Toyota Tacoma Is the Preppers' Choice for End-of-Days Bug Out Vehicle

We generally call the people who like to get ready for hypothetical end-of-days scenarios preppers. That's because they prepare for whatever disaster haunts their dreams by building shelters, storing supplies, and arming themselves to the teeth with hardware and weapons.

There are many nasty things preppers like to get ready for, from devastating nuclear wars to global pandemics and even a zombie invasion. Many of them have been doing it for years, and they'll probably continue to do so, only now they are joined by a new kind of prepper: the one worrying about natural disasters caused by global warming.

It's this select group that's of interest to us. Sadly, we have no official statistic as to how many of us worry so much about climate change that they feel the need to act on it. But online forums are full of people discussing such things, and those are as good of a place as any other to get a feel of things.

One of the first things a prepper has to take into account when detailing their escape and survival is a bug out vehicle. Without one it's unlikely anyone will reach safety in case of disaster, and survival afterwards is nearly impossible.

Although end-of-days scenarios take many forms, preppers usually look for bug out vehicles with the same characteristics: they need to be solid enough to survive hard times, must be off-road capable, and suitable for modifications that would probably be never recommended by the manufacturer.

In an effort to find out what vehicle is regarded as most suitable for such tasks, the Brits from over at Leasing Options turned to Reddit and went through the posts on several of the platform’s threads where preppers gather for a chat.

We're told this impromptu study combed through 1,166 individual suggestions of bug out cars. From them, a number of 15 carmakers and 61 vehicle models were singled out as potential suitable choices.

By far the Toyota Tacoma is the vehicle of choice for most of the preppers worrying about the climate apocalypse. Of all the chatter surveyed by the Brits, the Japanese car was mentioned as such in almost 54 percent of cases.

And that's not some marginal win, as the runner-up, which weirdly enough is the Subaru Outback, came in with just 12 percent of mentions, and the third place, which went to the Jeep Cherokee, only shows 9 percent.

The thing is that no matter what vehicle was chosen by the preppers, it always comes with aftermarket modifications meant to ensure the owner's survival. The list of add-ons required for the Tacoma to be up to the task, for instance, is long and at times strange.

One thing all preppers would like to have on their pickups is more light. It always comes in handy at night, but also during less-than-bright days caused by sand storms, cloudy skies, or storms. People would go for light bars up top or to the sides of the Tacoma, and some even said underside lighting would be suitable for some reason.

Next up is a winch, required quite often when a vehicle traverses less than-friendly terrain and gets stuck for one reason or another. And during a climate apocalypse there will likely be plenty of that to go around.

A brush guard to protect the Tacoma’s front end would also be welcomed, and so would a skid plate, tire deflators, chains, towing straps, and a replacement battery.

When it comes to actual survival in the wild when all hell breaks loose, preppers would choose to fit their Tacomas with solar panels for power, a roof-mounted tent for accommodation, and even a snorkel for traveling through water.

When they were done with going through what people see as the best way to survive the end of days, the peeps at Leasing Options decided to render a Toyota Tacoma based on what we told you above. You can enjoy the end result in the attached gallery.

If you feel the same way as the prepper guys above do, you should know at the time of writing you can get a brand new Toyota Tacoma for as little as $28,600 for the SR trim. At the opposite end, the TRD Pro, which if you ask me would be the best choice for a bug out vehicle, retails starting from $48,000.

And do remember you still have to have something on the side for the extras you’ll want fitted on the truck.