There are a number of potential circumstances that could lead someone to abandon their home and start living in their car, from financial reasons to even disasters. In an SHTF scenario, you must always be ready to leave at a moment’s notice and bugging out using their vehicle is often the choice that some preppers make. However, living inside a vehicle isn’t as easy as you think. Nevertheless, when the day that you need to bug out and live in your vehicle comes, preparing your truck ahead of time can save yourself from experiencing a massive headache in what is already a stressful situation. (H/t to ThePrepperJournal.com)

Living on the move

Different circumstances can lead to different situations, and the strategies that apply when living life out on the open road may vary. However, there are some general tips that can help you prepare your vehicle for any situation, just in case you need to live out of it. (Related: How to prep your car before SHTF.)

Invest in a shelter

Back in the day, living in your vehicle meant trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in. Nowadays, if you happen to own a pickup truck, finding the right way to sleep is much easier. There are plenty of truck tents used for camping that can fit all your shelter needs — regardless of whether you have a full bed truck or a short bed one. You can even throw in a couple of roll-out camp mattresses so you can have a surprisingly comfortable time surviving on the road.

In addition to the actual tent and the mattress, you can also consider investing in little things that can give your little tent a more homey feel to it. Things like small pots and pans and utensils can not only make your shelter feel like a home, but they can also help you prepare actual meals even while living out of your truck.

Keep a good stock of emergency supplies

Anything can happen in any given situation, so it’s always an advantage to come prepared. One of the better ways to prepare your truck in case you need to live out of it is to stockpile a bunch of emergency supplies in it. Aside from that, your vehicle’s emergency bag should always have a first-aid kit, as well as enough food and water to last you for a while. Plenty of stores provide pre-built survival kits that can help you survive for a set amount of hours, but you can always prepare your own to personalize it with whatever you need.

Other potential emergency supplies include extra fuel, a couple of changes of clothing and car maintenance supplies like a can of fix-a-flat and a basic tool kit.

Take care of your truck

Living out of your truck means you need to keep it in tip-top shape. Just like a normal home, neglecting regular maintenance will lead to deterioration — and you don’t even have to be a mechanic to spot something wrong with your vehicle. Make sure to get its oil changed regularly and keep tabs on the tires just in case they go flat.

It might also be worth your time to learn how to repair your truck yourself, instead of relying on mechanics to do it for you. In a disaster scenario, you’d be hard-pressed to find a repair shop that’ll open their doors for you just to replace a flat tire. There are plenty of resources available online and in books ranging from jump-starting your truck, changing your truck’s fluids and even replacing windshield wipers. The more things you do yourself, the less you need to pay.

Take it for a test run

Some say experience is the best teacher and what better way to prepare for living out of your truck than by practicing with a trial run or two. You can spend all your time reading about living out on the road, but it simply pales in comparison to the lessons you’ll learn the hard way within the first few days of actually living it your vehicle. You can speed up this process by setting aside a few days to live in your truck to give you the general rundown on what to expect when you actually need to live out of it.

Most people would find it very difficult to live without the modern amenities they enjoy today. However, some situations are unavoidable and might force you to abandon them in favor of living on the move in your vehicle. In this case, preparing for it can ease your burden and make it much easier to transition. Learn more about living out of your car at Survival.news.

Sources include:

ThePrepperJournal.com

OutsidePursuits.com

TheBugOutBagGuide.com