what do you guys think of this . Carries 600 lbs, which could be gear and my kids. High walls allow it to be stack of pancakes style.

I have a family of 5.

Good points of a tub versus a flatbed can be argued.
1) Tub could be great for retrieving larger quantities of water when the destination is reached. Tubs have other benefits along those lines.
2) Tubs help make it hard to lose small things (no holes to drop through)
3) The Tub may be easier to keep stuff dry than a metal mesh garden cart.

Plastic vs. metal is also an argument.
1) Plastic is hard to repair in the field, however, without the proper tools metal is also.
2) Plastic doesn't rust.
3) Plastic wears out quicker than metal.

Some reviewers point out that you can use the chassis and just replace the tub, which could lead to options allowing me to fabricate a platform that would be more perfect for my bugging out needs. I thought of a method to allow me to change a tub for a flatbed without much effort.

But the biggest thing I see is that it can arrive at my place for $70 delivered, including delivery fees and taxes. Until it would be used as a survival tool, it would be used for household duties.

I dunno, I'm tempted. The cost benefit ratio seems pretty decent.

Anyone have any observations they would like to share?

What are you going to use it for, bugging out?

An auto is a better choice, if you have to bug out I would guess that you are going to want to go farther then you are going to want to pull a wagon. And the trunk of even a compact car can hold more then a wagon.

As a kids toy it’s OK

I guess I should clarify that point.

I agree that a car is the best option if its a practical means of transportation in a given situation. But I feel that there may be situations where I may have to leave, but would not be able to use my car.

So, my question is asked in the spirit of "if I were to get a wagon, how about this wagon" not "what is the best transportation in an optimal situation".

I have checked some older threads about bug out wagons but with a family of 5, and a finite budget, some of the other ones aren't too practical for me.

Plastic is more then durable enough to hold up to abuse, my brother had 4-kids and one plastic wagon lasted through all of them. But a well made product be it metal or plastic would last for years.


If you are going to bug out on foot, and your kids are too small to carry much in a backpack. I would think a few 3-wheele bikes would work for storage, or regular bikes and a hitch of some kind on one of them so you could hook a wagon to it and pull it with the bike.

I had one similar when I was married to my ex the horse fanatic. It saw some ROUGH use for horse related projects from stringing fence to moving hay bales stacked as tall as I could reach to stack them and withstood it all while towed by a small tractor. One word of warning though, if you get a flat that wheel design is a bear to get the tire off without tools to repair it. I finally riveted a small box to the front that held a tool kit to pull the wheel apart with and a patch kit for in the field repairs. A bicycle tire pump mounts to the tow bar nicely by the way.

If you want/need a wagon, from the pics and info that one is probably as good as any in the price range. A lot, in my opinion, would depend on the terrain you intend to drag it over/through including any obstacles that might be on the ground. Good idea on the tire fixin' stuff, 'specially the pump...

I would think you can carry lots more and easier with one of these "garden carts".

http://www.norwaycarryall.com/carryall.html

We use one of these to haul horse manure to our compost area. It hold a LOT of weight and is tough as nails. The big wheels roll over bumps and curbs easier too. Note that they offer "thorn-resistant" wheels too.

It won't pull behind a bicycle or similar though.

I also have one of the aluminum folding Foldit carts that the same web site sells. I sometimes use it to help haul gear longer distances when out camping. Though it folds nicely, it is not NEARLY as tough as the plywood version.

I have used one of those. They do haul a lot, but I disliked the fact that you have to lift/support/carry a portion of the weight while moving the load. Hard on this old guys already bad back and shoulder. But then, I don't like pulling a wagon much either...

Agreed!

For me the realistic "bug" options are:

Bug in ... or ... bug out with the travel trailer and gear already stowed in it (if it survives whatever is causing us to bug out).

Clark,

Some thoughts:
1. Having spent a eight hours pulling the kids through RenFests in a wagon, I'd have to say pulling a wagon by its handle sucks. The angle is all wrong which plays havok with the back. Because of this I like KenK's "CallyAll" wagon. The CarryAll style is very popular in China, a people who excel at finding the most effcient way of moving heavy loads via human-power.

2. The downpoint of the carryall-type is that it ties up both your hands. This leaves you vunerable to attack. Mounting a gun in a quick-release catch on the handles would help this some.

3. Another possiblity for the regular wagon is to pull it using some sort of harness. This would free both hands and avoid the back-wrenchiness. Add a quick release for emergency escapes is vital. Downside of a harness is going downhill or making quick stops. Keeping the wagon from slamming into you could be tricky.

4. Besides bugging out, the wagon may also be used in hauling supplies from the distribution point back to your home. I've seen a lot of footage of people waiting in line for ice/water/food then trying to carry it all home in their arms. Just a thought.

5. The ability to be pulled behind a bicycle is a big plus. You could make some sort of bracket to hook the wagon to a bike, but it'd be much harder to do that with the CarryAll.

-Blast, thinking but not really helping

Looks pretty interesting and might work well. The only thing I would do is add some kind of harness. Pulling a full cart by handles like that can wrench a shoulder. For yard work where you don't have to go too far the handle is fine, but when the miles stack up it'll be a problem.

Check the size as well. 40" x 36" x 24" may be good enough. The only reason I point it out is that one of the comments mentions that the cart was smaller than expected.

Thanks for the responses. A lot of good opinions.

At this time, I own no wagon of any sort. I do have two wheelbarrows but I'd hate to use them in a bug out mode. For $70, I don't expect much.

I agree that pulling a wagon for any length of time would suck, particularly if you had to lift and pull as opposed to just pulling. The harness idea is kinda cool. This unit is supposed to be pretty good for towing, and configured to release the handle easily. So pulling it behind something is plausible. And I've read that bikes are the most efficient non-motorized transportation ever invented.

I've read on other threads about rickshaws, and I think they would be the best (+1 to KenK, yours is a rickshaw to me). But I have less use for a rickshaw in daily life than I do for a wagon.

Thanks again for the opinions, it helps. I know that if you discuss a situation which I would survive, and need to leave, but not use a car... that there is a fair chance I couldn't use a wagon either. And thats why the daily life angle is important too.

The wagon is a pretty good idea for bugging out with the family and the price is definitely right. If if was in a similar position (which I am not) I would look into this BOB yak w/ setup options
Personally I will start with my jeep, then progress to my bicycles, then to my Bug out bag then to digging in and fortifying. In your case as in my case, forward momentum is the key to getting out of a situation. As long as you are able to make progress as fast or faster then the rest of the masses, you will likely be in better shape. You and your family plan are on the right track. Just remember that as you and your family evolve, so must your plan and equipment. Good luck on you venture.

My big thought- it can hold 600 pounds. Can you haul 600 pounds?

We've had game carts here before. Maybe one of those can be made kid friendly with some zip ties, duct tape and hose clamps.


For holding the child seats!

I know what you people we're thinking. Jeez. *laughs*

I KNOW I've hauled far more manure in our barn cart than I could ever carry. Still, odds are that it was more like 200-300 lbs. The trick is to load heavy in front (opposite the handle) so that the load is balanced over the axle.

Here's another cool wagon that I've had my eyes on for a few years.

http://www.ursawagon.com/index.htm

Has some better trailering options, though it might be more than a bicycle could handle.