SHTF: Mad Max Ultimate Bug Out Vehicle

You wear a leather jacket, carry a sawed-off shotgun and hold a massive grudge against the roving scuzzball biker gang that killed your wife, your kid and your best friend. Civilization has broken down, there is no justice beyond yourself, and the Weiand supercharged V8 under your Interceptor's hood is your greatest weapon and only trustworthy companion.

Mad Max came and went in 1979 for American movie goers. I vaguely remember the trailer that year but the movie itself only lasted in the theatres a few weeks before disappearing.

Max Max was filmed in Australia on a shoestring budget in a series of small towns in the Outback. The story followed Max Rocatonski, (portrayed by an unknown Mel Gibson), a young cop in post-atomic war Australia. Both police cars and biker gangs drive vehicles held together with spit and glue and using an ever dwindling supply of gasoline and oil.

Max, a member of the only law enforcement available, the Main Force Patrol, prowl the highways attempting to keep motorcycle gangs from taking over remote towns and farms. The problem early on is there are more bad guys than good and the cop cars keep getting wrecked. Max is the best at what he does however, and after taking out a bad guy named Knight Rider, Max, his friends and family are in the sights of the bad guys.

The Main Force Patrol attempts to keep Max from resigning from the force by offering him "candy" - a super powered police car. The last of the V8 Interceptors. A 600 horsepower monster of a cop car.

The car is the star of Max Max. Once Max takes the wheel and goes our seeking revenge, the audience gets the best scenes for of the movie.



Depite the massive success Max Max had in Australia and Japan, American audiences gave the film a lukewarm reception. It would be three years later with the release of the sequel, "The Road Warrior" would Americans fall in love with Mad Max and seek out the prequel.

My VHS copy of Mad Max was hideously dubbed with American voice overs. The original is available on DVD now with the original dialogue.

After seeing both movies, I knew I had to have a car like Max's. Sure, the concept of barreling along the highways of post-SHTF America makes no sense, but the car was very cool. I first thought the body was that of one of my favorite auto makers, an AMC AMX from the late 60's. However, I later learned the full story of the Ford Falcon hardtop only found down under.

By the way, the "blower" on the manifold as well as the red switch on the stick were props. The blower was not connected and only ran as an effect.

But now, you can learn more about that and if you have $60,000 laying around, there is a guy in Australia who will build you your very own V8 Interceptor with original design and parts including the blower, the custom grill, overheard radio, dog seat and torn seat covers. Check it out here.. That is where the quotation from today's post comes from..

According to the article, he has already built eight or so and shipped them to the Japan and the U.S. as well as around Australia.

Sorry I don't have a customer MFP Interceptor myself, but I can direct you to Mad Max on Amazon. Many have said that Mad Max and The Road Warrior created the entire 80's post apocalyptic genre of films and music and having witnessed it first hand, I have to agree.

Check out the movie and don't kid yourself. You will be in the market for a cut down Coach gun and a pair of leathers yourself.

SHTF: Post Crash Travel, BOV, Car Wars

The topic of ground travel, by car, truck or tank, has been explored post-SHTF for years. In survivalism, there are two schools of thought:

Bug In - In your current retreat, or after a quick trip, to another retreat. Residents will "hunker down" and wait things out or move on with their life in their new home.

Bug Out - Can mean one of two things: Leave for a distant retreat or stay on the road traveling from place to place searching for supplies and a place to hole up.

Let's tackle Bug Out.

There is nothing wrong with planning on getting out of dodge, say an urban or suburban location, for a remote rural area. Having a fixed destination, be it yours or a friends is a plan for many survivalists.

However, remaining mobile is another matter. Highways and Interstates will be the first to become impassable and later, a series of traps and ambushes.

Next will come the secondary roads and state highways. Towns will be roadblocked and open areas will house more ambushes and traps - some temporary and others permanent.

Finally, roads surrounded by any number of towns or refugee camps will become the lairs of bandits and vermin lying in wait.

In the Mad Max world, scavengers roamed the back roads and highways for a tank of juice or can of dog food. That unrealistic situation would end in the real world with a simple roadblock or cinder block tossed through a moving car window.

In reality, roads would be the last place I would want to wander around on searching for supplies or shelter.

However, having a vehicle to get from Point A (home) to Point B (retreat) is necessary. Word to the wise: you can never haul everything with you. A car or truck can only hold so much. Maybe a month or two of food, a few guns and any available remaining room populated by gasoline, spare tires and water.

A trailer is useful, but remember, that is another set of tires to go flat and the weight drastically slows down the ability of the vehicle hauling it. A trailer should have been loaded and moved long before the SHTF.

Nope, for me, a BOV (bug out vehicle) is an off road capable pickup, high off the ground, with a week or two of supplies in the back, family and friends inside the cab and enough firearms on board to keep bad guys off my back.

Supplies for the retreat will have been propositioned and additional supplies, if needed, will have to be obtained or bartered for later. There is no way I am going to haul six months worth of canned goods, a generator and 500 gallons of fuel along for the ride. Too much and too dangerous.

A BOV is a last ditch option as well. Unless totally necessary, a plan which involves hitting the road at the last minute is not a real plan. For instance, if economic collapse is the problem, like now, it will build over a period of time giving one plenty of time to plan a long term exodus to a retreat.

However, in an unexpected nuclear strike scenario, fleeing at a moment's notice will be the rule of the day. If this should happen, keep these suggestions in mind..

- Have the car or cars always full of fuel or close to it.
- An extra five gallon can filled for each car. Do this now.
- At least one extra empty five gallon gas car for each vehicle.
- Maintain the spare tire in the vehicle and consider adding another kept in the garage which can be tied to the roof.
- Have bug out bags always ready.
- Have portable food and water ready to go as well.
- Family and friends should be trained to get out the door and in the car in minutes, not hours.
- One car is easier than trying to maintain a caravan of untrained vehicles.
- Have radios including FRS and CB for contact. Don't count on cell phones.
- Have directions and driving plans laid out ahead of time. Do not plan on using the main roads, interstates, highways or toll roads. Instead use back streets, country roads and trails for escape.
- Have rally points along the way with times and meetups arranged ahead of time.
- Plan on refueling and rest stops along the way. Don't count on the kindness of strangers or traditional businesses being open.
- Don't stop for any reason until the final destinations are reached.

The roads are the last place I would want to be post-SHTF. One day you are in a vehicle, the next on foot and a day later, taking a dirt nap. Either bug in or bug out with the minimum supplies and plan today on stocking what you need tomorrow.