I seem to be asking a lot of questions this month, so I’ll ask one more: what do you think about purposefully creating a bug out trailer? One that’s only for this purpose, pre-stocked, and ready to roll? This would be like having a bug out bag ready to grab, only with a more stuff and all on a trailer.
I got to thinking about this very question over the weekend, in part, because we’re in the market for a new vehicle (I’m thinking about getting something that can tow) and because I know just how little can be taken with you during a bug out scenario, especially once you get all the people and pets situated.
I started to look into teardrop campers, and before I could say, “What’s this, YouTube?”, they started showing me DIY camper builds, specifically with teardrop trailer designs. I was instantly intrigued because I love ingenuity but also because it’s a lot less expensive than buying them new. It’ll also surely more reliable than anything I might find for sale secondhand.
Truth be told, something like this is probably only a pipedream; the odds of me choosing to buy a trailer from Harbor Freight, like most DIY videos show, AND then taking the time and effort to build something from scratch are slim. And because every video I watched was about teardrop trailers for camping, I wasn’t entirely sold on the idea. But then I started to watch videos on trailers for bug. Here’s one option:
Too bad the kickstarter didn’t work out because that trailer looks cool! But it did get me to thinking about what I would want to include specifically for bug out purposes. Here’s a few thoughts…
Clearly, it would need to provide shelter and some amount of warmth. It doesn’t have to be fancy or even very comfortable, and I’m sure it wouldn’t be ideal, but even if I tossed in a few sleeping bags for warmth my guess is I wouldn’t complain about how much my back hurts for at least two nights. 🙂 That said, I’d probably want a small fan, both for noise so I can sleep but also for times when it might get stuffy or uncomfortably hot inside at night. I’m not yet sure about heat. I guess a Mr. Heater would be safe enough, although I have been interested in portable diesel heaters lately since they appear to be far more efficient. That got me to thinking that extra fuel storage will be needed, though I’d hate to have to stock both gasoline AND diesel.
Cooking and hot water would surely be important. The stove they included in the video above is more than needed and probably a waste of space. Rather, a simple propane camping stove (two burner is preferable) would suffice. I’d say propane fuel is crucial, so I’d want to add at least two 5-gallon tanks, more than one hose/regulator, and maybe even a backup single-burner stove. I might also toss in a solar oven or some other solar stove as a passive means of heating water.
Speaking of solar, a small setup, with panels already mounted to the top of the trailer, and a small inverter with a LiFePO4 battery or two would suffice. Or, I guess a solar generator with appropriate panels would work. Granted, I would want to keep power draw small no matter what, so everything that uses power would need to be chosen for efficiency. Additionally, converting electronics to run straight from DC power might be wise. I might also want to use the daylight where possible, so quality windows and dome skylight would prove useful.
Food. I’d want to add freeze dried food, maybe some MREs, and a small part of me wants to say bulk foods would be useful, but probably not. Truth be told, I wouldn’t want to add any food to my trailer because it would be exposed to extreme temperatures, high humidity, and possibly attract rodents and insects. None of that bodes well for my food or trailer. This would have to be something that would be added later. As for what to add, I would lean heavily toward some sort of MRE meal. Yes, they’re not ideal and you probably won’t poop right for a week, but they’re easy and relatively stable. Freeze-dried foods would be useful to include as well, but they’ll need water to rehydrate, so maybe only include several packages. Like mentioned earlier, bulk foods wouldn’t be of use because they’ll both need water to use and be heavy. That said, I’d want to a few dozen cans of ready-to-eat soups or stew (you pick your favorites) to make things as easy as possible despite the added weight.
Water storage would be crucial, too. Whereas I might normally choose the ubiquitous Aquatainer, I’m thinking I’d want something a bit more durable and stackable, such as the WaterBrick, but are they ever proud of those! At about $6 per gallon of water stored, I’d say that’s why I never bought a set. Oh, and a shower setup would be nice. I guess a basic camp shower would suffice.
All of a sudden, I’m beginning to feel like I’m trying to go camping, lol. Alright. Back to prepping.
Yes, there’s plenty more that can and should be added. Some sort of comms, even if it’s only for intel gathering, would prove useful. Tools to make good things happen–especially repairs to components, like the solar setup–and to get you back on the road should be included. Did I forget a refrigerator? A 12-volt cooler seems like the right choice here. I’d want to add clothing, especially for cold weather and outdoors. Along with my last-minute food additions, I’d have firearms, ammo, and all the other goodies that might be needed when times get tough, ready to grab, too.
This list could go on, as you well know, so I’ll stop and get back to my daydreams about trailers.
At some point I go to thinking whether it would even be worth buying or building an entire teardrop camper. Why not just build out a very low profile trailer to haul all of the important gear mentioned above and pitch a tent, instead? That surely seems like a better use of trailer space.
Then I got to wondering if a trailer is even worth it. After all, you would need to hook up the trailer before you can take it with you, which means it needs to be readily accessible and whoever is around (if you’re not) needs to know how to hook it up properly and relatively fast. And then there’s the entire problem of hauling the trailer around during a bug out scenario. Let’s say you’ve got a truck or SUV that, without the trailer, could get around an obstacle but the trailer makes it all but impossible. What then? Seems like a conundrum.
Then I got to thinking that it might be better to get a truck and fill the bed will all of the aforementioned goodies and whatnot. Perhaps the only real problem is not wanting to drive around town with all of that gear in your truck in case it gets stolen (the gear or the truck). I guess you add a canopy to hide the gear and supplies or maybe add an entire camper trailer to the bed. I don’t know the answer here, but I do enjoy daydreaming about it. 😉
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