Answers

A comprehensive plan would probably be:

1. Purchase property
2. Establish utilities (water source, solar power, etc)
3. Start gardens
4. Build shelter
5. Store goods such as medical supplies, clothing, etc.

The last three items are nearly impossible to discuss, one without the other two, as most of us will be planning and implementing all three at the same time. Once you have decided on a piece of land and the inborn sources of power and water, you will then be ready to consider where and how you want to build your personal home shelter. You will also be looking at the lay of the land and what areas are best suited for home, gardens, and your personal storage areas. When considering your home, you will want to spend some time reading, drawing, and talking with others who have built for themselves. There will be many variables and you will want to be sure you have considered as many as possible. In the first place, there are many ways to build a home.

• Do you want a solid foundation or will a rubble trench and/or footings suit your purpose?
• Are you planning to build with wood? straw? bricks and mortar? rammed earth? lodge poles and logs? or some other method?
• Are you going to do all the labor yourself, or are you planning to hire contractors to help you?
• How is the excavation going to be done and who is going to do it?
• What source of power will you use and do you have the knowledge of how to build and/or install the necessary equipment to make full use of the power source you have chosen?
• What kind of recycling system are you going to implement to make full use of your water and power?
• Are you planning to house only people, or is livestock to be a consideration?
• How many out buildings will you need to accommodate your plans?
• Where is the home to be placed, in relation to barns and other out building?
• Where are you planning to store your survival supplies and equipment?

These are all questions that you will want to answer for yourself at the very beginning of your endeavor. You are going to want your garden areas in an easily accessible place.

• What kinds of things are you planning to grow?

If you plan on potatoes and other root crops, you will want to choose an area with more sand, for ease in harvesting. If you plan on planting mostly leafy greens, then the area you choose could have more clay in the soil.

• What areas of the land are most suited to full growth of garden vegetables?
• What kind of irrigation system are you planning to use?
• Will you need additional equipment to implement your irrigation?
• Are there places on your land that would be suitable for drip irrigation and/or overflow watering, or will you have to do a great deal of ground work to make these viable options?
• How easy or hard will it be to control natural pests in the area?

If there are a lot of dear and rabbits, you may find that they will complete your harvest before you had planned. It is a good idea at this point in your planning to include things like a deer fence and gopher purge. Your gardens are to be your survival. You want to make sure that you have covered all topics before your choose the areas for your gardens, so that your labors will result in a wholesome and delicious harvest for you and your family. Your own personal plans for storage of survival goods will help you decide how and where to store those goods. If you want to choose several locations for storage of these things, then consider this at the beginning of your planning.

• Do you want to have a built-in root cellar under the floor of your house?
• Are you planning on storing things in and/or under any of the outbuildings?
• Have you thought of and looked for places that would not be considered ideal storage locations?

Chances are that if you do not consider a specific location to be a good place for storing survival goods, then others who may come to take from you would not, either.

• Are there alternative places on the piece of land to put these goods into holding?

You may want to build a tree-house for your survival storage, or part of it. You may want to dig deep holes and place your own containers in them and then bury them.

• How will you mark these areas?
• Will you have a code within your family for finding the stored items if something should happen to some members of the family?
• Have you looked at and considered all of your viable options?
• Have you made a map of your land?
• Have you included home, gardens, out buildings, storage of survival goods, and areas for livestock and all other necessary equipment?

I hope that these questions will prompt you to think your plans through thoroughly before you begin. that is the best time to know exactly what you want and how you want to do it. Please don't put this off, as the days are ticking by. It is imperative that you begin now to get where you are going and to be prepared for whatever is in store for this planet and her inhabitants!

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