Hope you had a good weekend. We are in the equivalent of 1930, Depression-wise which means the stock market has already fallen and bank failures are right around the corner. Let's not become Okies, ok?
Grocery shopping -
Too many family activities this weekend, so I went grocery shopping early this AM (Monday). There were few people in the store that day and time (good) and plenty of things to choose from (better).
Here is what I purchased:
Milk 2 gallons
Bread 2 loaves
Cheese 2 blocks
Cheese 1 bag shredded
Cottage cheese
Tortillas
3 lbs ground hamburger
1 pack bacon
1 pack baloney
2 boxes cereal
2 boxes granola
36 eggs (2 18ct)
cat litter
dog food
4 large bags frozen vegetables
Large plain yogurt
3 lbs butter
Produce will come from a farmers market type grocer down the street. The prices are better and the produce is very nice.
We already have several hundred pounds of rice, flour, sugar, salt, etc. on hand as well as many cans of basics. I picked up 40 lbs of potatoes and onions each this weekend.
Notice about the above list: There are no frozen meals (like pizza or lasagna), no sodas, no sweets (like ice cream or cookies). Only basic components to build breakfast, lunch (especially for school kids) and dinners.
Also, there is little meat. We use eggs for most of our protein and big meat, like steak, chicken or pork, is only a couple of times a week. Simply put, we don't want to go into debt for a single meal of steak or a roast chicken.
By using basics, like rice, at home, we can make filling and healthy meals every day.
This is our frugal diet in our home and we eat well. Needless to say, we don't eat out either.
Rural property -
Friday night my wife mentioned a friend from high school who grew up in a small town north east of where we live. Then the wife says how much she would like to drive out to this small town. Then the kicker; wife says she would love to live in this town if it is still the same as she remembers it.
So I grab the laptop and bingo! The town is about 10,000 souls total and 100 miles from our home.
A real estate page shows two perfect homes in our price range; one with 5.2 acres and another with 8 acres. One of the homes is relatively new and has a well, barn and multiple trees on the property.
Realistically, we are two years from making this move, but we are driving out in a couple of weeks to get a feel for the land and town.
My wife's reason for bringing this up: she is tired of living in our city (1million), the rat race, wants to be self sufficient, no longer trust the government, worried about our kids, etc. The usual litany which brings the DGI over to our side. I am a happy guy. It pays to be patient.
Tip of the day -
Have cats? Use cat litter? Do you purchase the plastic containers with the handle? Those containers have lots of uses. Now, I would not fill them with water for myself to drink, but I do use them for water storage. This weekend, I punched a dozen holes in the lid and now have a new watering can. Pretty neat, huh?
We are in tough times. You should be prepared or working on it every chance you get. Get busy, its going to be a bumpy ride.
Good luck,
Showing posts with label rural retreat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rural retreat. Show all posts
Monday, March 02, 2009
Thursday, October 30, 2008
SHTF: Where to go?
I read lots of survivalist and preparedness posts about "bug out bags" and "get out of dodge" bags. The idea is to quickly grab your 72 hour or 2 week emergency pack, a trusty firearm, jump in the Mad Max vehicle and hit the high road.
But where do you go then.
The most fortunate have a "retreat" someplace else out of harm's way. This location will be remote, have land fit for growing food and supporting edible wildlife, a permanent shelter, clean replenishing water source, and adequately covered to avoid detection.
The next "sort of fortunate group" will have a friend or family member who has a ranch, farm or other rural property with the welcome mat out for select friends and family.
The last group will be the least fortunate. They will be the refugees. They will head for the hills (translation: anywhere rural and outside of their urban or suburban environment) and attempt to live off the land.
In most cases, the land refers to..
..Any small towns and facilities including grocery stores, restaurants, hospitals, etc...
and/or any farm or ranch which happens to be in their path.
First the refugee will ask for water, directions, a piece of open ground or a some food. As they become emboldened, they will act more like locusts, straining local resources to point of breaking. Eventually, remaining towns and villages will blockade roads in and out of town to preserve what little they have left.
Some refugees will be more creative or downright dastardly. They will target state and national parks and take over cabins, shelters and campsites and convert them to permanent dwellings.
Yet others will claim empty vacation homes, lake houses and fishing and hunting camps. Some will resort to violence when the rightful owners arrive. Some will use violence to take the home or camp site in the first place. These refugees will have graduated to "raider" status at this point.
So where can you go so you will not degenerate into this sort of pariah?
First, rural and remote are is the right description for what you are looking for.
My advice is to find a county within 100-150 miles of your front door. Google real estate agents in those target counties who specialize in "rural land, vacation homes, farms and ranches". This will help you avoid the Century Remax agent looking to sell you a 3/2 with garage in a community of 22,000 residents with good schools.
Search for a minimal 2-5 acre parcel of land preferably with water (might be a stock pond, creek, lake or river access), some elevation, local game and fenced.
Visit the land and get a feel for it. Is there some sort of road access? What is on the adjoining acreage? Farm? Ranch? Meth lab?
If you like the land then how you buy it is your business, but my advice is to consider it an investment and part of your retirement savings.
Once purchased, search Craig's list for a used travel trailer. I just checked and there are plenty of fifth wheel models available. Haul one out there and camouflage it well on your land.
Bring out some barrels of water and store with your trailer. If you feel adventurous, consider caching supplies on the land, but a better be would be to rent a storage space in a nearby town.
Stock the storage space with..
- Shelf stable food like canned goods, dry foods, rice, beans, etc.
- Long term storage food like the Ultimate Family Preparedness Pak.
- Water, water filters, water storage, bleach.
- Home supplies like pots, pans, cleaning materials.
- Clothes.
- Tools, garden supplies, seeds, and fertilizer.
- Protection equipment.
- Medical supplies and medicines.
Put the supplies in water proof containers like Rubbermaid totes. This will also keep the bugs out.
If worse comes to worse and you cannot get a trailer, purchase several high quality tents and plenty of camping gear and stock some building material in your storage shelter. Perhaps you can put together a temporary shelter which would sure beat being in the radioactive wasteland of the big city.
Yes, this is not a casual endeavor. It will take some planning and budgeting. However, I know several people who have done this or are in the process of putting together a similar retreat as we speak. It is far better than "living of the land". Like a locust.
Tell me what you think!
Leave a comment or click below!
But where do you go then.
The most fortunate have a "retreat" someplace else out of harm's way. This location will be remote, have land fit for growing food and supporting edible wildlife, a permanent shelter, clean replenishing water source, and adequately covered to avoid detection.
The next "sort of fortunate group" will have a friend or family member who has a ranch, farm or other rural property with the welcome mat out for select friends and family.
The last group will be the least fortunate. They will be the refugees. They will head for the hills (translation: anywhere rural and outside of their urban or suburban environment) and attempt to live off the land.
In most cases, the land refers to..
..Any small towns and facilities including grocery stores, restaurants, hospitals, etc...
and/or any farm or ranch which happens to be in their path.
First the refugee will ask for water, directions, a piece of open ground or a some food. As they become emboldened, they will act more like locusts, straining local resources to point of breaking. Eventually, remaining towns and villages will blockade roads in and out of town to preserve what little they have left.
Some refugees will be more creative or downright dastardly. They will target state and national parks and take over cabins, shelters and campsites and convert them to permanent dwellings.
Yet others will claim empty vacation homes, lake houses and fishing and hunting camps. Some will resort to violence when the rightful owners arrive. Some will use violence to take the home or camp site in the first place. These refugees will have graduated to "raider" status at this point.
So where can you go so you will not degenerate into this sort of pariah?
First, rural and remote are is the right description for what you are looking for.
My advice is to find a county within 100-150 miles of your front door. Google real estate agents in those target counties who specialize in "rural land, vacation homes, farms and ranches". This will help you avoid the Century Remax agent looking to sell you a 3/2 with garage in a community of 22,000 residents with good schools.
Search for a minimal 2-5 acre parcel of land preferably with water (might be a stock pond, creek, lake or river access), some elevation, local game and fenced.
Visit the land and get a feel for it. Is there some sort of road access? What is on the adjoining acreage? Farm? Ranch? Meth lab?
If you like the land then how you buy it is your business, but my advice is to consider it an investment and part of your retirement savings.
Once purchased, search Craig's list for a used travel trailer. I just checked and there are plenty of fifth wheel models available. Haul one out there and camouflage it well on your land.
Bring out some barrels of water and store with your trailer. If you feel adventurous, consider caching supplies on the land, but a better be would be to rent a storage space in a nearby town.
Stock the storage space with..
- Shelf stable food like canned goods, dry foods, rice, beans, etc.
- Long term storage food like the Ultimate Family Preparedness Pak.
- Water, water filters, water storage, bleach.
- Home supplies like pots, pans, cleaning materials.
- Clothes.
- Tools, garden supplies, seeds, and fertilizer.
- Protection equipment.
- Medical supplies and medicines.
Put the supplies in water proof containers like Rubbermaid totes. This will also keep the bugs out.
If worse comes to worse and you cannot get a trailer, purchase several high quality tents and plenty of camping gear and stock some building material in your storage shelter. Perhaps you can put together a temporary shelter which would sure beat being in the radioactive wasteland of the big city.
Yes, this is not a casual endeavor. It will take some planning and budgeting. However, I know several people who have done this or are in the process of putting together a similar retreat as we speak. It is far better than "living of the land". Like a locust.
Tell me what you think!
Leave a comment or click below!
Monday, August 25, 2008
SHTF: Suburbs - Should I stay or should I go?
Welcome Woodpile Readers! Thanks for stopping by and please visit again!
Big fracas today over on TB2K about whether one should stay in the suburbs after the SHTF or flee to a pre-positioned rural location... see if here..
A lot of hotheads and hotter opinions being expressed which is a shame, because both sides are missing the real problem.
First, more people, I would hazard to guess without looking at census information, live in urban and suburban locales rather than in true rural areas.
And with the national and international scene being what it is, more and more of these suburban dwellers today are developing the prepper mindset like their rural prepping counterparts do which is "How do I prepare for what if?".
That being the case, the real problem is "how do suburban dwellers responsibly and creatively prepare for TEOTWAWKI without planning on becoming a burden to their country pals?".
Here are a few of my plans/suggestions that might be of value to the suburban dweller post-TEOTWAWKI.
1) Prep now. Buy lots of non-perishable foods, storage equipment, tools, supplies, etc. now while prices are reasonable and stocks are high. For instance, this weekend the wife and I invested in more storage buckets, water filters, OTC medicines, vitamins and other essential stuff.
"Do you really have enough food stocked when the SHTF?"
2) Put a plan in place for Day One of the SHTF for your home and family. How to get from point a to point b. Communications. Safety. Transportation.
3) Can you disguise your presence in the neighborhood? Some of these suggestions have to be done beforehand while others they day of SHTF..
a) Have measured pieces cut now and plywood over exterior visible windows from the street and rear of house once the trouble starts.
b) Erect the highest fence around the exterior rear of your property as allowed by the city and neighborhood association. (Do this now).
c) Move running vehicles to rear of home or into garage. Cover over garage windows with more plywood ( have that plywood ready now). Back cars into garage and be able to open doors manually if forced to evacuate.
d) Consider leaving one, partially disassembled vehicle in front of the house. Put it on blocks or jacks or flattened tires.
e) Put a pink or yellow typewritten piece of paper on the front door which declares the property is foreclosed and uninhabitable. (Before the emails start.. I know, a piece of paper is not going to stop a determined group of illiterate gang bangers. Rather, it is part of a complete illusion.. work with me).
f) Put a sign in the yard which states the house is foreclosed as well. See above.
g) Limit activity and leave and come only through the rear of the property. Let no sign or presence be known i.e. generators, bar-b-que grills, etc.
4) Devise a defensive strategy for your home. Early warning alarms, (can be as simple as trip wires and cans), peepholes, viewpoints, sniper nests, diversions, reinforce exterior walls, create an interior saferoom, fall back positions and escape routes. Besides your favorite firearms, purchase a number of inexpensive weapons for backups and handouts to those joining you. I particularly prefer the SKS as it is inexpensive, can take a lot of punishment and is relatively easy to use.
5) Connect with other neighbors. This is tricky because unless you know your neighbors real well, they may or may not be reliable in a scrape. I fully expect most of my neighbors to collapse under the strain or flee before hand. That being the case, my presence will be as low as possible and I plan on using any left behind resources as possible.
6) Get a replenishing water source. I am a big proponent of sand point drilled wells for suburban situations. Of course your water table must be taken into consideration and if a hand dug or sand point well is out of the question, you are going to need, at minimum, the following:
a) a creek, river or lake on your property.
b) lots of bleach, filters and fuel for boiling. (solar panel, batteries and hot plate work too).
c) Big storage like multi hundred gallon containers or cistern.
d) rain water catchment system.
Remember, your rural friends will have this same consideration as well. Just having a well on a rural property does not mean an unlimited, uninterrupted supply of water.
7) Once the back yard is hidden from view as best as possible, expand your garden. Start on this now. I have been gardening edibles for years and it is something learned over time not the day after the SHTF.
Along those lines, stock plenty of seeds, (multiple years), hand tools, fertilizer and build at least one large composting area (I have two).
8) Lay out areas where additional gardening can be done. For instance, nearby vacant lots, golf courses, abandoned backyards, etc.
Remember, most of these areas will be overgrown in a few weeks. Pick out a spot as far from view as possible and surrounded by higher weeds or grass. Create a 6 x 6 garden square, till, replenish the soil and plant. Surround with chicken wire. Leave a couple of empty five gallon buckets in the enclosure to catch rain water. Check a few times a week under cover of darkness or in early morning hours and tend.
If possible, plant fruit trees in back yard. Drive or walk your neighborhood and catalog existing fruit trees and types. I have found over two dozen good producers in my neighborhood. Know how to prune and tend to these trees after the original owners have "moved on".
9) Stock up now on anything needed to preserve food including a couple of dehydrators, canning jars (and lids!), spices for jerky, etc. Target had a starter home canning system available for less than 40.00 this weekend. That is a fast food lunch for a family of five. No excuses why you have not bought this type of hardware.
10) Get solar panels and deep storage batteries. You are not powering a fridge and clothing dryer, but a few basic appliances and communications gear. A battery powered hotplate emits no smoke like a grill or fireplace. My suggestion is to check online for panels or try a Fry's if they have them where you live. Fry's had 85 watt panels on sale not too long ago. A simple home system is not that hard to set up (or tear down and hide if need be). My neighbor has four panels he rolls out onto his side-of-house driveway on sunny days and uses them to power his workshop tools.
11) You don't have to be in the country to have livestock. Most municipalities allow homeowners to have a few chickens or rabbits. Mine allows me up to 6 hens and one rooster. I can also have goats and rabbits as long as they are not a nuisance. Better to have two laying hens now than none the day after.
12) Plan an escape route and fall back position. No plan, suburban or rural is perfect. You may have to flee as well. Have a plan.
I have a choice. For right now i am staying in the suburbs. I know the area and I have my supplies in tact. Your plan may be completely opposite, but any plan is better than having no plan at all.
Big fracas today over on TB2K about whether one should stay in the suburbs after the SHTF or flee to a pre-positioned rural location... see if here..
A lot of hotheads and hotter opinions being expressed which is a shame, because both sides are missing the real problem.
First, more people, I would hazard to guess without looking at census information, live in urban and suburban locales rather than in true rural areas.
And with the national and international scene being what it is, more and more of these suburban dwellers today are developing the prepper mindset like their rural prepping counterparts do which is "How do I prepare for what if?".
That being the case, the real problem is "how do suburban dwellers responsibly and creatively prepare for TEOTWAWKI without planning on becoming a burden to their country pals?".
Here are a few of my plans/suggestions that might be of value to the suburban dweller post-TEOTWAWKI.
1) Prep now. Buy lots of non-perishable foods, storage equipment, tools, supplies, etc. now while prices are reasonable and stocks are high. For instance, this weekend the wife and I invested in more storage buckets, water filters, OTC medicines, vitamins and other essential stuff.
"Do you really have enough food stocked when the SHTF?"
2) Put a plan in place for Day One of the SHTF for your home and family. How to get from point a to point b. Communications. Safety. Transportation.
3) Can you disguise your presence in the neighborhood? Some of these suggestions have to be done beforehand while others they day of SHTF..
a) Have measured pieces cut now and plywood over exterior visible windows from the street and rear of house once the trouble starts.
b) Erect the highest fence around the exterior rear of your property as allowed by the city and neighborhood association. (Do this now).
c) Move running vehicles to rear of home or into garage. Cover over garage windows with more plywood ( have that plywood ready now). Back cars into garage and be able to open doors manually if forced to evacuate.
d) Consider leaving one, partially disassembled vehicle in front of the house. Put it on blocks or jacks or flattened tires.
e) Put a pink or yellow typewritten piece of paper on the front door which declares the property is foreclosed and uninhabitable. (Before the emails start.. I know, a piece of paper is not going to stop a determined group of illiterate gang bangers. Rather, it is part of a complete illusion.. work with me).
f) Put a sign in the yard which states the house is foreclosed as well. See above.
g) Limit activity and leave and come only through the rear of the property. Let no sign or presence be known i.e. generators, bar-b-que grills, etc.
4) Devise a defensive strategy for your home. Early warning alarms, (can be as simple as trip wires and cans), peepholes, viewpoints, sniper nests, diversions, reinforce exterior walls, create an interior saferoom, fall back positions and escape routes. Besides your favorite firearms, purchase a number of inexpensive weapons for backups and handouts to those joining you. I particularly prefer the SKS as it is inexpensive, can take a lot of punishment and is relatively easy to use.
5) Connect with other neighbors. This is tricky because unless you know your neighbors real well, they may or may not be reliable in a scrape. I fully expect most of my neighbors to collapse under the strain or flee before hand. That being the case, my presence will be as low as possible and I plan on using any left behind resources as possible.
6) Get a replenishing water source. I am a big proponent of sand point drilled wells for suburban situations. Of course your water table must be taken into consideration and if a hand dug or sand point well is out of the question, you are going to need, at minimum, the following:
a) a creek, river or lake on your property.
b) lots of bleach, filters and fuel for boiling. (solar panel, batteries and hot plate work too).
c) Big storage like multi hundred gallon containers or cistern.
d) rain water catchment system.
Remember, your rural friends will have this same consideration as well. Just having a well on a rural property does not mean an unlimited, uninterrupted supply of water.
7) Once the back yard is hidden from view as best as possible, expand your garden. Start on this now. I have been gardening edibles for years and it is something learned over time not the day after the SHTF.
Along those lines, stock plenty of seeds, (multiple years), hand tools, fertilizer and build at least one large composting area (I have two).
8) Lay out areas where additional gardening can be done. For instance, nearby vacant lots, golf courses, abandoned backyards, etc.
Remember, most of these areas will be overgrown in a few weeks. Pick out a spot as far from view as possible and surrounded by higher weeds or grass. Create a 6 x 6 garden square, till, replenish the soil and plant. Surround with chicken wire. Leave a couple of empty five gallon buckets in the enclosure to catch rain water. Check a few times a week under cover of darkness or in early morning hours and tend.
If possible, plant fruit trees in back yard. Drive or walk your neighborhood and catalog existing fruit trees and types. I have found over two dozen good producers in my neighborhood. Know how to prune and tend to these trees after the original owners have "moved on".
9) Stock up now on anything needed to preserve food including a couple of dehydrators, canning jars (and lids!), spices for jerky, etc. Target had a starter home canning system available for less than 40.00 this weekend. That is a fast food lunch for a family of five. No excuses why you have not bought this type of hardware.
10) Get solar panels and deep storage batteries. You are not powering a fridge and clothing dryer, but a few basic appliances and communications gear. A battery powered hotplate emits no smoke like a grill or fireplace. My suggestion is to check online for panels or try a Fry's if they have them where you live. Fry's had 85 watt panels on sale not too long ago. A simple home system is not that hard to set up (or tear down and hide if need be). My neighbor has four panels he rolls out onto his side-of-house driveway on sunny days and uses them to power his workshop tools.
11) You don't have to be in the country to have livestock. Most municipalities allow homeowners to have a few chickens or rabbits. Mine allows me up to 6 hens and one rooster. I can also have goats and rabbits as long as they are not a nuisance. Better to have two laying hens now than none the day after.
12) Plan an escape route and fall back position. No plan, suburban or rural is perfect. You may have to flee as well. Have a plan.
I have a choice. For right now i am staying in the suburbs. I know the area and I have my supplies in tact. Your plan may be completely opposite, but any plan is better than having no plan at all.
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