Lightwatcher - an oasis for the heart, mind and spirit

Searching for a Safe Haven - by Lightman

Many people now feel that the American dream has become a waking nightmare. Natural disasters, war, epidemics and political chaos levels are steadily increasing. If these trends continue to escalate, our long-term survival as a people becomes questionable.
....Many of us have come to believe that these increasing levels of risk and chaos are the direct result of the regressive mismanagement and hostility of Bush's NeoConservative Administration and their masters: the globalist Ruling Elite. As a direct result of their machinations American cities are in crisis. Urban areas are no longer safe places to live, work, or to raise children.
....Few would dispute that our cities are dangerous places, and this threat is steadily escalating. Readers are encouraged to reevaluate the viability, sustainability and long term safety levels of their home towns, cities, regions and states. Are these areas disaster-prone? Do they have regressive political and justice systems? Are these places repressive to ideas and lifestyles contrary to fundamentalist beliefs? Do these places harbor international airports, military bases, nuclear power plants, or other strategic targets? Are these areas magnets for criminals and illegal immigrants? If any of these are true... now may be time to consider relocating to a more hospitable location.
....If we are going to survive the coming hard times, the safest havens will be located in rural areas, small towns and villages, and not be in the urban jungles of America. It is in America's rural areas where our best chances for survival reside. It is in rural areas that we have direct acces to natural resources, nutritious food and interdependent sustainable communities.
....Are you Looking for a safe and hospitable place to live in and raise your kids, a place where people are tolerant, open-minded and accepting of alternate lifestyles? Do you need to find a place where sanity is the rule, and where Bushites are few and far between? If so, the following article is for you. It is a complete free chapter from Surviving the New World Order - A practical Guide to Perilous Times, written by Lightman.
....In addition to basic survival, most people want to know what they can do as individuals to help bring our world back into ballance? The answer is: A LOT! Empowering individuals to save the world is the primary theme of Surviving the New World Order - A Guide to Perilous Times.

Establishing your safe haven - revised 5.2.06

The following is a complete chapter extracted from Surviving the New World Order - A practical Guide to Perilous Times / written by Lightman ©2006 Lightwatcher Publishing

A primary element of any emergency preparedness plan is the establishment of a safe haven. Your haven should be located a place that you can quickly relocate to in the event of war, natural disaster, governmental collapse, or other unexpected catastrophe.

The traumatic events of the past six years have already convinced many Americans that emergency preparedness and a well-stocked hideaway is a godsend in disaster situations. Since 2000 we have witnessed two fraudulent Presidential elections, a major terrorist attack on 9/11/2001, the subsequent rise of American totalitarianism, U.S. invasions and occupations in the Middle East, massive hurricane destruction in the Gulf Coast States, the dismal failure of U.S. emergency services, a catastrophic Tsunami in Indonesia and Thailand, world economic instability, the militarization of China, rapid devaluation of U.S. currency, escalating oil prices, the effects of global warming, increasingly extreme weather, the emergence of West Nile Virus, SARS and now Bird Flu in human populations.

You're getting the idea. If natural and man-made disasters continue to escalate in frequency and severity (and statistics indicate that this is indeed the case) a well-stocked haven would become essential for one's personal survival. In the unlikely event that such worse case scenarios unexpectedly cease, having established a safe haven would still provide an ideal destination for weekend getaways and extended vacations. Creating a safe haven is a win-win situation.

It is best to establish a safe haven apart from one's full-time residence, especially if the residence is located in or near an urban area. If an separate haven is not feasible, do whatever is possible to enhance your home's levels of emergency preparedness and self-reliance.

If at some point you are forced to evacuate your home, have complete emergency kits, camp gear, and supplies packed and ready to grab-and-go. Always have escape routes to nearby rural areas plotted and mapped out in case of emergencies. Make sure all family members are aware of the destination, and know alternate routes in case they become separated.

Your sanctuary should be well stocked with food: canned and dry goods, medicines, bedding and have a reliable source of pure drinking water. The actual structure should be weather-tight, have a renewable source of heat, be securable, and most of all; be discretely located and safe from intruders.

An ideal haven should be no more than a few hours travel from one's home. It should be located in a rural or semi-rural area, and be close to natural resources such as food, water, fish, wild game and firewood.

It is essential that individuals living in major urban centers, near military bases, prisons, nuclear facilities, oil refineries, or other strategic military targets locate and establish safe havens far removed from these vulnerable areas. In the event of natural disaster or totalitarian takeover one can evacuate to their haven, and wait out the hard times in relative safety and comfort.
If possible, it is best to leave the cities behind permanantly. Urban areas will quickly descend into living hells if predicted worse case scenarios actually do come to pass. No one will want to remain in the cities when food and water run low, or a major epidemic breaks out. But by then it will be too late to flee. Mandatory quarantines, travel restrictions and fuel shortages will restrict the movement of urban residents.

A good sanctuary can manifest in a variety of forms. It can be a RV, camper, travel trailer, boat or other mobile accommodation (with a good place to park it or moor it near suitable natural resources). It can be vacation cabin, a rural farm house or other permanent structure. It can also be in the form of a well-developed campsite, a temporary structure made of local materials, or even a dry and snug cave improved for extended camping.

Regardless of the form that your haven takes, the important thing is to establish and secure it in advance of real emergencies. If you wait until trouble starts to start seeking a safe sanctuary, it will be too late. When major disasters strike, tens of millions will be searching for safe places to run to.

A personal haven should be located in a or near a small and supportive rural community. Although it may seem like a good idea initially to "go it alone" in times of trouble, when the rule is "every man for himself," the reality is that solitary survivalism works better in theory than in actual reality. When faced with extended periods of emergency, the support of a cooperative community infrastructure becomes essential. "No man is an island in himself." We need each others skills, resources and companionship to get through really hard times.

So if you have the opportunity to relocate permanently to a rural community, do so now. It takes time and a lot of effort to find a suitable place, relocate, integrate yourself and then fully adapt to the rural lifestyle.

Locating a Safe Haven

How can readers locate a suitable rural area for establishing a personal haven? Which areas are safe and supportive? Which places should be avoided?

Many factors come into play when searching for the "perfect" refuge. Such a search takes diligent research, and finding the perfect area can be a real challenge in these times of overpopulation and inflated property values.
The following strategy will help you to begin this quest. The materials and resources you will need are:

Directions:

1. On the general map of your region, draw compass circles (in red ink) 100 miles in diameter from the center of major urban areas, prisons, nuclear facilities, military bases and ports. You don't want to establish a haven inside of any of these circled areas.

2. Make a list of potential small towns and rural communities outside of the circled red areas. These should be within a few hours travel time from your home. If you have friends or acquaintances in these places, all the better as they can help you get established.

3. Use ePodunk.com. and hometownlocator.com to evaluate the small communities. These sites provide in-depth information databases on more than 40,000 communities around the country. Their listings include geocoded information about census data, demographic and income data, parks, schools, libraries, hospitals, airports, hotels, environmental conditions, local newspapers, media outlets, employment, maps, coordinates and aerial photos. These are excellent resources for evaluating potential havens. Circle likely locations on your map in green ink.

4. Use the internet to access the ACLU master list of States cities and communities have banned the enforcement of the Patriot Acts. http://www.aclu.org//safefree/resources/17102res20040610.html. These are good places to consider relocating to as they indicate a more enlightened and aware local government and populace. Outline these states, counties and towns on your master map in blue ink.

5. Go online and study the Red/Blue/Purple state/county maps of the 2004 Elections: (http://www.princeton.edu/~rvdb/JAVA/election2004/PurpleAmericaPosterAll50.gif ). The blue states and counties are good places to consider relocating to. Outline these places on your map in blue.

6. Locate areas where organic farming is popular. Research towns that host thriving farmers markets, Food COOPS, Natural food stores, community currencies, alternative energy and progressive governments.

7. Evaluate the crime rates of your prospective havens. These are available at epodunk.com. Then calculate the population size, divide that by the total number of police + lawyers for each of the potential sanctuary locations. The lower the crime rates, and the lower the ratio of cops and lawyers to the population, the more independent, self governing and civilized the local populace is likely to be. The inverse is especially true for communities that host State and Federal Prisons and military bases.

8. Analyze areas of potential natural and manmade hazards in your proposed haven locations: volcanic, seismic, tornado, tsunami, winter storm, forest fire, drought, etc. and note these on the master map. Use specialty maps to identify these hazards.

9. When you have chosen potential locations for your haven, plan a vacation/road trip to visit these places. No amount of research can compare to actually visiting a place, talking to locals, and getting the flavor of a community. Make sure to visit the local public library, food COOPs and health food stores. These will tell you a lot about the vitality, and sustainability of a community.

TIPS: Use Post-It notes to mark specific features on the master map. Your finished master map should help you to choose several possible locations for establishing your safe haven.

When researching your haven, be discrete. Try to avoid leaving a paper trail that could lead others to your secret haven. Keep the existence of your haven secret to all but a choice few. When evacuating to the haven do so in secret. Do not tell anyone outside of your immediate family, and make sure that they keep quiet about it as well.

While you are visiting your prospective haven, begin establishing a discrete new identity there. This will come in handy when you relocate there. To do this, follow the guidelines suggested in the coming chapters: Living incognito, Reinventing yourself, and Secure communications.

Starting the process

To successfully establish a private, independent and sustainable sanctuary, choose the location carefully. The haven site should be positioned well above sea level, flood plains and rivers valleys.

The sanctuary should not have an actual address, or hard wired phone lines for security reasons. An anonymous cell phone, such as can be had from Cingular Go-Phone is better, but can theoretically still be traced to your location.

An ideal haven must fulfill certain requirements. It should have: a year-round source of potable water, a garden area, good solar access,. There should be good access to the place, with legal easements or access via public roads. It should be discretely located.

It is best if your chosen haven is located near a progressive community, such as one of the over 400 towns, counties and states that have banned the Patriot Act. It should have a strong agricultural base, low taxes, a stable economy, and a decent local government. There should be few police and even fewer lawyers. If your neighbors are friendly and helpful, all the better.

An ideal community probably doesn't exist, but there are many out there that will meet the majority of one's essential needs.
Dependable transportation should fueled and ready to go at all times, especially in times of impending crisis or rumored evacuations. Emergency kits and supplies should be pre-packed, and located near the vehicle for quick loading. When it is time to go, there will be no time to waste. Make sure to rotate your consumable supplies every three to six months.

Stock your haven with basic necessities: food, water, kitchen, propane, kerosene, vitamins, medicines, first aid kits, bedding, clothing, radio, laptop, air filters, water storage and filtration, self defense items, emergency power system (and backups), recreational books, videos, laptop, games etc. Make the facilities as discrete, secure, self-reliant and as well stocked with supplies as your time and money allow.

Map out several routes to and from your haven. Drive these escape routes for practice. Record the times and fuel consumption, etc. Stockpile extra fuel and make sure that your transportation is ready to go in an emergency. Pull together emergency travel kits, stocked and be ready to grab on short notice.

Once you are occupying your haven, keep security in mind. Use different routes for traveling to and from your haven. Always check for unwanted snoops and visitors before entering or exiting. Coming and going at night, and in the early morning is a good strategy. If locals get curious about you, have a plausible alibi ready and be able to back it up.

Establishing a safe retreat is a source of great comfort and security in uncertain times. Once safely relocated to your sanctuary, you can live there comfortably, until the emergency has passed.

A haven is excellent insurance in the event of worse-case scenarios. Even if it is never needed for an emergency, if disasters never materialize, you will still have established a first class retreat, getaway or vacation spot.

Manifesting your haven

If you do not have access to a vacation cabin or other established hideaway, then it becomes necessary to locate a suitable location and create one to fit your needs. One can adapt an existing structure, or build one from scratch.

As mentioned earlier, a refuge can be mobile such as is possible with a trailer, RV or a boat; all of which usually have life support systems built in. By adding a couple of solar panels, batteries, and a water catchment system, one's mobile refuge can be enhanced considerably, thereby increasing self-reliance, comfort and utility. Mobile refuges are easily fitted out, and offer good cover stories; "Just on my way to bible camp sir." or "Just traveling through Canada to Alaska officer." If your mobile hideaway gets discovered, or the location becomes too popular, you can always move to another. Boats have the advantage of not needing a road to travel on, but these days are prone to getting frequently boarded by the U.S. Coast Guard.

If the haven is stationary (unlike a boat or a trailer), you must have a suitable location to place it on. A piece of land can be purchased, rented, or borrowed (or squatted upon as is done throughout Canada). Squatting rights can also be acquired in trade for care taking, or for other services rendered.

Alternative architecture and recycled building materials

There are many ways to construct a temporary or permanent refuge dwelling using locally available materials. Options include: cob (straw, sand and dried cattle dung), rammed earth, stack wood and straw bale construction. All of these methods can be investigated by Google-ing the terms online.

In the Pacific Northwest where I live, alternative architecture was very popular in the 1970s-1980s. This was before local building codes grew to the thickness of phone books.

Alternative structures were often constructed of locally produced and recycled materials. Many of the styles are well adapted for the construction of a small cabin or refuge. Variations include: traditional stone and timber, dwellings covered with cedar shingles, insulated yurts, domes, straw bale homes, cob construction, stacked wood construction, tree houses, boat houses, and many other variations. As most of these dwellings were designed and created on limited budgets by the residents themselves, the successful ones bear close scrutiny.

The best examples of local alternative architecture share certain design criteria. They use readily available and inexpensive materials, and fulfill the functions necessary for health, safety, and ease of use. Many of the materials were recycled, such as beams and planking, doors, hardware, and windows. Others materials such as stone, clay, limestone, sand, gravel, straw and cedar are locally available in abundance.

As windows, doors and roofs are primary areas of thermal loss in a home, these should be well constructed and insulated. Windows should be impact resistant, have double pane glass, and be well sealed. Insulated shades and curtains can be added to the inside of the windows.

If rain water catchment is to be used as part of the water system, make sure the roofing materials won't contaminate the water. Enameled steel, ceramic and concrete tile roofs seems to be the best. Asphalt shingles are the worst because they contaminate the catchment water with oil and tar. A roof washer (pre filter system) should be used prior to the water flowing into the cisterns or barrels. See the author's roof washer design in the previous chapter Pure Water.

Catchment water should be stored in underground concrete or stone and mortar cisterns, or in food grade opaque plastic barrels. Catchment water should always be filtered prior to drinking.

Doors to the haven should be thick wood, sturdy, heavily hinged, and weather-stripped. They should always open outward. Don't use ordinary glass in the doors: use plex, lexan or double pane glass with wire mesh for durability and security concerns.
Heating, propane and electricity systems need to be designed with safety in mind. All materials should be appropriate, in good repair, and all precautions should be taken with their use.

My favorite alternative construction method is a combination of cob and straw bale construction. This method was used to construct a temporary building and sustainability exhibit that our Navigating Our Future organization hosted at a local County Fair.


Cob and straw bale building with rainwater catchment system.

There are cob cottages throughout the British Isles that are hundreds of years old and still inhabited. An excellent free straw bale construction manual in Acrobat .pdf format can de downloaded from Amazon Nails: http://www.strawbalefutures.org.uk/pdf/strawbaleguide.pdf
Another superb underground dwelling is the Sammish pit house. These are quickly constructed and would be be an excellent choice for a refuge. I saw one reconstructed at the Provincial Museum of British Columbia and have been fascinated with this design ever since.

 

Illustration: Pit House Cross Section by Archaeologist James Teit / 1890s - courtesy American Museum of Natural History

"Construction began with the careful measurement of the pit circumference, which ranged from 7.5 to 12 m in diameter and was excavated to a depth of about 1 m with outward-sloping side walls. Four logs were then inserted in holes in the floor at an angle parallel to the excavation walls. Their tops were notched to support the four main roof beams, which were sunk into the topsoil at steep angles. A webbing of spaced rafters was then lashed in concentric circles from the outer circumference to the central smoke hole at the apex of the substructure. The rafters supported a snug layer of poles that was thickly padded with pine needles or grass. In the upper Plateau, where rainfall is heavy, cedar bark with the curved side up was laid at this stage. Finally, the excavated earth was spread over the roof and stamped down, and a notched-log ladder was lowered through the smoke hole. The following spring grass sprouted on the roof and, but for the protruding ladder, the dwelling seemed to be a living part of the landscape." - Architectural History: Early First Nations - The Canadian Encyclopedia
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1SEC830854

 

Underground dwellings can be warm, snug, invisible from the air, fireproof and easily concealed. These structures work best when built on higher ground with good drainage. They should be constructed on south facing slopes (except in the southwest).

When going subterranean, make sure that there is adequate flow-through ventilation, heat, and light. Conceal the air vents and stovepipes as well as possible.

An RV or travel trailer can also be parked beneath a hastily constructed underground (dugout) shelter. This protects, insulates and conceals the RV. The dugout can be roofed-over with local logs and recycled lumber, waterproofed with tarps, and then covered over with soil. When a ground cover is grown on the top, the structure blends into its natural surroundings and is virtually invisible from the air. The front should be framed out and covered with clear plastic or recycled windows for light. This helps to regulate the inside temperature. Landscaping using local flora can help to camouflage the entrance.

Make sure there is an alternative exit such as a short tunnel out of your underground haven. This makes a good emergency exit, and also facilitates ventilation.

Another excellent and low cost haven can be constructed for $1500 or less by using recycled building materials. This is Jeff Milstein's 10' X 10' summer house with two sleeping lofts. The design was featured in Family Circle Magazine in 1980, and was reprinted in Lester Walker's The Book of Tiny Houses. Milstein's Summer House is constructed from bolt-together 4' X 8' wall panels. So it can be assembled quickly, and easily moved. Another great source on tiny houses is: http://www.tinyhouses.net/directory.html

When building a haven the design needs to be well constructed, and also adhere to the basic laws of physics. By designing and constructing a haven yourself, it can be tailored to fit your specific requirements. But it should be sturdy and safe.

A primary Bauhaus School design maxim states that: "Form follows function." This means that any structure that one designs (the form) should fulfill the needs (function) of the inhabitants. In other words: What we design and build should function well and provide for all of our basic needs. It must be able to shelter us from the weather, provide sleeping, cooking, and bathing facilities. It needs to have good air circulation, a well vented stove for heating and cooking, and suitable natural lighting. The kitchen area needs to be a well equipped, and capable of preparing meals, as well as dressing out fish, poultry, etc. There should be an area for processing and preserving garden produce (canning, dehydration, etc.), and a sink for washing dishes and cleaning up. Other options may include passive solar space heating, and a solar hot water system.

A sanctuary should have a good solid roof, double pane windows for lighting, a simple water system (with filtration), and an electrical system that meets the basic needs of the inhabitants, preferably with both a primary and an alternate source of electrical power. Example: photovoltaics (with battery storage) and a backup generator. There should be a work area with a solid table, tools, spare parts, materials and supplies, everything that will be needed to service and maintain the facility.

The haven should be secure, with strong doors, locks and thick Plexiglas or Lexan™ windows for security reasons. It is good to have a clear view of all approaches to the haven, so you can see who's coming, and make sure the coast is clear before departing. Safety systems such as first aid kits, smoke alarms, fire extinguishers need to be installed, and kept up to date.

Economics - integration into the rural economy

The most difficult aspect of relocating to a small rural community is the economic one. How can one earn a living there?

There is little demand for most urban skills and professions in small towns, so other income-producing venues must be developed. The best way to do this is to carefully evaluate which goods or services are most needed within the community, then begin supplying these goods or services yourself.

This does not mean that you should go into direct competition with businesses that are already thriving there. This is a big mistake that urban newcomers often make when attempting to integrate into a small town. Small towns are all about cooperation, not competition. Nothing will get you shunned quicker than going into competion with well-loved and long-established local businesses. Locals will see you as an invader, and refuse to support your new business.

Small communities have limited resources available, and a small population to draw income from. If you expect to be able to generate income from the community, you must be able to provide goods or services that are in demand but not yet being provided by existing businesses. Doing so will help to integrate you into your host community. You will be welcomed instead of excluded.

Parting thoughts

In these uncertain times a well constructed, discrete and secure sanctuary is a viable source of security and peace of mind. It can be a real life saver. A well-stocked refuge in a safe rural location is the best insurance that money can buy. In the short term it will provide for your needs in a time of crisis. In the long term, it facilitates self-reliance and sustainability.

If the worse-case-scenarios that are presently looming on our horizon do actually occur, a haven is the best insurance you can have. It will provide a safe and secure place to live until the crisis passes.

If we are lucky enough to never again experience a natural disaster or man made calamity, the haven would also makes a great summer hideaway, vacation spot and personal retreat.

Helpful online resources and Links:

Red States/Blue States/Purple States - Large map of the 2004 Elections

Intentional Community - IntentionalCommunity.org is an inclusive term for ecovillages, cohousing, residential land trusts, communes, student co-ops, urban housing cooperatives and other related projects and dreams... This Web site serves the growing communities movement. We provide important information and access to crucial resources for seekers of community, existing and forming communities, and other friends of community. Geographic Intentional Community Directory

ePudunk.com - ePodunk.com provides in-depth information about more than 46,000 communities around the country, from Manhattan to Los Angeles, Pottstown to Podunk. Our listings also include geocoded information about thousands of parks, museums, historic sites, colleges, schools and other places across America.

Best Places to Live - from CNN Money magazine / broken down by state
Best Places to Live - Top 100 Finalists

5 States and 401 Cities and Towns - that have banned the enforcement of the Patriot Act