Sir:
Depending upon your vehicle, even a small sedan can have a tow hitch installed. If the need arises all you have to do is hitch up a trailer and go. Think of it as the ultimate grab and go bag, on wheels.
Granted, depending upon resources and vehicles one can expand upon this any number of ways. Our solution has been to remodel a horse trailer to hold an extensive amount of preps, provide for sleeping space if needed, propane cooking, lighting and heating capabilities, bench storage and fold down tables, etc. The fact that it appears to be an older used horse trailer helps with OPSEC and living in a rural area it doesn’t arouse any suspicions. It’s totally locked and sealed and one cannot see inside since we have modified the windows with dark smoked panels. It’s insulated, paneled, carpeted, wired for 12 volts DC (VDC), solar powered, stocked and ready to go.
This eliminates the need for us to worry about what to pack. We can hook up the trailer and be off in under five minutes. It’s also a good way to carry extra fuel, propane tanks etc, without being obvious or having to use all the interior space in my SUV for such things. I still carry two small backpacks of gear in the SUV along with a larger 72 hour kit, but the trailer is setup for an extended G.O.O.D. scenario.
In addition I have remodeled a Class A motor home that runs on 110 VAC, 12 VDC, photovoltaic system, wood cook stove (backup) and a generator and is kept fully fueled and ready to roll. It holds 90 gallons of water, with built in ceramic filters and has about three months worth of food stored onboard. With a 90 gallon fuel tank it has a range of approximately 800 miles depending upon terrain and conditions, without refueling. The motor home provides all the amenities of home without compromising on comfort or facilities.
Our retreat from our current location is just over 600 miles on a route of remote, rural highways with little traffic during normal conditions. We currently live in the motor home and am slowly migrating closer to the retreat location and within the next year will be living there full time. In the meantime I keep my eyes and ears busy keeping abreast of societal conditions that might warrant a quick move.
For the time being we rent private, rural spaces to park the motor home away from cities and towns (hence the slow migration, they aren’t always easy to find). I am privileged in the fact that I work from home, running an internet hosting and email service that provides a good income, allowing me to work anywhere I have good cell reception for tech support phone and cellular modem.
My spouse and I are very aware of the fragility of our current society and maintain a constant readiness. We can uproot and be off in under five minutes in an emergency, 30 minutes if we bothered to add the container garden to our travels. With the two of us driving we have the SUV, motor home and the horse trailer which can be towed by either vehicle. This level of mobility gives us the ability to leave at any time day or night and not be dependent upon the availability of fuel stations or any other resources that would slow us down. The SUV is kept always at least ¾ of a tank and the horse trailer holds 30 gallons of fuel stored, giving us an 800 mile range for the entire caravan.
Just a thought for those of you who might consider an alternate option for bugging out. – T.B.