Survival Items

You Can Scavenge from Vehicles.

- Nick Oetken

If you’re ever in an urban area and need to bug out in a disaster scenario, you’ll come across hundreds, if not thousands, of abandoned cars along the way. Or alternatively, you could be driving out into the remote desert or mountains and your car breaks down.

In both of these scenarios, whether you live or die could depend on the materials that you strip from the vehicles. Obviously, a car can serve as a shelter if you become stranded or if you come across one, but you can never remain in one place for too long. Once it’s time to move, salvage the vehicle for survival items before moving on.

Here are nine useful survival items that you can scavenge from vehicles:

#1. Whatever is in the trunk. First and foremost, you should always check the trunk of a car first. Say you’re in a grid down scenario and come across an abandoned SUV off the side of the road. While it’s likely that whoever left it already took whatever items were being transported in it, you can never be too sure. Some people keep extra vehicle supplies, blankets, or clothing in the back of their cars for emergencies. You may also find old magazines that you can use to help start fires.

#2. Mirrors. When it comes to actually scavenging the vehicle, your first target is going to be the rearview mirror. Remove it by sliding it down across the windshield. You’ll have to use a knife or similar object to get the side mirrors out, but with some effort and creativity they can be removed. Mirrors can be used for signaling for help, for first aid purposes, or for starting fires.