Ideal Bugout Vehicle - Help Me Build It

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I have my own ideas about a bug-out vehicle.
View attachment 9487

I plan on using such a converted bicycle for several reasons:
1) Approximately 180 miles per gallon.
2) Extremely cheap and easy to maintain, due to simplicity of parts.
3) Can cannibalize parts off other bicycles.
4) Can go off road.
5) Can be pedaled when and/or if gas runs out....or if complete silence is desirable.
6) Can be pushed or carried through flooding, across blocked roads, around fences, and so on.
7) Can be readily converted back into a normal bicycle.
8) Can be easily concealed.
9) Can be used as a kind of back-up (ie: a "life boat") if your truck breaks down.
10) Is totally immune to EMP from either a nuke or a solar event, as it's entirely mechanical.

I plan to attach a bike trailer (which will--I admit--eat into the milage) like the one below:

View attachment 9488

I know that I may get a lot of static for my arguments, but prepping (for me) as always been about skills, not stuff.

If I'm bugging out, I want mobility.....and the mindset of being high-speed and low drag.

I can carry enough stuff with this approach to last for quite a while on the road.

Even if you guys don't agree with me, at least tell me that you can see my points.
I think you made some very good points here Kevin. A bike could work out very well, especially in flat country and where most roads are paved or hard packed. With the trailer you could easily carry enough stuff to live off the land.
While I prefer a horse I can see where a bike would be a good choice for many people.
 
I have my own ideas about a bug-out vehicle.
View attachment 9487

I plan on using such a converted bicycle for several reasons:
1) Approximately 180 miles per gallon.
2) Extremely cheap and easy to maintain, due to simplicity of parts.
3) Can cannibalize parts off other bicycles.
4) Can go off road.
5) Can be pedaled when and/or if gas runs out....or if complete silence is desirable.
6) Can be pushed or carried through flooding, across blocked roads, around fences, and so on.
7) Can be readily converted back into a normal bicycle.
8) Can be easily concealed.
9) Can be used as a kind of back-up (ie: a "life boat") if your truck breaks down.
10) Is totally immune to EMP from either a nuke or a solar event, as it's entirely mechanical.

I plan to attach a bike trailer (which will--I admit--eat into the milage) like the one below:

View attachment 9488

I know that I may get a lot of static for my arguments, but prepping (for me) as always been about skills, not stuff.

If I'm bugging out, I want mobility.....and the mindset of being high-speed and low drag.

I can carry enough stuff with this approach to last for quite a while on the road.

Even if you guys don't agree with me, at least tell me that you can see my points.
I think it's a great idea, even it is only a "back-up" vehicle. Though that cart looks like the one my Dad used to pull me and my siblings around with his bike when we were very small.
 
I have my own ideas about a bug-out vehicle.
View attachment 9487

I plan on using such a converted bicycle for several reasons:
1) Approximately 180 miles per gallon.
2) Extremely cheap and easy to maintain, due to simplicity of parts.
3) Can cannibalize parts off other bicycles.
4) Can go off road.
5) Can be pedaled when and/or if gas runs out....or if complete silence is desirable.
6) Can be pushed or carried through flooding, across blocked roads, around fences, and so on.
7) Can be readily converted back into a normal bicycle.
8) Can be easily concealed.
9) Can be used as a kind of back-up (ie: a "life boat") if your truck breaks down.
10) Is totally immune to EMP from either a nuke or a solar event, as it's entirely mechanical.

I plan to attach a bike trailer (which will--I admit--eat into the milage) like the one below:

View attachment 9488

I know that I may get a lot of static for my arguments, but prepping (for me) as always been about skills, not stuff.

If I'm bugging out, I want mobility.....and the mindset of being high-speed and low drag.

I can carry enough stuff with this approach to last for quite a while on the road.

Even if you guys don't agree with me, at least tell me that you can see my points.


there is a company that makes these,,,such a bike is sitting right now at the local sporting goods store,,,I believe the price is around $1000.00
 
there is a company that makes these,,,such a bike is sitting right now at the local sporting goods store,,,I believe the price is around $1000.00
Yes, but around $350.00 if you do it yourself from a kit.....and I would do it myself, so I could be competent at fixing it during a crisis.

It doesn't go very fast.....perhaps 25 mph, but I would be happy with that, as I'm sure that there will be road debris and flooding.

I actually used to use a regular hybrid bicycle and a bike trailer, as I live in Florida, which is flat and tropical.

If you guys remember when gas was almost $4.00 a gallon....I took a great joy (yes, it was small of me) in taking my bike trailer to the grocery store or laundrymat, and yelling at the top of my lungs where they can stick their $4.00 per gallon gas when I road past a filling station.

I got in shape, I shed a lot of weight, I slept better, and sex was better.

All because of me bicycling.
 
Yes, but around $350.00 if you do it yourself from a kit.....and I would do it myself, so I could be competent at fixing it during a crisis.

It doesn't go very fast.....perhaps 25 mph, but I would be happy with that, as I'm sure that there will be road debris and flooding.
you can cover a lot of ground at 25 mph,,,even at that speed you can roll into trouble before you know it
 
I think it's a great idea, even it is only a "back-up" vehicle. Though that cart looks like the one my Dad used to pull me and my siblings around with his bike when we were very small.
My first bike trailer is exactly the kind your father used, except that I took the tent part off the top, and replaced it with a huge, rubbermade storage container.

I drilled holes in the bottom, and mounted it with zip ties. It worked great for about four years.

To make the platform that the container rested on, I bought oven racks from a second-hand appliance shop, and cut them to fit with a hacksaw.

I probably saved $6000.00 between gas, wear and tear on my car, car insurance, registration fees, tolls, and so on.
 
I actually found something very similar (but better) on the Walmart website.

See below:

4526ca2d-a42c-4b63-8fe3-9fa2a8970026_1.ee4c5c958b20fe25a82315890d1501c6.jpeg


It sells for $699.00, and seems better designed than the bicycle conversions that I posted earlier.

Top speed of 25 MPH, and over 100 miles on "less than a gallon" of gas.
 
Yes, but around $350.00 if you do it yourself from a kit.....and I would do it myself, so I could be competent at fixing it during a crisis.

It doesn't go very fast.....perhaps 25 mph, but I would be happy with that, as I'm sure that there will be road debris and flooding.

I actually used to use a regular hybrid bicycle and a bike trailer, as I live in Florida, which is flat and tropical.

If you guys remember when gas was almost $4.00 a gallon....I took a great joy (yes, it was small of me) in taking my bike trailer to the grocery store or laundrymat, and yelling at the top of my lungs where they can stick their $4.00 per gallon gas when I road past a filling station.

I got in shape, I shed a lot of weight, I slept better, and sex was better.

All because of me bicycling.

That last bit of info is more than I needed to know. :eek::eek: LOL
 
I actually found something very similar (but better) on the Walmart website.

See below:

View attachment 9489

It sells for $699.00, and seems better designed than the bicycle conversions that I posted earlier.

Top speed of 25 MPH, and over 100 miles on "less than a gallon" of gas.
And it looks cool too. Kind of has a futuristic look, like it might be able to fly or something.
 
I actually found something very similar (but better) on the Walmart website.

See below:

View attachment 9489

It sells for $699.00, and seems better designed than the bicycle conversions that I posted earlier.

Top speed of 25 MPH, and over 100 miles on "less than a gallon" of gas.
While I like it a lot, I wonder if it would be better to just get a small motorcycle that could go a lot faster if you ever needed it to?
 
While I like it a lot, I wonder if it would be better to just get a small motorcycle that could go a lot faster if you ever needed it to?
I thought of that too.....but this thing can be pedaled like a bicycle if it runs out of gas.

Also, it gets much better gas milage than a motorcycle, and is easier to work on with simple tools.
 
I actually found something very similar (but better) on the Walmart website.

See below:

View attachment 9489

It sells for $699.00, and seems better designed than the bicycle conversions that I posted earlier.

Top speed of 25 MPH, and over 100 miles on "less than a gallon" of gas.
It looks pretty nice from the picture. But like anything from Walmart, check it real close for quality and see if you're satisfied with it. Are the engine parts readily available. I don't know much about bikes, does it have gearing, brakes, etc that you can find replacement parts for.
 
It looks pretty nice from the picture. But like anything from Walmart, check it real close for quality and see if you're satisfied with it. Are the engine parts readily available. I don't know much about bikes, does it have gearing, brakes, etc that you can find replacement parts for.
From my research, yes.

I know enough about engines (I actually learned about engines and motors from my mother, RIP) to see that many (not all) of the parts can be swapped out from certian lawn mowers.
 
While I like it a lot, I wonder if it would be better to just get a small motorcycle that could go a lot faster if you ever needed it to?

Weight and cost. Motorcycles have gotten crazy expensive and they will be harder to lift over obstacles. I am still partial to the electric bikes due to noise and fuel issues. It is their extremely high cost that I really dislike.
 
From my research, yes.

I know enough about engines (I actually learned about engines and motors from my mother, RIP) to see that many (not all) of the parts can be swapped out from certian lawn mowers.
Having the skills necessary to make repairs and modifications from scavenged parts will be critical in an emergency. And thanks to your mom it sounds like you have the skills needed to make any repairs that you come across.
 

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