Site icon Survival Dispatch

Organizing a Survival Convoy: 6 Considerations

Staying in one place is usually a bad idea in a survival situation. Unless you plan on getting rescued, hitting the road is the best chance at saving your life. A convoy with family members and friends gives you strength in numbers.

Here are six steps you should carefully consider while organizing your convoy.

1. Invest in a Commercial Vehicle

Every commercial or military convoy has a large and imposing vehicle in the middle of the pack. This vehicle contains most — if not all — of the cargo being transported. It’s the cornucopia all the smaller cars must protect. Your convoy should have a similar arrangement, so invest in a commercial truck or van large enough to store survival supplies for a whole group.

It’s impractical to scatter supplies throughout multiple vehicles when traveling in a group. Someone could steal precious goods and create their own secret cache. Mistrust would grow and people would start making accusations against each other. A centralized supply source to which everyone has equal access is much easier to monitor and split into rations.

2. Stock Your Convoy Vehicle

Once you find a vehicle with sufficient cargo space, you must stock it with the essentials. Food, water, extra clothes, portable shelters and first aid supplies should be your top priorities. Remember to include multipurpose hygienic items such as baking soda and dental floss — tools with many uses are precious in survival situations.

These other miscellaneous items will also come in handy:

Make sure to use storage bins, bungee cords and other tools to keep these items in place while driving. Proper organization is the key to a successful convoy. You can’t let your supplies get damaged or disordered.

3. Learn the Local Terrain

Orientation is another crucial aspect of leading a convoy, so teach your fellow travelers about the local terrain. Knowledge of the area’s roadways, municipalities and landmarks gives you a massive advantage over other groups. It’s also critical that you know the region’s plants and wildlife in case you need to forage for food.

Make sure the group’s other leaders know how to use a compass and read a map. At least one person in every vehicle should have basic orientation skills to reorient them if they get separated from the convoy’s main body.

4. Practice Strict Fuel Conservation

Fuel scarcity is one of the biggest obstacles facing your survival convoy. Your whole group must practice strict fuel conservation habits. Don’t accelerate or slam on the brakes too hard and follow the speed limit, especially on highways. Maintain safe distances between cars so everyone can slowly come to a stop.

Instruct your groupmates not to rely on their vehicles’ air conditioning too much. A good rule of thumb is to use AC when above 40 mph and roll the windows down at slower speeds. You should also establish a strict no-idling pledge. If an engine is running, the vehicle should be moving. Don’t let a single drop go to waste.

5. Use Multiple Communication Channels

Constant communication is a must-have for your convoy’s safety. Your group should use multiple communication channels to ensure everyone is on the same page. These are the methods that military convoys use:

Few things are more debilitating to a vehicle convoy than poor communication. One vehicle can throw off the convoy’s formation and create a weak spot. Every driver needs to know the journey’s next step at all times.

6. Drive in Consistent Formations

Your convoy will end up traveling in several different formations, depending on the terrain. These are the basic formations you should utilize:

Getting too congested could lead to a traffic jam or an accident, but spreading out too far could cause some vehicles to separate from the group. Everyone needs to maintain a consistent distance from each other to keep the convoy together.

The Lone Wolf Dies, But the Pack Survives

Many survivalists think they have the skills and supplies to make it independently, but they won’t last long without allies. Solitude is a vulnerability in survival situations. The lone wolf dies, but the pack survives, so a well-organized convoy is an excellent traveling method. These six steps will help keep your group safe and make your convoy a success.

Author Bio: Oscar Collins is the editor-in-chief at Modded. Follow him on Twitter @TModded for frequent updates on his work!

Exit mobile version