Setting up the Ideal homestead or retreat small community for even tougher times

[Tirediron]

Do the math, on a rotational job you actually get to spend a lot more time with your family. Six months vacation a year. I had employees that lived in Thailand, Philippines, Florida, California etc. These jobs allowed people the income to live anywhere they wanted to. And have whatever lifestyle they chose.

I know the math, and when you need to be there you need to be there, not at the end of your hitch, I was home every night, and made as much as the rotational worker, but you will argue your way is best.

 

[Mountain trapper]

Last summer I let a young family camp on our property for a few days. Then a few months ago the man called me up and asked if I'd teach him about raising cattle. He wants to buy a few head and would like to run them with our cattle. I said that would be fine. He has about 10 acres a hundred miles or so south of here and it's pretty much all desert. 10 acres down there might feed a cow for a couple months. I'll give him a call tonight and see if he's still interested.
I think I'm going to look at that 400 acre parcel that I mentioned above. I might try making a deal with someone where I'll make the down payment and they make the monthly payments. It could be a good deal for the right family.

 

[Alaskajohn]

Do the math, on a rotational job you actually get to spend a lot more time with your family. Six months vacation a year. I had employees that lived in Thailand, Philippines, Florida, California etc. These jobs allowed people the income to live anywhere they wanted to. And have whatever lifestyle they chose.

A good number of the people who live in the Alaska Mat-Su area are what we call “slopers.” Slopers work for the oil related industries on the north slope (Prudhoe Bay, etc). Work can range from electrical, machine operator, plumbing, HVAC, laborer, etc. They typically work 2 weeks on/two weeks off, or 3 weeks on/three weeks off rotations. Plenty of free time with family, to build cabins, etc. If you can manage working on the north slope where it’s dark and very cold during the winters, you can make a great living and enjoy life. These are all almost all union jobs, so benefits are superb.

I saw a report a few weeks ago presented on this legislative session that the average annual wage for slopers living in the Mat-Su in 2023 was $119,000. Since that average includes a lot of lower skilled laborers, highly skilled laborers are bringing in much more than average.

 

[Mountain trapper]

I know the math, and when you need to be there you need to be there, not at the end of your hitch, I was home every night, and made as much as the rotational worker, but you will argue your way is best.

I don't care what people do. And I'm not arguing anything.

 

[Hardcalibres]

Do the math, on a rotational job you actually get to spend a lot more time with your family. Six months vacation a year. I had employees that lived in Thailand, Philippines, Florida, California etc. These jobs allowed people the income to live anywhere they wanted to. And have whatever lifestyle they chose.

A lot of dads with 9 to 5 jobs are profoundly disconnected from their kids.

It has become popular (especially in the media) to blame work rosters.....when in reality it is about the people involved.

It is part of the common trend of blaming stuff or things rather than the people.

 

[Mountain trapper]

A good number of the people who live in the Alaska Mat-Su area are what we call “slopers.” Slopers work for the oil related industries on the north slope (Prudhoe Bay, etc). Work can range from electrical, machine operator, plumbing, HVAC, laborer, etc. They typically work 2 weeks on/two weeks off, or 3 weeks on/three weeks off rotations. Plenty of free time with family, to build cabins, etc. If you can manage working on the north slope where it’s dark and very cold during the winters, you can make a great living and enjoy life. These are all almost all union jobs, so benefits are superb.

I saw a report a few weeks ago presented on this legislative session that the average annual wage for slopers living in the Mat-Su in 2023 was $119,000. Since that average includes a lot of lower skilled laborers, highly skilled laborers are bringing in much more than average.

I can't remember now, either the EOA was union or the WOA was. But one side of the field was union and the other side wasn't. That was when BP was the operator. I don't know about Hill Corp. Many of my mechanics and welders were making $150,000+ per 6 months work. After that I went to North Dakota and set up operations. The pay was roughly the same.

 

[elkhound]

In truth a highly skilled and adaptable person will adapt and figure out how to survive in far less than perfect conditions.The garden of eden doesnt excist anymore and everything is less than perfect..even the best places.

Also what if you are not a great survivalist but skilled in certain portions of survival.Can you make that work for you as well. You know the type person that doesnt know everything but has xyz skills down pat.

Adapting is a survival skill and just might be more important than what was a serious survival skill in our past lives up this point.

 

[Tirediron]

Last summer I let a young family camp on our property for a few days. Then a few months ago the man called me up and asked if I'd teach him about raising cattle. He wants to buy a few head and would like to run them with our cattle. I said that would be fine. He has about 10 acres a hundred miles or so south of here and it's pretty much all desert. 10 acres down there might feed a cow for a couple months. I'll give him a call tonight and see if he's still interested.
I think I'm going to look at that 400 acre parcel that I mentioned above. I might try making a deal with someone where I'll make the down payment and they make the monthly payments. It could be a good deal for the right family.

If you can swing that it would prolly work out well for everyone involved, you get the right people with real interest, and it should work well. you have lots of experience in dealing with people so it could be the answer.I think often times the lack of a blood bond is better in some cases.

 

[Neb]

If you can swing that it would prolly work out well for everyone involved, you get the right people with real interest, and it should work well. you have lots of experience in dealing with people so it could be the answer.I think often times the lack of a blood bond is better in some cases.

"Better a neighbor neatby than a brother far away."

Ben

 

[LadyLocust]

for a start any sort of homestead or rural community would be very different in the UK than it would in the US, the UK being smaller than the US, an Island vs a Continent.
however during WW2 British people kept Rabbits and Chickens to supplement their rations, and that is the point, in Britain post collapse we will be keeping smaller animals, not everyone will be keeping cattle and even if they did we could keep Dexter cattle which are a smaller breed and good for both milk and meat. personally with only me and the wife cattle would be the last thing on my list.
as for growing food its more about successive sowings than actual quantity as I know from my own veg growing, and storing the grown food for winter use, its about food production for our own use rather than any kind of financial reward.

Have you ever read “The Handkerchief Garden?” It’s an old book from UK and he talks about that very thing- successive planting and what does well during what time of year. He was also on a small “lot.” I mentioned it here somewhere many moons ago but couldn’t tell you where. I have sticky notes in several sections with notes (I don’t write in books).

 

[Sourdough]

While Rawles rightfully gets the credit for dubbing and promoting the American Redoubt movement, he was a student of Mel Tappin, who promoted the idea of intentional survivalist/prepper communities in deep rural America.

What they understood & fiercely advocated, was it was 100% on the reader to do what was necessary.

Sadly, that ended in late 79'. It then shifted to "do your own thing". The advertisers stole the prepping movement and said, "what you need is to purchase things, especially the prepping stuff they sold".

 

[Hardcalibres]

What they understood & fiercely advocated, was it was 100% on the reader to do what was necessary.

Sadly, that ended in late 79'. It then shifted to "do your own thing". The advertisers stole the prepping movement and said, "what you need is to purchase things, especially the prepping stuff they sold".

In a very real way, Rawles blew the collective OPSEC of that Redoubt movement......by writing books about it.......to make money.

Since that area is now overcrowded, and in hindsight, perhaps the others in that movement should have paid him to keep his mouth shut (LOL).

He also had some strange ideas about charity. He wrote about putting together packages of gear to give to passing refugees at his front gate......which most of us would consider suicidally dangerous.

No one is perfect I suppose......

 

[Neb]

...

He also had some strange ideas about charity. He wrote about putting together packages of gear to give to passing refugees at his front gate......which most of us would consider suicidally dangerous.

No one is perfect I suppose......

Our thought exactly!

Attitudes change when bellies are full.

Stock up on beans and rice is our thought.

Ben

 

[montanabill]

What they understood & fiercely advocated, was it was 100% on the reader to do what was necessary.

Sadly, that ended in late 79'. It then shifted to "do your own thing". The advertisers stole the prepping movement and said, "what you need is to purchase things, especially the prepping stuff they sold".

I recall pouring over the monthly copies of American Survival Guide.....Before the internet...I even contacted someone thru the classified as I was even then looking for other people to form a survival community... He showed up clinically obese and a diabetic..

 

[Tirediron]

I am still not sure about the golden horde idea, most people will just stay in their comfort zone until things get desperate, maybe?

 

[montanabill]

I am still not sure about the golden horde idea, most people will just stay in their comfort zone until things get desperate, maybe?

Hopefully that is the way things might go down... This is the reason I like living 4 to 5 hundred miles from major cities.. If they stay put or cruise around looking for twinkies they will use up their gas and be stuck..
If it is hard to form any kind of group for preppers I can only imagine what a group of under prepared people desperate for food and water would face trying to organize.

 

[Sourdough]

It would massively piss-off Many. Including many on this forum.

Yet, while I will likely always remain in opposition to "prepping-survival" groups....... (especially those formed after the SHTF).

Both smart and enduring move is to form groups comprised of currently advanced/experienced prepper/survivalists.

Those with little or zero to offer, despite the terror of wanting-to be-saved will result in death for all. There will come (soon) a time to "ultra" harden your heart.

And abandon those who cry for help. Yes, it will rip your heart out, but being dragged down by wolves, helps only the wolves.

You can "NOT" contribute to the eventual reconstruction, if your Dead.