The Medic Shack: Escape! (On Bugging Out)

The Medic Shack posted Escape! last summer after the Maui fires as a bit of a lessons learned and “what should you do to prepare to bug out.” Below is only and excerpt, but the entire article is worth a read.

…For decades you all have heard people like me tell you. “You need a BOB, Bug Out Bag” And you need X amount of food, water and change of clothes. Also need Y type of weapons and reloads. You need this brand of radio and you need need need. Mostly we tell you the things you need, is well, you need them. And to be perfectly transparent. We make a little bit of money off purchases you make from the links we research and share with you. Today we’re going to diverge (somewhat) the you need to buy this. To you need to PLAN and RESEARCH this. Folks like me sometimes forget we need not tell you to buy something, When we should be telling ideas on how to find your own answers. This post starts that trend here.

Getting the heck out of Dodge

According to the news articles a lot of people died in their homes and automobiles.

Lets take the sacrifice those people made and learn from them.

So our first bit of planning and research is to put down the computer, phone and tablet. (Well after you read this. Please! ) And GET OUT. By that I mean get out of your home and explore. Really explore. Find those over grown logging roads and dirt tracks. The back alleys side streets and weed choked vacant lots. Take your GPS. You will get lost. And that’s part of this exercise, And get maps. Lots of maps. As was found out in Maui\.

LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — Hawaii emergency management records show no indication that warning sirens sounded before people ran for their lives from wildfires on Maui that killed at least 55 people and wiped out a historic town. Instead, officials sent alerts to mobile phones, televisions and radio stations — but widespread power and cellular outages may have limited their reach.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/questions-grow-over-wildfire-warnings-as-maui-death-toll-rises

Without cell service your phone GPS won’t work. Stand alone GPS like Garmens will. But batteries die, A protected laminated map will last forever. Learn to read a map and use a compass. If anyone says again “My phone ALWAYS works for Google Maps” read again the above article. Get maps. You can even download and print maps for free from National Geographic. https://www.natgeomaps.com/trail-maps/pdf-quads. Print them. Protect them. And learn to use them. Hmmm, note to self. Looks a good old fashioned land navigation class is in order here.

Moving out. When?

When is it time to move out? That is something you’d have to answer for yourself. IN the above links, the major issue was no warning. And the major reason was power, land line and cellular service was down. A NOAA radio with battery backup is ESSENTIAL. NOAA stations have alternate power and keep broadcasting alerts. Get one like this https://amzn.to/3OPOm9e. That runs normally on household power, but has battery backup. NOAA broadcasts not only weather but disaster inforamtion. It can give size and location of whatever is heading your way. Now when. First most of us preppers are borderline horders. Remember. DO. NOT. TAKE EVERYTHING YOU OWN! Take what you need to survive. And you did remember to place cache’s here and there? If not do so. NOW! …(article continues)

Radio Contra Ep. 267 Interview with K

NC Scout of Brushbeater interviews K of Combat Studies Group in episode 267 of Radio Contra. They discuss the Texas border, involvement in local politics, Iran, China, Russia, weapon setups, and more.

Radio Contra Ep. 267. Night Vision, Thermal, Weapons Setups and Training with K of Combat Studies Group

S2 Underground: Improvised Incident Response

S2 Underground has a quick video on responding to an incident in your area.

“What do I do when X happens?” is a question we get fairly often. While no one can answer that for each specific event, there are basic steps one can take if located outside the general area of an incident, but still need to be involved. This is our attempt to create a very basic, stop-gap solution to this when it comes to communications. There will be more to come on this topic later, but in the interest of expediency, this is what we have for now.

WPC: WA HB 2331 would defund schools that do not adopt controversial curriculum mandated by the state

From the Washington (state) Policy Center, HB 2331 would defund schools that do not adopt controversial curriculum mandated by the state

The state House of Representatives may soon vote on HB 2331, a bill to defund school districts refusing to adopt controversial curriculum materials mandated by the state.

Since 2019 the state legislature has passed laws encouraging school districts to teach the false and divisive Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in public schools. Many local schools object to adopting textbooks and materials that promote harmful ideas to children. HB 2331 would give the state superintendent the power to cut state funding if he does not approve of the classroom materials chosen by local schools.

HB 2331 would effectively repeal the state law that says local schools should choose textbooks and materials that are best for children. The bill would further damage the reputation of public education as a place which serves all children, regardless of race and background, on an equal and respectful basis.

Many parents are concerned about the radical leftwing political shift in schools.  The families of 46,000 students have already left public education. The bill would tell families that their local school is not responsive to the community, adding to the trend of families leaving the public system. 

For more information, see our Legislative Memo on this bill.

2024 Mountain Guerilla Classes in Idaho Falls

Mountain Guerrilla has announced some 2024 classes which will be held in Idaho Falls, ID.

2024 Mountain Guerrilla Class Offerings–

Classes this year in Idaho Falls won’t begin until July, because I’ll be calving from mid-April through mid-June.

13/14 JULY—Clandestine Carry Pistol

Idaho Falls, ID

Cost of class is $500. Deposits for this class are due no later than 1JUN.

17/18 AUG—Practical Horse Packing for Pedestrian Preppers

Idaho Falls, ID

This is a new class. It will cover basic horse care and equipment for the inexperienced with horses or folks who don’t have much horse experience beyond arena riding lessons or day rides on trails. It will cover basic field care and first aid, as well as methods of securing horses in the absence of corrals and barns. We will discuss and practice different methods of packing loads on horses, including the use of panniers and mantied loads, and the use of different types of pack saddles, including using riding saddles as pack saddles.

If you have zero experience with horses, or think the idea of using horses in a post-grid world is ridiculous, this is a class you need to take. This is NOT a riding class. There will be no riding in the class, although we will discuss setting up riding saddles for riding as well.

This is not a field class. It will take place outdoors, but in an outdoors classroom environment. While camping is available on site, you don’t need to feel like you’re required to camp out.

There’s no basic gear requirement for the class, except long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and closed-toes shoes, but students are encouraged to bring go-bags/GHB/rucks of choice for illustration purposes with loading.

Whether you know nothing about equines, or are an experienced rider, you’re going to learn a lot in this class.

Cost of class is $500. Deposits for this class are due no later than 1JUL.

14/15 SEP—General Preparedness Rifle

Idaho Falls, ID

Cost of class is $500. Deposits for this class are due no later than 1AUG.

Preparedness Lessons from the Ukraine War

This Offgrid article is dated back to the beginning of the invasion, but still has some useful things to think about when making your own plans. This article focuses on military threats. You can find many articles and videos that talk about why the USA is nearly invulnerable to invasion, but that just means that someday someone is going to say, “Hey, they’ll never expect it, so they won’t be ready.” Other more general preparedness related articles on the war follow below the excerpt.

Preparedness Lessons from the Invasion of Ukraine

Humans have a natural tendency to assume events we have experienced in the past are a good reflection of events we will experience in the future — psychologists call this normalcy bias. Unfortunately, this leads us to believe that events we haven’t experienced (yet) are unlikely to occur. It’s the driving force behind all the disaster survivors who look back and say, “I never thought it would happen to me!” Don’t let that be you.

Don’t assume the enemy is bluffing.

If warning signs begin to crop up prior to a potential disaster, your preparedness should ramp up proportionally. Hope for the best and plan for the worst.

[T]he highest-value targets should have been predictable to anyone with an adversarial mindset…However, some high-value targets are less obvious… What should this mean to you? If you live in a major city that is likely to be a significant target, your threat awareness should be elevated. You should prepare escape routes with waypoints and discuss them with your family — failure to do so could leave you stuck in gridlock, as many Ukrainians were. This is especially true if your city borders directly with a hostile nation or its allies (e.g. Belarus), or lies on a coastline that is readily-accessible. If your escape plan includes air travel, keep in mind that airports are typically a top priority in warfare, and you won’t want to be there when bombs start to fall.

Cyberattacks will be a significant factor

…We’re not suggesting you abandon technology and everyday conveniences, but you should certainly establish contingency plans in case cyberattacks affect the electrical grid, internet service providers, cell phone towers, or banking/point-of-sale systems. Consider learning how to use ham radio for emergency communications, set aside cash, buy a generator, stockpile important medications, and purchase paper maps of the surrounding area. If we’re ever set back to a world without reliable technology, you’ll be more prepared to cope with it.

Training

Ask yourself: how would you respond if you faced an invasion and had to join the fight, whether by mandatory draft or moral obligation? Would you be able to fall back on a solid foundation of training, not just in shooting skills but also small unit tactics, concealment, communication, navigation, medical, and sustainment skills? Would your spouse and children be prepared to contribute to the fight, or to escape to safety without you?

This brief post at The Prepared just talks about bugging out, and there are some decent posts in the comments as well.

What can we learn from the war in Ukraine?

One of the main lessons I’ve seen so far is the need to reassess my bug out plan. There was a 6 mile (10km) long traffic jam of refugees fleeing to Poland.

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At what point do you abandon your vehicle and trek it on foot? Is going on foot any better?

Another thought I had was having enough water, food, and fuel on hand. You don’t want to run out of food during the middle of an invasion and try to go through a war zone to buy groceries. 

My heart goes out to all those affected. Even to the Russian soldiers who may not like what they are doing but have to.

Let’s learn from what is going on and prepare for the future.

A comment on the post from sewknot:

Things I’ve learned from the news reports & interviews

1 have your documents ready – passport/visa/birth certificates

2 cash – have cash on hand so you don’t have to queue at the atm when you could be on the road

3 have your bag packed! Reports of people waking up at 3 am to missile strikes and deciding to pack THEN

4 your journey will take longer than you expect – make sure you have everything you need to make it to your destination and leave as soon as you can

5 mental fortitude – plan for the worst hope for the best

Some of the above lessons are summarized in an article at Survival Kompass titled 10 Things You Can Learn as a Prepper from the Ukraine Invasion.

  1. 1. Keep a stockpile of water and food for evacuation
  2. 2. Always have access to cash
  3. 3. Prepare for your medical care
  4. 4. Always have a full tank
  5. 5. Check the infrastructure around you
  6. 6. Do not stay longer than necessary
  7. 7. Prepare your family
  8. 8. Have your bug out bag ready
  9. 9. Learn survival skills
  10. 10. Always have a plan B and stay flexible
  11. Conclusion: Early preparation and flexible execution of plans give you an advantage and significantly increase your chances of survival!

AmRRON Increased AmCON to Level 3

From AmRRON:

AmCON-3  20231012-2030z

Increased likelihood of a disrupting event which could result in loss of conventional telecommunications and other services.

Due to numerous corroborating news and intelligence outlets, there is a significantly increased risk of social unrest between pro Israeli and pro Palestinian demonstrations, especially within the major cities of US and Europe.  Additionally, this call to action by the terrorist organization, Hamas, could incite lone wolf or sleeper cells to become operational.  Intelligence indicates that at the very least, Jewish personnel and their businesses and places of worship may be targets of terrorist attacks.SOURCE: Forward Observer

HAMAS LEADER CALLS FOR INTERNATIONAL “DAY OF RAGE”: Head of the Hamas Diaspora Office and founding member Khaled Mashal called for Muslims across the globe to “be martyrs for al-Aqsa” in “the Friday of al-Aqsa Flood” on 20 October.

Why It Matters: Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iranian intelligence services have a presence in the U.S., and more “illegals” have very likely crossed the southern border into the U.S. with the potential to act as sleeper cells. Hezbollah is involved in the narcotics trade in Latin America, ranging from the tri-border area between Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay to Mexico. If Hamas and Hezbollah seek to draw the U.S. into war in the Levant, they could conduct an attack against U.S. personnel and American tourists in Europe or the Middle East. Amid already high domestic tensions between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel political factions, Hamas militants could potentially conduct attacks within the United States. – R.C.

Also, from Zero Hedge, US Cities On High Alert Amid Hamas’ ‘Day of Rage’ Threats:

Local and federal law enforcement agencies across the US are increasing patrols after a former Hamas leader called on supporters to unleash chaos in what is being called a ‘day of rage.’ 

In New York City, Morgan Stanley employees were allowed to remote work today as an “All Out For Palestine” rally in Times Square, near the bank’s headquarters, presents security risks, according to Bloomberg. 

Google parent Alphabet Inc. employees in NYC were told they could stay home today, while a Jewish school in Queens instructed parents it would close today due to security risks. 

NBC News said the New York Police Department ordered all officers to be on patrol today while providing enhanced security at cultural sites and houses of worship. Additional officers will be deployed to protest areas.  

“New York City will do whatever it takes to keep our people safe,” New York Mayor Eric Adams (D) told reporters at a Thursday evening press conference. 

Outside of Israel, NYC has the largest Jewish population, and already, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (D) Democratic Socialists of America have held pro-Palestinian rallies in Times Square. 

AOC has made an effort, optically, of course, to denounce DSA’s explosive anti-Israel rhetoric: “(The rally) did not speak for the thousands of New Yorkers who are capable of rejecting both Hamas’ horrifying attacks against innocent civilians as well as the grave injustices and violence Palestinians face under occupation.” 

From coast to coast, police departments said they plan to increase patrols after Khaled Mashal, the former leader and founding member of Hamas, called on Muslims earlier this week to unleash a ‘Day of Rage‘ on Friday. 

AmRRON Sets Readiness to AmCON 4

From AmRRON:

Due to the escalating situation involving the war in Israel, and the potential for expanding regionally and beyond, the AmRRON Readiness Condition Level is now at Level 4 (Incident Possible).

There are numerous factors which could lead to regional expansion of the conflict between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah, especially as it relates to their supporting nation states (such as Iran).

Additionally, large demonstrations in western cities (including the U.S.) in support of “Palestine” could embolden jihadi fighters in the U.S. (including those who have infiltrated our southern border) to carry out terror attacks in western nations similar to what we saw in southern Israel this past weekend.

The unrest and division could also be exploited by Chinese operatives who (according to multiple intelligence reports) are affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and who have infiltrated into the U.S., and pose a significant risk through sabotage operations.  This could lead to disruptions (either kinetic physical action or cyber attacks) against our telecommunications, transportation, navigation, and fiber optic internet infrastructures.

AmRRON operators should take the following actions:

  • Inspect, functions check, and/or repair communications equipment, including alternative power
  • Charge batteries and increase fuel supply
  • Test your family, group, and community emergency communications plan
  • Discuss communications and other emergency response plans with same
  • Ensure your software is updated and tested
  • Submit a test STATREP (preferably using Commstat) in the next 24 hours

Check the website and this AmCON page for any updates.

The US State Department confirmed the deaths of nine US citizens in the war between Hamas and Israel with more citizens unaccounted for.