My first belief is, unless you live in a defensible castle, one must stay mobile. To remain in the city would be futile, as troops will move in and systematically disarm citizens. A gorilla fight can be fought once a network of safe houses is established inside the boundaries. This infiltration must start from outside with the help of ‘cleared’ homes in the city. With a multi-day pack and tactical vest on both myself and better half, we can transport enough ammunition to fight our way out and get to stashed caches of ammo. Having 10's of thousands of rounds at home makes no sense in a SHTF scenario unless you have strategically buried your stash in various places for future retrieval. You won't be able to take it with you, because your vehicle will only get you so far and you'll have to hide it or ditch it eventually. I keep a the right balance of loaded magazines and loose ammo that can be transported. The rest is vacuum packed for burial out in the countryside. When the time comes, I'll be making trips to GEOCACHE the sealed ammo. I'll do the same with MRE style food reserves. You just can't carry what you need. You’ll run out quickly without resupply. Anyone trying to defend an apartment or house in the cities is going to be in for a rude awakening. You have much more of a chance out in the country where you can hide and move, hide and move, move and hide. I can carry my AR battle rifle, hunting rifle, and 45 on my person. My gal can carry her 12 gauge tactical, 22LR, and 9mm on her person.

Here is how it plays out for us. Make note that physically conditioning is a must if one plans on ‘bugging out’ with enough stores to survive several days until reaching resupply.

Me: (421 rounds 223, 83 rounds 45ACP, 26 rounds 308)

Weapons:

Tactical Thigh Holster: 45ACP and 1 spare mag (17 rounds)
Single point front slung AR15 (31 rounds)
Rear slung 308 rifle (6 rounds)

Tactical Vest:

6x30 rnd 223 mags (180 rounds)
2x8 spare 45 magazines (16 rounds)
Medical Kit
Compass
GPS/GMRS/FRS radio
Hunting knife
40 ounce hydration pack

Tactical Thigh Rig (weak side):

4x30 magazines of 223 (120 rounds)

3-day pack:

sleeping bag
bivy
3-food supply with mess kit
100 oz hydration pack
1 set of dry clothes in drybag
hygiene kit
Police/FR/EMS band radio
Solar recharge panel
Entrenching tool
Basic survival gear

50 rounds 45ACP and 20 rounds 308

MOLLE 3x30 round magazines 223 (120 rounds)

Gal: (71 rounds 12g, 96 rounds 9mm, 250 rounds 22LR)

Weapons:

Tactical Thigh Holster: 9mm 1 spare mag (31 rounds)
Single Point front slung 12-gauge tactical shotgun (11 rounds)
Rear slung 22 rifle (11 rounds)

Tactical Vest:

40 ounce hydration pack
1x9mm magazine (15 rounds)
15 rounds loose 9mm
GPS/GMRS/FRS radio

Hunting knife

Tactical Thigh Rig (weak side):

20 rounds of 12-g shells

3-day pack:

sleeping bag
bivy
3-food supply with mess kit
100 oz hydration pack

Basic survival gear
1 set of dry clothes in drybag
hygiene kit

Spare 12-g shells (40 rounds)

Spare 22LR (250 round brick)

I'll bury 1000 rounds of 223, 1000 rounds of 45, 500 rounds of 9mm, 500 rounds of 22LR, and 100 12-g shot shells along with 30 days of MRE's. I've already picked the places that give me access to high ground, fresh water, and remoteness.

I hope you guys have similiar or better plans. There is plenty of cattle, hog, deer, and small game around the mountainous terrain of VA to hold up for quite a while.

So, I guess the answer to the original post is about 1500 rounds of 223, 1000 rounds of 45, 1000 rounds of 9mm, 1000 rounds of 22LR, and 100 shells of 12g, give or take a few hundred either direction. But, not all in the same place, and the majority stashed in the hills.

I have a home stash for long term hold up at my house and two BOB for movement. One is strictly set up for driving while the other is a carry. Of course I would also take the carry BOB in the SUV.

Home stash =500, 7.62x54, 500, .223, 250 .45, 500 12ga

SUV BOB = 250 .223, 100 12ga, 100 .45

Carry BOB = 250 .223, 100 .45

Damn guys, I'm impressed. I thought that I was one of the few that think and have planned in those terms.

My wife always asks me why I'm fixing loads for carry, vehicle, and why I have stash caches. She doesn't understand the exact reasoning behind all of this, but if the SHTF she will very quickly. She looks at me kind ofstrange when I tell her we need to go over the 'bug out' plan, but she goes along and at least has an idea of what to do.

All the gear you mentioned is pretty much right, as well as good sturdy Army surplus woodland camo and reliable, comfortable boots too. We all have kevlar helmets too, and the wife and I have body armor.We have all of that, plus gas cans for the truck.

We have no family close by, and I have none left that gives two squats about me, so our plan would be to get to Texas where she has family. So our 'bug out' plan is a little different than yours, but we've rehearsed it a bunch of times. And we have alternate routes other than the main highways to get there. If something does go to shit, the main roads will be full of sheeple, predators,and police. And I already know we're gonna have to fight some of the way so I'm prepared for that.

And I keep telling her that if the SHTF, it will happen quickly, very quickly, and we need to scoot ASAP and with all due haste.

She looks at me sometimes like I'm crazy. However, I can live with that. Better to be prepared and not need it than to not be prepared and really do need it!

This is an interesting subject and one I have thought out to the utmost of my intellect (which isn't saying much).

I agree with all of Roomie's assessments, but one. I do believe that 'home' can be defended, if you live rural, as I do. While Roomie has a very good point and IS CORRECT in his assessment that mobility is key, there are caveats.

Also to be factored into the situation is whether or not it's NATO bluehelmets invading, whether it's a socio-economic collapse, zombies attacking(giggle) or a natural disaster of epic proportions which plunge the country into havoc.

While I could spend many a day addressing each of the above scenario's AND probably going with Roomies situation in at least one of the above scenarios. However, I'll address what my plan is if a generic Shit Hits The Fan scenario comes along.

First and foremost, I'll not discuss how much ammunition I have on hoarde at this time. Nothing on the internet is sacred anymore (it seems) and I don't want to run risk of some hacking SOB tracing me down through various information I have supplied over the last couple years and some crackheads coming to test my mettle. Let's just say that 4' capped PVC pipe will keep a thousand years buried in a creekbank! What's inside those PVC pipes can only be guessed by someone who is firearm saavy! Beadwindow...I'll stop there!

My plan isn't bugging out, unless something drastic occurs and the situation warrants me HAVING to leave my homestead. In that case, I have bugout bags packed as we speak and let's just say that a lot of Roomie's list is in my rucks.

If a situation occurs in which I CAN stay here, I WILL. Furthermore, I'll have help in the resistance, as 2 former Marines will be joining me. One, a lifelong friend, as we grew up together and I would trust with my life, my wife's life and more importantly, my daughter's life without question. The other, a recent acquaintance and my shooting mentor who is a certified armorer on all things that go 'bang'. My wife is an RN/BSN and let's just say that I've acquired many forms of all those types of injections they give you in a hospital for various shit. (No, I'm not talking about any 'scheduled'narcotics). We are to get together here because my place is as Roomie mentioned...defendable and there'snatural water on my property, both ina creek and natural springs, so water won't be a problem. You can have all the food in the world banked up, but with no water...your little SHTF situationjust got worse!

My friends will be bringing a lot of the same shit that I already have stashed. If they don't, or can't, it's ok. I've madethe necessary preparations buy doing a lot of hoarding. Another thing I did is consolidate calibers, on coordinated effort with my friends, who have done the same. Who doesn't like 20 different types of guns that shoot different shit?We all like that, but I have 'painstakingly' sold off or traded a lot of my'odd' calibers for like calibers. Among the calibers I have:

.22, .17, .40, .45, .223 and .308. You can fill in the blanks, as I won't. Most of you guys know already though through posts here. Beadwindow!

Water - check.

Food - check. A lot of canned stuff. I'm not talking metal can from the supermarket, I'm talking mason jars...like your granny used to do. We do that shit down here in the south. Also, I live on a small farm. I grow shit. I don't have livestock other than horse/donkey stock, but I have an abundance of wildlife in this area. Deer, wild pigs, tree rats (squirrels), etc. We won't go hungry.

Ammo - check.

Firearms - check. Plenty. In redundance. Parts...check! Hey, they're Colts and Armalite, I won't need many spare parts. hehe. That was for the pnut gallery of Colt bashers and haters.

Supplies - check. I won't divulge every ace in the hole (no pun intended there) that I have. Let's just say that 20 yrs of bag-dragging for Uncle Sam has taught me the shit you need and the shit you don't.

Electronics - check. Somewhat. In most scenarios, I don't think a lot of fancy electronic gear will work. In war, I think satellites will be knocked out. In socio-economic meltdown, who's gonna be transmitting via tv or radio? They'll be sacked by the populace. Shortwave will work, CB radios will work locally. On a 'skip', you can talk across the country from your vehicle CB.

Lord, I could go on and on. But, I won't. There are so many variables involved, it's hard to plan for every occurrence. However, man's will to live and survive surpasses any efforts to destroy him, well, unless you are on the other end of myfront sight post.

-Recoil

Hey Roomie, you're welcome here. Of course, the transit would be a 'killer' and I mean that literally. However, being the fine pilot you are. Get some parachutes bro. I'll give you the inertial and GPS coordinates and you can bale out over the homestead. We'll take you guys in! Don't forget your bug out bags too! But, if you don't bring 'em, don't sweat it! I got plenty of firepower for you and the Mrs.!

If I came across like I was dissin' your post, it wasn't my intent. Your post is a hell of a post and the absolute truth in certain situations. My post won't suffice for everyone out there either. Each person has their own scenario and variables. In a SHTF situation, improvisation is your friend and ally!

I love this kind of post. Hell, I read your list and was like 'oh snap, I got to get one of those'. I won't say what, but I had never thought about it before.

I'm sure a lot of other people will chime in here and I'll be 'oh snapping' a lot. I hope so anyhow.

I agree with you, Recoil.

The reason we decided on the plan to go to Texas is because 1)we live in a double wide, which is absolutely, positively, 100% not defendable, and 2)I have no family or friends anywhere close to here, and she sure doesn't, so there's no support there, and 3)even though it's in a rural area, I'm not from here, didn't grow up here, just like living here, and damned sure do not want to die here, which if we stayed is what would happen.

If I had a solid walled house it would be a different story, but I don't. So, my plan has to be different. Six of one, half dozen of another. We know we have family of hers that we can trust, so that is, in essence, our only viable plan.

I agree with you also about GPS. If the SHTF, satellite commo will be spotty, at best. I intend to rely on a good, old fashioned Atlas road map and aUSGI M17lensatic compass with tritium. We have all kinds of stuff, but of course, the most important stuff will be beans, bullets, bandaids, fuel and water. If my truck gets disabled, I'll steal one or kill somebody for theirs if I have to, but we are going to get to Texas. We have walkie-talkies, but if the SHTF they may just be no more than dead weight.

Something like this takes a lot of planning, especially if your plan is like mine. I have gone over this in my mind a lot, and even with all of my knowledge, training,and experience I know I'll leave something important out or just plain forget it. So yeah, there's a million little things that might or might not matter or be incidental, but the basics will boil down to beans, bullets, bandaids, fuel and water.

See why my wife looks at me like I'm crazy?

Suncat,

I hear ya! My wife thinks I'm a frickin' fruit loop! I'm not kidding. She laughs at me sometimes, but that's ok. I tell her that if all my calculations and preparations aren't ever needed, then it's a good life and the world is a great place to be. If we ever need my shit, well, it'll be there and I'm sure she'll be going 'dammit man, I'm glad you thought of all this stuff...muaaaahh, kiss, kiss, smooch, smooch....' : - )

The only thing I'll regret her asking me is 'Why didn't you buy a damn .50 cal'?

It's better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it! That's rule number one in the military and for SHTF!