Bugout teardrop?

[profrog]

I'm sure that many of you have plans to use your trailer as a bugout vehicle if it ever comes to that, I know that's a secondary purpose for mine...if it ever gets finished. This web site
http://www.theplacewithnoname.com/blogs ... index.html
is a blog from somebody that had to bugout from New Orleans because of hurricane Katrina. He brings up many good points that I had never considered. He covers a "your house is on fire and you've got 60 seconds to bugout" scenario, a "wildfire is heading your way and you've got 60 minutes to bugout" scenario, and "a monster hurricane is coming right at you and you've got 12 hours to bugout" scenario. I've studied all the Y2K catastrophe (remember waaaaay back then?) and zombie apocalypse web sites and I know for a fact that I wouldn't have been completely prepared. Even if you aren't a delusional paranoid like me, this guy has some great info from somebody who has been there and done that.

[mikeschn]

Here's a few thoughts I had years ago...

http://www.mikenchell.com/weekender/bugout.html

Mike...

[G-force]

Living in So. Cal, earthquakes are a fact, you got to be prepared. The Northridge earthquake left us without power or water for 3 or 4 days and isolated with the colapsed freeways. With that said, I have a "30-30-3" bugout plan: 30 seconds, 30 minutes, or 3 hours. I know what I can take if I have those amounts of time to get out. Its already packed and staged. Plans with family are already in place as to where to meet and whatnot. I think thats the most important factor is preplanning.

[Miriam C.]

Mike walked out when I was cleaning the TTT and said "I guess we will have a home when the banks close." And went back in. Our biggest danger here seems to be ice or falling tree limbs. Any Spring or winter storm can take us out. I am building a cover for it with the idea that only a tornado will take it out. If we all pile in it will be cosey and warm.

[Roly Nelson]

Both my teardrop and the TTT would help us out a lot in the event of "The Big One" out here in the country in So Calif. The last big shaker we had really put a lot of folks out of their homes in the big cities, with their chimneys falling through the living room ceilings. Many refused to go back inside for weeks and often slept in tents or RVs in their front yards. However it sure made lots of work for us General Contractors for quite a while. Lives were lost and many were injured, which was a shame.
Roly

[Beachbuggy]

Our Teardrop is going to make an excellent BOV.
We evacuated from Rita. My husband runs the local utiities dept, and so we let at the VERY last minute!
By then the police had abandoned all the road blocks, so we were able to squeeze through and head south (they made everyone head West & North).---Our town was sent north--right into the storm!--
It was smooth sailing south, since all the coastal towns had been evacuated...which meant...No GAS. We did manage to find a station with some premium left. The TD will give us some extra room (we had 2 dogs and a cat with us) for some gas cans, and a place to sleep if we need to pull over. Of course with 2 dogs and a cat I don't know how much sleep well get!

[dreadcptflint]

Even if you aren't a delusional paranoid like me, this guy has some great info from somebody who has been there and done that.-profrog

A little bit of paranoia is a good thing. Last week a large portion of the local hills were on fire. With the right shift of the wind, I could have had to bug out from work. Disasters happen however with a little bit of planning they don't have to be disasterous to you.

My tow vehicle is usually in the driveway with at least a 1/2 a tank. I have plenty of water stored in my trailer. My stove (for now) and latterns are multifuel. Yes a disaster would be rough but I have made steps that it won't be that rough for my family.

[starleen2]

We use our camper for UMCOR disaster response and mission trips as well. Sometimes you have to be self sufficient when resources are scarce

[GPW]

Before we "discovered" TTTs and TDs , we had very few alternatives...Now we have a place to stay with a modicum of privacy and comfort...essential to keeping ones sanity during any bugout... Everybody here should have one ...too bad they don't...

[sushidog]

Being a Hurricane Katrina evacuee myself, I purchased my Aliner LXE for another such eventuality. Being prepared is not being paranoid. Neither is purchasing health and life insurance, storing food, emergency fuel, cash or having a gun to protect yourself and family should the worst happen.

Having an evacuation plan for your family (including your pets - with 2 dogs, a cat, and a bird I've had for 22yrs, this is a HUGE consideration for me) falls into this category. When all the hotels and all the shelters are full, and your bank with all it's branches is destroyed (no access to your money), you think twice about how you will prepare for the future.

My BOV requirements were simple:
1. It must keep my family safe, clean and dry in the bad conditions (this eliminates tentage in my mind).
2. It must be towable by my family car. In my case, this means a 4 cyl with a class 1 hitch. A fuel efficient TV and extra fuel is important, as you may have to drive almost 400 miles (as I did) with no gas station available. Count on fuel being rationed.
3. It must have sleeping, cooking, toilet and shower facilities.
4. It must have room for food and clothing (a refrig/freezer that runs on propane is nice so you don't lose everything in your fridge, like I did).
5. Since I live in south Louisiana where it's very hot and humid, especially during Hurricane season, an a/c is nice - almost indispensable. But it must be capable of being powered by a small, fuel efficient generator, like a 2000 watt Honda or the like, as you can bet that electricity and fuel will be in short supply. This eliminates most rv aa/c's except for the new energy efficient kind. If I lived up north, I would have extra propane tanks for heating, extra blankets, etc..

Remember, what you don't take with you, you may not have when you return. So take everything that's life sustaining (medicine, food, pet-food, water, etc.) and/or irreplaceable (have a list, and if possible, collect it ahead of time.) Leave the rest.

[GPW]

Sushi Dog, I really think if someone hasn't gone through what we went through , they have no idea of the Stress involved...or the need for such preparations ...merely pictures on a TV screen to most ...
Not only the storms , but the ever present "Parasite class" (looters) waiting for your stuff ... and if they can't steal it, then they'll burn it...as happened here...

[Miriam C.]

Those seem like good lists. What is amazing is how much the American diet depends on Refrigeration even in evacuation situations. Way back in the cold war days we were taught to keep non-perishables for emergency's. Now we run out of ice at every thunderstorm.

Topping my list of non-perishables is
SPAM (besides I like it)
Canned corn beef (for making hash)
potatoes the real kind or dried.
Crisco or oil for cooking
dehydrated veggies in sealed packages so the water doesn't get to them.
pre-sweetened Koolaid.
Instant coffee and tea bags.
peanut butter and jelly (a must)
bottle of bleach

and a good medical kit.

[Beachbuggy]

I hate SPAM

We keep a few MRE's around in case of emergency. Hopefully we'll never have to eat them.
Our sons in the military and he gave us the heads up on the nastier ones

[Miriam C.]

I hate SPAM

We keep a few MRE's around in case of emergency. Hopefully we'll never have to eat them.
Our sons in the military and he gave us the heads up on the nastier ones

I can't do milk or eggs so it makes campers packs or MRE's really hard. I have to make most of my stuff.

[KDOG]

Great thread. This is one reason I have for building mine. I'm a prepardness geek anyway - Surefire flashlights, benchmade knives, I carry a "man purse" (Maxpedition) with all sorts of gear for survival and Every-Day-Carry (EDC) items. So a "back-up" house appeals to me...