We’ve already discussed the importance of the four-wheel drive option in a BOV. Sometimes, however, even the best off-road vehicles need a little help. Whether you’ve chosen a 4×4 vehicle or not, many of the tools and modifications in this chapter can be essential to off-road travel, especially in inclement weather. Some of these items may seem over-the-top, but we are preparing for a worst-case scenario so I’ve tried not to leave any stone unturned. This chapter includes both tools and vehicle modifications that can assist with a huge variety of off-roading scenarios and obstacles; all of which should be expected in a potential Bug Out.
Tires are expensive. It’s hard to justify getting new tires when you don’t need them. However, the next time your vehicle is due for tires, take Bugging Out into consideration. Tires are basically hiking boots for your BOV. You would never wear slick loafers to hike difficult terrain. Low-tread road tires are ideal for driving on nice clean blacktop roads, but become less than desirable in snowy, sandy, or muddy conditions. At the same time, super-treaded tires can severely affect gas mileage and even make a vehicle difficult to control at high speeds. The happy medium is a moderately treaded tire that’s good both on and off the road. Below are my top three all-terrain, on and off-road tire picks:
Because tires are so important, I changed out the stock boots on my surplus M1028 pickup to a set of ridiculously awesome Super Swampers from www.intercotire.com. This also required a wheel upgrade, which I found on Craigslist for under one hundred dollars.
A slightly larger tire can also give you a few extra inches of ground clearance. Ground clearance is important for many reasons. First, the more clearance you have, the less likely you are to damage the underside of your vehicle by accidentally running over rubble or branches. As we discussed earlier, ground clearance is also important when fording high water. Every inch counts when it comes to keeping your air intake above a high waterline.
Interco Super Swampers wrapped on aluminum wheels spray painted black with standard barbecue grill paint
The addition of a snorkel raises your air intake opening from around the level of the engine to near the roof of the vehicle. This allows for much deeper water fording and prevents the engine from sucking in water and hydro-locking. These are typically pretty pricey and reserved for serious off-road enthusiasts, but certainly worth mentioning when prepping a BOV. If you live in an area with a lot of rivers, streams, and creeks or where flooding is prone, a snorkel may be a worthy investment.
Rugged Ridge XHD Low/High Mount Snorkel System from the website www.ruggedridge.com (Photo courtesy of Rugged Ridge®)
A solid brush guard can protect your radiator and other front-facing engine parts when plowing through scrub brush in the median of an expressway or rubble and other urban debris on crowded city streets. They also make blasting through unsettling road blocks, fences, or gated entries less dangerous. My dad always says that it’s the other people you have to worry about on the road. He’s right. You can control your own vehicle, but you can’t control theirs. A defensive driver is a safe driver. A brush guard is like a helmet for your vehicle. It prevents it from getting irreparable brain damage. Even a low-speed collision with another vehicle can put an immediate stop to your journey. I’ve seen large dogs completely incapacitate vehicles and deer can certainly do the same. You can’t control that either. In a time of mass chaos, other drivers are bound to be acting and driving crazy. Consider a brush guard to protect your vehicle’s vital organs. Local welding shops and junkyards are good sources for less expensive and do-it-yourself brush guards. They may not be pretty, but remember, it’s function over form.
Brush guard on Ford Bronco
Brush guard on H1 (Photo courtesy of David Iem)
Let’s face it. None of us should be expecting an unobstructed path of travel away from ground zero to our BOLs. The conditions will realistically be unlike anything we’ve ever seen or attempted to travel through before. I had a recent conversation with a guy who witnessed the chaos during Hurricane Sandy in America’s Northeast. He described it as “something out of a Hollywood movie.”
Bottom line, a Bug Out is anything but a normal trip away from home. These unusual circumstances call for a set of tools that are also unlike what we would normally pack in our vehicles. We need extreme cargo for extreme circumstances. From fences and fallen trees to locked gates and ditches, a simple hand tool can make the difference between being stuck and moving forward. Below is a short list of tools you should consider packing in your BOV.
Gloves: Don’t shred your hands unnecessarily. Buy a pair of hard-use gloves for heavy-duty tasks. I use the Reactor Hard Knuckle Gloves shown in chapter five. They are a great mix of utility, working, and tactical gloves.
Shovel: Shovels have many Bug Out uses. From shoveling snow and mud to digging fire pits and latrines, they are an incredibly versatile tool. Choose a size that best fits your vehicle. I use the US- made mud shovel from www.bullytools.com.
Wrecking/Pry Bar: A good wrecking bar is incredibly useful for prying and moving any off-road obstacle from logs to rocks. They are also a really useful urban survival tool and give incredible leverage when prying open doors, cabinets, and manhole covers or moving large chunks of concrete or building rubble.
Handsaw/Ax: I carry both. Both can make quick work of branches and small trees if blazing your own trail becomes necessary. They are also incredibly instrumental in gathering firewood. An ax is also a formidable self-defense tool.
Chainsaw: It sounds extreme, I know. But when you come up on a tree blocking a narrow stretch of road, it’s the only tool that will do the job. My chainsaw is one of my last minute “throw-in” items if a Bug Out ever happens. I do not keep it in the truck all the time because an “extra” chainsaw just isn’t in the budget.
Bolt and Heavy Wire Cutters: Fences of some type line almost every roadway in America. The last thing I want between me and certain death is an annoying fence. Not only can bolt cutters make quick work of livestock or chain-link fences, but they can also bust open padlocks on gates (or other secure buildings, storage units, and cabinets) as well.
Tools like these can be bulky to transport and take up a lot of space. They are also unlikely to continue with you if foot travel becomes necessary. But while you’re with the BOV, many off-road suppliers sell convenient mounting hardware for tools such as shovels and axes. Mounting these to a roof rack or even right on the side of your vehicle frees up important interior space for more weather-sensitive survival gear. I use the Dominion OffRoad Accessory Bars available at JeepSWAG.com, and they work perfectly.
Bully Tools Mud Shovel and Wrecking Bar from www.bullytools.com
Handsaw and chainsaw for clearing brush, fallen trees, or gathering firewood
Bolt cutters
Shovel and ax mounted to truck using Dominion OffRoad Accessory Bars
Vehicle Model: ICON FJ45
Manufacturer: ICON, WWW.ICON4x4.COM
Price: $108,000 – $220,000
ICON 4×4s certainly aren’t in everyone’s budget but we can all learn a lesson from these handcrafted classics. First, more is not always better. These vehicles have everything one needs to drive through the apocalypse without all the flash. They are extremely capable, yet understated in design. This is a classic BOV philosophy. Though not designed specifically with Bugging Out in mind, the tires, brush guard, off-road lights, subdued paint, and biodiesel-compatible engines sure make them outstanding BOV candidates. At the very least they are a great model for those of us building our own BOV on a budget. Clearly, ICON markets to a niche class of off-road enthusiasts but I still can appreciate the features that make these vehicles so freaking cool. Their words say it best: Hand-built bespoke utility vehicles designed to last. Vintage aesthetic, modern engineering, timeless utility.
ICON FJ45 (Photo courtesy of ICON 4×4)
Sometimes no matter how much you dig, it’s impossible to free a stuck vehicle from mud, sand, or snow. A few basic traction tools can drastically improve your chances of driving through even the worst Mother Nature has to offer.
I’m a huge fan of simplicity and fast deployment, especially in the middle of a disaster Bug Out. One of the easiest and most effective traction aids I’ve ever used is a product called GoTreads. They can be used with virtually any sized vehicle, even large semitrucks. They are lightweight and also fold up for easy storage. The grooved surfaces not only dig into the slippery surface (like snow or sand) but also help keep the track centered on your tire. They don’t require any special tools, training, or assembly time. Just unfold, toss under your tire, and drive.
If traction devices aren’t in your budget, below are a few do-it-yourself style traction options that have proven to be very effective.
Kitty Litter: Especially in snow, kitty litter can give you the extra friction necessary to get going. Crushed oyster shells (available at most farm supply stores) also work well.
Carpet Pieces: A friend of mine packs strips of old carpet in his truck and swears by their effectiveness as a traction aid. Cut carpet in 20-inch × 3-foot (51cm × 3m) sections and place under the tire for increased friction and surface area.
Blankets: Though I’ve never tried this one myself, a police officer once suggested that blankets work very well as a traction aid in snow, ice, and mud.
2×4 Boards: 48-inch (4m) pieces of 2×4 boards can work wonders for getting out of a mess. Arrange them as shown in the photo to help get your tire out of mud and muck. Eight sections of 2×4 make a nice little cube for storage.
24"×24" (61cm × 61cm) Squares of Plywood: Layers of plywood are glued together in alternating angles that make the final board incredibly strong. Plywood squares make a great traction device but also make a great base for placing a car jack in soft mud or gravel.
Even the best hand tools and traction devices may not be able to help recover a vehicle from serious jams. Sometimes, you have to call in the big boy toys.
GoTreads traction aid in snow from gotreads.com
GoTreads in action
Kitty litter used as traction aid in slick mud
Carpet scraps repurposed for traction devices
2×4 boards arranged in washboard pattern for increased surface area
Winches, come-alongs, tow ropes, and chains are all valuable off-road companions. I doubt there is any serious off-road enthusiast who doesn’t travel without at least one of each. Few off-road environments can stop you with these and your other hand tools.
A winch is a mechanism that allows you to pull (or even slowly let out) your vehicle. Typically, winches are electric, hydraulic, or hand-crank. If you’ve ever seen a tow truck pull a vehicle out of a ditch, you’ve probably seen a winch in action. The most popular style of off-road winches are mounted to the front or rear bumpers using a mounting plate. Winches are almost always powered by the vehicle’s 12-volt electric system.
Winches contain a spool of cable or strong rope that can be attached to something solid ahead in the trail, such as a tree or another vehicle. As the winch retracts the cable, it slowly pulls your vehicle forward.
Less expensive winches can be purchased that hook onto a tow hitch in the rear. Jumper cable type leads attach to the vehicle’s battery for power. This style winch is not permanently mounted and is kept inside the vehicle until needed. Having a winch option in the front and rear of a vehicle is definitely a BOV luxury. Is a winch out of your budget? Less expensive but more labor intensive options do exist.
Rugged Ridge Heavy Duty 8,500-pound (3800kg) Off Road Winch from www.ruggedridge.com (Photo courtesy of Rugged Ridge®)
Winch pulling Creek’s BOV
Although the Hi-Lift Jack (mentioned in chapter five) can be used to jack up your vehicle for a tire change, it can also be used as a manual hand crank winch. By first attaching the top of the Hi-Lift to your vehicle, using a chain or tow rope, and then attaching the lifting nose of the jack to a fixed object, such as a tree, you can use the Hi-Lift hand crank to slowly pull a vehicle toward the fixed object.
Come-alongs are specifically designed for this purpose. They have a cable with a hook on each end and a hand-crank ratcheting lever in the middle. As the lever is cranked, the cable retracts and helps the object “come along.” At only about 10 pounds (4.5kg), come-alongs are easy to transport. They are a perfect low-cost back up winching solution for a BOV. They don’t have the lifting/pulling capacity of most electric winches, but some are rated to as much as 3 tons, or 6,000 pounds (2,700kg). That’s still impressive for such a small portable tool.
Keep in mind that winches, come-alongs, and the Hi-Lift Jack can all be used to move large items out of your way as well. You may need to move a tree, broken-down vehicle, or chunk of rubble out of your path. These are multiuse tools for that as well.
Hi-Lift Jack as a winching tool
Come-along in action
A good solid length of chain and/or tow strap can be a prepper’s best friend in an off-road environment. A chain or tow strap can be used to extend the reach of your come-along, Hi-Lift jack, or electric winch. They can also be used by another vehicle to pull you out of a bad situation. A quick tow by another vehicle is the easiest and fastest way to get out of a jam. This is one reason why I always recommend traveling in a Bug Out Convoy with other vehicles (described in chapter eight) if at all possible.
Chains are given a grade to classify them according to strength. I recommend a chain with a Grade 43 or higher for towing. Grade 70 (transport chain) is even better. It is typically a goldish color because of the chromate plating. For easy identification, chain grade should be stamped every few links with a G and then a number.
Not all tow ropes are created equal. I’ve had the cheap ones break just trying to pull a four-wheeler out of a ditch. Snapping a tow rope is not only frustrating, but very dangerous and could mean game over if it’s your last resort. The Bubba Rope from bubbarope.com is the best tow rope I’ve used. The one I carry is the Renegade and has a breaking strength of 19,000 pounds (8,600kg), but they make ropes with a strength of over 130,000 pounds (59,000kg) for those of you driving monster rigs.
Many vehicles are equipped with at least one recovery hook at the front and rear for towing. I recommend including a couple of heavy-duty shackles in your off-road kit just in case. Sometimes due to an awkward angle or some other detail, a shackle is the best way to attach a tow strap, chain, winch, or come-along to a vehicle or other fixed point. My M0128 came with two shackle mounts on each bumper, which makes it easy, but in previous BOVs, I just kept my shackles in the bag with my tow rope or chain. Shackles make great tie-off points for all different types of circumstances.
Tow chain
The Renegade from www.bubbarope.com (3⁄4"×20" [2cm × 18m])
Recovery hook
Shackle mounted to bumpers
Shackle used as anchor point when rappelling a cliff
Disasters love to knock out electricity. Have you ever driven through a city at night when the street lamps are out? Or on a remote country road when clouds block the moon? Driving in pitch-black night can be challenging even with a good set of car headlights. Rain, snow, mud, and flying debris will only complicate your visual challenges. The addition of a few high beam aftermarket off-road lights can really help illuminate potential dangers farther ahead or even in a 360-degree radius of the vehicle (recommended). Reverse lights are almost useless in less-than-perfect conditions and a rear bumper mounted lamp can be a huge lifesaver. You must be able to see your threats in order to engage or avoid them. A threat can be anything from a trench of water up ahead, a nearly invisible fence, or a gang of looters hiding in the bushes. Darkness is a handicap. More lights are the solution. I mounted IPF 968 Lights to my BOV. They are not only affordable when it comes to high-quality off-road lights, but they also have a hybrid reflector that gives a combined spot and driving beam. Off-road lights aren’t legal to use during normal driving on the highway, but they sure have their place in a Bug Out Scenario. It’s worth noting that off-road lights may make a vehicle look “prepared.” You’ll have to decide if the risk is worth the reward for yourself.
IPF 968 Series Lights from www.arbusa.com
Rear bumper auxiliary lights
During Bug Out Disasters, Mother Nature is going to throw everything including the kitchen sink (literally) at you and your BOV. Floodwater, road damage, natural debris, urban debris, mudslides, severe winds, sand, snow, hail, ice, fire, lava, and everything else you can possibly imagine could be thrown in between you and your safe destination. It’s important to do everything within your means to prepare for and prevent potential setbacks. The best strategy is to avoid “hot zones.” Hot zone is a military term used to describe extremely dangerous areas. This may be easier said than done during a chaotic disaster. Your best defense to navigate around potential hot zones is information. The ability to receive and send vital information during a disaster Bug Out can be extremely instrumental in adapting your disaster plan or reroute on-the-fly based upon intelligent information. Let’s discuss some options to consider when outfitting your BOV with communication and navigation tools to help you navigate through and around potential hot zones.