Survival Wagon Idea - Recreation Or Reality TV

[Turtle]

___I have dematerialized my film camera & have instead a video camera with infrared nightvision. I have indeed thought I might catch some images of crypto zoologic interest. Imagine me pushing the wagon from behind while watching on TV the road ahead through IR in the dark.

[Turtle]

___After moving the wagon to a new home & pushing & pulling it around on various terrain, I see it's going to take a real disaster for me to set out anywhere with it. It seems with a 500 pound wagon at least 2 people needed. I'll just keep it around in case. Another obsessive/compulsive episode laid to rest.

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by Turtle

___After moving the wagon to a new home & pushing & pulling it around on various terrain, I see it's going to take a real disaster for me to set out anywhere with it. It seems with a 500 pound wagon at least 2 people needed. I'll just keep it around in case. Another obsessive/compulsive episode laid to rest.

___Nothing like a disaster for renewing interest in survival. Just so, I have spent some time re-configuring my wagon in order to bring the weight down & put it in better working order.
___In light of the Gulf coast mess, I have to say officials & scientists have warned of this for years. Whose fault is it when people don't prepeare? Have you prepeared for an emergency? Loss of power, water, fuel, shelter, defense? Why or why not?

[infamous]

Originally Posted by Turtle

___Nothing like a disaster for renewing interest in survival.

Hey Turtle, I just had another idea for your Survival Wagon. After what happened on the gulf coast, you may want to be able to float this on water. Build it so you could ride afloat on it and you might want to have an oar or two also? Nothing like being prepared, right?

[Turtle]

___A concern I have held for some time Infamous! The pneumatic tires have some flotaion, as does the hermetically sealed steel box aboard. I figure if I empty my water containers (about 10 gallons), I may have sufficient buoyancy to stay afloat.
___Have you started a wagon yet? What do your friends think of the idea? Shall we plan a wagon trip in the Northwest for next year?

[infamous]

Originally Posted by Turtle

___A concern I have held for some time Infamous! The pneumatic tires have some flotaion, as does the hermetically sealed steel box aboard. I figure if I empty my water containers (about 10 gallons), I may have sufficient buoyancy to stay afloat.
___Have you started a wagon yet? What do your friends think of the idea? Shall we plan a wagon trip in the Northwest for next year?

No I'm sad to say, I haven't started building mine yet. I'll be turning 63 in a couple of days and most of the adventure in my life has already taken place. If I were a little younger I would absolutely build one for myself. BTW, everyone I talk to about this idea thinks it's a cool idea. Listen, if I were 20 years younger I'd be making that trip with ya, but unfortunately I don't think my health would allow it. It's a tempting thought Turtle, I only wish it were possible.

[Buffy]

Hey you could add some collapsable struts to the outside and wrap a big rubber tarp around the bottom: the struts would expand the volume of water the thing displaces and keep it afloat even if you don't empty the water jugs (which you really are not going to want to do for survival!). You'd really need to engineer it well though to make sure the struts (and probably lateral hoops for support) did not collapse, but I'm sure it could be done!

Cheers,
Buffy

[Turtle]

___I think you may have something there Buff. I have tarps on board (big camo ones, the hunting camo kind that is sooo cool ), & I can tie my collapsable bridge on the wheels for struts. Sounds like a science problem: Turtle has a wagon 4ft. long, by 26" wide, by 4 ft. tall. He wraps it with a tarp to 3 ft. from the bottom & loads the wagon to 350 pounds; how far does the wagon submerge?

[Boerseun]

Neat idea!

However, a wagon implies having to go through an urban disaster, or something where your wagon can comfortably roll over the land, i.e. roads or sidewalks. So I suppose if you wanna take it off-road (either to go around a huge traffic pile-up or take a short cut) you'll need fat tires so it doesn't sink or get bogged down in the soil.

So why not go completely minimalistic and kit out a decent backpack? Then you can bypass the urban chaos completely in the wake of any such disaster that would require a survival wagon? Maybe build a little frame with small wheels like luggage has got to pull it around airports, so that you can pull it when the terrain allows, but when you have to go completely off-road, you can just heave it and go!

As a reality TV-show idea, we should have a face-off! Your wagon pitted against my backpack! And then afterwards we can have a survival wagon/backpack makeover!

[Turtle]

___Good points all Boerseun; that's getting into the spirit. Besides an obsession with gadetry as a reason to have a wagon, the last disk in my spine is crushed & I can't bear the weight of a heavy pack. Ergo, a wagon, which I can pull with a belt around my hips & so avoid the bad disk.
___My wagon has fat tires (I will get some blurry stills up for you all) & I have tried to account for the roughest of terrain. I have a hand winch, an electric winch (both 2,000 pound capacity) & over 800 feet of rope. I have added my own eye bolts for securing hauling lines & made an effort to have everything tied or strapped down. I have a bridge that collapses (only 6 feet so far) & as we have discussed, I think it will float & if not it is waterproof enough to pull across a stream submerged.
___Then I have a tent, tarps, tools, water filters, weapons, & assorted camp gear. A 60 pound pack is a good load for someone in shape, but my deep cell battery weighs 52 pounds by itself. Now I do have a pack fram (well suited as a pulling belt because of the hip band) & as a trip progresses, anything is subject to leaving behind up to & including everything. (leaving you naked with a stick )
___For a contest, we may simplify by simply requiring each team carry 500 (2 people) pounds of gear; then it's up to the team to decide how best to do that.