What Do You Do If You Can’t Live Off Grid?
Not everyone can just pack up, buy a cabin in the mountains, and live happily ever after with a few goats and a solar panel. The world as we know it would implode if we all did that. Someone—most of us, in fact—needs to live in and around the industrial centers to keep society afloat and moving forward. So, how do you prepare for disasters if you need to live at or near “ground zero”?
Some of Us Need to Stay Near Urban Centers
The reason we don’t all know how to hunt and forage for our own food, live off the land, or which herbs to use as medicine—the knowledge our primal ancestors had—is because of specialization. Our ancestors lived in smaller communities without the ability to specialize, so it took them forever to gain the knowledge and industrial processes that led to the stuff we have today.
Specialization allows one group of people to focus on food production, another on energy, another on healthcare, and so on. Without the ability to have your time and energy freed up for focused learning and apprenticeship, we couldn’t have medical care, cars, airplanes, or even electricity. Although we have the internet, not everything can be done virtually. All the specialists need to huddle together in and around urban centers so we can learn, work, and provide for ourselves and society at large.
Accepting the Reality of Modern Living and Prepping
We’ve all likely known someone who just said, “To hell with it,” sold their house, bought a 4×4 pickup, a greenhouse kit, and some chickens, and moved to Tennessee. They’re streaming their faces off, trying to be influencers for about a year or so, and then reality sets in. They need a job. Some end up scraping by on their survival farm. Others have to admit defeat and move back to where the work is.
I admit, it’s almost inspiring to see that young couple start out “living the dream” on their survival farm just outside the quaint little town we all dream of being part of. But my reality, like most of you reading this, is quite different. My wife and I have kids, grandkids, jobs, bills, parents getting older—we’re getting older—the need for running water and the internet… the list goes on. We can’t just sell everything and move to the middle of nowhere. Truth is, we don’t really want to either.
Living in a Suburban Survival Retreat
So, what do you do when you can’t forsake humanity and go live off-grid? The way I look at it is, you mitigate as much risk as you can and make plans A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. And you get smart enough to adapt. Seriously, there’s no bulletproof survival plan. There’s just risk mitigation.
A bunker or cabin in the middle of nowhere won’t save you if you get sick, your water gets contaminated, you run out of food, or bandits discover your hideout. Any number of things can turn your doomsday bunker into your apocalypse coffin.
A suburban survival retreat is the best most of us can do. So let’s do that well. Let’s balance functionality with comfort. Let’s spend responsibly. Let’s invest in knowledge as much as we do in bullets and canned food. Let’s identify risks, gather intelligence, establish strategies and tactics to deal with those risks, and continue to improve on our plans.
The Advantages of Suburban Preparedness
While others are spending 16 hours experimenting with churning their own butter, I’m working for 15.5 of those hours earning enough to buy 60 to 70 cans of freeze-dried butter powder consisting of 30,000 to 35,000 servings. Sure, I won’t know how to make butter in the apocalypse, but I also didn’t have to spend 20 years learning all the other things needed to support butter churning, like raising livestock, veterinary skills, farming, etc.
Being able to earn a good income has the advantage of purchasing a lot of supplies while still living a fairly comfortable and normal life. It also leaves more free time to learn the foundations of those skills, as well as a ton of other things. It’s a balance of preparedness and quality of life.
Many of us also need—or at least benefit from—established infrastructure and access to services. We need doctors, dentists, mechanics, schools, and the internet! I’m sure you’ve been told you can have all of these things while living “off-grid.” We’ve all seen those videos and social media posts. But we only see the glamor shots. We don’t see all the hassles: two-hour drives to the grocery store, day-long trips to see a specialist doctor, and internet so slow you have to order DVDs to watch anything.
Having good infrastructure means quicker response for non-apocalyptic events. Ask anyone in a remote area that has been hit by floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, or wildfires. It can take weeks before any help arrives. Sometimes that’s too long to wait. I don’t want to rely on a mule team and ten sherpas to bring my wife to get emergency medical attention after a crisis because the only road to town was washed away. Hard pass.
Yes, There Are Tradeoffs and Challenges
It’s challenging to prepare for major disasters in the suburbs; I admit it. I have a fairly large home compared to the average U.S. house, I’d guess, and it’s still difficult to store and manage all of my supplies without looking like a hoarder. I also have a little less than a half-acre and a pool, so there’s no room for a small farm on my property. I don’t want my house to look like an above-ground battle bunker, and I’m sure my wife and the neighbors agree.
It’s especially hard because I don’t want to advertise that I’m a prepper. I don’t want to be the neighborhood’s backup plan, nor do I want to give off “loot me” vibes. The low-profile or gray man approach doesn’t leave many options for radio antennas, solar panels, outdoor storage, livestock, crops, or barricades.
Navigating Regulations and Homeowner Associations
Thankfully, I found a perfect little suburb where there’s no HOA to contend with. Generally, as much of a pain in the butt as an HOA can be, they do ensure that the neighbors aren’t doing things to their homes which drive down the value of yours. These restrictions also mean you need to add extra effort to making your preparations more concealable. I can probably convince my wife to let me put a tall ham radio antenna on the roof a lot easier than I can convince an HOA. I’m not sure how HOAs deal with solar panels. I’d imagine the climate warriors would be all for it, but those more focused on the aesthetics of the community might take issue, as they do detract from the overall appearance of the home in most cases.
What If You Need to Evacuate?
Let’s face it: sometimes the best-laid plans go awry. Local disasters like wildfires, floods, or civil unrest may force you to evacuate your suburban survival retreat. So, what do you do in that situation?
First, have an evacuation plan. Know multiple routes out of your area, and have a destination in mind—whether it’s a friend’s house in another town or a designated shelter. Keep a “go-bag” ready with essential items: important documents, basic supplies, and anything you can’t afford to leave behind.
Second, stay informed. Invest in a reliable emergency radio and stay tuned to local news and alerts. Knowledge is power, and staying ahead of the situation can give you the critical time you need to act.
Third, build a network. Connect with neighbors and like-minded individuals who share your preparedness mindset. In times of crisis, having a community can provide support, resources, and safety in numbers.
The Likelihood of Being at Ground Zero Is Low
The average person’s home is unlikely to be at “ground zero” of a disaster. Most disasters are localized, and while they can be severe, they don’t typically affect entire regions. By preparing your suburban home, you’re increasing your resilience against the most probable threats.
Preparing a suburban survival retreat has its benefits. You’re leveraging existing infrastructure, maintaining a comfortable lifestyle, and staying connected to essential services. You’re also in a better position to help and receive help from your community.
Embrace Practical Preparedness
In the end, it’s about embracing practical preparedness. You don’t need to live off-grid in a remote location to be ready for whatever comes your way. By making smart choices, investing wisely, and planning ahead, you can create a suburban survival retreat that offers security without sacrificing the conveniences of modern life.
So, if you can’t live off-grid – or if you don’t want to – you can still be prepared. After all, survival isn’t about where you are; it’s about how ready you are.
