Passports

[Bisley Man]

Has anyone here considered getting a passport for SHTF reasons? Our plan is to bug in, but one doesn't know if an ultra-major disaster might make fleeing to Canada( or Alaska through Canada), or other country necessary. GOD HELP US if this ever happens!

 

[Bill of Rights]

Has anyone here considered getting a passport for SHTF reasons? Our plan is to bug in, but one doesn't know if an ultra-major disaster might make fleeing to Canada( or Alaska through Canada), or other country necessary. GOD HELP US if this ever happens!

A passport is only necessary to get back in, right?

If it ever goes so far that I was willing to leave my country, I would not be planning to come back.

(and if I did, that passport would have been issued by an at-that-point defunct government anyway.)

Blessings,
Bill

 

[360]

My whole family has ours.

 

[ThrottleJockey]

A passport is only necessary to get back in, right?

No, now you need a passport to come or go, but you can get the plastic card type now with an RFID chip in them for just mexico and canaduh. I also don't recommend canaduh just because their gun laws are about stupid.

 

[Bisley Man]

No, now you need a passport to come or go, but you can get the plastic card type now with an RFID chip in them for just mexico and canaduh. I also don't recommend canaduh just because their gun laws are about stupid.

Agreed that Canada's gun laws are awful, but taking any guns to Mexico impossible other than some kind of hunting, which would go out the window in a mega-disaster. Besides Canada is only one State away from us. In a TEOTWAWKI situation, would Canada even let anyone in, or would there be anyone to check passports?

 

[kybares]

Passports are nearly indisputable forms of ID, so they have some benefit as far as that goes. As far as traveling outside the US, they are now needed prior to boarding any form of public transportation outside the US. Privately you may illegally cross into boarder Countries, but getting in the US without one is extremely difficult regardless of what other verification you may have, unless you wish to attempt that illegally, which of course we know is done routinely.

 

[Lex Concord]

Agreed that Canada's gun laws are awful, but taking any guns to Mexico impossible other than some kind of hunting, which would go out the window in a mega-disaster. Besides Canada is only one State away from us. In a TEOTWAWKI situation, would Canada even let anyone in, or would there be anyone to check passports?

Canada is relatively close, but the border between MI and ON creates a significant logistical problem. They are, at all points, separated by water, and I know of only 3 crossing points (well, a 4th if you include the tunnel under the Detroit river)

By the time you got to the natural choke point of Detroit/Windsor, Port Huron/Sarnia or Sault Ste Marie, I'm guessing you will be in a line MANY miles long. Unless you have a boat waiting for you somewhere

I remember driving to Canada for summer fishing and, on a good day, the wait to hit customs was backed up all the way across the Soo bridge, and an hour plus wait.

I imagine the Canadians would be even more thorough (assuming access wasn't completely blocked on this side) if things were so bad that U.S. citizens were fleeing.

 

[ThrottleJockey]

I was born in International falls MN and lived there till I was about 10. Still have quite a bit of family there. Going form canaduh and back is pretty simple with a boat, no check points or anything. A funny thing, if you buy minnows in MN, they have to be iced before you cross into CA waters. Now they come right out of the same lake you're fishing on, but the MN minnows aren't safe for CA water or something stupid like that.....If you have a DWI/DUI on your record, you can forget about canaduh too, unless you go to the consulate office in Chicago or NY and pay $700 for a waiver. Even that is not guaranteed either, you don't find out until after you pay and it is nonrefundable.

 

[C.H.U.D.]

I agree with trottle jockey, International falls is where I'd head, Lake of the wood in Ont. has hunreds of little islands and alot have old corperate outing cottages from the 60-70s some are fully equipped dishes, blanket cook ware, most of these are no longer used.
If it get so bad that we have to run to canada we could all meet up there and claim are own homeland for displaced hoosiers and make are own laws who's going to stop use Dudly Duright of the rcmp
camp up there in a cabin on a island about 45min by bout from anything

 

[Bisley Man]

Passports are nearly indisputable forms of ID, so they have some benefit as far as that goes. As far as traveling outside the US, they are now needed prior to boarding any form of public transportation outside the US. Privately you may illegally cross into boarder Countries, but getting in the US without one is extremely difficult regardless of what other verification you may have, unless you wish to attempt that illegally, which of course we know is done routinely.

Canada is relatively close, but the border between MI and ON creates a significant logistical problem. They are, at all points, separated by water, and I know of only 3 crossing points (well, a 4th if you include the tunnel under the Detroit river)

By the time you got to the natural choke point of Detroit/Windsor, Port Huron/Sarnia or Sault Ste Marie, I'm guessing you will be in a line MANY miles long. Unless you have a boat waiting for you somewhere

I remember driving to Canada for summer fishing and, on a good day, the wait to hit customs was backed up all the way across the Soo bridge, and an hour plus wait.

I imagine the Canadians would be even more thorough (assuming access wasn't completely blocked on this side) if things were so bad that U.S. citizens were fleeing.

I was born in International falls MN and lived there till I was about 10. Still have quite a bit of family there. Going form canaduh and back is pretty simple with a boat, no check points or anything. A funny thing, if you buy minnows in MN, they have to be iced before you cross into CA waters. Now they come right out of the same lake you're fishing on, but the MN minnows aren't safe for CA water or something stupid like that.....If you have a DWI/DUI on your record, you can forget about canaduh too, unless you go to the consulate office in Chicago or NY and pay $700 for a waiver. Even that is not guaranteed either, you don't find out until after you pay and it is nonrefundable.

We don't have any criminal record, but that's good to know if someone else bugs out with us. Thanks to all who replied. Looks like a passport is worth the hassle to get.The above posts were very informative.

 

[Bisley Man]

I agree with trottle jockey, International falls is where I'd head, Lake of the wood in Ont. has hunreds of little islands and alot have old corperate outing cottages from the 60-70s some are fully equipped dishes, blanket cook ware, most of these are no longer used.
If it get so bad that we have to run to canada we could all meet up there and claim are own homeland for displaced hoosiers and make are own laws who's going to stop use Dudly Duright of the rcmp
camp up there in a cabin on a island about 45min by bout from anything

Great idea! Get a little Canadian island and "lease" it! Dudly Duright, Thanks for that, I needed a laugh on Monday!

 

[Dr Falken]

If people can come into this country with out proper documentation I doubt that in a SHTF I would have documentation either. And as for weapons, again if it was SHTF I don't think I'd worry about it either. And it's not hard to take weapons into Mexico, most of the weapons in Mexico come from America, especially the rocket launchers and handgrenades...mostly from Arizona gun shops.

 

[longbow]

If people can come into this country with out proper documentation I doubt that in a SHTF I would have documentation either. And as for weapons, again if it was SHTF I don't think I'd worry about it either. And it's not hard to take weapons into Mexico, most of the weapons in Mexico come from America, especially the rocket launchers and handgrenades...mostly from Arizona gun shops.

When I was in Az last, they were sold out of those items and the nuclear weapons were too large for my needs.

All they had were over 200KT, I was just looking for 50KT.

 

[tenring]

Forget the name of the town on the Canadian-American border. Main street of the town is the border, parking spaces and stores on one side of the street, same on other, and nobody gives a chit. Lot of farms up in the North country are in both countries, saw a picture of one farmer plowing a field, claimed to crossed the border dozens of times before lunch.Stay off the main roads, do your research way ahead of time.

 

[Bisley Man]

Forget the name of the town on the Canadian-American border. Main street of the town is the border, parking spaces and stores on one side of the street, same on other, and nobody gives a chit. Lot of farms up in the North country are in both countries, saw a picture of one farmer plowing a field, claimed to crossed the border dozens of times before lunch.Stay off the main roads, do your research way ahead of time.

+1 I don't want to leave the U.S.A., but a plan C might be necessary.