Beyond the 72 Hours: Planning for the INCH Scenario (I'm Never Coming Home)

When the sirens sound, many of us will instinctively reach for the familiar: the 72-hour Bug Out Bag. It feels finite, manageable, and reassuringly small. We are trained to think in terms of three days—enough time to reach the car, enough time to get to the neighboring county. But what if the journey is not just to the next town, but to a new life?

The truth, as history shows, is that three days is often a luxury we will not be afforded. If we are truly preparing for the Exodus—if we are getting out of Babylon—we must prepare for the scenario known as the INCH Bag: I'm Never Coming Home.

Bugging Out vs. Going into the INCH

The difference between a Bug Out Bag and an INCH Bag is the difference between a temporary evacuation and a permanent relocation. A bug-out bag assumes you will reach a point where you can resupply, where the infrastructure, however strained, still exists. It treats you like a glorified refugee, moving from Point A to Point B.

But the doctrine of Providence demands more than just movement; it demands self-sufficiency and the establishment of a new community. When we speak of Provident Self-Reliance, we are not simply carrying supplies for three days; we are planning for months, or even years, living off the land and relying on the strength of our community.

The INCH mindset requires us to shed the assumption of a quick return. It means preparing not just for the lack of electricity (EMP grid down), but for the complete collapse of the current economic system. It means prioritizing skills—the knowledge of aquaponics food storage, the ability to harvest, the proficiency in ham radio prep—over simply carrying more pounds of canned goods.

The Importance of the Community Pillar

The biggest flaw in the Bug Out mentality is the assumption of the lone wolf. Survival is not a solo sport. If we are following the path from Lehi to Bountiful, we are doing it together. The Mighty Prepper Kit is not just for one person; it is for the whole Ward Stake. We must prepare for the needs of the elderly, the children, and the vulnerable, distributing the load and the responsibility equally.

This is where the concept of the Liberty Cove and the Provident Living Marketplace becomes vital. We are not just accumulating gear; we are participating in a preparedness matchmaking service. We are connecting our resources (our ability to grow food, our expertise in forging, our knowledge of water purification) with the needs of our neighbors. We are building the foundational resilience of the new community.

“If you are only prepared to survive 72 hours, you are only prepared to wait for the next bus. The INCH mindset prepares you to build the next life.”

Focusing on the INCH means integrating our faith-based preparedness with practical, local skills. It means mastering the basics of Living Food Storage, ensuring our aquaponics systems are robust, and understanding that our greatest asset is not our gear, but our commitment to one another. The journey out of Babylon is a marathon, not a sprint. Let's ensure our plans reflect that sacred, enduring commitment.