A Beginner’s Guide To Bug Out Vehicles

Bugging out a vehicle can be vital in a state of emergency so learn from this beginners guide to bug out vehicles exactly what you need..

Remember, if you find yourself in the middle of a disaster zone and need to get out of there as soon as possible, a bugged out vehicle can put your mind at ease somewhat.

Your vehicle is about to make your journey much easier and smooth-sailing. 

It pays to be ready for whatever life is about to throw at you which is why bugging out a vehicle can be a great idea.

If you have a bug out location, how are you going to get there safely? You need to be covered by a bugged out shelter all the way from your house to your safe space. 

However, it is not as simple as adding some snacks and a crate of water to the trunk of your car.

Instead, there is a lot of planning that needs to be done in order to bug out your vehicle (like a bug out motorbike) successfully.

Today we’ll be looking into everything that a beginner needs to know about how to bug their vehicle out. 

The Beginners Guide To Bug Out Vehicles

Phase One - The Vehicle

Whether you’re buying a vehicle specifically to bug it out or you’re planning on fixing up your current mode of transportation, you can bug out almost any vehicle.

Let’s take a quick look into the different vehicles you might consider using as your safety net. 

SUVs are the most common vehicles for the majority of people to have and they also make excellent bugged out cars.

They have good mileage and can hold an impressive amount of gear for your journey out of town. 

Trucks have a lot of storage room but often not a lot of seats. If you have a larger family you’re going to need to ensure that you have enough seats for everyone to get out of town safely.

However, if there are only two or three people in your household a truck could be a great option. 

Campers aren’t as rugged as SUVs or trucks so they might not be able to go off-road. That being said, a camper will carry a lot of people as well as gear that you might need.

A camper also gives you peace of mind that you have a bed to use in case you need to be on the road overnight. 

Motorbikes can hold one or two people for a few hours so they’re fine if you’re not traveling too far.

There is not as much space for your essentials so a motorbike will only be suitable if you can pack light. Motorbikes are also handy for maneuvering through traffic jams. 

ATVs don’t offer much storage space unless you’re planning on attaching a trailer to the back. Again, only two people can fit on an ATV so they’re not suitable for larger families. 

Phase Two - Storing Supplies

The first thing you will need to store in your bugged out vehicle is a bug out bag.

This is a pack that fits all of your essentials in case you need to jump into your vehicle and get out of town without a look back.

Choose a bag that is large enough to store enough essentials to last you for at least three days. 

Here is a checklist of the necessities you need to include in your bug out bag:

• Food and water - enough for three days
• First aid kit - in case of emergency
• Radio - to keep up to date with news
• Knife - always handy
• Firestarter kit - for heat in case you need to camp overnight
• Spare clothing - make sure that it’s weather appropriate, don’t pack thick insulated coats for the summertime!
• Phone chargers - to prevent your communication from cutting out
• Maps - for when your phones are busy
• Rope - we’ve lost count of how many times rope has unexpectedly come in handy
• Cash, spare keys, and important documents - in case of emergencies

As you can see, you’re going to need a lot of room in your vehicle to house all of the essentials. You should also use a bag that has lots of different pockets.

Every supply should have its own space so that you can find exactly what you need as soon as you need it. 

Phase Three - Maintaining the Vehicle

Particularly if you’re bugging out a separate vehicle to your usual car, you need to ensure that it is always maintained and running to the best of its ability.

If you leave a vehicle in the driveway for months until you need it, chances are that the battery is going to be flat when you need it most, so keep it running regularly and have a car battery kit to hand.

To avoid this, there are a few steps that you can take. First and foremost, you should always use your eyes and give your car a good look.

Do this every day during dangerous seasons when you’ll need the vehicle the most. Make sure that the tires look full at all times. 

Maintain the oil, filters, tire pressure, and fluid changes as you would for your everyday vehicle.

You should take the vehicle out at least once a week to ensure that the brakes don’t seize up or anything else goes wrong. However, make sure that the fuel is always topped up as well. 

Finally, make sure to rotate the food and water on a schedule. You don’t want to get on the road only to find that all of your survival food supplies are moldy.

Bottled water can become contaminated if left in high heats for too long, so don’t drink any water that has been left in the sun for a prolonged period of time. 

Don’t forget to keep an emergency vehicle kit in your car as well. This will help you in case something goes wrong with the vehicle while you’re on the road. 

Beginners Guide To Bug Out Vehicles Summary

We hope that our beginner’s guide to bug out vehicles has given you some insight and ideas about your vehicle.

A bug out vehicle is invaluable when it comes to evacuating, but make sure that you make a checklist and don’t forget any of the essentials.

You can use any type of vehicle, but we would suggest either an SUV, truck, or camper.