Get Home Vehicles

I note that the trend for BUGGING IN is beginning to dominate preppers plans compared with bugging out, but its the variation in transport that I find interesting.

Naturally when folks were planning on bugging out they made plans and provisions to transport often huge amounts of kit with them to their retreats / places of safety they tended to focus on larger off road capable vehicles frequently towing trailers and laden with roof racks etc. Even large vans have a warm place in the hearts and plans of many preppers with some like me aspiring to own a 4×4 Iveco Daily or Bremach 4×4 with the same passion most folks drool over Porches and Mercs.

But one positive aspect for the budget conscious prepper who intends on bugging in is that they are now more than ever selecting vehicles and transport systems to simply assist as best possible in getting the individual home safely. Its becoming more the case that smaller, compact, convenient and reliable methods of getting home swiftly without access to public transport are gaining ground, and seeing that they are now no longer transporting half a ton of gear with them their choice of vehicle is evolving.

In recent weeks on multiple forums I have seen articles that are heavily subscribed about using bicycles , folding bikes, mountain bikes and electric bikes as viable practical methods of getting the prepper homeward bound at speeds through cities of between 15 and 25 mph ( THAT is faster than cars in many larger cities)

I have a friend called CHUNK who works in the middle of Teesside and this slim elfin character tips the scales in excess of 20 stones, yet he and his works rucksack easily navigate the roads and lanes of central Middlesbrough on a 125 cc four stoke Honda Urban scooter thingy which returns in excess of 70MPG and will reach 55 mph.

On an American forum their are folks using SEGWAY two wheeled electric thingies (12MPH and 24 mile range) to get them out of the city center and out to the burbs much faster and cheaper than driving the normal American gas guzzler AND again they report its often quicker and quieter to use bikes and Segways than to drive the clogged freeways and Interstates.

If you think about it logically if we are only keeping basic essential EDC and GHB gear with us at the office / shop or factory we in many cases no longer need a Jeep, Mitsubishi, Land Rover, Toyota or big van to move us, what we need is small , compact, cheap to run, reliable and rugged vehicles to simply move our individual persons plus a small GHB to get us home.

So perhaps some of us could do a reassessment of our commuter routes and look to see if their are more direct but smaller quieter ways home than you could do on a bike, quad, Segway, micro car etc?

These options are viable for people like myself or Preserve Freak but not feasible for folks like Skean Dhude or Spandex who work far from home during the week, but I humbly suggest to them that perhaps they could consider getting a small 125 bike or scooter that can be carried on a rack across the back of their ED Vehicles as a highly handy method of getting out of town swiftly with enough range in the fuel tank to get them home. Heck even a 50 cc Monkey bike in the back of the car will do 30 MPH and over 150 miles on a tank of petrol, that definitely better than walking or sitting in gridlock on the M6.

So if you think about it you do not need to collect and transport huge amounts of survival gear in your large bug out vehicle if you just want to get home, No what you need at most is if you are still using a motor vehicle is extra tools to help you get home, for example a metal saw and bolt cutters to cut down metal posts and cut off padlocks to allow your smaller GHV ( Get Home Vehicle) access to places like cycle ways and tow paths or forestry commission tracks. Mud / Sand , mats (or just plywood boards) to help you get out of soft ground, A simple manual hand cranked winch to pull you out of trouble or to pull down barriers or move other vehicles, A good jack, Tow rope etc.

Cyclists and motorcyclists / quad riders should look at puncture proofing the tyres, and finding a way to carry enough petrol to complete your journey without having to look for petrol stations, the bike should have MTCE tools and space to store your waterproofs and lid, a rack can carry your now reduced GHB. Accurate highly detailed local maps, extra driving lights anything you can think of to simply COMPLETE YOUR JOURNEY.