A major disaster strikes and wakes you up in the middle of the night. You have limited time to evacuate, getting yourself to safety. What is the first thing you do? If it’s more than: calmly getting dressed in the clothes pre laid out, grabbing the keys nicely hanging on you wall and you “go” bag hanging in the coat closet you are either wasting time or worse; wadding into the unknown- unprepared.

While the above is a great start it is not the complete solution. Give the particular situation you vehicle should be prepped to go at all times. In combat situations a well prepped vehicle is a must have- but this is a very transferable habit. While I may not be stacking belts of ammunition and extra barrels, changing armor plating and checking bumper numbers other little details are pretty much the same.

Maintenance

You know you should change you oil every 2k miles, flush your radiator once a year, rotate your tires twice a year and always top off your fluids, but do you actually do it? Trying to evacuate is not the time to see that check engine light come on or worst of all have a break down. Make it a habit and stick to it. Nowadays it’s easier than ever with so many apps, reminders and devices to keep on top of this and remind you when to do things.

Prep and Staging

When time is limited, precious time spent prior will make your life easier. Always fill your tank when under half a tank and most importantly don’t park overnight with anything less than a quarter. Even in a non-emergency (going to work) this can make things go wrong. If you miss the fill up and get stuck in traffic you could wind up out of gas and late to work. In an evacuation situation, you can bet that traffic will be heavy and a mess and gas stations will be a major time sink as scores of people flock there to fill up. Once a week go through your vehicle and stock it up with fresh supplies. Typically I keep  5 gallons of drinking water, tool kit, medical supply kit, flares, 1 week worth of rations (MREs), extra pair of shoes, 1 week of clothes and a rifle with ammunition (of course locked and secured to the vehicle- if it is just in a safe crooks will take the rifle; safe and all). Keeping these basics on hand is simple and can be lifesaving.

Extra Credit

To go beyond basic preparedness you can also stash a CB radio and about 40 feet of “jungle wire” (16 gauge wire on a spool) that you can use to construct various antennae. For your tires you should purchase run-flats. These are used on most government duty vehicles such as police, FBI and DEA. They have a special extra rubber liner inside that allows you to maintain control of your vehicle and continue driving with a flat without risking damage to the rim. You should also have pre-planned exit routes from your city on a laminated map. One in each cardinal direction is a good start.

Survival

Next week I will go in more depth about my “go” bag and just what that entails.