Prepper Handbook Blog: Best Prepper Transportation

Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Bug Out Vehicle Criteria

https://motoped.com/survival/

Reliable - Doesn't break down. EMP hardy with no electronics requires a pre 1970's vehicle in most cases, but that is only a factor if we are hit with a Nuke or Solar Flare.

Street and Off-road capable - Ability to drive where most other vehicles cannot go. Under normal vehicle use, you need to be able to cruse comfortably at 70 mph and under SHTF circumstances, able to handle the worst dirt roads you might encounter. When being pursued, or trying to stay off the beaten path, you can drive through a field, the woods, a narrow alley, foot trail or down the train tracks which is a big advantage.
Fast - speed to outrun most other vehicles; unfortunately this will consume a lot of fuel and is likely reduce the range and quietness, but could be a huge advantage trying to escape a large SUV full of gangsters.

Quite - No loud exhausts that will attract danger, the quieter the better. Few modes of transportation are quieter than an electric vehicle. Another huge advantage is to drive at night with the lights out. To do this, we can install optional fog lights using infra red (IR) lights and use rechargeable Night Vision (plugged in to the vehicle) or Thermal Vision. If no IR, we can use Red Infrared Light bulbs used as heat lights. Having a Look Out or Scout checking ahead and surroundings with with
Thermal Vision can be a huge advantage. Also see Group Movement.

Carrying Capacity - Sufficient capacity for your needs. More if traveling a great distance to a Bug Out Location, less if used for regional scouting. Extra fuel, ammo, water and food are heavy and can require a lot of space in addition to passengers. Ideally most of your supplies are already at your Bug Out Location (BOL) but you need to carry enough supplies to last double your expected travel time. See Rule of 3's to prioritize the supplies you pack.

Long Travel Range - Ideally you can get where you are going without refueling. More range is needed if traveling a great distance to a Bug Out Location, less if used for regional scouting. Fuel efficiency and/or fuel capacity can deliver the desired results. For example, a 50 MPG Prius (or motor cycle) with an extra 20 gallon tank (31.9 total) will travel over 1,500 miles without refueling. Los Angeles CA to New York NY is 2,800 miles. So this would get you half way across the United States. Make this a Plugin Prius (Hybrid) and add a few 150 watt solar panels and you can extend this range 10 miles per day as well as have fuel when there is no gasoline available. Its also quite, but likely not EMP compatible. Gasoline with government mandated ethanol has a shelf life of about 6-12 months so supplies could run out fast. An RV is good for a Nomadic life style while civilization holds up.

Easily Maintained - Low maintenance, no maintenance, easy to work on with common tools and has spare parts available. This means no oddball or highly specialized vehicles. Low maintenance is a big plus as you won't have a lot of time to work on it.
Intangible - that something special or extra that makes a real functional difference. Solar powered, eat grass, able to reproduce, sea worthy away from crowds, are all examples.