Let’s see… We buy food. We buy gear. We buy guns. We buy ammunition. We grow gardens. We can food. We talk about Bug Out Locations. We talk about Bugging In. We talk about a lot of things, but as I was driving home from work this evening, I had a couple of thoughts. The inspection on my car is coming up at the end of June, and I am concerned, as I usually am around this time, that my vehicle might need a few things this year; Brakes, tires, rotors, etc. This brings me to the topic at hand. First, how many of use prep and store the consumables our vehicles use? I am not talking fuel, assuming fuel will be available when we need it. I am talking about those consumables we only need once in a while when we get an oil change or when we get our vehicle inspected.
I was a little taken back by this thought. By this, let’s assume that we have a car or truck. Doesn’t matter which one. It is your Bug Out Vehicle and the vehicle you plan on using in a SHTF. Let’s assume a couple of hypothetical scenarios for a moment. Either one or both. Hyperinflation, natural or man made disaster. Maybe both at the same time. You jump in your Bug Out Vehicle, head to your Bug Out location, or maybe you just shelter in. Either one. When the dust settles, the situation around you is grim, but you’ve got your preps and your BOV still runs. Days go by and you quickly realize services are NOT going to return to normal. As I let out a big sigh while writing this, I think; hmmm. I have food, water, etc. But my BOV needs tires and an oil change. I’ve been meaning to do it and now the garage, Jiffy Lube, etc. are no longer services, standing, etc. What do you do?
Did you prep for your car? Did you buy cases of oil so you had a year’s worth of oil? Did you buy four or five oil and air filters? Should I go out and buy as “spare set of tires” to keep in storage just in case? What if I have to use my vehicle for harder use utility? Where can I get fuel? I didn’t store any? Should I store fuel? Where would I store it living in an apartment outside the city? Should I just buy a couple of 5 gallon gas cans and run to the gas station if I bug out?
I’m putting the question out there for responses. What would you do? Would you spend an extra “X dollars” on tires, filters, etc. to keep in storage? How far would you go for prepping for your car? Extra serpentine belt, anti-freeze, steering fluid, transmission fluid, etc?
I’ve been giving this thought, mostly because everyone talks about jumping in their car and getting out of Dodge, but the reality of it is, I think, at least I do, may take our vehicles for granted because we can just jump in the car and go whenever we want.
It’s a weird source of information, but a good one in many ways: Max Brooks pointed out in the Zombie Survival Guide that a car is not always the best way to get around in case of an emergency BECAUSE of all the maintenance, need for gas, etc.
I can see how a mountain bike might be best — you can always hook up a trailer to it if you need to carry much (and as survivalists, minimal seems to be better), and the amount of stuff you’d need to keep on hand to maintain it would be much less than a car.
@Jamie Fellrath — Good to see you here, bud… Thanks for commenting. While I agree with this in theory, if you are single or you and your significant other are in shape, I think if you have a family of four or five it changes the dynamic quite a bit. I have spoken with many preppers, that because of their family size they are choosing to shelter in completely no matter what the situation. Now, based on the emergency, I am sure that is subjective, however.
Hmmm. For me, I have enough gas for the mower/blower, but I’m not comfortable storing too much gas. I do buy oil/filters when they are on sale, and I’m just finishing up oil I bought in 06! (Boy has the price of motor oil gone up since then!) Oil can go a lot longer if need be than we give it credit for if it comes to that. As far as tires, or other replacement parts, nope.
I personally don’t think it is worth the money to store lots of things for my car. I don’t store more than 12 gallons of gas. I have a spare, not a donut and a few quarts of oil. My main use for my vehicle is to get to my BOL and thats it. Any extra is nice and could be used for barter but I have no real plans on driving post SHTF.
A lot of the worries here can be done away with just by keeping your vehicle on it’s regular maintenance schedule. Brakes done when you need them, oil changes and tune ups on their suggested mileage, new tires when the old ones hit the mileage. A well maintained vehicle, even an old one, can go a long way past any of the recommended services if there’s an emergency situation that prevents them. Also, keep in mind that for a long term SHTF situation, you’re not going to be driving much.
An average vehicle can go 10000 miles without an oil change, 30000+ without a tune up, etc. as long as you’ve always maintained it well. Having a few quarts of oil on hand, spare air filter, and something to repair or replace hoses along with a basic tool kit is really about all that you need. A few quarts of extra oil is important for an older car, because the longer it goes the more it’s likely to burn the oil. Adding a quart as needed is going to spread that oil out further than changing it all at once.
The point is, maintain your vehicle now because you may not be able to in the future. If you do it correctly now, the less you’ll have to worry about in the future.