Deer Cart

[Matt In Oklahoma]

One of the ideas recently was to use a deer cart to move water. This is a good idea as they are designed for weight and rough terrain. My son and I built our own several years ago. We hunt public where no 4 wheelers are allowed and dragging the deer over the loose shale on hills leaves alot to be desired. It' s very abrasive on the animal. Some of the swamps I hunt and the plains buffaloe grass makes movement with an animal difficult. We decided to get a cart and after looking at the prices we were not going to be able too as season was rapidly approaching.
We decided to build one. I had some pieces of 1x steel tubing, some left over expanded metal, hog panel and an old refridgerator rack and my sons old bicycle. It took my small wire feed welder and a recipocating saw. No other tools were really needed. We used a few leftover cans of spray paint to keep the rusting down. We did use a grinder to smooth out the edges.
The only money we put in it was 2 ratchet straps and 2 solid tire tubes. They are worth the money in sticker country. I have rountinely moved 2 deer at a time with backpacks on this. We broke a weld once dropping it down a ravine to get where we were going. Easily fixed. We JB Weld(ed) it at deer camp and it held till we got home.
We have under $30 in this project and have used it for 5yrs now.
The point I'm trying to make on this post is that a lot of the time as "survivalist" we become to caught up in the consumerism. Skills, know how and ideas are what will pull you thru. Post SHTF we will have to rebuild, we will have to build as needs expand and in every day life we need things. If you put looks aside and go for practicality you may find you even build a better product than the chinese!

[Monel]

Good Job! No need to spend a lot when you have time and skills to build it yourself!

[mosinfan]

i like it.i might have to build one sooner or later until then my buddy uses his four wheel drive toyota.

[DIM TIM]

Good Job there MATT.

Yeah, the store-bought carts can cost you a bit, but for the mechanicaly impaired folks of the world, that is the way to go for something like that. I have started to assemble the materials for a series of bicycle trailers for myself, the wife, and our son.
As I do these builds, I plan to not only make them so that they can be towed behind our bicycles to carry gear and what have you, but to also make them so that they can be handled like the Vermont Garden Carts, and pushed or pulled around by hand. For those of you that are not familiar with the Vermont Garden Carts, this is the link to them. http://www.cartsvermont.com/
And for those of you that are handy at building things and would like to build your own, than this page is the place for you.

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/sanders45.html

Smaller carts are more manuverable, but regardless of the size, a good cart that will help you carry your stuff around is a definite plus for your stored gear. Bicycle trailers are all over the web, and all you have to do is type in that term to your search engine field, to get all of the links that you could possibly want for that subject

[Matt In Oklahoma]

@DIM TIM I'd like to see those pics once they are built

[EX121]

Nice cart. I've thought about modifing one of those big double baby "jogging' strollers, the kind with the big 3 wheels. But it on my "round 2 it" list.

[DIM TIM]

Yeah MATT, between the wife and my son, we now have a couple of digital cameras to take photos to share on the web. As soon as I get a few builds done like this, I plan to figure out how to use them and do it and then share a bunch of them with everyone. Eventually I will get my own camera to do it with.
I even have a bunch of builds planned for things that will allow us to live a civilized life even if TSHTF or in case of TEOTWAWKI. Just because the rest of the world melts down, doesn't mean that survivalists and preppers have to be sucked into the abyss with everyone else. Thus is why we prepare.

[monkeybird]

Just a question. Why not use 4 wheels?

[Rmplstlskn]

Just a question. Why not use 4 wheels?

I assume the need for additional engineering (swiveling wheels) and weight (4 wheels with hardware)...

The only thing I would change for MY AREA is make it narrower so it could fit on hiking trails and wooded paths... Maybe center the wheels so that the wheels carry the weight like a balanced see-saw rather than like a wheelbarrow. That way, my work would be mainly balancing it and pushing/pulling it, rather than lifting weight as well.

If one had to bug out long term (more stuff), without security concerns (evacuation), with no ability to use a vehicle, these carts would be a life saver...

Rmpl

[Klayton]

there are pros and cons for 2 wheel vs 4 wheel...

2 wheel has simplicity in design
2 wheel has lower construction cost
2 wheel design is usually lighter (less for you to have to exert to push-pull)

4 wheel has higher cost
4 wheel has better balance issues (not requiring you to lift, only push-pull)
4 wheel more complex to design
4 wheel requires a brake (SHTF while moving, you drop to the prone, and without a break, your cart keeps rolling, bad bad mojo)

and remember, think OUTSIDE THE BOX, why not 3 wheel? 3rd wheel being the rear wheel, NEVER the front wheel...

all being said, i would actually go with a 4 wheel if i was preplanning, and most likely a 2 wheel if it was a "need it now" kind of item :)
hope this helps

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Just a question. Why not use 4 wheels?

I only had one bike :) LOL
naw seriously for water and stores 4 wheels might be ok but for deer in the rougher terrain 2 wheels and I only had one bike LOL

[Klayton]

Matt! You made me think for a second, thank you!!!

CHEAP BIKE PARTS = SALVATION ARMY!!
most bikes sell for $10

:)

[Rooster]

Yep - good stuff. Deer carts are the bomb - I got both of mine from the stores, Cabella's and Sportsman's Warehouse ... but I may have to try to construct another one after reading this thread.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Hunti...%3FN%3D1100183