Prepper Glossary
What Is a Bug Out Location?
A bug out location (BOL) is a real second place you can reach if home becomes unsafe: a relative's house, a rented room belt, a public shelter zone, or property you actually have the right to use. In US prepper search it often means a cabin. The useful definition is narrower. If you cannot name the address and the route, you do not have a BOL. You have a mood.
Also called: BOL, retreat, second location, backup homestead (sometimes)
The real test
What counts as a bug out location?
Permission plus access plus a reason you can live there for a few days.
Valid examples
- Family or friends who have agreed
- A hotel corridor outside the hazard you already mapped
- A public shelter you would actually use
- Land or a building you own or lease
Invalid examples
- A national forest you plan to "use"
- An empty house you do not control
- A pin on a map you have never driven at night
- A retreat you cannot afford to keep
If the place is real, stage a spare key, a water plan, and a way to heat or cool one room there. Do not carry a second house on your back.
Quick facts
What it is
A destination you can legally reach and stay at
Pairs with
Bug out and an evacuation plan
Kit on the way
Go bag / bug out bag
Long-stay kit
INCH bag only if you will not return soon
Fail test
"The woods" with no permission and no water plan
Options compared
BOL vs hotel vs shelter vs INCH
Most US evacuations are wildfire, flood, and hurricane. Those people sleep in gyms, hotels, and spare bedrooms. Plan for that before you plan a fortress.
Option
Family BOL
When it works
Best first destination for most US households
Key requirement
An agreement with the host, not a surprise
Option
Hotel / rental belt
When it works
Works if you leave early and have cards or cash
Key requirement
Depart before surge pricing and full occupancy
Option
Public shelter
When it works
Works if you will actually go
Key requirement
Know where it is before you need it
Option
Owned retreat
When it works
Works if you maintain it and can reach it
Key requirement
Ongoing upkeep and a tested route
Option
INCH plan
When it works
Weeks away, only with the above already true
Key requirement
A real destination and the means to stay indefinitely
Distance
How far should it be?
Far enough to be outside the same fire, flood, or plume. Close enough that you can reach it on the fuel you have.
Two hours on a calm Saturday can be six hours on an evac day. Drive the route once. Write a backup route that does not use the same canyon or causeway. Urban preppers should assume the first highway is parked.
At the destination
What to stage at a real BOL
If you own or reliably use the place, these items should already be there. That stash is why the walk-out bag can stay at 72 hours. The bug out bag list covers the trip. The location covers the stay.
Water
Stored water you rotate, plus a filter if the source is not municipal
Food you will eat
Shelf-stable food that works without power or a full kitchen
Light and a radio
Flashlight, spare batteries, and a way to receive weather alerts
Copies of documents
IDs, insurance, medical records, so you are not relying on what you grabbed on the way out
Clothes for the season
A change of clothes suited to the weather you will arrive in
A way in, a way to lock up
Spare key, combination, or a neighbor who can open up
Scope
What this page is not
Not a guide to occupying land
Not a guide to hiding from lawful authority
Not a guide to building an armed compound
A BOL is lodging plus permission.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
What is a bug out location?
A bug out location is a real second place you can legally go when home is unsafe.
Do I need a cabin?
No. Most households need an agreed family address or a mapped hotel belt.
How is a BOL different from a shelter?
A shelter is public and shared. A BOL is a place you already have a right to use. Either can be the destination on the evac plan.
Should I tell people where it is?
Tell the adults who have to reach it. Do not publish the address on the internet.
What if I rent and have no second place?
Use family, a pre-book habit for named storms, and official shelters. That is still a plan.
Is a BOL required to be a prepper?
No. A 72-hour kit and a meeting place already qualify as preparedness.
Related terms
Keep reading
Last updated: August 28, 2026