Category: Retreat Locales

Dear JWR, Regarding “My Experience in Expatriating to Panama”, by Chuck Holton: I too lived in Panama from 2008 to 2012 and while I agree with almost everything the author says, there are some exceptions I’d like to discuss.  First covers the medical system.  I was in the local hospital four times from 2010 to 2012 and the doctors were never able to discover what my problem was.  Nothing earth shattering or unusual, I have cancer and not a rare type either.  I used a private hospital the first two times and after running up bills in excess of $15,000 …

Jim, I have been a long time reader of your blog (several years) but have never posted. It is my recent experience with Todd Savage of Survival Retreat Consulting that has prompted me to write. My wife and I have been married almost 27 years and have one child who is married to a like-minded young man. My journey to prepping started as a boy when I watched my parents garden, can, sew quilts, raise ducks and chickens and many other endeavors that were not considered prepping as such but just normal activities in the 1960s. We had a one …

I saw your blog’s recent article about expatriating to Panama, and thought I would throw in my own 2 cents worth regarding relocation to the Philippines. There were a bunch of things that made me reach my breaking point and expatriate.  In the beginning when I purchased my home here on the tropical island, It was economic. At first it was the crazy increases in home prices in the US.  I had the idea when I left the US in 2004 that I would work a couple years, come back to the desert southwest, and build a self sufficient home. …

Our family moved out of the United States in January of 2013, and so JWR’s novel “Expatriates” has been a particularly interesting read for us.  The kids are enjoying it, too. I want to share some of our experiences as expats which I believe will be helpful for your readers. The water got too hot for us on November 6, 2012.  I’m a reporter for the Christian Broadcasting Network, and was in Detroit covering the election.  What I saw there was the last straw in a long series of insults and injuries.     Detroit is the poster child for …

Kyle T. mentioned that he found on Craigslist: “…a complete business for someone to buy in Idaho if they are interested in blacksmithing.  The listing is entitled  “Blacksmith, wheelwright shop complete (Nampa, Idaho)”  Things like this don’t come every day!”    o o o I recently heard some details from a reader about Obadiah’s Woodstoves, in Troy, Montana. They have great prices, a huge selection, and top notch customer service. They sell nationwide.    o o o With friends like this, who needs enemies? New Jersey governor coming to North Idaho.    o o o Although it obviously comes from …

Dear Mr. R.: Why don’t you include Utah in your American Redoubt states? I’m asking because we’re right next door [to the Redoubt region] and Utah seems so much like the Redoubt states in so many ways. Just curious. – L.W.J. JWR Replies: Although Utah’s crime rate, taxes, and insurance rates are low and family food storage is quite popular there, the state has several distinct drawbacks. They include: Utah is is not an open carry state. A government-issued permit is required to carry a fully-loaded gun openly. I find that abhorrent. Utah is a predominantly desert state. In the …

Fascinating Maps: Deserted America: The maps that show how 60 years of white flight and brain drain have sucked the population from the Midwest. It will be interesting to see migration patterns in the next 20 years. I predict that most of the Redoubt will continue to benefit from net in-migration.    o o o Reader Tom L. mentioned: Mayor Mike Bloomberg sends $1,000 campaign contribution to Moscow. (Idaho, that is.) Needless to say, Chaney, who is running for re-election, is one of the handful of members of Mayors Against Illegal Guns in the American Redoubt region. I’m tired of …

I was recently hired by a consulting client from Wilmington, Delaware. Like most of my other clients, we had our conversations by phone. He spent a lot of time quizzing me about various towns and microclimates in The American Redoubt. He was stunned when I mentioned that the county where I live has less than 20,000 residents, yet it is larger than the entire state of Delaware, which has around 917,000 residents. To put the demographic differences in focus, the following are some comparisons. For privacy reasons, instead of my own county I’ll use Idaho County, Idaho as a point …

I heard that Moscow Hide and Fur (in Moscow, Idaho), is still buying raw furs. I started doing business with them back in the early 1990s–back when they only had just a few employees and only three chest freezers to hold incoming furs.    o o o Arming teachers idea sparks recall effort. Note that this is transpiring in Sandpoint, Idaho, which is a resort town with a high percentage of neolocal statist yuppies from the Left Coast. So we can consider this anomalous for what is otherwise quite conservative north Idaho.    o o o B.B. sent: Number of …

Here is a great news segment, by Chuck Holton from CBN: Redoubt: Northwest a Haven for Dismayed Americans. There are several brief interviews in this segment including one with Todd Savage of SurvivalRetreatConsulting.com.    o o o Boise Market TalkRadio host pushes petition to bring “Gun Jobs” to Idaho    o o o A family practice medical group is seeking two or three Board-Certified Family Practitioners, in Riverton, Wyoming, right near the center of the state. If interested, e-mail: kstockto@wyoming.com. This is a great opportunity for several like-minded doctors to relocate to the American Redoubt and work at a well-established …

I heard that Christian war correspondent Chuck Holton has produced a great news segment on The American Redoubt for The 700 Club television show on the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN). There are several brief interviews in this segment including one with Todd Savage of SurvivalRetreatConsulting.com. That segment should first air in the next two weeks, and will be repeated for several months.    o o o Reader Doug C. let me know about  Made Right Stoves, an innovative maker of woodstoves in Kalispell, Montana.    o o o John W. sent a link to a nice picture of the Palouse …