Advantage of being mobile.

[A Wing and a Prayer]

I'm in a park model in an rv park in Florida but the recent hurricane has gotten me thinking about the advantages to being mobile. I could always take off in my camper but I have a lot invested in this park model. One big take-away from this to me is that it's not good to have all my eggs in one basket. Like the man who invested all his money in a boat he planned to spend the rest of his life living in, and now it is gone, it's always good to have a plan B no matter what state you mainly reside in.

 

[rruff]

I prefer the west... and here being able to avoid fires and smoke is a nice feature.

 

[bullfrog]

Being mobile and living simply while being able to provide your own place to stay allows you to take advantage of many opportunities to build a large enough emergency fund to not have to worry about losses. Over the years we have tried and lived in many different situations, vehicles and RVs. All made life changes easier because we had little to move and little to loose by leaving things behind if we had to. After several years we now have several “home bases” that we consider expendable some a simple camping set up, a couple travel trailers and our old motor home which is now the only thing not mobile. After 20 years if we loose the motor home it would probably be a good thing as we wouldn’t have as much to haul off! Lol!!!

 

[maki2]

We all have our dreams of the perfect life. Sometimes they do not workout as good as we hoped. It is easy to put side blinders on so we do not see the pitfalls on the edges of the road.

 

[eDJ_]

In the first link below in the signature lines I have a page dedicated to what I call "A Bug-Out Car". On this page I've designed a single person bug-out on a Chevy Malibu Maxx as they are plentiful & affordable. Almost a station wagon but a bit more streamlined. Still it could be built using a Mini Van for two people.

But if one has to "get out of Dodge quick........having such a vehicle might be a hedge against having to live thru a natural disaster. Just look at the folks in Florida now in the wake of Hurricane Ian. If one had such a vehicle and warnings to get out of the area were issued, then within an hour or so you could pack important stuff up and travel. Mobility would be a key concern when living in disaster prone areas.

I see it as a subset of Van Nomadism. This especially for those who are still in the Sticks & Bricks. The Bug-Out Car could be a minimalist entry into becoming a full time Nomad. If you are still in the Sticks & Bricks and have a rig you are building out (or finished) you are covered if you have to "bug out".

A Bug-Out Car

 

[Morgana]

If one had such a vehicle and warnings to get out of the area were issued, then within an hour or so you could pack important stuff up and travel.

Thanks for this!
Just want to add -- and this does not detract in any way from your message -- you still want to listen to early-warning advice so you don't grab-and-go right into a monster traffic jam. And fill up your gas tank at the first hint of trouble. Knowing the back roads in your area also doesn't hurt -- though you won't be the only person to think of that.
Whether to evacuate can be an excrutiating decision, so yeah, as eDJ said, be prepared.

 

[RoamerRV428]

I'm in a park model in an rv park in Florida but the recent hurricane has gotten me thinking about the advantages to being mobile.

plan B is smart especially and useful when one resides in a true act of God nature area.....from big life threatening flooding, to tornado alley to wild fire paths. I am gearing right at you. We are going coastal. Home base at the beach eventually and I told hubby even if we get TOO OLD to have a bigger camper in the driveway we will at 'least' have a small Class B to 'run like hell' and be mobile if and when a disaster might be coming. Key is where are ya in life? You want more home base living or out on the road. We are gonna hit the road soon, no home, sell all and 'land on some coast' we find so enjoyable and suits us later down the line, but watching hurricanes come thru I already know I am gonna 'have an out' for sure when it gets forecasted, this ol' gal is gonna be driving away from it early on LOL if not a class b, then a truck camper or even might end up with a big ol' surburban that can sleep 2 and function well. but yea, plan B for us will be mobility for sure from an area that can nail us. Stuff can be replaced.....we can't so I find running if one can have that plan B is a good thing

 

[WanderingRose]

What Morgana said.

Having a bug out vehicle is optimal, but having a bug out bag will do in a pinch.

Water purification tablets, collapsible water container, protein bars, pet food, etc.

We are fortunate to have excellent weather forecast these days, but earthquakes and other disasters can come without warning.

 

[Morgana]

Here's FEMA's recommendation for what to include in an emergency kit.
https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20210318/how-build-kit-emergencies
That's not the only list floating around out there. I'm sure it needs adjusting for mobile living -- and for other life circumstances -- but it's a good starting point.

 

[Shyian]

I have not experienced a hurricane, but in my lifetime I have survived a earthquake ( California) tornado in (Missouri) and a big fire in (Texas). My family all have bags packed with extra clothing and stainless steel water bottles and extra shoes. These stay in a hall closet or in the vehicle we are driving at the time. Then for each person (including) pets. I have a tote that can be grabbed with camping supplies (including) sleeping bags, small camp cook stove and a variety of food and a way to treat and store water. I go through these every January to rotate the food batteries and other stuff as needed.
Sometimes warning of evacuation is limited to just minutes as in get out now.

Of course my Van is just a larger version that I am working towards living in full time. I learned the hard way about waiting for help to arrive, they always show up. But sometimes it’s days later, to me this a sign for me to help myself as well as anyone near me at the time.

Practice ( camping). Make it fun so you don’t panic and grab things you don’t need!!

 

[nature lover]

I’ve been living in a Dodge high top van for three years full-time. Part-time for about 15 years in a old GMC safari. And camping all my life. I do it on less than $1200 a month Social Security. Social Security isn’t very social and it’s certainly not secure. I have no emergency fund. I hate that fact, it was planned in my budget to have an emergency fund but my health and all the expenses with it. I was debt-free when I started out Three years ago. I’m in debt over $7000 in medical I did the foolish thing and took a chance chance. As my health gets worse it will be more impossible to live in a van and to travel. I admit I should’ve done it years before but I didn’t and now if I don’t do it now I’ll never do it. So talk about a wing and a prayer, that’s me. So far I have friends around to bail me out and then my emergency fund budget goes to paying them back. I was in the final list for the road trac HOWA giveaway, I was disqualified because they felt I did not have the income to properly maintained a vehicle. Of course they are right I don’t have the income to properly maintained the old broken down vehicle I have,but I thought with all the money they were putting into their van it would last long enough that I could save up an emergency fund. I don’t blame them they were out front with that from the beginning they needed somebody who could also maintain the vehicle but was in need of it. No bitter feelings here just empty hopes. I have to admit I fantasized and talked about it too much. I don’t see how anyone can live on $700 a month without support from others may be there caravan maybe their friends may be extra from the government. I had a Pennsylvania program that paid medication insurance instead of taking out of my Social Security. But since they found out my address is only a mailbox and I have no “home“ In Pennsylvania they’ve stopped paying that. How they do it on 700 a month I cannot tell you because I’m not doing around 1200 bucks. But I am doing it. I said by hook or crook. That’s me. God bless the nomads and remember us with a little extra cash if you could Lord.

 

[bullfrog]

^^^Since you are stuck there for now get a friend, church or homeless shelter to document you live there and sign up for any benefits you may qualify for.

 

[Morgana]

You've got guts. Respect!

 

[Morgana]

On the pharmacy costs, you got me thinking. Maybe there are other nonprofits that do the same kind of thing as the one that dropped you? Would it be worth doing some digging, possibly with the help of a local librarian?

The ones I found in a quick-and-dirty search were organized differently from the one you described but they do help with drug (and other medical) expenses. I did not do a thorough search; these are just the easy pickin’s. Note: I am not saying it would be easy to research this! But it might be worth it.

Drug companies sometimes have their own assistance programs. For example, here’s Pfizer’s: https://www.pfizerrxpathways.com/. So if you have a specific medicine you want help with, maybe check if the manufacturer has a program like this ... and if it's any good.

This website lists a lot of nonprofits, many of which include help with drug costs:
https://www.needymeds.org/copay_dis...disease_eng=Asthma&dx=25&drp=asthma-allergies
The page says "asthma" but I don't think the nonprofits are limited to that.

Another umbrella list:
https://www.medicarerights.org/fliers/Help-With-Drug-Costs/copay_charities.pdf?nrd=1

Medicare has a resource to search for help with drug costs ...

by state here:
https://www.medicare.gov/plan-compare/#/pharmaceutical-assistance-program?year=2023&lang=en

by drug here:
https://www.medicare.gov/plan-compare/#/pharmaceutical-assistance-program?year=2023&lang=en

FWIW! Apologies if you’ve thought of all this already.

 

[afblangley]

My "bug out" vehicle is my daily driver. As such, there's no additional cost to my budget, it's kept in a state of maintenance, and it's always stocked/supplied with my basic needs. It's used any time I want to bug out at the beach, bug out in the grocery store parking lot, bug out on a road trip. It's not reserved just for running from the occasional hurricane, I bug out on a weekly basis.

 

[eDJ_]

A few years ago I had friends who moved from my area out to the area of Loveland, CO just below Ft C. He had been stationed out in that area when in the Army and knew the difference between living there and back east and the preparedness life on the front range seemed to require of the people there.

I was amazed at how difference the attitude was concerning personal safety when outdoors. The first thing was the sheer number of large 4X4 GMC Carryall's (and other's like it). When I inquired, I was told the winter climate dictated it there. These rigs were equipped with two 5 gallon Jerry cans of gas on the rear, An 8 ft mast for CB radio. Plastic totes for food, warm clothing (snowmobile suits) toiletries, warm sleeping bags etc. Getting caught in snow storms/blizzards and so on required this way of thinking. These were the daily driver come bug-out cars there it seemed. People could get trapped in these rigs for several days buried under feet of snow until a "chinook wind" would blow thru and remove the snow.

Every part of the country is different. It will determine your choices. Colorado is just one example. But we are having more and more climate change. Our third year of "La Nina". We are now dryer than the Dust Bowl years with 70% of the USA now much dryer than normal.

USA Current Drought Monitor 10/7/22

So no matter what you choose, choose wisely.

 

[LoupGarou]

Its doesn't matter what you have, living the lifestyle boils down to just one thing and that's having a place to park up for the night, night after night. Once you get that sorted out everything else in manageable. Its a bonus if a site is safe, secure, affordable and legal.

 

[LargeMarge]

...FEMA's recommend... I'm sure it needs adjusting...but it's a...

.
No.
.
Say 'no' to the managers and administrators of federal emergencies.
Bless their hearts.
.
I think I develop my needs for me during my disaster by living every day as if I am in my disaster.
.
For example, what are my shelter needs?
* Is my vehicle capable of supporting my preferred level of comfort... for my imagined length of my emergency?
* How did I outfit it to supply heat/cool and charge my rechargeable flashlights (plural)?
* How many changes of clothing do I automatically carry in my mobile home?
* How many pair of shoes/boots/gloves do I automatically carry in my rig?
... and...
* How tight are my caravan chums?
* How are we securing our rigs against looters, cannibal-slavers, and tin-pot dictators with aspirations to royalty?
.
I think living as if I am rehearsing for an extended emergency is the way to prep for a disaster.
.
During the 1970s, I was a commercial pilot.
During the plan for a flight, in case of an engine failure, I automatically reviewed places to coast in to land.
Please, notice the difference between:
* carrying a specialized kit 'recommended by TheAuthorities®' then breaking it open to test its systems and components DURING! THE! LOSS! OF! AN! ENGINE!... and...
* automatically living as if I am already in that situation, my senses and reflexes tuned to the evolving situation instead of needing time to switch tracks and get up to speed.
.
I think my mobility offers me the opportunity to daily test my survivor equipment.
During a disaster, I think a specialized kit would be my last choice, because I would be placing my trust in untested systems and components.
.
I think all this rehearsal and war-gaming and prep turns The! Big! Disaster! into just another day.
I think it emsmallens the potential for me to be added to the injured/refugee list.
I think it embiggens my chances to help instead of needing help.
Opinion.
.
.
I think the same about buying a commercial medical kit.
I trained as a combat medic, so my trauma kits contain familiar equipment I know I can trust... this powder clot versus that tourniquet versus these meds versus those bandages.
And, all the while, I am aware I am merely a stop-gap, maybe prolonging a life and providing some comfort while waiting for transport to carry the injured to a proper surgical center.
During a disaster, transport may be unavailable... how do I prep for that, mister/misses manager and administrator of federal emergencies?
.
And 'yes', I harbor significant distrust of the motives of bumblebrats.
And 'yes', my distrust is validated hourly, by their every word and by their every act.
Your experience may be different?

 

[Morgana]

Here's FEMA's recommendation for what to include in an emergency kit.

No.
.
Say 'no' to the managers and administrators of federal emergencies.

Careful not to throw out the baby with the bathwater there. We don't always have the luxury to only use resources from organizations we love.

The point is, have an emergency kit.
If you've already spent the last 20 years developing yours, you don't really need a push, or advice, at this point.
If you're still cruising around without one, maybe this thread will encourage you to start building one. I hope so! It's fine to start small!

It doesn't matter whether you use the list from FEMA, the Red Cross, or the Society for Hyperlocal Leprechaun Resistance -- just pick a starting point, and think about how to adapt it to your own needs.

I do recommend consulting someone else's list at some point, if only to cross-check for anything you might have missed. No point in totally reinventing the wheel.

One PS on all this: some of these lists are so ambitious that if you got everything on them your kit would be unmanageable. You do have to be able to grab the thing and go -- and then find stuff in it. These "experts" know emergencies, but they don't know you. So prioritize for you.

 

[LargeMarge]

...not to throw out the baby...don't...have the luxury...
The point is, have an emergency kit...

...adapt...
...someone else's list...
...prioritize for you.

.
My point:
* We live our 'emergency kit' every day.
* We travel in our 'emergency kit'.
* Our caravan chums live in their 'emergency kits'.
* Our 'emergency kit' gets challenged and adapted daily.
* Our 'emergency kit' has everything we need and nothing else.
.
My point:
One concept is:
* an Alien! Unexpected! Surprise! moment requiring a bag of stuff, then fixing the disaster by taking the stuff out of the bag...
... the other concept is...
* intimately knowing my gear through my daily use, plus intimately constantly honing my survivor skills... anticipating the disaster through my situation awareness, then mitigating the disaster into just another day... no big deal.
.
Neither concept is wrong.