First things to do when bugging in for a SHTF event

When it comes to major, catastrophic events, we typically believe that we may have little to no warning of the coming disaster. And in many cases, this could very well be true.

But what if a SHTF event was impending, and you had a little advanced notice? Or if a major event has already hit, but has not yet impacted you and your area? What immediate steps would you take to ensure that you and your family’s safety was preserved while bugging in?

Every disaster is different, and they are countless possibilities and scenarios. But should disaster strike and you decide that bugging in is the wisest choice, I wanted to look at the things you should do immediately after deciding to implement your bug in plan. If you do not yet have a bug in plan, that is something you should come up with ASAP.

Having plans in place (that you have practiced and revised from time to time) will help control any raising panic that might creep in during a major catastrophe. So many people freeze or do something idiotic without thinking because they have no idea what to do.

Making plans ahead of time on what do to in a SHTF situation will significantly increase your safety and well being. And it will help you overcome any fear or panic that might try to set in. Make sure that everyone in your family/group know what these plans are ahead of time. You might even have certain assignments and duties for everyone as well. Splitting up the responsibilities could make things go more smoothly and quickly. It will also help to keep your mind (and theirs) focused on the task at hand instead of worrying.

So with that being said, should a disaster strike your area, (or if you have some warning that SHTF is headed your way), here are the things that you should do ASAP after deciding to implement your bug in protocol. Of course situations can instantly change, and bug in plans could suddenly become bug out plans. In that case, I have written some articles in the past on dealing with bugging out. So be sure to check out the links to these articles at the end of this page.

Get home/Stay home

Assuming that all hell breaks loose while you are away from home, this would seem rather obvious. But I promise you, there will be some folks out there who will want to run to the grocery store, pharmacy, etc for some last minute items. I would discourage this in most circumstances. Unless you somehow have secret knowledge of the impending disaster, just about everyone else will have the same idea of running out to get supplies. Depending upon the event, you could be wasting valuable time and also putting yourself in unnecessary risk.

Most people have seen the crazy “Black Friday sales” pandemonium, and the rush on grocery stores will be no different. Those people who are not prepared will panic, and the situation could become unstable. In addition, most stores only carry enough food/supplies for 2 to 3 days. Chances are good that most of those supplies will already be gone. I have seen the local Wal-Mart’s grocery section picked clean within just an hour or two when the TV weatherman predicts a massive snow storm for our area. So an impending catastrophic event will only amplify this.

Instead, use this time to get yourself home. The reason you store supplies is to avoid situations like this. If part of your plan involves picking up family members from school, work, etc. then do that.

As I have stressed in other articles, you need to have alternate routes to get home. Major highways and roadways could be blocked or are impassible. I have 3 different routes of getting home, and know of many more side roads I could take if I had to. I know this because when I need some alone time to think, I hop in my truck and drive those roads. It gives me the quiet time I need, and also makes me familiar with all of the local area around me.

Having an atlas or local map will be handy as well. Like everyone else, I use Google maps all the time. But should the grid go down or you don’t have cell service, having a local map makes a lot of sense. I keep one in my EEDC (Extended Every Day Carry) bag, which I keep in my vehicle. In it I have the tools and supplies that can help me get home should I have to abandon my vehicle. For more on EEDC bags, please click the link here.

In addition, I fill up my vehicles with fuel at half a tank, EVERY time. Trying to get home in the middle of a major calamity is not the time to stop and fill up the gas tank. What happens if you are stuck in traffic? What if you have to take a “long way home” because many roads are impassible? You should already have fuel in your tank for emergencies like these.

Communication with family/team members

Chances are that not all of your family/team members will be at your bug in location when SHTF. So you may have to communicate with them to let them know what is going on. Hopefully you already have communication plans in place with your family/team members if things really go south and they are not yet at your bug in location. (Click the link here to learn more about communication during SHTF.) If not, now is the time to set those plans up.

Whatever method of communication you decide to use, please keep the following in mind:

• Chances are good that cell reception might be spotty or even down completely. So be sure to have alternate means to communicate. For more on cell phone usage during emergencies, click here.
• Make sure your communication is clear and unambiguous. Even for those who are prepared, panic could set in if communications are confusing. Communication must be completely understood by both parties. Telling your son to meet you at the grocery store on Main St might not be as clearly understood as you think. What if there is more than one store? What if your son forgets what part of Main St the store is at? (Fear can cause memory loss.) What time will you be there? What happens if he goes to the right store but it is flooded with hundreds of people? Meet me at the Piggily Wiggly on 550 W Main by the east door at 1pm today. I’ll be wearing a green ball cap. 
• Keep communication brief but concise. Chances are that frequencies could be spotty. And in the chaos things could be loud and distracting. So try to keep communication as brief as you can while still being crystal clear.
• To make sure both parties understand what is being said, ask for clarification. Have them repeat back to you what you said, or at least confirm that they got your message and understand it
• If part of your plan includes leaving notes or messages, keep in mind that your communication may not be private. Other folks caught in the disaster could see it. Tell too much info and you could have unwelcomed visitors. Tell too little information and team members may be confused. Also, keep in mind that some nitwit could come along and take your note or destroy it.
• Having prearranged signals, (ie a yellow ribbon tied around the tree means go to point A, a red ribbon means go to point B) could be a much more discreet method of letting your family/team members know vital information. But like the written note, there is a chance the ribbon could be removed or destroyed.

If you have children in public schools, know what the school’s emergency plans are. Chances are, many times the school might go on “lock down” and not allow anyone to enter or exit the school. Communication could be difficult or even not possible by normal means. So make sure you have contingency plans in place for this.

Gather resources/secure your home

Once you and your family/group is at your bug-in location, now is the time to secure your home while also gathering/augmenting your resources. Hopefully you have already taken steps to help build your home’s defenses. If not, here is a quick summation of things you can do now to upgrade your home’s defenses that would be VERY beneficial in a SHTF setting :

• Reinforce doors and windows – use things like metal door frames and doors, reinforced door plates, and secure deadbolts. Door jams/braces are also a possibility. I’m not a fan of bars on windows, but Plexiglas and rods used to prevent opening can be effective. Just remember to leave yourself an emergency out. Don’t trap yourself in.
• Landscaping – use tress and shrubs defensively. Thorny bushes around windows can be an effective deterrent to unwelcomed intruders. Just remember that the other side of the coin is that trees and bushes can be used as concealment for the bad guys. So remove any unwanted vegetation that could obstruct your view around your property.
• Get a firearm and train with it regularly.
• Install solid fences – tall fences will help deter people from coming onto your property. Just keep in mind that strong fences could also give out signals that you have stuff worth protecting. So try to keep your fence as discrete as possible. I personally prefer chain link so that I can see who is on the other side. A thorny vine such as catbrier will cling to fences and has barbs to deter people from climbing it

I mentioned earlier about making it straight home and not trying to make a lot of pit stops along the way. This is assuming that the impending catastrophe is fairly common knowledge. But if you have a few moments, the disaster has not yet hit, and it is still relatively calm, you might consider hitting an ATM for extra cash and/or topping off your gas tanks. I’d stay VERY close to home for this if at all possible. Use your best judgement, and if you aren’t 100% certain about doing this safely, then skip it.

If you already have security plans in place, now could be the time to start implementing them. Just keep in mind that doing things like boarding up windows or using tin foil in your windows to block out light and keep in heat could draw unwanted attention. At the very least I would lock and secure your doors and windows, and I’d draw the curtains/blinds shut. If you do have plywood or other window coverings, I’d have those items out, in place by the windows/doors, and ready to go. You might fill sandbags and create defensive-able positions in and around your house if the SHTF event is a potential life or death disaster. If things are getting to this level, have a schedule of who stands watch, and make sure someone is alert and on guard 24/7.

Make sure that flashlights are good to go and readily accessible. If you have other supplies that you deem valuable or vital to your plans, (such as medical supplies for example) make them easily accessible as well. Any preps/gear that you might store in an outdoor shed, I’d bring inside also. Consolidate your preps as much as possible while still maintaining order and organization.

Animals can sense danger and chaos, and they will be alarmed. So if you have pets, bring them inside. Livestock should be penned. Any outdoor furniture or other recreational gear should be brought inside, placed in a shed or garage, etc.

If you have a water bob, now would be a great time to fill it up. I’d also fill up other containers/collapsible jugs with water. If power is still available, you should charge up cell phones and other rechargeable appliances and devices. Assuming that you have lost power or believe it is a very real possibility, keep your refrigerator and freezer doors shut. Your fridge will keep food cold for 4 to 6 hours, and your freeze could keep food frozen for up to 48 hours once power is gone. So prioritize your food consumption if you haven’t already done so. For more on this, click the link here.

If you are worried about power surges, you might unplug your appliances/electronics. If gas leaks are a possibility, you might shut off the gas ahead of time, or at least have the tools ready to go so that you can shut off the gas quickly.

Take stock of your supplies. If you can fully re-inventory your preps, do so. Double check that your supplies are still in good, working order. That way if things get worse later, you won’t waste precious time looking for items you thought you had or discovering that vital gear is broken and no longer works. If you find items missing, gone, broke, etc, you can find “work around” solutions now.

I would also review your bug out plans with your family/group. Depending upon the SHTF event, you could go from bugging in to bugging out in a moments notice. For more on bug out plans, click here.

Gather intel on the situation

Chances are good that when everything goes sideways, you will most likely not have the full picture of what all is going on. But hopefully you have some tools and some means to begin gathering information and intelligence on what is happening around you. This should be a VITAL part of your plan and your preps. As the old saying goes, “Knowing is half the battle!”

When it comes to gathering intel, I’ll break it down into 2 categories: hardware and skills/resources.

Hardware

This is of course the tools that you will use to help you learn about what is going on. The most obvious is your cell phone. And if it is functioning, it would be your first choice. But assuming that cell reception is gone, and your TV coverage is out, there are alternate tools for gathering intelligence and information.

• Emergency radio – I have several emergency radios that have multiple power sources. My favorite, pictured to the right, is powered by solar, 3 AAA batteries, and also by hand crank. There is a USB port to charge your cell phone, a head phone jack if you are trying to stay quiet, and an LED flashlight. The reception is pretty good, picking up AM (520-1710 KHz), FM (87-108 MHz), and all 7 NOAA 7 channels.
• Police scanner – Police scanners used to be a great way to listen in on law enforcement and emergency services radio traffic. But as technology advances, police scanners are starting to have some drawbacks. The first is that you need to become familiar with the 10 codes that the various departments use. And I can promise you from experience, 10 codes are different for different agencies. The 10 codes we use here are not the same as those used in California for example. Another problem is that many agencies now use a higher frequency (usually around 860 mhz or so) so you would need a scanner that can scan that high. And that is assuming that the radio traffic is not encrypted. My task force, and many Federal agencies use encrypted transmissions. Still, a scanner can be a great way to pick up some local emergency traffic if you already have your scanner set to those local frequencies. Many other first responders (Fire and EMS) are not encyrpted and can offer valuable intel. In most states, using scanners in your vehicle or while in the commission of a crime is a crime. So be sure to check your state and local laws. You can listen in to many frequencies online, assuming the internet is still working. Click the link here for more details.
• Ham Radio – I am NOT an expert at Ham radios. But there is a TON of information on the web about ham radios and getting your ham radio license. This article here is a GREAT place to start learning about how you can obtain your license. You need a license to be able to transmit on a ham radio except in cases of emergencies. However, anyone can listen in on the radio traffic, even without a license. Ham radios are a great way of communicating with people all over the country, and could be an invaluable source of information if things ever go bad on a regional, national, or even global scale. Learning more about Ham radios is on my Prepper to do list for sure.
• Drone – As the popularity of drones has picked up, their availability has gone up while their price comes down. Many now have built in camera systems. The drones that my department operates also utilizes infrared and thermal imaging. Ours has a decent range of close to 2 miles. While you may not have the luxury of affording one with all of the bells and whistles, having one that can scan your surrounding neighborhood could come in VERY handy. Just be aware that other people could spot it, so you have to be careful.

Skills/Resources

This is of course your ability to gather intelligence “out in the field”. It is also the contacts you have established with those in your prepper group, community, and abroad. These can be invaluable in helping you to determine what is both going on around you, and what is happening out in other parts of the region and country. I’ll break them down as follows:

• Neighbors/Community – A while back I wrote an article on the benefits of building a neighborhood watch. Getting to know your neighbors and what they “bring to the table” in the face of a crisis could be invaluable. I would recommend also trying to get to know your community leaders. Establish friendships with them if you can. The same can be said for your local emergency first responders. They could very well have some insight into what is going on around you. I’d also encourage you to make contacts with other preppers in surrounding areas. You can do this through social media, and attending other prepper meetings and events. For more details on meeting other local preppers, be sure to check out this video (Not me in the video):

• Recon – When I refer to recon, I am referring to the tactical skills of observing and reconnoitering an area to gather details and information on what is going on in that area. These are skills that people acquire via the military, law enforcement, hunting, etc. These are skills that have to be learned, practiced, and honed in person as opposed to reading something online. But here is the US Army Reconnaissance and Security Operations manual in PDF format. It’s the 2015 edition, and a great place to start. I would encourage you to find classes that you can take out in the real world, and get some real hands on experience.
• Social Media – Places like Facebook and Twitter can be valuable sources of intelligence, but they do have their downside. The first of course is that if you are without power/cell reception, then this resource is gone. The second is that you need to be aware of how much disinformation is spread. Rumors and even blatant falsehoods are spread like wildfire on social media. But if you are apart of groups that you know and trust, this could be a great source of information for you. If you have Twitter, here are links to FEMA, CDC, Weather Channel, and NOAA to help get you started.
• Personal Observation – Does the danger appear to be close? Headed your direction? How big does it appear to be? Do you hear gunfire or loud explosions? Is the power out? How widespread does it appear to be? Do you smell anything out of the ordinary? Etc. Have other family members help you with this. Multiple eyes and ears could detect something you might be missing.

OPSEC

I have discussed OPSEC on here before. Hopefully you have practiced it. For more on OPSEC please click here. Now that disaster has hit (or is about to), you want to blend in with everyone around you who most likely have not made emergency plans nor have the preps and supplies that you have. Clearly you do not want hungry neighbors on your door step asking and then later demanding what you have.

So you need to look/act as scared, bewildered, hungry, etc as they are. This doesn’t mean you cannot talk about some things you may have discovered while gathering intel. You just don’t want to give off the “I’m prepared” vibe.

If the situation deteriorates over the next few days, you will need to take further steps to ensure OPSEC. Obvious things like running generators is a giveaway. But so are things like lights at night when everyone else is in the dark. The smell of cooking on your grill when everyone else is 2 days without a decent meal is a dinner bell to the hungry. Hauling your trash (empty food containers) to the trash cans outside is a giveaway also. This topic is large enough to warrant its own article, which I will cover at a later date.

Within the first 24 to 72 hours, you should hopefully be able to tell how bad the situation is, and how quickly it could deteriorate. And as the saying goes, if you can survive the first 72 hours of a disaster, your odds of survival go up dramatically. Hopefully these tips on the first things to do when bugging in will help.

What other tips do you have for bugging in or for immediate steps to take after a SHTF event? Let us know in the comments section below.

Stay safe out there!

Be sure to check out other bugging in/out related content:

Benefits of building neighborhood watch

4 things you might not have thought about when prepping your home for disaster

Prepping for a bug out

How to know when it’s time to bug out

3 Crucial Aspects of ANY Security Plan

Bugging in vs Bugging out – Which is for you?

How to Fight Off the Elements While Bugging Out

Building a 2 week food supply

Places to avoid during/after SHTF

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