The Bugout Vehicle

[Yowbarb]

Hi All - on the old Town Hall we had The Bugout Vehicle: Ideas and Sites.
It was in my Planet X Hitchhiker's Guide to Internet Survival Sites Topic.
http://planetxforecast.com/discus/messages/367/4820.html

I would like to restart the Topic here in Ronnie James Board:
Survival Tools To Better Your Odds.

- Yowbarb

[Yowbarb]

Reposting here my startup - bear in mind that some of the ideas do not necessarily have to do with "late bugouts."
These are possible hazards and preventative measures we should be aware of when we are traveling with our families to and from our sites, at any time in the next few years. More ideas on hazards will follow - as will specific ideas on supplies to have in the bugout vehicle.
 Please post here your ideas on how to create a bugout vehicle that will withstand a lot of things and lists of supplies.

- Yowbarb

==========================================================
Thursday, September 04, 2008 - 12:36 am:       

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ideas for vehicles that are to be used for late "bugouts." By late I mean there could already be big lightning strikes, a rain of
firestones or various other things not so easy to drive through, such as military roadblocks.
Note I am sure I am missing something so add to the list; post in this thread.

These vehicles should have these features and these supplies:

[Yowbarb]

A starting point for a list of gear for the cab or front seat of the bugout vehicle. More posts will follow on bugout vehicle passenger gear. The driver and his right hand person will need to keep track of the keys, extra keys, extra identification for the whole group; mechanical kit, lights first aid and all supplies which will be needed to light up, pull out, dig out or whatever with the bugout vehicle. They are responsible for the protection of the group also.

From GR8GEAR This is pretty much randomly chosen

[Yowbarb]

Someone has to be in charge of the back seat or back of the truck, van or busloadfull of passengers.
Someone or several someones need to make sure they know where lights are, first aid kits are, blankets and so on. Distributing bottles of water and food along the way.

For the bugout passengers a military bag for cold weather -could come in handy if a
bunch of people have to sleep in a truck van etc. Genuine Issue Evacuation/Casualty, Insulated, Sleeping Bag
[gr8gear.com]
http://www.gr8gear.com/catalog/popup_image.php/pID/3231
Find of the century! Back in stock. This bag is not actually a sleeping bag, as it is intended to be used for medical transport in extreme cold weather environments, however due to its overbuilt construction this bag is perfect for cold weather base camp style camping.

Carry on car bags for each passenger

[Icon]

I am close to where I'm going to be, so a bug-out-vehicle, is not a must,, so to speak,
I do want something for the after though,,,
What I would really like is a British Ferret, or something like that. 

[Equiano]

I gave serious consideration to buying a Russian BTR 4 Amphibious Apc...

http://www.morozov.com.ua/images/btr-4_1l.jpg

A snip at

[1969quartz0]

Equiano your best bet would be a old diesel with a stick shift mechanical fuel pump and very limited electrical system or a old point type ignition gasoline vehicle, I have a Excursion 4X4 great truck but useless after a big EMP my wimpy car a 1985 Tempo with 5 speed stick even the glow plug circuit has been replaced with a toggle switch should be good to go. I have a mint 1991 350SD turbo diesel I hope will work but probably not it is a tank and fast. Just a thought if your are not using your bug-out as a daily driver take out any electrical components 
then separate them from each other wrap with cloth then wrap with foil tightly sealed then a towel then place them in a  mylar bag and then in a used even non working microwave that should save your electronics from the mother of all solar flares the big blast EMP or whatever if it gets past that we probably would not make it so who cares at that point.

[Yowbarb]

Thanks for posting your ideas,

RE More Bugout vehicle supplies for the front. I know I posted this item elsewhere on the Town Hall today but this would be an excellent item to have in the cab of the truck or front seat, with the driver and the  person riding shotgun. This small stylus light supposedly cannot be easily seen from a distance. It is good for  several survival uses including reading a map, etc.
http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/LargeImage.aspx?sku=23292  About $14

[Yowbarb]

From Equiano's post: "I gave serious consideration to buying a Russian BTR 4 Amphibious Apc...

http://www.morozov.com.ua/images/btr-4_1l.jpg

 

[Equiano]

Barb, re the APC...actually they are not only legal on the road but they are often road tax exempt and bizarrely have cheaper than a regular car insurance....I drive a BMW 328i....my girlfriend is actually sold on me switching to the APC because of the auto insurance saving....seriously!

But yes.....they are totally impractical...to keep at home in the city...but given the other problems that have been raised re EMP hazard....a hazard that will, I feel, be guaranteed to accompany any of the PX events that may happen, the idea of acquiring one of these becomes more attractive...

1/ They are NBC and EMP shielded. Designed to operate on the European battlefield the expectation of these vehicles was that nuclear weapons would have been used...or indeed would be used against them, as part of an advancing Soviet army. Their job was to transport and protect a detachment of soldiers to a destination allowing them to emerge in a combat ready state. So NBC air filtration was installed.

2/ They are armored, nothing short of an RPG or Tank shell is going to bother the occupants. Small arms fire, road blocks, fires, spikes etc....no threat. The Armour also allows for a modicum of security when at rest. They could in theory form the basis of a poor mans settlement...an armored mobile RV....park up at a destination, work the land, rebuild a place to live and whilst doing so sleep in reasonable safety...They even have small arms gun ports both in the turret and sides...so a defensible position in theory as well..I almost view these as mobile amphibious bunkers...

3/ As I mentioned they are amphibious....as we are expecting unpredictable inundations of water....maybe it would be an idea to be in something that floats....and is water tight. These things would be used to launch amphibious assaults from out at sea, implying they have a reasonable amount of ability at sea...Assuming that it is not swept hundreds of miles out to sea...you have a chance of heading back to dry land if you are swept away.

3/ It cannot be ignored they have REALLY LOUSY MPG. This is NOT a post event transportation vehicle....unless you have a refinery at your disposal!

4/ As you know I am heading towards the Czech Republic...these things are available from all over the former Warsaw Pact states. The people who know how to maintain them are widely available...and mostly unemployed.....parts are also abundant...I would pose as a military vehicle enthusiast/hobbyist....

So I am thinking that I have one of these under cover at most a short hike outside the city and under cover, ready to carry me and my community to a pre-defined destination...

In so far as the Cops ignoring them, Jay comment about Police tactics here, I think that if you are trying to get through a cordon around a city....police units will be backed up by military units and will not ignore them. Even if the cops don't have something to hurt it....lets face it, they will know some one who can! I think the key is to get to it and hold...until the cops REALLY have their hands full with wide spread civil disorder....when the rate of attrition starts to kick in as soldiers and Police start to lose contact with their command and control structure and start to think about their own families and begin to abandon the road blocks....then you move.

Alternately get to your destination away from the city and hunker down....If you could picture an earth sheltered APC....bury it! Compact but safe....The safety they offer cannot be ignored but privacy and discretion is a must...just as well that undeveloped wilderness land without planning permission appears to be very modestly priced in the Czech Republic....

[Korath]

I dunno if anyone mentioned it .. but a fire extinguisher in the cab

[Yowbarb]

I dunno if anyone mentioned it .. but a fire extinguisher in the cab

Korath, yep I did list the fire extinguisher in my Sept 2008 post, and carried it over to the new Town Hall a couple posts above. It's always good to bring up a reminder about that - so thanks. A fire extinguisher in both the front and back seats and also in the backpacks going out, definitely something to remember.

Part of the post below, and it's understood more items will need to be added.

===============================
Reply #1 on: February 26, 2010, 04:07:25 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reposting here my startup - bear in mind that some of the ideas do not necessarily have to do with "late bugouts." .....- Yowbarb
======================
Thursday, September 04, 2008 - 12:36 am:  Inside the bugout vehicle:
Glove compartment has duplicate IDs for each member of the group
Small medical kit there too. Flashlights etc.

Where the driver knows they are:
Battery lights,
tools
extra ignition keys
shovels ropes
duct tape
fire extinguisher
tire changing kit
tires
Chamo cloth for vehicle

Packed and in vehicle:
Clothing and food and medicines kits should be sealed in seal bag.
Lightweight carry bags each person with their stuff
Canteens, flashlights, nutrition bars, walky talkies, pocket knife personal medications for everyone in their carry bags.

Pack in vehicle:
Empty large backpacks for each person.
This is in case the stuff has to be backpacked in part of the way.
It is possible that bugout vehicle can only get so far and the rest of the way will be on foot.
Pack nylon mountain climbing ropes, plastic handles and an apparatus to manually drag the supplies into the survival site.
Food and water

The hazards I am thinking are:
Fire rocks coming down from the sky,
lightning,
aggressive thieves who would like to get their hands on a vehicle loaded with supplies
rockslides and mudslides
sharp objects on roads
broken roads
flooded roads
Cops or military blocking a road,
necessitating taking a route with no road and/or trekking in on foot to the property where the crossover shelter is waiting.

- Barb

[Yowbarb]

Gertting back to the idea of the bugout vehicle I had posted some ideas on trying to fireproof the vehicle and put a top on it to help withstand rocks, firerocks etc. which could come down.
The underside and the tires need to be protected as best as possible and there would need to be plenty of extra tires.
Bulletproofing is expensive but it would be reassuring to have bulletproof tires and windows so thieves and vandals could not disable the vehicle and victimize the group. 

- Yowbarb

[noproblemo2]

What about thick plexi-glass rather than glass windows? Seem it would be less likely to break and be stronger.

[Yowbarb]

What about thick plexi-glass rather than glass windows? Seem it would be less likely to break and be stronger.

A discussion on plexiglass...

http://forums.equipped.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=138119