You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see that the world is becoming increasingly more volatile every day.
Even though most of the chaos, upheaval, and unrest seems like it’s somewhere far from here, the chances are, that one day, that disorder is going to arrive on your doorstep. And when it does, you’re going to need to be ready to get your family out of harm’s way as quickly as you possibly can.
Misery loves company and the best way to avoid making trouble a lifelong partner is to know when to pack up and head for the hills. You have to be ready to bug out in a heartbeat, and the best way to that is to have your bug-out vehicle ready to go on stand-by.
Choosing Your Ride
When it comes time to bug-out and hit the road with your foot down, knowing, where you’re going, isn’t as important as knowing how you’ll get there.
The first thing to consider when choosing your bug-out vehicle is size. When you really have to get going, size is everything and it’s the one time that everyone will tell you, hand on heart, that size really does matter.
You’re going to want a vehicle that easily has enough room for you, your family, and all of the provisions, supplies, and equipment that you’ll need to take with you on your journey.
Ideally, this means that you’ll want to invest in either an SUV, a truck, or a large family sedan. Some hardened preppers swear by RV’s, but unless you’re planning on living on the road, they’re not the easiest, fastest, or most economical vehicles to run, something we’ll discuss in a little more detail shortly.
Space or rather, the lack of is also the primary reason why we’d never recommend a motorcycle as a serious bug-out contender. Sure, they’re maneuverable, light, and great for getting out of tricky situations quickly, but the one thing that they don’t have is the storage room that you’ll need to take everything with you.
Besides, as the well-seasoned prepper knows, it’s better to already have a motorcycle, fueled and ready and waiting for you at your hideaway than having to think about taking it with you when the shutters need to come down.
Don’t Waste Your Fuel
Gasoline is the first good reason why you shouldn’t put your fate, and faith, in an RV when you need to leave quickly. Your bug-out vehicle is merely a means to get from where trouble has landed to where safety lies and back again when things have eventually calmed down.
An RV sucks up gas, is slow and cumbersome, and as we’ve already said, unless you’re planning on living on the road, it shouldn’t even feature on your potential bug-out list.
Knowing that efficiency and size are two of the most important facets of any bug-out vehicle, should help to guide you toward either of our vehicles of choice - an SUV or a truck (as long as it’s a five-seater), preferably a diesel model.
We know, anything powered by diesel isn’t exactly environmentally friendly, but this isn’t about saving the planet, it’s about keeping your family safe and making sure that you’ve got more than enough gas in the tank to get to wherever you need to go and get back again.
One last tip about fuel: Always make sure that your bug-out vehicle of choice has a full tank, don’t leave until tomorrow what you can do today because sometimes tomorrow never comes.
Okay, so it isn’t one last tip, it’s two, and this is something that will come in handy when darkness descends. Practice the run to your bug-out shelter.
Make sure you know it back to front, take note of how much fuel the journey uses, and if at all possible, plan a couple of different routes and familiarise yourself with them. It never hurts to have a back-up plan.
Hitting The Trails
For most of us, our bug-out shelters are far from the madding crowd, high in the mountains or deep in the woods.
The more remote they are, the less chance that there is that someone could stumble across your hideout, and the less chance there is of running into other people, the safer you and your family will be.
Of course, this presents one glaring, and unassailable problem. Getting there in your bug-out vehicle. That’s why we’d always recommend, even if you don’t think you’re going to use it, that you choose four-wheel-drive over rear-wheel or front-wheel drive vehicles.
You never know when it will come in handy, and it might just save your lives. And if your hideaway is as remote as we hope it is, you’re going to need it to get where you’re going.
Keeping Going
We can’t stress this enough, you need to choose a vehicle that’s easy to maintain and straightforward to work on. Breakdowns happen, and if they happen when you’re heading away from danger, you need to be able to fix them as quickly as possible so that you can move on as fast as possible.
And those potential breakdowns? They’re the reason why you should have an emergency mechanical kit packed.
As well as the spare (and full) gasoline containers, you’re going to need to pack a tool kit that’ll get you out of any automotive sticky situation and that will should the need arise, help you to patch up and repair any damage that your bug-out location might endure.
It also goes without saying that it’s advisable to also learn the basics of motor mechanics and important to know how to fix a motor quickly and safely.
The last thing to remember is always to check your spare. Make sure that it’s there and that it’s at the right pressure and free from defects.
While we might sound like we’re preaching to the choir, things have a tendency to go South incredibly fast if you miss just one item off your checklist. Always double-check the spare.
And Finally…
That’s about it for your vehicle, that’s bug-out 101.
The only other thing that you’ll need is your bug-out kit, but as you’re sharp, focused, and always pay attention to detail, we’re sure that you’ve already got that in hand and you’ve just been looking for a bug-out vehicle to store your bug-out kit in.
Remember, be vigilant, be prepared, and always be ready. Because you never know when the unexpected might happen.