Hi Jim;
To tie in with your recent comments, the excellent Western Rifle Shooters blog linked to an article on refugees.
Though the article was brief, it had some good information. While the goal is to never become a refugee in the first place, in some cases it cannot be avoided and it pays to know what to do in such a case.
I was particularly inspired by the links to some “off-road” gear carriers. The first is a home-built model and is quite simple while the other is a German-engineered commercial model.
I have given a good bit of thought into what I would do in a true grid-down situation, such as EMP, when motorized transportation is not available. Our retreat is about 40 miles away if accessible via freeway, but about 60 miles if back roads are taken. While many of our supplies have been pre-staged at the retreat (where someone lives year-round), there are things we will need to take with us should we have to Shank’s Mare it.
For this reason, I do have a two-wheeled bicycle trailer that has been modified to be attached to a backpack frame, placing the weight on the hips and shoulders. After seeing the aforementioned German model, I have some new ideas I want to try. A homemade version of their design would be very straightforward to build.
However, this is a last-resort option. If the time comes to bug out, I’m planning on driving first, biking next, and walking only if there is no other choice. Thanks, – Jason R.