23 November 2011, 10:22
SMALL 4X4s
© 2010 Northern Raider
Fascinating food for thought this morning, I just nipped out for an hour to watch an off road 4x4 club run a little event in a village near here.
When I got there I was fascinated by the huge variations in the type of vehicles and what levels of modifications they had received.
Standard road legal vehicles driven by families, high spec heavily modified off road specialist vehicles they had the lot.
So I started asking questions and picking brains.
OK so before I go on I will point out that the big Landies, Jeeps etc still totally dominated the event coming first in most things. But some things got me thinking VERY hard indeed.
When we as survivalists have to bug out SPEED is not the ultimate aim, Getting out swiftly but intact is the objective. If a competition Landy rolls over or gets stuck there is dozens of people and back up vehicles to help.
But if WE roll over or get stuck the chances are NO ONE will be able to help us.
Going further on this point I put it to you that we are more likely to GET STUCK than ROLL OVER.
And it was that last point that got me looking at the smaller 4x4s with the most interest.
I noted that vehicles such as short wheel based Landies, Suzuki Jimneys / Vitaras, Dihatsu Terios, Lada Niva Cossacks, WW2 era Wileys Jeeps, Austin tramps etc were getting through gaps, tight check points and spaces that were stopping or causing BIG problems for long wheel based landies, big jeep models, Land cruisers, Shoguns, Warriors etc.
These compact and sub compact 4x4s may not be able to climb the north face of the Eiger at 80 mph. BUT they were totally dominant at getting through small spaces, weaving between trees, getting past access barriers designed to stop cars using bridle ways, wading through drainage ditches, driving along pavements BETWEEN the fence and the street light (that the bigger vehicles simply could not do).
(A picture of a Terios and older model Suzuki SJ410 driving through a concrete pipe section was on show in one of the vehicles)
These little buggers could get through gaps than many of the big boys just could not get through, being either too wide or unable to turn tight enough through say 90 degrees to pass a barrier.
Soooooooo, If we consider that a 4x4 is a valuable addition to your survival kit, could we accept that generally if we had to bug out we WONT be driving through a lake, driving up the side of a quarry, or driving over a ten foot high boulder.
BUT the chances are very high we have to squeeze past a set of bollards blocking a cycle path, we may have to leave the paved road and ride down the pavement between building and street lights, we may have to drive across a very rough farmers track, we may have to drive along a railway track no more than 5 ft wide, we may find ourselves driving out of town along a path between houses and a river.
The smaller size of these still very agile 4x4s I think for many people a huge advantage over huge great full size 4x4s as EDC vehicles and as Bug out Vehicles.
Plus as well as being smaller they are usually cheaper and more plentiful as well.
These vehicles I am sure could probably really expand the survival potential for many townies and cities preppers as well as being good EDC drives for us rural preppers.
© 2010 Northern Raider
Fascinating food for thought this morning, I just nipped out for an hour to watch an off road 4x4 club run a little event in a village near here.
When I got there I was fascinated by the huge variations in the type of vehicles and what levels of modifications they had received.
Standard road legal vehicles driven by families, high spec heavily modified off road specialist vehicles they had the lot.
So I started asking questions and picking brains.
OK so before I go on I will point out that the big Landies, Jeeps etc still totally dominated the event coming first in most things. But some things got me thinking VERY hard indeed.
When we as survivalists have to bug out SPEED is not the ultimate aim, Getting out swiftly but intact is the objective. If a competition Landy rolls over or gets stuck there is dozens of people and back up vehicles to help.
But if WE roll over or get stuck the chances are NO ONE will be able to help us.
Going further on this point I put it to you that we are more likely to GET STUCK than ROLL OVER.
And it was that last point that got me looking at the smaller 4x4s with the most interest.
I noted that vehicles such as short wheel based Landies, Suzuki Jimneys / Vitaras, Dihatsu Terios, Lada Niva Cossacks, WW2 era Wileys Jeeps, Austin tramps etc were getting through gaps, tight check points and spaces that were stopping or causing BIG problems for long wheel based landies, big jeep models, Land cruisers, Shoguns, Warriors etc.
These compact and sub compact 4x4s may not be able to climb the north face of the Eiger at 80 mph. BUT they were totally dominant at getting through small spaces, weaving between trees, getting past access barriers designed to stop cars using bridle ways, wading through drainage ditches, driving along pavements BETWEEN the fence and the street light (that the bigger vehicles simply could not do).
(A picture of a Terios and older model Suzuki SJ410 driving through a concrete pipe section was on show in one of the vehicles)
These little buggers could get through gaps than many of the big boys just could not get through, being either too wide or unable to turn tight enough through say 90 degrees to pass a barrier.
Soooooooo, If we consider that a 4x4 is a valuable addition to your survival kit, could we accept that generally if we had to bug out we WONT be driving through a lake, driving up the side of a quarry, or driving over a ten foot high boulder.
BUT the chances are very high we have to squeeze past a set of bollards blocking a cycle path, we may have to leave the paved road and ride down the pavement between building and street lights, we may have to drive across a very rough farmers track, we may have to drive along a railway track no more than 5 ft wide, we may find ourselves driving out of town along a path between houses and a river.
The smaller size of these still very agile 4x4s I think for many people a huge advantage over huge great full size 4x4s as EDC vehicles and as Bug out Vehicles.
Plus as well as being smaller they are usually cheaper and more plentiful as well.
These vehicles I am sure could probably really expand the survival potential for many townies and cities preppers as well as being good EDC drives for us rural preppers.