Preppers always try to anticipate the needs they may have in any situation and plan accordingly. It may seem obvious, but that should go for your mode of transportation too.
The Bug-Out Vehicle
Your personal transportation in the case of emergency travel is often referred to as a “bug-out vehicle.” For some, this would be a large truck that can carry lots of cargo. For others, it’s the family car. We live in our “retreat site,” so our goal is always to get (and stay) home in case of emergency rather than pack up and leave. For this reason, I think in terms of what I may need to get from wherever I am back home during whatever circumstances arise and carry those things always.
If you have worked out a plan to meet with other extended family members at Uncle Bob’s cabin, you would be wise to pre-position your food, clothing, etc at the cabin and use your trunk space for the last minute items (documents, perishable food, and so on). Bug-Out Bags are another whole topic for another time.
Keeping Your Vehicle in Tip-Tip Condition
You need to take good care of your vehicle, especially with regards to its routine maintenance. Oil changes, tire rotations, and the like should be done regularly. We try to keep at least a half tank of gas at all times too.
If your BOV (bug-out vehicle) is not something you drive everyday (like maybe an older model EMP-proof Jeep), it’s important to make sure it gets driven occasionally so you know it is in good running condition.
The Odds and Ends
In addition to the items I listed in a previous piece, I also carry a number of other things in various places throughout the van. I almost always travel with quite a few children, so providing for their safety, needs, and some tranquility is very important.
Food
In a medium-sized tote, I have a jar of peanut butter, a folding frying pan, Light My Fire sporks, plastic bowls nested together, hot pads, Mountain House Chili Mac with Beef freeze-dried meals, and enough water bottles to rehydrate and cook them, plus extra water. If we were stranded overnight, I’d be able to cook this using the firestarting supplies in my regular emergency kit.
Car Supplies
In a storage pocket of the van, I have gloves, a tire patch kit, and pump, and a magnetized light that can be plugged into the lighter. Another battery operated one would work well stuck on the underside of the hood if I needed to attach jumper cables, etc).
Money and First Aid Supplies
In several places, I have money hidden in small bills (in your vehicle, think about removable panels, taping to the underside of things, etc). There is a well-stocked first aid kit as well. I purchased a standard one and then crammed as much other stuff in there that I could, like QuikClot, Pepto-Bismol, hydrocortisone cream, and so on.
Other Supplies
The door pockets also have a number of handy items. On the driver’s door, I have a small umbrella, a multi-tool, hand sanitizer, EMT shears that could cut a seatbelt, band-aids, headache medicines, and a good sized folding pocket knife that I keep mostly as back-up to the pistol I carry. I make sure it is positioned so I can grab it easily.
The glove box has the usual assortment of maps (you should have at least one for anywhere you may travel), van owner’s manual, proof of insurance, and tire gauge. There is another flashlight in there as well.
The visors have CDs of children’s tunes, praise music, and the audio book we are listening to at the time. I keep a “spank spoon” up there also.
In a console drawer, I have nail clippers, pencil, and other odds and ends. There is a basket beneath it that contains spare sunglasses, sunscreen, insect repellent, bottled water, crackers, and granola bars.
Since I travel with small children, I keep a well-stocked diaper bag that usually includes a change of clothes for the ones in diapers. I have small diversions like Go Fish cards, crayons, and little pads of paper for waiting in doctor’s offices.
What do you keep? What have I overlooked? Please add your ideas to the comments section.
PreppingToSurvive.com 
September 14, 2011 at 9:10 am
I forgot to mention that I also keep backpacks and bags in the van. They are multi-purpose. I can take them into grocery stores to fill in the place of the endless far-too-thin plastic bags they would give me, but more importantly, they would allow us to carry the items we need if we had to abandon the van for some reason.
I also try to keep a stroller in there at all times too. Even after the youngest is old enough to walk a ways- I could use it to push rather than carry a lot of gear.
August 28, 2012 at 9:25 am
A wind up radio that also recharges your phone. And/or a phone charging cord that plugs into your car.
September 14, 2011 at 1:43 pm
I’m not bugging out. If I were thinking that way, I suppose I would try to configure my F250 for the job. But as it is, I can only think of one thing that could drive me off the mountain and that’s fire. If that happens, I’m done for.
September 14, 2011 at 3:26 pm
I’m with you, Arsenius. I much prefer bugging in to bugging out, although not everyone has that option.
September 14, 2011 at 8:46 pm
I’m with you- there is no place I want to be more than home. It’s hard to imagine a scenario where we would decide we would be better off leaving our country/farm location, so I’m always assuming that my goal is to get home, in-tact and with all the people I left with. What I carry is nearly everything I can think of that I may need in order to get me there, even if I run into trouble of some kind on the trips “into town,” on the road to visit relatives, etc.
October 14, 2012 at 8:41 pm
I keep a bag of tools and car related stuff like jumper cables and fix a flat etc. I also keep a backpack that mirrors my EDC bag. Other items are a tow rope, road flares, a good size pruning saw for trees etc that may block the road, A plug in spot light, tie downs, a box of 22 ammo. My edc has everything else Id need like cash, radio, metal water bottle, space blanket, small shovel and such.
Between the gear in my car and edc I could survive for days
November 10, 2014 at 12:43 pm
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November 17, 2016 at 4:08 am
This is Kubuś car from Warsaw Uprising.