Hello Mr. Rawles,
I noticed that another bug out bag article was posted to SurvivalBlog. The love affair with the bug out bag is for the physically able. For those of us who cannot shoulder a 50 to 70 pound pack, there ought to be an alternative.
My wife and I are both 69 years old and in relative good health. Neither of us could shoulder a 40+ pound bag and go any significant distance. The answer to this is mechanical leverage. We bought two yard carts
Our bug out bags will stand up on one end giving plenty of room for additional supplies. Moving a wagon down a paved road would be the easiest. Across open level ground more difficult. Crossing hilly rocky terrain perhaps impossible. But a wagon could be used on usable ground then unpacked and moved piece meal to more favorable ground in separate trips.
Time consuming but effective and it would keep your bug out bag kit together.
Other substitute mechanical devices include a hand truck, wheel barrow, golf caddy cart, bicycle or a wheeled deer cart. Soon, demographically, a significant portion of the population is going to be 65 or older.
All mechanical devices for moving weight/mass have restrictions based on ability to clear growing vegetation, cross ruts, ditches, gullies and draws. However, it is better than trying to haul a heavy pack when you are age restricts your physical limitations.
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It would be interesting to see other people’s ideas concerning [relatively simple] mechanical devices that could be used to transport bug out equipment as a supplement to a human only pack system. Of course there are also mule, horse, Ilama, donkey and dog methods. Cordially, – J.W.C. in Oklahoma