What happens if you and your family needs to evacuate and you don't have a bug out vehicle (BOV)? You'll pack your sedan like sardines and hope that it doesn't break down along the way? How about supplies? Do you have supplies inside your vehicle that can help you survive as you move to safety? Here's the sad truth - most families don't have a bug out vehicle and they don't have a clear evacuation plan.

Setting up a vehicle that can help you evacuate is a must. Now, setting up a BOV takes a little bit of planning. There are three schools of thought or approaches to BOVs. The first school is the traditional BOV, a pre-1980 4x4 pickup or SUV, this school of thought advocates these earlier vehicles primarily for their supposed resistance to the effects of EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse) from a nuclear weapon or other source. The theory is that older vehicles that have less electronics on them will survive EMP better than newer vehicles. Another side consideration is the lack of tracking systems such as Onstar and immunity from new devices that would allow the police (or someone else) to turn the vehicle off by using some sort of directed energy weapon (these are real although in the early stages and may not be in use anywhere).

The newer vehicle school of thought says that the likelyhood of a detonation of a nuclear bomb that will produce EMPbug out vehicle
happening is slim to none, and there is no hard evidence that older vehicles will not be affected or that newer vehicles will be affected by EMP, so you might as well use a modern 4x4. This school also points out that modern vehicles have better fuel economy than older vehicles, and they're a lot nicer to be in on long trips.

The third school of thought is the use whatever you have school. This school of thought realizes that not everyone can
afford a dedicated BOV or that they can not afford to buy another vehicle. Unfortunately, most families practice this.

Setting up a BOV can be relatively inexpensive especially if you're going to start with the basics. This guide will teach you the basic things that a bug out vehicle should have. Check this out now and start with the basics!

Topics Covered

  • Three schools of thought or approaches to BOVs
  • The basic features that a BOV should have
  • The basic items that should be in a BOV