# Where to go



## A_Catholic_Thinker (Jan 6, 2011)

Last year, after some research, my wife & I ended up buying a property just outside of Springfield, MO as a "get-away"/relocation spot.

It's a 2000 sq ft house on 20 acres of mostly wooded land. About 4 acres cleared with a hobby farm already setup. Barn. Stream on the land. House has wood stove and is "open concept" so the stove could pretty much heat the whole place. 

Motivators:

- Far away from coastal regions and large cities: relatively safe from disasters like nuke attack & coastal tsunamies, etc. (These things relatively low priority since I think the odds of such are quite small.)

- Temperate climate: low cost of living. Survivable in case of no power/gas/heat for long periods.

- Can be made self-sufficient with large garden/hobby farm/animals.

- Despite rural setting and lots of land is only 20 minutes away from state-of-the-art medical facilities in Springfield.

- Springfield has some high-tech jobs: I'm in computer science. (We'll have to live/survive there before SHTF so we can be completely setup, of course.)

I'm interested in hearing the opinions of the forum regulars/experts on my choice of locale. Smart? Better places?

(We're from the midwest originally and still there. We have family in the midwest and so staying somewhat close was another factor.)


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

Ahhh, Milwaukee! I spent the first 21 years of my life within 25 miles of Milwaukee! Well, okay, we left for vacations, but still... 

There is a lot of truth to your list. However, I'd still think of it as "too crowded", too much risk of people fleeing urban areas and mid-size towns coming your way. Depends how bad a situation you think could plausibly happen. How many people would flee to that medical facility, seeking treatment or drugs, and when turned away, start combing the surrounding areas for food, shelter, drugs, etc.? Llike I said, depends how bad or how permanant you think things could get.

The Springfield area probably wouldn't take a direct hit in a nuclear attack, but have you studied fall-out drift charts? If you're building a shelter there, you could plan on spending time in that, if necessary, then coming out and rebuilding or carry on with your sustainable life of gardens & animals. 

The climate is mild, you're right. Humid as heck, though, but that doesn't bother a lot of people. What about local critters, snakes and stuff? We lived in SE Kentucky for six years and I'm so happy to be away from worrying about stepping on a Copperhead snake! As well as the other poisonous snakes in that area, and the lesser-evils but still annoying things like chiggers, spiders, etc! 

You'll have a long growing season there, though. Should have lots of firewood, so heat and cooking are covered. Sounds like plenty of water.

I guess the only other thing I can think of is earthquake, but I don't know if I'd let that possibility be a major deciding factor.

Best wishes in your endeavor!


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## PopPop (Sep 14, 2010)

Sounds great to me. Just keep in mind that any locale will have its own downside. The thing that is probably most important is to get started ASAP with the self sufficent basics and add to that as much and as soon as possible. Additionally if you do not intend to move in right away and this place is abug out location, you need to have a plan to deal with squatters. Good Luck!


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

gypsysue said:


> There is a lot of truth to your list. However, I'd still think of it as "too crowded"


That's because the only neighbors you have are the mule deer. 

Sounds like a reasonable location. The only real downside I see is the New Madrid. Lots of ground energy potential in that thar fault.


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

UncleJoe said:


> That's because the only neighbors you have are the mule deer.


Actually, we have more White tail than Mule deer around our neighborhood. The Mule deer are more down in the valley!

They just released the new census figures, and the population density for the US is an average of 87.4 per square mile.

In Montana, it's 6.3 persons per square mile.

Fewer than that, in our neck of the woods.

Unless you count those deer...


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## HardenedPrepper (Dec 15, 2010)

Well another Wisconsinite, I bought some land in hilly, cooley, farm country in Trempealeau Co. Wisconsin, I know east of the Missouri but I love it there, neighbors are spread out, all privately owned farmland, fertile soil, great like minded people atleast in my valley, only 3.5 hours from Milwaukee, and as everybody else from SE Wi, and Illinoise bug out to northern Wi you'll be heading west...Just a thought


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## rhrobert (Apr 27, 2009)

I'd have to say you made a good choice, of course that's because I lived 40 yrs in Wisconsin (20 of them in Madison) before buying some property in Northern Arkansas.  

It was the best move we could have made. The area is beautiful, the natural resources are plentiful, the people are friendlier, and the sky seems bigger. A lot of how you will be treated is dependent on how you treat others. I didn't come to change anyones way of life, make waves, or be a general pita. 

Snakes, spiders, chiggers don't bother me here at all...Wisconsin had em too, rattlesnakes, black widows, ticks, nothing different here. I'm a tick magnet no matter where I go. I've seen more rattlesnakes in Wisconsin then I've ever seen copperheads here, and the ones I have seen here tried to get away from me faster than I did them!

The New Madrid fault is starting to heat up, but it runs all the way into WI as well, only difference is I'm closer to the main activity now. 

Good luck on your move!


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## A_Catholic_Thinker (Jan 6, 2011)

gypsysue said:


> Ahhh, Milwaukee! I spent the first 21 years of my life within 25 miles of Milwaukee! Well, okay, we left for vacations, but still...
> 
> There is a lot of truth to your list. However, I'd still think of it as "too crowded", too much risk of people fleeing urban areas and mid-size towns coming your way. Depends how bad a situation you think could plausibly happen. How many people would flee to that medical facility, seeking treatment or drugs, and when turned away, start combing the surrounding areas for food, shelter, drugs, etc.? Llike I said, depends how bad or how permanant you think things could get.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the comments.

1) Too crowded: in a sense, of course it is! I have conflicting requirements of the perfect SHTF location + a place where I can make a living. That makes it really tough!

2) Critters: Actually I freaking hate them. And we discovered early on the house in infested brown recluse spiders - they are bad.

3) Nukes: Like I said, low priority, because if it happens, 95%+ of the population is screwed, period.

We can only do so much and have to leave the rest in God's hands.


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## A_Catholic_Thinker (Jan 6, 2011)

rhrobert said:


> I'd have to say you made a good choice, of course that's because I lived 40 yrs in Wisconsin (20 of them in Madison) before buying some property in Northern Arkansas.
> 
> It was the best move we could have made. The area is beautiful, the natural resources are plentiful, the people are friendlier, and the sky seems bigger. A lot of how you will be treated is dependent on how you treat others. I didn't come to change anyones way of life, make waves, or be a general pita.
> 
> ...


Thanks to you also. We do like what we've seen of the area - the people are friendly, and surprisingly, there is more culture & stuff to do in Springfield than I'd have thought. (On our scouting trip we had Thai in the historic section of Springfield that was as good as the best that Chi or San Fran has to offer - big surprise!)


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## A_Catholic_Thinker (Jan 6, 2011)

HardenedPrepper said:


> Well another Wisconsinite, I bought some land in hilly, cooley, farm country in Trempealeau Co. Wisconsin, I know east of the Missouri but I love it there, neighbors are spread out, all privately owned farmland, fertile soil, great like minded people atleast in my valley, only 3.5 hours from Milwaukee, and as everybody else from SE Wi, and Illinoise bug out to northern Wi you'll be heading west...Just a thought


Definitely a viable situation. I really wanted something that didn't involve such totally frigid winters, but if you're setup for that...


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## A_Catholic_Thinker (Jan 6, 2011)

PopPop said:


> Sounds great to me. Just keep in mind that any locale will have its own downside. The thing that is probably most important is to get started ASAP with the self sufficent basics and add to that as much and as soon as possible. Additionally if you do not intend to move in right away and this place is abug out location, you need to have a plan to deal with squatters. Good Luck!


Squatters: have thought of that. No, we are not there (bought the place in June), and will not be for a bit yet at least. So what can you do????


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## machinist76 (Jan 13, 2011)

Sounds like a good place to me, I drove through Ark. on a trip to Texas. Lots of wide open spaces and yet seemed to have heavy forest in some places. You should be able to grow cover trees around your home. The people I spoke with seemed nice and sure footed. Good luck.


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## Nadja (Jan 12, 2011)

A_Catholic_Thinker said:


> Thanks for the comments.
> 
> 1) Too crowded: in a sense, of course it is! I have conflicting requirements of the perfect SHTF location + a place where I can make a living. That makes it really tough!
> 
> ...


Sounds awfully nice to me. As far as the brown recluse spiders, you can go to your local hardware store and buy a couple of foggers made just for this. Use one now, and the next time down there as your leaving use it. They work well, are not expensive and will give you some piece of mind. But since I live way out there to, even though you kill them all this year , they will most likely be back next year. I would not be too concerned with nukes, as that is very unlikely. As far as too crowded, no matter where you go it will seem like that after awhile. When my wife and I first bought our very remote property here (about 16 years ago) we had only one neighbor. He moved out and now about 15 or so neighbors have moved into the neighborhood, so about 4 people per mile. Before it was about 2


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