Alternate Bug Out Routes for Preppers
Kevin Felts 12.28.16
Preppers, do you have an alternate bug out route besides a major road for a long term grid down situation?
Let’s use the example of nuclear war or some type of pandemic. There is a complete break down of civil services. Roads are blocked with people who tried to leave the cities and ran out of gas.
With the major roads blocked and in chaos, what are your alternate bug out routes?
You and your family have bugged in for several weeks. Most of the freeze dried food and food stored in mylar bags have been consumed. Things are in dire straits. The family has to bug out to a rural location.
The main question is: How do you and your family bug out of the city?
Let’s talk about some alternate routes besides the major roads.
Rail Roads
Railways have been a form of foot transportation since they were developed. The rails are usually built on level ground, connect major cities, and have bridges over streams and rivers. Besides the dangers of getting ran over by a train, they are an almost perfect bug out route.
Over the past century, thousands of miles of railway has been built throughout the United States. They connect everything from major cities to small towns.
Using just the rail road, it is possible to travel to just about anywhere in the United States.
If you and your family have to bug out, rail roads offer flat terrain, even through it is rocky.
Old Highway System
Before the interstate highway system was built, commuters relied on a network of back roads. Some were paved, some were just dirt back country roads.
After the interstate highway system was built, some of these roads were incorporated into our modern highways, while others are still dirt roads. The old highway system still exist and are maintained by various counties all over the nation.
These old back roads that were once the main highways fall into disarray. Sometimes the county may not have money to fix a washed out bridge, so these roads are not 100% reliable. On a certain county road I know, a bridge stayed washed out for almost a decade. This was because the county was unable to obtain the money needed to replace the bridge.
Pipelines
Just as railways zig-zag across the nation, so do pipelines. In case you do not know what a pipeline is, it is where pipes are buried in the ground. The company owning the pipeline has a right-of-way through various pieces of property, such as forest or highways.
Pipelines are kept cleared of trees. This is because if the pipeline leaks, the grass will die where the leak is at. Inspection crews fly over the pipelines looking for dead patches of grass,
Pipelines connect refineries and shipping areas where ships are loaded with whatever is running through the pipes.
Every so often on a pipeline are vertical post saying what is running through the pipes and emergency contact numbers. At great distances along the pipeline there may be a small building. Sometimes these buildings have solar power, and sometimes they are connected to the grid.
Highlines
Highlines are where power lines run through wilderness areas.
A feeder line will leave a power generation station and will run to urban areas. The towers holding the power lines up could be several hundred feet tall and the right-of-way could be several hundred feet wide.
As the power lines go into rural areas, the poles and towers holding the lines get smaller, as does the right of way.
For example, in Bridge City Texas, there is a power generator plant called Entergy. Massive power lines leave Entergy. One set runs north to the Jasper Texas area, where it turns east and into Louisiana. If someone wanted to, they could start out in southeast Texas and follow the power line right of ways (highlines) for probably 100 miles.
Alternate Bug Out Route
We have discussed four alternative routes for bugging out of urban areas: railways, the old highway system, highlines, and pipelines.
Pipelines and highlines run through wilderness areas. They are not designed for mass transportation. There are no bridges, walkways, sidewalks, first aid stations, or anything else related to modern society.
Preppers, what are your alternative routes in case of a complete grid down collapse?
