HJL,
It is most certainly true that people should not choose to bug out in certain situations unless they have a sustainable location prepared in advance. However, many SurvivalBlog readers work far from home (well over 2,000 miles for me) and we absolutely must have detailed plans in place to get back to our families in a TEOTWAWKI event. This will become more common in a severe economic downturn. In that case, you’d be wise to have those packs prepared the author of this article speaks against, just in case your primary mode of transportation doesn’t get you home. And what if disaster strikes your rural location and it’s better to get out than remain in place? Think earthquake or other similar disruption where wells can stop producing due to pipe damage, power is down for months, roads are impassible, your home is a loss, and the weather is harsh. That’s a valid bugout scenario that is much more likely than an EMP and therefore should be on your preparedness list.
I am bothered by comments on the Gray Man mindset. Yes, we need leaders, but that doesn’t mean you won’t have to deal with authorities already in place that may be hostile towards those that counter their community management philosophy such as preppers, religious conservatives, and those not willing to share what they’ve stocked up with everyone else. The Gray Man exists to be an unseen influence at those times, gathering intelligence, understanding the political landscape, identifying like-minded people, arranging for the movement of resources. In the event of outright conflict, the Gray Man serves a valuable role in clandestine activities. So while one may try to make the case that the Gray Man is a cop out compared to stepping up and leading, I’ll leave you with this question: In the history of low-level conflicts and outright war on any scale, how valuable was the role of clandestine intelligence operatives? There’s a time to step up and be an outspoken leader, and there’s a time to quietly work behind the scenes to work towards common goals.
I work in a community where I expect a great need for the Gray Man approach early on in a WROL event, and I also have a well stocked rural location in the American Redoubt to travel to, and extensive plans to make the trip if the need arises.