Bug Out Vehicles: The BOV List of Emergency Items


When one thinks Bug Out Vehicles (BOV), one conjures up images of jacked up trucks or commando style pickups outfitted with the latest military style weaponry and gadgetry.

"The Cars We Drive Say A Lot About Us" - Alexandra Paul
“The Cars We Drive Say A Lot About Us” – Alexandra Paul

For the realist however, the everyday family would more likely be called into action to transport you and your loved ones to that all anticipated Bug Out Location (BOL).

Although having the most dependable and reliable vehicle(s) to get you out of danger is extremely important (and which I discuss at some lengths in my article, “”), all indications are that provisions and BOV gear would play the most critical role on the outcome of your unwanted but necessary journey.

Besides fate and chance, who knows what events might happen between the time leaving your point of origin and reaching your desired destination.  The following true story illustrates my point.

It was August 1992. My wife and I were recently married and decided to visit the in-laws in Tampa, Florida. We also invited some relatives who lived in Chicago to join us.

Shortly after being at there home, we began to notice radio and TV reports monitoring a hurricane off the eastern coast of Florida.  The reports were uncertain to the path of this impending storm.Hurricane Andrew

Days before the hurricane hit the Floridan coast, we noticed the odd and peculiar behavior of the people living in Tampa.

As we entered the neighborhood grocery stores, we noticed rows of empty food shelves. There was a sense of panic as people and their shopping carts whizzed by us.

Passing by a local gas station, we saw long lines of cars waiting to purchase a tank of gas. It was reminiscent of the lines once experienced during the energy crisis of the 1970’s.  Panic set in as we wondered what these people knew that we didn’t?

I told my father in-law about what we had just witnessed and for the first time ever, he began to take action.

He [easyazon_link asin=”B00DOMOCCI” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”wwwaboblistco-20″]filled the tub with water[/easyazon_link] and took stock of the supplies we had on hand and secured them just in case the situation warranted using them.

Car lines escaping AndrewWe watched as neighbors hastily departed for safer havens further north of the path of the storm.

Our relatives joined the exodus and started their way back to Chicago. Already reports that people were getting stranded on the expressway did not deter them.

The desperation they felt was tangible as they planned the alternative routes out of Tampa. We chose to stay rather than get stuck out of gas on some country road with no food/shelter/water.

My family members eventually needed to stop on the way back to Chicago (they too were ill prepared). The road congestion, traffic jams and lack of gas stranded people along the route.

People who did not prep for the hurricane in South Florida or did not “Bug Out,” took a devastating hit from Hurricane Andrew. This event made me realize the importance of preparedness in either situation whether we “Bugged In” or “Bugged Out” during a crisis.

The Bug Out Vehicles (BOV) and the All Important List!

   BOVWhether you plan to stay put or will be forced to evacuate when the next emergency occurs, the need to be prepared with the necessary and most effective goods and gear is paramount.

Please keep in mind that Bug Out Vehicles can be any one transport that can travel by land, air or sea that you can utilize as your means to escape your crisis location.

It is highly recommended to plan ahead to find a secure a safe Bug Out Location for you and your family to hunker down during this tumultuous time period.

The question left unanswered is what are the supplies one should have packed and ready to go at a moment’s notice in the Bug Out Vehicle you are going to utilize?

Just as I have done to create my Unique Bug Out Bag (BOB) List, I researched and reviewed over 15 reputable sources found in books, articles and podcasts of professional survivalist and or preppers source who have the background and knowledge with regards to the most important items and gear one should have in their ready-made or do it yourself Bug Out Vehicle Kit or Bag.

By tallying all of the items mentioned from these sources, I was able to tabulate and compile the results. I create what I believe is the ultimate BOV list for you to utilize when purchasing the mentioned listed products.

First of all, most experts would agree that every individual in your party should have their own person Bug Out Bag.

I have posted various articles on my website regarding both the do it yourself and ready-made versions of the Bug Out Bag (BOB).

Besides having your Everyday Carry Gear (EDC), Get Home Bag (GHB) and 72 hour Bug Out Bag (BOB), a BOV Emergency Bag or Kit would help you further improve your odds at arriving at your destination with relative ease.

I applied the same research acumen used in developing both my BOB list/checklist, However, unlike the categories listed in my BOB list, the order of importance in my BOV list is suggested by me.

Still, the category titles themselves are valid and sensible.  The level of importance of the items found in each of the category comes from the number of experts suggesting that particular item.

Of course in a perfect world, one would have every possible item suggested in this list.  Try your best to select an item from the list that might provide a redundancy function (ex. getting wet wipes for hygiene but being able to use it for fire starting purposes).

In future posts, I will review each category and items of the BOV to recommend more specific BOV bags.

I will apply statistical data to hopefully provide you a better prospective before purchasing that much desired BOV bag/kit or gear.   Ideally, the preparation you do will make your disaster/crisis bearable and survivable.

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