Prepper Glossary
What Is a Bug-Out Route?
A bug-out route (BOR) is the path you will take if you leave home, plus at least one backup that does not use the same bridge, canyon, causeway, or downtown grid. In US preparedness it belongs on the evacuation plan, not only in someone's memory. The bug-out vehicle is what you drive. The route is where it goes.
Also called: BOR, evac route, escape route, secondary route
Why two routes
The first road fills.
Wildfire, flood, and hurricane traffic use the same obvious exit. A backup that shares the same bottleneck is not a backup.
Write the routes as a PACE plan: primary highway, alternate surface streets, contingency long way, emergency walk. Walking is why the go bag still has to be carryable. See bug out bag weight.
Quick facts
Stands for
Bug-out route
What it is
Primary and backup paths out
Pairs with
Test
Drive the backup on a calm day
Fail test
One highway and a prayer
How the pieces fit
Route vs destination vs cache
The bug-out route is one piece of the evacuation plan. Each piece does a different job.
Piece
Bug-out route
Job
How you leave
Piece
Bug out location
Job
Where you are going
Piece
Cache
Job
Optional resupply on the way
Piece
Rally point
Job
Where scattered people rejoin
Planning
Paper maps and real conditions
Print a paper map of the two driving routes and the walking fallback. Phones die. Apps reroute into the fire if you let them.
Urban households should assume stairs and jammed arterials. Rural households should assume one washed-out farm-to-market road.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
What is a bug-out route?
The planned path, and a backup path, you will use to leave home during an evacuation.
What does BOR stand for?
Bug-out route.
Do I need off-road routes?
Usually no. You need a second paved path that avoids the same choke point. Off-road is optional and often slower.
Should I post the route online?
No. See OPSEC. The people who must drive it need the paper copy.
What if we don't have a car?
The route is still real: transit lines, walking path, prearranged ride. Write it down.
Related terms
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Last updated: August 28, 2026