The
Realities Of Choosing Your Survival Retreat Location
provided by: Brandon
Smith
Unfortunately,
having a ‘Plan B’ just isn’t the modern American way. The great and
diabolical misfortune of having two to three solid generations of assumed
prosperity in one’s culture is the side-effect it has of lulling the populace
into comfortable apathy. “Prepping” becomes a kind of novelty; a
lifestyle that people joke about while planning out their next vacation or
their next suburban home purchase. It’s something that others consider in
that fleeting moment in front of the television while witnessing the news of a
catastrophe on the other side of the world, only to be forgotten minutes after
changing the channel. Such things do not happen here. Not in the United
States…
I am a child of an age laden with illusory wealth, and have benefitted (for a
short time at least) from the financial fakery of our economic system, as have
many Americans. Most of us have not had to suffer through the unmitigated
poverty, hopelessness, and relentless fear that are pervasive in harsher
days.
All
our problems could be cured with money, especially government money, and as
long as the greenbacks were flowing, we didn’t care where they came from.
Ultimately, though, the ease of our well-to-do welfare kingdom has set us up
for a cultural failure of epic proportions. Anytime a society allows
itself to be conditioned with dependency, its fate is sealed.
We do not know what crisis really is. Many Americans barely have an
inkling of what it entails. We imagine it, in films, in books, and in our
own minds, but the fantasy is almost numbing. We lose sight of the
tangible grating salty rawness of the worst of things, while imagining
ourselves to be “aware”. Most people today are like newborns playing
merrily in a pit of wolves.
Preppers, on the other hand, are those who seek to understand what the rest of
the public goes out of its way to ignore. They embrace the reality and
inevitability of disaster, and suddenly, like magic, they are able to see its
oncoming potential where others cannot (or will not). The price they pay
for this extended vision, however, is high…
I see the prepper generation as a generation of sacrifice; men and women who
must endure the collapse of the façade for the sake of an honorable future
society they may not live to experience. Modern day Cassandras?
Hopefully not. But, certainly a group of people who have lost much in the
path to knowledge. We lose our blissful naivety. That which once
easily entertained us becomes banal and meaningless. We set aside many of
our dreams to make room for the private and public battle we must wage for the
truth. And, in the early days of our awakening, we tend to lose sleep.
The primary advantage of this otherwise complex life is actually simple:
we have a ‘Plan B’.
Independence, self sustainability, true community, and redundancy in systems;
it’s all in a day’s work for the prepper. But, one thing tends to sit
upon our minds above all else, and that subject is ‘home’. Not
necessarily the home where we are, but the home where we will shelter during
darker days. Call it a retreat, call it a bunker, call it whatever you
like, but every prepper has to have that place set aside that gives him the utmost
advantage while facing off against calamities that normally annihilate average
people.
Choosing a retreat can be easy, or so difficult it explodes your brain
depending on how you approach it. The problem I see most often with those
seeking a back-up location for a collapse scenario is that they engage the
process as if they are still living in 2006, hunting for their McMansion with a
view on the sunny hillsides of Colorado or California, instead of thinking in
practical terms.
So,
to help clarify a more fundamental approach to choosing a survival retreat,
here is a list of priorities that cannot be overlooked:
Property Placement
You may be searching for a homestead property or a more discreet retreat area
for only the most violent disasters.
In
either case, property placement should be your number one concern. Where
is your subject property located? What are the strengths and weaknesses,
economically, socially, and legally, in the state you are considering.
What is the disposition of the government and law enforcement in the county
your retreat resides in? What kind of environment are you surrounding
yourself with? These are all very important issues to consider.
Even more important, though, are the dynamics of the land you are
choosing. Are you looking for a typical flat piece of developed farmland
with easy access to roads and town amenities? Then you are going about
this all wrong. Are you purchasing a cabin in the woods where you and
your family will be isolated and alone? Again, not very bright.
The ideal retreat location is a combination of
rugged terrain and varied topography that
is just accessible enough, and set in proximity to like minded neighbors who will aid each
other in the advent of asocial implosion.
It may feel strange to consider it at first, but try to think in terms of an
aggressive party: a looter, a criminal, or just a hungry refugee.
Now, take a second look at your retreat selection. Is it easy to wander
into? Can a person stroll right up to the front door, or do they really
have to spend a lot of time and energy to reach you? Is it within sight
of a major highway?
Is it
in the middle of a funnel or valley which people would naturally take to get to
a tempting destination? Is it flat with little cover and concealment, or
is it nestled in the midst of hills and crevices which can be used
strategically? How many routes in and out of the region are there?
Crops can be grown in any area with any climate if the correct methods are
used. Energy can be produced with a multitude of technologies and
tools. Structures can be built to adapt to the materials that are most
abundant in the region. However, once you commit to a particular
environment and terrain type, you are stuck with it for good. Choose wisely.
Community Network
As mentioned in the section above, isolation should NOTbe
the goal here. The concept of the lone wolf survivalist waiting out the
implosion with his family in a secret fortification is not realistic, or likely
to work at all. In the most volatile of collapses, such retreats only
offer a tempting target for unsavory characters, from Bosnia to Argentina and
beyond. If you don’t have a
community of preppers around you, you have nothing.
Ideally, choosing a retreat location, especially for a homestead in which you
will be living on a day to day basis, should be done with multiple families
involved. The more preppers involved, the larger the perimeter of warning
and defense, and the safer everyone will be.
It is
not enough to have a friend or two on the other side of town, or to have a
couple neighbors who are open to the subject of collapse but have made no
efforts to prep. A return to a true community foundation is the surest
way to secure your retreat. There WILL be people who will wish to take
what you have in a crisis situation. Your best bet is to surround
yourself with people who already have what they need…
In Montana, I have used the idea of “Land Co-Op Groups”, expanding on the
barter networking concept to include helping people of like-mind to meet and
find property within proximity of each other, or to choose mutual retreat areas
where there will be safety in numbers. Explore real estate markets near
family members who are on the same wavelength. Talk with existing prepper
communities and see if you might work well together. Form your own group
of land seekers and make purchases together, saving money for everyone.
Know who you will be weathering the storm with!
Defensibility
This has been mentioned in previous sections, but let’s establish what
defensibility truly involves. Do the natural features shelter you, or
hinder you? How many lanes of sight are near your retreat and will they
work to your advantage, or someone else’s? Is your homestead on the top of
a wide open hill and visible for miles around?
Will
attackers exhaust themselves attempting to reach you? How much warning
will you have if someone is approaching your location?
Make sure your surroundings work for you. Folds in the land topography
not only offers greater surface area for your money, but also cover and
concealment. Forget about beautiful views, perfect soil, and room for a
gazebo. Is the retreat actually protecting you or not? If this
single issue is not considered and resolved, nothing else matters.
This is why I recommend starting from scratch with raw land if possible.
Many people dislike the notion of building their retreat or homestead from the
ground up, claiming that there is not enough time, or that the project will be
too costly. This is not necessarily true, especially for those who plan
the construction of their retreat around off-grid living strategies. Raw
land purchases, depending on the region, can be highly affordable.
Building using present materials, like native timber, reduces costs
drastically. And, as long as your house plans remain simple, construction
can be started and finished within a matter of months.
When building from scratch on raw land you have chosen using the guidelines
already discussed, you can place your living quarters in the most advantageous
position for defense, while being able to reinforce the home itself as you
go. For those using an existing structure, the job becomes a bit more
difficult. Additional fortifications will have to be planned carefully to
adapt to the framework of the building.
Weak
areas of the property will have to be strengthened using fences, walls, or
strategically placed vegetation that frustrates approach. High points in
the terrain should be used to establish observation posts. At every
moment of the day or night, someone must be awake to keep an eye on the
surroundings. Respect the realities of a collapse, instead of
disregarding them, and your chances of success increase a hundred fold.
Water Availability
Many would place water resources at the very top of this list, and having an
ample supply is certainly vital. Digging a well is a must. Building
in proximity to a stream, river, or lake is even better. That said,
rainwater collection is a viable supplement to weaker indigenous water supply,
along with water storage done in advance of any event.
The
average adult human being needs approximately 2.5 liters of water per day to
survive comfortably. The common vegetable garden needs around 2” of
watering overall per week. Bathing and general hygiene requires several
gallons per week depending on how conservative you are. It is important
to gauge the water production and storage capacity available at your
retreat. If the math does not add up, and if rain collection is not
enough to fill the gap, then move on.
Find
an area that will sustain you with water, but do not neglect the rest of the
items on this list just to be near a roaring
river…
Food Production
This is an area with far more flexibility than most people seem to
realize. With the right methods, a garden can be grown in almost any
climate, and at any time of the year, even winter. Every retreat should
be fitted with a greenhouse, and this does not require much expense, or even
energy to build. Makeshift materials often work wonders and the cheapest
greenhouses tend to supply as much produce throughout the year as expensive and
professionally built models.
Raised bed gardening is efficient, requiring less water, and producing more
food than typical gardens. Small orchards are possible depending on the
climate and elevation of the property. Wild edibles in the area should be
cataloged. Find out where they grow in abundance, how to cook and prepare
them, and which edibles you actually enjoy eating.
Animals require at least some acreage. Two acres being the minimum if you
plan to raise several species. Goats, chickens, and rabbits are much
easier to squeeze into a smaller parcel than cattle or horses, and draw much
less attention to your retreat. A single milk producing cow and a bull,
however, have the ability to keep your family healthy and fed for a
lifetime. The trade-off is up to the individual prepper. The bottom
line is, the number of animals you plan to raise determines the amount of open
field you will need to clear on your property to provide the grasses and
feeding area they will require.
Proximity To National Forest
Another aspect to consider is how close your property is to national forest
areas or unclaimed and unpurchased acreage. Perhaps you are only buying 5
acres of land in a well placed area which borders thousands of acres of forest
service. Not only have you purchased the use of 5 acres, but the
potential use of thousands of acres through attrition, while guaranteeing that
no unpleasant or unaware neighbors will move in too snug next door.
Abundant
resources will be at your fingertips in a post collapse scenario, including
timber, wild game, possible minerals, caching sites, secondary retreat
locations, etc. The advantages are numerous…
Secondary Retreat Locations
Never put all your eggs in one basket. We hear that warning all our lives
but few take it to heart the way they should.
I
have dealt with many a prepper who has become indignant at the idea of having
to leave his hometo escape danger, claiming that they would “rather die” than
have to beat feet to a secondary location. I personally don’t get
it. Fighting back is admirable, but fighting smart is
better.
There is nothing wrong with living to die another day, and this
is where the multiple retreats
strategy comes into play.
Some survivalists live in the city, and have set up a retreat in an area
distant but reachable. Others have taken the plunge and uprooted to start
a new life on the grounds of their new refuge, leaving behind the metropolis
and sometimes even their high paying jobs. In either case, they have done
far more for their futures than the average American has even vaguely
considered. However, it is not quite enough…
Back-up retreat locations should be chosen in remote areas near your primary
retreat, and very few if any people (even friends and associates) should be
told about these places. Keep in mind, these are last ditch survival
spots. They are not ideal for long term living arrangements. Little
if any infrastructure will be built in these places, and all shelter materials
should be heavily concealed.
Caching
sites should be set up well in advance and placed on at least two separate
routes to the same location. You should have no worries over whether you
will be able to feed, clothe, and protect yourself on the way to the emergency
site. Hidden approaches to the area should be scouted ahead of
time. A viable water source should be present nearby.
Thinking Ahead: It’s Pure Sanity
There are all kinds of excuses for not doing what needs to be done.
Americans have an ingenious knack for rationalizing their own laziness and
inaction. If you want to know how to get ahead in the world of prepping,
or just the world in general, all you have to do is become a man or woman who
makes a plan, and then follows through on it! Welcome to the top ten
percent!
One excuse that I do in some instances take seriously is the problem of the
conflicting family. We all know a prepper or two whose spouse or children
are not on board, ridiculing or even obstructing their efforts. When
expenditures of cash (or large expenditures of cash in the case of a property
purchase) are in debate, the tensions can be crippling. In every disaster
there are oblivious masses which make things hard on those who are aware.
From
the Great Depression and Weimar Germany, to New Orleans after Katrina, it is
not uncommon for people on the verge of starvation and death to still assume
that government help is right around the corner and all will be right as
rain.
All I can recommend to those struggling with the survival-impaired is that you
educate friends and loved ones on the nature of recent events like Katrina, or
the economic collapse in Greece and Spain, or the tsunami and subsequent
reactor meltdown in Japan. Show them that this is real life, not a
cartoon. Make them understand that they are not immune to the tides of
catastrophe, and that preparation is not only practical, but essential.
Survivalism is not a product of insanity; it is merely a product of our
precarious times. A disaster is only a disaster for people who are not
prepared for it. The only madness I see before me in our country today is
the madness of those who believe themselves immune to the fall of the
curtain.
The
true “insanity” rests in the minds of men who presume tomorrow will be exactly
like today, and that the comfort of their existence is law, a foregone
conclusion, set in stone, forever…