BOV ????

Excellent topic. Thought I would weight in; and I think this is my first post. (Yeah, I've been a lurker on here!!!! ;) ) I love the different point of views; are they right for ME, maybe so maybe no. But learning different point of views in MY opinion is how I personally learn and get better at becoming a better TC owner.

I for one do have my TC in my bug out plan if necessary. I do have a dedicated walk in closet in my house that I keep the majority of my supplies in. Five gallon buckets of beans, rice, sugar etc in mylar bags in 5 gallon buckets. Also canned goods such as vegetables, meats, spices, pepper, salt etc. Would I pack it? Depends on how long I plan on being away, or if I was not coming back.....

Also, all my defensive/hunting weapons and ammo in one central location (gun safe/closet)for quick loading in the TC/trailer. Having it in one location will greatly expedite the loading process in my TC/Trailer.

Having everything centrally located for ME is reassuring I would be able to bug out quick. From my military days, (just retired last month :) ) I need action plans. Imagine a disaster looming over your head and trying to pack up your BOV trying to find everything you would need? Total chaos and anarchy? For me anyways I would be rushing around like a rooster with it's head cut off :E. Hence, centralized locations for by bug out/disaster supplies.

I don't keep perishable's in TC since we have freezing winters/hot summers. Plus, I like taking trips in her once a month for hunting/fishing/camping.

I have several plans on where to go, depending on the nature of the emergency. One scenario would be relatives (brothers/sisters/parents) house. I wouldn't won't to inconvenience them, hence showing up with my house on my truck I would live out of during the emergency.

After traveling the world in my military years, I've seen desperate people and what they will do for food/your possessions they don't have. America is fortunate the majority of its citizens have never gone hungry and is hard to imagine starving-to-death, literally. I've seen it first hand, and it ain't a pretty sight. Protect your supplies and property at all cost. Hungry people watching their loved ones starve will be desperate enough to do anything to feed them. Even turning into mindless zombie's :E and trying to take yours.

Is my bug out plan right for you? Probably not. Is it right for me. I'm hoping so... LOL

Will I ever need to bug out? Probably not. But I sure do sleep better at night knowing I have a plan of action in case I do.

Full Disclaimer: The words above is solely my thoughts and humble opinions. Thank you.

Disasters come in all different shapes, sizes, and probabilities. For example...

TEOTWAWKI: Major global event. High impact on you, me, and everyone else. Low probability of happening in my lifetime.

Regional: Affects everyone in a geographic region. Volcano, hurricane, Rodney King riots, etc. High impact on everyone in the area, low/no impact on anyone else. Moderate probability of happening to me in my lifetime.

Personal: Affects just me. Loss of job, death of spouse, car crash, house fire, etc. No impact on anyone else. High impact on me. High probability one of these events affecting me or someone I care about sometime in my life.

The preparation for all theses events is the same. Since we are all likely to experience a personal tragedy, why not be prepared?

So if I have 6 months of food stored, and I lose my job, wouldn't it be nice not to worry about having food to eat tomorrow? If the power goes out, wouldn't it be nice to know how to cook on a wood stove and have a generator?? And whether the zombies come or whether I need to put my own meat on the table, wouldn't it be good to have some 'tools' and the training to use them?

My point is, being prepared just makes sense. If the zombie apocalypse is what motivates you to get ready, that's fine with me and I won't mock you for it. I know you will have some measure of self-sufficiency available when the inevitable personal tragedy strikes any one of us.

As for the OP using a camper for a BOV... It depends on the situation. If I have advance warning of a localized threat and I have the opportunity to get out of the area, of course I am taking the camper and hitting the road. What is the worse case?? I get an unscheduled three days camping and a false alarm?

I've got the camper. I've got a brain on my shoulders. I should use both wisely.

-Eric

Suebee;"In all reality, the TC takes up little more of a footprint than does my SUV, however, it is less maneuverable, but would be way more comfortable to have to sleep in should the need arise to leave my home due to something that I couldn't just hunker down at home for. "

During hurricane SAndy, 4 houses south of me, closer to the Great South Bay, were flooded to the point of being uninhabitable. Some have still not returned as work progresses slowly due to ridiculously slow insurance payouts. The TC would be worth its weight in gold to me in that situation. It would provide emergency ON SITE housing. I would be able to gaurd my property, supervise and participate in rebuiling easly. I guess thats not exactly BOV status technically, but its what I envision as my best option. Our planning for a weather event includes a safe place to ride out the actual event a mile north of my house in the local high schoool parking lot. Its protected on three sides by the stury builing and the fourth side has a heavy duty chain link fence. This cuts down on being hit with not only wind but wind driven objects. Plus its a tree free area. I have further north sites scoped out if the NOAA flood plain map predictions indicate the high school isnt far enough north.
I retired from the FDNY after 24 years. We spent alot of time considering our response to various emergencies. IMO its definitly worth the time to figure on your options to real world possibilities. Also finding a source of reliable information is key to a successful response. The NOAA website has been enormously helpful , as opposed to the talking heads on TV. I have been able to pull up maps predicting flooding that are detailed down to my street corner. During Sandy they were balls on accurate. Also NOAA had accurate graphs predicting the hourly wind speed and direction, which I used to know when to turn my rig to point into the wind. Also very accurate hourly precipitation predictions. TV weather is prone to sensationalsm and broad predictions. NOAA is localised to your zipcode. Very helpful in gauging my response.
As for traveling in my TC while a hurricane is in progress, not a good idea. If tractor trailers flip in wind so can the TC. Lots of situations it would be prudent to stay put during the actual event. The TC would be usless afterwards if its lost in the preliminaries, but as a surviving piece of equipment in an aftermath, priceless.

I'm not worried about something that makes me bugout. If I was, I'd probably already be in a bunker. ;)

I have used my TC when we lost power. So far, it's been rather isolated which means I go pickup my TC and camp in my driveway. I'm not in a wild fire or flood plain, so I don't expect I would need to move out of my community.

The aim of argument, or of discussion, should not be victory, but progress.

No one can have every contingency totally covered, but it is good to have options, and it is good to think about those options, in the event that the need arise, one would already have thought through the pros and cons.

In all reality, the TC takes up little more of a footprint than does my SUV, however, it is less maneuverable, but would be way more comfortable to have to sleep in should the need arise to leave my home due to something that I couldn't just hunker down at home for.

I am not a "prepper", and I have absolutely no concern about nuclear war or the zombie apocalypse :R But I live in Northern California… in an area that has flooded in the past (not in the time I have lived here) and I accept the fact that it is a matter of time until we have a (another) large earthquake. When one of these events happens, it is likely that our house could be without city power/water/natural gas for a period of time.

My truck camper is always available if I were to need it. The most likely scenario is that we would choose to shelter in place and use the TC for electricity, refrigeration, cooking, and a warm/dry place to sleep. I have enough food, water, whiskey, and fuel on hand to care for my family (no, the kids cannot share my whiskey!). The TC also offers media (satellite radio & TV) that would provide us with news and entertainment. I think that we could comfortably stay "at home" for quite a long while.

"Bugging out" would only happen in a genuine emergency… That said, I do have a plan to take my family to nearby, rural destination that is extremely safe in terms of what I think are real-world hazards (weather, flood, earthquake, fire). If I ever had to evacuate, there is absolutely no question that I would take my truck. On the other hand, the decision to take the TC or not would depend on several factors (e.g. if it were already loaded on the truck, speed of evacuation, weather, etc).

Cheers,
-Mark

I don't want to "bug out" I would rather use my camper for tempory housing for others who have had to bug out.
however, if things get bad I'm going to load up and go to farmerjon's place and help him finish his new house.

Dog Folks wrote:

Farmerjon wrote:

Dog Folks wrote:

805gregg wrote:
I wouldn't leave our home we have food and shelter, why bug out?

When there are winds of 120 MPH bearing down on you.

I agree with Dog Folks. oops, it's actually 805gregg I agree with.

As for 120 MPH winds, that is why we have a basement with an extra kitchen in it. We can survive 120 MPH winds. our house on top of it may not. but what would running accomplish for us? For us and probably many others we have planned for all reasonable scenarios and with our situation bugging out wouldn't help.
That doesn't mean I disagree with the idea that a loaded camper isn't a good idea.
If we lived in flood areas or hurricane areas we wold have it loaded and ready to roll and be wishing we had a solution to traffic jams.

This discussion shows very clearly that "bugging out or not" is dependent on two factors:

1. Your geographic location
2. Your personal plan.

We, in Florida, for example, do not have a basement to shelter in.

It is either build a hurricane resistant "safe" room, above grade, or leave. Some recommend moving "up" in some condos.

If leaving, avoiding the traffic has one solution: Leave very early.

I agree with you on this but I would add a
#3 what is the emergency

Farmerjon wrote:

Dog Folks wrote:

805gregg wrote:
I wouldn't leave our home we have food and shelter, why bug out?

When there are winds of 120 MPH bearing down on you.

I agree with Dog Folks. oops, it's actually 805gregg I agree with.

As for 120 MPH winds, that is why we have a basement with an extra kitchen in it. We can survive 120 MPH winds. our house on top of it may not. but what would running accomplish for us? For us and probably many others we have planned for all reasonable scenarios and with our situation bugging out wouldn't help.
That doesn't mean I disagree with the idea that a loaded camper isn't a good idea.
If we lived in flood areas or hurricane areas we wold have it loaded and ready to roll and be wishing we had a solution to traffic jams.

This discussion shows very clearly that "bugging out or not" is dependent on two factors:

1. Your geographic location
2. Your personal plan.

We, in Florida, for example, do not have a basement to shelter in.

It is either build a hurricane resistant "safe" room, above grade, or leave. Some recommend moving "up" in some condos.

If leaving, avoiding the traffic has one solution: Leave very early.

I don't consider it a BOV. But when we get back from a weekend camping/fishing, everything in the 5er is restocked. Clothes washed (we have camper clothes), water filled and fridge/freezer restocked. I quit watching those prepper shows. Too many people with too many wild scenarios. Govt. collapse isn't my fear, forest fires are. We were both firefighters for years, so we are always ready to run from one.

But, we live in an area where staying put can be the best option. I don't think I would feel that way if I lived in a metro area, and it seems I am seeing that come across from several here.