Prepping Challenges 61 Thru 70--Vehicle

And the disasters don't stop, last week was Hurricane Harvey, next up Hurricane Irma.  So there is more prepping to do...

#61--You have a vehicle of some sort and you keep it in tip top shape.  For most people this means a car but some people don't have cars so a moped, motorcycle, or bicycle may be their vehicle of choice.  Which ever type of vehicle you choose, you want to keep it in good mechanical shape and always keep the gas tank at least half full.

#62--You always have reserve fuel for your vehicle.  During Hurricane Harvey some people used stored cans of fuel to top up their tanks while others siphoned fuel from an RV or boat to fill up their car when gas stations were shut down or ran out of fuel.  Remember to rotate stored fuel and to store it in a safe location in appropriate containers.

#63--Your vehicle is set up as your "home away from home".  This includes having food, water, a first aid kit, an emergency kit, and sleeping bags or blankets in your vehicle at all times.

#64--You have other types of vehicles on hand, according to your situation.  It would be rather useless for me to keep a boat in the middle of the desert but the folks down in Houston made good use of their boats, jet skis, and kayaks during all of the flooding.  Keeping a bicycle for exercise is a good idea and it can also be used as a secondary vehicle in an emergency.  Of course having an RV makes an excellent bug out vehicle.

#65--You have actually went out and tried several evacuation routes in your vehicle.  You know where the choke points may be, have determined alternate routes around these areas, and have noted any impediments to your evacuation routes (ie: bridges and overpasses that may collapse during an earthquake, low-lying areas that will probably flood first, etc).  In addition, you keep a GPS device in your vehicle as well as paper maps which can be used even when cell and GPS don't work.

#66--You have learned skills for (and practiced!) driving in a variety of conditions including heavy rain, snow, ice, dust storms, high wind, etc.  You don't want your first experience driving in snow to be during an emergency.  You want to have studied enough about flash floods to know that driving through them can be deadly so avoid this and head to higher ground anytime flooding starts.

#67--You have experience driving as many different types of vehicles as possible--car, motorcycle, bicycle, boat, kayak, backhoe, jet ski, 18-wheeler, plane, helicopter--the more vehicles you can drive, the better off you will be in an emergency situation.

#68--You are comfortable using all kinds of public transportation--bus, plane, subway, tuk tuk, jeepney, chicken bus.  In the event that you can not evacuate with your own vehicle, knowing (and practicing) using public transit is another skill that will prove useful during an emergency.

#69--You have off-roading experience and, hopefully, the vehicle to do this in.  As you saw during Hurricane Harvey, roads were washed out and even when the water receded, driving around the area required more off-roading skills than most people have.  Having a basic knowledge of off-roading skills is a good thing to know.

#70--You know what to do in a vehicle emergency situation.  You can change a flat tire, do basic car repairs, pull yourself out of a ditch, unstick yourself from sand, know what to do right after a car wreck, and know how to tow another vehicle, among other things.

More information about using and stocking your BOV here, here, and here.