Thoughts on Bug Out Vehicles, (BOV'S).

Could be useful in very specific circumstances.

I figure those specific circumstances occurring in the specific scenario that a bike would be better over a car is pretty unlikely. Possible of course, just not AS likely.

As a result I'd rather have a rugged 4wd as a BoV than a bike/ATV. A bike might be able to go to places a 4wd can't, but it's going to be slow going on a bike regardless in conditions like that. IMO if you have to bug out that hard that a 4wd can't get there you're going to need more supplies than a bike can carry, and you likely you won't have been able to get the supplies to site already on your bike unless you've been carting small amounts out for months on end.

Bugging out to a not accessible by car location means your BoL at some point needs to have been accessible and then made inaccessible by car afterward in order to make a permanent shelter, because you can't carry lumbar on a bike.
In that situation then a bike would be perfect. Load up with the small items that you need, leave everyone else in the dust. But you'd have to not have a family or partner to take with you (or have bikes for them too) and already have years of preps including permanent shelter and supplies set up already. Because getting in and out of your BoL regularly to find supplies etc. is going to give you away pretty quickly, especially on a noisy bike.

So personally if it were a choice between an ATV and a 4wd I'd go for the 4wd because I personally think it covers more scenarios and I can't afford both! Lol.

I'm also not a fan of the "Bug out to a remote location and stay there for six months in a tent" plan because living in a tent is ok short term but horrible long term, and if things have gone that bad that I need to relocate my family into tents in the middle of the scrub NO ONE is leaving in six months time. IMO permanent shelter is even more important in a situation that dire.

"They ride CT90 postie bikes across the Nullarbor, the AG200 would eat that toy! "

All well and good until u hit a westerly wind and down to 10 km/hr and chewing fuel with a wide open throttle. Started off with a CT90, then a Ag125, then a Honda 250 and finally a Honda 500 as I got sick of spending an extra 1/2 hour on a bad day trying to make headway into a westerly wind. The 500, just open the throttle up a notch more and your doing the 100 k, even into a 50 knot westerly.

Anyway, you all should be at your bug out locations now, especially with the disaster that's about to happen in America, when no one will accept any result. I predict civil war.



Rules that guys wish girls knew.

4) Dont ask us what we are thinking about, unless you are prepared to discuss topics such as navel lint, monster trucks, the latest sports hero and guns.

Ever heard of the Skeeta Grimshaw rally? the CT90 is still a prized ride. Australia Post flooded the market with the CT110s, but in farming circles the CT90 is still highly prized and used. The CT110 not as much because by the time they arrived ATVs were taking over as farm vehicles.

I have a mate with 20 of them...total nutjob! Knee action front end, manual clutch...even has one with push-rods...all worth way more than a 110. They pay stupid money for these piles of crap...I always despised them.

I used the term "Postie" so people would generally know what I'm talking about.

Really thinking some more on what grumble said a few posts up. Big heavy road vehicles are just so fragile. So many things to go wrong. We don't normally need to worry about it because during good times like now logistics more or less work and there is pretty much an off the shelf solution at a reasonably affordable price for almost anything that breaks on your favourite BOV.

A classic 4WD BOV using an ICE engine would give you the possibility to run on alternate fuels, gasified as suggested elsewhere in the forum or perhaps vegetable oils. Once you get to a location you park it up and use a bike for daily errands. A bicycle would be ideal for most nearby stuff, perhaps an ag style motorbike for foraging further afield.

Being a bug-out-vehicle implies it is used to get to your bug out location with your bug out gear.

If your bug out location has all the supplies you need then a bike would be sufficient to get you there quickly and bug-out gear could be trimmed down to the bear essentials you need to get to your location and you're likely able to carry it all on you/your bike.

Otherwise a vehicle such as large 4wd would be your best bet, possible with trailer in tow.


If you don't have a bug out location sorted then you'd need to carry more gear with you and a vehicle is preferred.  Same goes if you plan to change bug out locations regularly.




Other variables include;

• proximity to your bug out location
• where you are when you decide to go to your bug out location
  
• can you get there on one tank of fuel?
  
• once at you bug out location will you have to commute to/from your bug out location and how stealthy the commute needs to be

The KLRs are heavy though and not many people could ride them like you see in the advertising or biker mags. They are cheap, sip the fuel, repairable and can carry a lot of gear which is really appealing. They are set up for long distance touring from the shop so you don’t need to spend too much to get them to be pretty awesome bov’s.

The KTMs, BMWs and honda v twins are all too pricey. They go well but unless you wanna ride them a lot probably not worth the investment.

On the light side a DR200 is a great option. Can be loaded up a bit and apparently you get 40km per litre. they are light, low powered and also low tech. I rebuilt one years ago and it was a surprisingly good bike.

Driving during such a situation would be attracting attention to yourself and potentially making yourself a target. Our strategy is not to drive on road at all, enough noise is made by the tractor rotary hoeing to be a worry anyway.

Eventually, transport will return to attend farmers markets and so on but for several months we intend to stay off the roads.

I suspect most transport then will be via tractor or ATV, as roads will start to deteriorate quickly with no maintenance on them, and throw in some bad weather and the road surfaces will go downhill fast.

Interesting note: Reading the rules re farmers and weapons, if a registered Primary Producer, you have the right to open carry a rifle whilst on your property now. At least its a start anyway.





Murphy's law needs to be repealed.

Top 10 Best Bug Out Vehicles | Best Survival Vehicle

Agree, its almost past time to bug out.

A thought.....All modern vehicles, doesn't matter what it is, are fitted with an alternator. It has solid state electronics, not just the regulator, but diodes to turn the AC to battery friendly DC. The failure mode of a semi conductor device is usually a short circuit, until they become an open circuit when they burn up !

So, you have a u beaut, mechanical fuel injected, pre 2000 land-cruiser diesel and...the EMP hits. Instantly, the diodes in the alternator will go short circuit, and as they are in in a bridge connection, they will short out the battery feed, both positive and negative at the same time. Result, if no fuses fitted, burnt wiring, possible fire, and a dead alternator.

40 years ago, I built a bug out vehicle from a Landrover diesel, fitted with a generator and mechanical air gap regulator, no solid state fire starters at all anywhere in the engine path. Nowadays, just try and find a generator, much less someone who knows how to repair one, and the associated regulator will probably not be possible.

Our tractor is mechanical fuel injected diesel, and has an alternator, but its also fitted with a battery isolation switch, so if something goes wrong, and there's a big spark when the switch is turned on, just leave it off and leave the battery disconnected and gravity start it. That's why its on the hill.





Ive seen the evidence for, I want to see other evidence.