gmurphy,

You have made some very good points. When patrolling you are trained to avoid all man-made trails and the more heavily traveled game trails if you want to avoid being ambushed. A checkpoint is a civilized ambush. But still an ambush. One word of caution, rivers were the highways in the 1800's. Use them with caution.

I like Taz's advice about rate of travel. Slow. If in a group ensure you have forward, flank and rear security details to protect the main body. Scout your choke points from a far. Some choke points will not be held by personnel but may be mined - as in land mines. Or they may put up fake mine fields to slow you down further.
Taz, your other advice of a route recce and making contact with locals along your route is also solid, IMHO. Who is going to let strangers through a checkpoint or into their community?? There is discussion on a thread called a Sense of Community, where in a SHTF scenario other may not let others onto their land - preppers or not. That observation validates the no stranger rule even among those of us here.

Even though they may have IR, thermal or other nightvision capabilities, moving pass the checkpoint between say 0200 and 0500, maybe the best time. Humans are generally drowzy during those hours. No guarantee, though.

Here is a question for aaronbouge: how interconnected are the irrigation canals in the lower mainland?? If you had the right watercraft, could you silently paddle the canals??? I have seen some new inflatable kayaks that have been used in Patagonia for combined mountain bike/kayak touring. Some of the area is too water covered to ride so they carry their bikes on the kayaks to get back to solid ground.

Yes, map and compass, offer you one more option. While the cowboys round up the "Sheeple" at the checkpoint you can navigate around them day or night with a good compass and a good set of maps. Where are you going?? And can they send you transport at a certain point?? How will you communicate with your transport??

What about Harrison Lake?? Who owns the land at the Northend, besides sasquatch. 😉

Mountainman.

I don't know if martial law has been imposed in Canada since the FLQ crisis of the early 70's, and I suppose check points are a possibility. But I would have a far greater fear- millions of people trying to flee toward a bottle neck at Hope. It is impossible to overstate the chaos that would ensue. Military checkpoints or not the roads will still be blocked. Cars stalled across the highway that have run out of gas, accidents due to people weaving out of line to get an advantage, no cash machines, and even if they were open you would never get into line on the highway again. Hijackings, worse, panic. The police and military would be actually trying to help, but unable to do anything. walking is the only option left, but I find it tiring to drive through the Canyon under ideal conditions, I could never walk the distance. Add to this the fact that many are prepared to grab their BOB and stay uncomfortably in an evacuation shelter; but these are for "limited" disasters. In the real event if a person has not done their networking and have no particular destination to which they are fleeing where a support group awaits IF they make it, then tens of hundreds of thousands of people are simply fleeing. Some will make it further than others

Removed by user

Lots of really good info here, thanks! It has me really reassesing my bug out plan. Good idea to prepare to have to bushwack it and stay off the trail. A compass is a definate must. There are other ways to navigate too. Im really thinking about bug out bags being made seasonal as well. Like for example, in the middle of winter you're going to bushwack it in all the snow? I think I might invest in a good pair of snowshoes. Im going to start scouting my bug out route too and making sure I know the land very well.
I do have a good canoe. So Im going to look into possible waterways to travel as well. Whatever is going to be fastest and safest.

AB,

If you are not in a rush, start monitoring http://www.sportsmansguide.com or toll free 1-800-888-3006. They have a surplus division to their store. I bought a pair of their surplus US Army snowshoes, funny thing, they were made in Canada. That's right campers the same magnesium snowshoes the CF uses. I have seen them in Canadian stores for $150+ a set plus bindings. The Sportsman's Guide had them on sale for $30 a set with basic bindings. They were in better condition than the last set I was issued back in the day.

The sales come and go, so you just have to monitor the e-mail sales flyers. They have some good deals. Note: they do not ship ammo, food or optics across the border.

Good luck,

Mountainman.

Im really thinking about bug out bags being made seasonal as well.

My B.O.B. has always been seasonal. Nothing like packing along your parka and long underwear when your hiking to your B.O.L. in July. 😉

Sounds like a few have no idea of the Reserve strenghth in Lowermainland, there are at least 6 reserve units and Island PPCLI and such, along with many other weekend warrior types. This creates a problem for all the "Normal" people wanting to just get out. Look at the coke and the Canyon, i could secure both with only 60 men. Tunnels are a bitch to get around and toll gate is also bad, yes i also would add additional GOONS on the perimeters as well. Never mind all the Police reserves & ad guns OMG!!! hahaha.

Get some Guy, who never made it to the sandbox and he has to prove himself and we have a situation. But just my thoughts.and keep those backroads maps handy.

Just my two cents. Through sheer force of numbers, tens of thousands could make it as far as Hope, depending on the nature of the disaster. Those who make it that far will have no choice but to travel the Coke toward Kamloops. There are five tunnels immediately north of Hope, any one of which can easily be blocked. If the crisis is the major earthquake (it happened in 1750 and we are overdue) and it is located near Vancouver but with no tsunami, the Canyon will be blocked by landslides. If there is a tsunami it can reach Hope (absolutely no geographical structure to stop it) and will finally spend itself following up the winding Fraser River into the Canyon being spent on the sheer cliffs. In this event all water on the lower mainland will be contanimated, and as for the local military reserve camps they will disappear along with most everyone else. People who live in the lower mainland area live in extreme danger everyday.

If an evacuation is to escape civil unrest in an economic meltdown(Americans spilling north over the border could trigger such a scenario), one must think that an evacuation plan might have to be implemented in winter.

There is a further force to be reckoned with if hoardes are fleeing north. We who live on the Chilcotin plateau are protected by the Fraser itself. There are three bridges that provide access, one of them is one lane. Behind these are roads rapidly ascending 3500 ft. from the river. Behind this are three major one lane bridges crossing the Chilcotin River. We are a stable population of ten thousand who must in a SHTF situation protect this territory from those who would slaughter our deer, moose, cattle and sheep. God I hope this day is far off!

If you go to the forestry service they have maps of their logging roads. You maybe able to get around and out of the mainland that way.

Canada & the USA have signed agreements stating that each military will go into the others country to help in times of need...I would imagine the American military will be posted here ...There is a base in Suffield and bases in Montana...neither far from us...it would not take long for military from suffield/police to have all roads out of my city blocked before the public even had a inkling something was going on....I'd bet the same for where any of us live. I can not imagine having small children or even teenager for that matter and trying to bug out...kids get frightened and cry easily and not quietly I may add, giving you away...teenager get moody and could try to run away and mess your plans up while you hunt for them.

Canada & the US do have agreements in place to help each other in the event of a major disaster or civil unrest. In the event of a major catastrophy, we very well could see US troops up here to help our own. We wouldn't have to worry too much though, if there was large scale civil unrest or a social meltdown. In that case any troop movement would most likely be in a southerly direction.

CPOBob, I want to thank you for bringing up the Reserves. There's also the added level of reserve in the CIC. That tiny fine-print clause in the CIC employment contract (CIC stands for Cadet Instructor Cadre, which is a class B Reserve list which serves as the adult instructor and administrative portion of the Canadian Cadet Movement) says that you ARE a member of the Canadian Forces and are obligated by law to follow orders from Supplemental, Primary reserve officers, and Regular Force officers. That could increase numbers of Reserve force personnel by hundreds, if not thousands. While not "Military trained", they're capable of following orders.

Just wanted to throw that out there. Also, when talking about reserve units, one unit to watch out for would be the Seaforth Highlanders. One of the most respected and feared units in WW1/2, for a reason. So in the event of a military lockdown, be careful.

H

The chances of running into a checkpoint by the Military is slim to nil in the Valley but very possible along the borders and on the Island. I know that avoiding the main thouroways is your best chance but in Langley I would be trying to do a amphibeous escape via Fort Langley NORTH towards the old 7 route and make your way into the hills. At least you can cover greater ground. That would be the old Ferry Terminal which is now closed. People there would be more open and condusive to the need of evacuees than lets say the Interior where I know theres one road in and belive me, youll be going in on foot or coming back in a bodybag from what I already know!!!!!!!!

Interesting plan Waterborne
You would still have to cross the Hwy 7 bridge at Kanaka or the CP rail bridge there. Then your next hurdel would be the Hwy 7 Stave river crossing or the CP rail bridge Forget the dam crossing They would be guarde for sure. Then there`s the Niccomen Island Slough to cross just to get to the Deroche Bridge.Then there is the Harrison River Hwy 7 bridge and the CP rail bridge. Me I`m hunkering down here in the Ridge until the the first round of hungry crazies and druggies are arrested or shot. I`ll have two months supplies and I`ll have a stash or five in a bug out camp a few miles back in the bush on Pitt Lake. Lots of water, lots of fish and lots of game.
My fisrt prayer will be its not winter when we have to bug out. Working on that problem.

Thats the problem! Everything starts getting elaborate when we know we should just stick to KISS (keep it simple stupid). You're so right though about keeping to the RIDGE. The more I think about the different modes the less I care but thats what keeps us motivated and in a PREPPER frame of mind. To be totally honest with you I think I would probably stay put until the crazies left and if I really have to my family has a route plan through the waterways and inner Harbour. Over the years I've scouted out alot of territory but the truth is I cant expect my children to cover that ground. Not by foot anyway! I talk the SHIT too when I want, its what keeps me going when I get sick of DOMESTIC life. I keep forgetting Im not there anymore. LOL