Could you BURN your Homestead/retreat to the ground and walk away.

[Sourdough]

Could you burn your retreat/homestead/compound/cabin/etc. to the ground including all the survival food/ammo/arms/etc. and just hike away.....???


More and more this is becoming my survival plan. It makes me want to puke...........but in my heart I know it is the best action.

[welderguy]

I'm probably going to regret this but... um why do think this is the best plan ?

[Sourdough]

I'm probably going to regret this but... um why do think this is the best plan ?

Because I know where my skills exist..........and more important I am willing to admit that I can't hold a fixed position for very long.

[Winter]

SD, why not have some people that bug out to you? Then you ain't alone, and they have a place to go.

[Winter]

Hold your stuff as long as you can. Say you have 6 months worth of stuff and can't hold a fixed position by yourself. Well, I'd trade that situation for 2 helpers and only 2 months worth of food each. Do the math on your own stores. I bet you could find some people pretty easy.

[welderguy]

Because I know where my skills exist..........and more important I am willing to admit that I can't hold a fixed position for very long.

Ok not what i was thinking you were going to say.

[Rick]

Okay, let's think this one through.

1. First, the odds of anything happening that would result in roving hordes is pretty small. A tsunami in Turn Again Bay might be more of a concern. The valley you are in would make a nice wash for a big wave.
2. Assuming it did happen the odds of folks showing up at your door in mass and armed are pretty small. The bad folks from Los Anchorage would actually have to organize and expend some energy to make it to your part of the country. They might but only after depleting all their resources in Los Anchorage.
3. The odds of them deciding to take your place and stay there are pretty small when your neighbors house, the one you stayed in, has television.
4. If you construct your Conex storage correctly the only thing they'd see when they open the doors is boxes of bolts or pieces of lumber or something else they won't want. Place the good stuff in behind and then fill the first four feet floor to ceiling with stuff they won't want. Better you dig stuff out than lose it all.
5. Who's to say they won't track you down if you leave or you run into them on the way out of Dodge?

Set up some perimeter security like we've talked about in the past then slink away if something happens. Have a place where you can keep an eye on the cabin. Chances are they would only be looking for something they could quickly make use of (food, guns, ammo, etc) then they would be gone. No point in living in the freezing rain for months if you can go back home and stay warm and well fed.

[Sarge47]

To answer your original question, NO! I wouldn't have any problem at all burning your place to the ground and walking away!....:sneaky2:....:whistling:

Anywho, like Rick says. Besides, the doorless outhouse would probably scare them off, if that doesn't work answer the door in a hong.....:innocent:

[Ken]

Because I know where my skills exist......

And they do exist. Rep sent.

[SARKY]

I guess I'm the one who will have to ask this...... Why don't you have it cached in several places for you to evade to? By caching you have a buffer backup if things really go bad. Just a thought.

[rancher]

If I was 100% confident in my skills and abilities to survive, and I lived in a region where outdoor survival/food procurement/etc was available year-round, then... still probably no. But maybe.

As it is, I have neither the knowledge nor skill set, and with winters as brutal as they are up here, leaving home is basically a death sentence anyway without a gigantic slice of luck. Then there are the two little kids...

Just curious, what would be the trigger to say 'now is the time to burn and run' rather than 'maybe I can get through this'?

[Sourdough]

I guess I'm the one who will have to ask this...... Why don't you have it cached in several places for you to evade to? By caching you have a buffer backup if things really go bad. Just a thought.


This is exactly what allows me to burn everything to the ground.

[Rick]

I might add when they take one look at 10,000 cans of sardines and 1000 cases of Sailor Boy Crackers they are going to back away slowly. That's waaaaay too hardcore for city thugs.

[Sourdough]

Just curious, what would be the trigger to say 'now is the time to burn and run' rather than 'maybe I can get through this'?



The trigger would be, as soon as the BEGGERS for food, and the thieving started to get aggressive.

[welderguy]

The trigger would be, as soon as the BEGGERS for food, and the thieving started to get aggressive.

I understand the thought behind that statement, but what if You experienced a violent encounter at the breaking news of the SHTF , burnt everything to the ground and 4 months later everything is back to normal. wouldn't caching most of your supplies and all your weapons ammo, and just leaving the place standing , in case things return to normal in short order. I'm thinking a looted house is better than a pile of ashes.

[Ken]

The trigger would be, as soon as the BEGGERS for food, and the thieving started to get aggressive.

Aggressive thieves? Well, if you feel you have no choice but to leave, go ahead and do it, just don't burn the place down. Be thoughtful enough to leave something behind for those people. Booby traps.

[SLVRBK]

I haven't put a whole lot of thought into this............

My answer is no and here is why:

1) If you want to come to my cabin there is one way in and out.
2) I will also be there with more than one family member..... strength in numbers.
3) I am familiar with the area and terrain.
4) I have already left the safety of my house. Where am I going to go with two young children that is safer than my fortified cabin? I wouldn't want to constantly be on the run. (just thinking out loud here)
5) My soul purpose in life is to protect my family and I would go to any extreme measures to do so. My cabin would be Custer's Last Stand...... but in Texas.

My situation is different because I have children and I would rather die together fighting for our freedom than be on the run. My 10 year old and wife are phenomenal shots so I already have a well armed "militia". ;)

[hunter63]

I could, but wouldn't want to........
I guess I don't see the point.....unless it's a "if I can't hold it, ain't none of you SOB's are getting ship.....frame of mind".

Assets being deployed seems to be the wisest course of action....fall back and wait them or IT out.

It's about options.

But that is just me.

[Rick]

At SLVBCK: Just remember that someone might just get there ahead of you and then all those points might be reasons they would be able to hold onto it.

[Sourdough]

I understand the thought behind that statement, but what if You experienced a violent encounter at the breaking news of the SHTF , burnt everything to the ground and 4 months later everything is back to normal. wouldn't caching most of your supplies and all your weapons ammo, and just leaving the place standing , in case things return to normal in short order. I'm thinking a looted house is better than a pile of ashes.

Well, I would only destroy the homestead, if I felt I could NOT hold the homestead, after several threats. To me it is somewhat like feeding the bears.........it is all fine till you stop feeding them. I would expect the same from humans.

I have run drills on holding this place.......and drills on re-taking this place. It is hundreds of times safer to re-capture this place, then to attempt to hold it. The other thing is, that the "Moral" issue is clearer, in the re-capture.

[welderguy]

Well, I would only destroy the homestead, if I felt I could NOT hold the homestead, after several threats. To me it is somewhat like feeding the bears.........it is all fine till you stop feeding them. I would expect the same from humans.

I have run drills on holding this place.......and drills on re-taking this place. It is hundreds of times safer to re-capture this place, then to attempt to hold it. The other thing is, that the "Moral" issue is clearer, in the re-capture.
That makes good sense, I see your point.

[BENESSE]

Back to the original OP.
I would only blow up the place if the scumbags were in it already. (it would of course have to be rigged up and set off remotely) Otherwise why waste it? You're already out...you might come back.

On the other hand...
I remember you liking New Zealand. How about just going for an extended visit and having the time of your life instead of worrying about all this stuff. Seriously...when you weigh it all up, is this how you wanna go?
We choose how we want to live, but shouldn't we also choose (actively) how we want to check out?

[Power Giant]

Could you burn your retreat/homestead/compound/cabin/etc. to the ground including all the survival food/ammo/arms/etc. and just hike away.....???


More and more this is becoming my survival plan. It makes me want to puke...........but in my heart I know it is the best action.


Absolutely. All material possessions can be replaced.

[welderguy]

Back to the original OP.
I would only blow up the place if the scumbags were in it already. (it would of course have to be rigged up and set off remotely) Otherwise why waste it? You're already out...you might come back.

On the other hand...
I remember you liking New Zealand. How about just going for an extended visit and having the time of your life instead of worrying about all this stuff. Seriously...when you weigh it all up, is this how you wanna go?
We choose how we want to live, but shouldn't we also choose (actively) how we want to check out?

In that case I choose a heart attack at the age of 101 while in bed with a couple 18 year olds.

[Ken]

In that case I choose a heart attack at the age of 101 while in bed with a couple 18 year olds.

Nope. I've had this one planned for years: Mid-air explosion at the age of 98 when I'm piloting my Lear Jet back from a scuba diving vacation at my Caribbean beach house with my 22 year old girlfriend. :blush:

And you, Welderguy? 18 YEAR OLDS??? You crib robber! :angry:

[BENESSE]

Nope. I've had this one planned for years: Mid-air explosion at the age of 98 when I'm piloting my Lear Jet back from a scuba diving vacation at my Caribbean beach house with my 22 year old girlfriend. :blush:


Still the same dream, huh?
I thought you were gonna work in chocking on a bacon sammich...wait, that was 2D.

[greatgoogamooga]

The trigger would be, as soon as the BEGGERS for food, and the thieving started to get aggressive.

I don't know what it would take for me to turn beggars away. Thugs, not a problem. But someone who is desperate and ASKS, I dont' know if I could be cold enough to turn them away. Now there's always the option of inviting them in and eating them...

Goog

[welderguy]

Nope. I've had this one planned for years: Mid-air explosion at the age of 98 when I'm piloting my Lear Jet back from a scuba diving vacation at my Caribbean beach house with my 22 year old girlfriend. :blush:

And you, Welderguy? 18 YEAR OLDS??? You crib robber! :angry:

Yep Im gonna go out with a bang. or a gasp and a wheeze!

[Rick]

All material possessions can be replaced.

Not at -40F with 114 inches of snow on the ground.

[hunter63]

Not at -40F with 114 inches of snow on the ground. [/COLOR]

You would have a 4 season tent cached of course, right?

[finallyME]

Well, I would only destroy the homestead, if I felt I could NOT hold the homestead, after several threats. To me it is somewhat like feeding the bears.........it is all fine till you stop feeding them. I would expect the same from humans.

I have run drills on holding this place.......and drills on re-taking this place. It is hundreds of times safer to re-capture this place, then to attempt to hold it. The other thing is, that the "Moral" issue is clearer, in the re-capture.

I think destroying it would be a bad idea. Especially since you already are planning on retaking it. I am pretty sure there won't be a LOT of people coming to your cabin to loot. You are just too far remote. Besides, nature would probably kill them before they got there. The only population that would want to would be local Alaskans living in the city. In SHTF, most of those will die of quickly, reducing the small population even smaller. No one in the lower 48 would want to travel to Alaska, the winter would kill them all off, especially when they would have more opportunity to steal from people's cabins in Texas.

[Rick]

I know one that won't heading his way.

[Wildthang]

Get a hong like Ricks and get a mohawke hair cut. When the come to your place, run out the front door singing the green anaconda song as loud as you can, and they will leave as quickly as they came!

[MaveRick]

I'm already trying to sell my house and get out of here because this city is in a real preppers nightmare zone. The government is becoming more and more aggressive about taking away the rights of citizens and taxing them into a virtual slavery. The gun grabbing laws are threatening to spark a very real war between a tyrannical "government" and the people. If the government wants to seize my property then I will load everything into my BOCV and leave them with nothing but a pile of ashes. If they take this place intact they will just turn it into more housing for the welfare leeches, drug dealers and street gangs that infest this city.

My house only sits on 1/3 acre and it is hilly, rocky and heavily shaded so it is a struggle trying to grow any vegetables. The vegetables plants I have tried to grow in the shade are so weak that they are quickly killed by mold, blight or insects. The zoning laws forbid raising livestock even if I did have a larger lot. It isn't even worth spending the thousands of dollars needed to remove the trees to try to have a vegetable garden on such small hilly and rocky piece of land. Hopefully I can sell the house to some city lover before things do get really bad here.

There are many situations that would require a temporary BO but some like a pandemic, EMP or financial collapse could take months or years to recover. Even then you could be returning to your home only to be forced into slavery under a brutal dictator. Wouldn't it make more sense to burn the place and deprive them of any possible assets?

Of course if anyone does have a homestead or retreat that is self-sufficient then they should do everything they can to stay and defend it. If I was in this situation I would be looking for a few other preppers that would be willing to relocate and work with me for our mutual defense and survival.