What’s maneuverable like a dirt bike

What’s maneuverable like a dirt bike, can hold two people, and is more flexible than an all-purpose tractor? It’s an ATV, and it may be the only vehicle you’ll need once you settle into your bug out shelter. Whether you’re patrolling your perimeter, carrying heavy supplies, or plowing snow, an ATV can do as much work as a number of other vehicles. Getting an ATV ready for survival mode is simply a matter of preparing it to fit your circumstances.

Transportation

ATVs were originally created to carry people across rough ground. Just because this turned out to be fun doesn’t change the fact that it can be a serious tool. If you’re in the market for a new vehicle, make sure you get one designed to carry two people. It will be sturdier and have adequate seat room and foot rests for the passenger.

As in all things prepper, stealth is key when it comes to driving your ATV around your property and on other land. If yours is cherry red or electric purple, it will be easy to spot. Get an adhesive skin to cover all the plastic body parts, and make sure the camo pattern matches the prevailing color scheme in your environment.

Hauling Goods

An ATV can replace a small pickup truck for hauling small loads such as firewood, crops, rocks, or personal items. An ATV will fit the bill while using less fuel than a pickup truck. In addition, ATVs are much more useful in wilder areas of your compound, such as hills, forest, and river beds. Look through ATV store websites to see what equipment you can add to your vehicle to make it haul-worthy. You’ll find trailers, saddlebags, cargo nets and multi-use bags, eliminating the need for a truck.

Replace a Tractor

If you have an ATV on your compound, you’re not going to need a tractor unless you are planning to cultivate a large plot of land. You can find accessories for your ATV that will convert it to almost anything a farm could need. Stock up on every add-on you think you may need, and switch them out as needed. A winch attachment will be useful for pulling dead trees or getting other vehicles out of sticky problems. Sprayers can be used for mosquito control as well as a possible self-defense accessory.

Setting up a compound in the northern half of the country? No problem. Get a snow plow attachment for when you want to reach the wood pile without slogging through snowdrifts. Add tire chains to get your vehicle through the worst snowdrifts. More farmers are converting from tractors to ATVs for their daily chores, notes Hobby Farms. Always go the with wisdom of those with experience. If it works for farms today, it will be a great asset to your compound later.