Interesting Stuff from "Boat Bits" Blog

It's always interesting to me to see the growing number of new articles about survival and SHTF concerns published on sites that are primarily focused on other pursuits.  But it's not really surprising to see this kind of thing on sailing websites and blogs, because people who are self-reliant and contrarian enough to make a lifestyle out of living aboard and cruising places on small sailboats tend to spend a lot of time thinking about these things anyway.  I first started meeting families and individuals living this lifestyle more than twenty years ago, on my kayak trip through the Caribbean.  Even back then many of them I talked to expressed the same kinds of concerns that are frequently discussed on survival sites today.  A big part of the reason most of them chose the independence of the cruising life is that they feel safer.  There's nothing quite as reassuring as having a well-found vessel under you, capable of taking you anywhere in the world as long as the wind still blows. 

One of my all-time favorite sailing bloggers posted a review of The Pulse last week and then went on to write more about the over-reliance on technology that most of us modern sailors have in common.  The fact is, while there may never be a catastrophic solar flare as strong as the one in my novel that takes out the grid throughout the hemisphere, any number of things, including deliberate action by the government, can render the man-made constellation of orbiting GPS satellites inoperable.

Then, on the other hand, maybe there will be a massive solar flare sometime in the near future.  The author of Boat Bits also sent me this yesterday:

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/07/03/nasa-magnetic-storms-possible-after-mondays-massive-solar-flare/

In another example of a site normally devoted to recreational boating posting about a possible SHTF/TEOTWAWKI situation, this article on suitable boat designs for such an event recently appeared in Duckworks, an online magazine for amateur boatbuilders:

http://www.duckworksmagazine.com/12/columns/guest/zeiger/index.html

The author brings out some really good points to consider in choosing such a boat to build, and even mentions some of my favorite designers, such as James Wharram.  I plan to expand my thoughts on this one in another post soon, as bug out boats were a big part of my book, Bug Out Vehicles and Shelters, and of course, I'm currently building just such a boat myself.

Interview with Ed Corcoran on Survival and Beyond

I've been on the road for the past two weeks and I'm still away, but last week I had an interesting conversation with Ed Corcoran on his radio show. We mainly discussed bug-out vehicles but also touched on some other related topics and my forthcoming novel. Here's a link to the show, my interview is in the second hour: http://survivalandbeyond.net/interview-with-bug-out-author-scott-b-williams/

Second Interview on Destiny Survival

I have a lot of catching up to do here on Bug Out Survival later this month.  I've received several good books and interesting new products to review and will be posting about those soon.  The last few weeks have been consumed by a rush to complete my latest book project, which will be off to the editors on Monday.  But yesterday, I took an hour out of my writing schedule to enjoy another interesting interview with John Wesley Smith on his Destiny Survival Radio Show.  John wrote about the interview today on his Destiny Survival blog, in this post: What Will You Do About a Bug-Out Shelter?  We discussed some of the points I brought in in Bug Out Vehicles and Shelters regarding mobile and fixed retreats, as well as choosing bug-out locations and other tips on advance planning.

Here's the full interview if you want to listen.  Unfortunately, like last time I was on the show, there was a minor glitch with Blog Talk Radio, so the start of the show was delayed.  It does play though, if you bear with it through a couple minutes of silence at the beginning.

Listen to internet radio with Preparedness Radio on Blog Talk Radio

Urban Survival Tools: A Valuable Video Resource

I stumbled across a new video review of Bug Out Vehicles and Shelters just the other night while browsing YouTube.  I had to watch it all, of course, as it's good to see or read an unbiased, but well-considered review in which the reviewer discusses both what he or she likes, as well as dislikes about a product or book.

This led me to click through to the reviewer's YouTube channel after watching the video about my book, and browsing through it, I saw that Urbivalist Dan has a wealth of insightful videos that may be of interest to readers of this blog.  His channel is called Urban Survival Tools, and with more than 100 episodes posted, he has explored a wide range of topics such as Know Your Area's Disaster History, How to Find Survivalists in Your Area, How Krav Maga Can Save Your Bacon, as well many reviews of books and products.  Urbivalist Dan has an easygoing on-camera presence and a clear, conversational voice that makes watch his videos easy.  I recommend you browse his channel if you haven't seen it before, and I'm sure your find several episodes (or "prepisodes" as he calls them) that will be of interest to you.

In addition to the YouTube Channel, these videos and more are also available on his website: The Daily Prep

Here's his review of Bug Out Vehicles and Shelters:




And here is a follow-up he posted since that explores the meaning of bugging-out in general and presents some concepts you might not have thought about when making a bug out plan:

Survival Transportation on Destiny Survival Show

Yesterday I was a guest on John Wesley Smith's Destiny Survival Show on Blog Talk Radio.  We had an interesting discussion on survival transportation and I'll be back on the show on March 1st to talk more about bug-out shelter options.

John has posted an article about yesterday's interview on his Destiny Survival blog here: http://destinysurvival.com/2012/02/03/survival-transportation-will-you-be-driving-or-rowing-when-you-bug-out/.

If you missed the show yesterday, you can listen to it anytime on the embedded player below.  There was some connection problem at the beginning and you can hear someone (not John or me) questioning this, but the full show does begin about one minute later.

Listen to internet radio with Preparedness Radio on Blog Talk Radio

Discussing Bug Out Vehicles

The following is a repost from http://www.scottbwilliams.com/, for those of you who may be subscribers to this site or may have found Bug Out Survival from a link on another site or perhaps a web search and have not visited my main site.  I've now rebuilt my home site with WordPress and incorporated a front page blog there I will be using to publish news of my book projects and interviews, as well as other writing and blogging related stuff that doesn't necessarily fit into the context of this site.

But since since that interview was a discussion of bugging out in general and bug-out vehicles in particular, I wanted to pass this article along here for those who might want to listen to the archived version:

"Last night I was the guest on a Blog Talk Radio Show called The Other Side... APrepper's Path, hosted by Lynna (http://prepperspath.com/).  This show is part of the regular line-up on The Prepper Broadcasting Network and airs Thursday nights at 6:00 pm PST. 

I really enjoyed talking with Lynna about my latest book: Bug Out Vehicles and Shelters.  She had obviously taken the time to read the book before the show and asked some good questions that led to an interesting discussion.  We talked about bug-out vehicles in general and especially some of the advantages of, and reasons for choosing various types of boats for certain bug-out scenarios and situations.  We also talked about the concept of mobile retreats and discussed modifications to ordinary vehicles to optimize them for bug-out purposes.  In addition, a caller with extensive kayaking experience and a military background joined in the conversation with his perspective on how he might utilize such a boat in his particular location near the Chesapeake Bay."

You can listen to the entire interview from the archive of the show at this link:  http://prepperbroadcasting.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/show_2644861.mp3

More information about Lynna's show and links to past episodes can be found here:  http://prepperbroadcasting.com/show-schedule/the-other-side-a-preppers-path/

Roof Racks for Your Bug Out Vehicle

In the first chapter of Bug Out Vehicles and Shelters, I included some modifications and optional equipment to consider in preparing ordinary motor vehicles for bug-out duty.  One of these modifications that is universally useful on every type of vehicle from the smallest compact cars to the most gargantuan trucks and SUVs is the addition of cargo or utility racks, particularly of the roof-top variety.

Such racks can be the general purpose type such as those that are standard equipment on many SUVs and some crossovers, or the more specialized removable systems with purpose-designed components to hold and lock-down sports equipment such as skies, bicycles or kayaks.  The removable systems such as those offered by manufacturers like Thule and Yakima can be purchased for practically any model or style of vehicle, but they can get pricy if you add all the specialized equipment carriers available for them.  Factory-standard or optional racks can also work, but some of these are not rated to carry the loads you may want to carry, while the best of the removable systems are much stronger.

When fitted on smaller vehicles, roof racks free up passenger space inside by allowing you to securely strap your gear and supplies overhead, where it's out of the way.  As a means of carrying back-up vehicles, like bikes, canoes or kayaks, or shelter building materials like poles or lumber, roof racks are invaluable, because even with a large pickup some of these items are awkward to carry securely. A good rack system can often eliminate the need to pull a trailer, which adds its own set of complications when bugging out of a SHTF scenario.

So what kind of rack is best for your vehicle?  One of the most versatile systems I've ever used is this basic set of Thule cross bars that I've owned since 1988.  I have been able to make these work on several vehicles I've owned over the years, from sedans to sports cars and pickup.  These make carrying canoes or 17-foot sea kayaks such as this one easy - even with the smallest compact cars:

I've never bothered with the specialized cradles for kayaks and attachments for other gear, preferring to simply tie down my load directly to the bars, using padding if necessary to protect delicate items - which my kayaks are not - as I build them to use, not look at. 

These simple crossbar racks are rated to carry 165lbs.  That's more than most people will need to strap on top of a vehicle, but I've certainly pushed them over the limit hauling lumber, causing them to flex but with no failures so far.  They are available in lengths from 50 to 96 inches, making them adaptable to a wide range of vehicles.  The mounting systems are sold according to your vehicle, and range from old-style vehicles with rain gutters to the sleekest, aerodynamic roof profiles of today. The bars can also be fitted with adapters to make them work with the fore and aft roof rails that many vehicles come with, but without crossbars  except as an expensive manufacturer's option.  More information about the fitment of these racks can be found on the Thule website.  Amazon stocks the load bars as well and most of the fitment options you might need. 

Deal on My Books at Costco

My publisher recently received a large order for all three of my survival-related books from Costco Stores.  Since these big chains are able to buy in volume, they negotiate for big discounts which they are able to pass along to the customer.  Generally, Amazon has the best prices on most books, as they too buy and sell in volume, often making very small profits per copy.  But if you live in an area where there are Costco locations and prefer to shop in person rather than online, you may get an even better deal.

I don't have access to a Costco store here, as there are none in Mississippi, but a friend sent me this photo taken with his phone last week from one of the stores in the Los Angeles area.  They had plenty of copies of Bug Out, Bug Out Vehicles and Shelters, and Getting Out Alive, all priced at just $8.99 per copy, which is a significant discount off the cover prices of $14.95 and $15.95:

I don't know if every Costco store has these in stock, but I'm pleased to see them offered by the chain, as they have a limited selection of books to begin with.  The fact that they chose to carry all three of these titles is evidence of the growing popularity of preparedness topics in general.  I'd love to hear from you if you see these in stock in a Costco store near you.

Fast Escape Vehicle or Self-Contained Mobile Retreat?

In deciding how to organize the information on various vehicles in Bug Out Vehicles and Shelters, I had to separate the various modes of transportation covered in the book into three major categories:  Escape Vehicles, Mobile Retreats and Alternative or Back-up Vehicles. 

While any vehicle of any type could be classified as an "escape" vehicle because it could be used to make your escape in a bug-out situation, the primary difference as defined in the book is that for the most part an escape vehicle is the type of conveyance that will enable you to make a rapid exit from a danger zone, or perhaps reach your pre-planned bug-out location or retreat or even get home to your family if you are caught out away when the event happens.  The generally means you won't be thinking of the vehicle itself as a shelter and won't be spending any time in it except for travel.  If the situation calls for more than one day of travel, you'll likely be camping out of rather than inside of the vehicle, simply because it won't have accommodations or be set up for self-contained travel.  Examples of escape vehicles include most passenger cars, pickups and SUVs - the sort of vehicle most people use for everyday transportation and already own.  Other escape vehicles for overland travel on highways and roads include many types of motorcycles and escape vehicles for travel on the water include small powerboats and runabouts, as well as some classes of small sailboats and personal watercraft. 

Those utilizing a fast escape vehicle to bug-out of a SHTF situation will likely be doing so specifically because they have planned their bug-out strategy around quickly reaching a specific bug-out location or prepared retreat, or in the worst case, because they were caught totally unprepared and have to quickly throw some gear and supplies into whatever vehicle they have and go.  In either case, there are all sorts of contingencies to consider and anyone planning to bug out in a vehicle that cannot also double as a retreat shelter should have the basic gear and supplies they need to survive without the vehicle if for some reason it has to be abandoned. 

Mobile Retreats, on the other hand, can be defined as those vehicles which offer both transportation and shelter and can provide long-term support for you and your family both while you are on the move and after you reach a safer location.  A key difference as opposed to escape vehicles is that you can live in them rather than relying on a tent or other temporary shelter.  The ability to sleep inside the vehicle means that it can be set up for more comfort as well as more security, and you don't have to stop and unpack everything to set up camp and repack it to get on the move again.  The smallest mobile retreats will have at least as much storage space as the largest escape vehicles, and the larger ones will have many times more.  Some can carry everything you need for months of self-sufficient travel or living.  Examples of mobile retreats covered in the book include a broad range of manufactured RVs from pop-up campers to motorhomes, DIY mobile retreats such as converted buses, house trucks and home-built camper trailers, and liveaboard boats, including motor and sailing cruisers and houseboats.

Mobile retreats, like any other type of vehicle, can certainly have their drawbacks as well, and among these are the fact that larger vehicles will generally require more fuel, be more difficult to maneuver in evacuation traffic and will be more conspicuous and harder to conceal, which could attract unwanted attention and even attempts by those less prepared to take all the gear and supplies you are obviously carrying.  Deciding to utilize a mobile retreat as your bug-out vehicle will require careful planning and tailoring of the vehicle and its gear to your specific situation.

The bottom line is that any sort of travel after the SHTF will present problems and challenges that have to be overcome and risks that have to be assessed and dealt with.  But in some situations, mobility could be the key to survival.  What kind of vehicle options are you considering?  Do you lean more towards fast escape vehicles to Get Out of Dodge in a hurry, or do you plan to hit the road or waterways in a well-stocked mobile retreat and try to stay away from the danger zones for as long as it takes?

Bug Out Vehicles and Shelters Back Cover

I just received the first proof copy of Bug Out Vehicles and Shelters from my publisher and I really like the job the design team at Ulysses Press did on this one.

Here's a view of the back cover with the description: 

 

As with all these books, don't pay much attention to the cover price, because you can get it on Amazon for around ten bucks (currently $9.72 for pre-orders).  I also discovered just yesterday that the Kindle edition of the book is available now, for those who don't want to wait or prefer their books in electronic format.  Here's the link:  Bug Out Vehicles and Shelters (Kindle Edition).

As an author, it's always exciting to see an idea transformed into a finished book you can hold in your hands and share with others.  That feeling is tempered for me this time by a great sadness, as I lost my father just a month ago today.  He was my best friend, my greatest teacher and a constant source of encouragement and inspiration in my writing and everything else I do.  His childhood years were spent right  in the worst of the Great Depression and he grew up on a self-sufficient farm using the survival skills many of us aspire to learn on an everyday basis as a way of life.  He left the farm at 17 years old to join the Navy at the tail end of WWII, and from his job as a radar technician aboard the light cruiser Astoria, he began his career as a radio communications technician. 

In my childhood years he taught me how to handle guns, how to hunt, how to fish, how to be at home in the woods and how to work the land.  Most importantly, he taught me how to work in general and that no job was beneath me or too menial.  He also taught by example in the way he always selflessly put his family first and in how well he single-handedly cared for my bed-ridden mom in the many years of her illness until her death from Multiple Sclerosis.  In his last years in his eighties, he loved reading the rough drafts of my chapters as I printed them and frequently caught my errors and typos.  He was looking forward to the release of this latest book and was particularly proud that I recently signed a contract for my first novel.  I am missing him more than words can describe, but as I reorganize and adjust to life without him, I hope to get back to posting here on a more frequent basis.

Frank H. Williams Jr.

 

Bug Out Vehicles Ready for Press

The new book is now ready for the printer.  I've been working with my publisher for the last couple of weeks on things like the photographs inside, the bibliography and all the other final details that wrapping up a book entails.  If things go as planned, it will be available in September as originally planned.  To give you more of an idea of what's inside, here's the back cover blurb:

"A Cataclysmic Natural or Manmade Disaster Has Struck Your Town or City.

How will you evacuate your family to safety?  Do you have a vehicle or alternate means of transportation you can rely on?  Can the vehicle double as a mobile retreat, or do you have a retreat shelter prepared in advance and a plan to reach it?

Bug Out Vehicles and Shelters presents a wide variety of transportation options ranging from fast escape vehicles to self-contained mobile retreats.  Back-up vehicles that can keep going if your main option fails and alternative vehicles for a variety of challenging situations are also examined.  Temporary and long-term retreat shelters that you can set up in advance and stock with supplies are also included as part of a bug out plan that can make you a prepared survivor instead of a refugee. 

Vehicle types included here range from the kinds of cars, pickups and SUVs most people use for everyday transportation to alternative options like motorcycles, powerboats, sailboats, ATVs, and snowmobiles, as well as human powered vehicles such as bicycles, canoes, sea kayaks and rowing craft.  Mobile retreat options include manufactured RV trailers and motorhomes, Do-It-Yourself house trucks, camper trailers and utility vehicle conversions, and of course, liveaboard boats from motor cruisers to houseboats and bluewater sailboats.    Each vehicle and shelter type is examined with regard to the advantages and disadvantages it offers, followed by a number of key considerations and lists of essential equipment to help you chose and optimize it for your bug out needs."

And here is a snapshot of the Table of Contents page:

Bug Out Vehicles and Shelters Update

I finished the actual writing of the new book, Bug Out Vehicles and Shelters last Friday and it is now in the hands of the editors and soon to go into production for a planned release in September. This book covers a lot of ground, which is why it took awhile to put together.  There are nine chapters on specific categories of vehicles and two chapters on fixed shelters that could be assembled or built in place at the bug-out location in advance.  The book is divided into four parts:  Escape Vehicles, Mobile Retreats, Alternative and Back-up Vehicles, and Fixed Retreats.

Some of the categories covered in the first three parts are illustrated in these photos, and while a few pictures may not be worth 78,000 words, they might give you an idea of what to expect.  I'll post more specific details on the content of the book closer to the publication date.  Meanwhile, I'm going to be hard at work on the next book project, which is a work of survival/apocalyptic fiction.

 

4x4 Tent Trailers for Hauling Your Stuff Off Road

Here's an interesting product if you're using a Jeep or some kind of off-road capable SUV or pickup as a bug-out vehicle and would like to have a minimalist type of mobile retreat in tow rather than camp in an ordinary tent or under a tarp on the ground.  This rugged trailer converts from its compact folded travel configuration that looks like this:

To this well-equipped backcountry mobile retreat that has many of the comforts of a small RV, including a stove, 12-volt electrical system for lights and fans, built-in water tank and fold out sink, and many other available options: 

It's a 4 x 4 Tent Trailer from OverlandTrailers.com. Designed to be rugged enough to go anywhere your vehicle can pull it, this trailer can provide extra gear carrying capacity and comfortable camping accommodations in places ordinary pop-up campers could never go. This was brought to my attention just as I was wrapping up the chapters on Mobile Retreats in my book, Bug Out Vehicles and Shelters.  I thought it would be of interest both to readers of the book and this site as an option to consider for those wanting something simpler than a traditional RV, yet with more comforts than an ordinary tent. Here's the description of the 4x4 Tent Trailer by the company owner and builder:   

"This model is our "4x4 Tent Trailer", they  are built to handle extreme off road abuse. The axles are heavy duty and have a 3000 pound rating. With 33-35-37 inch tires, with a dry weight of less than 900 pounds, and a storage capacity of over 43 cubic feet, it will transport all of your gear with ease to your off road destination."

This rig is not cheap when you add up all the options to equip it as shown in the photo above, but if you want to take many of the comforts of home down the roughest roads you can find, it may work for you as an off-road mobile retreat. Or it may inspire you to design and build something similar that meets your particular needs.  More information on all the options and configurations is available at:  http://www.overlandtrailers.com/

Poling a Canoe Upstream

I've been working on the chapter covering human-powered watercraft this morning for my book project: Bug Out Vehicles and Shelters and one of the topics I am covering are the different methods of propulsion for such watercraft.  Everyone thinks of paddles and oars when it comes to moving small boats, but the simple pole is often forgotten. While poling may be the most primitive way to move a boat known to man, it can also be extremely efficient in certain conditions.

I first began to appreciate the value of poling when my canoeing buddy, Ernest Herndon and I traveled downstream for several days on the Rio Coco, which forms the border between Honduras and Nicaragua.  On that trip, we hired some Miskito Indian guides and one of their long dugout canoes carved from a log to travel downriver, but all along the way we passed other locals poling their dugouts back upstream between the widely scattered villages along the river.  The Rio Coco has a considerable current and some treacherous rapids in some places, but despite this, once they dropped us off at our destination, our three guides would have no way home but to pole their way back up river, staying in the shallows near the bank.  I don't know how many days it took them to get that heavy, 30-something foot canoe back to their home village, but it couldn't have been easy, considering that it was a four-day journey  with all five of us paddling it downstream with the current. 

But in places like Mosquitia, where outboard motors are still rare and gasoline for them is rarer still, if you would use the river as a highway through the jungle, you must be able to travel upstream as well as downstream.  This is also true if you plan to seriously contemplate bugging out into remote wilderness areas where no other boat but a canoe or kayak can go.  On my own long-distance kayak trips, I have had to travel some stretches of river upstream for a few hundred miles in order to reach a divide and cross over to another river where I could go downstream.  It's slow going and a work-out, but an efficient sea kayak can be paddled against the current, especially if you know how to play the eddies.  A canoe is not so easy to paddle against the current as a sea kayak though, and the bow will frequently get swept around when you least expect it, making for frustration as you lose ground you worked so hard to gain.  By standing up and using a long pole to push off the bottom, you are able to put your entire body into the effort and the result is that you can make remarkable progress, even in swift water.  The experts make it look really easy.  I especially like this video I found YouTube, and watching it makes me want to shut down the computer, throw the canoe on the truck racks, cut myself a long pole and go!  Have a look for yourself and see if you don't feel the same way:

Could You Bug Out on a Harley?

I've posted recently about motorcycles as alternative bug-out vehicles, specifically dual-sport adventure type bikes like my KLR 650.  My new book, Bug Out Vehicles and Shelters: Build and Outfit Your Life-Saving Escape will feature a chapter on motorcycles and the key considerations you must take into account if you were to choose the two-wheeled option for bugging-out.  Needless to say, researching this book has been interesting.  One story I've been following for a few months is Doug Wothke's winter bike building project, in which he converted a stock Harley Davidson 1200 Custom Sportster to a capable dual-sport motorcycle he calls the "Dirtster," (and XL GS). 

Doug (rtwdoug) on the Adventure Rider (ADV) Motorcycle forums, is well-known for his outrageous long-distance adventures on unlikely motorcycles.  He's ridden an Indian Chief and two Harley Davidson choppers most of the way around the world, and has taken more conventional adventure bikes like the KLR all over places like Africa.  Doug, who lives over in neighboring Alabama, takes a big adventure trip every summer, and this customized Sportster was built to take him across Europe and Asia and the extreme eastern end of Siberia, to Magadan, hence the need for improved suspension, knobby tires and a bigger fuel tank.  Here is the route, outbound leg in brown, return in white:  

He chose the 1200 Sportster for it's near bullet-proof Evolution engine, which is simple, requires little maintenance other than oil changes, and produces loads of low-end torque like all Harley V-Twin engines.  The Sportster frame is better in this application than the bigger bikes since it is lighter and more agile and has the best power-to-weight ratio of any stock Harley.  Doug began with this 2003 100-year Anniversary Edition:

Modifications included converting the belt drive to a chain drive, to avoid the chance of breaking the belt due to small stones getting between it and the pulleys, which can happen on gravel roads. The front forks were exchanged for KTM forks, and rear suspension switched out for longer travel and a taller stance.  Forward controls were dispensed with for rear-set mid-controls with off-road style pegs.  The exhaust system was upgraded to the get pipes up where they would clear the water on river crossings, and tires were switched out for knobbies.  The stock 3.3 gallon fuel tank was replaced with a custom 4.2 gallon tank for more range.  Sportsters get up to about 50 mpg., so it's good for around 200 miles between fill-ups.  Other additions were things like the dual headlights with protective grill, the custom engine guard, racks for aluminum panniers and the Pelican-type waterproof top box:

Doug has begun his journey and is posting updates in this thread on the ADV forums:
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=681994

Shortly after completing the build, he posted this YouTube video of a test run down a muddy, north Alabama road:



Examples like this show that sometimes the best vehicles for a particular purpose are not anything you can go out and buy off the showroom floor.  While Doug could certainly  do this trip on a KLR 650 or a BMW GS 1200, there's something to be said for the satisfaction of doing it your own way and highly modifying an existing machine.  I'm not the mechanic Doug is, but I know from my own experiences with boats, that the way to get exactly what I want is to build my own, which is what I'm doing in the case of my Tiki 26 catamaran.  I just thought I'd share this interesting journey for those who might be contemplating motorcycles as bug-out vehicles or back-up vehicles. 

Alternate Transportation

Today's post over on Notes from the bunker, Biking Season Approaches, reminded me that I've been meaning to say something about bicycles here for awhile.  This article makes some good points about the utility of bicycles in a post-SHTF scenario, and I covered them briefly in Bug Out: The Complete Plan for Escaping a Catastrophic Disaster Before It's Too Late.  My current book project, Bug Out Vehicles and Shelters: Build and Outfit Your Life-Saving Escape, will have an entire chapter devoted to using bicycles as bug-out vehicles, including how to set them up for the purpose and how to get the engine (your body) fit for the task. 

Whether you ever need to actually use a bicycle to bug-out or not, riding one is a good idea for many reasons, $4.00 per gallon or higher gas being one, as that post points out.  Another excellent reason is for the physical fitness, which you need no matter what your survival plans are.  I read this just as I got in from a two and a half-hour ride today.  I've been trying to put in at least three good rides per week to make up for all the time I'm having to spend at the keyboard working on these book projects.  In my last post, I mentioned an overnight trip on my KLR 650 dual-sport motorcycle.  Here is a photo taken just today of my other favorite two-wheeled transportation during a break in today's ride. 

This one is a Schwinn Voyager that I purchased new in 1994, along with a full set of front and rear Cannondale panniers.  This was one of the last quality Schwinn touring bikes sold here when they were still making them with high-quality lugged Chro-Moly steel frames and decent components.  The Voyager was specifically designed for loaded touring, with relaxed geometry, a triple chain ring for a wide range of gearing, and brazed-on eyelets for front and rear racks and three water bottle cages.  Despite its age, this bicycle has been utterly reliable for many thousands of miles and has the right blend of comfort and speed to make long,  unloaded training rides enjoyable as well.  Schwinn no longer makes a bike like this, but if I had to replace it today, viable touring options with similar build quality would be the Trek 520, Surly Long Haul Trucker, or perhaps the REI Novara Safari. 

A touring bike like this can really eat up the miles day after day, as long as you are in decent shape to ride it. While many other types of bicycles, including mountain bikes can be set up for touring or for bug-out vehicles, I prefer the road touring designs as they make it easier to maintain a decent average speed, especially in hilly or mountainous terrain.  Most touring bikes can be fitted with wider, semi-knobby tires for use on gravel or other rough surfaces.  The extra-strong, but flexible Chro-Moly frame absorbs shocks from bumps well, and holds up to carrying heavy loads. I'll post another photo of this one with the luggage attached next time I load it up. It will easily carry as much or more as you could carry in the largest backpack, yet do so at a speed that allows one to travel 40 to 100 or more miles per day, depending on terrain, fitness, weather, etc.

For a good overview on some things to consider when choosing a bicycle, here's an article that covers the basics of the many different types, as well as some points on frame construction materials: Bicycle Recommendation Short List

Bug-Out Vehicle Test: KLR 650

One of the great things about working on my current book project, Bug Out Vehicles and Shelters: Build and Outfit Your Life-Saving Escape, is getting out there in the real world and using some of the options I am writing about.  I did that this past weekend when a friend and I took a shake-down ride and camping trip on our Kawasaki KLR 650 dual-sport motorcycles.  These bikes can carry a load like a pack mule on the asphalt at freeway speeds, and then venture into the backcountry on gravel or dirt with ease.  We took a 600-loop from south Mississippi north into the Mississippi Delta country.  This particular road below ended in a backwater of the Mississippi River. It would have been a good place to switch to canoes:

Overall, it was a great trip.  We camped in one of the national forest areas in the northern part of the state and explored a lot of backroads I'd never seen despite living here most of my life.  Longer trips on these bikes are definitely in the planning stages for later this year.