awwwright, you remote homesteading homies
this is how the rest of us roll
Ranger Man has seen extensive posts by survivalists that proclaim in order to be a “true” survivalist one has to live 80 miles from the nearest convenience store, on a farm, far from any possible nuclear targets. Ranger Man is here to tell you - that’s simply not true.
You don’t need to live the life of a deranged hermit to survive the coming cataclysm. You don’t need 40 acres of wheat crops and 50 acres of standing firewood. Those who proclaim this underestimate the abilities of urban and suburban survivalists.
Ranger Man, for example, lives in the ‘burbs on a roughly 1-acre house lot within one mile of a grocery store and gas station. I heat my suburban “keep” with multiple fuel sources: oil, wood and propane. I am in the long-term process of converting my yard space into a TEOTWAWKI survival ground complete with fruit bearing trees, berries, root crops and raised bed gardens. I’ll employ the square-foot or “French intensive” gardening technique. This permits abundant yield in limited space. One can easily produce enough food for a small family on a one acre lot if the space is used properly. Additionally, many municipal codes now permit homeowners to keep chickens and rabbits in urban and suburban environments. There’s your meat source; and you don’t need the expense, work and space to maintain a pile of cows.
There are, in fact, advantages to urban and suburban survivalism. For example, I:
- live close to my place of work (think high price of gas and global warming)
- live close to the fire department
- once had to call the ambulance for my infant child (worst night of my life - 5 hours of true SHTF) and they arrived in about 8 minutes - literally
- have a public water supply. (Yes, I know many see this as a disadvantage, but you know what? If the power goes out, the massive municipal generator down at the water station kicks on like nothing happened.)
On the subject of power, during Maine’s infamous ice storm in 1998, people in the sticks were without power for many weeks. My neighborhood was out for a few hours.
Am I saying that if TEOTWAWKI hit an urban environment would be better than a rural environment? No, I’m not; but there’s a high likelihood TEOTWAWKI will not hit in my lifetime. SHTF, on the other hand - very possible - very likely.
Properly trained and equipped, urban and suburbanites can easily survive a SHTF situation. And if TEOTWAWKI did hit - you folks in the boonies won’t be in the boonies for long. The Golden Horde will find you. Yeah, you’ll repel the first wave . . . probably the second . . . maybe the third . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . have no worries. Ranger Man can wait it all out. I’ll rid the Golden Horde from your land. Ranger Man . . . will avenge you!
In the meantime, you remote homesteaders will burn up about 40 bucks in gas and spend 3 hours driving just to see the new “I am Legend” movie coming out today. I’ll burn up about 3 bucks in gas and spend 25 minutes driving to the matinee tomorrow. Expect a full movie review.
How pertinent to this post: “I’m a survivor living in New York City.”
Watch and see:
12 responses so far ↓
1 fallout11 // Dec 14, 2007 at 10:38 am
Very well put, Ranger Man. Both Urban Survivalist and I also share your same sentiments on this matter.
Three other key points worth considering, as well:
1) Chances are, your “keep” is within biking or perhaps even hiking distance to work and stores, and even future “bartertown”/local markets, farmers coops, social organizations, and the like (post TEOTWAWKI). The isolated rural survivalist has no such luck.
2) The isolated rural survivalist is unlikely to make it to his/her remote “keep” if TSHTF. You’ll have no such problem, even walking there is possible.
3) In countries where partial collapse has occurred, or where violence is commonplace, (Argentina, the Balkans, large swaths of subsaharan Africa, Northern Ireland, etc) remote homesteads are the most likely to be attacked, and are the most vulnerable. Being isolated and remote means you are isolated and remote. Few neighbors, little cooperation, little communal aid.
2 Ranger Man // Dec 14, 2007 at 10:44 am
Very good additional points. I particularly like the “Barter Town” analogy.
3 Mr. Anonymous 8:48 // Dec 14, 2007 at 6:19 pm
Very insightful Ranger Man, and Fallout. This is a subject that, I think, the majority of survival/preparedness minded people could sink their teeth into.
Have you considered an outhouse,(for emergency purposes), concealed as, or dug into, a garden shack? How ’bout installing, or constructing, a composting toilet in one?
That’s an idea I got from Countryside and Small Stock Journal in ‘99.
I’d love to hear more along these lines.
4 Ranger Man // Dec 14, 2007 at 6:38 pm
Lol! Thanks for checking out the site, 8:48.
I hadn’t considered that idea (outhouse in a garden shack), but with limited time, developing my lot to produce food is a higher priority - for now.
Dealing with human waste is a serious issue one would have contend with in a prolonged SHTF situation, however. If SHTF today the entire family would be heading outside to sit in the snowbank . . . errrr . . . ugh. I’ll add this suggestion to my “blog post ideas” list and promise to cover it in the future. Having viewer submitted ideas is very helpful.
5 FREEDOM // Dec 14, 2007 at 6:58 pm
This is a great post! I also live in the “burbs”, close to my family and friends. (All of which are like-minded regarding SHTF scenarios) A worthy follow up blog would be on how to fortify your suburban house without drawing attention to it. For example installing heavy duity working shutters for your windows or keeping pre cut pieces of plywood and nails in the garage.
6 Mr. Anonymous 8:48 // Dec 14, 2007 at 7:45 pm
A very worthy, and timely, subject.
7 Half Elf // Dec 17, 2007 at 8:34 pm
Human fecal matter, properly dried, and mixed with sawdust/wood shavings could be used as fuel, and the ashes should be sterile enough for the compost heap.
It is best to put the outhouse down stream from the well, and down slope from the garden, that is why the little house in the back is so far in the back.
8 Half man Half alcohol // Dec 18, 2007 at 12:33 am
I like the “retreat” idea but it’s a fantasy for all bar the very wealthy. I live in the real world where it’s a struggle pay to pay.
SHTF I’ll be holed up in my flat. If SHTF is at my flat then I’ll try my best to decrease the number of JBT or Zombie Motorcylclists for ya’ll.
9 Chris // Dec 18, 2007 at 11:05 pm
Let me suggest a saw dust composting toilet to solve the problem. It is a 5 gallon bucket with a toilet seat set on top. I actually use this at my survival retreat. Just cover the waste with saw dust after use. It does not smell and can be composted when the bucket is full.
10 Chris // Dec 18, 2007 at 11:12 pm
I love this article. Chances are that when the SHTF you won’t be able to make it to your retreat anyway. Everyone into survivalism should fully stock their city house in case you can’t make it to your country house.
I suggest making booze for trading. Whiskey, beer or wine it does not matter. This is a great barter product that can be made in your house and traded for supplies you are lacking. In a city full of depressed people the man who can make the booze is king.
11 Raffi // Dec 19, 2007 at 4:19 pm
I had a suburban keep at one time but still had to move. One thing to consider is to dig a small well that you can keep out of sight. A handpump on it will make sure you have water when others might not. Hiding in plain sight is still a great survival tactic.
12 ryan // Dec 21, 2007 at 4:42 am
I agree with the vast majority of this post. Keep in mind that municipal water might be gravity fed, it is worth inquiring about. In the likely case that power is essential for the system to work store alot of it and have some sort of a drain pipe storage system to get more when it rains.
Aside from that keep in mind that the nearer you are to people the higher the chances of contact. The more contacts the higher the chances of confrontation etc. The hordes will work their way through the burbs before they get to remote farms. Think of putting up roadblocks and establishing something of a neighborhood watch on steriods.
A well prepared individual in a moderate to small sized town can ride out all but the absolutely worst case scenario. I also fall into this category and have similar plans. Doing the best you can wherever you are is far better then doing nothing and waiting until you can move to 80 acres in the middle of nowhere.
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