Never Shelter-in-Place?

I started watching this video and almost spit out my water when I heard him say that you should “never shelter-in-place.” (I’ll call it SIP for short.) I though, “Are you kidding me?” But I was intrigued, so I listened for a few minutes, but became even more agitated. Watch the first minute and a half of this video about the SIP discussion, but it’s the first five minutes that are relevant to this post, and see if you agree:

If you watched it, the reason he says you never want to SIP is because you’re relying on diminishing resources (food, water, medicines, etc.) that, in essence, puts a timeline on your survival. Rather, you’re supposed to constantly keep on the move and replenish your supplies as needed. It’s about “mobility and survivability” rather than safety by staying put.

He then starts talking about bugging out (and bug out bags) coming in three flavors: a survivability bag (he calls it a 24-hour bag but I call it a “get home bag”), a sustainability bag (a 72-hour kit that most of us consider a traditional bug out bag), and an escape bag (or what some might call an INCH bag or “I’m never coming home” bag with more gear and supplies). I think you get the idea.

I largely agree with his assessment of a bug out bag since it’s purpose is to get you from somewhere dangerous to a safe place as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, many survivalists wrongly believe that a bug out bag, whatever you want to call it, allows you to survive indefinitely assuming you can head into the wilderness. That’s not true at all. Just go watch any episode of Alone and you’ll realize it’s not just not feasbile for most people, even those who are healthy, fit, and determined with win a sizeable amount of money.

What I take issue with is the statement that you should never shelter-in-place. Sure, there are scenarios where you’re better off leaving, we all know that. But there are also scenarios where sheltering-in-place is the better option. How about a chemical spill or biological event? Tornados often necessitate staying put. After all, I can’t imagine grabbing my 24-hour bag and trying to outrun a tornado as it appears he’s implying.

How about not having the ability to leave due to bad road conditions or inclement weather? Maybe an injury or very ill household member shouldn’t be moved at the time. Possibly road congestion forces you to stay put because you got moving too late. What if you received information that everywhere else appears worse off than where you are now?

So, I should still attempt to move just because?

I can understand why the CIA or Tier 1 operators (like Navy Seals) are taught to keep moving. These people often operate behind enemy lines, so staying put is surely a death sentence given enough time. But that doesn’t mean staying put will be a death sentence for the average American.

In fact, moving could be a death sentence. Again, think about people with chronic health conditions, mobility issues, and horrible heat or frigid cold weather. And then there’s this pesky little problem of leaving a lot of gear and supplies behind. I don’t know about you, but I surely can’t take all of my food and other resources I’ve stockpiled over the years during an evacuation. So, what, I’m supposed magically find the resources I’ve already acquired while on the move? And do so for my entire family? And dogs? And cats?

And what about the fact that evacuating for the sake of evacuating puts us at greater risk for confrontation? I mean, if I’m out there scrounging for food, water, ammo, and whatever else I now don’t have because I couldn’t take it all with me, then surely other people are doing the same. Not only am I considered a threat to them, they may see me (and my family) as their golden ticket because I have something rather than nothing. Do you think these people are going to leave me alone? I doubt it.

Yes, there are reasons to evacuate, but saying that sheltering-in-place is never to be considered is simply wrong. There’s a time and a place for everything. Make sure you have a solid idea of what works for you and your family.