E-Mail 'Picking a BOL by Pete Thorsen' To A Friend

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1. If you do not live at your BOL, and SHTF, your assets may be appropriated by your neighbors or the community and you will most likely be considered a refugee as far as the sharing of resources that do exist. Old term “carpet bagger” comes to mind, or “homeless”, neither of which have a good feeling to them now and liable to get you dead if the situation has totally failed. I think that if you have a BOL and aren’t known as part of the community, you will do well in minor situations, but if things really fall apart it will do you no good unless you have something that would be valuable to the community, Dr, dentist, welder, etc, and the neighbors know of your skills before TSTF. Almost all bug out situations make the assumption that some society with property rights and rule of law exists, if it doesn’t, your BOL is just someone’s windfall gain. The idea that you will be able to fight off your neighbors as well as raiders and at the same time raise your food, cut your firewood, etc, just doesn’t make sense. In New England, by the1630’s settlements weren’t that uncommon along the sea cost, 50 miles inland where I live, the town was settled in the 1770’s, after the French and Indian wars stopped the raiding from Canada. Town area was used for logging and summer pasture for many years, first meeting house was burned by Indians, but they retreated to a safer area for the winter. The area they spent the winters at is called a harbor to this day, not a place for boats but a place of safety. Town history list those captured and held for ransom in Canada and those killed by the Indians.

   1. @Duane,
      You brought up some great points. For those reasons and several others, my wife and I have all but abandoned any plans for a long-distance trek to our BOL after SHTF.

      After an absence of only several months, a visit to our BOL property revealed that someone had stolen almost four cords of split, stacked, seasoned, and covered firewood. If someone would do that in times of relative peace and prosperity, imagine what they would do if more dire circumstances exist. We now live full time at what is our primary home and retreat in a different state.

2. Lots of spot on stuff. One item I found out long ago…I’ve had my cabin location for 26 years….that SOME people in your new locale will, for whatever reason, go out of their way to make your life difficult. This is hard to predict. The exceptions are worth while cultivating as friends, but there is a possibility there will be slimmer pickings then you imagine when your property is at it’s “shiny new penny” stage. Good luck and God bless…

3. Also remember if it’s not your land. Be very careful. You Will get shot if it is a shtf situation and you are trespassing , think before you head for the hills. Even walking to a bugout location across someones property to get to your location may not end well.

   1. Reminds me of a chapter in Patriots, when Doug wandered into the perimeter. He was fortunate to have stumbled into the good guys. In another world, trespassing onto a retreat with similar security could easily have ended with a bullet to the head and a shallow grave, good intentions or not.

4. To get some good ideas on setting up a homestead and also deciding what you are aiming for you might want to read Jackie Clay s book,” Starting Over”. She has lots of experience and very helpful ideas. It’s a good idea to write down your primary goals in order to simplify your search.

5. Lots of good points to consider in locating to a place of safety in uncertain times . Because of our age and financial status we decided to move within the redoubt area, but to a much more desirable location. We took many things into consideration, water, grow season, population, weather, local attitudes on many things, etc. We generally have been happy with our choice.
   Unfortunately, over a short time the state government has gone “nuts” over firearm control. They are trampling all over my constitutional rights to protect myself and family. I am not sure how I could have foreseen this happening. At this point we really do not want to move again.
   The state of Liberty may be the answer but I do not see that happening any time soon.

6. The resistance to outsiders which the author mentions is part of the human condition. Tribal attitudes can be very strong across society.

   I knew a professional who moved to a state on the Eastern Seaboard because his daughter had moved there due to her job. He returned after a few years, saying that unless “your granddaddy is buried there you are an outsider.” I will admit that his comment may have been simply an excuse for failure, but that is what he said.

   Even in small towns across America, there is often a standoffish attitude when strangers move there. Call it a tribal attitude.

   A receptionist at my office several years ago was from England. She mentioned that Englishmen were probably better off not buying a second home in North Wales. She said that things happened to Englishmen’s property. Accurate? I don’t know, but that was what she said.

   Look at how many times here on Survivalblog that comments are posted concerning Californians who have moved/are moving into their towns/states. Again, this is more evidence of tribal attitudes, although it is often expressed as being resistance to Californians’ liberal politics. There is complete disregard for the fact that all Californians did not vote for Hillary Clinton and the loony Left.

   Although there are obvious exceptions, the general rule is that only in areas with a high influx of outsiders, an influx that has shifted the population balance, does not being a native become irrelevant. Most of Southern California was that way in the ’60s and ’70s. I expect that most of Florida is that way today.

   About trying to create a garden in a forest, I have no personal experience with that. I have heard, however, that pioneers who were posed with the problem of farming in the midst of a forest composed of massive hardwood trees would girdle the trees with axes or saws. This process would kill the trees and let the sunlight in. The results would not remove the roots, however, and, as a result, would be much less than ideal. Yet, the resulting garden area just might be the equivalent of what others have proposed in articles about “guerilla gardening” after SHTF.

7. Couple of comments–

   Keep in mind that there are still dry counties in the US! And by dry, I mean there are counties that are bone dry: no sale, possession, consumption, transportation, or production of alcohol.

   Read the local newspaper online, or subscribe to receive a paper, from the community (often the county) nearest your BOL or potential new residence before you commit. You can learn a lot from the local paper. Some of what you learn may influence your decision.

   Check county / town demographics especially % of owner-occupied houses, high school graduates, in labor force, etc. All of these point to the stability the county. Check adjacent counties as well. If you choose a stable county, but the one across the line is unstable… .

8. We originally were looking at property near the Allegheny National Forest. Very few people unless it is deer season. I had two major concerns. Distance and security. Having lived in an area where the power lines ended and people had cabins, campers and cottages we knew that there was a good possibility that it would be broken into. We went to one friend’s camp in the area and people in other camps had built chain link enclosures to store their fire wood. We ultimately chose a home on a state maintained road that see very few cars a day. The home can be seen by 3 neighbor’s. I would have liked living in the woods however when thinking about survival food production trumps a nice view. Our 8 acres was more set up for farming. Each year we make it better, thus increasing our chances of survival.

   In 2 short weeks we will be making the move to live at our BOL permanently. This will allow us to put an even bigger investment of time and effort into our BOL.

   Something else that people who are looking at buying property should be looking at are what are called “comprehensive plans”. These are the long term development plans for a community. Where is future retail or trailer parks allowed to be built? Is the property you are looking at in an agricultural security zone where the smell of animal manure isn’t something that neighbor’s can complain about.

   1. I live in the ANF, if anything ever happened thousands would use these camps for refuge. Bringing what maybe a months worth of food. Then what? We are looking to move, the area and their “small town” dislike for outsiders is strong here. Even after 20 years no one talks to us its weird…

      1. Mike,

         I agree everyone from Around Pittsburgh that owns a camp would head up to them. You are being generous thinking they would bring a months worth of food. Having talked to several county “officials” roads would be block, at least that is what I was told right before Y2K.

9. We moved to our BOL almost two years ago and it is a great life here. I was surprised when my wife was on board to move to this remote location.

10. We moved to the (BOL) rural south of town however in retrospect we should have paid more attention to the surrounding area rather than the immediate property. There are neighborhood risks in the immediate area that we will have to respond to should our situation as a country decline. If I had it to do over, I would get as far off the beaten path as possible. Can’t overstate how important it is to “check out” the neighbors… Affordable areas may attract an unanticipated risk. Due diligence is essential. Can’t know everything, but know all you can.

11. The main question for whether to shelter in place or not, to me, is utilities, especially sanitation. If you have your own well and septic system, you have control of it. If you have to depend on government keeping the water and sewer running, and keeping sewage from backing up in your house, I’d get a BOL. Just sayin’. Tractorguy

12. I just shake my head each time I read BOL articles. Here’s the hard truth… if you do not already live in the location you would choose to “bug out” to, you are screwed. If anyone thinks they can just roll into some location and set up a sustainable lifestyle, I have a bridge to sell. Its a fantasy, and it has spawned all sorts of entertaining discussion not to mention sales of all sorts of “bug out” gear that likely will never be used by the buyer, but by someone else eventually. Good luck!

13. Well said, Les. God blessed me with where I live. My family has lived here since the late 1800’s. I got into prepping about 15 years ago. I have lived 55 miles from my job for the 36 years that I worked. That meant an hour each way. The drive allowed me time to fully wake up before work began and an hour to detox from work once I was off. Many people have asked me how I made the long drive all those years. I started out doing it from the beginning and them just kept on doing it. Carpooling helped in the beginning, drove solo the last 5. It takes decades to build a close bond with neighbors to where they trust you implicitly. Otherwise, you are just an outsider. So, put yourself in your new neighbor’s place and consider what they think.

14. When I married, I moved to a ag community an hour from the nearest Wal-Mart in any direction. My husband is a 4th generation farmer but that is ALL he did. Farm. Once I moved in, we started going to church and making the effort to make personal connections; he has more friends now than when he was growing up and this community has welcomed me with open arms.

    Our home is nearly 10 miles from the state highway, surrounded by wheat fields and on a good, but sparsely traveled dirt road. We have a 3 acre yard that I am trying to make into a producing orchard/garden but I have killed more than I have grown.

    We live in a climate that is brutally hot in the Summer, bitter cold in the Winter and about 2 weeks of “nice” weather in the Spring and Fall. We are installing better windows & doors for increased insulation against the temps.

    I am so thankful that God brought me here. My previous home is not a good place to be when the SHTF.

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