Your bug out vehicle and Mr Murphy

This past summer a buddy of mine tried to leave his home on Kentucky to go on a much needed vacation. The tow vehicle for his camper had last minute problems. They left a day late but didn’t get very far before more car problems forced them to limp back home.

Undaunted, they threw a tent and some camping gear into the wife’s car. That didn’t get very far before mechanical problems surfaced. In the end, the trip was canceled.

These vehicles are not old beaters but newer well maintained cars. Sometimes the roll of the dice come up against you. It happens more often than we’d hope.

Now imagine if they weren’t going on a vacation but were bugging out to avoid a disaster, like a hurricane.

If something happened right now, how well do you think your current escape vehicle would do? Be honest. Has it ever broken down without warning? Ever have to call road side assistance? Do you have a backup plan if that vehicle fails? What if your backup fails?

What would my friend have done? My guess is that he’d fire up his old Korean War era Jeep and bug out with that. His wife has always hated it, but the thing just runs and runs -not fast, and not comfortably, but it keeps on moving. I bet he knows every back road and dirt trail out of his area.

What would I do with failure of all vehicles? That depends on the season and where I’m heading. I could be reduced to heading out on snowshoes pulling a toboggan in the winter. During the warm weather, my exit could be by canoe or even bicycle.

I remember TV footage of the evacuation of Galveston Texas before a hurricane struck. Traffic was bumper to bumper and barely moving. A guy on a bicycle pedaled past all the stopped cars. He figured to be over 100 miles away by time the storm hit.

Whatever your plans are, don’t wait until the last minute. Bugging out early gives you time to deal with whatever Mr. Murphy throws your way.

-Sixbears