Category: Profile

Retreat Owner Profile: Mr. & Mrs. Alaska

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Area:  Alaska (off-grid, fly-in access only, a 20 minute flight to the nearest rural airport) Present Home:  In 2007, we bought five undeveloped acres on a lake surrounded by tens of thousands of acres of state owned boreal forest in Alaska. One couple lives full time within 10 miles of us.  The nearest rural airport is a 20 minute flight away. No roads through the forest or across the mountains or rivers. The nearest river access to a road is a 3.5 hour snowmachine trip cross country.   Our home is a two-room, 750 sq. ft. log cabin (built from 106 …


Retreat Owner Profile: Mr. and Mrs. Smith

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Editor’s Introductory Note:  We have been posting Retreat Owner Profiles since the early days of SurvivalBlog, in 2005. Although the archive of these profiles is now essentially static, we always welcome more to add. In particular, we are looking for profiles of families living outside of the United States, or families that have unusual locales or ways of living off the land. For example, we still haven’t seen a profile of someone who lives full time on a sailboat. Nor a profile of someone who has an operating mine on their property, or of a fish farmer, or someone who …


Lessons Learned the Hard Way About Food Storage, by The Northern Prep

This is our fourth year of prepping, and we are planning to make a full-time move to our retreat location by spring. We believe the Lord is compelling us to move now, and we are working diligently to get there as soon as possible. By the way, if you have been paying attention, the world looks really bad. This weekend was a significant eye-opener, as we cleaned and inventoried our pantry for the move. I would like to share the experience. However, before we do so, you need to have a bit of our background for a full understanding, so …


Retreat Owner Profile: Mr. & Mrs. India

Mr. and Mrs. India Ages: 34 & 33 SOs: Three children 6 and under Profession: U.S. Military Serviceman Background: He: Grew up in Florida, raised in a self-reliant family, attend and commissioned from a military educational institution, married his sweetheart, completed pilot training, and is currently stationed at his sixth military installation. She: Grew up in Idaho, raised by a self reliant and second amendment loving family, moved off to school, took work as a nanny, worked as an accountant, is currently a loving mother and supportive military spouse. For the most part she lives the self reliant lifestyle with …


Retreat Owner Profile: Mr. & Mrs. Enfield in Canada

Background – I am a 40-year old male, my Missus is a year younger and we have three children. The children are active in school, church and 4H. The eldest is a known “good worker” in the neighborhood and during summer vacation is in high demand for haying, etc. Middle child is interested in chickens and sewing. The youngest is an all round good helper and loves to go to the woods. I have always been interested in farming and in non-electric tools and equipment. My off-farm job keeps me busy 50 hours per week. Missus does not work outside …


Overseas Retreat Owner Profile: Mr. and Mrs. Zephyr in Trinidad and Tobago

PRESENT HOME: A rental three bedroom roomy apartment in suburbs. One hour from capital city of 30,000 on a relatively large Caribbean island, with nearer smaller towns. Ten minute drive to large mall, and ‘Big Box’ mart. Ages: 44 and 28 SOs: Two children, 12 year old and 2 year old. ANNUAL INCOME:varies from $9,000 to $13,000. PROFESSION: Photographer/Entrepreneur and Seamstress/Homemaker INVESTMENTS: Various modest financial tools including stocks, CDs, savings, mutual funds, annuity, and Silver Eagles. VEHICLES: Nissan station wagon (2000), 18-speed mountain bike FIREARMS BATTERY: No firearms, due to excessively restrictive, outdated, draconian, colonial laws. Also, most government policy …


Two Letters Re: Mr. Romeo’s Retreat Owner Profile

Dear Mr. Rawles, I read Mr. Romeo’s retreat plans, and I would like to add a couple of things to his preparations list. The one glaring omission I see in his list is a lack of HF communications gear. VHF radios are line of sight communications, which is great if you’re planning on staying within range of the coast. If he plans on heading out to deeper waters though, HF gear becomes a lifeline to Pacific maritime nets, weather information, and other useful resources. Even if he doesn’t plan on transmitting, an HF receiver would allow him to listen to …


Retreat Owner Profile: Mr. Romeo

Retreat: Live-aboard 30-Foot Sailboat Age: One male 34 years old Background: Grew up in small town next to Vandenberg Air Force Base, watching missiles being launched and sometimes blown up [“flight terminated”] over the ocean. I always knew that seeing one missile being launched meant “test” and that two or more mean “imminent death”. Grew up with most “toys” being bought at army surplus stores. My brother and I were the only kids who when we played “war” dressed in full army gear, complete with combat boots, helmet with outer cloth cover stuffed with branches, belt with two canteens, belt …


Retreat Owner Profile: Mr. and Mrs. Dulce in Chile

70+ acre Chilean Retreat, plus a 1,500 acre cattle grazing permit. Ages: 43 and 41, and one child age 3 Background: Family is from upstate New York, dairy farmers. I grew up in NC, history major who went into the Army as an aviator. Spent time living, travelling, and working in over 50 countries. Separated from the army as a Major and went into investments. Retired to Chile in the 2000s. Why Chile? – Chile is the best kept secret in the world. A strong democratic country with five major political parties, Chile is very stable. Chile has lived thru …


Retreat Owner Profile–Mr. & Mrs. Tico in Costa Rica

Present home : Farm in Northern Costa Rica Ages : 54 & 57 Two sons 30 & 32, who are living in North Carolina. Income $50,000 USD/year secure (many diverse overseas investments) and a tourism business currently at $120,000 or so per year ( I own a botanical garden) . Additional income from fruit groves and tilapia ponds $15,000/year. Profession : Gunsmith, nursery grower, waterscaper, fish farmer . Vehicles : Two 1970s Toyota Land Cruiser BJ40’s with 2.4 diesel engines, kept in top-notch condition and a 2 cycle Ez-Go golf cart set up [with tires and suspension] for all terrain. …


After 10 Years–Some Observations and Lessons Learned by a Y2K-Era Prepper

It was June, 1998. Y2K was a salient topic of conversation. It got my attention. When the electricity went off and there would be no water to drink, and no fuel to move food to the JIT grocery stores, I could see things getting very ugly. I had been willing to fight for this nation as a member of the US Army. Now it was time to fight for my household. I bought a Springfield Armory M1A. I bought a safe to store it in. I bought another M1A (for the spousal unit of course!) I bought ammo. Lots of …


Retreat Owner Profile: Mr. and Mrs. Foxtrot

Present home: Recently moved to new residence in luxury community in South Texas because of a job loss in the Northwest. we sold our our 40 acre retreat because prices were top of the market and it could help in Texas to have no mortgage and to continue preparations. Many acquisitions will occur within the next year including another retreat property (prices are about same as when we bought our first retreat and inventory up in the Northwest.) Ages: 46 and 51 SOs: One adult child that lives out of state Annual income: $61,000+. Profession: Technology (him) and Homemaker (her). …


Retreat Owner Profile: Mr. Uniform

Present Home: 63 year old brick veneer over weather board farmhouse (1,300 square feet) built by my father. 25 acres, consisting of 3.5 acres of pine, 9 acres of old growth hardwoods, 1.5 acres of apple, pear, pecan, grape, muscudine, and scuppernong orchard/grove/vineyard. Additional 900 square foot house, 100 year barn (30’x30′ with loft and sheds), outdoor privy, detached 24’x24′ garage building, 140 square foot storage building, dog house/lot, hog house lot (not used at present). Approximately three acres in farmstead buildings, drives, and gardens. Balance of land in open arable land presently used by neighbor as native grass hay …


Reader Poll Results: Your TEOTWAWKI Resume — 100 Words and 100 Pounds

Some of these stretched the 100 word limit. (I skipped posting one that rambled on far beyond the limit.) The poll’s premise in a nutshell: “If someday you went to the gates of a survival community post-TEOTWAWKI and pleaded the case for why you should be let past the barricades and armed guards to become a valuable working member of the group, would you get voted in? Taken objectively, would you vote yourself in?”   I am a shoe maker (not just a repairman) can repair saddles tan leather have done ranch work mechanics weld gardening skills set a broken …


Retreat Owner Profile: Mr & Mrs. “FerFAL” in Buenos Aires, Argentina

AGE: 28 SOs: Wife 30, 4 year old son Currently living in the southern Buenos Aires suburbs in a 2 story masonry house with independent reinforced concrete structure. The houses share walls to the left and right, all around the block, completely enclosing the back yards which are divided by walls or fences covered with libustrina plants. You lose some privacy (noises, loud parties) but you ensure a rather safe garden and back yard for the children to play in since the streets haven’t been safe for a while now, and no responsible adult lets his children play on the …