For ten long years we had prepared to Bug-in rather than to Bug-out... With stockpiles of food, water, batteries, emergency lighting, flashlights, lamps, lanterns...you name it, we had it.
We had it all, every single thing we could imagine we would need to survive during an emergency... but we had it all at home... How Shortsighted!
The thought of an uncontrollable fire had never occurred to us. After all, most fires are easy to contain and extinguish... So the thought of our home becoming fully engulfed in flames within a matter of seconds never entered our minds.
It turns out I had the wrong idea about caches!
Several caches with some food, clothing, water & money would have been a nice thing to have had.
Even though i had played with the idea of caching a firearm and some ammo---i did not follow through it.
After 10 years of preparing and stockpiling supplies at home - in home... my idea of caching was skewed.
My mentality was that caching was for weapons, but weapons are no good unless they they are in reach.
I resisted the idea of caching simply because i had a misconception of what caching really is.
Many people cache weapons and ammo.. to the point where it is easy to fall into the belief that caching is exclusive to guns and ammo.
If you want to cache a weapon and some ammo, that is fine and dandy... BUT YOU SHOULD BE CACHING SOME FOOD, WATER, CLOTHING, A LITTLE SPENDING MONEY... amongst other things to help you during/after a disaster
If something is important enough to stockpile at home, then it is important enough to cache! ...even if your heart is set upon bugging in.
A cache can be as simple as a suitcase with some clothes, non-perishable foods, a little cash, and bottles of water stored in an outbuilding or at the homes of friends or relatives.
They can be a more elaborate container buried or hidden somewhere on or off your property, containing the same basic items, and more if you wish.
I will recommend several small basic caches within proximity of your home for a short term disaster.
It is OK if you want to bug in, but have some caches ready just in case your home is destroyed.
Same applies to your bug-out location..
What if your bug-out home is destroyed?
It is equally important that those of you who plan to Bug-Out have several caches AT your bug-out location.
I have to start all over again due to my shortsightedness. My views about caches have changed, and i have updated my views on Bug-Out-Bags... my new philosophy being have several.