Realistic BOV choices

Logistics and Transport
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dannytsg
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Realistic BOV choices

Post by dannytsg »

I have been running through in my mind what the most realistic choices are for BOV.

I have the following:

Car - 7 seater fitted with towbar and roof bars. Able to carry all the family plus trailer and roof box. Only good though if roads to BOL are clear.

Motorbike - Road bike only able to carry 2 people so for me it is a dash run thing.

Bicycle - I have 2 bicycles for myself and each family member has one as well. Ideal for off road and country lanes to avoid main roadways.

Boat - Cabin cruiser 4 berth sited on inland waterway. This is a secondary BOV and BOL

Canoe - To be used for navigating waterways such as canals and rivers to avoid major routes.

I believe these are all useful and realistic BOV for their purpose. Are there any others that i should consider?
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grenfell
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Re: Realistic BOV choices

Post by grenfell »

I suppose if money is no option then one could include a helicopter but for the rest of us then another would be the one we all have , shanks pony. Point being good pair of boots , change of socks , looking after your feet and staying as fit as possible.
Of course there's also the possibility of a real pony , or horse , not that fast in comparison with motors but good across country and it's fuel is abundant and free.
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unsure
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Re: Realistic BOV choices

Post by unsure »

i think i`ll stick to my old landrover , disco 1 300tdi , runs on veg oil . parts are plentyfull and cheap , you can also use parts of range rovers built around the same time same goes for defenders .
YES i walked away mid sentence , you were boring me to death and my survival instincts kick in .
metatron

Re: Realistic BOV choices

Post by metatron »

The best BOV is the one you use everyday, know inside out and car afford to run and repair it. I'd think in the long term push bikes will be the only cost effective option, as producing fuel whatever type you may be using is just going to get more expensive.
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unsure
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Re: Realistic BOV choices

Post by unsure »

metatron wrote:The best BOV is the one you use everyday, know inside out and car afford to run and repair it. I'd think in the long term push bikes will be the only cost effective option, as producing fuel whatever type you may be using is just going to get more expensive.
i agree , but as long as the fast food chains are open , i`ll have fuel .
YES i walked away mid sentence , you were boring me to death and my survival instincts kick in .
featherstick
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Re: Realistic BOV choices

Post by featherstick »

"The best BOV is the one you use everyday, know inside out and car afford to run and repair it."

This.
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dannytsg
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Re: Realistic BOV choices

Post by dannytsg »

metatron wrote:The best BOV is the one you use everyday, know inside out and car afford to run and repair it. I'd think in the long term push bikes will be the only cost effective option, as producing fuel whatever type you may be using is just going to get more expensive.

I full appreciate that but knowing how to maintain your everyday vehicle is one thing, but if it suffered a catastrophic failure and was rendered inoperable then surely having a plan b is an option.

Personally I feel in a SHTF situation that the roads will either be extremely quiet or uselessly traffic jammed rendering a motor powered vehicle useless. That's why I have as many options as I can keep and afford. This also offers me the flexibility of getting from my home to my BOL in more than one way.
Wild Camping motto - "Pitch Late, leave early and leave no trace"

Volunteer Parks and Forest Ranger in the RMBC district


http://www.uksaa.uk
Happy-jack
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Re: Realistic BOV choices

Post by Happy-jack »

Personally i would go for the canoe

With a push bike you are at the mercy of tracks, check points and your and your groups fitness. any size car / van / 4x4 will no doubt get stuck in traffic at some point and if you are off road 4x4 you would need the experience to drive the thing plus another one to help out towing/winching ect

if you do go for a canoe get a good one with a good portage trolley learn to use it, get the family using it, bluff them its a fun day out but really your training / teaching you can even get small sails for the things now.

ps, WATCH OUT FOR PIRATES !!!
HBP
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Re: Realistic BOV choices

Post by HBP »

I think with a BOV you need to be realistic with what you are bugging out from.

Have a look at where you live, assess the risks of something realistic happening that would actually cause you to bug out and think about where you would be going.

For instance, rural area where I live:
Area prone to earthquakes, close to the coast where Tsunamis are a possibility, active volcanoes not too far away, do get the odd cyclone creeping by and some heavy industry in the wider area. Also only 2 main roads out of the area through mountains or large ranges of hills and the roads are not exactly fantastic when fully maintained. Side note: Writing it down like that could make me wonder why I live here :)

What would cause me to bug out:
Earthquake - Probably not. Better off staying put as the roads out would probably be damaged and I have resources available locally
Tsunami - Probably not, as the amount of warning we could receive would be short and I live 900' above sea level so if a tsunami hits me, we have a lot bigger problem!
Volcano - Same. Mountain range between me and the nearest volcano so main issue would be falling ash on the prevailing winds so bugging out would not be practical. Better off staying in place.
Cyclone/Extreme weather - Better off battening everything down and staying in place. Most common issue caused by these events is land slips blocking roads.
Chemical spill/major industrial incident - Probably the only realistic issue where I would consider bugging out. Problem is that the only easy routes out of the area would probably be blocked by traffic. There are a few other smaller routes but again, may be blocked. Only other route out: By air or by sea.

Based on all that, for me a BOV would be my existing 4x4. Basic, easy to fix and a common model so plenty of spares around. As a back up to that, probably horses for my situation. Not going to buy an aircraft for just in case and same goes for a boat.

The best BOV is:
a) one you have at the time!
b) one that works for your situation
c) one that doesn't bankrupt you before any situation happens that causes you to need it. Shelling out lots of money for a BOV when you cant afford it has the potential to create its own little personal disaster

The original list at the start of this thread seems to have pretty much everything covered. If you really wanted to add something to it, a 4x4 might be an option instead of or as well as the car.
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unsure
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Re: Realistic BOV choices

Post by unsure »

after reading this thread again , i`m thinking i might get a couple of smallish [ 125cc] off road bikes and keep them in the garage . used ones are not to costly but may , make that will need repairing , so thats some thing to do over winter .
YES i walked away mid sentence , you were boring me to death and my survival instincts kick in .