In this uncertain world, a disaster can strike at any time. Thus, being prepared for it beforehand is highly crucial.
Ideally, preppers should decide their bug-out location initially and keep it stocked & ready to go whenever any disaster or mishappening strikes. Have you thought of how you would prepare yourself to face a crisis?
In other terms, do you have any bug-out vehicle, which is ready to take you quickly to your bug-out place?
Is the bug-out car appropriately maintained and prepared to keep you completely safe and assist you in moving as swiftly to the extent possible?
Note that bugging out is not as simple as just jumping into your bug-out vehicle & hitting on to the roadside.
There involve many preparations that go into preparing a bug-out vehicle, which begins straight from the kind of transportation you select.
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Is Choice of Vehicle Important?
A bug-out vehicle acts as a central plan for all types of preppers. It is distinctively the conveyance you need to get you to the bug-out location or elsewhere in case of emergency.
Few preppers may even plan on staying in a mobile dwelling like a proper RV or camper despite issues attendant with these huge & ungainly solutions.
Some preppers consider bugging out & surviving in their vehicle as a daily driver. This idea sounds indefensible to many but has a lot to commend it.
For mobility, flexibility, and on-demand protection, vehicles such as cars, vans, SUVs, or trucks cater to all 3 needs and can do so reliably as long as the fuel in the vehicle lasts.
A large enough vehicle can serve as your central hub around a temporary camp and even be a livable shelter if you wish to remain light on your feet and ready to make a swift getaway.
Bug Out Needs
No matter what the SHTF situation is, any prepper will always look forward to keeping themselves alive, requiring clean air to breathe, drinkable water and eatable food, shelter to stay.
If you go short on any such components, you may be in great trouble and might be witnessing death closely.
Most of the preppers try experiencing the same by either bugging in, sheltering within the home, or bugging out, fleeing to a hopeful and pre-chosen destination.
Bugging in is where you have the liberty to remain at home and replete with all necessary supplies and the equipment you have. It is generally a good call.
But note that many proper SHTF occasions are bad and feature a secondary & tertiary effect, which is severe enough to send the preppers and other same individuals capering for mountains or hills, ready or not.
Your vehicle can come into play here. For sure, you can walk, but it is way safer customarily, not to mention faster & easier to drive there.
If everything goes fine, you arrive with spare gas at the bug-out location & make with setting the camp and moving in a premade dwelling.
The vehicle is nothing but a taxi in plans of average preppers. Whatever way you select to go, they will have to cater for those 4 primary requirements alongside a host of secondary needs to survive.
Benefits of Bug Out Offered by Vehicles
Before we present a list about good attributes & benefits of the trucks and cars for bugging out purpose, have a look at the benefits afforded to you by your house & by opting to bug out on foot for knowing how they can quickly stack up:
Bugging Out (When on Foot)
Advantages
- Simple to circumvent the road blockages
- Permits movement via broken or dense terrain
- Permits you to reposition the camp to easily evade pursuers or even react to the ever-changing situations or requirements
Disadvantages
- Highly risky: When on foot, you usually are at the mercy of elements, beasts, and man
- The shelter setup is an issue; swift, accessible shelters cater to very little protection. Highly durable shelters need more weight or/and greater investment of energy.
- Slow to reposition
- You will have the capacity to carry only a handful of equipment & supplies. You can make use of what you can search, make, and even carry with you.
Bugging in (Home)
Advantages
- Excellent shelter from the dangerous element
- Average apartment or home caters tons of storage
- It can use appliances & tools via electricity or various other power sources, propane, solar, generator, etc.
- Benefits to defenders in the situation of attack
Disadvantages
- Fixed location: you can easily get found
- Tough to protect yourself and your family
Bugging Out while Using a Vehicle as Shelter
Advantages
- Completely mobile
- Great for carrying goods and has a great storage capacity
- It carries multiple individuals irrespective of the condition or fitness
- Weather resistance
- Provides power on demand
- You can utilize it to pull, push, or tow extremely heavy objects.
Disadvantages
- Need fuel. The occasion may ultimately limit supplies
- Maintenance and breakdowns need crucial investment in diagnostic or repair skills
- The terrain considerably restricts movement.
- The overland movement is.hazardous
From the above, we can state the bug-out vehicle offers both worlds the best when it is about surviving when in a situation to face and deal with SHTF emergencies.
Bug out vehicles provide complete protection in the course when weather is terrible, mobility to take advantage of the opportunity or run away from the trouble & additional perks of on-demand or onboard power.
However, vehicles in some instances may become burdensome, and you must note that as well. Here, we will state potential problems that a bug-out vehicle can have.
Vehicles Need Fuel
Like any other regular day, as long as the vehicle functions, you will live a fancy-free life. There should be sufficient gas in the tank for the vehicle to function.
However, when the gas is over, the party stops. But it is still helpful as shelter.
Thus, ensure to carry external gas cans, additional fuel supply, if ever it runs out. For those required to run the vehicle engine to supply power, heat, or cool the vehicle’s interior, you will be sipping on fuel for such purposes.
As it adds up, calculate this even. You must develop a good plan to move your car from one bug-out location to another to conserve as much gas to the extent possible.
It Is Difficult to Insulate Vehicles
Vehicles in great shape seal up well when their doors get shut & windows are just up, which keeps out even the torrential strong winds and rain. You also stay snug as bugs inside, dry and happy.
Just the problem is when it is the time to remain cool or warm, cars/vehicles act notorious for getting a lot of it either.
In hot seasons, vehicles become too hot inside unless you run an AC. It becomes like an icebox on winter days unless you are running a heater.
Thus, you will require fuel to run on its engine to power both the supply systems. You cannot create a fire inside the vehicle to keep yourself warm on winter days.
And in hot weather, you cannot afford to open the vehicle door or even lower the vehicle’s window to allow hot heat to come in.
What Bug Out Vehicle Should You Use? (Pros and Cons)
Not all have the required luxury of buying a truck or car to use as a vehicle for bug out specifically. Many also need to utilize whatever is parked already in their pathway.
The majority of such posts concentrate on efficiently preparing any car for bug-out vehicles. Here, we will look at different transportation modes you can opt for your bug-out vehicle.
SUV
SUV, also known as the sport-utility car, is usually a 4 wheeler drive or all-wheel drive vehicle. This kind of vehicle is an excellent choice as a bug-out vehicle as it gets decent mileage and can easily traverse on the ground.
Also, it can carry various gears for your regular family transportation.
Here Jeep Wrangler deserves mention. Using a rugged bug-out vehicle can help you drive across any terrain. Ensure to enhance it by utilizing aftermarket parts as it can operate in massive conditions.
Truck
Like an SUV, a pickup truck has 4 wheel drive, which makes a good choice for bug-out vehicles. This has excellent room for gears. Additionally, in it, you can even carry all your family members.
Camper
Campers make great choices for being the bug-out vehicle. This is less restricted in terms of the ruggedness of terrain it can withstand.
However, it is perfect for carrying many people and even gear with good amenities that make it a great home away from your home sweet home.
If you cannot find a bug-out location, you can even consider living in it.
ATV
It is the next vehicle you can carry about anywhere, while it does have certain limitations. In general, you can just fit in 1 or 2 people on to it.
Also, it cannot carry many gears to require a haul trailer just behind it. However, this may be a great option if you are just your own. Also, it serves as a great backup.
Bike
In case you are just on your own or just traveling with just another person, then a bike is a good option for a bug out.
But note that you cannot use a bike to carry a lot of gear, but if you are set with your bug-out area, you can easily get away with minimum gear.
Additionally, a bike is maneuverable. It can even get through unavoidable traffics that is sure to happen when most people are trying their best to get out of the city.
Should I Reinforce My Existing Car?
In the case of survival scenes, your vehicle can be the fastest and easiest pathway towards safety.
In case it is already loaded with all the appropriate tools & supplies, you would require to move all your family members to the car & swiftly drive them to the bug-out region.
But what happens if you have to leave crucial things at home and do not have sufficient space in your car to store those items?
Or you are not prepared to change the flat tire. In case it is not well stocked, vehicles can swiftly change from a safety chariot to a thoroughly broken down gravesite.
Thus, if your existing car lacks the required space and you feel it may be the cause of enhanced risk if you rely on your current car, you should not consider reinforcing it, and better is if you hire or buy another car of great utility.
However, if your vehicle is thoroughly efficient and short on certain aspects, consider reinforcing it. Remember not to allow a single malfunction in your vehicle to make your pathway towards the bug-out location troublesome.
Emergency Food and Items to Keep In Car
The First & foremost thing you must always have in your bug-out car is a home bag. It will assist you in any event. When you bug out and move towards your bug out location, you must have your bug out bag along with you.
This type of bag will include everything you require to survive for nearly 3 days. These items include:
- Food
- Water
- First aid kit
- Firestarter kit
- Knife
- Weather appropriate clothing
- Radio
Besides the above items, you will require the listed supplies:
- Spare phone charger or other electronic gadgets
- Rope
- Maps
- Electric inverter
- All crucial documentation
- Spare keys
- Cash
Ensure to keep in mind that you contain restricted space in your car. Thus, you require prioritizing the items, avail the best quality, most compact gears & pack all things well.
Conclusion
As we close this chapter, remember the sole thing between you & your bug-out destination about your safety when getting out of the city may be the bug-out vehicle’s quality.
You require to be sure you have taken adequate time to create your vehicle as safe & prepared as possible. Also, you want to learn the necessary skill you require on the road.
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