Category: Retreat Locales

Indian (for those readers overseas: U.S. Native American aboriginal) reservation boundaries can be another important criteria for selecting your retreat locale. In recent years, tribal governments in the U.S. have started flexing their muscles. When living inside the boundaries of an Indian reservation you will face an extra layer of bureaucracy, taxes (or “fees” or “permits”), law enforcement, and potentially a myriad of restrictions. You will also lack the ability to recover damages in the case of accidents in many instances. Real estate agents will often try to down play the significance of being "on the reservation", but do some …

Disclaimer: The laws, regulations, and case citations contained within this blog do not constitute legal advice. Laws change frequently. Consult a lawyer if you have legal questions. If you choose to act upon the details cited here without doing your own research, you do so at your own risk. Because most survivalists are gun owners, gun control laws should be considered a key factor when deciding where you plan to relocate. Do some research. Ideally, you are looking for a state that allows vehicular and “on the hip” open carry, with non-discretionary concealed carry permits, and with non-regulated private party …

Laws on owning and carrying edged weapons vary widely from state to state and even between smaller jurisdictions within states. Most of these laws will only be an issue for someone that is a serious knife aficionado. In California, (as of this writing) you can carry a single edged knife as long as it is not concealed. Double-edged knives can be owned but not carried. Carrying any concealed knife, other than a folding single edged knife is a felony. Keep in mind that most rifle bayonets are classified as double-edged knives. Automatic (“switchblade”) knives are legal to own in a …

Sir: Just saw your new blog posting on sales taxes in various states. Colorado’s overall sales tax is 2.9 percent, however our state allows locality taxes (called ‘Home Rule’), For instance: Denver city/county imposes a 3.5% tax in addition, it goes up to 4% for food/liquor that is for immediate consumption and 5.5% for rental cars. There are also special district taxes, like the Scientific and Cultural Facilities tax and the Regional Transportation tax. These taxes cross municipal boundaries as established by special election. In Denver, for instance the overall tax rate is about 8 percent, 2.9 to the state, …

I’ve had several e-mails WRT to my post on Friday (August 19) titled “Seek a Diverse Economy.” To clarify, this is important whether the scenario is mild or severe. To be suitable for a retreat, a local economy must be sufficiently diverse. It should include small scale agriculture with a wide variety of crops, and some livestock raising. As previously stated, a vegetable “truck farming” region would be ideal. Single crop regions (monoculture) make a poor second choice. Because long distance commerce may break down (due to lack of fuel or lawlessness) it might be difficult to trade locally grown …

A diverse local economy is of great importance when evaluating potential retreat locales. Unless you are retired or about to retire, the opportunity to find steady work pre-TEOTWAWKI is also very important. Depending on the scenario you envision, you should probably look for a town with: A robust, growing economy A good mix of jobs in dry land farming, ranching, mining, industry, high technology, and service sector jobs City and county governments that are pro-business A “Farmer’s Market” on summer evenings and/or weekends (evidence of sufficient small scale truck farming) A good mix of established local businesses such as a …

In yesterday’s post I should have been more specific when I used the term “British Commonwealth.” I had intended to direct my comments mainly toward the United Kingdom which is heavily urbanized and has a low quotient for self-sufficiency. A reader from Australia kindly pointed out my lapse in articulation. To clarify: I do believe that some of the more remote areas of Oz (particularly up at the fringe of The Wet), much of Western Canada, and perhaps parts of New Zealand that are well removed from major population centers could be a good places to survive WTSHTF. See my …

A retreat is not just “a cabin in the mountains.” Rather, it is a well-prepared and defensible redoubt with well-planned logistics. A proper survival retreat is in effect a modern day castle. Be prepared to escalate your defensive posture to match an escalating threat, and in a “worst case” your retreat will be so well defended that looters will most likely give up and find someone less prepared to prey upon. Ideally, a survival retreat is located in a region with the following characteristics: A long growing season. Geographic isolation from major population centers. Sufficient year-round precipitation and surface water. …

You will note that in my blog posts that I don’t make specific recommendations for regions in British Commonwealth countries that I consider safe havens. This is for two reasons: First, Because of my lack of familiarity with the terrain and microclimates, I don’t feel qualified to do so. Second, and more importantly, in my opinion there are no safe areas! The gun control laws and other facets of The Ubiquitous Nanny State have made your nations a poor place to stay in WTSHTF. Your laws prevent bearing arms for the defense of you own life and property. (And in …