IPFS News Link • Transportation
SHTF Vehicles
• lewrockwell.comIn my last column I wrote about buying land as a hedge against both currency collapse and the very real possibility of roaming mobs of violent thugs in a SHTF scenario. Several readers brought up the issue of transportation: What kind of vehicle would be good to have in bad times? Here are some thoughts on that:
First, what do you need the vehicle to do?It makes a big difference whether you plan (and are in a position to) stay put vs. needing to get far away from where you are in the event of major unrest. If you plan to stay put, then things like range and carrying capacity will probably be of much less concern than ruggedness and simplicity. Conversely, if the vehicle is going to be your “bug out” machine, it better have enough room to carry you, your family and everything that’s essential to you – as well as long enough legs to get where you’re going without assuming you will be able to stop for fuel along the way. The latter you can crutch some by keeping several five gallon jugs of treated (with fuel stabilizer) gas on hand and ready. If the S does not H the F then just recycle the gas (by consuming it for daily driving or in your outdoor power equipment). But if it does, you’ve added 40-60 percent to the range of your vehicle; even if it’s a real hog, that ought to get you another 100-plus miles down the road and that should be far enough to put you and yours away from the worst and most immediate danger (inner city/suburban mobs who will quickly and easily overwhelm civilian law enforcement, possibly for days or even weeks). But on the former – room for what you need and the people you intend to carry – you’re pretty much stuck with something sizable.
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1 Comments in Response to SHTF Vehicles
I've been "doing this crap" for 40 years. Here's the skinny:
If your haven't already "bugged-out" when the excrement hits the rotors, you had better be willing to hunker down or have a tunnel to wherever you want to go. An outfitted vehicle will be a prime target. People can't even drive to work, without getting into or creating some form of gridlock. If even a single vehicle, two miles ahead of you is in an accident, stalls, or runs out of gas, you will be going nowhere; and, all of your provisions will become someone elses provisions, after they kill you.
Assuming you have reached your retreat-of-choice, where are you going to drive to next? Unless you have stored considerable fuel, where are you going to purchase any needed replenishment. If you were on foot and times were dangerous and hard, would you look for a vehicle to steal? If you could somehow use your vehicle, where would you get parts for repairs or replacements?
Outfit your retreat with the money you will save by not wasting it on some sort of "war wagon". If things go south, get out of town, long before the rabble. Don't tell anyone, and don't invite friends and family who are not already on their way. Have just enough fule to get where you are going, and just enough, properly stored, to get back, in the event things recover.
All this comes down to the items that will allow you to survive, WITHOUT THE TRAPPINGS OF SOCIETY. Autos are not survival gear. (It could be argued that a dirt bike might be functional; however, they can be heard for miles in the boonies. they are also mechanical and use [limited] fuel.
I used to kid folks by telling them that they probably weren't "suvivable" unless they could "live in a tree and gather nuts". That's a little extreme, but it's not a bad standard by which to judge your abilities.
(A word in your ear: For those who are stocking guns and ammo, don't. How many guns can you carry? How much ammo can you lug around. Are youir guns protected from the ravages of heat, cold, and moisture. Is your ammo properly stored? Have you even fired your guns, to see of they are functional or even remotely sighted -in? Even as trade goods, guns and precious metals will likely get you killed, before your time. [Ever been on a battlefield? There are guns and ammo all over the place. If it gets bad, let the idiots kill each other off, then sneak down and collect their guns, ammo, food, and "trucks".]