If for some reason, gas is either unaffordable or unavailable, how will you get around?

Walk. In my Mother’s day, it was not unusual for children to walk miles to get to school. The surefire thing about heading out on foot is that it does not involve learning a new skill or buying any gear … although comfortable shoes are always a plus. The downside of course is that there are limits to what a person can carry, even with a knapsack or a cart. It may not be the fastest way to get out of dodge, but it is one sure fire way that is always available.

Bicycle. Truth be told, I rarely use my sturdy one speed touring bike anymore … but every year I dust it off and tune it up on the off chance that I might need it. The advantage of course is that it is much quicker and with a cart in tow can actually be used for grocery shopping if needs be. I used to bike back and forth to work and know what a reliable piece of gear a bike can be. Best of all, at least in this neck of the woods, no permits or licenses are required.

Moped  If there gas available, very few street legal things offer better value than the humble little moped. The only downside is that one does need a license and registration to be completely street legal.

Motorcycle  One step up from mopeds ranging all the way to many steps up … the only constant being the variety and size of bikes out there. Anyone thinking of getting a bike would be well served by stopping to talk to any bike club congregated outside Tim Hortons for advice. Bike clubs offer a lot of brotherhood type of support and would be one of the most useful communities to be a part of if the world as we know it shifted.

You’ll notice that I didn’t put a horse on this list. Why? If things are this desperate, odds are that unless one already has a barn, pasture and experience with good animal husbandry, ‘getting a horse’ is the least sensible thing one could think of doing.

It is just as important to know where you are going! At the risk of sounding like a stuck record, I think that everyone should have a map of their area readily at hand. GPS is dandy but a map is not dependant on satelite availability or having a working vehicle.

Even if one does not ever plan to hunt or own a gun, the Hunter Education Course that is part of the prerequisite for a hunting license in most Canadian provinces is a very useful thing to take. Here in NS, the course can be taken online by adults and the examination fee only costs twenty five dollars. To the best of my knowledge, there is no fee if one does not chose to write the exam.

If you want to learn how to use a compass, the best online reference is this neat online tutorial that was written by Kjetil Kjernsmo

Not sure how to read a map? Click Here

Special Note: At the end of the day, its always safer to travel with a buddy. It is even more helpful if this is someone familiar who is used to walking / biking / riding with you.