Bug out vs. bug in

Two plans, one question

Bugging in means staying home and riding out a storm or outage. Bugging out means leaving with what you need. Most people who think ahead have both plans, because you don't always know which one the day will call for.

Both plans come down to the same thing: energy you control.

Bugging in with a Bugging Out carport

• The vehicle runs the house through a two-way charger and transfer switch.
• About three days at normal use, a week or more on essentials.
• The solar roof refills the battery every sunny day the grid is out.
• No fuel to store and nothing running in the yard.

Bugging out with a Bugging Out carport

• The vehicle has been charging from the sun, so it starts full.
• You skip the gas-station line on the way out.
• A 4x4 handles the washed-out road or sandy shoulder.
• Range-extended models like the Scout Harvester add a gas backup for long drives.

Your bug-out vehicle is also your home battery

And yes, we know the name. Say "bugging out" and most folks picture a wild-eyed guy in a camo hat with a basement full of canned beans. We like that guy. He was just ahead of his time. The difference now is that the gear is a truck you drive every day and a roof that makes its own power.

For years, a "bug-out vehicle" meant a truck with gas cans strapped to the back. An electric 4x4 that charges from the sun and can run your house is a new kind of bug-out vehicle: useful the whole time, not just when you leave.