I live in rural Arizona south of Tucson. To me, "bugging out" is unrealistic. I am in my 70's, I have a wife who needs medical oxygen, medications, and help with some of her activities. And, I am pretty well set where I am.

We are on a well that will quit as soon as the power goes. But, I have the capability of harvesting rain water and have 1500 gallons of storage. I have some food stored, about a pretty boring months worth. And, I have a well insulated house that remains relatively comfortable without air conditioning even during the hot months; I have a fireplace and wood stove for cooking and for the cold (20°F)winter nights. We have a modest solar lighting capacity as well as kerosene lamps and kerosene. I have a small motorbike that will go 120 miles on a gallon of gas so I can get around as long as I have gas in the cars to siphon and I have 2-cycle oil to mix fuel. So, for something lasting a month or so, I figure that I am OK to get by.

Tucson and most of southeast Arizona depends largely on coal and oil fired generating plants for electricity for lights, air conditioning and pumping water. If something happens to the supply of coal and oil then a lot of things come to a quick stop: water for one thing. And, if the trucks stop bringing food to the cities, rioting is probably only a few days away. Few city dwellers give even a passing thought to just how dependent they are on a fairly fragile transportation system (until it fails). Right now, if oil and coal stop coming to Tucson, so does the food and water shortly thereafter.

There are over a million people in southeast Arizona; not many are even remotely prepared for a disaster. So, the thing I think about most, in the wake of some sort of natural disaster, especially one involving electricity and trucking, is greater Tucson emptying in my direction down the Santa Cruz valley with lots of guns and little, or no, water and food. I live a ways off the main travel corridors so would be spared the initial panicky surge but when they start spreading out I would be worried about people moving in my direction hoping to share what little I have. I don't know what I would do if that were to happen.