Crossing A Linear Danger Area in SHTF

We Have To Leave, Know What?

When we discuss SHTF (Shit Hits The Fan) scenarios, societal collapse, etc. Usually the first things that come to mind ammo, food, All water and wether to bug-out or bug-in. All of which are an essential base to surviving any catastrophic situation of  varying degree.  What usually happens then is most people stop there, but what happens when you bug-out? Have you prepared on how you are going to traverse the terrain and obstacles that you will need to navigate. Similarly what if you are bugging-in and you find that you may need to replenish some supplies or slightly adjust your position, how are you going to get there?

In this post we will address crossing linear danger zones for an SHTF situation from the perspective of your typical household (about a family of 3 or larger). We will back in some low level Infantry movement skills often referred to as "Scroll To The Road". You will be ability to find the reference for this movement in the U.S. Army Training Publication - ATP 3-21.8 Infantry Platoon And Squad.

Keep in mind, that the realistic application here for you family house hold is a lot different than that of your typical infantry platoon or squad. Which mean you will not have things like fire superiority, crew served weapons (maybe you do, lol) or an element react to contact. What you do have those is the ability practice and adjust where applicable.  In Western countries we generally do not think we will find ourselves in a situation where movement drills are necessary, but we know that with current conflicts like that in Gaza and Ukraine this can happen to families. If you are in the United States we can find at home examples such as the events of Hurricane Katrina.

Context And Scenario

So what is a linear danger area? Generally this can be described as a place that cuts through your direction of travel that would expose you from any intersecting direction for an uncomfortable about of time. Example would be a road, intersection, large open field or maybe a clearing in the woods.

For this example you and your family, wife and two kids have recently decided to bug out to put some space between you and the city. Because the main roads leading to and from your neighborhood are blocked or patrolled by marauders you decide to take the local trails behind your neighborhood that lead to the outside of the nearby suburbs. However the during your movement you can see an opening in the trail where a logging road cuts through your path.  

Survey And Secure

The moment we notice the danger area we need to push the members in our party evenly off the side of the road so that and one traveling down the danger area has a hard time of spotting our party on the way by.

Next we need to secure the area where the trail and danger area meet. Send two members on each side of the path to provide security in opposite directions of the danger area.

Scroll To The Road

The term scroll to the road was coined by the U.S. Army, where the one with his right shoulder to the outside of the danger area would bound and replace the solider across from the danger area. And this pattern would repeat until it was time for the final person to cross. 

Once the party is off the road in a halted position, send two members to where the trail and logging road meet. With each member pulling security in the opposite direction.

From which party members still in the halt position will replace a designated person one by one and "bump" them off to move to a new halted rally point on the other end of the danger area.

As the second to last person begins to make their movement across the danger area, it is advised you warn the the remaining party member that you are the "last man" or some sort of way to inform them it is almost time for them to cross as well.

The second to last person should pull security to the opposite of the "last man" on the other side of the danger area.



Once all party members have crossed, the final two party members remaining at the danger area should return to the rally area where the movement can continue on the trail

Take Aways

Get out and train, movements like these seem simple at face value.  However even trained military members slip up on perfecting this at times. Do not rush, slow is smooth and smooth is fast.  Once you get the movements down, consider expanding on the technique with exercising noise and light discipline, try making the maneuver at night, jumble up the order of your party members so the trail and point person are not always the same.