One of the biggest issues that comes with an emergency, is having a place to go. Not many of us can afford to purchase a cabin in the woods, as much as we want to. That leaves us with no place to go as a survival retreat. One idea is to purchase some property with a shelter already on it. The real trick is making this kind of thing affordable, and that requires thinking outside the box.
So what would we need? To keep it somewhat simple, we’ll need some sort of a semi-permanent shelter built on land we own or have the right to use. It would also be ideal to have the shelter located somewhere that people won’t find. You don’t want anyone breaking in. Another thing you’ll have to consider is resources. It would definitely be good to have a stream near the retreat, but land with water on it is not cheap. So we’ll need another way of coming up with water, whether it be trucking it in, drilling a well, or even using rainwater capture.
Land
Buying land is expensive, but there are always exceptions. Before buying anything, check with friends and family to see if they have land that you could put your survival retreat on. You could suggest putting together a survival team, you’ll need each other.
But if you can’t use someone else’s land, you’ll need to purchase some. Look for something called “junk land.” Junk land is land that is not usable for any commercial or agricultural purpose. And because of that, it is not worth much. These chunks of land are probably in the middle of nowhere and usually come without electric, phone, and water. But it can usually be purchased for less than $1,000 per acre. You can find some on the internet, there are tons of websites that specialize in listing junk land for sale. You could also advertise for it in your local paper.
The Shelter
There are many pictures of various cabins made from scrap or salvaged materials. While that may be incredibly cheap, it would take a lot of work to build it. Another option is movable and temporary, like a yurt. But making one of those is also a lot of work. The easiest way to accomplish a survival retreat that is movable, comfortable, and not a whole lot of work, is to get a travel trailer. Travel trailers can cost as little as $1,000 or $2,000. Of course some of those are older but they make for nice shelter. Another thing about travel trailers is that they are already furnished and they are self-contained.
Finishing the Shelter
A travel trailer won’t actually be enough, but it’s a start. First thing you should do is figure out water collection and storage. For sewage, you could build a very simplistic septic system. For electricity, you’d have to instal solar panels or a wind turbine. You can build both of these things, cheaper than you can buy them. Last thing you should do is add some storage and stockpile it with equipment and supplies. All in all, this sort of survival retreat should be fairly cheap.