RW Visits Destiny Survival

Last Tuesday I had the opportunity to be a guest on John Wesley Smith’s radio program. It had been a while since I had been on his show. You can find a link to the radio program on his site and a brief overview of the many topics we discussed including “underground preppers” here:

Are you becoming an underground prepper?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Gambling with Nature - The Uninsured Loss

Life is a gamble. Sometimes you win but eventually you will lose if given enough time.  The cost sometimes out weighs the risks and you will need to be prepared if your gamble doesn't pay off. You need to be prepared for the consequences and accept the fact that your attempt to beat nature has failed.

For a decade and a half my gamble with nature has finally resulted in a big loss. There have been minor setbacks over the years but nature has finally won the battle. A recent storm has damaged my bug-out retreat beyond repair. Having lost more than sixty percent of the roof and close to 100 percent of the contents due to heavy rains that accompanied the storm, there is little left to do other than a salvage operation.

The overall dollar value of the place was fairly insignificant but is still hard to accept. Realizing that the cost of insurance would have been way more than the structure was actually worth, a decision was made to save the extra cost and take a chance. The cost of insurance would have doubled the cost of the structure and now the place is just an uninsured loss.

All my time and savings will now have to be focused on replacing the damaged structure and restoring my bug-out retreat to a usable state. Even though it wasn't a huge investment, it is still hard to accept the consequences of my actions by gambling with nature.

Got uninsured loss?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

The Prepper Retreat

The need for a prepper retreat should be governed by the use of some common sense planning. The majority of times your present home would be a much better place to “hunker down” if something goes wrong. There may be those times that “bugging out” will be required but that doesn’t mean you will need a separate retreat. There are several qualities for a prepper retreat that will be needed if it is to truly serve your needs and not be an extra burden.

Important Qualities for a Prepper Retreat

1. Accessible. - It’s been said enough times that this part of developing a prepper retreat should be a “no brainer”. Any place you may be considering should be readily accessible in any type of weather. If you can’t get there, it’s not going to do you much good.

2. Affordable. - Any place you may decide to use as a prepper retreat must be affordable. If the cost of a prepper retreat leaves you on the edge of bankruptcy, you may want to consider other options. One option is a group purchase. This allows the cost to be divided amongst more than one person or family. When making a group purchase, there will be extra costs involved for separate surveys and deeds. Everyone involved in a group purchase will need their own place. This was a major cost of my own prepper retreat but it has worked out well. There will be less conflict between group members as a result.

3. Arable. - . A prepper retreat should also have a significant amount of arable land. If you decide to homestead the property, being able to grow food crops will be of prime importance. Certain conditions, like a desert or rocky area, will not lend themselves to a sustainable level of crop production to make adequate food production for your family viable. It will also make it more difficult to raise livestock.

4. Access to Water. - A good source of water or easy access to water will be another necessity. If you have to haul water, you are going to have additional expenses and be doing a lot of extra work. Sometimes even a simple water well can cause unneeded problems that could have been avoided in the first place.

5. Defensible. - This may seem like an odd quality for a prepper retreat but it is a necessary one. If things get really bad, it can become one of the most important qualities that should be considered when deciding if a certain area will make a good prepper retreat. Does it give you the ability to defend yourself properly?

An affordable retreat with easy access that affords you a proper source of water and a significant amount of arable land that is easily defended will make a good choice. The main problem is finding a retreat with all of these qualities. This may not be possible and you may have to settle for something slightly less perfect.

Got prepper retreat?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

The Known Destination - A Mountain Cabin

Mountain Cabin

This is my known destination for a little trip that is being planned for the near future. The plan is to spend a few days in the mountains of New Mexico for a while. This will create an opportunity to spend some quality time outdoors. A little hiking, camping and some fly fishing in a nice mountain stream will be in my plans as well. There'll also be plenty of chances to put some of my survival skills to the test.

There is also the possibility of getting some more pics while in the mountains.

Got known destination?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Bugging Out - The Known Destination

Bug Out Van

Before, during or after an emergency or disaster, it is always important to have a known destination and a basic plan that will get you there. “Bugging out “and not having a specific destination for you and your family may put you at greater risk than simply staying put and weathering the storm. There is nothing wrong with being an evacuee but failing to properly plan your “bug out” may cause you to end up being a refugee from disaster.

1.) Is it safer to “bug out”? The first thing you will need to decide is whether or not you need to “bug out”. Is leaving now safer than staying put? Is the trip liable to be more dangerous than the threat you are trying to avoid? You will also need to plan for a safe “bug out” location.

2.) Can you get there? You will need to make sure that your transportation is reliable, that the roads to your destination are safe and if you are traveling a long distance that you will be able to get additional gasoline or supplies that may be needed to reach your destination.

3.) Will you have the time? Having a known destination will allow you to figure a fairly accurate estimate of how long it will take you to reach your destination. The further you need to travel to a safe location; the greater your chance of having additional problems. Time is your enemy when forced with having to evacuate due to an emergency or disaster.

4.) What if your family ends up separated? One of the biggest fears that people face during an emergency or disaster is being separated from family members and loved ones. This is especially true during an evacuation. With places of work, schools, and homes being located in areas that may be relatively short distances apart, during an evacuation even a couple of miles can become an insurmountable obstacle. Having a known destination will allow everyone to know where to meet up, even if it takes them a bit longer to get there and you end up traveling separately. It doesn’t hurt to make sure it is a place that is familiar to all your family members and someplace where everyone will feel comfortable, especially if you have younger children. This is especially important if it becomes an extended stay due to factors beyond your control. You may have no other choice!

5.) How long will you be able to stay? If you don’t have the necessary food, water, shelter and first aid items to last an extended period, you will need access to additional resources. If you need to “bug out” for an extended period, your plan should include a reliable source of additional supplies should a longer stay away from your home become a necessity.

6.) Where will you stay? Are you planning to camp out at a state park or wilderness area, stay at a relative’s home or with a good friend? You will need to make sure that you don’t create a burden for others or you will wear your welcome out quickly. Be prepared to provide your share. If you’re planning to stay at a hotel or motel, make sure you have sufficient funds to cover your expenses. Staying at a hotel or motel can be quite expensive. Including a decent emergency fund in your planning is the best way to take care of this potentially devastating problem.

Always have a safe place that you can travel to easily, that will comfortably meet the needs of your family, a place which is familiar to everyone and affords the option for a longer stay if necessary. Having a known destination is the first and most vital part of any “bug out” plan.

Know where to go and go where you know!

Without a known destination as part of your “bug out” plan, you may be better off just staying at home.

Got known destination?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Planning A Temporary Bug-Out

While sheltering in place will be your best option in most crisis or emergency situations, there will be times when you will need to “BUG-OUT” on a temporary basis. This can be due to a variety of reasons. There may be a hazardous material spill which creates a forced evacuation or an imminent hurricane which may be headed your direction. These and others are situations for which you will need a plan for temporarily bugging out until the danger or threat disappears and you can return to a normal state of activity in your lives.

One of the major parts of being prepared is having a plan, but you will also need a plan that works for almost every scenario. A plan that is economical, efficient, sustainable and compatible for everyone should be in place for all the members of your family or group. Even individuals without a family or group to call upon for assistance will need a plan.

Over the years I have learned that simple is a good thing. Simple works best in the majority of cases and is easier to implement when required. It requires some coordination to be put in place to be effective but can be a life saver if done right. It is a plan that can be used almost universally in some degree by everyone with equal success. Here is an example of how the Riverwalker clan handles a temporary bug-out.

The Riverwalker Family’s Temporary Bug-out Plan

First and foremost your plan will need to be economical. Young family or group members just starting out will not need an additional strain on their finances that can be caused by the need to temporarily bug-out for whatever reason. During the recent Hurricane Ike it became necessary for certain of my extended family to bug-out for safety reasons due to the imminent threat of high winds, possible flooding and other storm related situations such as lack of grid power, potable water or emergency services that could result from the effects of Hurricane Ike.

My niece’s family simply bugged-out to my daughters place as part of a plan. They grew up together as children, are similar in age and both have young children of similar ages also. This makes for an extremely compatible situation. There were no worries about having the funds for a hotel or motel. There was no need to pack any food or medical items other than those required as a result of special diets or medications. The children were less stressed because they had another playmate with whom they were familiar. The adults also had many experiences with each other over the years that increased comfort levels during a time of additional stress. Not enough clothes? No problem! They just got thrown in with the regular wash. My niece and her family actually spent a week at my daughter’s place and they actually had a good time. Then, when it was safe to do so, they simply returned home without the additional stress or anxiety that occurs in many cases. It became a bug-out vacation of sorts.

While they actually live over a hundred miles apart, they are very close and have been since they were young children. The distance involved was sufficient to take them out of harm’s way and still be an economically viable trip for them, evenif they get caught at a time with very little resources available. This also gives you a trust and compatibility factor that is hard to beat. It is also very efficient even though there are some increased costs with extra members in the household. It also doesn’t require younger family members just starting out to have to worry about having a separate location to bug-out to if necessary.
They are close enough that less than a tank of gas and a couple of hours will get them out of harm’s way and to a safe place of refuge till the storm was over and it was safe to return home. Another advantage is the ability to communicate with other family members. Other family members simply contacted my daughter to check on my niece and her family to make sure they were safe.

One of my roles was to keep track of them to make sure they made it out safely and if not to put a simple plan into effect whereby I would go and get them if necessary. This is also a reciprocal type of agreement and if the situation were reversed it would still work in a similar fashion. Even individuals without close family usually have close friends that such a plan could work for them also. We have similar plans for all family members for where they will be going in the event of a temporary crisis and a plan to communicate the safety and whereabouts of everyone to all family members, including older family members and those individuals who are younger but don’t have a family started.

As a back-up plan and should problems occur, my place is also one of the places where they will be coming in the event of a temporary crisis or emergency. In fact my place is one of the main back-up retreats for all family members if needed. I also have regular assigned family members, my wife’s brother and his family, that will be coming our way if necessary during an emergency.

Never under estimate the power of family or friends who will almost always come together during a crisis. It is an important resource that shouldn’t be overlooked. With a little advance planning, you and your family and friends can be properly prepared to handle most emergencies.

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Bug Out Boat - Update - Boat Living Revisited

For those of you with an interest in living in a house boat and that may have missed an excellent updated article, here is a link to the update on living in a houseboat that was originally posted on the Texas Prepper's Network.

The update article can be found here: Boat Living Revisited

The original article can be found here: Bug Out Boat-Living On A Houseboat


Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Bug Out Boat - Living on a Houseboat

The purpose of a houseboat is similar to any other type of shelter located on land. It still serves the same basic purpose of providing us with a safe place to live, sleep, store our food and water and furnish us with a place to keep our personal belongings. Living aboard a houseboat would be a vastly different experience from any that most people have encountered in their lifetimes.

At its most basic level, a common houseboat offers extremely modest amounts of living space even when compared to small apartments. Unless they are state-of-the-art, which can be very expensive, they won't have many of the same conveniences that a house on land might. The major drawback would probably be the limited amounts of storage space that would be available and the necessity of having a large stream, river or lake available for your houseboat. You would have the advantage of a readily available source of fresh water, if on a fresh water stream or lake, requiring only treatment and purification, along with a high protein food supply in the form of fish, etc. Plus putting into shore would also give you the option to do a little hunting on land to supplement your food reserves.

The names of the spaces in a houseboat are different but their basic use is the same as a home located on land. Here are some of the basic areas in a houseboat:

Berth: The bed.
Stateroom: The bedroom.
Galley: The kitchen.
Head: The bathroom.
Cabin: A common living area or room where passengers get together.
Bridge: The place where the boat is steered (the helm is the specific steering station).
Navigation Room: This is the place where navigation equipment is located. This is where the houseboat's radio for communications, navigation charts, GPS, and other instruments will be located.

Everyone's needs are different, but the above rooms are the same kind that can be found in most homes. This is pretty much the same whether or not they're on land or floating on the water. The navigation station and equipment are necessary additions that would be required in houseboats since they have the capability to move about on the water and you would need some way to determine your position. It would also enable you to be ready for emergencies.

Non-cruising houseboats are similar to homes on land in that they're simply hooked up to a direct source of water and sewage treatment. An external hose brings in water from any fresh water system available directly onto the boat. A separate sewage line will suck sewage directly from the houseboat's head (bathroom) away from its location in the same fashion a regular house.

If the houseboat is of the cruising variety, additions commonly include a water tank for drinking, showering and washing. There would be a separate holding tank for waste. This would be similar to an RV in many respects. A head can either be electric, similar to a regular house, or a manual type. There are also several different options for disposing of waste on a houseboat. Some of the systems treat the waste and are then allowed to pump it off of the boat, while other systems incinerate the sewage into ash which can then be legally disposed of into the water.

Power could be provided in several different ways. Alternate sources, such as propane, kerosene, or diesel, could also be used but would require a greater amount of dependence on oil products that may not be readily available. A stationary (non-cruising) houseboat could also be directly hooked up to utilities located on land or at a marina. Cruising houseboats might use generators or solar power with rechargeable batteries. A separate battery source would be needed for the engine. Additional equipment would be required, such as amperage and voltage meters, to monitor the amount of electrical power that is being used or would be available during trips. Refrigeration, running and heating water, flushing toilets, using lights or watching television will use power. Being stranded without power or electricity could cause you some problems.

While considering your options for a retreat location, you might want to consider living on a houseboat. Rental fees at a marina could be expensive or you might just purchase a small lot onshore to give you a place to “park” your houseboat, or merely lease the right to tie up at someone else’s place for a modest fee. You would probably need to be well organized due to limited space and have a location where a lake or river would make it feasible. And if you’re really handy, you might want to build your own!

Houseboats were also used by many people during the Great Depression after they had lost their regular homes. Read a brief story about this here: http://www.seattlefloatinghomes.org/about/history

Living on a houseboat would be a great way of bugging out if needed.

You can read an update here: Boat Living Revisited

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Alternate Bug-out Locations

Texas has nearly 400 private campgrounds across the state. This could be a viable option for people looking for someplace to go when having to evacuate because of a storm or hurricane. Most anything from tent spaces to camp trailer and RV hook-ups are available at these campgrounds. Many of these also have cabin rentals which could be utilized by those who don’t own campers or RV’s.

You need to have some place definite in mind to go when having to bug-out. Being a wandering gypsy is not the kind of lifestyle most people will want to assume when faced with having to leave their home due to an emergency. With so many families being spread apart nowadays, a lot of families do not have the option of being able to stay with other family members in other communities that are a relatively close commute.

During the recent events of Hurricane Ike many campgrounds were offering discounts of 50% and more to evacuees from Houston and Galveston. Many state campgrounds were even offering “free” (if you used utilities you had to pay for the service) accommodations to hurricane evacuees for as long as they may be needed.

You can get more information about the camping facilities and services available in Texas at:

http://www.texascampgrounds.com/

If you don’t live in Texas, you can get information about camping facilities and services that are available across the USA at:

USA Campgrounds


If you don’t have family or friends close enough to give you an option of bugging-out to their location or don’t have the good fortune to already own additional property to bug-out to in case of an emergency or disaster, bugging-out to a campground or a state park may give you a low cost alternative that won’t wreck your budget.

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker