Choosing Your Survival Retreat Location

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 a social 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 NOT be 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 off 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 home to 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…

You can contact Brandon Smith at: brandon@alt-market.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Alt-Market is an organization designed to help you find like-minded activists and preppers in your local area so that you can network and construct communities for mutual aid and defense. Join Alt-Market.com today and learn what it means to step away from the system and build something better.

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Do you have enough Non-GMO seeds in case of economic collapse? Seeds are the OTHER alternative currency, and if you aren't stocked, then you aren't prepared. To buy top quality non-GMO seeds at a special 10% discount, visit Humble Seed, and use the code Alt10

Making Money Abroad – Restaurant

Making Money Abroad – Restaurant

by Richlion

Opening a restaurant seems to be a popular business that a lot of foreigners do when they live in another country. It should be no surprise, as foreigners in America have been doing this for over a century. You have Chinese, Italian, Mexican and about 50 other nationalities. So, why not an American steak house or an English pub in South America?

One thing you can be sure of is, that you will get a lot of your fellow ex-pats as customers. That is, of course, you have good service and food as they are used to back home.

To open a restaurant requires a lot of money and a lot of work, but if you already have a business like this now, then it will not be much different abroad.

As you know, most people who go into business fail within the first year. Just because you are abroad and you have the first English restaurant in a town in a country of your choice does not mean that you'll be a success.

Location and knowing a lot of people will not guarantee success, either. You have to have something unique about your business. I will give you just one example to show what I mean.
Say you want to open a restaurant and you don't want to compete with them, you'll have to have what is called 'a unique selling position'. What is it that you can have that will make you stand out from the rest?

If it's a restaurant, why not make it the best restaurant that specializes in breakfasts. First, you would probably be the only one that has breakfast 24/7. then you will have all kinds of breakfast, from the Continental to the English to the Southern style (American) breakfast.

You would give large portions, have friendly and good service and a nice atmosphere. When you specialize in one area and you are the best in it, soon your name will get around and the local people will come, too.

It will still be a lot of work, but if you do it right, at least you'll be making a profit from the go. By specializing in one area of food, you will cut down your cost by not having to stock all the other kinds of food and the spoilage that goes with it. You will also not have to worry about getting a good chef that knows how to cook meat and fish dishes and all the varieties that go with it.

I think that a breakfast restaurant like this would be a success no matter where you set up business – even in the town you currently live in.

For a possible place to live, check out my property in Ecuador website.

(viviun.com/AD-136030 )

Making Money Abroad – English Book Store

by Richlion

One thing I've notice when I lived and travelled through other countries is an English book store business. Where you have enough ex-pats living in a country or tourists visiting it, you'll see an English book store.

Naturally, there has to be enough people who speaks English that lives in or visits a country that could support a store before you start one. But if you live in such a country, you can make enough money with little work. In fact, there are many countries where there are a lot of citizens that speaks English as a second language. These people would also be customers of your English book store.

The English ex-pats might know the local language, but they always prefer to read in their native language.

Some countries that have English book stores are: Russia, Ecuador, Spain and Cyprus, and Holland to name a few.

You will want to have the store in a city and preferably where tourists go. You can also have it in a sub-division where there are a lot of English speaking ex-pats living there.

Then, you'll have to arrange for shipments of books to come in. When you travel back to your country, you can buy books very cheap in used book stores, flea markets and even from stores that sell new books. Then put them on a container and ship them to your adopted country.

I've met several people who have their own book stores and make enough money to support themselves and also to travel back to see their family.

With books, you don't have the import duties as you do with other items, such as cars and electronic goods. Custom clearance is usually easier. With each shipment you do, the more you learn how to navigate around the laws.

You can also supply local bars and restaurants with books for their clients. You can also have a book exchange where the books come back to you.

Get a stamp with your book store name and phone number in it and stamp each book. This is good for book exchanges, as you will only want to exchange with past customers. However, you can buy books from tourists if they have something of interest.

Old books or books that are not selling, you can have a basket where you sell them cheaper, say $1 or 50 cents each.

Your mark up can be as high as 10 times. This is usually on books that you can buy at some flea market back home for 50 cents and sell them for $5 in your store.

Have book markers made with your company name and phone number. This along with the stamp will make good advertising.

Starting a book store will cost more money than say, teaching English, but if a book store suites your style better and you have a few extra thousand dollars, then this might be the business for you.

Now, for what country would you can you buy property cheap and that has a growing ex-pat community? You can check out my site at: www.viviun.com/AD-136030/ And if that doesn't interest you, there are a lot of other property by other people on this site.

Happy travels!

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve

How was your Christmas? I hope it was a good one.

Here are some Christmas Pictures of my wife, Jayne, and I. We spent the 24th and 25th in a hotel in Cyprus.

We hope you spent your time with your family and gave thanks for the things that we take for granted.

Why buy a home in a third world country?

Why Buy a Home in a Third World Country?

By Richlion

There are many reasons to buy a home in a third world country. Here are the most important ones:

Your money goes a lot further
Police State
The wealthy are doing it
Getting back to family life

There are other reasons, to be sure, that it's a good idea to own a home in a third world country. For this article, I'll just talk about the above.

Your money goes a lot further
Unless you are rich, you should look for ways to make your money go further. For most people, buying a home is their biggest purchase, and if you can save money in this area, you will be making the most saving on a single purchase.

If you buy in a third world country, your savings will be the most. If you move to another first world country where the same type of house in your own country is only 5% cheaper, you won't save much. If it's in a country where it's 40% cheaper, we are talking about big savings here.

Police State
If you live in America, Canada or the UK, there are many laws that take away your freedom in one way or another. That is why millions of people from these counties have moved out, or at least they own a home in another country. For many, this may not be politically correct, but many people don't care what others think when they see changes before their eyes that effects their family and business.

The wealthy are doing it
The fact that many wealthy people have homes in other countries, should make you think that they know something that we don't. The wealthy don't just have a second or third home in some other country that is expensive, they also have homes in poor countries.

Many actors and actresses, for example, have homes in the Caribbean and Central American countries.

Kevin Trudeau, who is a multi-millionaire has a home in Ecuador. Mike Adams, the big alternative health advocate of NaturalNews.com, has a home in Ecuador, too. Do they know something about Ecuador that we don't. (Do a search for their names and learn more about them.)

Getting back to family life
If you are 50 years old or more, you have seen many changes in the social way that people treat each others. It seems that good old family values are out the window. In fact, if you say you are a Christian, you'll get negative looks. What is this leading to?

In many of the second and third world countries, people still hold on to 'old fashion' values. Think about this...if a person doesn't have respect for human life, how safe do you think you'd be?

Reading today's newspapers, you'll see that crime that is happening now is not like the crime that happened when we were growing up. Some people are getting more and more sadistic and younger people are committing such crimes, too.

The above are just a few of the reasons why people are buying homes abroad.

For a home at a great value, check out this villa in Ecuador.

Happy New Year 2010

What the Extremely Wealthy Are Doing

The year 2010 is now here!

What are your economic plans? Have you made any? If not, you should.

I recently heard Kevin Trudeau, a multi-millionaire, talk on radio. He said that he knows someone who put $8,000,000,000 (that's 8 BILLION) into gold. He also knows of another very wealthy man who put 3 billion dollars into gold quite recently.

What they told Kevin is, they can afford to lose 30% of their money, but they can't afford to lose 70% of their money. In other words, the most that they will lose by putting their money into gold is 30%. If they put their money into stocks and other paper assets they could lose 70%.

Though your net worth is much less than a billion dollars, ask yourself this, can you afford a loss of 70% of your money? If you are like me, as small amount would be devastating.

You must put your money where it's safe.

Now, before you go out and buy gold coins or bullion, consider the wealthy men who bought gold. Also, consider Kevin Trudeau, too. You can be sure that these men have homes that are paid for. (They probably have several mansions that are paid for.) These people put priorities first. They made sure that the home that they are living in is bought and paid for. It might not produce the returns that they are looking for, but at least they are not worried about the bank collection agencies coming to their doors.

Another great asset is money in a home. Sure, it might go down in price, but at least you have a roof over your head. And one thing you can bet on is, the value of your home will not fall as much as stocks have done – even Blue Chip ones.

Here's great home in Conoocoto, Ecuador.

Perfect House for Your Family

You Missed a Great Hide-Away at a Great Price!

If you are looking for a safe place to live away from the increasing police power as found in America, look no further. Ecuador is the place.
You just missed a great little flat that you could have bought at $18,000 in the center of colonial Quito.

However, I do have another property 20 minutes from Quito. It's in the quite town of Conocoto, Ecuador. You can see it at www.viviun.com. Then type in 'Ecuador'. You'll find my home on the first page.

This Spanish style villa is 200 sq. meters with four bedroom, a fireplace and completely secured property. The price is less than half the price of what you'd pay for a home in America.
For more information go to: www.viviun.com