Bug Out Cart

I have been reading a lot of the short stories(Post SHTF Type) over on Frugal's site, I got the idea for one of these from some of those stories. http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templa...&id=0005568

Has anyone else ever considered the idea or even purchased one for the purpose of bugging out? I'm going to carry mine in the truck in the event I have to abandon it and hoof it home or to my BOL. Guy had it advertised on a local classified forum for $80, to good a deal to pass up.

I'm not sure if that particular cart has been mentioned before, but the topic of a bug out cart comes up from time to time. Here's one thread on the topic.

Great for hauling loads that are too much to carry on your back, or to carry the same load farther, but I guess the practicality depends a lot on the situation that you'll be using it in. Both a dense, urban situation full of unprepared folks could make a juicy target, and on the other extreme, rough terrain could be too hard to navigate.

What kind of situation were you thinking of specifically? Pulling it along rural roads?

it also looks like if you had to you could use it as a stretcher, albeit not for a patient with a back injury, but someone with a broken leg maybe.

Climberslacker, you've got the right idea. However, if the person is in imminent danger where they are, you move them. Probably didn't cover that in your CPR class, but they should when you get to first responder.

To the OP, I'd have to agree with Arney. It keeps your hands busy and yells "Target!" to hooligans. If you're in a great area with nice enough folks, should be OK though.

+1 on the idea of a cart, but one that is not too unusual for the area. "Borrowed" grocery carts, wheel barrows, radio flyer wagons, garden carts, etc. all can be useful in the right circumstances and environment, and help move a lot more stuff. Even some of the wheeled backpacks and luggage bags could be used in a urban environment. My favorite bag has wheels and an extending handle, then converts to a backpack.

A bicycle combined with a cargo trailer has some obvious advantages.

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?categ...0All%20Products

Jeff

[img]http://www.mikenchell.com/forums/album_pic.php?pic_id=36382[/img]


This trailer is rated to carry 100 pounds.

I travel on back country roads mostly, some dirt and others paved, sometimes I use the interstate for 15 miles, most anywhere I would run into a problem and have to leave my truck I can walk home, I was thinking that this cart might be useful in the event that I would be on the way to my bug out location which is a good 60 miles and have to ditch the truck, still back roads. If I would have to use it I would make sure to be aware of my surroundings and get off the road at the first sign of traffic or people, a grocery cart would look to out of place, now a red wagon might not or a wheel barrow but this cart holds more. Both a wheelbarrow and a wagon are a little on the unstable side., and I don't see a whole lot of difference between this cart and a garden cart. If I was just going to carry a wheeled backpack I would just use my Camelbak BFM, but I have a few more items that will not fit in one, so I thought the cart might fit the need. This weekend I'm going to take time to load everything and see how it handles.

For the price you paid, I don't see how you can go wrong. With some added sides, I bet it would work for hauling firewood or water in large containers as well. I have a river about 3 miles from here and have been thinking about how to carry water, sans vehicle, from the river to here in an extended emergency (There are a number of elderly folks in our little area.), looks like that cart would fit the bill pretty well.

Please let us know how it works for you.

"...This weekend I'm going to take time to load everything and see how it handles..."

Let us know how it goes. If possible, try to take it over some rough terrain...

If you had anyone traveling with you, part of the "target" problem would be solved as their hands and eyes would be free. In the event of an emergency, find someone going your way with a big load and offer to team up.

I have two folding handcarts. The first I acquired when I had a sailboat. I carried my 350lb engine on it. However it is a bit large for my current BOB use. Got another from Sams Club. About $24 and 150 lb capacity. Weighs about 2 lbs.

Plan is to take our overstocked BOB's and the handcart. Most likely event will be that we are being "evicted" from some remote camping area and have to walk a bit to some sort of transportation. We can load the BOB's on the cart and drag it over most trails and roads. When necessary, like boarding a bus, we can fold up the cart and back-pack the BOB's. Heavy? yes, but probably only need to do it for a short distance.

Eventually, depending on the situation and weather, we can abandon the items not needed and lighten our load.

I used the larger cart when I was living in Maine and working on my boat which was in Boston. Took the bus and the folding cart allowed me to transport much more load than just hand carrying.

In a disaster where we are to be relocated, it is likely we will have to use some sort of provided transport. That means a small cart which is easily folded and carried. The smaller cart gives the needed capacity without the bulk of larger carts.

I have 2 carts similar to that and have used them to transport a lot of junk up into base amps in the mountains and similar uses They can be handy for some things.

1. Pneumatic tires roll much better (and far quieter on hard ground/rocky ground) than solid rubber tires.

2. 26" diameter tires work better than smaller diameter tires.

"...26" diameter tires work better than smaller diameter tires..."

They sure do. A friend and I used to cart a jon boat into a "walk in" fishing lake on a gizmo made from a bed frame and bike tires. Worked like a champ. I suspect that smaller diameter tires would not have worked as well...

The cart worked just like I hoped. I had it loaded with maybe 75 lbs max, normal stuff...sleeping bag, tent, pad, duffel bags, food water, etc. I pushed/pulled it up and down the gravel driveway then took it over a couple small to med size downed trees, then up and down the deck stairs and over some small and large rocks, worked like a charm. I used bungie straps to secure the load but you could also use para card or one of those cargo nets or even a cargo bag designed for on top of a SUV. I'm happy with my purchase, its going in the back of the truck, lets just hope I never need to use it.

What worked best, uphill and over stuff, pushing or pulling???

Can we get pics/list of what you had, please? *grins*

I've been hemming and hawing over one of these for a while. When I have some more space (current apartment is a postage stamp) I'm getting one.

I'll take some pics in the next couple days.

The list is as follows.
1 two person tent
1 sleeping bag
1 self inflating pad
1 duffel bag holding clothes and personal care items
1 duffel bag holding food, mess kit, stove & other assorted stuff
1 gear bag bag holding,saw,shovel,ax,climbing rope etc.
1 12 pack water
1 camelbak BFM
1 hiking stick
4 bungie straps to secure load 2 long 2 short

A lot of other items in the bags but didn't think i need to list individual items, you get the picture, no more than 75 lbs.

Now if I have to leave in a hurry and go stealth I'll just grab the Camelbak and scoot.

One of those look to be handy if you had to transport a couple of young kids, even if it's just from a car to a more remote campsite.

Sue

Well since you brought it up Susan, I was just lucky enough to come across a log cabin in NY State, There is a road part of the way back in the woods but the rest of the way to the cabin is on foot via a trail, not to far but far enough to be able to use the dear hauler, I don't have kids but will need to transport food, water etc. on each weekend I'm there. I'm renting it year round.

I was thinking mostly about your modules, and in particular your water. My only concern is that "12 pack"- sounds like a half flat. Since most bugging seems to involve water, cardboard isn't my friend. :P

My 12 pack of water is in a soft sided cooler, I buy the Figi brand at Wally World, pure spring water from Figi.

Before I read a few of those SHTF Stories on Frugal's I was considering one of those plastic types, a friend of mine carries on in his jeep. Have you ever used it, if so how does it pull/handle with a load?