Cool factor aside, there are fundamental reasons for the purchase.

(Hummer Wagon pic modified from eBay listing. HMMWV picture modified from IronPlanet auction)

Both Hummer and Am General variants are hard on fuel, expensive to purchase, have expensive and difficult to find parts, and oversize tires that can be pricey and difficult to find. They don't haul all that much, are not indestructible, can't go everywhere (almost, but not quite), and most people think they're the most ugly things on the road.

So, why on earth would I or anyone else buy one? Let me explain.

I'm sure you've heard the reports (or theories, if you prefer) that the west, or the world, will go through an extreme depression or collapse in the economics systems. You may have also heard that there will be a one world government. Those are two extremes, one of which is more likely, both are possible but less likely.

I am not a conspiracy theorist, and I don't believe all the "alternative news" that are out there. I look at what's possible, match it with facts and current events, which gives me a decent view of what's likely to happen. A one world government is possible, but so is a collapse of governments and a return to "civilian rule". That is, no government controlling the countries, and everyone's on their own. We'd develop communities after a while. More about what's possible another time.

Having a prepper mindset, I am always looking for ways to secure my future. From every day essentials to the bare necessities, all need to be accounted for. Electricity, water, fuel, heat, food, clothing, basic tools, etc. Nearly everything has been considered and planned for.

So, what does a Hummer or HMMWV have to do with any of that? Simply, everything. Let me explain. During a collapse (economic, societal, or natural disaster), roads can become mostly unusable due to debris from riots, downed buildings and infrastructure from natural disaster, and cracks or boulders in the event of an earthquake. Try passing through that type of environment with a car or pickup truck. Granted, some pickup trucks are quite capable of off-road driving, but in that type of environment, you can severely damage a pickup's drive-train, fuel and brake lines, suspension, and tires. Over size tires can help greatly, but would limit performance and fuel efficiency. Pickups were not meant for oversize tires. A Hummer/HMMWV was specifically designed to be highly mobile to drive through the bush, over very rocky land, debris, deep water, deep mud, and through areas which suffered natural disaster. 

There's another reason to consider a Hummer/HMMWV. It has to do with the potential of war (North Korea? Russia? China? All three?) or over activity from the sun. A nuclear detonation releases an EMP, or Electrical Magnetic Pulse. AN EMP is a big burst of electricity, which is not apparently harmful to humans or animals, but can get into wires in amounts so high electronic components will be blown. A coronal mass ejection (or CME) from the sun does the same thing. A CME from the sun can put out a lot more electricity than a nuclear weapon, over more area. A CME can disburse enough EMP electricity to affect the whole planet. Potentially every single electrical device could be burnt out in the event of an EMP. There are only a few vehicles from the 1980's and newer that were designed to be able to survive an EMP. Pre 1980's vehicles should be fine and should work with a little coaxing. Hummer and HMMWV vehicles are two of the few vehicles designed to handle EMPs.

Having a vehicle which is quite capable of driving in adverse conditions can make the difference between life and death. Being prepared for anything is extremely important to each of us and our families. As one economist said about being prepared, "you can be part of the solution instead of the problem". Preparing for anything will make you less desperate to survive and more capable to survive when something bad happens.

Many meteorologists and geologists are predicting there is a 100% chance of major disaster in the next 20-30 years, and I think the number was 60% - 80% in the next 10 years. A major disaster in the next 3-5 years is around 40% - 60%. That's a high number. Considering what's been happening around the world in the last 100 years and moreso in the last 10 years, I'd say the chance is almost certain of a major disaster in the next 3-5 years. When it comes to the subject of civil unrest or a major war, I'd say 70% - 90% chance in the next 1-3 years. With those numbers, I'd be a fool not to prepare as much as possible.

If you were notified that you would lose your job soon and you knew you couldn't find another for months and there was minimum government assistance for you (not enough to cover your bills), would you prepare for that? What would you do and how soon would you do it? When my wife and I planned on closing the restaurant, we reduced our expenses as much as possible, bought as much food and supplies for us personally as much as we could, and tried to prepare for some tougher times. When we closed the restaurant, it took over a month for my wife to find a job, and it took me two months. Because we prepared ahead of time, we were able to survive with zero income for two months, and only one income thus far. I haven't started my new job yet and haven't earned any income since closing the restaurant. It's tough, but we're pulling through.

Imagine for yourself the world falling apart. Imagine the worst case scenario. Imagine riots. Imagine people starving. Imagine buildings burning. Imagine military in the streets trying to restore order. Imagine debris from garbage and buildings all over the deserted roads. Imagine major cities becoming so dangerous everyone in sight is mugged and murdered. Imagine cars everywhere burning. Imagine zero electricity to power homes, businesses, and hospitals. Imagine no water coming from the faucets -- all the water pumps backup diesel generators have ran out of fuel. Imagine all that and you're, a) safe in the country, hunting and fishing for your meat, having canned foods for tough times, and growing your own vegetables. Sure, it would be difficult to live in the woods while the rest of the world tears itself apart, but at least you and your family are safe. b) in the cities that are tearing itself apart, trying to find anything to eat, and some type of somewhat clean water which human waste and chemicals from factories haven't polluted -- too much. Imagine the water you find has a thick sludge or foam on the surface and the water beneath is brown and smells bad. Imagine, you have no way of escaping the city because of debris, zero fuel, and riots. Which possibility do you prefer? 

Most people think they know what I said above will happen. Most people agree there's nearly a 100% chance. When they're asked if they're preparing or if their told I am preparing, they get real quiet. They give no answers. No preparations. Zero. No emergency food or candles or batteries for flashlights. And those are the absolute basics. Preparing gets a lot more in depth than that. It doesn't have to be complicated. It just requires some thought. An hour of writing or typing per day. If using an electronic device to plan, it must be protected with a Faraday cage -- and don't forget to put a solar panel in the cage to charge the device. A Faraday cage is simply a metal box or can that's insulated inside so the electronics don't touch the metal. There's plenty of plans available online to make a good Faraday cage. Just make sure the cage is water proof too.

The threat is very real. It's a near certainty. Take the proper precautions and get a plan. Think of it as a plan to live and survive to a near sure event to come. Your plan should include major fires, floods, tornadoes, hurricane or cyclone if your in that environment, volcano eruptions even if you're no where close to a volcano, nuclear warfare, civil unrest to riots, complete breakdown of society so there's no food or supplies in stores, contaminated water, extreme drought, excessive heat and excessive cold, and CME (coronal mass ejection) from the sun or an unknown source. Everything aside from alien attack (some swear that will happen) should be planned for. When you hear about a disaster of any sort anywhere on earth, consider how you could prepare to survive that.

I am not trying to increase the price of Hummers/HMMWVs as I don't have one yet. The time to buy is now because the price of Hummers/HMMWVs and Jeeps are increasing as more and more people are discovering these truths.