looters or worse. I’d rather be judged by 12 than carried by six.

Where?

The same rules that apply for a conventional redoubt, also apply here. Start looking in locations or areas that are just over the distance that a tank of gas would get you from a large-to-medium sized city– about 350 to 400 miles. This a bit different for those using a boat, but the idea of separation is the same. Those who would come to steal the provisions of others will think twice if their chances of success are slim. Imagine you are a pillaging thug and you have a vehicle with a full tank. Would you risk extending yourself to a one-way trip, if you didn’t have a reasonable assertion of finding fuel and provisions when you arrived?

Thugs aren’t the only ones who will trouble you either. Imagine a reasonable upstanding citizen who flees the city to get away from the thugs, but he carries only what he can get in the vehicle, which is probably food, water, some camping equipment, and maybe a gun or two. It’s all good, until he runs out of provisions and becomes desperate. He will impose on those who have achieved sustainment, and he won’t come alone. You may not have to go so far away, but you will have a better chance of avoiding conflict if you do.

What?

What goes in a redoubt kit? That will depend on where you’re going. Mountains will require different items than the prairie, and a swamp is different than a desert. Your personal needs also factor in. Do you have medical issues, physical restrictions, or special care needs? Those have to be considered as well. The best place to start is with the “List of Lists” offered for free on the survivalblog.com website. It’s very comprehensive and covers most all the bases. I know it’s overkill for a redoubt kit, but you can use it as a prompt to identify items you may not have thought of or included in your kit. Unless your bug out vehicle is a semi-truck, you couldn’t carry everything on the list anyway. Imagine yourself at the redoubt and consider the activities you would need to accomplish in order to sustain yourself. Also, consider your arrival at the worst time of the year—what would you need? Let me use my own circumstance as an example.

I live near the Rocky Mountains so the worst time of year to bug out is winter. I’ve already chosen a place that has water nearby and good hunting. I also considered a low enough altitude to have a growing season for a garden. It’s the onset of winter, and the snow is already a foot deep. First, I need to get there safely. I have a four-wheel drive vehicle, not a sports car. Next, I’m going to need shelter for the entire winter. My choice is a canvas lodge tent with a wood-burning stove. Do not consider a stove requiring fossil fuels, as you would eventually run out. (Remember, think long-term sustainment.)

I’m already near water and I can hunt, but I need food to sustain me until I can bag some meat. Also, I can’t live on meat alone, I need other nutrients and vitamins—so, I need to bring enough food to get me through a growing season. After that I can sustain myself with vegetables from my garden. Of course, after I harvest my garden, I’ll need to preserve my harvest in order to sustain myself until the next growing season. This little exercise just prompted additions to my list– tent, stove, food, vitamins, cooking items and utensils, gun, bullets, knives to skin and butcher, axe for wood, garden tools, seed for crops, roll of chicken wire to protect crops, way to irrigate crops, canning jars to preserve crops, canning equipment, and the list goes on. The more you think about it, the more you’ll add to the list. Don’t worry about organizing the list just yet. The important thing is to get it on paper.

Now, you need to consider how you’ll accomplish sustainment. You need to accumulate knowledge. Going back to our little exercise, do you know how to hunt, maintain guns, butcher, garden, process seeds for the next season, or can food? Did you get heirloom seeds? Missing that little item could cost you and your family their lives. If you don’t know what they are, you need to do more research. What if you have an accident with the axe or knife? Do you have medical training? If you don’t have these skills or knowledge, then you must acquire them. Add that to your list and insure you get paper books, as the Internet isn’t going to be available. In short, increasing knowledge is likely the most important thing you can do, and it’s the most neglected.

The canvas tent was good for a temporary home, but now you need to consider building a more permanent one. For me, it’s a log cabin. I had to educate myself on how to build one and discovered I needed log togs, chisels, hammers, and a few other things as well as a blueprint. Maybe you’re planning to be on the prairie, and you need sod house tools and plans. Your tool set will be different from the guy who lives in the swamp. Adjust accordingly to your redoubt circumstance.

Prioritize

After you’ve compiled your list, you’re going to have to prioritize. If you’re like me, you have about a half of semi-truck worth of materials. It’s time to cut down. Start with identifying items that are essential for establishing long-term sustainment, followed by “nice to haves”, and finally (if you have room) comfort items. Some of your essential items do not qualify for sustainment, like the tent, but are required until you can sustain with a permanent structure.

Do the same with acquisition of knowledge and skills. Home-building, canning, and medical training rank higher than basket weaving and stitchery, though those things are very desirable. Start learning now!

Test

This is a very important step and can be challenging depending on your circumstances. If you own a property, that’s ideal. Use the kit to establish the redoubt. Make alterations or changes as you go. If TEOTWAWKI doesn’t happen before you finish your redoubt, good for you. Your kit is perfect, because it was responsible for actually building it. Now, reassemble it, and prepare for a potential bugout. Locate a future location in case you are forced to leave your redoubt, and keep it updated. Your kit is ready.

If you can’t afford a property, as described in the beginning of this article, take your kit to an area where you can practice and maybe camp for a few days without drawing undue attention. Getting a wood-cutting permit for public lands is a good choice here. This is where I was reminded of an item I didn’t have on my list by the blisters on my hands—a good pair of leather gloves. I also added a chainsaw and container of stabilized fuel. I know it’s not a long-term device, as it has a limited supply of fuel, but it sure kick-started the effort. I could have done it with hand tools, but it fell in the category of “nice to haves” and I had room for it.

Start Today

There’s no time like the present. Do not procrastinate! Whether you already have a complete redoubt or you’re just starting out, you need a redoubt kit, no doubt. Everyone is vulnerable.

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Backpack Survival

There's a lot of confusion about what survival means.
To some, it's getting through the aftermath of an airplane wreck in a desolate area. It can mean knowing when to avoid walking in radioactive wastes. Or, it can mean knowing how to barter with troops in the aftermath of riots, war, and looting. 

To others, survival has to do with avoiding danger and knowing how to deal with it when it breaks into your home in the dead of night.
Survival ideas abound and there are as many definitions and strategies as there are survivalists. Some have good ideas for survival and some have unsound tactics. Bad ideas can mean extra work or trouble in everyday life; bad ideas during a survival situation get you killed. On-the-job training doesn't work when you're dealing with poison and gunfights. 

Or survival. 

One of the most dangerous ideas--as far as I'm concerned--is that of "backpack survival."
A "back-pack survivalist" is a survivalist that plans on leaving his home ahead of a disaster and taking to the woods with only what he can carry out with him. He plans to survive through a strategy that is a sort of cross between the Boy-Scout-in-the-woods and Robinson Crusoe.
The backpack survival- ist plans on outrunning danger with a four-wheel drive or a motorcycle and hopes to travel light with a survival kit of everything he might need to cope with the unexpected. He hasn't cached anything in the area he's headed for because, chances are, he doesn't know where he's headed. Somehow, he hopes to overcome all odds with a minimum of supplies and a maximum of smarts. 

Certainly it is a noble cause; but it seems like one destined to failure. And that's not survival.
(Let's back up a minute. Backpack fever--or bug-outosis--does makes sense when you're facing a localized disaster like a derailed train with overturned poisonous gas cars. A a potential nuclear meltdown, an impending hurricane, or similar disasters where there is a safe place to run to. During such a time, it makes perfect sense to retreat and come back when things settle down.
Likewise, some people have to work in dangerous areas. For them, donning a backpack and heading for a retreat that they've prepared before hand is a viable survival strategy. These people aren't backpack survivalists.) 

Let me make a confession. Yes, I once was a closet backpack survivalist. I had an ALICE pack and had it packed with all I could carry. As I learned more about how to survive, I realized I needed to carry more. Soon I discover- ed that, just for my family to survive for a very few days, I'd need a pack mule and/or a hernia operation...

Something was very wrong.
Probably most survivalists start out the same way. Things are bad so let's bug out. Backpack survivalism is an effort to deal with the possibility of a major disaster.
As backpack survivalists, we make elaborate plans centered around the idea of "bugging out" of the area we live in. 

We hope to travel to an area that is safer than the one we're in and plan on living off the land or on some survival supplies we've hidden in the area. On the home front, we carefully prepare a stock of supplies that we can quickly cart off in a car or van when things start to look bad.
As more and more plans are made and as ever more survival gear is purchased, the survivalist realizes just how much he needs to cope with in order to survive. If he is any sort of realist, he soon amasses enough gear to warrant a truck or--more likely--a moving van just for carrying the survival equipment. (And don't laugh, there are survivalists who have large trucks for just such use.)
Some brave souls continue to make more elaborate plans and some of these survivalists may be able to pull off their plans. Those who have really thought things out and have spared no expenses may manage to survive with a bug-out strategy. But I think there are more logical--and less expensive--ways to survive a large crisis. 

Forget all your preconceived notions for a minute.
Imagine that there is a national emergency and you are an outside observ- er? What happens if a nuclear attack is eminent, an economic collapse has occurred, or a dictator has taken over and is ready to round up all malcontents (with survivalists at the top of the list)? 

Situations change with time. The survivalist movement--and backpack fever--first started up when gas guzzler cars were about all that anyone drove. That meant that a survivalist with some spare gasoline could outdis- tance his unprepared peers and get to a retreat that was far from the maddening crowd, as it were. (Read some of Mel Tappan's early writing on survival retreats. His ideas are good but many have been undone with the new, fuel-ef- ficient cars.) 

With cars getting 30 or even 40 miles per gallon, it isn't rare for a car to be able to travel half way across a state on less than a tank of gasoline. The exodus from cities or trouble spots will be more limited by traffic snarls than lack of gasoline even if the gas stations are completely devoid of their liquid fuel. 

Too, there are a lot of people thinking about what to do if the time for fleeing comes. A lot of people will be headed for the same spots. (Don't laugh that off, either. In my area, every eighth person has confided his secret retreat spot to me. And about half of them are all headed for the same spot: an old missile silo devoid of water and food. I suspect that the battle at the gates of the old missile base will rival the Little Big Horn.) 

No matter how out-of-the-way their destination, most survivalists are kidding themselves if they think others won't be headed for their hideaway spot along with them. There are few places in the US which aren't accessible to anyone with a little driving skill and a good map. 

Too, there are few places which aren't in grave danger during a nuclear war or national social unrest.
Though most nuclear war survival books can give you a nice little map showing likely targets, they don't tell you some essential information. Like what the purpose of the attack will be. The enemy may not be aiming for military targets that day; a blackmail threat might begin by hitting the heart of the farmland or a number of cities before demanding the surrender of the country being attacked. The target areas on the maps might be quite safe. 

And the maps show where the missiles land IF they all enjoy 100 percent accuracy and reliability. Anyone know of such conditions in war? With Soviet machinery!? Targets may be relatively safe places to be in. 

Added to this is the fact that some areas can be heavily contaminated or completely free of contamination depending on the wind directions in the upper atmosphere. Crystal ball in your survival gear? 

But let's ignore all the facts thus far for a few moments and assume that a backpack survivalist has found an ideal retreat and is planning to go there in the event of a national disaster... What next?
His first concern should be that he'll have a hard time taking the supplies he needs with him. A nuclear war might mean that it will be impos- sible to grow food for at least a year and foraging is out as well since animals and plants may be contaminated extensively. 

An economic collapse wouldn't be much better. It might discourage the raising of crops; no money, no sales except for the barter to keep a small farm family going.
With large corporations doing much of our farming these days, it is not unreasonable to expect a major famine coming on the heals of an economic collapse. Raising food would be a good way to attract starving looters from miles around. 

Ever try to pack a year's supply of food for a family into a small van or car? There isn't much room left over. But the backpack survivalist needs more than just food.
If he lives in a cold climate (or thinks there might be something to the nuclear winter theory) then he'll need some heavy clothing. 

Rifles, medicine, ammunition, tools, and other supplies will also increase what he'll need to be taking or which he'll have to hide away at his retreat site.
Shelter? Building a place to live (in any style other than early-American caveman) takes time. If he builds a cabin beforehand, he may find it vandalized or occupied when he gets to his retreat; if he doesn't build it before- hand, he may have to live in his vehicle or a primitive shelter of some sort.
Thus, a major problem is to get a large enough vehicle to carry everything he needs as well as to live in. 

History has shown that cities empty themselves without official evacuation orders when things look bad. It happened in WW II and has even happened in the US during approaching hurricanes, large urban fires, and nuclear reactor problems. 

So there's a major problem of timing which the backpack survivalist must contend with. He has to be packed and ready to go with all members of his family at the precise moment he learns of the disaster! The warning he gets that warrants evacuating an area will have to be acted on quickly if he's to get out ahead of the major traffic snarls that will quickly develop. A spouse at work or shopping or kids across town at school means he'll either have to leave them behind or be trapped in the area he's in. A choice not worth having to make. 

Unless he's got a hot-line from the White House, the backpack survivalist will not hear the bad news much ahead of everyone else. If he doesn't act immediately, he'll be trapped out on the road and get a first-hand idea of what grid-lock is like if he's in an urban area. Even out on the open road, far away from a city, an interstate can become hectic following a ballgame... Imagine what it would be like if everyone were driving for their lives, some cars were running out of fuel (and the occupants trying to stop someone for a ride), and the traffic laws were being totally ignored while the highway patrol tried to escape along with everyone else. Just trying to get off or on major highways might become impossible. If things bog down, how long can the backpack survivalist keep those around from helping to unload his truck-load of supplies that they'll be in bad need of? 

Telling them they should have prepared ahead of time won't get many sympathetic words.
Even on lightly-traveled roadways, how safe would it be to drive around in a vehicle loaded with supplies? Our backpack survivalist will need to defend himself. 

But let's suppose that he's thought all this out. He has a large van, had the supplies loaded in it, managed to round every member of his family up beforehand, somehow got out of his area ahead of the mob, is armed to the teeth, and doesn't need to take an interstate route.
When he reaches his destination, his troubles are far from over. 

The gridlock and traffic snarls won't stop everyone. People will slowly be coming out of heavily populated areas and most of them will have few supplies.
They will have weapons (guns are one of the first things people grab in a crisis according to civil defense studies) and the evacuees will be desperate. How many pitched battles will the survivalist's family be able to endure? How much work--or even sleep--can he get when he's constantly on the lookout to repel those who may be trying to get a share of his supplies? 

This assumes that he gets to where he's going ahead of everyone else. He might not though. If he has to travel for long, he may discover squatters on his land or find that some local person has staked out his retreat area for their own. There won't be any law to help out; what happens next? Since (according to military strategists) our backpack survivalist needs about three times as many people to take an area as to defend it, he will need to have some numbers with him and expect to suffer some casualties. Does that sound like a good way to survive? 

What about the local people that don't try to take over his retreat before he gets there? Will they be glad to see another stranger move into the area to tax their limited supplies? Or will they be setting up roadblocks to turn people like the backpack survivalist away?
But let's just imagine that somehow he's discovered a place that doesn't have a local population and where those fleeing cities aren't able to get to. What happens when he gets to his retreat? How good does he need to be at hunting and fishing? One reason mankind went into farming was that hunting and fishing don't supply enough food for a very large population nor do they work during times of drought or climatic disruption. What does he do when he runs out of ammunition or game? What happens if the streams become so contaminated that he can't safely eat what he catches? Can he stake out a large enough area to guarantee that he won't depleat it of game so that the next year is not barren of animals? 

Farming? Unless he finds some unclaimed farm machinery and a handy storage tank of gasoline at his retreat, he'll hardly get off first base. Even primitive crop production requires a plow and work animals (or a lot of manpower) to pull the blade. No plow, no food for him or domestic animals.
And domestic animals don't grow on trees. Again, unless he just happens to find some cows waiting for him at his retreat, he'll be out of luck. (No one has packaged freeze-dried cows or chickens--at least, not in a form you can reconstitute into living things). 

Intensive gardening? Maybe. But even that takes a lot of special tools, seeds, know-how, and good weather. Can he carry what he needs and have all the skills that can be developed only through experience? 

Even if he did, he might not have any food to eat. Pestilence goes hand in hand with disasters. Our modern age has forgotten this. But during a time when chemical factories aren't churning out the insecticides and pest poisons we've come to rely on, our backpack survivalist should be prepared for waves of insects flooding into any garden he may create. How good is he at making insecticides? Even if he carries out a large quantity of chemicals to his retreat, how many growing seasons will they last? 

Did he truck out a lot of gasoline and an electrical generator with him? No? Do you REALLY think he can create an alcohol still from scratch in the middle of no-where without tools or grain? Then he'd better write off communications, lighting, and all the niceties of the 20th Century after his year's supply of batteries wear out and his vehicle's supply of gasoline conks out.
I'm afraid we've only scratched the surface though. 

Thus far things have been going pretty well. What happens when things get really bad? How good is he at removing his spouse's appendix--without electric lights, pain killers, or antiseptic conditions? Campfire dental work, anyone? 

How good is he at making ammunition? Clothing? Shoes?
I think you'll have to agree that this hardly seems like survival in style. Even if our backpack survivalist is able to live in the most spartan of conditions and has the know-how to create plenty out of the few scraps around him, he'll never have much of a life ahead of him. 

Camping out is fun for a few days. Living in rags like a hunted animal doesn't sound like an existence to be aimed for.
The bottom line with backpack fever is that, with any major disaster that isn't extremely localized, running is a panic reaction not a survival strategy. Running scared is seldom a good survival technique and backpack fever during any but a localized disaster (like a flood or chemical spill) looks like it would be a terminal disease with few, rare exceptions. 

So what's the alternative?
A number of writers, from Kurt Saxon to Howard Ruff, have already suggested it but I think that it bears a retelling.
What they've said is this: get yourself situated in a small community that could get by without outside help if things came unglued nationally or internationally. Find a spot that allows you to live in the life-style you've grown accustomed to (and a community that allows you to carry on your livelihood) but which has the ability to grow its own food and protect its people from the unprepared (or looters) that might drift in from surrounding cities during a crisis. This spot has the ability to carry on trade within its borders and has a number of people who can supply specialized products or professional skills. 

An area with two thousand to five thousand people in it along with a surrounding farm community would be ideal but sizes can vary a lot according to the climate and city. Ideally such a town would have its own power plant with a few small industries along with the usual smattering of doctors, dentists, and other professionals. 

This type of community isn't rare in the US. It's quite common in almost every state. You could probably even take a little risk and commute into a city if you must keep your current job. (In such a case a reverse backpack survival strategy just might work--you'd be bugging out to your home.)
Western civilization stepped out of the dark ages when small communities started allowing people to specialize in various jobs. Rather than each many being his own artisan, farmer, doctor, carpenter, etc., men started learning to master one job they enjoyed doing. Each man become more efficient at doing a job and--through the magic of capitalism--western culture finally started upward again.
A small modern community like the one suggested above, when faced with a national economic collapse or the aftermath of a nuclear war, would eventually lift itself up the same way. It would give those who lived in it the same chance for specialization of work and the ability to carry on mutual trade, support, and protection. Such small communities will be the few light spots in a Neo-Dark Age. 

Which place would you rather be: in a cave, wondering where the food for tomorrow would come from, or with a group of people living in their homes, working together to overcome their problems? Even the most individualistic of survivalists shouldn't find the choice too hard to make. 

The author of this article, Duncan Long, is well-known as the writer of many gun, self-sufficiency, and survival books. His firearms books are listed (along with other interesting books) in a free catalog available from Paladin Press, P. O. Box 1307, Boulder, CO 80306 (303) 443-7250. 

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Personal Camouflage and Concealment

    Camouflage is anything you use to keep yourself, your equipment and position from looking like what they are. Personal camouflage has certain simple rules that will defeat the most obvious sensor on the battlefield; the human eye. 


Shape. 

Your helmet, load bearing web equipment, rifle and other gear have a clear, often square shape, and there are no squares in nature. Break up straight lines with strips of burlap, camo cloth or netting in shades of brown and green. Elastic bands can be sewn to your uniform or equipment straps to facilitate adding camo strips or vegetation. Camo materials should not be attached to your rifle in areas where they may slip and interfere with your firm grip or the mechanical operation of the weapon. It is better to cover the weapon with paint or camouflage tape. 
 
Shine. 

Most modern military equipment uses plastic or subdued painted metal fasteners and buckles. If the paint has worn off or you are using commercial equipment with shiny buckles, these need to be covered with paint or tape. 

Other shiny surfaces that can reflect light include binoculars, compasses, watch crystals, plastic map covers and eyeglasses. Little can be done about eyeglasses other than using headgear with a low brim or mosquito netting, but other shiny equipment should be stowed away when not needed and used with caution. Shine also includes skin, even at night when it will reflect moonlight and flares. 

Silhouette. 

Similar in many respects to shape, silhouette includes the outline of the human form and the equipment it is carrying. The shape of the head and shoulders of a man are unmistakable and a bare helmet attracts attention. The use of local vegetation as garnishing helps break up your silhouette. Thick handfuls of grass tucked into your shoulder straps are especially useful in breaking up the distinctive "head and shoulders" shape of the human figure and vegetation added to a helmet breaks the smooth curve of the top and the line of the brim. 
Take care not to overdo adding local vegetation. You shouldn't need a machete to hack a path through your camouflage to get at your ammo pouch or other necessary equipment. Also, a large bush or tree is sure to attract attention when it starts to move. 

Silhouette also includes field craft. However well camouflaged you may be, it is little help if you "sky line" yourself by walking along the top of a hill or ridge line, or if you stand against a background of one solid color. 

Smell. 

Even the most urbanized man will develop a good sense of smell after a few days in the open. He will be able to detect engine smells, cooking, body odors and washing. Some smells are hard to minimize. Soaps should be scent-free and activities such as cooking should be confined to daylight hours when other smells are stronger and the air warmer. Rubbish from cooking should be carried away from your operational area and buried only as a second choice. Buried objects are often dug up by animals and can give a good indication of the strength and composition of your patrol or unit as well as its morale. The discipline of refuse removal is important. 

Sound. 

You can make a lot of noise while out on patrol. Your boots can squeak. Your cleaning kit or magazines can rattle in your ammo pouches. Heavy pack frames can creak. 

Fittings on your weapon can rattle. Radios can have background noise. Coughing and talking can carry for long distances, especially at night. You must become familiar with a silent routine in which hand signals replace the spoken word and conversations are conducted in a whisper. 

Proper stowage of your gear, taping of slings and other noisy equipment and a final shakedown before a patrol moves out will reduce noise. If digging a position, place sentries far enough out that they will spot an enemy before he hears the sound of digging. 

Color. 

Though most modern combat uniforms are in a disruptive pattern camouflage, there may be times when this is less helpful. The trouble with camo clothing is that in the wrong environment, like cities, it stands out and says "Hey, look at me!" If fighting in built-up areas, a pattern of greys, browns and dull reds would be more useful than the typical woodland BDU pattern. 

Natural vegetation used to garnish helmets and equipment will fade and change color. Leaves will dry and curl up exposing pale under surfaces. You may have put dark green ferns and leaves into your helmet band while in the woods and then find yourself moving through an area of pale open grassland. Check and change your camouflage regularly. 

The most obvious color that needs camouflaging is that of human skin, and for that you need G.I. camo stick or, preferably, a commercial camo cream. G.I. camo sticks are issued in loam and light green for use in areas with green vegetation. A sand and light green stick is used in areas lacking green vegetation. A loam and white stick is for use in snow covered terrain. If camo sticks or creme are not available use burnt cork, bark or charcoal for the dark color and mud for the light color. 

Dark colors are used to reduce the highlights formed by the nose, cheek bones, chin, ears and forehead. Lighter colors are used in areas of shadow under the eyes, nose and chin. When applying camo to your face it is useful to work with a buddy and help each other. G.I. camo sticks are rough on the skin and difficult to apply. A few drops of baby oil, skin lotion or insect repellent rubbed on the skin first will make it much easier to apply. Skin camo needs to be periodically touched-up as you move and sweat. A simple pattern for the face is to apply a light color first to the entire face and then add dark diagonal stripes. The diagonals cut though and break up the horizontal and vertical lines of the eyes nose and mouth. 

Good camouflage is almost as important as good marksmanship. A well camouflaged man who is a poor shot will probably survive longer than the poorly concealed expert sniper.

Bugging out by vehicle

EVACUATION: Bugging out by motor vehicle
by Team Training Systems
Reprinted from American Survival Guide  

Most individuals have included "bugging out" in their emergency response planning. This is correct, as evacuation may be necessary for many reasons. Most plans make the assumption that major highways will be open and passable. The individual or group will likely be part of a mass exodus, complete with panicky, desperate drivers, vehicle break- downs, accidents and other traffic-tangling conditions. 


 The military has priority on the interstate highway system, and the military may close the interstates at any time compounding the confusion. We need only to examine the evacuation prior to Hurricane Opal, where 60 percent of evacuees remained in place due to "grid-locked" highways, to see that an alternate evacuation plan should be developed. 
 
While mass evacuation in the event of a natural disaster or hazardous materials incident is normally a well-planned and practiced event, evacuation in the event of mass civil disobedience is not. The Historical Response to such events has been curfews, travel restrictions and restrictions on the sale of gasoline (Remember the riots of the 1960's?)
The ability to travel by tertiary roads, or no roads at all, will be invaluable under chaotic conditions. 

This article is intended to serve as a primer or basic introduction to cross-country evacuation by motor vehicle.We will discuss route find- ing, traversing obstacles, security and communications. Operation will also be discussed. 

ROUTE FINDING-

Prior reconnaissance is an absolute must for successful use of territory roads, trails and utility rights-of-way. A large scale atlas, or better, USGs grid maps will prove invaluable and save time. Power line and particularly pipeline rights-of-way are kept reasonably clear of brush for inspection purposes and are frequently the most direct routes available. Be advised that utility rights-of- way are private property, and frequently include steep grades and side- hills that may be impassable for less capable vehicles. 

Abandoned railroad lines may offer another usable route. Grades are shallow and curves are wide even by modern highway standard. The road- bed was designed for far heavier loads than any four-wheeled vehicle is capable of moving. The roadbed is packed so tightly that very little vegetation grows. Here in the East, abandoned logging and mining rail- roads are frequently encountered and are usable by even low-capability vehicles. The principal drawback is that bridges over both ravines and water obstacles may be collapsed or removed entirely, creating what may be a near-impassable obstacle. Even so, if an abandoned railroad grade appears on the map, it is worth investigating. Never, except under the most dire and immediate circumstances, attempt to travel on a "live" railroad track. An oncoming train could produce the most horrible consequences! 

Even direct cross country travel is not impossible, if the terrain is not too heavily wooded. Most government owned woodland is well covered with maintained fire fighting trails. Open terrain may be crossed on a compass heading, the only drawback being the tracks left by the vehicles. 

OPSEC AND CONVOY OPS-

Most individuals and families concerned with emer- gency planning have formed groups with others of like mind. There is safety in numbers, particularly when traveling. Risk exposure is high- est when on the move, and the risk is compounded when only a single vehicle is involved. 

The type of vehicle is also a risk factor. While not to belabor the obvious, a standard passenger auto or minivan would be a poor choice. Road bound and with poor hauling capacity, this type's virtues are limited to improved high speed capability and greater fuel economy, when compared to the average four-wheel drive. Consider also that a full size four wheel drive usually has sufficient power to drag almost any man-made obstacle out of the way. Choose accordingly. 

The first step in preparing an evacuation plan should be predestination of an initial assembly or "rally" point. This should be a central location for all parties, enroute to the designated area of operations. Ideally a point with a fairly high elevation providing to the degree of cover and concealment should be located. The higher elevation will assist with radio communications, and concealment will be necessary as not all group members will arrive at the same time. Make no on the air reference to road or places names, landmarks, etc., as such radio traffic may assist undesirable elements in locating the group. If the route is over 50 miles or so in length, or passes through several small towns, then intermediate rally points should be designated, using the same criteria as before. 

Second, the order of march should be designated. First in line should be the lightest and least capable vehicle, carrying the forward secur- ity element. If the first vehicle crosses obscales unassisted, then the rest of the convoy should cross also. The heaviest and most capa- ble vehicle will proceed second in line, carrying towlines, chain saws, axes and other vehicle recovery and road clearing equipment. In the event of a stuck vehicle or road obstacle the equipment forward security element will be positioned for most rapid deployment. Next in line, in third and fourth position, should be the supply vehicles and non- operational personnel. The trail vehicle should be a near duplicate of the second vehicle and carry equipment to create roadblocks as well as the rear security element. Open trucks would be ideal as the lead and trail vehicles: the security elements, riding in the open cargo area would have maximum visibility and fields of fire. 

Third, while on the march, maintain maximum safe interval between vehi- cles. Each vehicle should remain within sight and small-arms range of the vehicles immediately preceding and following. Avoid the tendency to "bunch up", particularly at obstacles or other ambush points. Minimize exposure by maintaining interval at temporary halts. 

Fourth, radio communications between vehicles and security elements elements can not be overemphasized. Work out some simple codes so that voice transmissions will be minimized. Keying the mike will produce a spitting sound as the radio breaks squelch. A simple "one" for stop, "two" for go, "staccato burst" for dismount and take cover will suffice for most work. Such short bursts will greatly reduce the effectiveness of direction-finding gear, and will give no clue as to what the group is doing. 

Fifth, when making prolonged halts, the vehicles should be "laagered"- dispersed in a rough circle, under cover and/or camouflaged. Two sentries, circling the laager in opposite directions will be sufficient to keep watch on the laager and each other. Maintain light and noise discipline while laagered. Sound travels for long distances in unpopulated areas, and light is visible for many miles, even in daylight. If group plans include an overnight halt, the same criteria for selection should be used as for the initial rally point. 

FORDING OPERATIONS-

If road travel is be avoided for security reasons, then bridges over water obstacles are to be doubly avoided. Water crossings have been recognized as natural choke points and ambush sights since armed conflict began. Intentional destruction of bridges has been used to deny mobility since ancient times, and more recently, obsolete bridges on tertiary roads frequently are not replaced when damaged. Fortunately, most of these tertiary roads date from horse and buggy days when the only way to cross water obstacles was to ford them. Note the number of waterside towns with -ford in the names (Chanceford, Chaddsford, etc.) that usually indicate an old creek ford. 

Once the fording sight is located, the next step will be determined by the tactical situation. In a high threat environment, the security element will have to proceed on foot and secure both the far bank and both flanks prior to sending the vehicles across. If the perceived threat level is low, one or two lightly armed scouts on the far bank will be sufficient. 

The ford element should proceed across at wheel track width, inspecting the bottom of the creek for deep holes, large rocks, mud, or other obstacles. On reaching the opposite bank, the ford element should continue for at least 200 meters under cover and evaluate conditions. If passable, one of the ford element should return to the ford and direct traffic at the ford itself. 

Park the heaviest, most capable vehicle nose-on to the creekbank to one side of the ford. Connect the front of the most capable vehicle to the rear of the least capable with a towline and send the least capable vehicle across first. The towline should be long enough to reach across the entire obstacle, if possible. If not the heavy vehicle will have to follow the lighter vehicle across in order to maintain slack in the towline. If the first vehicle does not make it across, the recovery system is in place to pull the vehicle out without having personnel wading in the creek in order to hook up the towline.

In the event that the convoy contains low capacity vehicles such as passenger cars, different procedures are in order. These vehicles are not capable of fording more than a shallow stream, and most likely will have to be towed across. If there is any possibility of submerging the engine, the air intake opening should be sealed and the vehicle towed across (dead). Bear in mind that a passenger car will float in relatively shallow water and that it may be necessary to open the doors and puncture the interior trunk floors to prevent the auto from drifting downstream, pulling the tow vehicle with it. It may even be necessary to use a second vehicle and towline as an anchor on the near bank. 

Once across, the first vehicle should stop only long enough to discon- nect the towline, then immediately proceed in the direction of the ford security element. Each vehicle should cross in turn, maintaining inter- val and extending the line. The vehicle operators should not attempt to crash through the obstacle. Proceed slowly and steadily, maintaining control of the vehicle. Use extreme caution when operation in still or muddy water. Depth is hard to determine, and wandering offline could result in a swamped vehicle, or worse. If the water is deep enough to impinge on the radiator fan, the fan belt should be loosened or removed to prevent the fan from revolving. A rotating fan may bend forward far enough to damage the radiator when the fan hits the water. 

The anchor vehicle then picks up the rear security element (if deployed) and crosses last. The convoy should immediately proceed to a secure area at least one kilometer away and halt to inspect all undervehicle components for water vehicle contamination. Do not omit this step if the water is more than axle deep. The convoy may return to normal road march after the inspection is completed. 

DEBRIEFING NOTES: 

Team Training Systems-Creek Fording/Convoy Ops Training
Several of the photographs used in this article were shot on a Team Training Systems training op. We identified several weaknesses needing remediation: 

1. Communications. Due to the late arrival of one of the operators, the pre-op briefing was greatly shortened and several operators did not "get the word." Several crossings were required to set up the photo- graphs properly. 

2. One vehicle had no two-way radio. Due to the short briefing no hand signals were designated. The operator of this vehicle had no idea of what he was expected to do, other than follow the vehicle in front. 

3. Perhaps most important, five large vehicles traveling together on roads that normally see only two or three vehicles per day attracted a tremendous amount of local attention. While no legal authorities were contacted, we found ourselves explaining our presence more than once. This attention would likely be magnified under chaotic conditions. Maintain the largest possible interval between vehicles that reliable communications will allow. Keep weapons and other survival gear out of sight. Camping gear would make a good cover story, as would a large toolbox, hard hats, and a stack of unusual looking electrical parts. Make vehicle halts in parking lots and other public locations. 

In conclusion, prior planning, reconnaissance, identification of obstacles, and several dry runs will be necessary to identify and correct problems.

More E&E

 Escape and Evade #2


To find you they have to use their senses. But you become one with your environment--- invisible and inaudible, so their senses won't work. Confuse them and they can't think. Attack them, Harass them, trap them, destroy their minds, then their hearts, and finally some of their tired, beaten bodies, and the only thing that WILL work is their emotions. Then, You own them. 


Stealth is your great ally. Speed is only used for emergencies. Many people think that the idea in escaping and evading is merely to put distance between you and your pursuers. That's wrong--- with one exception. In this game of life and death, stealth, and the ability to scheme are relative. It's them against you. In the beginning of the chase, flat out speed often works to your advantage, because it forces them into hot pursuit immediately, so they never get a chance to organize.


Even if you are running scared, so that the more lead time you have the better you like it, the answer may not be for you to run faster, but to make them run slower. Take at least one member of their party out and the rest will slow down to a crawl. When they start out after you with superior numbers, better weapons and dogs, they will press on and enjoy the chase. As soon as one of them dies, all will scare, and start thinking maybe this isn't fun after all. 


DON'T PANIC; Stay cool! If you Panic you loose the ability to scheme and plan. Then you are dead meat. You have to know the power of the enemy and plan for every possibility. Don't just move. Think. Scheme. You must be able to PRECISELY assess the situation and then Plan and scheme around the facts. 


Never make a maneuver that requires a strength you don't have or a weapon you don't own. On the contrary, Force THEM into over-extending, hurrying, and running scared. Why Tangle with them when they are fresh, confident and ready to fight. Wait. Sooner, or later, they will make a mistake. 


The secondary factor is your physical condition and how well you maintain yourself as you escape.
Finally, distance is helpful, but remember--- ONLY HELPFUL. 


Hiding in Water   DO NOT attempt to hide in Water. Every War movie from Rambo on back, puts the hero into the drink. He breathes through a reed while they pass, and then comes out behind them. That's show biz; Here's real life: 


You go into the water. If they have dogs, the doggie will turn and say, "this is where he went into the drink because I can't smell him anymore." (Even if you have bathed 100%, you develop Maggot breath in the woods, and no dog could miss it.)
Then the Handler will fan left or right and find a place for the dog to pick up your trail on one side of the bank or the other. If they find no trail, they know you continued to bathe. They will find you. "But," you say, "you're hidden under a bunch of sacred lilies, Which they don't dare to disturb, so they can't see you." (yeah, right.) 


So--they will just wait you out. Water takes away your body heat at a phenomenal rate, about 7 times faster than air. Your natural body temperature is about 98.6 degrees. Even if the water is a comfy 74, in time you will suffer from hypothermia. They will wait, and you will freeze. Even if they didn't have time to wait (but they certainly will...you are their priority), detection is a big problem. You have to get deep enough so they can't see you through the water. You also have to breathe. Now, we already know that you wouldn't be in the water if you didn't believe in fiction, so you just happen to have with you a special camouflaged hose six feet long. 


At first you breath fine. But then it becomes labored. Why? You exhale carbon dioxide, which does not clear the hose, so you breathe back in your own carbon dioxide, and re-use the unexpended oxygen... you run out of air. You end up cold and sucking gas as you bubble to the top. Yes, water hideouts are great, but only in the movies... 


Finally, there's the one about running in the creek. Then a scent dog can't track you and you get away. No,no. First, you run a tremendous risk of injury travelling in creeks because all the rocks on the bottom are slippery. You'll think somebody designed them just for breaking ankles. Second, you move more slowly in water than you do on land. Anybody can walk faster on the bank than you can run in the water... And you will make God's own noise while running. Hypothermia is, again, a problem, and at very least you lose calories, and therefore stamina. The creek getaway is an armchair dream; it won't work either.
Hiding In Trees
  If you go up a tree, the enemy will make a monkey out of you. As you sit at home and think about it, treetops are alluring. Here's the scenario: With a slingshot you shoot a shot weighted fish line over a high limb. The fish line is tied to a parachute cord (550 lbs test) and you pull it over. With your foot in the loop on one side of the line, you Hand-over-hand up the other until you're into the tree tops. Then you connect tree to tree, and you befuddle the whole Posse. Bull; it really goes like this: You finally get up in the trees and, miracle-- the branches are thick enough to connect. It takes a long time to pull this off so you lose lead time, and it is tiring. Also you could have fallen on your Butt and broken something, but you made it! Now, you're ten-twenty trees away, and they arrive.

The dogs either bark treed or stop and look up. So the posse fans out and goes heads up also. You don't dare move. If you happen to have a gun and shoot, you'll kill one, and the other 19 will ventilate you. You are cornered.

They WILL find you, day or night, because they know you can't move. If you do.. they will probably kill you (weapons or the fall). Yes, the tree plan sucketh. Ask any dead bear or coon that has ever been treed---DONT TAKE TO THE TREES.



Food   You can't evade if you don't preserve yourself. If you let your diet go or get a case of food poisoning, you're history. You have to eat. No 7-11's in the woods, so you will have to go native, and eat what's available. 

Most often in an E&E situation you must feed yourself on the run. Snake, birds and rodents are great, But it takes a ton of lead time to catch them. You are better off with ants, Termites and grub worms, because these are plentiful and take very little stopping time to catch and prepare. 


Even grasshoppers take some time and energy to catch. Ants, termites and grub worms are the fast food of the jungle. Just think of this as the escapee's Kentucky Colonel. You can even sing, "We do termites right." 


Turn over a rock and catch a bunch of ants on a leaf or piece of paper. Scoop them into a cup, add water, heat 'n serve. It will taste sweet. Break off a bottom chunk of wood to find termites, and flick these into the same cup. Incidentally, replace the log so that trackers won't know what you're eating. Add water, boil; enjoy. 


Grub worms go down like a large pill. Break off the head and swallow the body with a swig of water. These are best because the fat content provides you with energy. 


With enough lead time developed to enable you to build a small fire, you can upgrade your menu. Rodents, birds, squirrels, etc, make great meals. A fat rat isn't much less than a skinny rabbit. I am not in favor of snakes because the risk isn't worth the low fat diet they provide. 


Birds can be snared alright, but they take a long time to prepare, and you have to boil any carrion-eater because they are full of parasites. Fowl are wonderful to eat, but they make a racket you would not believe when snared.
Plants are another chapter entirely, but as a rule grasses are edible unless they have saw toothed edges; this will tear up your digestive system. Avoid eating any plant with a mily sap, except dandelions, which are fine to eat cooked or raw. 



Evasion - Celestial Navigation   Many of the things you will need to know are covered in Site Selection and Patrolling. Remember these things: 


Do not cross open areas
Don't walk across the tops of hills, walk around them. Freeze if you see or hear an aircraft.
Cross roads in curves, not on straight-aways.
Parallel streams, rivers and roads if necessary, but be very cautious when doing so
Avoid all inhabited areas (traditional method).
Travel at night, sleep during the day. 


Sleep in thick inaccessible wooded areas. Crawl under bushes to get into the center of thickly wooded areas. If traveling through populated areas you must adopt the customs of the people.


Don't linger in one area. It arouses suspicion and authorities may be called to investigate. 


Alternate Method - Steal clothing from houses when no one is home. Try not to let them know what you took.
Keep a clean, neat set of clothes rolled up and protected. Change into these when you come to a populated area. Keep your sleeves rolled down and wear gloves when traveling through woods and fields. It is not hard to keep from getting cuts and scrapes when you are out for a day or two camping. It is much harder when you have to traverse hundreds of miles. After a few days you will be covered with scratches, insect bites, and torn, soiled, clothing. 


It is very hard to look like anything but a vagrant but that is what you must do. The authorities will be looking for someone who looks like they have been traveling on foot. You want to look clean cut if you are in a town, like a farmer if you are in the country, or a factory worker if you are near shipyards, factories, etc. 


The alternate method allows moving from one inhabited area to another. If you have the balls to pull this off it could be much simpler than trying to avoid the enemy in the woods. You can't go around asking directions in a foreign tongue if you don't want to be noticed. You must find a place where you can blend in and observe the actions of others. If you are sitting outside, it helps to have a newspaper or book to pretend to look at. Get one from the trash. be very careful when trying to steal. If you are caught it will mean more than a jail term. If you are caught by a homeowner or proprietor, don't just run. Try pleading your situation to them. If you are a foreigner fleeing from an occupying army or unpopular govt troops you may find sympathy. In Central America, you will be viewed as a rich Yankee and shot for your shoes! It all depends on the situation. Rural farming people are distrustful of outsiders in any country. If you can win them over, they are also more friendly. They work at farming, animal husbandry, etc. and don't depend on nor expect the kindness of others. Poor urban dwellers will probably rob you or turn you in for a reward. Use your knowledge of the people to survive. You can see why there is less danger if you choose to make your own way through the wilderness. But it has it's own difficulties, shelter, clothing, food and other necessities are very difficult to come by with a knife, compass, and the clothes on your back. 


If you are armed you may be able to take a road checkpoint, or other unaware small party of soldiers/civilians. Take their clothes, vehicle, food, weapons and simply haul ass as far as you can. Then strike out over the country again.
If you come to a road check point it may be a good idea to watch them for a while. Sit back in the woods and see what they do. 


Celestial Navigation 
 
Now is the time to learn to do this. Don't wait until it is necessary to learn basic constellations.
In the northern hemisphere you will need to find only one star. The hardest thing for some people is to forget myths they have learned over the years about certain stars and constellations. The ones we will discuss are the North Star, Big Dipper, Little Dipper, Cassiopeia, and the Southern Cross. Many people if asked to find ANY constellation will point to the Pleides and call it the little dipper. If you don't know the difference, get a star chart and find these constellations.

The North Star is important because it never moves. It is always in the same place -- the north sky. It is the very end of the handle of the little dipper. You can find it this way, or if the dipper is below the horizon, locate it by using the big dipper. Measure the distance between the two stars that form the end of the 'pan' Now draw a straight line through those two stars. Measure along that line 5 times the thickness of the pan. That is where the North or Pole star is located. To check your work, if you are close to 30 degrees latitude, the north star should be three hand widths above the horizon. The farther north you go, the higher it will be in the sky. On the north pole, it would be almost over head. Near the equator it is invisible, and it's location must be approximated by looking for the big dipper or Cassiopeia.

In the southern hemisphere, you can find due south by looking for the southern cross. It rotates around the south pole. If you draw a line from the top of the cross straight through the bottom and on across the sky, the line will pass through a due south point. Remember this, if you are about -30 degrees latitude, the imaginary 'South Star' will about 3 hand widths above the horizon. There is no southern pole star.

Sun Navigation 
 
Take a stick and push it into the ground straight up. Place small rock on the tip of the shadow that is cast. Wait about 20 minutes and place another small rock on the tip of the 'new' shadow. Now draw a straight line between the two rocks. This line points east - west. Stand with your left toe on the first rock and your right toe on the second. You are facing north. Think of it this way -- if the sun moves from east to west, then the shadow moves from west to east, right?

Take a small stick, pencil or something in the fold between your thumb and hand. Hold your palm up and flat. Tilt the stick about 15 degrees toward the center of your hand. Face due east. Look at the point on your hand where the shadow falls. Divide the hand into 12 hours, starting at the wrist and moving clockwise around to your index finger, 12:00 noon being about where your little finger meets your hand.

The place where the shadow falls is the time of day.