MAKE YOUR VEHICLE BUG-OUT READY

GET AWAY FROM TROUBLE FASTER WITH THESE SIMPLE TIPS.

- DANA BENNER

Forest fires rage through the West. The most powerful hurricanes in recorded history ravage the Gulf Coast and the Atlantic. Arctic cold and blinding snows strike the Northeast and the Midwest.

What do these disasters all have in common? They all make people—ordinary people—leave their homes, often very quickly, in the name of safety.

In order to get your family out of harm’s way, you need a reliable vehicle; one that’s always prepared to move at a moment’s notice.

This article discusses items I keep in my vehicles at all times and steps I’d follow in my situation. If something were to happen and I had time, I would load the vehicles with other items as well. Also, keep in mind that you might face circumstances that I don’t in my home state of New Hampshire. If that’s the case, you should carry items better suited to your area. This is just a suggested guide about what should always be carried.

DOES VEHICLE TYPE MATTER?

When it comes to an emergency situation, your type of bug-out vehicle doesn’t matter. The goal is to get to safety, not win a “pretty car contest.” We’ve all seen the articles featuring huge 4X4s outfitted with all the gadgets; and, honestly, some of them look pretty cool. Others look like war wagons right out of a Mad Max movie.