JWR’s Introductory Note: The following is an update and expansion to an early post that I made in SurvivalBlog back in December, 2005. It is part of a series of SurvivalBlog 20th Anniversary update re-posts, in recognition of the fact that the majority of readers did not join us until recent years.
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I often have SurvivalBlog readers and consulting clients ask me about the “ideal” terrain for a rural survival retreat house. I must report that there is no single “best” answer because there are significant trade-offs related to terrain. Castles were situated on hilltops for centuries, for obvious reasons: Enemies had to fight uphill Defenders were able to see approaching armies from a long distance. They were also able to exploit the potential energy of stored boulders and other heavy objects. However, in the context of a modern survival retreat, a commanding position makes hilltop structures hard to miss.
The goals of privacy and advantageous fields of fire are often mutually exclusive. Likewise, a hilltop position and a spring water supply are also mutually exclusive in all but the rarest of cases. (A hillock with an artesian well is geologically possible, but extremely rare. And even one with a shallow well is very uncommon.)
I did some consulting for one retreat owner in the Inland Northwest who owns a small secluded side canyon that adjoins a fairly major river. From nearly all of this 120 acre parcel there is no line of sight to neighboring ranch houses. It is a landlocked parcel–you must transit through a half mile of a neighboring ranch before reaching to the highway. There is only one viable road approach to the property. With dense timber in the canyon, the access road is a long series of potential ambush sites for defense. The canyon is narrow enough that if the road were blocked–(by a D6 Caterpillar tractor and/or fallen trees, for instance)–there would be no way to get vehicles in there. Just one well-positioned listening post/observation post (LP/OP) would provide plenty of warning time under most circumstances. In my opinion, if a particular group of looters is stealthy enough to approach without being noticed by a 24-hour LP/OP and seismic intrusion detection sensors, then they would be a formidable test to any retreat’s security, regardless of terrain advantages or disadvantages.
Being down in a canyon also has an advantage for noise and light discipline. When everyone for miles has no power, and you still do, (because you planned ahead and put in a PV, wind power, and/or microhydro power system), those lights can be a “come loot me” beacon. Sitting on high ground further magnifies the effect. I should mention that blackout blinds and other countermeasures are mentioned in my first novel, Patriots, and in several of my nonfiction books. Further, a retreat on commanding high ground is a lot more likely to be spotted by looters making a “sweep” through an area than one that is nestled down in a tree-filled canyon.
The major drawback–as is often mentioned–is the inherent disadvantage of being on low ground versus high ground. In general, I agree that it is best to opt for a piece of high ground with open fields of fire. In this particular instance, however, I supported the decision on where to build the house. The owner realizes that his decision will necessitate posting more security (including Dakota Alerts and a seismic intrusion detection system) to allow more warning time for anyone approaching on foot. The worst case would be a large group approaching on foot by an unlikely route (i.e. not on the road), at night. Under circumstances like that, it would take a very hard home, indeed, to keep the bad guys from coming in the door. – JWR
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