Hi JWR:
Just a quick addition to the comments about changing a tire from an earlier blog article. In a real disaster, natural or military/terrorist, the roads will likely be covered with debris, much of which may cause your Bug Out Vehicle (BOV) tires (that’s plural) to get punctured. I would certainly recommend several cans of some kind of Fix-A-Flat
Recognizing that a flat will probably occur at the worst possible time and in the worst possible place we cannot afford to be emptying half our gear out on the ground just to reach the darn jack. Can you imagine how tempting that would be in a bad neighborhood? So let’s consider making our spare, jack and lug wrench as easily accessible as possible. Store some of your supplies in the then empty spare tire well where you can access them at your later convenience.
And, Mr. JWR, many times you have made the excellent suggestion to having some basic tools (axe, shovel & pick) with your BOV supplies. This suggestion has also mentioned including a set of bolt cutters. Could I also suggest carrying a length of chain and a couple big padlocks. In the event we choose to go went off-road to get away from the crowd that might be in the area, blocking that woods or fire road by chaining it off might keep a lot of folks behind you following up that same path. I even have carry a rake in my BOV to obscure any tire tracks I might leave.
JWR Replies: As previously discussed in the blog, There are important legal and safety issues associated with either cutting gate lock chains or setting up locked chains. In many instances, cutting a landowner’s gate lock chain and driving onto their property WTSHTF is good way to get yourself ventilated. But of course stringing a locked chain across your own property’s entrance road is perfectly legal and justifiable.