Australians love camping, and a huge camping accessory over here is the Camper Trailer. Basically a tent on a trailer which cost between $5,000 to $50,000 depending on levels of comfort. Even the basic models can come with built in kitchen, water tanks, jerry can holders for extra fuel etc and often they have been built with a go anywhere attitude for the Aussie bush (i.e. they are TOUGH). They are also really common and won't stick out. I am looking at one for camping (it takes half a day to load the car for camping to the levels of comfort my wife likes) but it would also serve as a bug-out RV. Check out http://www.campertrailers.org/ for more info on them.

If we ever get a really strong bad weather warning, I will evacuate. I won't think about the evac centres as I will be taking my dogs and cats with me. Being quite new to this part of Australia we don't know many people yet, certainly nobody local with a cyclone proof house, so we would head inland with the camping gear and / or south to family. Luckily we would get plenty of notice for a cyclone and we would make an early decision to leave. Having all our gear pre-loaded so all we would have to worry about is loading up some food, the dogs and cats and some clothes would be a huge bonus as the traffic would get bad and leaving early would be key. The people in the country would welcome the extra trade with open arms.

It would only be a short term thing. Trying to be a long term survivalist in the Aussie bush isn't really an option, at least with my skillset. If the house did get totally wrecked we would still come back to town and find temp accommodation then (we have friends for that!).

Yes, bugging out is most likely to be a short-term event: wildfire, home fire, flood, hurricane, toxic spill, etc.

But if your home was destroyed, you still have the land, so you could bring the trailer home and live out of it. Having to repair or rebuild is expensive enough... having to repair/rebuild and pay rent for another residence (while leaving your property unguarded) wouldn't be my recommendation.

Sue

Depends on the situation. I've known people who had to bug out of their house because it caught fire and another who did because they lost power for a week. These are small situations where they bugged out to the nearest hotel.
Larger situation we have a family farm 250 miles away, we cna stay in the house but if the situation is bad enough it could take a while to get there. My camper replaced a truck cap because as another said it takes half a day to load a vehicle full of supplies but half an hour for a fully stocked camper.

We experience fairly frequent "bug out" events here is SoCal, especially during wildfire season. The ARC and other organizations will establish shelters which are then way underutilized because the buggers go about as far as a handy motel, park, or friend/relative. In the case of some of our larger wildfires, those displaced have run into the thousands - they are simply absorbed by the infrastructure.

We have relatives about 120 miles distant. that would be our preferred destination if we have to leave, and we have good friends even closer who might take us in. The situation is reciprocal if they have to bug.

LesSnyder,

A heavy duty single axle utility trailer? I have one word, BUTLER. I have two Butlers here one is 5.5' x 10 the other 6' x 12, and they are both tilting decks and single axle with brakes (one surge , one electric) and 16" tires. One is 5700 GVW the other is 7000 GVW. I haul a small Yanmar crawler/ crane/ dump bed unit with them and they are NICE. I found them both used from a Verizon Fleet Auction site. They used them for Ditch Witches, I paid about 800 for one and 1000 for the other. You cant beat these units. I have full steel cased G Series Goodyear tires on both (full steel is just like a tractor trailer tire, and only Goodyear makes them in this 16" size) There is then NO squirm or sway. One is diamond plate decked the other is wood. I modified them for side pockets and winch mounts at the front and d-ring tie downs at 6 points to expiedite my use.

Ironwood

Ironwood... thanks for the tip...I've been using a 16' Crown and is a little large for my Explorer Sport (and overkill for the job)... mainly to haul a 48inch cut John Deere lawnmower

No worries, I dont know Crown, but there are alot of trailers out there. In the "competetive" market MANY manufacturers have moved to VERY marginally made Chinese axles. Look for DEXTER, they are THE standard by which all others are compared. I can source a 20 year old axle from a scrap yard, pull the serial # and they can usually tell me original purhaser, use and HAVE current parts availability, parts are also common at any parts stores for Dexter. MANY people are dumbfounded when buying cheap trailers then needing even simple brake parts and finding they must replace the WHOLE axle because parts are not available or are COMPLETELY junk. FYI, many older small to medium trailer axles ARE Dexter, even if there is no serial # tag riveted to the center axle tube (common on bigger ones, 8-12K).

Ironwood (15 trailers here)

You are to trailers what HikinJim is to stoves. Now you have to blog about them.

(for me it would be flashlights)

I never am at a loss of uses for trailers, arches (for urban log moving), and such. No blog yet, but certainly know trailers.

Ironwood

mpb:

I read through your posts so far, and it seems your primary raison d’etre is to snark. If you do not like the subject matter discussed here, that is your right. But our Forums and our members take great pride in keeping the tone of our discussions civil, friendly, and on message - even when we disagree. So I ask, in my most polite MODERATOR voice possible, that you do the same.

And understand, while I can'tspeak for all, the vast majority of us at ETS are not "survivalists". Survivalists prepare for the end of the word as we know it, and it won't be coming back. If we need such a moniker, call us "Preparers". We try to be prepared for emergencies, big or small, to bridge the time between when a disaster strikes and the time of rescue and/or the reestablishment of normal order. We do not anticipate the end of civilization; in fact, that civilization will still be to rescue us or be reestablished in a reasonable time folling calamity is central to any preparedness plans we make.

As a person who has survived too many hurricanes (Betsy, Camille, Katrina, Rita, Gustav to name a few) I understand the value of being prepared. We have sufficient supplies at home to tide us through 4 days without power or water, and when storms come we always prepare ‘bug-out’ bags for all in case we have to evacuate. In south Louisiana that is not over the top. That is common sense. SO is teaching your child what to do if they are lost in the woods, and what to have with them in case that happens.

Again, if you are here to contribute to ETS, please do so. But, if you are here just to be an annoyance, I got this big red MODERATOR button. You have already been reported to me twice.

.....CLIFF
(like, who else?)