SkunkHunter, that's a totally realistic idea. I belong to a website dedicated to the FAL and this topic is discussed a lot. Many of the guys there have talked about a suppressed semiauto .22 in their BOB's.
I work about 22 miles from home and I'm more worried about getting home than I am bugging out. I'm assuming that I'm going to have to leave my truck and hike home. I've considered an M4gery for a "get my butt home truck gun", a Marlin .30-30, a .22.......I figure an AR or an FAL is gonna attract alot more attention than a .30-30 and if I'm trying to get home, I don't want to attract any attention. I live in rural Western Pennsylvania and I see lots more .30-30's than I do FALs. And the more I think about it, the more I like the idea of a suppressed .22, for all the reasons you stated.

There was (IS) a book by I think Robert A.Heinlein titled "Tunnel in the Sky". Futuristic time where people travel to "land rush/homestead" new worlds. Bunch of high schoolers taking a survival class. As the LAST test,they Are sent to a primitive world for supposedly a week. YUP, it all goes south. Kids book, but if you read it and look at the survival aspect, got some things in it that will make you think.

ANYWAY, the "stars" sister is a military leader. She says whenever she sends out one of "her girls" on a recon mission, all she gives them is a knife. They KNOW knife fighting, but with only a knife they are more "stealthy", depending on remaining unseen and not confrontational. Kinda makes you think don't it.

Oh and the suppressed 22 as a Bug out rifle. Makes a lot of sense to me. You KNOW others will be armed with larger weapons than you, and you KNOW you need to concentrate on not being seen, or using VERY close range tactics ONLY WHEN THERE IS NO OTHER OPTION. You become the rabbit, not the badger.

DJ, the FAL bug bit me in 1997 back in the FAL FILES blue board days. I just recently started looking around there again.

As to the suppressed BOB/BIB I think it makes a lot of sense for the following reasons:
A. Quiet, why draw attention to yourself if not needed.
B. .22lr is better than a sharp stick, and quite a bit of ammo can be carried.
C. A .22lr suppressor can be used on a pistol or a rifle that is threaded for the same pitch. A Marlin Papoose, Henry AR 7 Survival, or any other breakdown rifle can be stowed in a backpack easily.

Now I needed to talk the wife into a combo set-up for my b-day.

I think my first FAL foray was around '97 as well. Since then I've owned 20 or more of them. The two I have now are both older DSA factory assembled, and I wouldn't let them go for any price.

Regarding a SHTF suppressed 22....

1) When I was collecting Class 3 weapons my friend/SOT Dealer ordered a bunch of S&H Ruger Mk2 Integrally Suppressed handguns. If you held the action (bolt) closed with the thumb of your firing hand the only thing you could hear was the mechanical (firing pin) and then "crack" if the round wasn't a sub-sonic. I wanted one of these BAD, but had bought three machine guns in the past six months and didn't have the funds. Since then I've sold all of my Class 3 items, but would have kept the Suppressed Ruger.

2) My wife could have any firearm she wanted for a 'SHTF' scenario. She chose a stainless Ruger 10/22 for any event that requires us to leave our home. Its light, accurate, reliable, she can carry lots-o-ammo, and perfect for putting food in the pot. (My wife has a Colt 6520 - AR15 - for home defense).

I'm glad I brought this up. I thought I might get stranded out on a limb with the post. Glad you guys think the same way (for SOME situations). Glad to know I wasn't out in left field.

I'm a huge fan of suppressors. Oddly, countries that strongly restrict gun ownership often do not restrict suppressor ownership /use. Several years ago I studied this topic, but don't know if my info is still up to date.

I've always felt a suppressed 22LR handgun would make an ideal "SHTF" pack gun, because you can hunt with it undetected. I'd still want a full-power rifle, but having a 22 in the ruck allows you to hunt / carry lots of ammo for little weight.

Worst Case Scenario = Liberator Pistol.

The United States made tons of "Liberator" 45acp handguns and air-dropped them in Europe during WW2. The purpose of the cheap / crude Liberator was simple....you used it to liberate a better gun from the enemy. A suppressed 22LR could be used as a Liberator if all else failed....

I remember reading an extended article about the Liberator many years ago in a gun magazine. Yup, crude. Effective YUP! Use what ya got to get what ya need!

Getting a suppressor is really easy here. 200 stamp and the sheriff signs off on it. Easy enough.

I think that it is pretty much the same here in Missouri now. Strangely enough, for years here in Missouri you could own a fully automatic weapon, but not a suppressor. Now you can own both AND we can CCW now for the past several years.

I guess if I was going to head for the hills today I'd grab my .308 and 10/22.