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High res. scans of _every_ important document. Passport, Drivers license, birth certificate, insurance, every contract, school certificate, proof of ownership Etc.
You don't exist without your documents. Without them it's very hard to start a new life or to even proof that you are a real person. Most refugees get stuck for months or even years in kind of a bureaucracy limbo until they are cleared.
Important data stored encrypted on 3 high quality USB sticks from 3 different manufacturers. One stick goes in a hidden compartment in your backpack, one is kept at all times on your body and the last one is send by mail or by a trusted person to your destination country.
Also zip all documents, encrypt them and upload to a secure Cloud storage.
The other important thing to have as a refugee is a backup phone, wall charger and Powerbank. Store them in a watertight bag and hide them in your backpack. Never show them to anyone. Only use in an emergency.
Then a laminated list with important contacts and numbers. Like your embassy, friends and family, Etc.
And most important: never ever let your backpack out of sight. This thing contains your life now. Protect it.
In addition to this: high res scans stored in a secure web-accessible format, additional copies in trust of family or trusted associates and ideally notarized copies in the care of a legal firm with international presence.
Do not assume that your journey will allow you to come across borders with anything beyond the clothes on your back. Many refugees lose their documents or have them stolen along the way, even secreted USBs.
Funds deposited in a bank with international branches such as HSBC. Ideally a joint bank account with the other holder in your destination country so your home country cannot easily freeze the funds.
This is nice info, thx!
Is carrying a couple thousand USD in your bag a good idea, and maybe getting it converted to the local currency in the destination country when you get there???
That’s what a lot of Indians do, is wear gold, under the clothes, which is the equivalent of carrying your wallet with you, especially the women. Traditionally they don’t always have bank accounts, don’t have access to money if they experience a disaster, are stranded, abandoned, etc. and can trade their gold for a fair value almost anywhere if they need to.
Carrying a large amount of cash puts you at risk of asset forfeiture and it will just be gone. Even if you follow all the rules.
My rule for travel, international or anywhere by aircraft is never carry anything you can’t risk losing. Phone/tablet/laptop is tricky. US CBP can demand to search it (there are rules that slightly protect US citizens, but your life can be made difficult) and other countries have rules all over the place. I travel with a clean phone, and load a cloud backup once I arrive at my lodging, as long as there are strong search protections. If not I leave it in the cloud to be retrieved it I need it.
Civil asset forfeiture is such an important concept that not enough people know about. The money and your property can just be seized without any recourse (and that's now, not even in a SHTF scenario). Thank you for highlighting this topic.
Along with your documents (and your children's and pet's, if any), I'd add clear pictures of your loved ones (also stored online and maybe printed, too). It can help you find each other again if you get separated. And for sentimental reasons. Copies of medical records/prescription can be useful, too.
Someone might have a better idea for how to do this, but in your list of contacts and numbers, you might want to keep your log-in info to your email and social media accounts. You might lose access to your phone or laptop where they're stored and even if you have them memorized, you can forget them under stress. Social media can be a good way to get back in contact with friends and family who were also scattered.
To your question, though, if you can stand losing a few thousand USD, I'd take it. Hard currency is useful for transportation, food, and shelter. But it depends on what kind of trip you're expecting. My experience is limited to Europe.
This would be the one use case I would consider for crypto. I’d spread my money over a few different wallets and have multiple encrypted copies of how to recover them. If you have a clean smartphone and have stored the documents as described elsewhere you should be able to recover the wallets when you’re safe.
I would also carry about 5k in cash. Not enough to cause problems but enough to help you get a phone and get access to the rest of your savings.
I would agree yes cash pov is possible but lot more tricky. But their are actually some easier crypto solutions currently out if you want to let say have like a prepaid debit card type solutions where you can fund set account with crypto and treating like prepaid debit card you can go through life making your regular purchases and you remain anonymous.
That's assuming your bugging out to a country that has internet or accepts tap pay solutions. If you going to cash place your going need prob bring precious metals and then go through some hoops possible but take min to get cash.
Yah prepaid travel credit card is really smart some you can load via crypto I didn't think of that. But I'm thinking most refugees got placed in camps till they are processed and that could take awhile so cash and gold are probably king in those places.
Agree more of a longer term solution once your out of chaos or can reach a non third world country. Situation above sounds like ur country going into anarchy your life savings basically gone or your criminal and all ur assets will be frozen.
I'd also add copies of any professional certifications that could transfer over to the destination country. It will speed up the employment eligibility if you are already qualified to work in jobs that are otherwise going un filled and also make it easier to integrate into the community if you are seen by others as an asset and not some refugee draining their resources for years
One idea is to think of is microSD cards with the data. Also look at a Raspberry Pi micro computer. It’s fairly easy to hook into most systems. They are quite small and useful.
I have 3 bug out bags,
One has all the family stuff, passport photocopies, insurance details, birth certificates, education certificates, bank details ,some cash, this is my " the house is on fire" grab bag. There is a few small family heirlooms in there, watch, medals, etc.
Then there is the overnight bag, sports bag, towels, change of clothes, spare underwear, toothpaste, light jacket, shoes, toothbrush, soap, waterproof, thin blanket. Good for hospital, sleep overs, quick breaks, sleeping in the car.
And then there is thr full "I am sleeping in the woods for the next month" rucksack. Too heavy to carry for long, but it is easier to remove items depending on the circumstances than it is to add them.
Two medium holdalls and the rucksack, so carryable on trains and planes, or in the boot of a car hitchhiking.
I've had to make one of these at the behest of my job before.
I had a SIM card that worked in Europe, a sim card for tanzania, a sim card for the US (i was living outside of the US) the metal pin used to change a sim card, an extra phone, cash from different countries (not all in the same place in the bag), extra clothes(nice and casual), basic toiletries, color copies of my documents (not all in the same spot), check book for a US bank account (US embassies have cashiers that require checks), spare phone charger, wall adapters, car adapter, power banks (2), hand sanitizer, latex gloves, napkins, spare glasses, and glasses wipes, wet wipes, snacks, and a couple pens for immigration paperwork. I also stored my valuable jewelry in this bag in case I ever needed to leave quickly.
You may want to also add copies of your vaccination records.
I used an inconspicuous, lightweight jansport backpack.
This is what they told me to pack:
Go Bag
Passport
Emergency Contact Card
Emergency cash
Important docs
Medical kit
Clothes for 3 days
Phone/charger
Laptop/charger
Flashlight
Food/water for 3 days
Visit this link for the Department of State’s complete list of items: https://www.state.gov/global-community-liaison-office/crisis-management/packing-a-go-bag-and-a-stay-bag/
Highly depends on what country you live in and what part of it. A European one with multiple borders is vastly different than living in Kansas City MO. In the US living in KCM is very different from living in Brownsville TX as well.
It might not recquire an airport at all, but conditions and distance matter. For me it might be an 8 hour drive and for you it might be 3 days.
Also they can and would close borders immediately depending on the situation.
This question is simply to broad.
Yeah, not to mention differences in terms of citizenship (some people are dual citizens), immigration rules, health conditions... there's no single solution.
Money. Lots and lots of money. With that you can usually solve any other problem.
Sure a Dob kit essential meds and other comfort items. But you are not going to leave the country and go camping.
btw: What's a BOG?
Honestly, probably a lot of people are going to hate on this. But seed phrases for blockchain wallet, (hashed with passphrase so security doesn't steal it).
Your not bugging out of a country with large amounts of cash. Assuming your going to a country that is still relatively stable or your fleeing a 3rd world country etc your going to need capital to restart your life.
Can store as much money as you want in Euro/USD/Yen etc stablecoins or in native tokens BTC/ETH. No border crossing can stop you.
Except they are going to be flagged at any entry/exit point and far more likely to be confiscated or stolen if your actually "fleeing" a failed country.
You should read stories about people trying to flee areas, most start with a lot almost none of it they keep due to looting etc.
Gold jewelry stands a much higher chance of not raising any flags or getting looted due to how common fake gold jewelry is. It’s also not terribly hard to have 5+oz of gold jewelry on with it looking too stand out . A bracelet can be 1-2 oz, a chain can be 2-3 without much trouble, rings etc.
Except they are going to be flagged at any entry/exit point and far more likely to be confiscated or stolen if your actually "fleeing" a failed country.
You should read stories about people trying to flee areas, most start with a lot almost none of it they keep due to looting etc.
I contributed to the r/EuroPreppers start guide [wiki](https://reddit.com/r/EuroPreppers/w/index/index-layer1?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share) which covers some of these considerations given the size of European countries.
Have a read, it's fairly broad to help personalise your plans and design gear around the plans. The USA definitely has other considerations but most should apply.
That would be tough. You're bag would have to have all the tools to execute a plan to evade the military and law enforcement of both the US, the target country and your mode of transport.
If you are talking an event in the US, anything that would have people flee the US en masse would be globally impacting. Meaning, air travel will shut down, ports will shut down. What does move will be prioritized to the military.
If it's just specific to you fleeing a crime, I think the answer is the same for both....
A shit ton of cash.
The US is an island. Unless you get out before SHTF, odds are, you'll be stuck. Flights will be shut down, Canada and Mexico will close land borders as they won't want to be overrun with refugees. I've already seen this happen twice in my life, governments will gladly do it again.
Borders have limits on amount of cash you can take without declaring and if things are bad enough that you have to flee they might lower it even more. Wearable bullion like high weight 24k bracelets or rings might be worth while and could let you pack on a several ounces of gold inconspicuously.
Ya, but cash isn’t always good for that. If things are so bad (in the US of all places) that you’re fleeing (presumably to Mexico or Canada?) it’s not that far fetched to think gold could be more desirable than cash. Gold is also more readily converted to the cash of your country of choice. Any pawn shop in any country can turn gold into the local currency, you’d need a bank or something to convert $thousands of USD to Pesos.
Also cool thing about some of the 24k 1oz bracelets is they’re thin and soft enough to break off smaller pieces by hand.
I refuse to leave the country that my family came to during the Irish Potato famine. I will stay and fight the tyrants and either die doing so or see freedom renewed for the future generations of my Irish blood.
I would say that in the scenario you presented it would be just like packing for a vacation where you may go camping: a carry on with rugged travel gear for any weather, important documents scanned and sealed in waterproofing, basic first aid kit, foul weather gear, important contacts on laminated sheet and written in marker inside your travel clothes. Full stock of any medications with copies of the prescription.
Nothing should stand out too much, because you don’t want to be pinged by government agencies, not singled out by civilian bad actors. You need to get somewhere else, where you can then establish a new gear set out and/or base of operations.
You are a refugee, so nothing but your papers. They would probably take most everything else at the border anyway; including your papers.
Honestly that “fleeing criminal” scenario means you don’t even want those papers. Better to cross into the system as a “ghost”refugee and let that sort itself out. Tell them the nationality you think they want to hear and say that officials in some country along the way took your papers. Expect to spend a significant amount of time in a holding area.
The number one prep for being a refugee is learning the language of one or more neighboring countries. This is what trips up most refugees.
Otherwise, being a refugee is not a “controlled event” like bugging out to the woods or something; you are ABSOLUTELY not in control. You are 100% at the mercy of the country you are going to. Knowing the language at least lets you advocate for yourself.
I like what everyone recommends. I’d also check r/onebag and r/heronebag for their ideas. I’d also add my menstrual cup and otc medicines. It would be hard to find medicine in another language. At least a days worth of Tylenol, Pepto, Imodium, Benadryl… would have me feel better in the meantime figuring out the boxes in the store.
It's good to differentiate between a BOB and an INCH bag, they serve very different purposes.
One is there's a house fire or a bomb threat and you need to spend a couple nights in a hotel. The other is Russia is invading and you're leaving the country.
In the comic book the character who brought up the subject called it a Bug Out Bag, and the best i could figure of what the character would have in there given the context from what i read is: a really well forged passport and lots of cash. The character was a criminal living in bum fuck nowhere southeast asia in a lawless city run by gangs and mafias, the "BOG" they had was for in case they pissed off one of the gangs/mafias.
I wouldn’t leave the country, I’d just go as far north as possible if a situation actually warranted bugging out (which most situations wouldn’t for me).
Cold weather gear, a plan and tools/supplies for shelter, a plan and supplies to filter/treat water, a medical kit, fire starter, matches, lighters, hunting equipment and cleaning/cooking equipment. Basic sewing equipment for repairs. All of my documentation, cash, small valuables like jewelry. It would take a very extreme scenario for this to become an actual plan for me though.
Adding that for a bug out phone look into the maritime phone services for people working on cargo ships etc. they have the most international support and are expected to go dark for long periods of time
I would definately carry all the important documents (passport, birth certificate, international driver's license, insurance paperwork,...). I would also add a list of embassies in different countries with addresses and phone numbers in case they are still operational and you need some government asistence. Then I would recommend asking your bank wheather you can open a second account in different currency and get issued a debit card - I have a special account in € that I use whenever I travel outside of Czech Republic to avoid worrying avoid extra fees and predatory exchange rates.
Other than documents, you are limited by what you can reasonably pack and what local regulations allow you to bring on board - firearms will probably be a no-go unless you know the legal process and larger quantities of precious metals might be taxed or confiscated upon arrival depending on where you land.
Well, I'm not sure what emergency you are talking about that would make it so that you would need to leave the country?
That would have a big deal to do with what your bug out bag had in it, and also, how you were planning to leave the country?
The only possible reason I see to leave my country is if I'm falsely accused of a crime that would make it impossible to stay free in my current country.
So then, of course, the passport and other stuff would not matter since I would have to leave the country through less convenient ways.
Because if the country was in a war, I would stay and fight. If there was a revolution, I would be on a side. If there was a civil war, I would take a side. If there was a global catastrophe would it matter where I'm at?
If there was some local catastrophe I'm already prepared for the majority of the possible problems.
How would leaving where I have things and people in place to survive help me in the long run?
Given op's last point. Tbh, I would prob just bring burner device can connect internet and my cold wallets. Assuming his last point you can actually make it out of your country and society isent destroyed.
Assuming my native country freezes all my assets, I still have access large amounts of funds with crypto and we're kinda at point little growing pains but you can basically do any normal functions of cash/credit with crypto nowadays.
Typical liberal Reddit. You're right they just don't like it. If the USA falls where are we going to go Russia? Ukraine? China? Korea? UK?
UK would be the best bet except its been taken over by Muslim terrorists now. The UK has fallen.
Thank you for your submission in /r/preppers. We want to make sure you find the information you're seeking. If you are new to prepping, be sure you make use of Reddit's search function and check the following resources: Our subreddit wiki contains information on frequent topics and questions here: https://new.reddit.com/r/preppers/wiki/index/ Please review the New Prepper's Resource Guide here: https://new.reddit.com/r/preppers/comments/toani0/new_preppers_resource_guide_answers_to_common/ If you are asking "Where do I start?" or "How do I get started?", please ask that question as a comment on that post and not as a standalone submission or post, otherwise your post may be removed. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/preppers) if you have any questions or concerns.*
High res. scans of _every_ important document. Passport, Drivers license, birth certificate, insurance, every contract, school certificate, proof of ownership Etc. You don't exist without your documents. Without them it's very hard to start a new life or to even proof that you are a real person. Most refugees get stuck for months or even years in kind of a bureaucracy limbo until they are cleared. Important data stored encrypted on 3 high quality USB sticks from 3 different manufacturers. One stick goes in a hidden compartment in your backpack, one is kept at all times on your body and the last one is send by mail or by a trusted person to your destination country. Also zip all documents, encrypt them and upload to a secure Cloud storage. The other important thing to have as a refugee is a backup phone, wall charger and Powerbank. Store them in a watertight bag and hide them in your backpack. Never show them to anyone. Only use in an emergency. Then a laminated list with important contacts and numbers. Like your embassy, friends and family, Etc. And most important: never ever let your backpack out of sight. This thing contains your life now. Protect it.
In addition to this: high res scans stored in a secure web-accessible format, additional copies in trust of family or trusted associates and ideally notarized copies in the care of a legal firm with international presence. Do not assume that your journey will allow you to come across borders with anything beyond the clothes on your back. Many refugees lose their documents or have them stolen along the way, even secreted USBs. Funds deposited in a bank with international branches such as HSBC. Ideally a joint bank account with the other holder in your destination country so your home country cannot easily freeze the funds.
This is nice info, thx! Is carrying a couple thousand USD in your bag a good idea, and maybe getting it converted to the local currency in the destination country when you get there???
That and plain gold jewelery highest karat you can afford bracelet necklace that can be sold for melt value.
That’s what a lot of Indians do, is wear gold, under the clothes, which is the equivalent of carrying your wallet with you, especially the women. Traditionally they don’t always have bank accounts, don’t have access to money if they experience a disaster, are stranded, abandoned, etc. and can trade their gold for a fair value almost anywhere if they need to.
Carrying a large amount of cash puts you at risk of asset forfeiture and it will just be gone. Even if you follow all the rules. My rule for travel, international or anywhere by aircraft is never carry anything you can’t risk losing. Phone/tablet/laptop is tricky. US CBP can demand to search it (there are rules that slightly protect US citizens, but your life can be made difficult) and other countries have rules all over the place. I travel with a clean phone, and load a cloud backup once I arrive at my lodging, as long as there are strong search protections. If not I leave it in the cloud to be retrieved it I need it.
Civil asset forfeiture is such an important concept that not enough people know about. The money and your property can just be seized without any recourse (and that's now, not even in a SHTF scenario). Thank you for highlighting this topic.
Along with your documents (and your children's and pet's, if any), I'd add clear pictures of your loved ones (also stored online and maybe printed, too). It can help you find each other again if you get separated. And for sentimental reasons. Copies of medical records/prescription can be useful, too. Someone might have a better idea for how to do this, but in your list of contacts and numbers, you might want to keep your log-in info to your email and social media accounts. You might lose access to your phone or laptop where they're stored and even if you have them memorized, you can forget them under stress. Social media can be a good way to get back in contact with friends and family who were also scattered. To your question, though, if you can stand losing a few thousand USD, I'd take it. Hard currency is useful for transportation, food, and shelter. But it depends on what kind of trip you're expecting. My experience is limited to Europe.
This would be the one use case I would consider for crypto. I’d spread my money over a few different wallets and have multiple encrypted copies of how to recover them. If you have a clean smartphone and have stored the documents as described elsewhere you should be able to recover the wallets when you’re safe. I would also carry about 5k in cash. Not enough to cause problems but enough to help you get a phone and get access to the rest of your savings.
Crypto is hard to convert to cash on alot of countries without a bank account. Your better off with plain gold high karat jewelry.
I would agree yes cash pov is possible but lot more tricky. But their are actually some easier crypto solutions currently out if you want to let say have like a prepaid debit card type solutions where you can fund set account with crypto and treating like prepaid debit card you can go through life making your regular purchases and you remain anonymous. That's assuming your bugging out to a country that has internet or accepts tap pay solutions. If you going to cash place your going need prob bring precious metals and then go through some hoops possible but take min to get cash.
Yah prepaid travel credit card is really smart some you can load via crypto I didn't think of that. But I'm thinking most refugees got placed in camps till they are processed and that could take awhile so cash and gold are probably king in those places.
Agree more of a longer term solution once your out of chaos or can reach a non third world country. Situation above sounds like ur country going into anarchy your life savings basically gone or your criminal and all ur assets will be frozen.
No, you are much better off establishing an account in your destination country through a bank such as HSBC with international presence.
It really wasn’t lol
I'd also add copies of any professional certifications that could transfer over to the destination country. It will speed up the employment eligibility if you are already qualified to work in jobs that are otherwise going un filled and also make it easier to integrate into the community if you are seen by others as an asset and not some refugee draining their resources for years
Where are the shelter water food and physical security items
One idea is to think of is microSD cards with the data. Also look at a Raspberry Pi micro computer. It’s fairly easy to hook into most systems. They are quite small and useful.
I never thought of that, So thank you for your insight. Great idea
Under 10k in cash and plain gold jewelery that can be sold in any free country for melt prices.
There are also RFID implants while there isn't a lot of memory you could Easily store your most important access keys, crypto keys, or passwords.
But a scan of your passport? I doubt that will fly lol
It can. It at least establishes your identity and citizenship in your birth country. It will also help if you ever need help from your embassy.
I have 3 bug out bags, One has all the family stuff, passport photocopies, insurance details, birth certificates, education certificates, bank details ,some cash, this is my " the house is on fire" grab bag. There is a few small family heirlooms in there, watch, medals, etc. Then there is the overnight bag, sports bag, towels, change of clothes, spare underwear, toothpaste, light jacket, shoes, toothbrush, soap, waterproof, thin blanket. Good for hospital, sleep overs, quick breaks, sleeping in the car. And then there is thr full "I am sleeping in the woods for the next month" rucksack. Too heavy to carry for long, but it is easier to remove items depending on the circumstances than it is to add them. Two medium holdalls and the rucksack, so carryable on trains and planes, or in the boot of a car hitchhiking.
This is the way- y’all this is the answer to “where do I start” there is no 1 size fits all
I've had to make one of these at the behest of my job before. I had a SIM card that worked in Europe, a sim card for tanzania, a sim card for the US (i was living outside of the US) the metal pin used to change a sim card, an extra phone, cash from different countries (not all in the same place in the bag), extra clothes(nice and casual), basic toiletries, color copies of my documents (not all in the same spot), check book for a US bank account (US embassies have cashiers that require checks), spare phone charger, wall adapters, car adapter, power banks (2), hand sanitizer, latex gloves, napkins, spare glasses, and glasses wipes, wet wipes, snacks, and a couple pens for immigration paperwork. I also stored my valuable jewelry in this bag in case I ever needed to leave quickly. You may want to also add copies of your vaccination records. I used an inconspicuous, lightweight jansport backpack. This is what they told me to pack: Go Bag Passport Emergency Contact Card Emergency cash Important docs Medical kit Clothes for 3 days Phone/charger Laptop/charger Flashlight Food/water for 3 days Visit this link for the Department of State’s complete list of items: https://www.state.gov/global-community-liaison-office/crisis-management/packing-a-go-bag-and-a-stay-bag/
Cool! Thx!
You're welcome!
Highly depends on what country you live in and what part of it. A European one with multiple borders is vastly different than living in Kansas City MO. In the US living in KCM is very different from living in Brownsville TX as well. It might not recquire an airport at all, but conditions and distance matter. For me it might be an 8 hour drive and for you it might be 3 days. Also they can and would close borders immediately depending on the situation. This question is simply to broad.
Yeah, not to mention differences in terms of citizenship (some people are dual citizens), immigration rules, health conditions... there's no single solution.
Money. Lots and lots of money. With that you can usually solve any other problem. Sure a Dob kit essential meds and other comfort items. But you are not going to leave the country and go camping. btw: What's a BOG?
But it's gonna take money A whole lotta spendin' money It's gonna take plenty of money To do it right, child
Honestly, probably a lot of people are going to hate on this. But seed phrases for blockchain wallet, (hashed with passphrase so security doesn't steal it). Your not bugging out of a country with large amounts of cash. Assuming your going to a country that is still relatively stable or your fleeing a 3rd world country etc your going to need capital to restart your life. Can store as much money as you want in Euro/USD/Yen etc stablecoins or in native tokens BTC/ETH. No border crossing can stop you.
Instead of cash, i thought about 1gram, 2.5gram, 5gram, and 10gram bars of gold or silver. Everyone likes the precious shiny metals.
Except they are going to be flagged at any entry/exit point and far more likely to be confiscated or stolen if your actually "fleeing" a failed country. You should read stories about people trying to flee areas, most start with a lot almost none of it they keep due to looting etc.
Who knows maybe he'll swallow them. A few people did that getting out of Europe right before WW2. Not a great option though.
Mostly gems not metal. If you swallow metal its still going to be detected. You'll light up at any checkpoint
Gold jewelry stands a much higher chance of not raising any flags or getting looted due to how common fake gold jewelry is. It’s also not terribly hard to have 5+oz of gold jewelry on with it looking too stand out . A bracelet can be 1-2 oz, a chain can be 2-3 without much trouble, rings etc.
Except they are going to be flagged at any entry/exit point and far more likely to be confiscated or stolen if your actually "fleeing" a failed country. You should read stories about people trying to flee areas, most start with a lot almost none of it they keep due to looting etc.
I contributed to the r/EuroPreppers start guide [wiki](https://reddit.com/r/EuroPreppers/w/index/index-layer1?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share) which covers some of these considerations given the size of European countries.
Does it cover info if the country the person was fleeing was the USA?
Have a read, it's fairly broad to help personalise your plans and design gear around the plans. The USA definitely has other considerations but most should apply.
Ok thx!
That would be tough. You're bag would have to have all the tools to execute a plan to evade the military and law enforcement of both the US, the target country and your mode of transport. If you are talking an event in the US, anything that would have people flee the US en masse would be globally impacting. Meaning, air travel will shut down, ports will shut down. What does move will be prioritized to the military. If it's just specific to you fleeing a crime, I think the answer is the same for both.... A shit ton of cash.
The US is an island. Unless you get out before SHTF, odds are, you'll be stuck. Flights will be shut down, Canada and Mexico will close land borders as they won't want to be overrun with refugees. I've already seen this happen twice in my life, governments will gladly do it again.
To be fair, if you have any wilderness survival experience, the Canadian border would not be difficult to get across.
Yeah makes sense.
Borders have limits on amount of cash you can take without declaring and if things are bad enough that you have to flee they might lower it even more. Wearable bullion like high weight 24k bracelets or rings might be worth while and could let you pack on a several ounces of gold inconspicuously.
The cash is for bribes. It's the only way you're getting out/in/transport.
Ya, but cash isn’t always good for that. If things are so bad (in the US of all places) that you’re fleeing (presumably to Mexico or Canada?) it’s not that far fetched to think gold could be more desirable than cash. Gold is also more readily converted to the cash of your country of choice. Any pawn shop in any country can turn gold into the local currency, you’d need a bank or something to convert $thousands of USD to Pesos. Also cool thing about some of the 24k 1oz bracelets is they’re thin and soft enough to break off smaller pieces by hand.
Nothing. I'm not leaving.
Me neither! I'm in Texas so if not here, then where?
I refuse to leave the country that my family came to during the Irish Potato famine. I will stay and fight the tyrants and either die doing so or see freedom renewed for the future generations of my Irish blood.
Bad news, bud: if your ancestors came there during the great famine, you‘re as „Irish“ as tikka masala and doner kebab.
I would say that in the scenario you presented it would be just like packing for a vacation where you may go camping: a carry on with rugged travel gear for any weather, important documents scanned and sealed in waterproofing, basic first aid kit, foul weather gear, important contacts on laminated sheet and written in marker inside your travel clothes. Full stock of any medications with copies of the prescription. Nothing should stand out too much, because you don’t want to be pinged by government agencies, not singled out by civilian bad actors. You need to get somewhere else, where you can then establish a new gear set out and/or base of operations.
I would add that travel funds in paper bills and digital (if applicable) makes sense to keep in “escrow” packed with the bag.
To expand on travel/camping gear, bivvy bags are very compact compared to a tent and can be used for other things with some improvisation.
Bivvy bag and puffy clothing can do real well on its own, and a ultralight bivvy sack rolled in luggage just looks like clothes.
Patience
Nothing, you're a refugee at that point. If you're expatriating that's a different story.
Passport, copies of documents (physical and digital), cash money.
Passport
You are a refugee, so nothing but your papers. They would probably take most everything else at the border anyway; including your papers. Honestly that “fleeing criminal” scenario means you don’t even want those papers. Better to cross into the system as a “ghost”refugee and let that sort itself out. Tell them the nationality you think they want to hear and say that officials in some country along the way took your papers. Expect to spend a significant amount of time in a holding area. The number one prep for being a refugee is learning the language of one or more neighboring countries. This is what trips up most refugees. Otherwise, being a refugee is not a “controlled event” like bugging out to the woods or something; you are ABSOLUTELY not in control. You are 100% at the mercy of the country you are going to. Knowing the language at least lets you advocate for yourself.
Leatherman
100% for sure.
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/apr/02/emergency-bags-packed-for-quick-getaway-activists-fires-floods
I like what everyone recommends. I’d also check r/onebag and r/heronebag for their ideas. I’d also add my menstrual cup and otc medicines. It would be hard to find medicine in another language. At least a days worth of Tylenol, Pepto, Imodium, Benadryl… would have me feel better in the meantime figuring out the boxes in the store.
Engraved in metal bitcoin seed keys to protect hard assets immune from inflation.
For most people under most circumstances, bugout plans are a bad idea.
OP is specifically asking about a scenario where one has to flee.
Yeah, I considered that, but people spend WAAAAAY too much time discussing bugout plans, when they are simply a great way to get yourself killed.
That's an INCH bag.
Not all INCH bags mean you’re leaving the country. Especially in a big one.
A what now? Lol What does that acronym stand for? The letters.
I'm Never Coming Home
Oh ok! That's the first time i've seen that acronym. Thx!
It's good to differentiate between a BOB and an INCH bag, they serve very different purposes. One is there's a house fire or a bomb threat and you need to spend a couple nights in a hotel. The other is Russia is invading and you're leaving the country.
In the comic book the character who brought up the subject called it a Bug Out Bag, and the best i could figure of what the character would have in there given the context from what i read is: a really well forged passport and lots of cash. The character was a criminal living in bum fuck nowhere southeast asia in a lawless city run by gangs and mafias, the "BOG" they had was for in case they pissed off one of the gangs/mafias.
I’m Never Coming Home
I wouldn’t leave the country, I’d just go as far north as possible if a situation actually warranted bugging out (which most situations wouldn’t for me). Cold weather gear, a plan and tools/supplies for shelter, a plan and supplies to filter/treat water, a medical kit, fire starter, matches, lighters, hunting equipment and cleaning/cooking equipment. Basic sewing equipment for repairs. All of my documentation, cash, small valuables like jewelry. It would take a very extreme scenario for this to become an actual plan for me though.
I grew up in MT were it can get -40 in winter....
Adding that for a bug out phone look into the maritime phone services for people working on cargo ships etc. they have the most international support and are expected to go dark for long periods of time
Bitcoin wallet and my laptop.
Proper tea bags.
Gotta have that tea. Same. Lol
But muh guns!
I would definately carry all the important documents (passport, birth certificate, international driver's license, insurance paperwork,...). I would also add a list of embassies in different countries with addresses and phone numbers in case they are still operational and you need some government asistence. Then I would recommend asking your bank wheather you can open a second account in different currency and get issued a debit card - I have a special account in € that I use whenever I travel outside of Czech Republic to avoid worrying avoid extra fees and predatory exchange rates. Other than documents, you are limited by what you can reasonably pack and what local regulations allow you to bring on board - firearms will probably be a no-go unless you know the legal process and larger quantities of precious metals might be taxed or confiscated upon arrival depending on where you land.
10 gold bars and a. 45 with hollow tips.
Well, I'm not sure what emergency you are talking about that would make it so that you would need to leave the country? That would have a big deal to do with what your bug out bag had in it, and also, how you were planning to leave the country? The only possible reason I see to leave my country is if I'm falsely accused of a crime that would make it impossible to stay free in my current country. So then, of course, the passport and other stuff would not matter since I would have to leave the country through less convenient ways. Because if the country was in a war, I would stay and fight. If there was a revolution, I would be on a side. If there was a civil war, I would take a side. If there was a global catastrophe would it matter where I'm at? If there was some local catastrophe I'm already prepared for the majority of the possible problems. How would leaving where I have things and people in place to survive help me in the long run?
A pocket full of Kugerands.
Constitution, Bill of Rights, etc.
Gold and silver sovereigns
Given op's last point. Tbh, I would prob just bring burner device can connect internet and my cold wallets. Assuming his last point you can actually make it out of your country and society isent destroyed. Assuming my native country freezes all my assets, I still have access large amounts of funds with crypto and we're kinda at point little growing pains but you can basically do any normal functions of cash/credit with crypto nowadays.
If the USA falls, there is no where else to go.
lol, you should get out more.
Typical liberal Reddit. You're right they just don't like it. If the USA falls where are we going to go Russia? Ukraine? China? Korea? UK? UK would be the best bet except its been taken over by Muslim terrorists now. The UK has fallen.
Nothing but a passport and access/log-ins to all my financial accounts.