I am a 65-year old male expatriate ("expat") from the US. I have lived in Costa Rica, Singapore and now Panama. I am thinking of moving to Chile, but I would go anyplace for the right opportunity. I have traveled extensively and love the expat lifestyle. It is definitely not for everyone, but if you are considering it, here are some things you should know.

What Is Expatriation?

The word just means the act of leave your native land. (Unless otherwise noted, I will be limiting my comments to Americans.) It is important to note that expatriation does not require you to renounce your American citizenship or seek citizenship in another country, though these are options. Many expats continue to participate in America's political process and economy. They vote, pay taxes, receive social security benefits, etc. 

Why Do It?

This is one question you will have to answer for yourself. Here are some reasons why some people leave the US:

• To prepare for TEOTWAWKI
• Fear of homegrown totalitarianism
• To avoid hyper-inflation, social breakdown, food shortages, etc.
• To fine better work/business opportunities abroad
• The desire for a change of scenery
• Fill in the blank

One Place, Two Places or More?

Expatriation is only about leaving the US. The next issue is where you are going and why. One extreme is moving to a specific country and putting down roots. The other extreme is adopting a fully nomadic lifestyle. Of course there are intermediate options as well.

Residency/Citizenship—This is not as cut and dried as you might think. You can seek residency, you can seek residency and eventual citizenship or you can remain a tourist, indefinitely. (See next.) If you want to be a permanent resident or citizen of a country, its embassy or a consular office in the US will  have printed and digital information they will be happy to send you.

Virtual Residency—Various countries give tourists visa lasting anywhere from 30 to 180 days. Before your visa expires, you can leave the country for a certain number of hours or days—three days is common, then return and get a new tourist visa for another three months or whatever the tourist period is. So it is possible to be a permanent resident in practice, while only being a tourist, technically. This can go on for years.

Semi-Nomadic—If you have a motor home, sailboat or just frequent flyer miles, you can rotate among two, three or more countries you like. Follow the sun or follow the calendar. A few months in Rio for Carnival, winter in Costa del Sol, spring in Buenos Aires, and so on.

Full-On Nomadic—Never stop traveling and see the world. You will need a bankroll or income, but the cost of living is usually much cheaper than in the States.

Buy, Rent, Couch Surf?

Buy/Rent—Obviously, your choice of housing will depend on your choice of lifestyle. Most countries will allow foreigners to buy or rent homes. If you are a permanent resident, your choice of buying or renting will depend on economic factors unique to you. Even if you have to make periodic “visa runs,” you can still rent or own a home. You just have to arrange for alternative housing while on your visa run. This could be an inexpensive hotel, a friend's house or you could couch surf.

Couch Surfing—The internet has made it easy to find alternative housing arrangements. whether you are traveling as a tourist, are on a visa run or are a full-time nomad. There are scores of couch surfing matchmaker sites, with different business models. They can also be used as temporary housing while you look for a place to rent or buy. To discover such services, Google [couch surfing], [home stay], [alternative travel], etc. Here are three examples with which I have had personal experience:

• Airbed and Breakfast (http://www.airbnb.com/). This service matches up people with rooms for rent, with alternative travelers. It protects both the travelers and the hosts, by escrowing rental payment. They also have mutual ratings/comments.
• Couch Surfing (http://www.couchsurfing.org/). This service lists free hosting. Hosts may ask for some contribution, but mostly they do it because the like meeting new folks. As with Airbed, travelers can rate hosts and vise-versa.
• Craig's List (http://craigslist.org/). Started in San Francisco, Craig's List now circles the globe. Go to the main page, click on the country/city where you want to stay, then click on whatever you are looking for under the “Housing” section. You can also search for jobs, companionship and everything else in your target city.

My experience with all three services has been extraordinary. I have met the most interesting people. Alternative travel appeals to the adventurous. It's also way less expensive, and much more “homey,” than sterile hotels.

Language

Most US expats will probably have to deal with a new language. Yes, you can get by in most parts of the world with English a a few courtesy words in the local tongue. However, not having a working command of the local language, can lead to miscommunications at best, and serious danger, at worst. On the up side, even the mere attempt to communicate in the local language, can go a long way toward ingratiating you with the local people you meet. For starters, learn these words and phrases, please, thank you, you're welcome, yes, no, how much? how do you say...? and of course the ever important where is the bathroom? The locals will appreciate your effort and usually go out of their way to assist you. The phrase, “how do you say...?” will especially show that you are trying to adapt to their language instead of trying to get them to speak English. You will be rewarded. A wise investment is one of the many language translation options that exist today. You can get apps for your smart phone, tablet, etc., as well as dedicated language translators. Companies that sell translation devices include:

• http://www.lingotranslators.com/
• http://www.franklin.com/
• http://www.austinhouse.com/

However, even a “low-tech” pocket dictionary can do the trick.

Cross-Cultural Sensitivity

Be aware that there are social expectations and taboos in every culture. You will make mistakes, but if you project respect and a willingness to learn, most people will cut you some slack. You may already know that throughout the Americas, many Latinos are offended when people from the United States, refer to themselves as “Americans.” Some will go so far as to say, “¡Yo soy un Americano, también!” (“I am an American too!”). But did you know that if you hold a drink with your left hand in Nigeria, you are signaling that you are a homosexual? The point is, you have to realize that you're “not in Kansas anymore.” How do you find out what is going to offend the locals? The good news is that many travel books, such as the Lonely Planet books will list some of the most common cultural faux pas in the various countries and cultures. Also, you can find an extensive list of cross-cultural do's and don'ts here.

One suggestion: Avoid the “tourist look,” sandals (often with socks), baggy, khaki cargo shorts, aloha shirt (men) or sleeveless tank top (women) and a boonie hat (men) or wide-brimmed straw hat (women). Just add a camera hanging around your neck and a map or guidebook in your hand and you become the official poster boy for lame tourists. Yes, even without the cliché costume, the locals know you are a foreigner. They probably know you are an American. But with the uniform, you look like a tourist, not a traveler, and thus, ripe for the picking or at least their disdain.

Women

These observations—for both men and women— are a special case of cross-cultural sensitivity.

Men: Unless you are familiar with local customs, refrain from flirting, touching and in some cases, even looking at, or speaking to, local women. There is a wide range of taboo around the world and until you know which ones apply, play it safe.

Women: In much of the world, you have two strikes against you. First you are a woman in what is often a “man's world.” Second, you are an American. In many cultures, American women are seen as sexually loose, and they are (mis)treated accordingly. Until you know what the local gender roles are, modest clothing and demeanor, will save you a lot of hassle or even danger.

Money

Of course, you need sufficient money to live. However, you don't have to be a trust fund baby or a self-made millionaire to be an expat. If you don't have a lot of money saved up, you will need to have some sort of income. This means you will either have to work remotely or locally.

Remote Income—I am a writer. It doesn't much matter where I live as long as I have reasonable internet access. If you can support yourself by writing, programming, accounting, making art or doing various forms of consulting, you too, can live anywhere. Some countries may claim that—for tax purposes—you are working locally, if you provide these service from their country. As a practical matter, though, the question never comes up, unless you bring it up. So don't bring it up.

Local Income—Work performed, and paid for, locally falls into three broad categories of legality: white, gray and black.

White Income: In most countries, you can legally derive income from a business you own and manage—as long as it creates jobs for local people. However, in most cases, you are not allowed to do actual work in your own business. What does this mean? If you own a cafe, for example, you may manage your employees, but you may not bus tables. If you do, you could get in big trouble with immigration. Local employees must do the actual work in the cafe. 

Other legal sources of local income exist where the local government recognizes specific exemptions for needed skills, volunteer work (which may include room and board, or even an “honorarium”), temporary/seasonal agricultural work, etc.

Gray Income: The most common work done by expats is teaching English. Conversational English is very popular among the well-to-do in every country. Also, it is the key to advancement for professionals, technology workers and people in the tourist industry. So governments usually look the other way. The same principle applies to expats who help funnel tourists to local businesses.

Also largely tolerated, are expat artisans who sell handmade jewelry, apparel and small pieces of art. Many a backpacker has extended or even paid for, his or her travels by selling trinkets.

Black Income: While illegal, there are certain sorts of work that are invisible and where the clients will actually cover for you. The most common is work for other expats. Within the expat community, there is a big preference for expats who will perform personal services such as computer maintenance, auto repair and such. “Yachties” are a particularly lucrative source of work for expats with skills such as diesel and sail repair, boat painting, bright work, carpentry, 12V and 24V electrical systems, navigation electronics, alternative energy and marine plumbing. However, many land-based expats also prefer to hire expats because they speak English and have a shared culture.

The point is, there is almost always a way for expats to make money.

Communications

On of the things that makes life so much easier as an expat, is robust communications with the folks back home. In today's world, that means internet, internet, internet. In addition to email and chat (Yahoo, Google, MSM, etc.), there is internet intermediated video and voice calls. Companies that provide these services include:

• Skype, http://www.skype.com
• Vonage, http://www.vonage.com
• MagicJack, http://www.magicjack.com
• VoipBuster, http://www.voipbuster.com

Do a web search on "voip" for more Internet phone and video phone services.

So as long as you have broadband Internet, no matter where you are, you can always talk to the grandkids whenever you want.

Final Thoughts

The key to successful expatriation is realizing that every place in the world has good and bad points. If you start out with stars in your eyes, your unrealistic optimism will lead to unrealistic pessimism. But if your eyes are open to the good and the bad, you can be one of the many successful expats who see the world and see it as it is. Good luck.

JWR Adds: Americans, unless they have renounced their citizenship, are taxed on their worldwide income, regardless of source. But in many cases if you live abroad, then the first $92,900 of foreign earnings is tax exempt. This exemption does not apply not if you maintain a residence inside the United States. You must have both "absolute residence" outside of the United States and a "principal place of business" outside of the United States. You must also be physically outside of the United States for 330 days out of every 12 consecutive months. (The IRS rules on this are a bit complicated, so do your homework before you consider expatriating.) There is also a foreign housing costs exclusion of up to 16% of $92,900. So that is $14,864, or $40.72 per day that can be deducted from your gross income.

JWR:
This television news segment was disturbing: Should HOAs restrict solar panel use? They cited "architectural standards."

The family made the mistake of challenging the authority of the homeowner association (HOA) to pre-approve all changes (including tone of roof shingles, type of planted grasses, whether or not RVs can be parked on your property, et cetera) and impose their notion of right and good on you and your house, at your expense. HOAs should reduce the market value of a house by 40% at least, IMHO, for anyone contemplating surviving a grid-down, phones-down, plumbing-down situation.

Why would anyone subject their home to such meddling? Cheers, - Karl K.

JWR Replies: I've always advised my consulting clients to avoid buying land inside a HOA. The typical restrictions on livestock and gardens are ridiculous. Those alone is reason enough to avoid HOA-ruled developments. I started warning about HOAs and CC&Rs in the early days of SurvivalBlog, such as this piece from 2005: Zoning Laws, HOAs, and CC&Rs as Criteria for Choosing Your Retreat Locale. Parenthetically, I also included a cautionary description of HOA busybodies in my latest novel "Survivors: A Novel of the Coming Collapse". In that fictional description, the HOA committee had to be pushed out of control in order for large scale gardening to commence.

The bottom line: I honestly believe that it would take a full scale socioeconomic collapse for most HOA committees to even consider loosening their "visible from the street" appearance standards. So even in the midst of a 1930s-style depression, you'd be under their thumb.

James,
I felt compelled to write this letter response to Thomas K's post from January 18th. I found his second point to be racist at worst and ignorant at best. I must first point out that I am not a politically correct minded
person nor do I wish my letter to come across as Jessie Jackson-ish rhetoric. I am married to a Manila-born Chinese/Filipino who moved to the US when she was a year old and has spent about the last 20 out of
her 27 years as an American Citizen. I had a chance to visit the Philippines in 2010 with her and her family and based on my observations there I would say that most Filipino's would have an advantage over most Americans in a disaster. The first reason I believe this is that they already know how to go without the things that we Americans take for granted, such as consistent running water, electricity, and automobile transportation.

Secondly, Filipino's are some of the most resourceful people on earth. Anyone who has been to the Philippines will tell you about the most recognizable form of transportation in the country which is the Jeepney which is basically a bus that was constructed from US military Jeeps that were left behind after WW2. This is just one example of the ingenuity of the Filipino's. My third and final point is that Asian cultures as a whole place a huge emphasis on family and they will band together and help each other out in a disaster situation. Look at how Japan responded to the earthquake/tsunami last year and the Korea Town response to the Los Angeles riots as an example. Now I understand that there are some Asian gangs and criminals and there might be a high percentage in Anchorage as Thomas K. suggested. But this does not give him the excuse to write off all of the Asians in Alaska as thugs that will take each other out. I would be happy to have Asians as my neighbors during a disaster and I have a feeling if Thomas K. would learn a bit more about this amazing people and culture he would feel the same. - Josh H. in the Pacific Northwest 

JWR:
The recent letter about Alaska as a Retreat Locale brings up many good points, and I as an Alaskan certainly hope survival will be possible here if society collapses. But the trouble with predicting the future is that there’s no way to know how events are going to play out. The author assumes that oil will still flow, that there will still be an economy of sorts, and that the military will be friendly. These predictions might or might not be accurate.

The Alaska pipeline must have a flow rate of at least 70,000 barrels a day to remain viable, according to a recent study. That would require nineteen heaters along the pipe, at a greatly increased cost. Alaskans are already paying $3.50 to $10.00 per gallon for heating fuel in most of the state outside the Anchorage area. That can easily amount to $10,000 worth of fuel per winter! If the economy tanks, export of Alaska oil won’t happen because other countries can get it cheaper closer to home. And the small population of Alaska residents couldn’t support a giant pipeline that’s only flowing a trickle. Production costs would skyrocket. Residents won’t be able to afford fuel at three or four times the current price.

Alaska’s economy is based almost entirely on oil, government employee paychecks, and tourism. If any of these is interrupted, there will cease to be a viable economy. Eskimos, Bushrats and Sourdoughs might thrive when that happens, but everybody else will be in real trouble.

The military in Alaska is a two-edged sword. Their presence here provides protection from invasion. Nevertheless, history tells us that collapse of civil authority will quickly result in Martial law and military rule. That’s the way it was in Alaska in the nineteenth century, and indeed, in most of the American west at one time. Some soldiers were out surveying my street a while back with GPS and other equipment. I asked them what they were doing. They said they were mapping the whole area down to the square inch. They never did explain why. I believe that if the time comes, they will want to collect all stored survival supplies “for the common good.” Is that paranoid? After all, after a collapse the military will have absolute power.

Alaskans probably won’t starve if they can grow food and hunt and fish, but everything is harder and more expensive at 40 below. Ultimately I believe that God will take care of all of us, but then he never promised us a rose garden. - K.L. in Alaska

Dear Mr. Rawles,

I just finished your novel novel "Survivors". It was a good book and it spells out a lot of things that might happen. I have been an avid reader of your books and materials for some time. I would like to point out that Alaska is a better survivor island than many of the other Western States.

First: Alaska does rely on products being imported but it has the capacity to manufacture its own fuel. Presently we have three refineries within our state but they concentrate on the manufacture of Aviation Gas because it has the highest profit. We could seek to change our production to diesel and to automobile gasoline if we were cut off. We also have geothermal heat sources and large deposit of coal that we would be able to use as fuels. We have active wood resource use and technology involving wood boilers.

Second: Anchorage would be toast. It is kind of known as Los Anchorage. It has a high Asian/Pacific Islander/Filipino population mixed with greenies (emigres from California) that would wipe themselves out quickly. The rest of the state would have increased resources with that group roughly taking itself out. Those that would be left would be roving gangs but for the most part would not leave their central location. People would probably seek to cut the roads out in and out of anchorage and this would be easy with the destruction of a couple of bridges. Anchorage would be isolated and would be a death trap.

Third: In a "Crunch" type scenario things that have restricted Alaska for a long time like the Jones Act would be null. Alaska presently can not direct export its resources to other foreign powers. Alaska has a significant war chest in its constitutional reserve that is largely composed of stocks, and real estate. Alaska could possibly pull some very quick trade deals with other PacRim countries for import/exports.

Fourth: Military in Alaska. We have a large military presence here and those people would follow military procedures. Many would be called back to the states or would move back with their families. Once that happened our population would be more sustainable. Many military folks would stay. Alaska would be the home to the stryker divisions, airborne and quick response divisions that could easily protect its borders. We have tactical bombers, missile defense and F22 Raptor fighters that would provide for supports.

Fifth: Long term Alaskans- Would easily slowly retract from the rest of the US. We produce a lot of gold and precious metals and would be able to produce a lot more if Federal Restrictions ended. 66% of the state[land area] is Federally controlled. The lack of an operating over the shoulder Uncle Sugar would produce a lot of mom and pop gold mining that would be highly profitable in the crunch.

Sixth: The amount of salmon and other basic food stuffs could be concentrated on. Delta and the Matsu valley have the capabilities to produce enough potatoes, barley and vegetables that with the new[ly-reduced] population and regular dynamics we would be okay. We actually built storage facilities for these products that are not in use. Global Warming is a reality and Alaska has longer growing seasons with capabilities that would allow it survive. We would not face starvation as mentioned in the book. Many in Alaska are preppers and I believe that the average household in Alaska has between two and four months worth of food. Things like Sailor Boy pilot bread and other products that last for long without refrigeration are found in greater quantities up here.

Seventh: There are some Alaskans who would die quickly in the aftermath of TEOTWAWKI but if Alaska was not completely nuked it would have circles of influence that would try to keep things in check. There are several very active groups of people who would seek to take quick steps if it happened. They are here and are prepared. Alaska's constitution is different from US constitution and it is much more connected with the original constitution and not all of the interpretation and missteps that our Framing document has taken.

I liked your novel very much. I think that you should investigate the capabilities of modern compound bow technology. Bows are much more accurate and deadly than they have ever been. They have the ability to engage targets at ranges greater than 100 yards. Sincerely, - Thomas K.

Sir,
 
I am interested in moving to the American Redoubt. As an avid gardener, I am looking for the most promising areas in terms of zone and eco-climate. While trying to find a detailed agricultural plant zone map of the United States, I stumbled upon this site: PlantMaps.com

 When I checking a listing for a property, I can enter the zip code and the site provides significant climate information about that specific location including precipitation levels per month, drought index, average temps as well as a wealth of area maps.  It is easy to discern the effect of elevation on those factors.  For those like me interested in growing our own food, it is a wonderful site!

Thank you, - Pamela B.

Dear Editor:
I'm sure that the readers of SurvivalBlog will find this quote of interest, from an article entitled Ruins in Georgia mountains show evidence of Maya connection:

"In July of 2011, Waldrup furnished a copy of the 2000 Stratum Unlimited, LLC archaeological report to People of One Fire members.  Those with experiences at Maya town sites instantly recognized that the Track Rock stone structures were identical in form to numerous agricultural terrace sites in Chiapas, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras. Johannes Loubser’s radiocarbon dates exactly matched the diaspora from the Maya lands and the sudden appearance of large towns with Mesoamerican characteristics in Georgia, Alabama and southeastern Tennessee.  Track Rock Gap was the “missing link” that archaeologists and architects had been seeking since 1841. 

"Archaeologists have been looking for vestiges of 'high' Maya civilization in the United States, when all along it was the commoners 'who got the heck out of Dodge City' when wars, famines, droughts and almost non-stop volcanic eruptions became unbearable.  The Itza Maya middle class and commoners became the elite of such towns as Waka (Ocmulgee National Monument) and Etalwa (Etowah Mounds)  Just as happened in England after the Norman Invasion, the separate cultures of the commoners and nobility of the indigenous Southeast eventually blended into hybrid cultures that became our current Native American tribes."

Regards, - Richard C.

Hi James,
In reference to A.'s recent article "How I Survived an Attempted Murder", we lived in Guayaquil, Ecuador in the early 1990s. I taught at the American School in Guayaquil called The International Academy. We bought an Isuzu Trooper and drove over 20,000 miles during our stay there. We visited many areas on the frontier with Columbia and Peru that were described to us a bandit country, often drove out into the mountains to distant villages that seemed to have hardly had any contact with Europeans or Americans. Several times drove all the way east of Quito over the backbone of the Andes out across the foothills and into the Amazon jungle.
 
Shortly after arriving in Ecuador, I let it be know that I was in the market for a pistol. A member of our school board who was the manager of a gold mine contacted me shortly thereafter. He had purchased Smith & Wesson semi-auto pistols to replace the S&W .38 Special revolvers that his guards carried.
He had three of the .38 Specials left to sell. My cost was $500 for a revolver, holster and one box of cartridges. We purchased one. It had a four-digit serial number.
It is noteworthy that having one of these guns was illegal, especially for foreigners.
 
Later roaming in a market place I entered a hardware store. I noticed that they had a selection of single shot .410 shotguns and single shot pistols for sale. I bought a .410 pistol and a box of shells. These were available to the public to buy.
 
It's construction was crude and the fitting of the hinge and breech face lacked tight tolerance. I secured this single-shot .410 to a tree for a test firing, and attached a small rope to the trigger. I stood back and fired it. Bang! It did not fall apart or separate into pieces. It was obvious from the powder marks that if fired in a bare hand you were going to get some powder residue burns on your skin. I always kept a pair of leather gloves handy if I had to fire it.
 
From then on, I was armed with two pistols. I could intimidate with the .410 and if I had to, produce the 38 Special in a flash. Never had to use either of them in a confrontational situation.
 
During our travels we often encountered police roadblocks. Producing a business card with my school name and the moniker of "professor of science" gave me status. Never did we have to endure a search of our vehicle. I have even produced the 38 Special and showed it to local police when away from the large urban areas.
They would point down the road and say, "bandito"... I just laughed and pointed my gun saying bang, bang, bang. They would laugh to and wave us on.
 
Arriving once in Agri Lagria out near the Napo Neuve river some 80 or 90 miles east of Quito. Found the town laid out in a central downtown square. A policeman was setting along one walkway. He watched us as we drove around. We were the only Anglo people there. On the second trip around the square I dismounted the vehicle.
Approached the police officer producing one of my business cards. Raised my shirt to reveal the pistol. He just read the card and waved us on.
 
Near this town we encountered a modern looking American style motel with six units each having four sets of rooms. A large swimming pool with slide and pool side cabana.
A restaurant and a walled in area that looked to be 5 acres with paths and plantings. It had high security and a safe parking area.
 
We inquired about staying. The young desk clerk was somewhat flustered and said, "you are our first guests." I did not understand this. This motel was not newly-built but it was not old either. I asked, "What do you mean?". He said the US Air Force just left. That day was January 1st when we were there. This motel complex had been built for those manning the US Air Force interdiction flights looking for drug running activities. The only guests for several years had been the US Air Force. They had vacated it in the days just before Christmas. We were their first commercial guests. We found out later that they had contracted with the Air Force and built this motel just for them.
 
Later while bird watching on the roads east of town we found the airport. It was new. Looked to be the standard 8,000 foot long runways and parking areas that the US Air Force builds. A new control tower gleamed in the sun. I, being retired US Air Force and having been involved in building and maintaining fake airports for bombing targets at Smoky Hill Weapons Range, Salina, Kansas recognized the layout.
 
We loved Ecuador. But we were not stupid enough to travel without weapons. In addition, you need to carry the business cards that attach you to some commercial institution that has some clout. As you travel you ingratiate yourself to the locals by buying the kid's food. Carrying  two coolers jammed with ice cold soda and candy bars. Also found that giving out the JFK quarters in pristine condition were good. That is what we used in the Peace Corps when I was in West Africa.
 
Shortly before we left the country, I approached the owner of a sporting goods shop in Guayaquil. He was very interested in buying my revolver, regardless of its legality. He wanted it. He offered me $400. At that time Ecuador and Peru had recently been engaged in military fighting over border areas. The US government had restricted all importation of commercial weapons into Ecuador. A well-dressed gentleman in the store was watching and listening. When I left he followed me out to the parking lot and offered to buy the pistol. I told him he could have it right then for $600. He never flinched. He took me to an ATM and withdrew 16,500,000 Sucres which was the equivalent to about $600 at the time. It took a while since the machine would only dispense 400,000 at a time. I should mention that he was driving a very tricked-out 4 wheel drive Chevrolet pickup that reeked of money. His purchase financed our eight-day trip to the Galapagos Islands, just before we left.
 
The jungle of the intermountain areas at 7,000 to 8,000 feet is a near constant temperature of 70 to 85 degrees year round. It has 100 shades of green and very hard to describe. A wonderful place to live when it is peaceful and quiet. But when the local people string tires across the highways and burn them in rebellion to the government, they get mean and nasty. But they never gave us any trouble we were passed around and treated nicely.
 
Up in the higher altitudes the real native people live in stone houses. The children will string flower/vegetation ropes across the highway. Holding both ends trying to get you to stop. They are beggars. But we always gunned the engine and accelerated not knowing whether they were shilling for adults that would come out of the ditch or nearby vegetation.
They would drop the vegetation ropes as we sped by. We often tossed some candy bars out the window as we passed by. But we did stop several times where we could see there was no place for adults to hide. The children were in very cold conditions with snow on the ground in places and in bare feet. They were a dismal grubby-looking lot. We gave them candy bars, but we kept the door locked. And those stops were always with one hand on a gun, the vehicle in gear, engine running ready to leave in a hurry.
 
We practiced extreme caution in Ecuador and immediately got ourselves armed. Because of this, we came home safe and sound.
 
At the school the Ecuadorians often were aghast at our stories of where we had traveled. Saying to us, "We were born here and we never go to those places because it is not safe." They were constrained by their own fear of the unknown. Class distinctions and fear permeate the country.
 
I found A's story entirely believable. But he was very situationally unaware not security-minded. Yes, he's right: He's very fortunate because he should be dead. - Joe C.

James Wesley:
We have opened up Kamiah Copy & Shipping Center in Kamiah, Idaho. (I consider Kamiah the unofficial capital of the American Redoubt).  Part of our services are private mailbox rental.  As a long time SurvivalBlog reader and contributor (you've seen my posts under the bylines B.H. in Spokane, Western Washington and North Central Idaho) I am quite familiar with the need for OPSEC and the desire for some individuals to begin to establish ties to the American Redoubt.
 
We are offering 5” x 12” mail box rentals for $10 per month.  A 12-month pre-paid rental gets you three free months.  We also provide mail forwarding services through USPS,  FedEx, or UPS.  Mail forwarding is $5.00 per occurrence plus shipping or postage.
 
From now till the end of 2011, for every 12 month rental we will make a donation to the Memsahib Memorial Fund of $10. 

Anyone interested can send e-mail to the address below.

Kamiah Copy & Shipping Center
505 4th Street
Kamiah, Idaho 83536
phone: 208-935-7500
FAX: 866-453-6781
E-mail: kamiahcopy@gmail.com

Thank you, - Brendon Hill

Foreword: 
I design and operate databases for a living.  The newest of these are assembled on analytic platforms structured to “draw conclusions” for clients in a wide (and formerly random) variety of scenarios.  One of my developers is an analytic tools assembly expert who also works for some “security, emergency, and enforcement” government agencies in Washington, DC – all formerly separate agencies, and because of advancements in the technologies -- now “interoperating”.  I am also a prepper with a Bug Out locale that fulfills my “survival vision” and inherently has most of the natural survival essentials on site, but one which needs some structural work that would be visible to aerial mapping when implemented.  Another prepper colleague of mine who is part of our group has skills that I will generally classify as “ravine and bluff engineering”.  Together we have tried to develop plans to address the visibility problem, and in doing so have hit a “snag” and have come to a conclusion that might be useful to many readers.  So, it is with some expertise and some insight that I pose some thoughts for you today, with the hope that, if you are already knowledgeable on this subject, you might use these to simply update your information, or if you are not, that I might help to guide some of your decision making as I understand that your survival is at stake.

Two ideas:  Presume for the moment that databases have already classified you as a threat or even a likely insurgent. Presume that your resources and assets are already known and well-catalogued, and that access, use, seizure, and in a worst case scenario, potential counter-insurgency plans are in the “system” that can be implemented against you -- precisely directed at what you have been “certain” all along are the excellent and generally secret attributes of your plans in rural and remote areas. 

Most readers might agree somewhat with the first proposition, as previous military experience, FOID cards, post office signatures for receipt of gun parts and ammo, on-line purchases of water treatment, first aid gear, food storage etc. might be among a thousand other data points on-file somewhere with some kind of classification about you suitable to draw this conclusion.   Fair enough.  However, most preppers I have talked to argue that the second of these presumptions defies logic because they are so invested in how they see their retreat and in their belief that their “survival vision” is correct – a vision which can be generalized to be dependent on remote, defensible, small, self-sufficient, off the grid, and stealthy living.   On the surface such strategic plans seem great.  These might be the product of years of thinking, investing, and hard labor.  The location is likely to be vast and rugged or heavily forested.  It’s far from town.  Nobody’s around.  The prepper just wants to be left alone, poses no outward threat, and although he or she can and will defend themselves, they mean no harm to anyone.  These plans are defensive and to be successful, they rely on distance, infrequent communications, and private activities.  “Hard to find and not worth the effort” to take your stuff when TSHTF is the basic assumption.  This is the snag we have run into.   This may be a very false conclusion as I will detail below.

The facts are that local, county, regional, state, and federal database engineers, their supervising bureaucrats, and the analytic tools that they use every day have things sorted out quite differently.  On the basis of regulations and new standards for inter-operability, the whole system may operate on the basis that your “resources” are “not yours” and, when associated with other large scale “emergency planning” scenarios, that your resources may be classified as public resources that can be and are likely to be acquired and controlled. 

At the local level, this assumption is embodied in a concept now well developed into legal reality that the bureaucrats call “custodial responsibility” of your land.  Because in times of crisis some natural resources may become scarce and thus more valuable (you did choose your retreat well), and because they have granted you a “permit” to occupy and use the land, and because you do, then you are more vulnerable to an “intervention” than you may have thought.  And, worse, because this land information data is “integrated” and now “shared” and, in some instances, already merged with other personal data (perhaps your “threat” status?), when TSHTF, emergency management measures may go into effect that allow, and may even direct, emergency access to and use of your land.  Like opening river floodgates with the knowledge that whole communities will be inundated and destroyed, geographic information system (GIS) data often drives decision making and therefore, regardless of property rights, the gates will open and the torrent will roll out across the countryside.  The analogy is apt.  Rural and remote geographies may deliberately be used in emergency management situations to absorb some of the impact of civil disaster, to provide material resources, to disperse the energy of the unrest, and to reduce as much stress as quickly as possible on more densely inhabited areas and infrastructure.

This is a tough scenario for preppers, as it runs counter to much of our planning, and therefore this idea of public access and use may be dismissed by those who are betting that they are safely out of the way and that the riots and mayhem will be contained in urban areas.  But it is one which can be more easily understood and perhaps accepted after a cordial and scheduled visit by you to your county zoning office (or web site).  More on this in a moment.  First, some additional and quite prepper-sympathetic context.

Many of us have our remote retreats ready or almost ready.  Most of the money has been spent.  We have completed our “lists of lists” with some degree of satisfaction (there’s always more to do).  And now we are increasingly confident that we were “right” and that our efforts make sense.  Economic, political, and violent events are reaching crisis status worldwide and many of these now occur much closer to home.  We find ourselves in a departure mode, just trying (before we leave) to encourage previously skeptical relatives and friends to understand the inevitable outcome of these events; to join us, and to answer the call to perpetuate and perhaps defend our God-given freedoms.  We have come to a “final” acceptance that the world is going to cataclysmically change and that TEOTWAWKI is upon us. 

However, we may be quite mistaken about this.  TEOTWAWKI has already occurred!  And not in a way that we might have expected with the lights going out and cities on fire.   It happened in a small office in a rural or remote American county when the final little corner of a gridded digital foundation layer within an ArcGIS® and ArcView® database was scanned in and added after 30 years of data development – one that finally incorporates (perhaps) your own remote parcel of land.

Unaware (perhaps “untroubled” says it better) of the long-term “land planning” effort to complete of ubiquitous federal, regional, state, or county “mapping initiatives”, preppers have worked to gather their resources.  We may have even used GIS tools in order to acquire our land, set up our survival plan, and implement our survival vision.  And now, because all the indicators of genuine conflict are imminent, preppers feel that it is finally time to finally occupy and use their land – to retreat from people and events – to fortify and guard those second homes, retreats, and redoubts.  Thus, operational or tactical (rather than strategic) conversations about high ground, fields of fire, virtual and physical moats, sensors, buried propane tanks, sentry duty, and keeping marauders at bay more frequently occur. 

Our final preparation discussions may go further (now that most resources are in place) about how to care for other family members and trusted friends who may be ill or disabled, and how to provide assistance to elderly parents.  Yet, because some tiny bit of data was added to a database (even as far back as 1980 in some counties), the implementation of some of our own acquisition, defensive, and operational plans may be too late, and even unnecessary for reasons outlined below.  Building and burying concrete bunkers may not actually be a good idea… and setting up “tank traps” and defensive barriers may be a waste of time and resources and best put aside while we turn to more collaborative strategies and address more immediate needs such as tending woodlots, raising chickens, planting square foot gardens, networking with like-minded neighbors, and perhaps learning to do dentistry in case there are no dentists (Yikes!  Unlikely, but you gotta have some sense of humor in all this.)

The facts are that there are present in county offices in many small towns “experts with plans” that may surprise and even shock many preppers.   When you meet them on a friendly and professional basis, you will conclude that they are generally well-meaning and think their work for various government agencies is vitally important for the common good (think of rapid responses to 911 calls or management of hazardous waste disasters).  But, after all the good will, legal argument, and fuzzy feelings are expressed, they will tell you and may even show you what they have been doing and what they can actually do under the common rules for zoning: referred to in some states as Land Information Planning (LIP). 

LIP can be summarized as integrating and sharing data in “layers” of GIS data about the precisely-located Bug Out Place you think is your own – all of which is designed to fulfill and support the afore-mentioned custodial responsibilities by authorities.  The GIS digital system works by assembling “foundational” and common data elements, by establishing inter-agency government agency training, communications, and education programs, and by facilitating “technical assistance” for all kinds of authorities at the local, state, and federal level.

The simple truth is that they know where you are.  They know who you are.  They know what you have.  They may already know what you are doing or may be capable of doing (think of all the county departments that have your records digitized -- Deeds, Tax Rolls, Land Records, Surveyor, Planning, Zoning, Sheriff, Emergency Management, Agriculture, Forestry, and IT just to name a few).

Among the GIS layers (some scanned-in and digitized decades ago) are “new” and very sophisticated GPS-controlled geographic reference frameworks developed for parcel mapping, parcel administration, public access (including back roads and even footpaths if well used via Regional Road Directory (RRD), soils mapping, wetlands mapping, land use mapping. (Got a garden?  Hobby farm?  Spring?  Pond?  Shoreline? Serious acreage?, then “natural resources”, infrastructure and facilities mapping may already have you mapped. (Think in terms of electric grid, phone and computer services, gas and oil pipelines, water, septic, sewage, pumping stations, dams, bridges, etc.) There is also something called Forestry Reconnaissance, and “institutional arrangements and integration” (think police and emergency access).  Much of this foundational data across the USA has been completely compiled -- and nearly all of it is now updated by aerial observation on a semi-annual or more frequent basis.  You can’t hide what you are doing.  And, if you can’t easily do it now, you may not be able to do what you want to do later when TSHTF without a lot of help, time, and energy.

Want a visit from an “inspector”?  Then dig a hole.  Clear a field.  Add a roof.  Cut a fence line. Plant. Irrigate.  Mound dirt from an underground excavation.  Drive across dusty open land.  These visual and sometimes thermal “changes” on base layer information clearly appear on the GIS updates.  They are computer-compared and professionally observed.  They are automatically evaluated then flagged.  The flagging may prompt “interventions” at any time (think EPA) and may prompt other more unexpected activities once TSHTF (and possibly much more importantly and nasty) once these GIS databases are hacked and the core information is distributed to “unfriendlies” who are smart enough to want it and get it.    

This observation on our technological vulnerability suggests that building our “castles and moats” and spending our energy and money in hopes to hide out, get off the grid, and live peacefully in small tribes is not nearly as rational as we might wish, and that a secondary strategy should be adopted which recognizes that they can easily “see us”, that well-established, redundant, and hardened technology is our enemy, that TEOTWAWKI has already occurred, and that for some very good reasons we better rethink about what our “survival vision” really should be. 

Since our assets are easily observed and already ranked and prioritized by “value”, our survival preparation may more effectively depend on revealing and then linking these resources among ourselves, and by establishing new networks and creating closer relationships with others in our geographies with whom we can communicate, get to quickly, and achieve the advantage of mass in either defensive or offensive actions.  An understanding (maybe acquisition and use?) of GIS technologies and mapping can enable preppers to make more flexible plans and be much more “mobile” and responsive to threats.  With LIP as a controlling factor, using the information and technology may be more valuable than barbed wire and bullets to stem the tide.  More like-minded people must easily be gathered when authorities may be overwhelmed or when those authorities bring their own action against us as we are flagged as perceived or real threats. 

Summary and Conclusions:  We may reluctantly concede that as individuals we may already be digitally classified as threats and therefore potential insurgents.  The bigger issue is that we may also have to agree that our hide-out survival vision may be incorrect and need substantial modification.  It is a fundamental mistake to think we are not “visible” in our retreats in the mountains or the woods.  Knowing that even small local governments have generally completed LIP initiatives, that the data is transferable and shared with  other databases, that authorities have assumed or have been legally granted “custodial responsibilities” for our property and our resources, we must contemplate modifying our vision from one where success is no longer entirely based on distance, infrequent communications, and on trying to create and carry out “invisible” private activities to one where closer proximity, more frequent communications, common use of data tools and technology, and more open and direct action can hold back the tide when TSHTF.

A personal note and an excellent example:  Throughout history there are countless examples of successful survival strategies and tactics, but one family story comes to mind that is worth telling as it relates to the use of geography and local resources, and to the development of a perception and a reality for an enemy that a fight they wanted was not worth making – where the battlefield was well understood by the defenders, where communications and mobility were key factors, and where the outcome was a great conflict successfully avoided and everyone survived. 

The setting was Cincinnati in 1862.  Confederate General Kirby Smith had arrived on the scene with a formidable, well trained and well equipped army, capturing Lexington Kentucky.  Smith ordered his junior officer, General Henry Heth to cross the Ohio River and capture Cincinnati.  With a real battle looming, Ohio was in an uproar.  Defensive resources were slim.  The Governor and Union Officers called for volunteers.  Riders went out to the surrounding counties and armed men responded to their call.  Nearly 16,000 civilians would come into town carrying “antiquated” weapons, and this body was properly and proudly referred to as the Squirrel Hunters.  These men had no military training, but “they could shoot the eye out of a squirrel at 100 yards”.  My own great-grandfather was among them.  The name and size of the group said it all, and within a few days, the Confederate forces withdrew and left the area.  Crossing the river under the fire of back country sharpshooters was not an option.  Well-understood geography, quick communications, and responsive people saved the day.

Citations, Locales, and Sourcing: [Deleted by the Editor, for OPSEC.]