The Bugout Vehicle

Keith Thomas  00:02

Welcome to typical prepping the podcast for those who would like to start their own disaster preparedness plan, or those who have gotten started, but are not quite sure where or how to take the next steps. Each week I'll present a disaster preparedness topic with actionable tips and strategies that you can implement to start or grow your personal disaster preparations. Thanks for stopping by to listen today.

Introduction

Keith Thomas  00:57

Hi, I'm Keith, and welcome to typical prepping. In this episode, we'll talk about the bug-out vehicle and how you can turn any car into your Bug Out vehicle. If you've made plans to bug out should disaster strike or a society-changing event happens, then you're one step ahead of many people. Ideally, you have your bug-out location is chosen, stocked, and ready to go at a moment's notice. At this point, there's only one question remaining. How are you going to get there? In other words, do you have a bug-out vehicle that is ready to take you to your bug-out location? Is it properly maintained and prepared to keep you safe and help you move as quickly as possible? Bugging out isn't as simple as jumping in your Bug Out vehicle and hitting the road. Well, it can be, if your ride is adequately prepared. But there is a lot that goes into the preparation of your Bug Out vehicle, starting with the type of transportation you have. 

Choosing a Vehicle

Keith Thomas  02:03

So, let's talk about choosing a vehicle. Not everyone has the luxury of purchasing a car or truck to use specifically as a bug-out vehicle. Most will need to use whatever is already parked in the driveway. The majority of this episode will focus on how to prepare any car to be a bug-out vehicle. But first, let's take a look at the various modes of transportation you can use as your Bug Out vehicle.

Keith Thomas  02:33

 An SUV or sport utility vehicle is generally four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. This type of automobile is a good choice as a bug-out vehicle because it gets decent gas mileage and can traverse rough ground. It can also carry a lot of gear and can easily double as your regular family car. The Jeep Wrangler deserves special mention here. It is about as rugged of a bug-out vehicle as you can imagine and can be driven across nearly any terrain. You can enhance it by using aftermarket parts so it can operate in extreme conditions. Just remember that it has a smaller capacity for carrying gear, although it can haul a trailer. Similar to an SUV, a pickup truck that has four-wheel drive, or all-wheel drive makes a great bug-out vehicle. It has a lot of room for gear. But be sure you have a large cab if you have a family to take with you. Again, you can also use a truck as your everyday mode of transportation. A camper makes a good choice as a bug-out vehicle. It is more restricted in terms of the ruggedness of the terrain it can handle. However, it is ideal for carrying a lot of people and gear and it has amenities that make it a good home away from home. In fact, you could live in it if you had to. Another automobile that can go just about anywhere is an ATV. Although it does have its limitations. In particular, you can only fit one or two people on it. It cannot carry a lot of gear, so you might need to haul a trailer behind it. But if you're on your own, then this might be a good option. And it also serves as a good backup. If you're on your own or perhaps traveling with one other person, then a motorcycle can be a great choice for a bug-out vehicle. Again, it can't carry much gear. But if you're already set up at your bug-out location, you can get away with minimal gear. Plus, a motorcycle is very maneuverable. It can get through those inevitable traffic jams that will occur when everyone tries to flee the city. If you're near the ocean or river, then a boat might make getting way easy. If you have a large boat on the ocean or large river or like it could serve as both a bug-out location and a bug-out vehicle, or you can take a smaller motorboat to a location well outside of town and make your way from there. Just be sure you have a plan to get to and from the boat. If you cannot get out of the city via a motorized automobile, a bicycle might be highly effective. You can take it many places you can't drive a car and you can attach a trailer to the back to haul supplies. If everyone in your party has a bike, then you can all bug out together and hopefully stay under the radar. And when all else fails, you can walk out of town. True you can't carry as much gear and you will be going much more slowly than if you were driving. However, you can really get off the beaten path and stay hidden far more easily. Plus, other than needing to rest every now and then your feet won't break down or need gas.

Keep Up the Maintenance

Keith Thomas  06:13

 You might have an automobile bought solely for the purpose of bugging out. But chances are you have your basic family car, truck, or van sitting in the driveway. Fortunately, you can still turn that automobile into a bug-out vehicle. The first step in doing that is to ensure you keep up the regular maintenance of your vehicle so that it was always running in peak condition. Regular maintenance includes not letting your gas tank get below half full, ever. Always perform a daily check of your car to ensure the tires look good, and there are no leaks or obvious problems. Stick to your regular maintenance plan like glue. Ensure all oil changes filter changes fluid changes, tire rotation, and tire pressure checks are done on schedule. Be sure to rotate the food supply and keep your car fully supplied just as you would the food and water in your bug-in and bug-out locations.

·        Emergency Road Kit

Keith Thomas  07:18

You should always have an emergency road kit in your vehicle no matter what. However, you need to plan this kit well when you're prepping to bug out. Your emergency road kit must include the following. 

·         a strong bag to store your supplies, 

·         tire sealant 

·         portable jumper cables,

·          fire extinguisher 

·         portable compressor 

·         emergency flares, 

·         emergency pylons 

·         mechanics toolkit, 

·         folding shovel,

·          spare tire and tire changing tools.

·          Traction ladders,

·          windshield wiper fluid 

·         antifreeze 

·         motor oil,

·          spare fan belts and hoses 

·         spare fuses 

·         a jerrycan with extra fuel, 

·         siphon hose or pump

·          towing strap or cable, 

·         seatbelt cutter 

·         window breaker 

·         winch or saw for removing obstacles from the road.

  Now you don't need to become a certified mechanic. But the more skills and knowledge you build up in the area of car repair and upkeep, the better off you will be. Tires deserve special mention because they are more likely to make or break your Bug Out attempt than anything else on your vehicle. First, you need to ensure your tires are in good shape, and they should have good treads suited for all-season weather and show no bald spots. Aside from this, remember the following about tires. Tires should be of good quality. They shouldn't be more than 10% larger than the original tires unless you're changing the drive train and suspension of the vehicle. Ensure your tire pressure is per specification in the driver-side door well.  Consider getting run-flat tires. These are used by the military and will allow you to drive up to 100 miles on the flat. They cost more but they are worth it. 

Stocking Your Bug-Out Vehicle

Keith Thomas  09:32

Now that we have the car kit essentials covered, it's time to consider all the other essentials you should have. First and foremost, you should always have your Get Home Bag in your car. You can find a complete list of what is needed in a bug-out bag in the show notes. Aside from that, you will need the following supplies.

·         Rope 

·         spare chargers for cell phones or etc. and electric inverter, 

·         maps, local and regional maps, and compass.

·          All your important documentation, 

·         cash, 

·         spare keys

 and just remember that you have a limited amount of space in your vehicle. You need to prioritize, get the highest quality, the most compact gear you can and pack things well. 

The Extras

Keith Thomas  10:25

Okay, we've covered the basics of what you need to have a solid bugout vehicle, but you can do so much more. There are all sorts of ways that you can enhance your automobile to make it even more powerful and get you where you need to go. Once you have the basics covered, consider adding some or all of the following as finances permit, a rooftop cargo carrier or rack and this will allow you to carry more food, water, and supplies without the need to haul a trailer. extra lights, you can add additional lights to your vehicle, which can help in any number of situations. They help increase visibility while on the road or when setting up camp. An extra gas tank this can help you carry extra gas without it being obvious. Plus, if someone was to steal the gas out of your tank, chances are they would only go for the primary tank, A Grille Guard This can help protect the front of your vehicle, a CB, or ham radio Even if you aren't licensed to broadcast on the ham or CB radio, you can still listen in gathering critical information. Plus, if the situation is bad enough, it won't matter if you’re licensed. Night vision if you can afford night vision goggles, that is ideal. If you can't, you can still buy a thermal imager. This will allow you to protect sources of heat in your surrounding environment. Being able to detect other people and cars at night can mean the difference between life and death security film, this is for the side windows in your vehicle. The front and back are already breakproof. They are expensive, but once installed, they will make your windows difficult to break. And this will deter any would-be thieves from stealing your Bug Out supplies or your vehicle.

Tips when On the Road

Keith Thomas  12:34

 Now here's a few final tips. Have your Bug Out vehicle ready to leave at a moment's notice. Pretest your fuel consumption in different conditions and with different loads. This way, you will know your gas mileage when you bug out. If you go off-road, try to drive in as straight a line as possible, and don't underestimate the terrain. Always keep a close eye on the weather. Stay off the major city streets and highways whenever possible. Stick to back roads if you can get training on specialized driving techniques, such as high-speed driving, driving with obstacles, doing a reverse one-eighty, accelerating in reverse and other evade and escape techniques. You can learn these through special courses, such as a racecar driving course, bad weather driving course, or All-Terrain driving course. Stay with your car unless you must leave it. If you do leave it, then park it out of you and be sure you can find it again. Even though you will have a lot of food, water, and supplies in your vehicle, have your bug-out bag packed and ready to go. You might have to abandon your ride. So, you want the essentials ready to go. Even if you have to leave some of your supplies behind. No matter how well-stocked your Bug Out vehicle is, make sure you have a plan. Know where you're going and how you're going to get there. Have backup routes planned, if you think you will need them,  prepare food caches water, and supplies along your bug-out route.

Conclusion

Keith Thomas  14:28

In the end, the only thing between you in your bug-out location or at least the safety of getting out of the city might be the quality of your Bug Out vehicle. You want to be sure you have taken the time to make your automobile as safe and as prepared as possible. You also want to learn the skills that you'll need on the road.

Keith Thomas  14:51

 Well, folks, that's going to do it for this week. Thanks for listening and join me next week for another preparedness topic, until then Stay safe and be prepared.

Keith Thomas  15:02

If you enjoyed this podcast, please share it with your friends and family leave us a five-star rating and a review on your favorite podcast app. This really helps the show and gets our message out to others looking to start or improve their prepping skills. If you found value in this content, feel free to leave me a donation at buymeacoffee.com/typicalprepping your donation helps with the production cost of the show so I can continue to bring you more amazing content. Also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. If you're unable to access these links in the show notes on your favorite podcast platform, you can access them on our website at typical prepping.com. Until next time, stay safe and be prepared