Prepare for the coming apocalypse, or any other adventure life throws your way with the Polymule. This handcart will support up to 350 lbs and 15 cu ft of cargo. It can also be broken down, with all components in the body, for storage or transportation. Toolless assembly can be accomplished in less than five minutes.
The side rails are not only for pulling or pushing the Polymule, but also serve as a kickstand.
Additionally, there is an optional cover.
Tags: Kickstarter
You know, I built something similar a long time ago. Tested it out on trails and rough dirt roads. Crossed fence-lines and straight up cross-country. It sucks pulling it, pushing it, whatever. A lot of loading unloading to manage extreme terrain. If you stick to main roads, easy dirt roads its a good way to move a lot off stuff, but you still have to pull at it which is exhausting. Just buy yourself a good pack, like a Mystery Ranch Grizzly and learn to pack lite and economically. Even a hundred pound pack is easier to move around, then a survival cart. It is a great idea, but trust me, once your off in the wild yonder, it sucks!
Beats a shopping cart.
Ha ha…true!
Would be useful to have bed dimensions to fit the stirrups of a standard military litter, and/or cutouts for litter handles. Should have lifting handles at the rear, for team-lifts over obstacles.
Just for comparison, David Robert’s 2008 book “Devil’s Gate: Brigham Young and the Great Mormon Handcart Tragedy”, describes the handcarts used in the 1856 Mormon migrations to Salt Lake City, as modeled on luggage trolleys used in railroad stations. Wheel diameter 4 1/2′, Bed 3×5, empty weight 65 lbs., payload was as low as 85 lbs (based on 17 lbs. limit for each member of a 4 or 5 person team), but was usually much heavier due to broken carts, casualties, etc. The push-yoke wide enough for two people. Unfortunately, pretty light-duty, and made with fresh green wood, so a lot of breakage.
Recognize that for families with young children (those who can’t walk in a straight line) taking all their gear and youngins along, backpacks for mom and dad alone won’t suffice.
That cart is way too heavy empty
Everyone that I let pull the cart said it was surprisingly light. Remember the weight is on the axles, not your back. 😉
Bingo! I have an handicapped mom, and 4 others who THINK they know what long hauls are about… Two of these, and I can rotate the boy-children on one cart, while I carry the other one. And the price isn’t as bad as I thought it would be.
It’d be cooler if it came with a robotic mule that could be involved with more than one person at the same time
electric power assist option like on new hybrid bikes would make this a real winner
Just add a ratching anti-rollback system with a release system to the axle so you don’t roll backwards as you move up hill or over obstacles and you have it made. No one wants a runaway cart.
I’ve always though rigs like this were a good idea. Look at a lot of countries around the world and watch homeless dudes in the US. How many of them lug around huge packs? Very few and even packing light gets heavy quick when you add water on solo hiking trips.
Wouldn’t a Chinese wheelbarrow make more sense for rough terrain hand carting?
For reference
http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2011/12/the-chinese-wheelbarrow.html
I honestly believe I learned about Chinese after seeing a modern adaptation here on your website.
Wow! Great find – that’s an excellent article. I’d heard about Chinese use of “wheelbarrows”, but had never imagined they were so different in design and use from our Western wheelbarrows.
Another concept to keep in mind is the cargo bicycle, especially as used on the Ho Chi Mhin Trail. Mostly pushed, not ridden, these carried very large loads of rice and artillery rounds.