How to stay mobile after it hits the fan.

Something to consider is horses/mules/donkeys.

Now I know that this option isn't viable for everyone, because not everyone has experience with horses...they are a lot to handle properly and can be dangerous (not intentionally) if you don't have experience/your wits about you...that said, being a horse-back rider for half of my life,t his would be my personal option where a vehicle would not be an option. Besides, I can go places on my horse that vehicles can not go. Big bonus right there if you ask me. ( Realize a bike can too, but where you may have to carry your bike or get off and walk, a horse can do/use an enormous amount of effort beyond what we can with out them...AND they are faster )

I just want to add that this IS coming from some one who considers themselves a "prepper" who is also a "horse person".

Oh, and one last caveat, it would be a BIG bonus if your riding animal wasn't gun-shy. This is where a bike would be better, in a sense-a bike isn't afraid of gunshots.

for getting out of town i would go diesel. no ignition system to speak of (ie no plugs, caps roters or points to worry about for emp issues. not to mention as already posted fuel is easier to come by, or even manufacture if it were to come to that.

but the first thing one should know before deciding on transport systems is where exactly you are planning on going.

for getting out of a town or city a bike may be ideal in many cases. the problem with a bike is cargo capacity. in a short time frame situation you might get away with a backpack, but for an extended time frame you would be in trouble. not only that but you would be more at risk on a bike as to say a car. you are slow and anyone with a vehicle would have no problem chasing you down. there is also no protection from other vehicles. in a panic situation where everyone is trying to escape at once there will defiantly be those out to protect themselves, if a guy on a bike is where they want to go, they will go there anyway over you if needed. they won't be worried about getting in trouble for it. i would say have a couple bikes to use for scrounging runs once things have settled down, but as for a primary escape vehicle i doubt their practicality.

horses, mules or other beast of burden is only really practical for those out in the country. true "fuel" isn't as much of an issue as you can let them graze occasionally. but in a city where are you going to keep it? not to mention upkeep on that type of animal gets expensive as well as time consuming. unless you are on a farm a beast of burden is impractical. i will say i knew one gentleman in a wheelchair in the city who had a couple dogs trained to pull him around, that would give some cargo capacity for a city dweller without using a vehicle (but they have to be trained to do it).

one transport method i plan on using in a major situation is a canoe. this will allow travel easily in the wilds (at least if your wilds have lots of water). they are small can easily put two or three on a vehicle, and light weight. they are also able to handle a decent amount of supplies. when you want to leave a specific lake or river system or to get around potential hazards on waterways they are easily portaged along with your gear. this will also allow you to get away from most of the people/problems out there. i figure most people probably won't make it too far of roads or even far away from cities

in winter months in areas that get snow a sled will be ideal for pulling loads, the old style toboggans are great for pulling supplies. snowshoes or cross country skies would also help out.

all in all before you settle on a vehicle you really need to know where you are going and even what your plans are once getting there. in my view the most critical part will be SUPPLIES. for a short term event you can live off the land or if in a more civilized area what you can find.

for a long term situation you really need a lot of THINGS to start up and keep going i am trying to find info on what pioneers started out with to base a realistic list of things you should have. it's not easy to find but just think of how much you eat in a year. taking seed is a very good idea but don't forget it takes time to grow, what will you eat in the mean time? then depending on what time of year the problems happen will also have an effect. for those in the north winter is a time of low food production. animals will be around to a degree for meat but edible vegetation would be very hard to obtain. even the natives in north america ran into food issues in the winter. so i would say you really need as BIG a vehicle as possible to carry it all

A big fuel guzzling v8? Really? Personally, I'd be looking at an early to mid 80's, 22R-4 cylinder, 4x4. Toyota's are everywhere and that little 22R is a workhorse. But hey, let's bel real, if TS-REALLY-HTF, none of this is going to matter. Fun mental exercises though.

what is hitting the fan?
and when?
and if not then, just how long should we wait till we realize nothing is going to really hit the fan?

op starts a "serious" thread
but doesnt return for questions?
hmmm.. not serious

reply to post by Lil Drummerboy


OMG! Not a whole week that I've been off of ATS.

Originally posted by Thestargateisreal
reply to post by Lil Drummerboy

 

OMG! Not a whole week that I've been off of ATS.

Yes,. I am lost without the others directions here
Please help

I agree with the Chevy 350 engine. Ultra reliable, easy to maintain, will take a lot of abuse and enough power to pull a decent trailer.

I had an old Tahoe I was a big fan of, not bad gas mileage...better than a Ford Explorer with a V6.

Switched to a pickup.

I think a quad cab pickup is ideal for SHTF. Can seat 4-6 and room in back for whatever else without the height restriction of an SUV. I've got a retractable tonneau cover on my pickup - locking storage, cover retracts to fit a 4 wheeler/motorcycle etc. Fuel cans in the back extend your range with no fumes inside the vehicle. Tow a trailer and increase how many of your belongings you can take with you.

Pickup all the way! Whatever brand you like.

I would go the Bicycle method if silence was needed. If not, motorcycle.

Though honestly, I'd probably just loot whatever was needed at any particular time.

I'd go with the horses. They have smaller noise signatures than motorized vehicles, they can move a lot faster than I can on foot, they're easily refueled, can carry moderately heavy loads, and they're edible. Most importantly, I know how to ride and they're readily available where I live.

On the downside they do require a bit of upkeep such as shoeing, brushing and combing, and you have to be careful about what you feed them. For such large, powerful animals they're incredibly fragile internally.

reply to post by Redwing48


I wonder about ponies or donkeys. If you have horses doing any work at all, you're supposed to feed them expensive oats or high quality hay, and not just let them graze in the yard.

On the other hand, you can let horses idle on hay and fresh grass for several months, and put them to work on no notice, as long as you give them a grain ration and know that they'll need a couple of weeks to get in shape, like a human athlete would.

reply to post by surfinguru


A Toyota 22r is a great little engine. Workhorse though? Try, 90 horsepower. I remember watching one struggle to pull another truck from a little ravine, when I was a child. My Dad took pity on him and hooked his old chevy c-10 (350) to both of them. He pulled them both up the hill without any hesitation. I chose the 350 for the reasons mentioned. On the idea that a working truck with a real engine in it, would have no shortage of work to be done. You're not going to be doing much work with a 22r. It may last forever, and pull well in low gear, but overall it's a weak engine. The most likely scenario if there are many people still alive, is that anyone with a working truck with enough horsepower to move goods, will be paid very well. An old 350 is at least 1/2 part tractor.

P.S. The gas mileage on a 22r that's being worked heavy, will not be as good as you're thinking. When you put it in low gear and "dig in" that little 2.2 will drink gas terribly.

reply to post by Gazrok


If you know how to make the motorcycle thing work, then post it up! I have no idea how to make it work, but it does have potential for basic transport. Not sure if anyone would want to buy a ride on it though.