Here’s the scenario: A 9.5 magnitude earthquake has ravaged your area opening large chasms in the ground. Following the earthquake, devastating tsunamis crash down on every coast on the planet. The sudden jolting of the earth has also awoken dormant volcanoes which now spew fourth lava and large clouds of ash. Oh and there are zombies too.
I know it’s far fetched however the prospect of natural disaster is a very real threat. What are you going to need to survive in the case of such a disaster? Are you prepared? I’d like to take this time to discuss a couple must haves for survival in case of disaster. There are 5 major consideration in the case of a disaster:
- Shelter (and fire)
- First Aid
- Water
- Food
- Navigation
These are placed in order of importance. The most threatening to your survival to the least. Without shelter and warmth you can die of exposure within minutes, you can die of injuries within hours, die of dehydration within days, Starvation within weeks, and it’s important to know how to get to other people and out of wherever you are at some point in time.
For the most part when Disaster strikes you want to get outta dodge. Getting away from an affected area is probably your best chance at survival. The problem is when there is a mass evacuation the roads get clogged up with cars. That’s where the motorcycle comes in. Having a well prepared motorcycle means you can choose your own road. Is there a large obstruction in the road like a tree or chasm? Good luck getting over that with a car. Gas station empty? Your motorcycle doesn’t need much. All around the best thing to have in case of emergency is a motorcycle.
Sure there are considerations that need to taken into account with the type of motorcycle you choose for this specific task and some will be better than others, however the difference between car and motorcycle is a much farther stretch. Personally, if I could, I would get a Triumph Scrambler with some onroad/offroad tires, a snorkel (in case of big puddles), modified suspension, and a whole bunch of storage. Why so much storage? For this of course:
- A Knife (fixed blade is better than folding)
- Lighter
- Compass
- Flashlight
- Food Rations
- Duct Tape
- First-aid Kit
- para-cord
- Slingshot (gotta get your food somehow)
- Altoids tin fishing kit
- Cell Phone
- Tire repair Kit
- Water purification tablets
- Metal canteen (can be used to boil water)
- Flashlight (spare batteries as well)
- Radio that receives weather and emergency channels
- Some form of tent or shelter
- A Mylar blanket
- Cash ($200 or so should do it)
Keep in mind that this in no way is a complete list but should be a good starting point.
I’d like to take a closer look at one item on this list; the tire repair kit. A car can feasibly drive with a flat tire because it has four however on a motorcycle if you get a flat you are mostly out of luck. There are a couple options for repairing your tires on the fly. Some kits use a sort of sealant that is injected into the tire via the valve and temporarily seal leaks. Others use a rubber plug that is vulcanized into the puncture and is a lot more permanent. Once the hole is fixed you can either use a tire pump or one of the CO2 refill products.
If however you find yourself stranded and have no way of fixing a flat you can always go the Mythbusers way:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz3sIY9AJWk
Just don’t expect a warranty.
There’s a lot of reasons that suggest motorcycles are the ultimate survival vehicles and can save your life but at the end of the day you have to decide for yourself. Let me know what you think about the topic in the comments below. Let me know what your ideal setup would be. I like this subject and want to get your ideas.
