Survival Vehicles

Another question I get a lot is what type of a vehicle should I have as my survival vehicle. Many of the people that ask that question already think they know the answer. They just want me to validate their idea so they can rationalize the price of a new vehicle. Many people think that they need the biggest, baddest four wheel drive that they can find. That is probably the worst choice anyone can make. First, they are expensive to buy, even used. Second, there are more things that can go wrong with them and they are expensive to repair. Third, that is the first type of vehicle that will be stolen in a real bug-out type emergency. People who are not survivalists will not be prepared and will do anything to get a vehicle to bug out in. So, what should you have?

Let's look at some options. Of all the vehicles that I have tried out for the job, may favorite was a full size Ford van that I converted into a camping van. I converted it myself thus being able to make hiding places for various items I might not want found. Some of these were between the inner wall and the outer skin, kind of in the insulation. Others were under the floor and under the hood. Everything was self contained and I had an auxiliary battery in it to run all of the 12v equipment. I had just enough that I would be able to live in the van if necessary. I did take a two week camping trip in which I lived in the van in various national forests and sate parks. Prior to that I had a 1972 Mercury station wagon as my survival vehicle. The only problem I had with that was the fact that it was too low. I spent quite a bit of time with my hi-lift jack and chain and cable, pulling it out of the mud or snow. My current survival vehicle is a Ford Ranger extended cab pickup. This is the first four wheel drive vehicle I have tried for a survival vehicle. I am currently working on equipping it for survival and will probably take all summer to do it (at least).

Now, what do I suggest after trying these vehicles? Well, if I had the ideal it would either be a full size van or a full size pickup with four wheel drive. It would also be from the late 60s or early 70s. Why that era? That was before they started computerizing car engines. When it comes to survival vehicles, my idea is the simpler the better. Power brakes and steering are about the only two things that I would allow. I would even rather it did not have these. The less things that can go wrong and the more of them I can fix, the better it is. NO air conditioning, no power windows and none of the many bells and whistles that come on new vehicles. I already have a problem with my ranger. It is fuel injected and I have no understanding of fuel injection. I am told that all it needs is some sort of a plug in unit that controls the high idle. However, even if I know what that was and how to change it, the computer needs to be reset and I have no idea how that is done. Were it a carburetor having the same problem, I would know exactly what was wrong and how to fix it. I am currently looking for an older vehicle that is in good enough shape to refurbish into a survival vehicle. Until I find one, I will continue working on the ranger.

There are things that need to be done to whatever vehicle you choose for your survival vehicle. First, you need to install good heavy duty shocks so that the vehicle is riding as high as possible. You should also make sure that there is a skid plate protecting the oil pan and perhaps the gas tank. I poked a hole in a gas tank when a rear wheel dropped in a hole and there was a large pointed rock just in front of the wheel. The higher off the ground (within reason) you are and the more of your undercarriage you can protect the better. You may even want to reroute gas lines, brake lines, etc. If your vehicle happens to have fourteen inch wheels and you can go to sixteen wheels, you will gain an inch of clearance. You just need to make sure that there is room in the wheel wells for them. If you now have fifteen inch wheels, you will only gain a half inch of clearance.

There are many other things you can do and much equipment you should have in a survival vehicle. I will take that up next week.

Staying Ready

One of the biggest mistakes that some survivalists make is to get complacent. They get the idea that they have all of the equipment they need and they can handle anything that comes. That is a false sense of security. Any survivalist who does not practice the art of survival may find him or herself wanting in an emergency.

First of all think about shooting. To be proficient at shooting a person should practice at least once a month and preferably once a week. I know that many of you cannot do that because you need to pay to go to a range. I have a range on my own property and use it frequently. I try to practice at least once a week using a different weapon each week of the month. I do handguns one week, .22 rimfire one week, centerfire rifle one week and shotgun one week. I also try to squeeze in some time to practice with my crossbow.

Watching the dates on your supplies is another thing that should be continuous. This should be done on a once a month basis. Things like food, medicine and some other items such as batteries come with expiration dates. These items should be checked and replaced when they are out of date. Food should be eaten before the expiration date and replaced with new. This is one of the reasons that I do not like freeze dried food, I do not like to have to live on it when it goes out of date. I only keep enough freeze dried or MREs on hand that I can use them up in camping each year. That way I have one batch going out of date each year and it is easy to use up. I prefer to can, freeze dry and otherwise put up as much of my own survival food as possible. Any thing you put up yourself should have a year, month and date marked on it and you should know how long it is good for. Again, check it monthly and rotate it. Even you stock of ammo should be rotated. Each time you use up a box of ammo, replace it with a new box. Write the date on each box as you purchase it and always shoot up the oldest first.

Going camping to practice you woodsman and outdoor survival skills is another thing that I deem necessary. We never know when we may need to bug out for the woods or when we may be stranded there. Knowing how to start a fire, snare a rabbit, find edible plants and plan a good camp is very important. Also, camping should not be just a once in the summer trip. You should camp in all four seasons and if possible more than once in each season. Winter camping is very important as it is the most difficult and there is no guarantee that it will not be winter when you wind up needing the skills. These camping trips do not need to be long. Many times it may just be and overnight trip, but they are all important. Unused camping and woodsman skills can get rusty if unused and in an emergency, rusty is not what you need.

There are more things that I could cover but I think that this should give you an idea. Survival- ism is not a try it one time and forget it project. While you can learn a lot by reading, many of the skills need to be practiced to become proficient at them. Having read the book does not necessarily mean that a person will be able to perform. So, read all you can, study all you can but be sure you keep up with your practice. When the time comes you will be ready.

What is a Survivalist?

I get asked a lot, "What is a survivalist?", or maybe "Are you one of those kooks who is storing enough ammo to start WW III and intending to live on MREs?". Well, I do not consider myself a kook and I do not have quite that much ammo. I also do not even care for MREs. No, to me a survivalist is something quite different than most people picture.

I believe everyone is a survivalist to some extent. Every time you look both ways before you pull out into traffic, every time you buckle your seat belt, every time you put in a smoke alarm or buy a fire extinguisher you are doing it so that you will survive. If you did not have the instinct to survive, would you do any of these things? I realize that I am taking it down to the lowest level, but that is where it starts. From there each one of us has to decide what they are willing to survive. I am sure everyone wants to survive a natural disaster or a serious accident, but how many are ready to survive a nuclear war? I have been told by several people that they would not want to survive a major nuclear war. They do not see any sense in starting over. I cannot agree with that way of thinking. Besides that, when I ask them what they would do if they found themselves alive after something major like that and there was no form of government to run to, they have no idea. I had one person tell me that he would look for someone like me to take care of him. He did not appreciate the answer he got from me. I have no time for those that do not want to help themselves.

So, what is a true survivalist? That is the person who looks at every possible scenario and attempts to prepare for them all. That person even tries to prepare for scenarios that they cannot foresee. It may be a person who has a generator for times when there is no electricity due to a major storm, but also has enough non-electric items to live if fuel for the generator is not available. It is the person who has a full set of power tools with a backup of cordless tools and hand tools just in case. It is also knowing how to use any equipment you have available. It is the person who has a freezer full of food and enough canning jars to can everything should the electricity be interrupted for a long period of time. It is the person who has several ways to cook and to heat.

A survivalist is also one who knows how to use firearms and is willing to do so. Should terrorists attack or some foreign country, a survivalist will know what to do. Should you hide until a more opportune time or should you stay and fight. There will be enough ammo and arms on hand to protect the survivalist and the family but not so much that other things get short changed. The survivalist practices with his guns, with his outdoor skills and with any other skills he may need. A good survivalist knows a little bit about everything. You need to know medicine, shooting, cooking, camping, (in case you need to bug out and have nowhere to go), maintenance, hunting, fishing, trapping, barter and many other skills. If the survivalist is in a fairly large group, each one can specialize in one thing. However everyone should know a little about everything else.

A true survivalist is like the old time mountain man. They are able to go it on their own and do a lot with very little. Actually the most important one a good survivalist can possess is a survival attitude. That is an attitude where the person says, "Whatever comes I can handle it. I may need some time to sit and think, but there is a way do get anything done". That is what I consider a true survivalist.