If and when you need to get out of town fast, don’t depend on your GPS system to help. Perhaps you are the fortunate individual who has never been put on a strange route or gotten lost due to the imperfect GPS technology, but it happens. Far in advance of any crisis situation, says Theprepperjournal.com, you and your loved ones must select more than one detailed route and study them thoroughly. And while you may not want to think about it, leaving town could be a life or death situation.
The typical freeways and well traveled roads may not be an option, so look for alternative routes and view them as pictures on Google Earth. Each route will need to be “broken down into stages.” Generally, the most secure route is not the shortest. You’ll need an estimated time of arrival for each stage, from the point of origination. If there are others who are starting from different locations, these agreed-on travel times will help you quickly assess if a vehicle is running late.
For each route, dig into the details. These include the locations of bathrooms, hospitals, hotels, police and gasoline stations, garages, toll booths, stores, campgrounds and RV stations. Prepare the appropriate coinage for tolls, if any. You’ll need to determine emergency rendezvous points. Consider an alternative communication system, should the phones go down. And you will need to include survival food and water in your vehicle.
Don’t forget a compass, says Greywolfsurvival.com. And it would be wise to have a mechanic look over the vehicle while you’re planning your routes. They suggest bringing along car tools and parts, just in case of breakdown.
Details on the routes that, in normal circumstances, wouldn’t be a factor, will become one as you plan. For example, tunnels or culverts, round-a-bouts, and one-way streets could slow you down. You’ll want to know the routes so well, that if something looks or feels unusual, you’ll be able to adjust your movement patterns. It’s also important that all details of your escape routes should be written and shared only with like-minded friends.
Depending on the severity of the crisis, and which area of the world you reside in, the possibility of another serious danger exists for those who flee from the center of the storm. Theprepperjournal.com also gives critical insight on how to avoid, and survive, an ambush attack.
When you are in transit during a crisis, “lone parked cars, pan handlers, diversions, temporary stop signs” can be used for an ambush and should be looked upon with suspicion. Since an ambush has the element of surprise, driving on fast roads means there is less of a chance for attack. In any ambush event, “your reaction must be simple, aggressive and fast.”
Speed can be your best defense. In some instances, “what you do will depend on your manpower and firepower.” A competent driver may be able to reverse out, depending on the road conditions. Evacuation on foot is a desperate option, but it could save your life. In this instance, be prepared with “smoke or CS gas grenades to cover your escape.” If you are being chased, “a high-powered hand spotlight” can be blinding to the driver doing the chasing. You can also use high power spotlights that fit on your vehicle as a surprise for a nefarious group that wants you to stop. While it may not be pleasant to consider all these possibilities, to have prepared in advance is the wise move for you and your family.
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