Where Should I Live?

Where should I live? Homesteading, Survival and Bug Out Locations.

First, there is no one right place to live. Everyone has different needs and values to consider when choosing a location to put down roots. Many people never move, they live where they are born and that is great. In the U.S., however, many people choose to move around for many reasons; finances, employment, schools, family ect. For those of you that are looking to move in the near future, this guide will help you make some decisions about where to live or at the very least get you thinking about what to consider before making the leap.

There are many factors to consider before moving, we will go over each one individually (in no particular order) with maps and statistics, then combine the most important factors and try to come up with the best locations overall.

1. What country should I live in?

This is a complex question and I am only going to touch on it briefly. It's a wonderful world out there, but not all countries are the same. Lets just say, I would avoid countries with instability, war zones, religious hot beds, high risk of natural disasters, overpopulated, or high disease and crime rates. For the sake of this guide, I will only be examining the U.S. and Canada.

2. Extreme disasters (Infrequent)

For the sake of this list I will not discuss, end of the world events, because lets face it, if it's the end of the world I just want a good spot to watch from and where I live won't really matter if it's all over for us all. However, in the U.S. there are two major threats that would mean danger for many people. 1. The Yellowstone super-volcano http://survivalpreppers.blogspot.com/2012/07/yellowstone-caldera-to-erupt.html and 2. the New Madrid earthquake zone. Each disaster has happened in the past and both are predicted to happen again based on historical recurrences. The impact zones are shown on the map.

3. Natural Disasters (frequent)

A. Flooding - Most of the U.S. lives near water for obvious reasons, unfortunately this means flooding. Sometimes caused by storms, sometimes, winter thaw. This FEMA map shows states prone to frequent flood damage. Be sure to check a particular area for more accurate information. Be aware of local flood planes, 100 year flood planes and rainfall expectations in your area.









B. Drought/Extreme Heat - Global weather patterns, natural topography, jet-stream, ocean currents can all affect climate, including rainfall and drought. Many areas are dry year after year, but any area can experience a drought. The NOAA frequently releases drought reports that look like this typical map.

C. Fire - Wildfires often follow the trends of drought and extreme heat. Many dry areas are susceptible for frequently than others.

D. Storms/Hail/Lightning

E. Landslides/Mudslides/Avalanche

F. Blizzard/Extreme Cold

G. Hurricane - Tropical storms formed over the Atlantic Ocean can become more powerful and turn into a hurricane hitting mainland along the East Coast. Any area along the East Coast is susceptible, however Florida, Lousiana and Texas are hit more frequently.

H. Tornado - Caused by cold air currents from the north along the Rockey Mtns. meeting up with warm air flow from the Gulf of Mexico, tornadoes are found frequently in the area known as Tornado Alley and move East with weather patterns.

I. Earthquake- This USGS map shows fault lines, areas where earthquakes are typical produced.

J. Volcano - Caused by tectonic plate movement, volcano eruptions are mostly rare in North America. The ring of fire area being the most susceptible. Of course, areas east of a volcano eruption can be affected by smoke and ash, depending on weather patterns.

K. Tsunami - Caused by earthquakes under or on the ocean floor, tsunamis occur typically along the ring of fire region. Damage is often located up to 25 miles of the coastal areas. While the west coast is largely susceptible, the east coast is also at risk.

L. Epidemics - Disease and epidemics are spread fastest among highly populated areas, but can often originate from rural farm areas or out of the country.

4. Man made Disasters

A. Nuclear Power (meltdown/leaks/spills) - The U.S. decided to move many of its nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain in Nevada, this map shows Nuclear Power Plants, Routes of waste removal and Nuclear missile sites.

B. Dam Breaks

C. Infrustructure

5. Water

 6. Climate/Weather/Growing season - http://www.bonap.org/Climate%20Maps/ClimateMaps.html

7. Crime

8. Population

9. Taxes/Cost of land

10. Political Affiliation

11. Unemployment

12. Pollution

Analysis:

Disaster Map

So, where should I live?
 Vancouver
 Toronto
 Washington
 Oregon
 Wisconsin
 Vermont
 New Hampshire
 Maine
 Colorado
 Utah
 Virgina
 Ohio
 Pennsylvania
 N. Carolina
 Georgia
 Michigan

Least appealing:
Oklahoma
Kansas
Louisiana
Florida
Nevada
Los Angles 

http://moving.about.com/od/BestPlacestoLive/a/Best-Places-To-Live.htm
http://www.survivalblog.com/retreatareas.html




  There is a lot of information to put together here. Hope this helps.

Sources:
Risks & hazards - A State by State Guide - FEMA196
USGS
NOAA

Star Wars: How to Survive on Hoth

Star Wars: How to Survive on Hoth

Welcome to the Survival Preppers winter edition. Within, you will find tips on how you and your Taun Taun can make it from Echo base to the first marker, how to use your Taun Taun for shelter, and how to fend off a Wampa attack.

Here on the ice planet Hoth, the sixth planet of the Hoth system, it is a dry cold, meaning that the average daily temperature is 14 degrees and there is no thaw. Of course, with wind chill it feels well below zero. Besides hiding from the Empire, ducking probe droids, and watching for Wampa attacks your biggest threats are frostbite and hypothermia. 

Frostbite is when your skin cells are killed off by ice crystals and is marked by changed in skin color red to black. Severe frostbite can kill off muscle and bone causing amputation, loss of hands, feet, ears or nose. Frostbite can be avoided by making sure your clothing doesn't restrict your blood flow, putting your hands over your ears and hands under your arms and getting yourself into shelter. Avoid rubbing and submerging into water that is too hot.

Hypothermia is when your core body heat drops because you are losing more body heat than you can produce. Symptoms include disorientation, talking about Dagobah and/or Obi Wan, slow pulse, and shivering. Seek layers, shelter and medical treatment as soon as possible. Avoid becoming wet or wearing wet clothing. Stay calm, your medical droid will put you inside a warm bath to speed your recovery.

On Hoth you will need shelter to protect you from the cold. If you are lucky enough to have a Taun Taun you may need to cut open his stomach for shelter from the cold. It might smell bad, but it'll keep you wam. Of course, you'll want to have a light saber handy for easy cutting. If not, snow is a good insulator. You will want to dig a trench or find shelter beneath a tree that has a snow bank, and build a wind break. Avoid building near water or areas that may be in risk of avalanche. Be sure to insulate the ground with tree debris, pine needles ect. If no snow is available, build a debris hut using the trees around you. Poke holes in the ceiling and never build your fire inside without proper ventilation. Carbon monoxide can be very dangerous.

Hydration is very important everywhere, but you never eat snow. If you have a container put some snow in it and let it warm beneath your layers before drinking, you will still need to filter or boil your water if possible. Otherwise, find fast moving water and filter for sediment. 

Dressing in layers and staying dry are best for keeping warm. Wear water/sweat resistant under layers to protect you from sweat, over that wool is great because it stays warm even when wet, ideally your outer shell should be waterproof and insulated with goose down or similar. Wear nylon socks and layer with wool. Have separate dry clothing to wear at night. And of course, have a good hat. 

After shelter and water are obtained, get that fire going. I am not going into a lot of detail here, but remember that your fire has many survival uses here, including; warmth, boiling your water, drying your clothes, signaling for help ect. ect.  

Wampa

On Hoth you will need to watch out for Wampas. They are a carnivorous snow creature and can attack without notice. They suspend their prey upside down in the icy ceiling of their ice caves until they are ready to eat. You will need to stay calm, remember your training and use the force to recover your light saber, and free yourself. When you visit Hoth it is your responsibility to bring what you will need to survive. Appropriate clothing, a fire start and a quality knife can be essential. 


If you are stuck at Echo base with no power, remember never use your stove or drier as a heat source.

Also, remember to keep a winter kit in your X-wing. Extra clothes, blankets or sleeping bag, a gallon of water, granola bars, first-aid kit, and a fire start. 

The At-At's shields will be too strong for blasters, use harpoons and tow ropes and go for the legs. At all costs you will need to protect the shield generator until the last transport is away.  "May the force be with you."


Star Wars "Empire Strikes Back"
http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/how-to-survive-the-freezing-cold.htm