IN a SHTF scenario this is the best way to go.

Gee, that looks too hard. I'll just use the bicycle to get around.

a reply to: Gothmog

Nope that's why I live on 23 acres in the middle of nowhere. But barter will be necessary. Something will break and you'll have to trade at some point.

However the stuff I listed would be fairly easy to acquire in rural areas with limited exposure, especially after a couple weeks when vehicles start getting abandoned on highways or interstates.

People in high population areas shouldn't even consider this because they have much bigger problems. Those of us on the way outskirts of BFEgypt. Diesel is familiar, parts are readily available. Equipment is reliable for non emergency and emergency use. And long term prospects of finding usable fuel are high.

Wood gas you probably wouldn't use until you needed it. Again I'm not saying it wouldn't work. In fact I'm 100% sure it would work. I just don't agree that it's the best alternative. That's just my opinion, based on my situation.

The guy in the OP's video is legit. But if you really drill down... it's kind of an obsession for him. Yes, it works... but it's very inefficient and there's other tech that would mech more sense if you were trying to get work done with it.

If you watch in the video... he has to sort of "tune as he goes". It's enough to move the truck... but I'm presuming it is VERY low torque, and probably not great if you are trying to get work done with a vehicle beyond basic transportation.

You can build a still and produce up to 10,000 gallons of alcohol for fuel, legally. Again... you would have to do modifications to get an engine to work reliably on alcohol... but it's probably many times more efficient than wood gas.

a reply to: dasman888

You can build a still and produce up to 10,000 gallons of alcohol for fuel, legally. Again... you would have to do modifications to get an engine to work reliably on alcohol... but it's probably many times more efficient than wood gas.

Not much changes needed if you have an old fashioned carb and not fuel injection . But you will need lots of corn or other grain type along with other ingredients.
Unless you have a fairly good-sized farm going , aint gonna work.Maybe a lot of sugar cane with the corn ? And tons of yeast ?
Got to think ahead.

originally posted by: Gothmog
a reply to: dasman888

You can build a still and produce up to 10,000 gallons of alcohol for fuel, legally. Again... you would have to do modifications to get an engine to work reliably on alcohol... but it's probably many times more efficient than wood gas.

Not much changes needed if you have an old fashioned carb and not fuel injection . But you will need lots of corn or other grain type along with other ingredients.
Unless you have a fairly good-sized farm going , aint gonna work.Maybe a lot of sugar cane with the corn ? And tons of yeast ?
Got to think ahead.

We are. Burning firewood is not anywhere near as efficient. That's why the Steam punk world is fantasy based on reality.

Not practical for a car, unless you have a steam engine tucked away under the hood...

a reply to: pirhanna

No, it produces a gas that can be used in an internal combustion engine.

The idea is that even if the gas stations are empty you could find fuel in the form of branches, twigs, leaves, grass, cardboard or paper just about anywhere.

a reply to: pirhanna

It didn't seem to much of a problem if you just had to get your A into G.

a reply to: anonentity

Propane.

www.instructables.com...

www.ebay.com...

www.lpgasmagazine.com...

a reply to: dasman888

Alcohol production is probably better when you have settled down but SHTF to me means the time between being forced to bug-out and when you have had a chance to settle down. That would vary depending on the S hitting that fan.

Being able to move another 100 miles down the road with biomass picked from the side of the road, even if inefficient, would have its advantages.

a reply to: daskakik\



I think my next project will be a wood gas powered motorbike with the gas producer going into where the petrol tank used to be.

a reply to: randomtangentsrme

why would there be no oxygen if you replace petroleum with a highly flammable concentration of carbon dioxide gas as the fuel source for an internal combustion engine?

a reply to: anonentity

That's not a bad idea if it can be scaled down and installed without being too much of a problem. I was thinking that an ATV might be a better vehicle. More room to hang the gas generator and also more room for supplies.

a reply to: daskakik


A stainless steel tank, the back of the tank a water scrubber for the gas, a copper tube going down to the Carb, Realistically the scale might be right on a small motorbike. If a small gassifirer stove can keep going for an hour, it just might be do able. As the original petrol tank volume would be at least three times that of the stove.

a reply to: anonentity

I was thinking of hanging it off the back of the bike and how that might affect the balance or if the rear tire would be a problem if you tried lowering it to counter that.

I'm not sure how much heat they produce but it might make it uncomfortable to have it right in front of you.

a reply to: daskakik


Well shove it all in a side car, or at a push if it was the petrol tank you could have a heat shield around it, it might keep you warm as well. Just depends on the mileage for the volume of the gas produced, in the tank. If the gas went straight into the carb, because it isn't a fluid the float would just stay grounded, but it would run, I saw a vid of Mr Tesslonion on You tube just shove it straight into a Carb and his two stroke ran well. but he didn't scrub it so it would have been a bit gummy.

a reply to: anonentity

For some reason I could have sworn your post said dirtbike and since the theme of the thread is SHTF I figured a sidecar would defeat the purpose for getting up in them hills.

Of course if it is just to try it out then anything would work. Even a gas driven generator, although they get lousy mileage.

I would think moonshining would be a more useful skill. With some fine tuning, and a few spark plugs, a carbureted vehicle can run off ethanol.

a reply to: daskakik


The mind boggles at all the alternatives its funny how the steam powered bikes never took off as well. vdouglas-self.com...

Millage is terrible, in a shtf scenario I wouldn't want to stop every 60 or so miles to grab more wood. Process the wood etc.

I'm going with a solar powered mountain bike myself.... Guess I'll use my wood to cook up some grub while it recharges.