Survival Mobility
You've stocked and planned for your retreat as well as possible, but even the best laid plans can go astray, and unforseen events can cause you to abandon your retreat or leave it in haste. Let's examine some of ways to "bugout" from your home or retreat when no other alternatives are available.
Backpacking
For most people, the backpack bugout is the bare minimum contingency that most people plan for, and may be the first "plan" of action that many people undertake on their road to survival. Many "3 Day" and "72 Hour" Kits have been made or marketed as the bare minimum to have in the event of a disaster. We've all seen many long and different lists of "bugout" bags, 72 Hour kits, and so forth, and perhaps that's better left to yet another discussion on the subject which I won't go into detail here. We are discussing mobility here, and while backpacking mobility may be the lowest common denominator contingency to utilize, it won't succeed for most people because of a number of different limitations:
- It is dependent upon the physical limitations of the subject.
- The speed in which you can move from one location to another is very slow.
- The range of travel is very limited.
- You will only be able to carry bare minimums of food, water, and equipment.
- You will be exposed to the elements.
Clearly, some planning beforehand must be done by you to be prepared to be mobile, if this option cannot be avoided. You must get yourself as fit as possible, and you must gather your equipment well beforehand to be prepared. Don't think that mobility somehow isn't important, or that you don't have to be prepared to bail. Knowing when and where to bail has saved countless lives throughout history. The inability or stubbornness to move when the chance presents itself has also cost countless lives. No one wants to become a refugee, of course, but sometimes you don't have a choice on the matter, so planning to bail is essential.
If you must bail on foot, you can also use kid's wagons, wheelbarrows, pushcarts, handtrucks, or you may have even constructed a"Mormon" handcart beforehand to carry the maximums of a load on foot. Wagons, wheelbarrows, garden pushcarts, and handtrucks have the advantage of being common and readily available to use in an emergency. The disadvantage to using these objects is that you must stick to roads and trails for the most part, limiting your ability to go cross country. The advantage of carrying more supplies generally outweighs the disadvantage of sticking to established routes, so use these items if you can.
The use of a "Mormon" handcart must be constructed well beforehand, since these are not readily available, but these have huge advantages as far as carrying maximum loads on foot by one person are concerned. I've discussed this in previous posts, so I won't go into the details of the history here, but I will present these two construction plans to give you some idea of what can be done. The first link is to a traditional mormon handcart built by Steve Pratt, and the latter is a plan for a contemporary handcart using bicycle wheels designed by Arnold P. Wendroff, Ph.D.
Traditional "Mormon" Handcart Construction Plans
http://heritage.uen.org/cgi-bin/websql/query.hts?type=6&tid=1
traditional handcarts built by Steven Pratt
Malawi Handcart Project
http://www.geocities.com/malawicart/index.html
Bicycle or Mountain Bike
This is another alternative device to use for a bugout. This alternative adds speed and range to the bugout when little or no equipment is taken along. 100 mile "Century" rides in a day are not uncommon for bicycle enthusiasts to make. Strapping equipment to the bike frame and carrying heavy loads on foot has also been done successfully, although this limits range and speed considerably. The Vietcong used to frequently carry heavy loads using this method, even carrying 500 pound bombs along mountain trails and roads in their revolution. Some modifications to the bicycle will have to be done using this method, such as an extended handlebar for leverage and the removal of the seat, but it's possible to carry big loads using this method.
If you'd like to bail with a bicycle, but you want to carry more gear, there are bicycle carts on the market that can be adapted to carry a backpack full of gear, although these are mainly used to pull small children with. You may even want to start a spring project and make your own cart.
Motorcycle
This next mode of transportation takes us away from the use of human power, and into the realm of the internal combustion engine. Speed, range, and carrying capacity are greatly increased with the use of a motorcycle over walking, and there is little loss in mobility. I know of at least one person who has a personal preference to using a motorcycle as his vehicle of choice in a bugout scenario. Like a bicycle, you can also tow a cart behind it to increase carry capacity. The only disadvantages are it's dependence on fuel, it'ss need to be maintained and parts replaced, and the noise factor which takes away from stealth. Many people will overlook these disadvantages for speed, and it's another thing to consider.
4 Wheel ATV
This is another vehicle which has some inherent advantages that must be considered. While generally slower and less mobile than a motorcycle, the increased carry capacity and versatility of one of these vehicles makes them worth serious consideration for a bugout vehicle. There are many aftermarket accessories for these 4 wheeled vehicles, but the ones a survivalist should consider for the long term ( not for the bugout, but I felt I should mention them here) are the farm implements, such as a disc harrow, cultivator, planter, and others which can increase the size of your "Victory" Garden tremendously and make it possible to be truly independent and self sufficient as a farmer, without the need to buy a small tractor, or do all your backbreaking garden work manually or with a roto tiller. These versatile vehicles are also available in diesel, which is a plus in my book.
Automobiles
This will be the choice most will make. I'd have all wheel drive if I could, and at least front wheel drive if possible. Diesel is a plus.
Vans
The increased carry capacity of a van makes it worthy of consideration as a bugout choice over a car. If you have alot of people to take along with you, this might also be a good choice. The ability to tow a trailer behind it also makes it a good choice, as most cars do not have that capability.
Trucks
A 4 wheel drive truck is considered by many to be the best all around bugout vehicle. Pick 4 wheel drive over 2 wheel drive if you can, but don't overlook the use of a two wheel drive if you can find an older carborated one without all the emissions gear at a good price.
Horse, Mule, and Donkey, or "Burro"
Old Desert hands say, "A mule knows three times as much as a horse, and a burro is smarter than a mule." If you have the option to use these animals, and speed is not the prime consideration, by all means use it. I'll go out on a limb here and guess that most people that are reading this don't have that choice.
Having a beast of burden could be important in a crisis. Since I don't have a farm, or livestock, I don't have that choice, or the ability to find out. In any case, I'd like to own a couple of burros. And a couple of milk goats, and a few chickens, and some rabbits, and a pig, and....
