The most likely evacuation vehicle is the one you drive every day. You first need to evaluate its ability to get your family and supplies to your Bug-Out Location. You may be able to get the whole family into the car but that might severely limit space to bring supplies. Does your car or SUV have a roof rack? Carrying supplies on top of the car may make it viable as your evacuation option. How will you handle fuel along the way? Don’t forget that you can give yourself even more bug out options if for instance, you bring at least one bicycle and hiking supplies with you.
Grandpa TJ asks, "Have you thought about a Convoy?"
Grandpa TJ: If your family is like mine, there are several drivers with vehicles in it – so evacuating in only one car may not make sense. A convoy of family vehicles may be a good option. Dad can lead the convoy in his SUV. Mom can drive her car and Uncle Bill can follow in the pickup which is towing the camping trailer. Supplies are spread out among each vehicle to provide redundancy so that if you have to quickly abandon one vehicle, you wouldn’t loose all of the food for instance. If you have a motorcycle rider, maybe they can scout the route ahead and help avoid possible trouble spots for the rest of the convoy. Take the time to determine what might work best for your family.
Recreational Vehicle & Motor Home Evac
An RV camper or motorhome may be one of your bug out vehicles. If you keep it stocked with non-perishable foods, they can be ready to go very quickly. You will have shelter and cooking handled with minimum effort. But you have to balance that with low gas mileage and large size compared to a smaller, more nimble vehicle.
Grandpa TJ: I would love to have one of these vehicles during an evacuation but only as part of a family convoy with a couple of other vehicles. They are somewhat limited to good roads and would likely have to be abandoned for a variety of reasons (going off-road, lack of abundant gas and road obstacles).
Specialized & Exotic Vehicles
You may have access to a dedicated expedition or bug out vehicle as shown (above left) or something similar. Usually they are tailored for a specific mission but may be adaptable for your evac. While highly capable of handling a wide variety of terrain and environments, you may have issues with maintenance, fuel requirements and cargo handling. And, as always, relying on only one vehicle, no matter how capable, can be risky.
The VW Camper shown (above right) is representative of what is meant by the term Exotics. These can be designed from the ground up for family camping like RoadTrek Campervans or can be conversion projects built into cars, trucks, vans or even school buses. There are even stealth conversion projects to “hide in plain sight” by building a camping conversion inside of a plain utility vehicle to keep from drawing unwanted attention from strangers. After all, who would think to look inside a Diaper Delivery Service truck for emergency gear?
Trailers
Camping trailers come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.
There is a current trend for compact, high efficiency trailers (above left). They squeeze a lot of features into a small, easy-to-tow package but have limited cargo capabilities.
Popup camping trailers (center) open up into large tented living spaces and then collapse down for towing. Again, there is limited cargo capability.
Other, more classic trailers like the Airstream (top right) and fifth-wheel rigs which require a heavy-duty pickup truck with a special hitch for towing, can bring all the comforts of home – kitchens with microwaves, bathrooms with showers, etc. but are large and heavy.
Small, lightweight trailers and heavier utility trailers can provide excellent cargo carrying capabilities. You may need to provide cargo covers for protection from the weather and theft.
Even specialized trailers, such as the motorcycle and ATV trailers shown (above right) can handle some cargo while at the same time bringing backup transportation with you.
You may even want to consider horse or cattle trailers for your evac (either with or without the animals).
In Conclusion:
No matter what you end up deciding are the best evacuation vehicles for your family, make sure that they are ready to go if you are anticipating potential problems such as hurricanes, tornados, flooding or winter storms. Make sure that gas tanks are at least half full at all times – don’t run your car’s gas down to empty when you might not be able to find an open gas station tomorrow. It’s going to cost the same to fill the top half of the tank, so you might as well fill it from half full.
Grandpa TJ: I got lucky when the massive power outage hit Southern California and Arizona in Sept 2011. I had less than a quarter tank of gas – all of the gas stations were closed and the freeways were at a standstill. Fortunately, it was only a lesson learned. I didn’t run out of gas like many others (see Getting Home for the entire story). I now fill up as soon as I can when the tank hits half full.
Lastly, make sure that your emergency supplies will be able to make it onto the vehicles in the time that you are given to evacuate (Bug-Out List). Next, make sure everyone is familiar with your preferred routes to your Bug-Out Location and how to meet up and communicate with each other during a disaster evacuation (Rally Points). Plan now so that you can avoid bad outcomes later!