Post EMP Vehicle | What do you pick to Bug Out?

[ChiliPepperGarage]

I agree with you. The only point I was making was the percentage is more than zero, likely not much. I'm a bit of a cuckoo bird since C-19 on this topic and spend perhaps too much time thinking about it. We have water supply and lifestraws with us almost 100% of the time, and GoBags are ready and with us almost the same. I'm really interested in people's thoughts on the vehicle because I'm trying to learn what might be the best setup, knowing full well it won't work for many people. I hear that a gen 1 12 valve Cummins will run on a blend of ATF fluid, I'm thinking if so, I could scavenge a bunch of that along the way to help prolong my fuel.

I also assume (maybe wrongly) that most of the population will be in shock in the first days, and we won't experience widespread violence in the first days. Lastly, people tend to pick the low-hanging fruit and, I hope, go after easier targets. The risk multiplies significantly every hour after an EMP, and getting away from people is the only reasonable option. Six months of the year, we are in Montana, the rest, I'm traveling for work, which is a death warrant, or in LHC.

This topic fascinates me and has since I was a child and saw a movie at our local church about Revelations. It scared the hell out of me and made me think it is better to die in the first wave, but as a problem solver who likes to fix stuff, it's the ultimate Rubik's cube.

It is not all for nothing, the skill set proves valuable, and the investments still yield a positive return. The price of Gen 1 Cummins trucks certainly does not look to be falling anytime soon. No DEF, easy to fix when you can't find a mechanic.

Zero or not much, if you're dear, you're dead. I'll admit there is a chance much like in Dumb and Dumber.


There is nothing wrong with being prepared and planning for worst case. Just because you are paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you. The thing is, we don't know what the worst case scenario will actually look like.

I don't think a gen 1 Cummins will even start after an EMP event. My first thought wound be a modified Model A Ford. They had electric start but still came with a crank to hand start. Something with a magneto that doesn't require electronics. I don't know how close to town you are in Montana but if that area is like around here, most people are like minded and will band together to fend off outsiders.


I'm afraid in your traveling situation, you are SOL if something happens quickly. Hopefully, you will have some advance notice. I would definitely have some sort of plan in place for every time you travel.

 

[monkeyswrench]

Having a family greatly changes your strategies. My wrestling coach in high school was a Viet Nam vet. he once told me, "A dyeing man is hard to kill". If you have nothing to loose you will fight harder. I'm 67, no wife, no kids, no family. If it come down to it, I can fight to the end and not be worried about who I left behind.

I have a twisted outlook. If I were alone, I'd make jihadis look sane. I'd go out seriously ruining my opponents day, with no regard for the next.

Having been spared on several occasions, when medicine and common sense would've left me for dead, I figure my family is why I'm still here. That said, every scar and broken bone was nothing more than training, preparation for what may come. I'm still here for a reason.

Too stupid to cure cancer, or end world hunger, but stubborn enough to be a serious threat to those who mean to bring harm to my door.

At times, there is no room for pity or sanity. At times I've been short on those already.

 

[Sportin' Wood]

I don't think a gen 1 Cummins will even start after an EMP event. My first thought wound be a modified Model A Ford. They had electric start but still came with a crank to hand start. Something with a magneto that doesn't require electronics. I don't know how close to town you are in Montana but if that area is like around here, most people are like minded and will band together to fend off outsiders.


I'm afraid in your traveling situation, you are SOL if something happens quickly. Hopefully, you will have some advance notice. I would definitely have some sort of plan in place for every time you travel.

It should start with a manual transmission and a spare Alternator. It's all manual stuff. I am really confident a Bug could get started pretty easily with a few spare parts and a push start. I'm not sure I could push start a pig of a Cummins-powered truck.

Yea, I know I'm screwed either way, but while traveling best to go out quickly, I guess. If paranoia gets the best of me, We stay in Montana and buy a mule.

I guess I'm weird in this way. When I raced in the desert, trying to creatively fix things was my favorite part of racing. It was nice to win, but my fondest memories were overcoming crazy problems and getting to the finish line.

 

[coolchange]

Remember the early VW came with a crank. It’s possible to start a car by pulling the fan over if there’s no clutch or by turning the distributor. I’ve done it, maybe by accident maybe on purpose too

 

[DRYHEAT]

I think it’s kind of ironic. We’re worried about nukes and EMP’s when uncle Joe is going to have us in a quagmire in the Middle East and the Chinese are going to waltz in across the southern border and just take over.

 

[Skinny Tire AH]

You fellas are way overthinking this.

 

[TimeBandit]

I had a friend in high school who had a army jeep of some vintage with a Perkins diesel engine.

Slow and smelly but I'm sure it would fill the post EMP/bug out need.

 

[monkeyswrench]

You fellas are way overthinking this.

View attachment 1290731

A little big, but I like the bumper!

 

[Skinny Tire AH]

A little big, but I like the bumper!

Yea, kinda cumbersome. For my short trips to rape and pillage, this model works.

 

[Skinny Tire AH]

For my marine requirements, this model will be fine in post apocalyptic America.

 

[was thatguy]

Yea, kinda cumbersome. For my short trips to rape and pillage, this model works.

View attachment 1290798

And after our first reconnaissance sweep…we found some river whips hold outs, took all their stuff and lashed em up!!

 

[Skinny Tire AH]

And after our first reconnaissance sweep…we found some river whips hold outs, took all their stuff and lashed em up!!
View attachment 1290800

Well, as long as you’ve got them corralled

 

[Xring01]

EMP and Nuclear strikes are two different scenarios with vastly different outcomes.

In my mind, an EMP is the perfect weapon. You essentially lay siege to a country without the loss of your army and preserve the natural resources. We could lose 90% of our people with a single shot. The invading army could come in and mop up after 18 months or less. We would be so busy trying to survive that our ability to make war would be marginalized. Our natural resources would be preserved, and the transfer of wealth and power would be concise.

If the nuke was fired from a cargo ship, it is likely we would not know who to fire back on within the time it takes to deliver the payload. A nuclear strike, in my eyes, is easier to manage than an EMP.

When people say that global warming is the biggest threat to humanity, I laugh. Global warming is inconsequential compared to nuclear weapons, the vulnerability of the grid, and the development of weapons by rouge nations.

Quick question…
The US Military see‘s a high speed missile coming towards the U.S.

Do you think they are going to assume its a EMP Weapon Or a Nuke Weapon or just say eff it and shoot Nukes back in the direction the missile is coming from????

 

[was thatguy]

Quick question…
The US Military see‘s a high speed missile coming towards the U.S.

Do you think they are going to assume it’s a EMP Weapon Or a Nuke Weapon or just say eff it and shoot Nukes back in the direction the missile is coming from????

“Towards the US” is vague.
Cobra Dane at Shemya latches onto any incoming from Soviet block areas once the craft (missile) exceeds 2000’ above sea level. Its plot and trajectory are very quickly calculated, and the device is identified before Cheyenne mountain picks up the phone. The launch site is a known, so the missile type is likely known as well, through intelligence and the very real spy networks.
It’s been a number of years (25?) since I last toured the control room at the Dane, so we can only speculate at the advances made in the capabilities.
But this I do know…in all of the simulations I’ve seen ran, including drills involving contacting Cheyenne mountain (Think war games here) NOT ONCE did I ever see a simulated attack, or a tactical response, that involved a single missile.
They come in WAVES. Then break trajectory to impact all over the continental US.
First wave? Back then typically Alaska first. (Cold War, all our spy shit was in Alaska then) Cheyenne, DC and pentagon, and every known missile facility we have.
The idea was to possibly impact more onto us before we could respond with full battery’s.
Now days? It’s a done deal.
First wave will be total. Period. Emp or nuke no matter.
Everyone seems to think a single emp or nuke will impact somewhere.
The reality is that a whole fucking bunch of them will impact everywhere…when that day comes.

 

[monkeyswrench]

Yea, kinda cumbersome. For my short trips to rape and pillage, this model works.

View attachment 1290798

I always wondered, from my first time seeing Road Warrior, why in post apocalyptic times does everyone run a huffer? Seems like rally car Geo Metros should be the ticket

 

[angiebaby]

Quick question…
The US Military see‘s a high speed missile coming towards the U.S.

Do you think they are going to assume its a EMP Weapon Or a Nuke Weapon or just say eff it and shoot Nukes back in the direction the missile is coming from????

They would assume it is not an EMP. EMPs are above the atmosphere. 100-300 miles above the Earth's surface, where the low-orbit satellites are, if they are nuclear detonations. An EMP weapon could potentially be launched from a satellite. The military may not know which direction to shoot the nukes back because they may not know where it came from.

An EMP weapon IS a nuke weapon. The difference is the distance from the Earth's surface where the explosion occurs.

I think, though, if the U.S. military saw a high-speed missile coming towards the U.S., we have methods in place to shoot it down. Does anyone know if that Star Wars system Reagan commissioned is still in place? Tommy? Is that what you were alluding to?

 

[PDQH2O]

The good news is that the government is aware of the threat. They are working to find solutions. Challenges are that most energy companies are private or corporations that either cannot afford the cost of improvements, or will not spend the money because of shareholders. No one wants taxes to go up to pay for gov't intervention, and no one wants utility bills to rise to pay for it. We are talking trillions of dollars to harden the grid.

Excellent information and you’re correct those folks aren’t dumb. My concern as exhibited especially over the past thre years is, will the Government person to push the button have the will, intelligence or awareness to actually push the button? Most everything or everyone I see in the past few years is asleep at the switch. That or they have their own agenda to carry out.

Also, Israel’s Iron Dome was thought to be impenetrable and it was designed and operated by very smart security-minded people. yet it was overcome by a mass simultaneous targets. Would you think the US system would be able to withstand a similar attack? How does us compare to Israel?

 

[monkeyswrench]

They would assume it is not an EMP. EMPs are above the atmosphere. 100-300 miles above the Earth's surface, where the low-orbit satellites are, if they are nuclear detonations. An EMP weapon could potentially be launched from a satellite. The military may not know which direction to shoot the nukes back because they may not know where it came from.

An EMP weapon IS a nuke weapon. The difference is the distance from the Earth's surface where the explosion occurs.

I think, though, if the U.S. military saw a high-speed missile coming towards the U.S., we have methods in place to shoot it down. Does anyone know if that Star Wars system Reagan commissioned is still in place? Tommy? Is that what you were alluding to?

The new problems: China showed off their new "missile" last year I think. It can launch, make multiple orbits, and come in hypersonic. Russia was touting a new "loitering" ICBM...no proof it actually exists yet. There concept is a conventional launch, a nuclear thruster to keep it in low earth orbit, and then be able to re-enter from any direction. As in bring it in low and over Mexico or Canada.

Scary stuff.

 

[Sportin' Wood]

I have to suspect that if a bunch of keyboard warriors like us can hypothesize a delivery method for an EMP, rouge nations can do the same and with more intent. However, if we downshift and pull back the throttle, there are other more simple methods bad actors can employ that could create an impact that would alter our freedoms, security, and way of life. The dominoes falling with grid failure, another pandemic that disrupts logistics and services, or regional natural disasters that get out of hand in urban areas. Even the possibility of mobs or gangs of like-minded people attacking indiscriminately.

These types of discussions should make us pause and reflect on an extreme "what if" situation if for nothing more than having batteries and toilet paper. Do you drive around in a car that is always empty of fuel? Do you have a clean water source? Do your kids know the meeting spot?


Someone posted that the Ford 9N tractor was an option. That post made me think about my FIL. He had a 9N tractor years ago. It always ran, he could fix it if required, it was cheap to operate, and he owned it. Today he has a newer Mahindra, that has sorts of bells and whistles that make the 9N look like the nearly 100-year-old relic they are, however, that Mahindra is always in the shop with problems due to the advanced emission controls. He can't work on it. It costs a lot more to purchase and operate than the 9N. You can get a running 9N for about $2500 on FB marketplace BTW.

This also has me thinking about vehicles. Yes, perhaps the new stuff is easier to drive, and maybe more comfortable, but good luck finding someone to fix them or the parts. We have either experienced or know someone whose new car has been in the shop for months due to a lack of parts.

I think there is a lot of value in owning a vehicle that has a readily available Chiltons manual.

EMP proof or not, the older stuff is still attractive to me.

 

[monkeyswrench]

@Sportin' Wood , during the shutdown, construction was considered "necessary". Equipment still broke, and replacement parts were near impossible or weeks to months out. There needed to be creativity, and many things were done they don't show you in school. I'm 46, but am a combination of self taught and sponged info from old timers. Things like cleaning the contacts in relays, or hand cutting a keyway to make a piece of round stock a pulley shaft...are things you figure out, or things are parked.

An old man I knew in Cali was the best all around fixit guy I'd ever known. I asked him how he learned. He said "Ever drive through the country, and see fences miles from anywhere? My family traveled all over, putting up fences. When something broke, be could be 50 miles from a town that had stuff. Augers, tractors and trucks, along with cooking and camp gear, all had to be fixed with what we had."
Old men like that will be the prophets of tomorrow!

 

[coolchange]

My bug out tractor

 

[Ladsm]

I still have a couple of the kids quads in a box trailer would run after an EMP if I cleaned the carbs and put fresh gas in.

 

[Sportin' Wood]

@monkeyswrench

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[Xring01]

“Towards the US” is vague.
Cobra Dane at Shemya latches onto any incoming from Soviet block areas once the craft (missile) exceeds 2000’ above sea level. Its plot and trajectory are very quickly calculated, and the device is identified before Cheyenne mountain picks up the phone. The launch site is a known, so the missile type is likely known as well, through intelligence and the very real spy networks.
It’s been a number of years (25?) since I last toured the control room at the Dane, so we can only speculate at the advances made in the capabilities.
But this I do know…in all of the simulations I’ve seen ran, including drills involving contacting Cheyenne mountain (Think war games here) NOT ONCE did I ever see a simulated attack, or a tactical response, that involved a single missile.
They come in WAVES. Then break trajectory to impact all over the continental US.
First wave? Back then typically Alaska first. (Cold War, all our spy shit was in Alaska then) Cheyenne, DC and pentagon, and every known missile facility we have.
The idea was to possibly impact more onto us before we could respond with full battery’s.
Now days? It’s a done deal.
First wave will be total. Period. Emp or nuke no matter.
Everyone seems to think a single emp or nuke will impact somewhere.
The reality is that a whole fucking bunch of them will impact everywhere…when that day comes.

They would assume it is not an EMP. EMPs are above the atmosphere. 100-300 miles above the Earth's surface, where the low-orbit satellites are, if they are nuclear detonations. An EMP weapon could potentially be launched from a satellite. The military may not know which direction to shoot the nukes back because they may not know where it came from.

An EMP weapon IS a nuke weapon. The difference is the distance from the Earth's surface where the explosion occurs.

I think, though, if the U.S. military saw a high-speed missile coming towards the U.S., we have methods in place to shoot it down. Does anyone know if that Star Wars system Reagan commissioned is still in place? Tommy? Is that what you were alluding to?

The absolute moment, any missile gets above a center altitude our satellites immediately start tracking it, once its heading is known and our its our direction, we are scrambling to intercept and send info to our nuke weapons. That shit is as close to autopilot as you can imagine.

dont ask me how I know.

 

[hallett21]

The absolute moment, any missile gets above a center altitude our satellites immediately start tracking it, once its heading is known and our its our direction, we are scrambling to intercept and send info to our nuke weapons. That shit is as close to autopilot as you can imagine.

dont ask me how I know.

How do we know that these warheads aren’t inside satellites?

I don’t buy into MAD. Personally I think that was a great sales pitch for Lockheed, Raytheon etc.

Killing all of the earth makes no sense for any conqueror. The whole point of taking land is to enjoy it, exploit it etc.

But it makes for a great distraction with us common folk.

 

[monkeyswrench]

@monkeyswrench

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View attachment 1291157

Being a 94, probably has an E4OD trans...cps, and tps for shifting. They'll still work with a junk computer, but shift hard and short. I think that is also a lockup converter too, so that wouldn't work. Nice truck though. I'd still take it!

 

[Sportin' Wood]

Being a 94, probably has an E4OD trans...cps, and tps for shifting. They'll still work with a junk computer, but shift hard and short. I think that is also a lockup converter too, so that wouldn't work. Nice truck though. I'd still take it!

I'm shopping for 1997 2500 4x4 NV4500 12 valve. At the very least, I've built a few Dana60s, I assume the Dana 70 is about the same deal, and the motor should be simple enough I can learn it. I think it's an NP 205 TC, and they have a lot of trick goodies for those. Seems like about the best drivetrain in a stock package. I like the coil front suspension and tons of aftermarket stuff available.

 

[DRYHEAT]

The absolute moment, any missile gets above a center altitude our satellites immediately start tracking it, once its heading is known and our its our direction, we are scrambling to intercept and send info to our nuke weapons. That shit is as close to autopilot as you can imagine.

dont ask me how I know.

How do you know?

 

[dread Pirate]

I'm shopping for 1997 2500 4x4 NV4500 12 valve. At the very least, I've built a few Dana60s, I assume the Dana 70 is about the same deal, and the motor should be simple enough I can learn it. I think it's an NP 205 TC, and they have a lot of trick goodies for those. Seems like about the best drivetrain in a stock package. I like the coil front suspension and tons of aftermarket stuff available.

I had a 98 with a clutch and the drivetrain was solid. The body fell apart and I mean the bed was ratchet strapped together and the cab mounts had come through the floor when I sold it. Guy was gonna make a tube buggy style cage on top of the frame with a flatbed. Don't know if he ever completed it or not?


IDI with a clutch. If you have a 9v battery you can jump start the fuel solenoid and push start the truck.

 

[27Daytona]

The only post EMP Vehicle you can rely on is your 2 Legs and a Bugout Backpack.

 

[ChiliPepperGarage]

The only post EMP Vehicle you can rely on is your 2 Legs and a Bugout Backpack.

Much easier to remain stealthy that way too. Hunker down in a good hiding place during the day. Move at night.

 

[Cole Trickle]

Much easier to remain stealthy that way too. Hunker down in a good hiding place during the day. Move at night.

Don't forget the while enjoying your people jerkey part...lol