Letter Re: Survival Retreat Potential of Northwest Florida

Mr. Rawles:
I live in south Florida. I would like to know your opinion on having a retreat in northwest Florida, Dixie County to be exact, known as the “least populated county in Florida”. I can’t afford to move out of the state right now and I am concerned about driving through major cities if I had to leave in an emergency from down here.
I would like to be able to do it on one tank of gas which would put me about 5 or 6 hours away from where I am now. I already have a small piece of property up there now with a mobile home on it to use as a base of operation when I buy a larger piece of property and begin my preparations. Traveling two or three days to get to a retreat concerns me.
All of my other preparations are in order: food storage, security, some medical info and books, seeds, and silver/gold, etc. Where I live now is not a defendable place. I have about 8-10 family and friends that will join me. I would like your opinion on this: Is it worth the risk to travel to a farther location like Georgia or North Carolina, where I do have family in the mountains (or even Missouri where land is cheap); or just to prepare up in the Northwest part of Florida. There is a lot of deer, rivers, fishing, and the well water is good.
By the way, I have read [the earlier edition of] your “Patriots” novel and I just got the new [expanded] edition. Thank you for your time and effort into these books. I am looking forward to purchasing the other book about retreats. May God bless you for the wealth of information and knowledge that you share with us and our families. – Patriot Bob

JWR Replies: As previously stated, I encourage moving to selected low population density portions of the western U.S. to increase your chances of survival in the event of a major societal whammy. (See my Recommend Retreat Areas static web page for some pertinent data and recommendations, as well as my recently published book Rawles on Retreats and Relocation for greater detail, including maps.) If you must live in Florida, then the northwest portion of the state is about as good as it gets. It is still in the nation’s hurricane belt, but at least the population density is relatively low. If you can live at your retreat in northwest Florida year round, then my advice is to stay put. (Since you have well water, buy a hand pump from Lehmans.com (assuming that it is a shallow well), or better yet, buy a few photovoltaic (PV) panels and a DC well pump. The folks at Ready Made Resources give advice on sizing a designing a PV power system, free of charge.

If for family or business reasons you must continue live in South Florida, then I would recommend that you consider selling your retreat property in northwest Florida and instead buying a retreat in northern Georgia, South Carolina, or perhaps eastern Tennessee. If you can afford to, you might consider keeping your place in northwest Florida as a “refueling stopover” and as a lightly-stocked alternate retreat locale. It is wise to always have a Plan B and a Plan C!

Two Letters Re: The Novel “Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse”

Jim,
I recently received the updated version of “Patriots” a couple days ago. At first I was just going to read the new chapters, but after seeing that you gave it an overall update, I decided to just read the whole thing. So far I have been very impressed. (The two new chapters alone were worth the price of the book.) Not to mention the way everything else was updated. Way to go! You have done a very good job with this new edition, and I have already ordered a few more copies to have on hand as gifts.

I have also just received the “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, and Rawles on Retreats and Relocation. Both look very good at first glance, and I’m looking forward to delving into them soon. BTW, I’m also looking forward to the release of the “Best of the Blog” book. – Gung Ho

 

Mr. Rawles:
I read your book in two breathtaking and exciting days, it was impossible to put down. It was as if you took my worst nightmares, and word for word put them into a novel. I had been talking politics with a friend, as is normal for me, when he asked me just what I thought was going to happen in the future of our country. My friend had heard of your book, and when he realized that the vision of my future and your book were one in the same, he told me to go out and pick it up. I couldn’t find it at any of my local book stores, so I ordered it on Amazon. Like I said, two days later… I’m sitting here in awe. Being from New Jersey, most people I talk with are totally clueless to the situation, and just refer to me as a “paranoid nut”, an “extremist” or an “idiot”. Especially if they ever catch wind of the cache I have in my trunk for a “rainy day” as you put it. I just want to say “Thank you!” for such an incredible job of being able to see into the future, and doing your best to help warn people of it in the best way you can. May G-D bless you, – BDB

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Permissiveness is the principle of treating children as if they were adults; and the tactic of making sure they never reach that stage." – Thomas Szasz

Notes From JWR:

It registered 10 below zero Fahrenheit (-23.3 Celsius) yesterday morning at the Rawles Ranch–chilly enough that I resorted to wearing long underwear. The cold winter weather doesn’t bother us much. The great hunting and fishing here in the valley make up for the inconveniences of living in a true “four season” climate.

The SurvivalBlog benefit auction ends tomorrow (midnight EST, on January 15th), so get your bid in soon! The high bid is now at $290. This auction is for a big batch of 16 survival/preparedness reference books, courtesy of the fine folks at Ready Made Resources. (They are one of our first and most loyal advertisers. Be sure to visit their site and check out their huge inventory of preparedness-related products. BTW, they have additional copies of each of the titles listed below, as well as more than a hundred other titles.)

Letter Re: Fiscal Fitness

Dear Jim,
I’m an avid SurvivalBlog reader and I want to thank you for your insights and the valuable information you provide on the Blog. I purchased the “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course and have enjoyed reading and studying it. Lately, it occurred to me that, along with all of the necessary planning that accompanies retreat preparation, as well as the recently discussed benefits of physical fitness, proper fiscal fitness is also crucial in completing these vital preparations. Most of us have to work for an income in order to live in our modern society, at least while we prepare for more difficult times. At the same time, we have many “money intensive” demands on that same income – raising children, mortgages, utility bills, paying for educations, and a biggie for many, consumer debt with its attendant costs. These demands likely leave little available money for hobbies or for large scale disaster preparedness.
I have found a very reasonable set of principles that have helped me, together with my wife and our children, to get on the path to systematically walk out of debt. I’m referring to the financial principles set forth by Dave Ramsey. He has a national radio show that is also broadcast on XM. Perhaps best of all for newcomers, he archives the most recent two weeks of his radio show on his web site. Folks new to this program can listen in on the advice he has given to many callers and decide for themselves if they can understand and accept the principles he teaches. Those principles include spending less than you make and using your income as your greatest wealth-building tool. Obviously, most who call in to his radio show are already living beyond their means, so he discusses principles with them to get them walking out of debt. You may have several readers who have become financially hamstrung and could use a simple, straight-forward plan to help them back to financial solvency. The bottom line is that the path to financial peace involves taking responsibility for your past fiscal mistakes, taking a good honest look at what comes in and where it goes, and making a plan (the dreaded budget). Who of us would attempt to prepare a retreat that would shelter us and our loved ones from disaster without a plan? It’s no different with finances. Many of us are experiencing a SHTF scenario right now – the weekly money fight with the spouse! It’s well-documented that money fights and money problems are major marriage killers. Well, let me tell you, I had a good marriage before I started this plan. Our marriage is so much better now that my wife and I are working together and are in agreement on where the money goes. Yes, I even have “blow money” for my “Preparation hobby” even while we’re climbing out of debt – we just put it in the budget!
I won’t ramble on much longer. I just know what a difference this has made in my life. I’ve probably changed my family’s future by living these principles and teaching them to my children. I didn’t need to become Donald Trump. I just needed to get a fiscal plan in place so that later we would have the money available for Preparation, rather than sending it to a myriad of creditors. Dave Ramsey’s program has helped me in my preparations for the future. Dave’s not selling any funds, stocks, or mystery programs to beat the Market or buy real estate with no money down. He’s just packaged up time-honored principles that have helped us, and many friends, achieve financial peace as well as greater love and harmony in our marriage and family. In my estimation, when we speak and write about disaster preparedness, we’re really talking about peace and security through the hardest times. It’s pretty tough to do that without including financial peace in the discussion. – Rob in NC

JWR Replies: I agree that getting out of debt should be a priority. In the long term (decades), further inflation in the U.S. seems inevitable. The good news is that continuing inflation means paying off debts with progressively “cheaper” dollars, but the bad news is that our buying power is being eroded. This is particularly painful for fixed income pensioners. In the short term, however, there is the lingering risk of a deflationary depression–much like the Great Depression of the 1930s. If that happens, anyone with any significant debt will be fortunate not to end up homeless by the end of that deflationary cycle.

Once folks have extricated themselves from the debt hole, I recommend an investment portfolio that is heavy on precious metals–primarily bullion rather than numismatic. See the Swiss America web site for some “hard money” investing alternatives.

Letter Re: An Interesting Television Show on the Pandemic Threat

Most everyone loves a good medical mystery. You know, we watch these shows like “House” and “ER” to see what the medical emergency is and to watch the drama unfold as they solve the crisis of the moment. Shows like “CSI” teach us a lot about the medical community and police work together to solve crimes. You’re going to probably see in the television season to come that the subject in this link is going to be played out in various popular drama shows. Understanding the reality behind it to me is as interesting as the drama plays and I think you’ll enjoy getting the behind the scenes scoop on it.

I’ve been following this avian influenza virus for a while. Here is a link to a television show that was done by medical scientists (Director of the CDC, US Secretary of Health, leading medical scientists, etc.) to help explain what this is and why it’s being labeled as “the single most lethal thing our society could face in the year 2007.” Politicians and governments around the globe are quietly infusing millions of dollars into preparations and training in pandemic preparedness measures.

If you have the time, please watch it. It’s really interesting, on multiple levels, not as a hype that “the world is coming to an end” but rather to be involved in medical matters to educate yourself and be self aware of the situation that is going on with this particular issue. It’s aim is to educate them on the issue so that folks will understand what this situation is, exactly. I hope you enjoy learning about it. – April

Odds ‘n Sods:

From the New York Times: Rise in Ethanol Raises Concerns About Corn as a Food. The article begins: “Renewing concerns about whether there will be enough corn to support the demand for both fuel and food, a new study has found that ethanol plants could use as much as half of America’s corn crop next year.”

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Any readers that live in Montana should be aware of an “anti-hoarding/anti-price gouging” bill that is currently in hearings at the state senate. Call your state senators! (A tip of the hat to Phil at the Random Nuclear Strikes blog for publicizing this Nanny State do-gooder meddling.)

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SF in Hawaii sent us a link for “a place (not necessarily the least expensive) to buy Bosun whistles”.You might also check the prices at Boaters World. (One of our Affiliate advertisers.) OBTW, they also sell other emergency signaling equipment (including air horns and smoke/flare pyrotechnics) that might be useful ashore, for a survival retreat.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"No people will tamely surrender their Liberties, nor can any be easily subdued, when knowledge is diffused and Virtue is preserved. On the Contrary, when People are universally ignorant, and debauched in their Manners, they will sink under their own weight without the Aid of foreign Invaders." – Samuel Adams (letter to James Warren, November 4, 1775)

Notes From JWR:

There is still a lot of snow on the ground and more snowfall expected soon, but The Memsahib is already intently studying her seed catalogs! She is irrepressibly optimistic. It is just in her nature. I think that, bank balance willing, this will be the year that I build her a greenhouse so that she can dispense with using our small cold frames and windowsill sprouting and get a serious early start on the vegetable garden.

Today we begin with a letter from David, our correspondent in Israel.

Two Letters Re: Israeli Nuclear Saber Rattling

James
The Olmert government would not do a nuclear strike of any kind even if we were at risk of being completely overrun. The weakness in response can be seen in the
war in Lebanon where only minimal measures were used and only against safe targets after about 8 hours of leaflet warnings. Olmert simply will not upset his liberal European friends even when Washington orders him to act strongly. This is likely part of a wind up similar to what we saw before the Iraq invasion although I am doubtful that there will be an American ground occupation of Iran. My IAF air-force friends have seen no unusual activity. This is likely to be used by the US and Britain to explain their urgent need to hit Iran even if they are out out of missile range. Look how many amphibious strike and carrier battle groups have gathered in the gulf. The surge in Iraq looks to me to be a cover for an Iran hit. Didn’t I promise you an interesting year? – David in Israel

Mr. Rawles,
I was also startled at the article in The Times of London, linked to by The Drudge Report. However, the article sounded familiar to me. I Googled “Times of London, Israel nuclear strike on Iran” and found two earlier articles in the Times of London about the same subject:
March 13, 2005
and
December 11, 2005
There are many other articles about the same topic. The repetition by The Times of London indicates that they cry “wolf” way too much.
Maybe this is just part of Israel’s propaganda war to get someone else to do something about Iran. Certainly something must be done about Iran, but the threat of an imminent nuclear attack by Israel shouldn’t be used to stampede the rest of the world into taking unwise action. Regards, – GunLaw.

Two Letters Re: Night Sights for Pistols

Jim,
I can definitely say that the XS Sights work as advertised. I’ve tried them on the Mini-14 and AR-15 carbines, and in both cases they enabled accurate 100 yard plinking at night and fast acquisition with full sights. With a peep-sight equipped rifle, the Tritium front is the most worthwhile upgrade. If you can see the sight through the opening, you’re going to hit what you’re pointing at. For around $100, this is a very worthwhile upgrade for any gun that gets used at night. – Arclight

 

Jim,
While reading earlier today OSOM’s posting re “Night Sights for Pistols”, I remembered an advert in a recent issue of Shotgun News, which showed two products (named “Diamond XT“; and ” Diamond SAS; from a company that calls itself “Nikko-Stirling Optics.” The visual, located on the “XT” page, appears to be just what the proverbial doctor ordered, for such CQ and CQ/T (courtesy of IOR – Valdada and Leupold) situations which may pop up. Better than the long in use 3-dot system? Would seem so to me. – Ben L.

Odds ‘n Sods:

“The Werewolf”, (our correspondent in Brazil) recommended a 49 cent downloadable Amazon short by Kim Stanley Robinson. It is titled :”Imagining Abrupt Climate Change: Terraforming Earth.”

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Michael Z. Williamson reminded us that the Oak Ridge Laboratory treatise on what nuclear weapons actually do, and how to defend your family against their effects is available for free download from the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine.

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“Simple Country Doctor” recommended this “moderately technical discussion of non-nuke EMP device” from Australia.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"There are no victims, only volunteers. You volunteer by looking uncertain and afraid. You volunteer by being, as grass-eaters invariably are, unprepared to confront the hazards of life." – The Late Col. Jeff Cooper

Notes From JWR:

Sorry about the long delay, but I am now ready to start filling orders for autographed copies of the new expanded edition of my novel Patriots, through my mail order catalog. I would prefer payment via AlertPay or PayPal, since our “snail mail” gets forwarded to the ranch just once every two weeks. That could cause an up to three week delay in mailing your book order if you send payment via snail mail. I shipped ten cases of already autographed books to our fulfillment partner in Montana. (The folks that will be handling the actual book mailings.) Because of this, I won’t be able to offer any special personalized inscriptions–just books that have a generic inscription. (Just my signature.) OBTW, if you’d like to pay via credit card, I also plan to sell some autographed copies through Amazon Shops.

The following is another article for Round 8 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The writer of the best non-fiction article will win a valuable four day “gray” transferable Front Sight course certificate. (Worth up to $1,600.) Second prize is a copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, generously donated by Jake Stafford of Arbogast Publishing. If there are a lot of great entries this round of the contest, I will again be sending out a few complimentary first edition copies (Huntington House edition) of my novel “Patriots” as “honorable mention” awards. If you want a chance to win the contest, start writing and e-mail us your article. Round 8 will end on January 31st. Remember that the articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival will have an advantage in the judging.