Prepping tips for the disabled: 4 Useful items for preppers with mobility issues

04/08/2024 / By Zoey Sky

Being a prepper isn’t easy, but it can be more challenging if you have mobility issues, especially if you are worried about having to bug out when SHTF. Fortunately, some tools can help you stay mobile, like a dolly cart or wagon. (h/t to TheOrganicPrepper.com)

Note that these items may be more useful for someone with a temporary disability, like a fractured arm or a sprained ankle, not a permanent injury that requires crutches or a wheelchair.

Regardless of the cause of your mobility issue, having tools like a rolling office chair or wagon can help because it can help you get around at home or make it easier to lift heavy items.

A dolly cart

Most people often use dolly carts to move heavy stacks of boxes. But a dolly cart also has other purposes.

For example, you can use a dolly cart to wheel a generator around your home during a power outage. Just slide the generator onto the dolly cart, and move it where you need it.

When choosing a dolly cart, get the kind that doesn’t fold up. This can help prevent accidents, such as getting a finger or hand caught in the moving parts.

A grocery cart

Get a compact grocery cart so you can easily get deliveries, like packages or groceries, inside your home without having to let a stranger enter your property.

On laundry day, you can also use your grocery cart to easily carry heavy hampers to the laundry room. A large grocery cart can fit at least two to three small hampers. (Related: Insulate and protect yourself and your family from war with these practical preparedness tips.)

A rolling office chair

If you have to do chores that require a lot of bending or squatting, having a rolling office chair can help. Just wheel the chair into the kitchen to put things away on the bottom shelves or to reach the plumbing under the sink.

A rolling office chair can also help if you have an injury that requires you to keep the strain off your ankle.

The chair is also great if you have to clean out the refrigerator or do other chores that would require prolonged time squatting. You can spend money on an expensive, comfier chair, but a cheaper one that only costs $30 to $50 will also work just fine.

A wagon

A large, folding wagon may come in handy if you have to move large, ungainly packages.

Wagons are also ideal because the sides are down lower, so you don’t have to try and awkwardly squat down and lift something very large and heavy up, then back down into something like a grocery cart.

Use a wagon if you need to receive a larger package, especially if items are usually not brought right to your door and you have to walk a bit to get them.

If you’re receiving a larger item, like a piece of furniture that you need to assemble or several cases of canned goods, that are too heavy to carry, use your wagon. Move the items into it, and wheel it back to your house.

A wagon can also be used to bring things in from your car. A compact wagon can fold down well and fit in almost any trunk with plenty of room to spare.

Get a wagon with big, sturdy off-road-type wheels that roll over grass, paving stones, or other kinds of non-flat surfaces. A wagon like this will be more versatile compared to a grocery cart, which usually requires flat surfaces.

A folding wagon is also great for outdoor tasks, but if you have a wagon made out of fabric, it’s best to line it with a trash bag before moving messy things like sacks of compost for your garden. If you plan to use your wagon mostly for gardening, keep a separate wagon for outdoor use only for easier cleaning.

When preparing before disaster strikes, you should always consider how to get around mobility issues. This ensures that when SHTF, you can easily move around your home or carry heavy objects without hurting yourself.

Even if you’re temporarily or permanently disabled, as a prepper it’s important to maintain your independence and mobility. When dealing with a survival scenario, you don’t want to risk your life or your safety by having to wait for help to reach low shelves or move your portable generator to where it needs to be.

Visit Preparedness.news to read more stories about prepping and survival.

Watch this clip about how inflation has affected the price of the top 10 Costco prepping items for your stockpile.

This video is from The Urban Prepper channel on Brighteon.com.