Gaye Levy
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There comes a time when every prepper takes a look at what they have done, what they are currently doing, and what they plan to do in the future. Sometimes, they retrench and rethink past preps and improve on what they have done and especially what they have learned skill-wise. Sometimes they take a break because let’s face it, we all need balance in our lives. And then there is the most difficult part which is planning for future preps, if any.
I am very good about asking questions about prepping goals and readers excel at answering. Today I want to turn the tables and share a major preparedness goal that looms on my personal horizon. This is not so much that I expect you to follow suit, but more that it is such a huge goal that you may find the inspiration to set long term goals yourself.
Fair warning. This is not a typical blog post for this site, but one that needs to be written and shared with my readers.
Getting Out of Dodge
There is an old song made popular by Kenny Rogers titled The Gambler. There is a passage in the song that says “the secret to survivin’ is knowin’ what to throw away and knowin’ what to keep”. Those are important words and although taken out of context, something I have considered when taking a look at my own preps.
The world has changed tremendously since I started prepping in 2010 and it has become time to re-evaluate one of my primary pillars of survival, shelter. Is my home safe? Is it protected? If there is a major disruptive event, will I be able to carry on while making good use of my preps?
Sadly, my answer has become no. There are many reasons because at first blush, this island location is off shore, difficult to get to, and abundant in natural resources, most notably in the form of water and trees for wood and biomass. On the other hand, the cost of living is high, and during the summer months, the population doubles with the influx of tourists.
Tourists are not prepared. Should a disruptive event (earthquake, cyber attack, EMP, you name it) occur during summer, this island in the middle of nowhere will be as chaotic as the urban core in a large city. Folks will be stranded and because we are off-shore, will not even be able to walk out.
Looming large is also the strategic location near the international border and close to the entrance to Puget Sound. With certain types of events, what is to prevent our government from stepping in and taking over our island for strategic military reasons? It could happen.
I am planning to get out of dodge.
The Survival Retreat: Is It Time?
This leads me to the goal: finding a survival retreat that offers as least some of the sustainability and security that I seek.
Here is my bucket list.
Minimum of 1/3 acre and preferably more.
Sunny space for a garden. Existing fruit trees a bonus.
Trees in the general vicinity to provide wood and biomass for heating and cooking.
Local source of water such as streams, ponds, or lakes. Bonus if a well can be dug.
Abundant wildlife for hunting as a food source.
Favorable tax environment.
Sufficient storage space for a two year food supply.
Gun-friendly.
Zoning that allows for water catchment systems and auxiliary fuel/propane tanks.
History that shows area is relatively free from wild fires and floods.
Moderate climate 20F low to 90F high.
Proximity to health care within a 20 mile radius.
Very good to excellent cell phone service.
Availability of high speed internet (for as long as it lasts).
Peace, quiet, and no tourist activity.
This list has been in the making for a couple of months and is still a work in progress. Selling my home comes first.
The Challenges
This sort of move does not come without challenges. Selling a home stuffed with ten years of accumulation is a lot of work and, in an area such as ours, can take some time.
Moving is also hard work and we are not as young as we used to be. And then there are the preps. Food, gear, and water storage will be moved right along side our household goods. The logistics promise to be a nightmare but how could I not (move them, that is)?
This will all be happening while I continue to blog and continue to keep up on my skills. Will I even have time to sleep?
The Final Word
Is this type of move to a survival retreat for everyone? Of course not. There are family, job, health, and financial considerations that may need to be met. I am fortunate to be debt free with a home that, when sold, will allow me to find a mountain retreat with plenty of water, trees, and the space and sunshine to grow a bountiful garden. Will I find everything I want? Probably not, but I am going to give it my best shot.
Let me close for now with some additional lyrics from “The Gambler”.
“You’ve got to know when to hold ’em. Know when to fold ’em.
Know when to walk away and know when to run.”
At the end of the day, we all do the best we can. Although we make mistakes along the way, being a resilient species allows us to recover and move on. Wish me luck as I embark upon this new adventure. And thank you for listening.
Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!
Gaye
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Have you ever wondered what preps I value the most? There are way too many to list so those I have listed below are a sampling of items I use all of the time and not simply tucked away for emergencies.
Note: As I was going around the house looking for things to add to this list, I had to stop. There are simply too many items so I will reserve the rest for another time.
UltraFire Mini Cree LED Flashlight: I personally keep flashlights in every single room of my house and you should too. At the time of this writing, these flashlights are with free shipping. These favorites are super mini sized, bright and waterproof. Plus, they use a single, standard AA sized battery.
Berkey Water Filter System: For in home use, nothing beats the Berkey. My own Royal Berkey represents a key component of my water preps. The Berkey system removes pathogenic bacteria, cysts and parasites entirely and extracts harmful chemicals such as herbicides, pesticides, VOCs, organic solvents, radon 222 and trihalomethanes. It also reduces nitrates, nitrites and unhealthy minerals such as lead and mercury. This system is so powerful it can remove red food coloring from water without removing the beneficial minerals your body needs. Virtually no other system can duplicate this performance.
NALGENE BPA-Free Water Bottle: These water bottles have served me well. I fill them up with water from my Royal Berkey and keep one bedside, one at my desk and another in the bathroom. Keep in mind that price-wise, some colors will be more expensive so if color does not matter, go with the cheapest (currently the green version).
RAVPower 15W Solar Charger with Dual USB Ports: This compact, three panel, solar charger will charge two devices at once, including tablets, smartphones, Kindles, and even AA/AAA battery chargers. For more information, read: Gear Review: RAVPower 15W Solar Charger with Dual USB Ports.
First Aid Ammo Kit: Okay, this is an article and not one single item but I use my first aid kit at least once a week.
Panasonic eneloop AA New 2100 Cycle Ni-MH Pre-Charged Rechargeable Batteries: These days, I try to use eneloops as much as possible. They hold a charge forever – or so it seems – and work well in flashlights and small electronics.
Grabber Outdoors Original Space Brand All Weather Blanket: I was interested in a re-usable emergency blanket so I purchased one of these based upon the excellent reviews. This space blanket is definitely “heavy duty” compared to the cheapies (not that they don’t have their place because they do).
Maximal Power FC999 Universal Battery Charger: This nicely built charger will charge charge AA, AAA, C, D, N, 9V, Ni-MH, Ni-CD, and Alkaline batteries. It has an LED display so that when you first put a battery in the charging bay, you know whether it is viable for charging or simply bad and ready to go back to the recycle box.
Amprobe BAT-250 Battery Tester: I do not know anyone that is sorry they purchased or gifted an inexpensive battery tester. Mine sits in my desk drawer and is used 3 or 4 times a week. This newer version is an upgrade from the BAT-200 and well worth the additional dollar in cost. I especially like the redesigned side cradle that holds batteries securely in place during testing – no more erratic battery readings from movement off contacts.
Morakniv Craftline Q Allround Fixed Blade Utility Knife: ANOTHER FAVORITE! Also known as the Mora 511, this is now my favorite knife. It is made of Swedish steel and is super sharp. Many Backdoor Survival have emailed me indicating this is now their favorite knife too.
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54 Responses to “Getting Out of Dodge: The Survival Retreat”
Gaye,
I have worried about your island location since I first signed on to your site. The thought of being stuck, surrounded by water doesn’t appeal to me. I guess your AZ experience didn’t work out. Being in AZ myself, that location wouldn’t have worked for me. We are in SE AZ against the Mtns and the only criteria of yours that we don’t have is 20 min. from health care. If we were that close to healthcare, we would be too close to civilization. There is helicopter service in an emergency. Good luck in your search.
Gaye, I am so happy you wrote this article. Ecstatically happy. You speak truth. All of your reasons for leaving the island are of critical importance.
I’ve been spending a couple hours a day looking at locations. My first choices, South Dakota and New Hampshire, are not going to be my final choice. I keep factoring new criteria.
My husband and I are far from young. And we are very settled. We are rural but as the crow flies we are way too close to a major city and nuclear reactor. Lacking good backyard sun, only brackish water, no mountains and idiotic firearms laws.
We have begun a Dave Ramsey style debt repayment plan so that we will have options in about two years. Might not be soon enough.
Best wishes for your search.
Gaye, I can’t remember… do you have children? Parents still living? How do you deal with them and bugging out? Are they interested? Cooperative? This has been my biggest concern: how do I get my folks out of dodge safely. They are willing, but I’m not sure, other than via vehicle, that they would be physically able to go. They are healthy, but in their 80s. My approach has been that if I cannot get them out, then I’m staying. Any other suggestions or experience you can share on this?
This is exactly where I am. We love the Pacific Northwest, BUT the land we were on was leased out from under us this past December. Fortunately, I hadn’t sold my house in Mississippi so we had a place to move to. We’re much older than you, which made it a hard task. We’ve been back for 6 months.We’re in the process of getting the house ready for sale which was our intent being the same as yours.
It isn’t easy, Gaye, with years of accumulation and children of mine considering my home as The place to store their own possessions. I’m also known as a ‘clean’ hoarder. If I can’t use something, I’ll take it because someone else might be able to use it. The house and garage are full. Like you, I continue to prepare for the inevitable (my family calls it INCASA) and learning new skills. There’s a longgggg list of things to do and yep, I don’t feel I have the time to sleep.
Your criteria has been the same for me, except the acreage. I don’t want to be greedy, yet 2-3 acres would surfice. I’m hoping God’s grace will point us to the Ozark area of Arkansas or Missouri. Actually near a wooded mountainous area far away from a coastline would be a blessing.
I doubt that I am much younger than you and my husband, Shelly is 10 years older than me. As much as I hate to admit it, age does have to play a factor in our choice of location. I wish we had done this 20 years ago.
With the exception of “excellent cell service” you have described my home to a T. We have a 9.9 acre wooded lot surrounded by another 200 acres of woods. We have a pond and a 2000 square foot garden surrounded by fruit tree, grapes and berries. The wild life is so abundant that we had to put up an electric fence to keep them out of the garden.(we have solar panel backup for the fence and small electronics.)We are in N.E. Ohio 32 mile south east of Cleveland and 30 miles north of Akron. I have spent the last 20 years developing this “Walden” and couldn’t feel more secure.
Is a third of an acre really enough? Wouldn’t it be better to have your own source of firewood rather than relying on other people’s trees? In a survival situation, those landowners might not feel like sharing.
We live in Upper East Tennessee at the foot of a large mountain. The weather is great for gardening and we have access to lots of streams. I can’t think of anywhere that would be better. Taxes are low and real estate is reasonable. I’m not sure how long the cost of living will remain low. We have no state income tax. Where I live we have chickens and goats. This used to be farming country. Hope you find the perfect spot.
Interesting article and good list of what you want in a retreat location. The only question I want to pose is this: In a catastrophic event, would you be able to leave the island?
Then again, I’m assuming you’re talking about moving before the event happens…
We hope to leave as soon as our home sells.
As you mention, leaving is contingent on selling your present home, a huge factor in today’s economy.
While laudable, one must ALSO factor in finances WRT the potential job situation. As in will I or my spouse (if applicable) be able to find suitable employment commensurate with my present wages or at least in keeping with cost of living vs newer income) as well as the expense(s) incurred by the move.
All of these topics are fraught with potential angst and concern.
I, for one, would be hard pressed to be able to undertake such a HUGE endeavor, especially if there is no friend of family at the other end to lean or rely on for the initial assimilation.
Of course, it is ALWAYS better to be looking for a (new) job/home in your OWN time and place rather having it thrust upon you unexpectedly. Otherwise, choices and options are far fewer and less desirable.
Scary indeed!
Good luck and I wish you the best!
Missouri is great. Lots of rural area, good healthcare, lower taxes. I love it here. I don’t have the prefect pepper property but I know quite a few that are very well situated. Sounds like a road trip is in order!
Northeast Missouri, we are away from the city, I looked at your bucket list the only thing we don’t have are the moderate temperatures you want. Sometimes it gets to 0 and below but not for long at a time. There is plenty of timber for you to have wood heat, there are wells on property, ponds and streams for water, plenty of wildlife for food…..abundant deer, no zoning in rural areas, and plenty of space for gardening.
Suggestion–rural Mississippi. The only criteria not met is that it gets HOT in summer. The upside to that is a very long growing season. There is acreage for sale in Franklin, Amite, and Lincoln parishes. For a little cooler area (not much, but a little) there is the Northeast corner of the state around Corinth.
Gaye,
I’ve been following your blog/website for quite some time now. I have to admit this particular article took me a bit by surprise as I was under the impression (admittedly, now wrongly so) you and yours had found “the spot.”
Accordingly, I’d like to introduce you to UtahSafeHaven.com … my parent company has been selling undeveloped land (i.e., prepper properties) in and around Duchesne County, Utah for 25+ years, all with owner financing. Our properties include small campsites as well as larger lots. Our “bread & butter” is in the 5- and 10-acre range, with the occasional parcel going to 20- or even 30-acres (we have those particular mountain properties coming on in the not too distant future).
Duchesne County is one of the last, if not THE last, “unrestricted” counties in the country. For example, while in the rest of the state a water right must first be purchased before one can drill a well, that’s not the case in Duchesne County. Simply purchase a drilling permit for $150 then contract with a local driller.
I’d like to invite you to come visit us … both our website and in person. Utah is a GOOD place for preppers!
Skip Wiarda
Utah Safe Haven
1-844-BUGOUT2
You were not misinformed. This has been the ideal spot for 10 years with the exception that our property does not have the space or the sun for gardening. Things have changed, however, in the last 18 months. Tourists have taken over fostered by the likes of AirBNB and VRBO. Local government refuses to acknowledge or prepare for a disruptive event that would leave them stranded.
Also, world conditions have changed making this location strategic for military occupation.
I will check out your site later today.
Thank you very much for the info, Skip.
Skip – looked at the website – looks alot like desert so access to water would be of concern as would raising any crops/food – yes, wells can be dug but do run dry especially in dry years. Summer heat might be of concern as well. Also, what about access to high quality medical care?
Pepper – I’ve a number of possible retreat properties available, from sagebrush to high mountain. One particularly suited to preppers is 6-1/4 acres – half in flat meadow, half in heavy woods. The west end of the lot (where I’d personally place my cabin) overlooks a lush river valley.
While true that a well – any well – can run dry, it hasn’t happened on a wide-scale in Duchesne County in recent memory. ANY well can run dry, rivers and streams as well. Our properties are located between/around two large reservoirs.
Some of the best medical care in the country (I’m particularly enthused about our local VA system) is available in the Salt Lake valley just a short 90-minute drive away.
If I could be of any further assistance, please let me know.