Note from JWR:

The current high bid in the SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction is at $1,010. This auction is for a large mixed lot, which includes::

1.) A “be ready to barter” box of 36 full-capacity gun magazines, from my personal collection in JASBORR. This box includes: 12 – Used original Bundeswehr contract HK91 (G3) steel 20 round magazines, 6 – Used original Austrian FN-FAL steel 20 round magazines, with cartridge counter holes, 10 – Used AR-15/M16 USGI (all Colt made!) alloy 20 round magazines, 6 – Excellent condition original Glock Model 19 9mm 15 round pistol magazines (early type, with “U” notch), and 2 – New and very scarce original FN (Belgian-made) US M1/M2 Carbine blued steel 30 round magazines (marked “AYP”) . All of these magazines are of pre-1994 manufacture (and hence legal to possess in New York.) These magazines have a combined value of approximately $710, in today’s market. Note: If you live in a state where full capacity magazines are banned, then you must choose to: refrain from bidding, or designate a recipient in an unrestricted state, or re-donate the magazines for a subsequent auction.

2. ) A brand new-in-box Hot Jaw Bag Sealer and a box of 10 Mylar bags . (Every retreat group should have one these, since they are a tremendous labor saver!) This is a $200 retail value, courtesy of Ready Made Resources.

3.) A huge lot of DVDs, CD-ROMs and hard copy nuclear survival/self-sufficiency references (a $300+ value) donated by Richard Fleetwood of www.SurvivalCD.com

4.) A NukAlert compact radiation detector donated by at KI4U.com (a $160 retail value). 

5.) A gift certificate for $100 worth of books, courtesy of Back 40 Books.

6.) A case of 12 cans of recent production nitrogen-packed storage granola (mixed varieties) This is a $96 retail value, courtesy of CampingSurvival.com.

Thus, this auction has a combined value in excess of $1,565.

This auction ends on February 15th. Please e-mail us your bid. Your bid will be for the entire mixed lot.

The Big Roller Coaster is Picking Up Speed

The following are few random observation on current events:

1. Economic News

1A. The recent turn for the worse for Great Britain’s economy has sent shock waves around the globe. I expect this bad news continue, and intensify in the months to come, especially once the full implications of the Credit Default Swap (CDS) derivatives fiasco become known.

1B. It is interesting to see that the COMEX spot silver and spot gold markets are breaking out of their doldrums. Apparently, the big investors have come to realize that there are simultaneous credit market-spawned economic problems in North America, Europe and Asia. With the markets for currencies, bonds, equities and real estate all in turmoil globally, precious metals are rightly seen the only truly safe refuge for wealth preservation. There will surely be some more scary pull-backs on rumors of central bank metals sales, but I think that this could be a major turning point for the metals market. There is now a general sense of panic in the air, and the smart money is heading for the exits.

2.) Gun Control on the Fast Track

2A. Ever since BHO was elected, gun, ammo, and magazine buying in the US has been at an almost frenzied pace. People can see what is coming. This is taking place even though there is not yet a scheduled congressional floor debate of the proposed re-vamped “Assault Weapons” and “High Capacity” magazine ban. This begs the question: What will the market be like once the debate is in full swing? Methinks that prices will at least double overnight. And then what will prices be like if an when a bill is passed? (Needless to say, that would be a Very Bad Thing. So please contact your Congresscritters, and do your best to stop any and all gun legislation.)

2B. I do my best to avoid tenuous conspiracy theories, but the timing of last weekend’s Miami Viciousness with a ubiquitous Kalashnikov seems just a tad suspicious:: “These are weapons of war, and they don’t belong on the streets of Miami or any other street in America,” Mayor Manuel Diaz said. The Mayor and Miami’s Chief of Police “both demanded immediate reinstatement of the ban on assault weapons. The Mayor said [US Vice President] Biden has assured him the Federal ban on assault weapons will be reinstated in short order.” [Emphasis added.]

2C. The BHO Administration has wasted no time rolling out a series of Executive Orders (EOs). Both my gut and my informants inside the Beltway tell me that another EO will soon be added to the list with an importation ban on detachable-magazines semi-auto rifles (and possibly pistols), and for all magazines over 10 round capacity.

The recent CBS Evening News piece on the gun-buying boom is evidence that this trend is big. It is so big that not even the Katie Courics of the world can ignore it. (Although they will do their best to soft-pedal it, and to deflect attention away from the BHO Administration’s civilian disarmament agenda, which includes renewal of the 1994-to-2004 Federal Ban, but with no sunset clause.)

The two preceding data points are evidence that the “news velocity” in America has increased and will continue to increase in the weeks to come. One could compare the economy and politics for the next 8 to 15 years to a roller coaster ride. The ride has already started. It is dark. Nobody can see the track ahead. There have already been some frightening dips and turns. But we are now nearing the big Deep Drama point on the track–you remember it–the one where everybody screams.

Letter Re: Some Observations on Finland from a Finnish SurvivalBlog Reader

Dear Mr. Rawles,
I’m a long-time lurker of SurvivalBlog, but thought I’d pass on some links of interest. For the record, I’ve read your novel [“Patriots“], and I am coming from a “Peaknik” viewpoint. But still have my original copy of “Life After Doomsday“. Currently I’m living in Finland, which has its pros and cons. “Russian bombers over your home” is not a theoretical concept to Finns and they don’t grow enough food for themselves [for a self-sufficient economy.]. A Nordic socialist government with high taxes and cost of living might not be of interest to many SurvivalBlog readers, but at least I see where my money goes and feel safer for my family should something happen to me. We won’t talk about gun control and no legal right to self-defense. However, the country is the third most heavily armed civilian population in the world. Excluding the two school shootings the lack of most violent crime I would attest to the social welfare system in the country helping even out the worst of the differences. Study the causes of the nasty Finnish Civil War of 1918 with how united the country was in WWII and you can see why some of the social welfare system was instituted.

There’s a large number of illegal guns in the country, 50,000–500,000. These aren’t just your old hunting rifle, but include Maxim machine guns sealed behind a wall and mortar tubes in the basement. See the Wikipedia page on weapons caches. (A stay-behind plan in case of Russian occupation of the country. Note the explanation of why Finnish communists went from planning revolution to entering Parliament).

The Finnish government has spent a lot of time and effort towards building resiliency into the country, fearing a repeat of WWII when they ended up fighting both the Soviets and the Nazis. Since then they put a lot of effort into building up food stocks and ensuring the country can survive on its own. Bomb shelters are still part of the standard building code, though it’s been relaxed from buildings of 600m2 [floor] surface area to 1000m2, and the air-raid sirens are still tested regularly. Military conscription is still practiced here and overall widely supported by people as well as a strong reserve system. However recruits these days are more likely to be out of shape and more attuned to working with computers than the farm-bred youth of WWII.

Many Finns have their own cottages as they move from the farm didn’t occur that long ago. With the many lakes for water, cottages for shelter, wood for fuel and more nature-orientation of the Finns I think they’d do fine overall as a society in a TEOTWAWKI situation presuming the government food supplies get the population through the first winter. I was reading the government estimate in a Finland-stands-alone situation is that they can feed everyone in Finland with at least 2,800 calories per day, though you might be suicidal from the blandness of the diet. (See the NESA web site). This is a bilingual country with Finnish and Swedish, but they still translate many things into English).
Unfortunately, I don’t know how much they took into account cuts in the fuel supply for tractors, fertilizers and transportation. The winters can be harsh and we’re noticing climate change here leading to “black winters” that are worse than “real” winters. The snow and frost helps kill off bugs in the soil, provide extra insulation for buildings, and reflects light so it’s not so dark. Unfortunately, that’s all disappearing. Winds blow to the east for about nine months of the year. Unfortunately, Chernobyl melted down during one of the [Spring] months [when] the winds blow from the east and so nuclear fallout is also a concept that’s been just theoretical so far. There’s some mushrooms here you no longer want to eat. The Sosnovy Bor reactor that powers St. Petersburg is the same model as Chernobyl and is far closer to the Finnish border than one would like.

[Some topics previously discussed in SurvivalBlog snipped, for brevity.]

Lest we forget non-TEOTWAWKI scenarios, here’s a reminder of the world of US WWII rationing. I like the various kids’ books about disaster being published by various agencies. “Color your way through disaster!” could be their motto. Still, it’s a beginning.

May I also suggest some readers might be interested in the late John Seymour’s post-collapse novel “Retrieved from the Future“. Seymour is famous as a father of the back-to-the-land movement in Britain, publishing two classics as “The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It” as well as “Forgotten Arts and Crafts“. Both are well illustrated and have a wealth of information on how to do things as well as how things used to be done. “Retrieved from the Future” is basically a Peak Oil novel written twelve years ago and set in Britain. As befits a self-sufficiency guru he pays a lot of attention to how high-energy farming fails to keep going as oil, fertilizer and spare parts go away while also discussing the rebirth of older forms of agricultural. The Golden Horde makes its visit and is deflected, but not the British Army when it comes time to requisition food for the cities and seize the few weapons British civilians have. Basically a solid British perspective on what would happen during a collapse.

As some readers have expressed interest in the new film “Defiance” I might also suggest trying to get hold of a Soviet film from 1987 called “Come and See”. Essentially a film about partisans in Byelorussia during WWII, the depiction of the village being destroyed came to my mind several times while I was reading your book “Patriots“.
Regards, – Simo H. in Finland

Handcuffed and Stuffed in a Car Trunk — My Review of OnPoint Tactical’s Urban Escape and Evasion Class, by Mr. Lima

Last Monday night I was seized by eight guys, handcuffed and locked in the trunk of a car. Now I don’t know if you’ve ever been locked in the trunk of a car, but it’s not exactly how most folks want to spend an hour!

Luckily this was part of OnPoint Tactical’s Urban Escape and Evasion class and I wasn’t actually getting “rolled up.”

Earlier in the day we had spent a considerable amount of time learning how to free ourselves from handcuffs, flexicuff [plastic cable tie cuff]s, duct tape, rope and various other implements that impede personal freedom.

We learned also about stress and adrenaline levels in a survival or escape and evasion situation, and how to properly deal with and inoculate against these. We looked at caching ideas and prepared caches of ‘travel documents’ that had to be hidden in an urban area without detection by instructors seeking to find them or by the casual observer.

The information regarding how to set up a “briefing book” would be invaluable to any survivalist, no matter where he lived. We learned some “social engineering” methods that would help us acquire needed supplies from outsiders. We learned how to defeat various types of alarm systems, fences and dogs.

A long section of instruction was given on working with cutting implements as well as how to improvise various types of weapons. Here’s where your comment from “Patriots” came to mind “Crude but effective.”

A further module of study was on lock picking and we spent the better part of a day working on this skill set.

Can you imagine the ability to drive up to a utility right of way that is gated and locked, pick the lock, pull your vehicles through and then lock it behind you during a bug out? Sure you could cut the lock but all that means is more people would follow you. If you picked it and then replaced it, it would be a different story.

The class went over numerous other topics including “acquiring” vehicles in an emergency situation.

I’m a country boy by nature, but if I’m ever stuck in an urban environment when TSHTF, I’ll be much more confident now with the skills I learned at this class. After all, a survivalist should be able to operate in a multitude of environments.

BTW, I’ve also attended OnPoint’s classes on Tracking and SERE, and I’d very highly recommend these as well. – Mr. Lima

Letter Re: An Inexpensive Alternative to HESCO Bastions

Jim

Hello!
Some time ago, I read a post on SurvivalBlog about the HESCO bastions. Very interesting. I follow another blog here [in Brazil] , and one of the bloggers tell me about the huge fertilizer bags that he uses at his farm. (It is a [large scale] soy bean farm). Each bag is of one of one ton capacity. And he tells me that this bags are thrown away after use. Well, I think it´s a good source of almost free HESCO bastion equivalents. – The Werewolf (SurvivalBlog’s correspondent in Brazil)

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Benjamin H. wanted to remind folks that there are two types of deflation, and to that end he sent us a link to a great piece over ar iTulip: Debt Deflation versus Goods Price Deflation.

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Pete in New Hampshire sent this news that will be of interest to diabetics: Lifescan is giving away their new One Touch Ultra Slim [blood glucose] meters. Pete writes: ” People can always use a back up meter, and free ones are even better. Of course they will need acquire the test strips to go along with it.ia

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Here is some of the latest economic news: Reader G.G. mentioned that some economists quoted by Financial Week concur with my prediction: Inflation starter? Foreign buyers no longer binging on long-term U.S. debt With financing of deficits in doubt as spending rises, deflation could quickly turn into runaway price increases, say economists Next, thanks to Jeff B. for this: Earnings, economy – here comes ‘terrible’, The week ahead: Investors gear up for a deluge of weak earnings and the biggest plunge in GDP in 26 years.

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Trent H. sent us this news of pending legislation from the state with the “Live Free or Die” bravado license plates: The Licensing of Horses in New Hampshire

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Americans who are in the bottom 10th of income distribution live better today than kings lived in 1800. They have better health care, cheaper entertainment, cheaper books, longer life expectancy, air conditioning, central heating, and much more. This has come as a result of the private property system, the future-orientation of a broad mass of savers, and the willingness of entrepreneurs to invest their time and money to meet the wants of consumers in the future.” – Dr. Gary North

Letter Re: The Sad State of Private Firearms Ownership in Australia

Jim:

I’m a SurvivalBlog reader in Australia. I want to describe the current situation for Australian gun owners, but first a bit of background information is needed to compare then and now: I grew up in Australia in the 1960s. My parents came here in the 1950s from a war torn Europe to have a better life here in a climate away from the cold and starving masses in Europe after the war, the so called “gun culture” in Australia was very free then, you could go on public transport with a 22 rifle tucked under your arm after a days shooting on the range or from shooting rabbits on many small acres dotted around the big cities, no one accosted you or thought anything about it, people chatted to you and asked how the says hunt went.
Driving through country areas was an experience! lot’s of people had gun racks in their back window of their pick-ups, and it was common to go out and bag 50 or 60 rabbits in a young boys lazy afternoon.

I grew up being the proud owner of a Remington 22 pump action at 13, and have owned many guns over the years, to have a license then was a mere formality and paying a small fee, up till 1998 in Australia you could legally own pump actions, semi autos and lever guns of all types, AR-15s and FN-FALs were very common along with AK copies, SKSes, etc.
That has all gone and an entire era has disappeared. Today in Australia, you pay a fee of AUS$200 for three years, then pay a another $30 to transfer a firearm to your name before you buy one you like, the ammo must be stored away from the gun and you must have a approved steel safe suitably bolted to a brick or concrete floor/wall, now you must have the police inspect your beloved new toy and of course its registered!, also you must have the ammunition pertaining only to the guns you have in your safe, heaven help you if its different from your guns.

The Police have the authority to randomly inspect your car while out on a hunting trip and often can and do searches of your vehicle to or from a hunting area, needless to say semi-autos are verboten! And our own version of Handgun Control, Inc (Yes we have those fools here too !) constantly screech about the “gun culture” in the US, (I lived in the USA for several years and thoroughly enjoyed my time there and most enjoyed the freedom to carry a handgun there. And I understand if it was not for the American servicemen we would be speaking Japanese, that must always be remembered ).

Australia is not what it once was, now it’s a benign dictatorship. (Those are harsh words but true never the less ) Both the main parties support the strict system we have, in truth real freedom to possess firearms for self defense purposes has never occurred,. The Police here have all the best equipment, the unlimited budgets and power and backing of the state, there really isn’t much difference between the thugs of Nazi Germany and now. Did you know Australia has one of the highest rates of home invasion in the western world ? (It ranks about 5th or 6th )

Now the precursor for all the anti-gun push was supposedly a man called Martin Bryant who many claim shot and killed 35 people.

“No action can really be understood apart from motive which prompted it.” Arthur Schopenhauer. 1851.

For the record, Martin Bryant never had a trial by jury, he received a pre-sentencing hearing and all files pertaining to his case have been locked up under an act of secrecy for 30+ years. Now I ask are they the actions of open and honest Government? Jim, in my mind there is no question that this was deliberately foisted on the Australian people to facilitate disarmament, Australia today is a poorer place, both morally, spiritually and physically. To own a rifle today will set you back quite a large sum of money and the costs are onerous, for example to buy common 22 [rimfire] ammunition will set you back AUS$700 for 5,000 rounds! and the costs keep going up (never down ) woe to you if you shoot and intruder in your home, all the onus is on you to prove your innocence, in all probability you will lose all you own to get a win in the courts.

I subscribe to what the US Constitution stated. The Founding Fathers envisioned a peaceful country without foreign involvement or even a standing army, so the Constitution states that appropriations for the army can’t exceed two years (Article I, Section 8). Alas, our Constitution has been ineffective in curbing the war racket. Unfortunately, the US seems to be heading toward monarchy. No standing armies for Australia or the USA…….my country is involved in two wars now, Australia has no place in Iraq or Afghanistan, period end of story! I will protect my family, my wife, my children, but not foreign interests or oil politics. To that end I prepare my family

By the way I want to state as a born again fundamentalist Christian, I see firearms as a God given right and most definitely not a “sport”. Since when is owning a gun [to defend life and liberty] a sport? If it’s a sport it can be legalized away (which is exactly what has happened in this country), there were over 1 million firearms owners in this country, but you know something? no one voted the lying self serving politicians out over the issue!
On a final note, I would have to say that if there is in the US about 360,000 people in the survivalist movement, over here the number can be counted in as few as 20,000, a tiny number, even fewer in the Christian circles I travel in , I find that saddening as most Christians here as anti gun and handgun inc, we are marching to abyss , but I for one wont go down without doing my bit to prepare my family for what’s ahead. Regards – Alan C.

Letter Re: Looking at Preparedness as a Challenge

Jim:
My mainstream friends feel sorry for me. According to them, I live in a world of fear rather than hope. What they don’t understand is that I enjoy the preparedness lifestyle. While they are out shopping for shoes and designer jackets, I’m buying fruit and nut trees and learning how to graft and manage an orchard. While they are at home watching millionaire athletes compete on television, I’m doing 100 reps up and down my stairs with kettle weights building my stamina. While they are watching a movie, I’m learning how to fix my car, weld, set up a photovoltaic system and operate a ham radio. While they are at a restaurant, I’m learning how to can, smoke, bake and pickle.

There has always been a small section of society that craves adventure and learning. We were the ones that got on the ships for the new world 500 years ago. We were the ones that crossed the continent 200 years ago. We are the ones that will one day venture into space to populate new worlds. Why do I prep? It’s not just because I see the potential for mass societal upheavals, but because of the challenge. I like to learn. I do it because I enjoy the satisfaction of mastering new skills and being independent. – SF in Hawaii

Odds ‘n Sods:

Just when we thought the economic headlines couldn’t get much worse, Mark P. for spotting this: Downturn accelerates as it circles the globe: Economies worse off than analysts predicted just weeks ago. And Paul A. sent this grim deflationary prediction from Mish Shedlock: Extreme Leverage In Reverse Portends Global Systemic Crash. Whether the incipient crash is deflationary, or inflationary, or a whipsaw of sharp deflation followed by sharp inflation (which is my personal prediction), you should get you beans, bullets, and Band-Aids together and stand ready!

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Mike W. sent us this “must read” piece from NASA on Severe Solar Storms, Power Grids, and the Web of Interdependent Systems

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Trent flagged this: Citigroup, Bank of America May Look ‘Nationalized’. And Cheryl sent us all these items: “Bad Bank,” Bad News — How Big is Britain’s Toxic Debt? — Britain on Brink of Depression — Lights Go Out Across Britain as Recession Hits Home — The Fed: Life After Zero — Shipping Rates Hit Zero as Trade Sinks — China Prepares for Year of the Slump — Britain May Seek IMF Bailout — Fears Confirmed: Recession Fuels Crime Surge — Iceland Government on Verge of Collapse — Jobless Claims Surge, Housing Starts Tumble — Code Red: Economy in Collapse — JP Morgan Chief Says Worst of the Crisis Still to Come — Special Forces Rescue Icelandic PM from Furious Credit Crunch Rioters — Stores Closing in 2009

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For the “It Comes as No Surprise to Us” Department, SurvivalBlog reader Florida Guy forwarded this article: Bad Times Spur a Flight to Jobs Viewed as Safe. (FWIW, I’ve been cautioning about the need for recession-proof income streams for years! It is not too late to launch a home-based business. And it just might turn out to be your ticket to making a good living out in the hinterboonies.)

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.”

– Lamentations 3:22-26 (King James Version)

Note from JWR:

The current high bid in the SurvivalBlog Benefit Auction is at $810. This auction is for a large mixed lot, which includes::

1.) A “be ready to barter” box of 36 full-capacity gun magazines, from my personal collection in JASBORR. This box includes: 12 – Used original Bundeswehr contract HK91 (G3) steel 20 round magazines, 6 – Used original Austrian FN-FAL steel 20 round magazines, with cartridge counter holes, 10 – Used AR-15/M16 USGI (all Colt made!) alloy 20 round magazines, 6 – Excellent condition original Glock Model 19 9mm 15 round pistol magazines (early type, with “U” notch), and 2 – New and very scarce original FN (Belgian-made) US M1/M2 Carbine blued steel 30 round magazines (marked “AYP”) . All of these magazines are of pre-1994 manufacture (and hence legal to possess in New York.) These magazines have a combined value of approximately $710, in today’s market. Note: If you live in a state where full capacity magazines are banned, then you must choose to: refrain from bidding, or designate a recipient in an unrestricted state, or re-donate the magazines for a subsequent auction.

2. ) A brand new-in-box Hot Jaw Bag Sealer and a box of 10 Mylar bags . (Every retreat group should have one these, since they are a tremendous labor saver!) This is a $200 retail value, courtesy of Ready Made Resources.

3.) A huge lot of DVDs, CD-ROMs and hard copy nuclear survival/self-sufficiency references (a $300+ value) donated by Richard Fleetwood of www.SurvivalCD.com

4.) A NukAlert compact radiation detector donated by at KI4U.com (a $160 retail value). 

5.) A gift certificate for $100 worth of books, courtesy of Back 40 Books.

6.) A case of 12 cans of recent production nitrogen-packed storage granola (mixed varieties) This is a $96 retail value, courtesy of CampingSurvival.com.

Thus, this auction has a combined value in excess of $1,565.

This auction ends on February 15th. Please e-mail us your bid. Your bid will be for the entire mixed lot.

Letter Re: Way Points for G.O.O.D. Routes?

James,

I finally have my bugout location found and purchased. Plan to start building a small home there later this year. Cabin first, house will wait till I see how the economy runs. On the east coast, as I have family here and really don’t want to leave this area. I am outside a small town, on a dirt road off a local rural highway. I have near nine acres of woods and one acre of pasture (garden and orchard) space. One acre of the land is separated from the rest by a four foot wide surface creek. It has a nice cleared area I plan to develop into a picnic area at the creek. The majority of the land is heavily wooded.

I am considering offering the space as an overnight primitive camping stop for bugout travelers. One night to one week maximum. You know, rest up and recoup or reunite with stragglers while en route. Good idea or no?

How should I let fellow survivalists know about the location? I would have to meet traveler in some nearby town to get to know before showing them the location, for personal security.

Or should I hole up on my land and let everyone else fend for themselves? Your thoughts are appreciated, either as an e-mail or a post on your blog. Thanks, – S. in Alabama

JWR Replies: I can foresee a few potential problems with your plan:

First: Vetting someone for suitability and trustworthiness for such an arrangement is time consuming. Unless you could properly vet someone before they were told the exact location of your retreat, then it would be a huge OPSEC risk. Worst case: Your retreat ends up on some outlaw motorcycle gang’s “shopping list.”

Second: If anyone asks if they can cache supplies at your retreat, there could be legal implications, especially if they are less than honest about what they are burying on your property. (I’ve heard a couple of horror stories from consulting clients about the antics of some their erstwhile “friends” that turned out to be flakes or criminals.)

Third: In times of Deep Drama, it might be difficult to persuade “stay-overs” to abide by their contractual obligation to move on. (I can just hear the whining: “But I’m sick with the flu”. or, “But my wife has a badly sprained ankle and can’t walk…”, or, “I’m not leaving until my brother arrives. We’re supposed to meet-up here.”)

Fourth: “Signing-up” a large number of stay-overs is an egregious violation of the “need to know” rule. Each person that is told about the retreat location represents one more person that could get careless and blather or boast of it to friends. Repeat that risk 20 or 30 rimes, and sure enough, on TEOTWAWKI+ 1 or TEOTWAWKI+2 you’ll wake up in the morning to find that a hundred tents have sprouted in your pasture, most of which will be occupied by newcomers that you know nothing about. (This factor, BTW, is why The Memsahib and I have taken some extreme measures in guarding the location of our year-round retreat.)

In summation, I think that such an arrangement is more trouble than it is worth. To do it right would requite plenty of vetting. And if you are going to that much trouble, then it might as well be to approve someone that will be a full-fledged member of your retreat group.