Bugout
To bug out is to leave your home and travel to a safer location when staying put has become more dangerous than going. We also call it bugging out. Seasoned preppers treat it as a last resort, because leaving trades your shelter, supplies, and familiar ground for the risks of the road.
Why Preppers Meet the Term
You meet the term when a threat makes home untenable, such as wildfire, flooding, a chemical release, or spreading violence. The decision rests on one honest comparison: is the threat at home worse than the risks of travel? When it clearly is, a practiced bugout gets your family out early, ahead of the crowd, to a place you have already prepared. When it is not, bugging in at home is usually the stronger choice.
Where to Go Next
Our guide to wildfire evacuation works through when to make the call. Your bug out bag is the gear you grab on the way out, and a kids bug out bag equips your youngest travelers. For the ride itself, read up on survival vehicles.
