Update: Hilltop Retreat Locations Versus Hidden Retreats

JWR’s Introductory Note: The following is an update and expansion to an early post that I made in SurvivalBlog back in December, 2005. It is part of a series of SurvivalBlog 20th Anniversary update re-posts, in recognition of the fact that the majority of readers did not join us until recent years.

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I often have SurvivalBlog readers and consulting clients ask me about the “ideal” terrain for a rural survival retreat house. I must report that there is no single “best” answer because there are significant trade-offs related to terrain. Castles were situated on hilltops for centuries, for obvious reasons: Enemies had to fight uphill Defenders were able to see approaching armies from a long distance. They were also able to exploit the potential energy of stored boulders and other heavy objects. However, in the context of a modern survival retreat, a commanding position makes hilltop structures hard to miss.

The goals of privacy and advantageous fields of fire are often mutually exclusive. Likewise, a hilltop position and a spring water supply are also mutually exclusive in all but the rarest of cases. (A hillock with an artesian well is geologically possible, but extremely rare. And even one with a shallow well is very  uncommon.)Continue reading“Update: Hilltop Retreat Locations Versus Hidden Retreats”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR:

Meme Text:

The Genius Move: Glock Loses Millions To Create The V Series, To Stop “Switches”

Only To Be Outsmarted Just A Month Later By Rednecks With Dremel Tools

News Link: 

Glock’s New V-Series Just Hit a Major Problem: Reports of New “Switch” Compatibility Surface.

Notes From JWR: Do you have a meme idea? Just e-mail me the concept, and I’ll try to assemble it. And if it is posted then I’ll give you credit. Thanks!

Permission to repost memes that I’ve created is granted, provided that credit to SurvivalBlog.com is included.

 

The Editors’ Quote Of The Day: 

“And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.

Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.

2For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.

Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.

I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel.

Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me.

I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all.

And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul’s neck, and kissed him,

Sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him unto the ship.” – Acts 20: 25-38  (KJV) 

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — November 22, 2025

On November 22, 1574, the uninhabited Juan Fernández Islands off Chile were discovered by Spanish sailor Juan Fernández. Later, they were famously the home of marooned sailor Alexander Selkirk, who inspired the novel Robinson Crusoe.

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On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas.

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Today is the birthday of Adelbert Rinaldo Buffington, a well-known designer of military gun parts and acccessories. most notably the Buffington rifle rear sight.

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Today is remembered as the birthday of the late Eugene M. Stoner. (Born 1922, died April 24, 1997.) He was the designer of the AR-7, AR-10, AR-15, AR-180, the Stoner 63, and several other firearms. His  AR-10 was the basis of the AR-15 which in turn spawned the very widely used M16 and all of its variants including the M4 Carbine. It has been estimated that 21 million rifles from the AR-15 family are owned by civilians in the United States, and military production M16 variants worldwide exceeds nine million rifles.

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Today’s feature piece is by JWR.

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We need a few more entries for Round 121 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $970,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 121 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

Zoning Laws, HOAs, and CC&Rs as Criteria for Choosing Your Retreat Locale

JWR’s Introductory Note: The following is an update and expansion to a very early post that I made in SurvivalBlog back in August, 2005. It is part of a series of SurvivalBlog 20th Anniversary update re-posts, in recognition of the fact that the majority of readers did not join us until recent years.

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“Homeowners Associations [HOAs] are the classic definition of a tyranny. HOAs are a level of government, with the power to tax, legislate, judge, and punish its citizens.”
– Michael Reardon

I’d like to expand on my Criteria for Choosing Your Retreat Locale. You will gain several advantages if you live outside of city limits. You will avoid city taxes. You will most likely be on well or spring water instead of city water. In many cities, because of zoning laws, it is illegal to drill your own water well–since the utility companies want to maintain their monopoly. Operating a home business generally requires a city business license and a visit from the fire marshal. And of course, it is illegal to discharge a firearm inside city limits in most jurisdictions.

It is essential to look ahead to eventual growth. If your new “country” place is on fairly level ground and just a mile outside city limits, then odds are that it will be inside city limits in a few years! Do some prognostication on the ‘line of march” of the advancing phalanxes of “Ticky Tacky Houses”, and plan accordingly.Continue reading“Zoning Laws, HOAs, and CC&Rs as Criteria for Choosing Your Retreat Locale”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make both long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug-out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year.  We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those — or excerpts thereof — in the Odds ‘n Sods Column or in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

This week, we took a family trip in our pickup with our horse trailer to deliver four dairy/wool sheep to a buyer in the beautiful Mission Valley of Northwestern Montana. It was a long drive, but very scenic. And, it felt good to be delivering them to a Christian homeschooling family.

I slaughtered and butchered another sheep this week. This time it was an excess two-year-old ram. Much of that mutton will be used to feed our dog.

Today, I’m attending the Lewiston, Idaho, Gun Show. As usual, I’m looking for pre-1899 gun inventory.

Now, Lily’s part of the report…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.” – Psalm 1 (KJV) 

Preparedness Notes for Friday — November 21, 2025

November 21, 164 BC: During the Maccabean Revolt, Judas Maccabeus recaptured Jerusalem and rededicated the Second Temple. This victory has been commemorated ever since as the festival Hanukkah, aka The Festival of Lights.

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On November 21, 1916, Britannic, the sister ship to the Titanic, sank in the Aegean Sea, killing 30 people. In the wake of the Titanic disaster, the White Star line had made significant modifications to the design of the ship, but on its way to pick up wounded soldiers near the Gulf of Athens, it was rocked by an explosion causing even more damage than that which had sunk the Titanic. Many of the dead were from some of the crew who attempted to launch lifeboats while the Captain tried to run the ship aground. The lifeboats were sucked up into the propellers, killing all of those on board. The cause of the explosion is still unknown, but many suspect it hit a mine.

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Today’s feature article is by  JWR.

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We still need some entries for Round 121 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $970,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 121 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

Update: A Home-Based Business — Your Ticket to The Boonies

JWR’s Introductory Note: The following is an update and expansion to a post that I made in SurvivalBlog back in December, 2005. It is part of a series of SurvivalBlog 20th Anniversary update re-posts, in recognition of the fact that the majority of readers did not join us until recent years.

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The majority of SurvivalBlog readers that I talk with tell me that they live in cities or suburbs, but they would like to live full-time at a retreat in a rural area. Their complaint is almost always the same: “…but I’m not self-employed. I can’t afford to live in the country because I can’t find work there, and the nature of my work doesn’t allow telecommuting.” They feel stuck.

Over the years, I’ve seen lots of people “pull the plug” and move to the boonies with the hope that they’ll find local work once they get there. That usually doesn’t work. Folks find that the most rural jobs typically pay little more than minimum wage and they are often informally reserved for folks that were born and raised in the area. (Newcomers from the big city certainly don’t have hiring priority!)

My suggestion is to start a second income stream, with a home-based business. Continue reading“Update: A Home-Based Business — Your Ticket to The Boonies”

Economics & Investing Media of the Week

In Economics & Investing Media of the Week we feature photos, charts, graphs, maps, video links, or occasional news items of interest to preppers.

Today, a map showing the top imports of most countries of the world.  The thumbnail below is click expandable.  (Map courtesy of HowMuch.net, by way of Reddit.)

 

 

 

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Links of Interest

Economics & Investing Media Tips:

Please send your economics and investing media link to JWR. (Either via e-mail or via our Contact form.) Thanks!

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — November 20, 2025

November 20, 1789: New Jersey became the first state to ratify the Bill of Rights.

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National Sovereignty Day (Spanish: Día de la Soberanía Nacional) is a national public holiday in Argentina, celebrated each year on November 20th.

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November 20, 1914: The U.S. State Department began requiring photographs for passports.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 121 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  2. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  3. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  4. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $350 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.
  5. Harvest Guard is providing a 200-Piece Bulk Mix Pack of their Regular and Wide-Mouth Reusable Canning Jar Lids & Gaskets. This is a $161 + shipping value.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from TOUGHGRID.com (a $287 value).
  3. Preparedness author Jennifer Rader is offering a $200 purchase credit for any of her eight published food storage and medical preparedness books, including the Good Eats at the TEOTWAWKI Café series, the Armageddon Pharmacy series, and the Medicine Surrounds Us series.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

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More than $970,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 121 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

Update: Oil and Lubricant Storage in Retreat Planning

JWR’s Introductory Note: The following is an update and expansion to a post that I made in SurvivalBlog back in November, 2005. It is part of a series of SurvivalBlog 20th Anniversary re-posts, in recognition of the fact that the majority of readers did not join us until recent years.

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Many letters and e-mails I’ve received over the years have mentioned motor oil and chainsaw fuel mixing oil.  That reminded me about a subject that I’ve meant to address on the blog: the key considerations of oil and lubricant storage.  It is important to think through all of your oil and lubricant needs–everything from motor oil and transmission fluid to firearms lube. Figure out what you’ll use in a three-year period, and stock up.  Then anticipate what you might need for barter and charity, and stock up even more. Because most families do not store any substantial quantity of oils and lubricants, they will be ideal barter items in a long-term Crunch.

The U.S. military generically uses the acronym  POL, which stands for Petroleum, Oil, and Lubricants. If you follow the military guidelines for safe POL storage, then your home and your retreat will be safe. The old standby “No smoking within 50 feet” signs are there for good reason!

Safe storage for your fuel, oil, and lubricants is essential. I recommend that you build a separate, dedicated, locking steel storage shed to store all of your flammables. Think in terms of a stubby CONEX shipping container that is well-removed from your other retreat buildings and not near any trees or shrubbery. Aside for a very small supply for day-to-day use, nearly all of your flammables should be stored in that outside shed:  kerosene, fuel canisters (propane, stove fuel, et cetera), lighter fluid, gas cans, paint cans, bore cleaner, various automotive/tractor fluids, paint thinner, chemical degreasers, decontamination fluids, and oils of all descriptions. If you store any gunpowder, primers, percussion caps, blasting caps, or cannon fuse in this same shed, then it is important that you store them inside separate ammo cans with tight-fitting rubber seals. Otherwise, the lubricant vapors could deteriorate or even fully deaden them.Continue reading“Update: Oil and Lubricant Storage in Retreat Planning”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods. This column is a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from JWR. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. In today’s column, news of some Ominous rumblings from Washington’s Mount Rainier.

Some Frequent Mount Rainier Rumblings

America’s deadliest volcano enters unprecedented 72-hour tremor phase as eruption threat looms over millions. Here is an excerpt:

“Starting on Saturday, Mount Rainier has been experiencing constant vibrations beneath the surface which can be best described as thousands of tiny vibrations blending together.

The constant seismic rumblings were spotted by the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN), where seismometers on Mount Rainier have recorded three straight days of nearly nonstop, high-energy seismic signals across the west flank of the volcano.

Unlike the seismic activity tied to major earthquakes, the patterns being seen in Washington look more like a volcanic tremor, a type of nonstop hum or roar that begins when magma, hot water, and gas moves around inside a volcano.

It doesn’t mean Mount Rainier is going to erupt at any moment, but it is a warning sign that volcanic activity could eventually build towards a critical level.”

NATO Jets on High Alert Over Poland and Romania

Several NATO Nations Scramble Jets as Russian Airstrike Kills At Least 20 Including Children.

Gallup’s World Emotional Health Survey

SurvivalBlog Editor Tom Christianson wrote to note: “I ran across a link to Gallup’s World Emotional Health Survey recently.  It was in the context of comments about the angriest countries in the world.  As I looked at the list, I noticed that of the top five angriest countries in the world (Chad, Jordan, Armenia, Northern Cyprus, and Iraq), four had something in common: Islam.  I don’t think that it is a coincidence.”

Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”