Prepper Recon

Prepping on a Budget- Bug Out Bike

Part of prepping is being ready to bug out if the need were to arise. The most critical element to bugging out is the bug out bag which we discussed in our 7 step Preparedness Plan- Step 2. If you haven’t read it, please check it out. Just look under “Categories” on the left had side of the page and select “7 Step Preparedness Plan” then click on Step 2. Any number of things can cause you to have to evacuate or bug out. Just a few possible scenarios include a nuclear or biological attack by a terrorist. an accident at a chemical or nuclear facility, a train wreck involving hazardous materials, hurricanes, earthquakes, and prolonged civil unrest.

If it is possible, always try to stay where you are. When you are in your home, you are in a familiar environment. If you leave, you can find yourself in a more volatile situation than you left. When you gotta go, you gotta go. And if you gotta go, go fast and go first. A mass evacuation will cause a traffic grid lock. Think about rush hour traffic in your area, then multiply it times 10. This threat is why a bug out bike is part of my plan. Other possibilities that would create a need to add a bike to your motor vehicle is a lack of fuel because of shortages or lack of electricity to pump the gas. In my plan, my wife and I each have bikes that go on to the back of our car on a bike rack. We keep those bikes in good working order and ride them regularly. If you are thinking of adding a bike to your bug out plan, get some tire liners and an extra inner tube the next time you get it serviced. MR Tuffy tire liners will repel common threats to your tires like nails and glass. Also have a way to pump up the spare tube and tools to change it. If prepping has left you with a big bug out bag, it will be hard to ride with that on your back. There are some expensive and not so expensive cargo options to a bike. Baby wagon trailers can be bought for around $200. Other bike cargo trailers can go up to $400.

I like unexpensive solutions, so I modified my household hand cart to be a bug out trailer by drilling holes to accept zip ties to secure it to the bike rack. The picture just shows two zip ties, but I would reinforce that with some 550lb para cord,  available on the Amazon bar to the right of the  blog. I also zip tied a milk crate to the rack for some extra food and water storage. This would still allow me to carry a regular pack on my person. Here are some pictures. Let me know what you think and tell us what your alternative bug out transportation is.

Happy prepping!

Bug out bike