RAINFALL CONCERN
I’ve been getting a daily e-mail full of article links
from Prepper Website ( .com ) and I’ve been finding them more and more helpful
and inspirational ( I’m sure this was a minion recommendation and I thank you ). Today was an article on the western half of
the US being totally unsuitable for relocation for survival:
In short, without water you can’t do much except die,
and the West is in a century long drought.
I don’t disagree, but several things are unstated. For instance, the West has always had very
long droughts and agricultural societies have always perished because of that (
Anasazi, Mayan ). This doesn’t mean the
West is a bad place to live, it means the West is a bad place to grow
crops. Survivalists and preppers are so
concerned with civilization collapse but none of them seem to equate
agriculture with collapse, which is exactly HOW the seeds of destruction are
sown ( pun intended ). The West is good
for nomadism, not farming ( outside a few areas ). And in the meantime, just stockpile the wheat
you need to transition to that existence.
It is far cheaper than buying farmland and much safer. ALL state warfare throughout history involves
the same type of farmland. You put
yourself there, you might as well put a target on your back. The West is perfect for retreaters, as long
as they don’t think they can live as a farmer ( or, if they do farm, it is in
remote areas they migrate to after the collapse ). Don’t discount the very real danger of
crowds. Since man’s only natural predator
is man, stay away from as many as possible.
END
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My little piece of North Idaho is almost a rain forest. We get almost as much moisture as the Olympic Peninsula in Washington.
ReplyDeleteBetween Spokane, Washington and Kalispell, Montana, is a pretty nice place to live.
Land prices are pretty high for the wages in the area. However due to all the publically held land, our population density is fairly low.
Idaho Homesteader
I don't doubt there is a very real reason all the survivalists have moved up to your neck of the woods. Same as they flocked to southwestern Oregon decades ago. For us really pathetic poor boys, $3k for an acre on $99 a month payments in this godforsaken patch of desert trumps a far better ecology.
DeleteLow population density? enough rainfall to have enough to drink, while not quite enough to easily farm? The western half of the great plains have that all sown up... And if you have a rifle with a scope and a good position you can deal with hostiles at a HUGE range. There are hidden hills and gullies for concealment, some of which could hide entire towns miles from the nearest pavement. In the forest mountains of the west you would be lucky to see an army going past on the next rise, in the hardpan desert you would see their dust plume a mile away but have limited options on where to hide. The plains have harsh winters and broiling summers to keep the unprepared people away. Further though land prices are not as cheap as the actual desert they are far less for largish pieces than the forest covered mountains (ranging from $200 / acre for 40+ acres to $1000 / acre for <40 acres. If you can swing it, and endure the climate, it could be a relocation option.
ReplyDeleteOf course, I speak of the HIGH desert, a differant beast altogether than the boiling hell down south around Vegas
DeleteSo Jim, you have mentioned nomading before but I don't think you have really elaborated on your plans. I know you plan on getting water from the river but I notice you haven't brought any goats home. Where do you plan on getting them? Have you read up on the subject? Not making fun - honestly curious. Maybe hunter-gatherer would be more workable on your income, though not in your location. Head north, stop in and say hi to IH - get lost in This National Forest or That National Forest. The big problem is the same as with being a nomad; being mobile. It would be nice to have a fixed location to store all those books. Tell us what you think.
ReplyDeleteI have several imediate neighbors who are hobby herders, as it were. They may or may not be of some use ( Mexicans who might shun me ), but a very good aquantance not too far down the road who grows taters and raises livestock for a living. They are older, and less armed, so I'd be of use to them, keeping the knowledge alive.
DeleteWesterners might not be aware of a homemade (not portable) water filter that supposedly is effective in filtering out arsenic, which is common in the west, by using rusty nails to "coat" the arsenic rendering the water safe. Could increase your water supply or at least make sure it's safe.
ReplyDeletehttp://akvopedia.org/wiki/File:CAWST_Kachan.png
At first, your neck of the woods seems like a good deal because you can get in with very little money down.
ReplyDeleteHowever, look at it long term. For the last 20 years we have heated our home with wood harvested from our property. We have no back up so wood is all our heat.
Yeah, we spent a little on a chainsaw and for gas and bar oil. So take a year off and call it 19 years of free heat.
Plus, we don't need air conditioning.
We collect rain water in cisterns for our house water so no water bill after the cost of cisterns and rain gutter.
We hunt right out the front door for elk and deer. We also grow a big garden and sell some of the surplus which pays for the seeds, etc. Our garden water comes from a pond filled with rain run off.
We bought a wood mizer saw mill so after that initial investment and a little money for gas and blades, we make our own lumber.
So I guess it is different approaches to survival. I am willing to spend money up front in order to keep my long term expenses really low.
I also try to get everything I can to pay for itself. For example, raise enough chickens to sell so my expenses are covered for the ones I keep. Sell some furniture, etc that we build so I can pay for the woodmizer so my wood is essentially free.
Not saying that this is a better way. It's just a different approach to long term cheap living.
Idaho Homesteader
I agree with everything you are doing. I also love investing now to have no expences later. What I question is if others have the time to replicate what you were smart enough to do long ago. Hey, that might be another article. Thanks.
DeleteThe main problem with places like Idaho is the mass migration from places like CA. Sure, a lot of them went there to escape the far left legislation that many of them voted in, but they also brought a lot of that with them as well. Personally, I would avoid such areas, and go somewhere less hospitable; say North Dakota, or the like? Just my $.02 Heating and cooling are best taken care of long term with Earth sheltered. You will not want to put away 7 cords of firewood each season during your short summer breaks from the cold when you are 60 years old.
DeleteEarth sheltered is of course the way to go. Here in NV, the liberal twats have pretty much ruined things as you describe- but it STILL is a lot better than most
DeleteThere on Bullion road could you use
ReplyDeletea 22 rifle to harvest meaty little freeloaders
at a feeder 25 yards from the house?
In East Texas one can see deer and calves
side by side at feeders.
Very few critters here- the ecosystem just doesn't support them.
DeleteThe critters are always looking for food. If you are curious as to possibilities you might place grain in a feeder, rake the area to show new footprints, and see who comes to freeload.
Deletehttp://www.survivalblog.com/2010/12/
four_letters_re_cooking_beans.html
quote we also keep a couple 50# bags of black
oil sunflower seeds around as the Mrs. is
an avid bird/wildlife watcher. It's a bit
more expensive for the black oilers, but
she just didn't get the variety of wildlife
when she tried the "wild bird seed" mixes.
With this regular source of quality food
available, our visitors include doves,
squirrels, raccoons, porcupines, and
black bears. Easy protein, without leaving
the yard. unquote
I can't speak for your neck of the woods James. But when I visited the high desert near the ghost town of Bodie, there were literally hundreds of prairie chickens (aka grouse) running around all over the place. I know many deserts here have the chukar partridge, as well as some species of quail.
DeleteWater exists throughout the west in rivers and streams. Even with drought and irrigation one can still find water. Scarcity is a good thing, not a bad thing. It keeps out the rifraf and naturally keeps the population at an acceptable level. As civilization collapses, be where few people are and living is hard. Most likely you have that already figured out as have I. Because you already are there you have the understanding outsiders do not. I find living in a cold dry part of the world to be appealing for that reason.
ReplyDeleteI don't know why everyone so loves hot. What else loves hot? Snakes, insects that burrow up your junk, malaria carrying bugs, skin rotting bacteria. The list goes on. As a very wise minion once quoted from the Russians, there is no bad weather just bad clothing.
DeleteI agree James. Cold keeps all of the undesirables, animal, insect, and human away!
Delete