How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It - James Wesley Rawles [17]
Precipitation and Growing Season as Retreat-Locale Criteria
I have always recommended that readers do detailed study of microclimates before relocation. Start with state and regional climate data books and Web sites, then do detailed climate and soil studies using data from the NWS, NRCS, and various online resources.
My general guidance is to avoid areas that require irrigation, with the exception of the very few locales that are serviced by an end-to-end gravity-fed irrigation infrastructure. If and when the power grids go down, many parts of the western United States will quickly revert to desert. Hence, my preference is for reliable-rain or dryland-farming regions where crops can be grown with regular spring and summer rains. But here is the rub: Many of those regions are heavily populated and might not be safe in the event of a major societal disruption. So your choices will be narrowed to a subset of a subset.
When you are traveling in search of potential retreat properties, observe the native vegetation on the nonirrigated hillsides. What you see is what you’ll get when the grid goes down.
In-Town Versus Isolated Retreats
There are two distinct modes of fixed-location survival retreats: “In town” and “isolated.” The former depends on some local infrastructure while the latter is designed to be almost entirely self-sufficient and self-contained. Isolated retreats are also often termed “remote” retreats.
Not everyone is suited to tackling the tasks required for self-sufficiency. Advanced age, physical handicaps, lack of trustworthy family or friends, or chronic health conditions could rule out total self-sufficiency. If that is your situation, then you will probably want to establish an inconspicuous in-town retreat rather than an isolated “stronghold” retreat.
If opting for in town, carefully select a town with a small population—somewhere between 1,000 and 3,000 if it has a true end-to-end gravity-fed water supply, or from 200 to 1,000 if the water system is in any way dependent on the power grid. A population of more than 1,000 presents additional sanitation problems. Towns larger than 3,000 people lack a cohesive sense of community, and any town with a population smaller than 200 lacks a sufficient mix of skills and the manpower required to mount an adequate defense in the event of a true worst case. At some point over the 3,000-inhabitant threshold, it could be every man for himself. It is therefore best to avoid larger towns.
The late Mel Tappan wisely opined that if your house is at the dead end of a road at the edge of town with no nearby neighbors, then it might just as well be five or ten miles out of town—since it will be psychologically outside of the invisible ring of protection that will constitute “in town.” If you are in town you will benefit from what I call a Neighborhood Watch on Steroids. Make sure that your retreat is either clearly in town or not. A property that is in between will have none of the advantages and all of the disadvantages.
Tappan championed the concept of small-town retreating: owning a mini-farm that is physically and psychologically inside an existing small community. This approach has several advantages. Before making your decision, consider the following pro and con lists.
Advantages of In-Town Retreats:
• Better for a slow-slide scenario or a “grid-up” depression wherein the local agricultural and industrial payrolls may still be viable
• You will be a member of the community.
• You will benefit from local security arrangements.
• Ready access to local barter economy
• Ready access to local skills and medical facilities
Disadvantages of In-Town Retreats:
• Privacy is very limited. Transporting bulky logistics must be done at odd hours to minimize observation by neighbors.
• Fuel storage is severely limited. (Consult the local ordinances on storage before you buy a home.)
• Poor