Jeremiah Johnson is a retired Green Beret of the United
States Army Special Forces (Airborne) and a graduate of the U.S. Army’s
SERE school (Survival Evasion Resistance Escape).
Note: This article is dedicated to Earth Angel
Hey there readers in SHTF land, how are you doing? This article is
headed with the words, “Special Request.” From now on,
when you guys and gals see this in either the title or at the article’s
beginning? You’ll know the article is on a topic done by yours truly at
the request of one of you guys and gals. I wrote a couple
already. I will mention the requestor’s name in a dedication to him or
her, usually just under the title, to honor the individual.
My personal intent is to serve your needs by giving you my best;
indirectly (and by my choice, wholeheartedly), I work for you…for us.
I’ll try to schedule and do as many requests as possible, so bear with me
even if one topic doesn’t appear for a while. I read your comments, and
all of them are important to me: good, bad, or indifferent. So
let’s get started, shall we?
Earth Angel’s request was an article entailing options for those who wish
to remain in the U.S., want to escape the cities, and where to relocate (a
place where there is a modicum of freedom remaining). E.A.,
this one’s for you! It’s a tall order, both to detail and to
fill, especially that last part as our freedom is eroding on a daily
basis. I’m going to explain the reasons my family and I relocated to
Montana and list some basics that we used in consideration as such.
I’ll be “laser specific” in terms of steps taken and decisions to arrive at
such a goal. Let’s do it.
Midway through my military career, I visited a friend of mine, a retired
Command Sergeant Major who had been a mentor to me (almost as a father)
throughout my time in the service. When I had some down time, I drove
across country from Ft. Bragg to Libby, Montana to stay with him for three weeks.
It was then that I came to appreciate the remoteness of the state and the
topographical features that made it such a rugged area off the beaten
path. For the next ten years (yeah, I’m that kind of weirdo that plans
things that far out), I conducted an “area study,” if you will, of the state
and the surrounding vicinity.
Many factors went into arriving at my final decision. The goal was
to find where to move our family so when the Fifth Mongolian Horde attacked
or chaos (economic or other) ensued, we would have a good chance. There
were things I had to consider that were outside of my wife’s ability to give
input regarding our location: the multiple missile silos in north-central
Montana, the over flight patterns from Air Force bases (such as Malmstrom
AFB), the proximity to the Canadian border, and threat-levels (domestic:
totalitarian government, or civilian marauders; foreign: potential for
attack by other countries and how it would affect our locale).
Please allow me to state for the record that for myself, becoming an
expatriate is not an option. I am an American, the United States is my
country and my home, you are my countrymen, and I would rather die beside
you, fighting for my home in America than sip margheritas in Belize.
That being said, practical matters still remain at the forefront of
everything in addition to the tactical considerations. Let’s list some
of these out, along with questions you will need to ask yourself and discuss
with your family regarding relocation per these matters.
- Sustainability: until there is a
collapse, you have to put food on the table and have income coming in.
Until “Yap” currency comes back into fashion, unfortunately the dollar
is still used as the medium of exchange.
- What is your present budget and can you set aside funds
for moving expenses?
- When you arrive, is there income potential for you in
your new place? Are you self-employed? Can you relocate with your
present firm? Do both you and your spouse work?
- Are you going to rent or buy? What are your financial goals
to pay property taxes (if applicable) and either buy your property or
take a mortgage?
- Demographics: this one is a big one
that is critical to understand for long-term survivability in dealing
with people.
- What is the population of the state? Where are the
population centers concentrated? What will be the direction of
travel for most people when the SHTF, and they become “nomadic
foragers?” What are the populations of the cities? How far
is your property from the nearest city of more than 3,000-5,000 people?
- How many “friendly neighbors” live near your new
property on Sesame Street? Who are these people? Are they
like-minded or do they pose a danger? Are Homey-the-clown and his
gang of thugs in the area? Is the state a liberal state or conservative?
Your neighborhood?
- Survival Factors: for your basics of
food, water, and shelter
- What is the growing season of the area you are
considering?
- Soil test: you should test the soil of your property for
pH and to learn how viable it is to grow crops there
- Water: well and surface sources. Rain catchment and laws
pertaining to it locally. How are the summers? Can you test
your well before you purchase?
- Do you have a place to run to immediately with
food/water/shelter potential (when foraging, if your home becomes a
burned-out ruin)?
- Are wild game and fish abundant in your area?
- What types of agriculture are predominant in the area?
- What are your seasons and the weather considerations?
Does the temperature hit 30 degrees below zero, or is it warm all year
round? Hurricane seasons? Earthquakes?
- Tactical Considerations: these have to
do with the government becoming completely totalitarian, and also the
potential for foreign attack or invasion
- Nuke threat: What cities in your state will probably be
nuked if a nuclear war occurs? What are the wind drift patterns?
Do terrain features or weather anomalies that occur in your geographical
vicinity break up the winds?
- What are the locations of Active Duty, Reserve, and
National Guard military bases and forces in your vicinity?
- Can you feasibly escape somewhere if your whole area is
“clamped down” upon? Neighboring states? National forests?
Vast open areas?
- Weapons: what is allowed, what is not, is there open or
concealed carry, and limitations on ownership.
- Overall tactical considerations for your area: Is there
industry that a foreign invader might want to seize? To nuke? Does your
area hold any particular strategic importance, either for our government
or a foreign power?
- If an EMP or a Nuke attack occurs, where are the local
nuke reactors in your state? How far is your property from them?
- ***How defensible is your property, and how easily can
you escape from it if it becomes indefensible?
- Personal Family Details: These entail the specifics
about your family. Do you have a family member with exceptional
medical needs? Do you have young children? Are you taking
care of a parent? THE MOST CRITICAL ISSUE OF ALL: YOU MUST TAKE
A REAL ACCOUNT FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE FAMILY MEMBERS’ NEEDS IN A BIG
MOVE.
There are many more variables to consider than have been listed
here. Lots of people would like to know a definite state and the
reasons why. I chose Montana because it has a perpetually good
hydrological cycle, the area I’m in is safe in a nuclear war, there are
plenty of personal freedoms (open carry state with Castle doctrine), and not
a high population or high density. There are places where we can run to
if need be. The bottom line: I took a lot of time to plan the move and
it suits the needs of our family as best as can be for now.
The bad thing about Montana is (if you’ve read a few articles I wrote on
the water compact problems we’ve been having here) an influx
of flaming liberals has been steadily arriving here for years. They
leave their oppressive states to escape taxes (the same ones they voted for
there), then they “emigrate” and continue their mindset and voting stance…and
with time the state becomes undermined. A whole bunch of liberals not
born in Montana have managed to ensconce themselves in the Montana state
senate and House of Representatives and carry on their progressive assault
under the “color of law,” so to speak.
So, to answer your question E.A., the whole country is losing those last
fragments of freedom. The big consideration for you and your families
cannot just be what state holds onto freedoms, as we’re too “long in the
tooth” for them to viably stay sovereign and free. The consideration
needs to be twofold:
- Can I sustain myself and my family before
a collapse/SHTF scenario?
- Can we sustain ourselves here after
things go down the drain?
Before and after: these words mean “pre” and “post-societal”
collapse, respectively. It will take some serious planning and all
of the resources you can muster: local sources in the community/area you
intend to move to, comprehensive studies in the library and the bookstores,
internet databases, friends and family (never discount the experiences from a
credible source via word of mouth), and your own feet on the ground (visiting
the area personally). There are plenty of sites that offer such
resources. Sift them for nuggets of gold and take some of the
advice you find to be worthwhile.
I welcome open discussion on this; ladies and gentlemen, please take it
from here! Everybody have a great day and remember: the best plan of
all is a well-executed plan!
JJ
Jeremiah Johnson is the Nom de plume of a retired Green Beret
of the United States Army Special Forces (Airborne). Mr. Johnson is
also a Gunsmith, a Certified Master Herbalist, a Montana Master Food
Preserver, and a graduate of the U.S. Army’s SERE school (Survival Evasion
Resistance Escape). He lives in a cabin in the mountains of Western
Montana with his wife and three cats. You can follow Jeremiah’s regular
writings at SHTFplan.com.
This article may be republished or excerpted with proper
attribution to the author and a link to www.SHTFplan.com.
Related Reading:
A
Green Beret’s Guides To Survival and Preparedness (Full List)
Strategic
Relocation: Strategies and Tips
A Green Beret’s Guide To Low-Budget Home-Defense Techniques
101: “Early-Warning Systems and Fortifications”
A Green Beret’s Guide To Low-Budget-Home-Defense Techniques
102: “Defensive Positions”
More…