The Safest Areas in America: An Expanded Western Relocation Zone
Joel M. Skousen
May 9th, 2014
SHTFPlan.com
This article has been contributed by the Strategic Relocation Blog
I have often been asked to comment on Jim Rawles’ concept of the Redoubt for survival relocation. Rawles’ criteria of distance from population threats, defendability, and agricultural suitability focus upon a fairly limited area of the Western US, centered around Idaho, and includes Western Montana and parts of Eastern Washington and Oregon. In reality, it’s a fine area and certainly matches my core recommendations in Strategic Relocation for security, safety and livability, but it may be too limiting for most people.
However, having consulted with people and designed high security residences for the last 40 years around North America, I realize all too well that most people have financial, distance from family, weather and other personal limitations that simply won’t allow for relocation to an area so far north and remote from their needs as the Redoubt. Some people, for example, need access to an international airport hub, which doesn’t exist in the Redoubt. Others need a drier, sunnier climate for health reasons or even more solar potential. Others simply need something closer to the metro area that have to remain in due to job or family reasons.
The map in Figure 1 below represents what I would recommend as an Expanded Secure Relocation Area. I don’t use the term “redoubt” because of its military defense implications. Even though I believe in defensibility at the retreat level I don’t like to infer that some broader military resistance strategy is possible for most people. For individual families I prefer less confrontational strategies of blending in, or getting out of the way, or concealment as the best form of defense for most people.
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