AMIDST A SEA OF ASSHATTERY
Living in an urban environment is scary for survivalists. They are surrounded by a teeming pulsating
sea of asshattery. You have experts
advocating nothing but wilderness retreat living on the one hand, and those
calling for suburban Bugging In on the other.
Each side is basically clueless, of course ( to set the record straight,
99% of my advice is on surviving the economic collapse. Beyond that, all is speculation and subject
to too many variables. I try to always
include both sides of the argument, even if sometimes space and time
constraints preclude such ). Each
presents compelling arguments, but each misses the mark widely. Look, no matter what you do, it is the wrong answer
for something bad happening, just as it is the right answer for other negative
events. All over the world, poor
peasants flock to cities as they can’t own their own land. The city is less than ideal, as each arrival
lessons the odds of food and employment for all the rest. But what choice is there? Likewise, Bugging In is the only choice for
those stuck by circumstance. Far from
ideal, of course.
*
I’m not saying you should live in the city. But I am saying, living in the country is far
from a magical talisman for survival.
For every one of you at a retreat, all it takes is a nearby two or three
to defeat you. If you live ten or
fifteen miles from a very small town of two hundred people, you are already
outnumbered and outgunned. To proudly proclaim
that country boys are honest and freedom loving and help their neighbors is to
ignore a crucial question. “Are those
survival traits in a severe resource contraction”. Of course they are not. In today’s First World, there are no
tribes. To get from the Now ( no tribes
except nation states ) to the Then ( after the messy rearrangement going back
to protection of a tribal unit ), you need to get people together, AND either
provide for them or have them provide for themselves, and that is a very tall
order in today’s economic arrangements.
*
You CAN’T state for a fact your presently friendly neighbors will join
your tribe Come The Time. They could
become your enemies. Come collapse, it
is every family for itself, and sometimes every man for himself. Whatever benefits THEM, not YOU, is what they
choose. The country has more
self-sufficient homesteads than the city, and the city has more bastards per
square yard. But country people won’t be
moving to the city ( unlike in Third World countries ). City folk will be moving to the country. You would have to be very remote to see a
population decline rather than increase, in the country. Whereas the city will see population
declines. Again, I’m NOT saying living
in the city is a good idea. I’m saying
the country isn’t as safe and serene as sold.
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* By the by, all my writing is copyrighted. For the obtuse out there
Absolutely right, about the country being less safe than advertised.
ReplyDeleteExample you would think a pair of grey haired hunters would know not to point the gun they are loading at some else's vehicle. But it happened to me, 10 miles from town.
There is a significant undertow to move from your own farm land into one of the towns. Electricity, Phone, Transportation, and Community all figure into peoples opinion that it is smarter to have a 40 year mortgage on 100 year old slapped together shoebox in town than it is to have your own house built on land you already own outside of town. Especially if your house isn't right next to pavement (most houses are).
With the Bakken Boom going bust we are already seeing economic refugees passing through and causing issues. Nothing to bad yet, but it is notable when you have an uptick of a dozen more arrests a month and usually only have a dozen a month.
So far these people are just passing through, skipping out paying bills or getting drunk and disorderly. They are all headed somewhere else and intend to get there- usually a bigger city.
Sure that gun pointing was an accident? :)
DeleteThey were out of towners it looked like (based on the license plate). So I am assuming they were more stupid than asshats. Doesn't mean I wont keep my gun closer to hand next time I see people stopping along my stretch of road. 40 acres is 1/4 mile on a side and the road runs just inside the south boundary of my property, So I could care less if you go hunting on the other side of the hills south of my land. But I do care if you block my road or driveway- I was as nice as could be about letting them know that, but they were clearly preoccupied with going pheasant hunting (it was that season and lots of hunters like doing that in this area) So the probable birdshot would have been not much of a threat, but still bad form.
DeleteSo much for the "an armed society is a polite society". Was that Heinlein?
DeleteTo address a few of the more recent comments.
ReplyDeleteOn caching and hiding valuable supplies:
Secret Rooms Secret Compartments
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0967113903?colid=2P9H5MHEI5D99&coliid=I1HC27KV2DAP3Z&ref_=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl
On having a stealth survival garden:
Secret Garden of Survival: How to grow a camouflaged food- forest.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1481839772?colid=2P9H5MHEI5D99&coliid=I2O31AF4B4WEHH&ref_=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl
The top publication is kind of expensive, and is not available in kindle format. The secret garden publication is however, and is only $9.00 on kindle vs $27.00 on paperback.
Both had good reviews, and I plan on getting them, funds permitting. Obviously, the bulkiest of items may have to be cached in an outside setting. But many other items can be stashed via the methods detailed in the first publication.
Buy the book, know where other preppers stash their crap.
DeleteDang James, you rained on my book parade! But I suppose that you make a good point?
DeleteWell, then what do you suggest? An underground cache?
I think that, other than a To Go bag, underground caching is far superior to hiding inside a house.
DeleteI used a similar book (or was it the same? don't recall) but as an inspiration for my own spaces - for example lots of people know about the putting water tight container in the toilette reservoir but few ever think to check in the middle of unused rolls of TP, and until today I never saw it written anywhere....
DeleteNot a bad idea for a short term cash stash- just beware guests stealing your extra rolls.
DeleteMy extended family has been in established in this area long enough to have deep personal connections. We actually get together to get things done -put a roof on a house, wire a place, snow removal, gardening -whatever. Saves us from hiring out. So between family and friends we have a loose tribe thing going. How well it will stand up to a real test? Who can say?
ReplyDeleteIf everyone in your area is doing Okay, you are safer. If you are the only one in good shape and everyone else is desperate your odds are poor.
Good point that the country is not all that it's cracked up to be. Yep, everyone, go the cities . . . far far away from us crazy folk in the country. Please.
Too many lone wolf survivalists will be unpleasantly surprised they will be liked even less then than now for the surplus they have. Strang, since Glen Beck told them the rich shouldn't be paying taxes to help the poor.
DeleteHow do 'lone-wolfs' have surplus? I thought they hid and lived out of backpack until teeth fall out.
DeleteI understand that rural folks would consider 'lone-wolf' as just another kind of predator, one who isn't "passing through" but instead staying until the end.
Lone Wolves, as in loner preppers, no network, just them alone. Them and their trophy wife in a retreat with middle class luxuries.
DeleteI know your time in the sunny south east was limited. But, what about a little hideaway past the canals and in the midst of God knows what. I'm thinking find an area you can access with what you have. Try to take a route that doesn't leave an obvious trail. And right now start introducing some native edibles that don't look out of place. Store some 6 foot 6x2 where you live and if law enforcement pulls their auxiliary people out first go in and set up a dry spot. Platform on stilts plus knowledge of local flora and fauna should get you buy. How many other survivalist do you think someone would run into. Biggest issue of course is getting things done without running into law enforcement. I mean it's a little different than the guys who think they'll just go off into the BLM or State Park and make it. Thoughts? Critiques?
ReplyDelete~SumDude
Not bad. Camping nearly every weekend to learn nature in your area would be a viable strategy and one that costs nothing as you learn to live off the land. Would you want store bought wood, or would it be better to have an ax, scrapper, etc.?
DeleteSee I'm thinking the majority of lumber you run into is small in diameter. Not to mention it reduces the amount of your cover. But if just stash tools, first it's easier to conceal and it's less trips.
Delete~SumDude
Good point, and taken. Although...waddle and daub could eliminate that problem, yes?
DeleteWell, if you want solid walls, which I guess would be an improvment to wearing mud constantly, then yeah. My main idea is platform first, since everything is usually somewhat cocered in water. Then use thatched roof which Im sure you could just have your roof come all the way to the platforms floor. I wonder how wattle & daub would work as a foundation?
Delete~SumDude
Okay, sorry. I was under the impression this was an island. If it is in the water ( not the worst idea if Gore Warming is increasing flooding ) anyway, don't you want on site trees/lumber anyway? As they are already waterproof. Or, is this just for a "once in awhile flood" thing? Or, are we still not on the same page. Waddle and daub has to have a huge overhang to keep the water off the wall. More for foggy climates than flooding.
DeleteOnce in a while flood. As in the reason alligators go to inhabited areas. And yeah on site lumber would be great but you dont want to cut down all the cover. Think more like a permanent duck blind...but with more of an intention of full time living.
Delete~SumDude
How about a homemade houseboat? Would that solve any issues, or just raise more?
DeleteSounds like a pretty good idea. My main issue is having my liberty patch foubd out by either law enforcement or good ole boys. I wonder how much grain you could store. Any links to some ideas on homemade houseboats. Seeing as how this is generally an after thr fall type thing... Maybe have a few in different locations. And instead of storing food on board have sunken caches? Lol, it is almost turning into a legitinate pirate of the everglades idea.
Delete~SumDude
Food stores on land, but have the mylar bag inside the bucket for any flooding. No links to boats, sorry, but I am envisioning the solid piece, one bung, plastic barrels about thirty gallons, multiple, as your pontoons. How best to attach, well, I'm not much of a builder.
DeleteWhere people would run to I think would depend on how events play. No guarantee they would immediately run to the countryside. Most of the time they don't. But when it goes lawless, the countryside gets hit hard.
ReplyDeleteEventually the countryside would somewhat repopulate because without modern technology and/or fuel, you would need more people to work the land. But it would be a relatively small number of people compared to our current population, and some areas would depopulate if they where no longer viable without modern equipment.
The think that "most" is the issue. The small percent who do run will still be troublesome numbers. We are just so overpopulated that historic examples serve little illustrative value. I think that applies across the board in everything collapse wise, and it is never appreciated as an issue.
Delete