Building a bug out bag is pretty common among preppers, in fact, you will find thousands of articles online about it. But, all of these articles are missing a common element of bugging out, that is post bugging out scenario.

What will you do after bugging out?

How will you travel in a post apocalypse survival situation?

Is your everyday car ready to take the beating of post-apocalyptic life?

Well, if you don’t know that, do not worry. Not many of us know that because it’s not talked as much as being prepared.

Best bug out vehicles for you

1. Choose the right vehicle type.
2. Make sure it has all the good features required to be a bug out vehicle.
3. Make a list of essential items to keep in the vehicle.
4. Choose your bug out vehicle.

Best vehicle options for a zombie apocalypse or bug out situation

Most of the prebuilt bug out vehicles are either too expensive for common preppers or obtaining them is a pain.

So, first of all, we have to select the right vehicle type. Each of the vehicle type mentioned below has their pros and cons, and we have listed them for you.

So that you can yourself select a correct vehicle for bugging out.

1. Sports Cars

Sports cars may look like a good candidate at first for a bug out vehicle, but it’s NOT. They are fast and have good handling.

The reasons why they aren’t suitable and practical for bug out is that they can’t go off-road if required and they do not have a lot of storage space. So, they limited to the main roads, where you shouldn’t be in a post-apocalyptic scenario.

So let’s look at our next option which can both go off-road and has a lot of storage space too.

2. A big bus or truck

A bus can carry a lot of survivors, I mean around ten times more than a small car. It is reliable and has a huge capacity for storage of items. It can also be offroad if required.

But the biggest drawbacks are that it uses a lot of fuel, so it’s not the best choice. Also, it is slower as compared to small cars. So, leaving a place fast enough might not be possible on a bus or truck.

So, a big NO to the buses as well.

3. Tank

I am not joking.

In most of the countries, you can buy used army vehicles, Even a tank.

It seems like the perfect choice for SHTF scenario at first. A tank can go off road like no other vehicle on this list. It has got the power and torque required for this. It can also plow through herds of zombies if required.

But, the pros of the tank are overshadowed by the cons, which are limited carrying capacity, it’s hard to find and buy. I mean when was the last time you saw a tank being sold on the craigslist?

It uses a LOT of fuel and is harder to drive than a normal car. Even if we ignore these cons, it’s not economical to own one for 99% of us.

So, tanks might NOT be the right choice for us.

4. A 4WD SUV

It seems like; ultimately the SUV is going to be our pick for the ideal bug out vehicle. Some of the best features are 4WD, ability to go off road, large carrying capacity, decent fuel economy and they are easier to find and buy.

The only con I can think of is the average fuel economy.

You need to make sure that the SUV is equipped with 4×4, traction control and has a decent range and fuel economy.

So, there you have it, your ideal bug out vehicle.

Some must have features of a good bug out vehicle

Selecting the correct vehicle type is just one small step in getting prepared for the apocalypse.

The next step is to check if your vehicle checks all the positives from the following checklist.

1. Reliability

The vehicle you choose must be reliable in any situation. It shouldn’t break down in difficult times and should keep working under rough situations.

2. Speed

The vehicle should be fast; you should be able to get away from dangerous situations (like tornadoes and volcano eruptions) in time.

This factor is important, that’s why we eliminated the bus and other big vehicles from the list above.

Being fast makes you safer from disasters and other possible situations like a zombie apocalypse.

3. Ability to go off road

The reason why this factor is so important is that, in a post-apocalyptic situation, staying off the road and away from the big cities is what is going to save you.

When it’s everyone for themselves situation, you need to stay away from main roads, and for this, you need a vehicle with good offroad capability.

Along with normal off-roading capabilities, the vehicle should be equipped with traction control and should be 4×4. (remember there is a difference between AWD and 4WD)

4. Storage capacity

In a post-apocalyptic world, the food and other manufactured goods are going to be hard as hell to find.

So, it’s the right time to start storing food/canning it. While you are at it, also plan on how you would put all this stored food in your vehicle.

Ok, so coming on topic, the storage capacity is important as you don’t know how long you have to bug out and how difficult will it be to find the food and other important stuff.

5. Carrying capacity

The number of people a vehicle can carry, the better it is for a bug out vehicle.

A normal SUV can carry five people comfortably with huge storage in the third row OR 7/8 people with somewhat limited storage capacity.

This is good enough for your family.

6. Range and fuel economy

Fuel is another thing that is going to be scarce in SHTF situation.

You will be carrying a lot of it in the containers, and at the same time, it’s a good idea to choose a vehicle with good range and fuel economy.

Checklist for your bug out vehicle

Just getting yourself a bug out vehicle is not going to cut it, you need to prepare it for SHTF situation.

Now that you have chosen an appropriate vehicle for bugging out, it’s time to prepare it.

So, here is the complete checklist for your bug out vehicle:

• Extra fuel containers
• Spare keys
• Tow straps
• One large bag
• Multitool (one which has at least knife, seatbelt cutter, window breaker screwdriver)
• CB radio
• Flashlight
• High pitch whistle
• Blanket
• Extra money
• Tire chains
• Jumper cables
• Basic toolkit
• Winch
• Additional engine, transmission oil
• Full-size spare tire

Bug out vehicles

After carefully considering all the things, these are some of the recommendations for choosing a bug out vehicle.

Remember that there are hundreds of other potential vehicles out there based on your individual needs and the area where you live.

Roughly 25% of the fuel that is consumed in the US is diesel, while only 2% vehicles run on it. Surprised?

Rest of the diesel is used for commercial purposes.

So, when SHTF, petrol is going to be finished in a matter of hours, while the diesel is going to be there in abundance. Hence, some of the recommendations below are diesel engine vehicles.

1. Toyota 4runner

It’s no doubt that Toyota’s are built like tanks.

Have you ever seen a video of middle east terrorist groups on a news channel?

Wonder why they always use Toyota trucks in those videos?

You guessed it right, because Toyotas are reliable, built like tanks and perfect for war situations. Hence, they are perfect for us too for the post-apocalyptic situation.

4runner comes with 4WD and traction control, also has a ton of space for all your items. Unfortunately, diesel powered 4runner is not sold in the US. So, the petrol variant is your only choice for this.

2. Toyota Hilux

It’s truck. But wait, it checks all our boxes for being the ideal bug out vehicle.

Toyota Hilux has 2.8L turbo diesel engine, 4×4 and traction control. It also has rear differential locks.

What more can you ask for? Toyota’s reliability is there, so you do not have to worry about it breaking down in the middle of nowhere.

Being a diesel powered utility vehicle, you will not have any problems finding fuel for it in SHTF situation.

In the case of mass evacuations, your nearby gas pumps will go out of gasoline in few hours, while you will be able to fill it up with even at truck stations with a slightly modifying it. It takes only 20 seconds to fill up its entire tank at one of those filling stations.

3. Toyota Tacoma

The next vehicle on our list is also a Toyota utility truck.

Toyota’s are so reliable, no wonder all the vehicles on this list are from the same brand.

Tacoma is powered by a 3.5 liter V6 direct-injection engine. It is not available in diesel variant, but you do get 4×4, traction control, lockable read differentials and much more with this.

4. Toyota Land Cruiser

One of the all time favorites, powered by 5.7 liter V8, this thing is a beast and can take any abuse.

Comes with 4×4, traction control and checks all other boxes on our list, has a plenty of storage space to carry all your survival items.

It is no less than a small tank, will go on any terrain you can find for it. It’s a reliable and proven vehicle and will not disappoint you at any point of time.

Conclusion

We analyzed multiple factors, did a lot of research to find the right type of vehicle, the right set of items to keep in the vehicle and the options for the right vehicle for bugging out. Please let us know in the comment box below what do you think about this article.

If you feel we haven’t considered anything or you would like to add something to the article, feel free to do so in the comments below.

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