# Getting home: shortest root?



## Padre (Oct 7, 2011)

A friend is getting into prepping and looking at options for getting home from the office in worse case scenario. His work requires him to be about 25miles from home each day. Without going into specifics if the area he is in were hit by a panic and lots of people evacuated the roads would be jammed almost instantly. So working off the scenario that cars are not an option I am trying to give him some options for getting home. I have had some innovative ideas, but one of them concerns me and so I wanted to ask some of the members who are vets. I am not asking about specifics and but just general opinions. 

In a genuine SHTF.
If roads were blocked or cars were not working. 
and you were trying to get home on foot.

Would you risk the shortest route if it included cutting across the fence lines of a military reservation? 

For instance if it meant the difference between a 10-12 mile hike (across crowded peopled roads) versus a 5-6 mile hike across a essentially empty forest. The total distance of his trek is as I said 25 miles and so the difference is possibly getting home in one day vs. two.

A couple of data points. I have been to bases that I would not even consider crossing--the big active ones. This reservation is not regular army, its National Guard and used by other federal agencies, largely for training, and it has almost no standing garrison. My proposed route intentionally and conveniently avoids the two main facilities on the reservation (one is an intel facility), which likely have higher security than the vast forest, and the only facilities I can observe by google maps that this route would pass near is a firing range. 

Given his likely equipment... any thoughts on this possible scenario. 

There are lots of routes that I would avoid, even if shorter, I am wondering if this should be one of them? Also, given the scenario of a SHTF would a base focus on defending its vast outer fence line or just on its key facilities?

I know I am not giving you too many specifics but I just want a gut reaction, particularly from someone who has had experiences on NG reservations.


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## Country Living (Dec 15, 2009)

I think the problem you're trying to solve is how your friend can quickly get home after an event. So I'm setting aside the (possible) need to cross a military reservation and the limitation of being afoot is the only solution. That information may limit your potential solutions because they may turn out to be a distraction. 

In a non-EMP situation - has your friend considered a motorcycle? He can get around a lot of road congestion on one - more so if it can be used off-road. There may be safeguards he could do to keep the motorcycle operable after an EMP. Others here are more qualified for that discussion than me. 

For an EMP situation, could he keep a bicycle in a nearby secure storage area? The whole premise is for your friend to get home quickly. The faster he gets moving the faster he will get home. Anything he can ride will (in all probability) get him home faster than walking.

All I'm saying is to keep options open when you have this discussion with your friend.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

I'd have to know a lot about a military reservation before I recommended that someone risk being shot at to save five or six miles.

CL had a good point about the bike. I've had a fondness for the DiBlasi folding motorcycle myself.

If your friend learned the back way home and kept at least half a tank of gas in his vehicle that would avoid some of the problems. If all he did was to get five miles closer that would be the same as cutting across the base without the risk of being shot at by the National Guard.


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## Padre (Oct 7, 2011)

He is looking for the fastest ways back to his family... Like I said I thought about the route, but had an uneasy feeling recommending it. I have suggested a number of options including bikes of various kinds. The fact that its only five or six miles makes me want to say go the long way via the access road. The only problem with playing it safe is that its not just 5mi and 1.5 hrs time, its 5miles and at least 9 hours during which you sleep terribly. My friend rembers the day when the base was open to civilians to pass through and says it save a lot of time. There really are no back roads to be had its a situation of two roads leading to a bridge--the quicker you get to and over that bridge the safer he will be, and his family?!


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## helicopter5472 (Feb 25, 2013)

I may catch some flack for this but this is how I see it, First if SHTF and you leave your job right away you have an big advantage. I have never seen this base and have no idea if you can go thru the woods without being seen from the buildings ect. Being a National Guard area they usually don't have as many bodies on base to secure the entire property. The first is to secure the entrance /exits and the buildings. How many of them are going to stay versus going home to their families? What are the chances that any of them are going to be out in the firing range. They probably don't have that much ammo to waste in the wake of a disaster, and are needed to secure the area buildings. How many will be sent out to watch over civilians in the town. Most and I repeat Most people caught sneaking on a military base are not shot (especially a single person) they are captured, however in a SHTF case people tend to have a itchy trigger finger. If captured chances are they would release them after showing his intentions of just getting home. They don't need another person to watch over much less feed. Remember these are Nat. Guard folks who mainly live at home with their families. Again without seeing with my own eyes the compound and the lay of the land I probably take a chance if you could not be easily seen from the woods.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

I vote for going through the woods.

If things are that bad, the last thing on the NG's mind is to patrol a wooded area that almost never has anything happening in it. Priorities will be elsewhere.


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## rugster (Mar 2, 2014)

It really depends on the situation.
However, I would avoid cutting across fenced restricted property whenever possible. 
It's fenced for a reason and likely has some form of perimeter/ intrusion sensor systems and some of these are impossible for you to detect.

One could find themselves detained for as long as the feds want

http://www.southwestmicrowave.com/products/


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

Perimeter fences on military bases usually have "alarms" that indicated a cut fence or someone is climbing the fence.

If I was military and received a fence alarm during a TEOTWAWKI I would shoot first and ask questions later.

In my case it's 3.01 miles from work to home if I stay on the public roads. Without a pack it takes me 55 minutes to walk home.

As the crow flies I have 2.52 miles from work to home. I would have 12 farm fields, two woods and a water filled ditch to cross. I figure it would take me at least 2 hours with a pack on a nice day and more hours depending on how much mud or snow. During a TEOTWAWKI I figure the possibility of a Property Owner taking a pot shot at me will increase dramatically. Safer to travel at night but my travel time would be...!

I'm planning on staying on the public roads as long as it is safe to do so. Only cut cross country as a last resort.


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## BillS (May 30, 2011)

If I was in that situation I'd keep a bicycle and a sleeping bag in the trunk of my car. The average person can go 3 to 5 times faster on a bike than walking. If you're leaving work at a time when civil unrest is breaking out you could look for a quiet place to spend the night and then start biking home at first light.


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

Most things escalate before $hit really hits the fan, so hopefully your friend would be able to get out before the main body of panic sets in. waiting until the spray is really thick just gets one covered in finely chopped $hit. there are all kinds of excuses to leave work in a hurry.:scratch


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## Country Living (Dec 15, 2009)

I agree with Tirediron - the "when you do something" could be more important than the "how you do something" at the start of an event. I hope the discussions with your friend include the dangers of the normalcy bias and sometimes action is better than analysis.

It's good your friend is coming on board. One less person to worry about.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

BillS said:


> The average person can go 3 to 5 times faster on a bike than walking.


That, and the constant pounding on the knees and hips makes it harder to recover from walking injuries. Still have to worry about "saddle sores" on a bike, though.



Tirediron said:


> Waiting until the spray is really thick just gets one covered in finely chopped $hit. there are all kinds of excuses to leave work in a hurry. :scratch


VERY true!!


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