TOTM-September 2019 Survival Transportation

I won't have enough room to store spares until my husband and I build a garage. I have a couple of oil filters and oil, but that is about it. In addition to my Jeep, we have a riding lawn mower and go-cart. I would like to get a snowmobile because our road is on the last plowing route.
We have a 55 gallon drum for gas storage, but I have to finish the shed before filling it. I want to store it in a place that has as close to a stable temperature as possible. I have extra fluids for the vehicles that I buy a couple when they are on sale (brake fluid, steering fluid, gas stabilizer, etc).
Many of the farms around here have big gas and diesel tanks that are visible from the road. I doubt they would appreciate scrounging, but we could probably trade.
Last winter there was a severe snow storm. Plowing was interrupted, but I still had to drive my husband 5 miles to work. Due to the storm there were broken limbs hidden in the snow and huge drifts that made travel with 4wd almost impossible. The road was horrible after just a couple of days. I think if the road was not maintained that it would be impassable, even with chains, within a month in an average winter. Beyond that, I really don't want to have tracks in the snow leading right to my house. If no one else is driving I do not want to single myself out. In the winter I intend to snow shoe or cross country ski, but only if I have to do it. I am worried about trails. In the warmer months, biking would be my choice. I have a lot of spare parts, it is quiet, and I enjoy it. Anything with a motor would be saved until necessary. I wouldn't want the attention. Then again, their are so many ATVs and other toys around here that it would probably be months after SHTF before they became noteworthy.

 

Its a 339cc Kawasaki with a re-drive to a wood two blade. I took it from another ultralight to put on a trike I built and the barn burned that held the old ultralight. Lost part of the re-drive in the fire and need to machine a new prop shaft and mount to get it flying. May just make a whole new reduction drive with a more efficient cog belt than the 4 matched V-belts. Anyway, I am not sure the prop tips were subsonic when it was flying and the muffler wasn’t great.

Figured I'd create a better muffler and pipe as I think a lot of the sound resonated from the exhaust pipe section. Maybe a 3 blade Warp drive prop with a bit smaller diameter to reduce tip speed. I used to go to Oshkosh and Sun-n-Fun every year. Usually some good ideas floating around those places.

 

Have a look at KIVE props, they make some really excellent props and are really affordable!

 

you guys think too much... just go steal a car... there will be plenty available ;D

 

Well that just took all the complexity out this subject ,,,,

 

I don't like to walk, so I have bicycles with racks on the back. You don't miss much on a bike, up high, moving silently along. If I need to haul more I have cars with no back seats. I can load them with lots of stuff, protected from the weather and finger blight and move it around unnoticed. There is no potential for stealthy off-road vehicular movement in my AO which alternates between salt marsh and sand dunes, but we have lots of paved roads so fuel efficient cars that blend into traffic are optimal. Gasoline will store past six years (I think 80 months was the last ten gallons I ran, without issue.) when preserved with BG CF5 or a double dose of Stabil. Spare tires, filters and fluids are available now and take up little space. For quick spare tire changes the factory location, under all your junk in the trunk, is probably not wise. One spare in the back seat area, with jack and tire iron will let you access it quickly from either rear door, and be back on the road without making much of a target of yourself. Imagine unloading your trunk on the roadside, unable to see anyone approach from the front of the vehicle, and exposing everything to foul weather and possible unwelcome visitors.

When cars become scarce on the road it may be wise to return to the bicycle and restrict car use to emergencies. Bicycles take up almost no space in the garage and can be used as rolling transport for heavier loads if they're walked loaded rather than ridden. Spare wheels with tires already mounted are good to have on hand, stashed in likely destinations. More than any other form of transport, the bicycle is sustainable and stealthy. It can be dragged into bushes and makes no ping noise as the engine cools, has no heat signature, and requires only minimal maintenance. You can get them for free or very cheaply now. They'll be priceless when the only alternative is the shoe leather express.

 

Have you stolen many cars lately? In the 1970's I'd move friends cars around in the parking lot while they were shopping with nothing more than a coat hanger to open the door and start the car. Things are far more complicated now. The best hope might
be a bus garage or a trucking company. You'd look really low profile in that big yellow bus, pole truck or big brown van.

 

I'm researching for a new bike to replace the one "killed by auto impact"...

In the process, I'm finding all kinds of 'bike mods' type site. All very fun to look at - all relate to this topic

Handy Tricks 7: Bike Mods and Projects

has gems like this:

 

https://tomsbiketrip.com/how-to-build-the-ultimate-round-the-world-expedition-touring-bike/
on building a World Touring class of bicycle - it looks at repair and parts comparability, a subject worth spending some time researching...esp if you plan on doing your own maintenance.

 

rather than a thousand words....
V3 Mundo Cargo Bike - Rock The Bike

 

Finally, since everyone loves time-lapse Utoob videos....

 

@hot diggity s new cargo bike so smexy and useful

 

Reminds me of an accident I had using an electric car pusher and a wheelchair .

 

When donkey power replaces horsepower...

 

While the garden tractors I first posted will till large pots, once thing get back to subsistence levels..

something like this will be much more useful.




Having used these in my mis-spent youth, I am now a Strong supporter of no-till gardening and composting.

 

I used to use one like the one pictured in the advertisement in my grandpas garden . We mainly just used it for keeping up the hills . Luckily grandpa would use his trusty old Troybuilt tiller to keep the ground broke up.

 

I noticed that wasn't Alabama Red Clay! You would have to run a tractor mounted cultivator through our dirt before using one of those toys.

 

I'm planning to have both gas and diesel tractors and stored fuel to last a few years. I also plan to modify the gas tractor to burn ethanol/ fuel -grade moonshine, and yes I have a couple of stills. I had hoped to burn Straight Vegetable Oil or SVO in the John Deere 830 that I have, but the fuel pump can't handle the high temp. of SVO and I will have to use bio-diesel. Since the diesel fuel will last much longer in storage than the gas I'm thinking of using the gas-burner first and keeping the diesel for emergencies. I have a couple of older cars, but in a SHTF world you would be wiser to stay safely at home and work your ass off!