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Go to the source: The Urban Survivalist

So I finally finished reading Scott William’s Bug Out: The Complete Plan for Escaping a Catastrophic Disaster Before It’s Too Late. He sent me a copy for review just a couple of days after it was released. I’ve been reading a couple of other books on the side so this one took me longer than it should have to get through. It’s a very easy to read, concise, to the point manual that covers the who, what, when, where, why and how of bugging out. You see several other survival manuals touch on it. You read about it all the time on message boards. You see people talk about BOBs, survival caches, bug out locations, bug out routes and everything else. I haven’t seen any books and very few discussions with this level of detail that concentrates solely on this aspect of survival, though.

Who: Who needs to have a serious bug out plan? Not everyone has a stocked bug out location in the boonies. He does a good job of not only convincing you that you should have a solid plan but that you can have one no matter what your circumstances are. This book concentrates more on the typical person who doesn’t think that they have anywhere to go in an emergency. It also makes the people who think that they have somewhere to go think about what they’d have to do if they couldn’t get there.

What: He goes into good detail on what to take. Let’s be honest, though. This is the one aspect that’s been covered to death all over the place. He covers what he considers the essentials and why they’re essential. How do you cook? How do you purify water? What kind of gun should you take? In the appendix there’s a very long, detailed list of everything that he would consider taking with him if he had to bug out. It’s a very solid list with some things that I hadn’t thought of or seen talked about before.

When: When should you seriously consider bugging out? If you’re going to do it then be ready to do it on a moment’s notice and don’t hesitate or you could find yourself fighting with everyone else who’s trying to get out of town themselves.

Where: Where do you go if you have nowhere to go? If you live in the US he’s got you covered. He breaks down every region of the US with basic maps, different areas within each region, wild edibles and game and the kinds of things to expect in the wildernesses of each region. I didn’t read this whole section since I’m not interested in some of the other regions. He has my region pegged, though, so I trust that he knows what he’s talking about with the others.

Why: Why even consider bugging out? What would make you want to leave your home? Why would you even think about it if you have nowhere to go? Sometimes you won’t have a choice. Other times you’ll have some important choices to make and having the tools and knowledge beforehand can ensure your success if you decide that staying home isn’t the best option.

How: How do you get out in the first place? He covers everything from automobiles to boats to pack animals. He also gives good suggestions on making plans, making caches and having your route planned out ahead of time among other things.

Overall, this is a very well thought out book with a ton of practical information. Whether you have a stocked and paid for BOL that no one knows about or not bugging out can be an option. If you’re interested in the outdoors at all then you will be able to make use of it whether you ever have to bug out or not. To be honest you could just as easily use this as a guide on how and where to go adventuring in the US wilderness. I could see it being a good book for someone who’s on the fence about getting started in preparedness. Especially if they’re already into camping, hiking, kayaking, hunting, etc.