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Advise on hauling pet supplies

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Old 09-26-11 | 09:45 PM
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Advise on hauling pet supplies

After finding a malnurished and flea covered kitten in a flowerpot outside our front door, I'm now caregiver for 6 cats. Between food and litter, I'm rarely making it two weeks before I need to make a run.

My preferred hauling bike has blackburn racks on the front and rear, so I'm wondering about just throwing a couple of 20lb bags over the rear rack, add bungees, and hope for the best. Maybe a platform to better support the bag?

Does anyone have any advice?
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Old 09-27-11 | 10:08 AM
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You might be able to find a front rack that would take one 20 pound bag, for better distribution of the weight. Also, would a container (tub or milk crate) on the rear rack make life easier than messing with bungees?
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Old 09-27-11 | 10:08 AM
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I've done the rear-rack thing, but it was more than 40lbs (more like 60-80) and it was horrible. Everything was too flexy. I made it home, but I immediately looked on craigslist for a used kid trailer.

I now tow the trailer for pet supplies. It's much easier.
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Old 09-27-11 | 10:18 AM
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Originally Posted by Dylansbob
After finding a malnurished and flea covered kitten in a flowerpot outside our front door, I'm now caregiver for 6 cats.
How did one kitten become six cats? And what did you name the kitties?
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Old 09-27-11 | 01:17 PM
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Originally Posted by roody
how did one kitten become six cats?
n+1?
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Old 09-28-11 | 10:29 AM
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The first two were just normal animal shelter rescues for my wife's valentines gift last year, Ghani and Leto. A few months later, our bad neighbors adbandoned their house and cat, who took a shying to me and became Jessica. Then a few months ago, a co-worker surogated a small litter of feral kittens, of which we took two, and then the new kitten. Still need to figure out more Dune names for all the kittens.

I ended up carrying a 20lbs bag across the rear rack and a 12 lbs bag in my front basket yesterday. Yes, it was somewhat squirrely. My wife reminded me that I have a pair of old plastic Burley trailers that I bought a few years ago to try to build a kayak trailer out of. I think I'll see how one of them does next week.
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Old 09-28-11 | 04:20 PM
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Originally Posted by Dylansbob
The first two were just normal animal shelter rescues for my wife's valentines gift last year, Ghani and Leto. A few months later, our bad neighbors adbandoned their house and cat, who took a shying to me and became Jessica. Then a few months ago, a co-worker surogated a small litter of feral kittens, of which we took two, and then the new kitten. Still need to figure out more Dune names for all the kittens.

I ended up carrying a 20lbs bag across the rear rack and a 12 lbs bag in my front basket yesterday. Yes, it was somewhat squirrely. My wife reminded me that I have a pair of old plastic Burley trailers that I bought a few years ago to try to build a kayak trailer out of. I think I'll see how one of them does next week.
Awww!
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Old 09-28-11 | 04:51 PM
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I just finished my pet supply trip. 38.5 lbs of dog food (35 lb + 10% more?), 20 lbs of cat litter, and 10 lbs of cat food. It was in the trailer, so total trailer weight was just over 100lbs. It was about 3 miles from the pet supply store to home... but I pulled the empty trailer to work this morning.
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Old 09-29-11 | 12:00 AM
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Originally Posted by dcrowell
I just finished my pet supply trip. 38.5 lbs of dog food (35 lb + 10% more?), 20 lbs of cat litter, and 10 lbs of cat food. It was in the trailer, so total trailer weight was just over 100lbs. It was about 3 miles from the pet supply store to home... but I pulled the empty trailer to work this morning.
Congratulations to a fellow Beast of Burden.

I know you had a good reason to take the empty trailer to work, but I dont know what your reason was?
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Old 09-29-11 | 07:25 AM
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Originally Posted by Roody
I know you had a good reason to take the empty trailer to work, but I dont know what your reason was?
The pet supply store is very close to work. I didn't want to ride home and pick up the trailer first. They also have limited hours, so if I would have attempted it, they might not have been open by the time I got back.

It's not a big deal if I actually PLAN AHEAD, which I didn't. I buy enough so that I only need to go every couple of weeks. I think I'll start making it a Saturday trip so I don't have to bring the trailer to work.
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Old 09-29-11 | 11:03 AM
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Originally Posted by dcrowell
The pet supply store is very close to work. I didn't want to ride home and pick up the trailer first. They also have limited hours, so if I would have attempted it, they might not have been open by the time I got back.

It's not a big deal if I actually PLAN AHEAD, which I didn't. I buy enough so that I only need to go every couple of weeks. I think I'll start making it a Saturday trip so I don't have to bring the trailer to work.
I've towed an empty trailer places like work or school for that very reason. It's also a fun conversation starter:

"How come you have an empty trailer?"

Me: "I'm going grocery shopping on my way home from work."

Them: o_O
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