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Your Bug-Out Plan Will Fail — Here’s Why Everyone Overestimates Themselves

AMERICA UNDER SIEGE: PHASE III — DELUSIONS THAT WILL GET YOU KILLED

Chris Heaven's avatar
Chris Heaven
Jan 21, 2026
∙ Paid

Most Americans who talk about “bugging out” are lying to themselves.

Not maliciously. Not intentionally. But dangerously.

They’ve watched too many movies, listened to too many gear reviews, and confused ownership with capability. They believe that when things finally break, they’ll rise to the occasion, load the truck, and disappear into the woods like some modern pioneer.

That belief will get them killed.

This is Phase III of America Under Siege for a reason. The threat isn’t just terrorism, sabotage, or unrest anymore. It’s the false confidence people carry into crisis, the stories they tell themselves about who they’ll become when everything collapses.

Reality is not impressed by your intentions.

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The Bug-Out Fantasy vs. Human Reality

The bug-out narrative is seductive. It offers control in a world that feels increasingly unstable.

“I’ll leave before everyone else.”
“I know back roads.”
“I’ve trained for this.”
“I won’t panic like everyone else.”

That’s the lie.

In real crises, most people do not become sharper, calmer, or more decisive. They become slower, more emotional, and less capable of complex problem-solving. Stress strips away layers of skill. Fatigue compounds mistakes. Fear narrows perception.

The version of yourself you imagine during calm evenings is not the version that shows up when your phone goes dark, fuel stations are empty, and your kids are crying in the back seat.


Everyone Overestimates Their Physical Ability

You are not in as good shape as you think you are.

That’s not an insult. It’s biology and math.

Most bug-out plans quietly assume:

  • Sustained walking with weight

  • Poor sleep for multiple days

  • Calorie deficits

  • Elevated heart rate and cortisol

  • Cold, heat, rain, or smoke exposure

The average American struggles with a 5-mile walk under ideal conditions. Add a pack, add stress, add time pressure, and performance collapses quickly.

In real evacuations, people abandon gear within hours. Packs get dumped. Firearms get cached and forgotten. “Essentials” turn into dead weight.

Your body will vote on your plan, and it doesn’t care how much money you spent on equipment.

STAND WITH THE MISSION…

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Your Route Will Not Be Clear

Every bug-out plan assumes movement.

Movement is the first thing that fails.

Highways clog. Secondary roads gridlock. Back roads get blocked by wrecks, law enforcement checkpoints, panicked civilians, or deliberate closures. Bridges become choke points. Fuel becomes unavailable faster than expected.

Worse, movement makes you visible.

A vehicle loaded with supplies advertises itself. A group moving on foot attracts attention. Every mile traveled increases exposure to:

  • Desperate people

  • Armed opportunists

  • Law enforcement or military interdiction

  • Accidental confrontation

The farther you go, the more variables you stack against yourself.

You Will Not Outrun Information Collapse …

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