Dirt-Cheap Survival Retreat: One Man's Solution [Paperback]

M.D. Creekmore (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2011

The standard survival retreat advice has always been to find a remote place in Idaho or Montana, with at least 20 acres, a 2,000-square-foot log cabin and a bunker underneath, a barn, pastureland, and a stream running through the property. But how many of us can afford such a spread without a crippling mortgage? If you can't make the hefty payments on your survival retreat, the bankers will evict you, leaving you worse off than those who failed to prepare in the first place.

M.D. Creekmore's motivation for finding a low-cost retreat was the need to live on a lot less money after he lost his job and got divorced. He started living in a travel trailer, parked on two acres he'd bought a few years back to use as a campsite and bug-out location, never dreaming he'd be living there full time. But he has called his trailer home for the past four years and says that "for the first time in my life, I'm actually content."

Living off the grid in a travel trailer isn't for everyone. But if you are looking for a way to own a debt-free home—and enjoy the security that comes with it—here's the author's dirt-cheap plan for finding suitable land; buying a used trailer; securing it against the elements and intruders; providing alternative power sources; dealing with water and waste issues; maximizing your space; and establishing a workable storage system for food, water, medicine, tools, and other equipment. The good news is that the author has done the hard part for you.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

M.D. Creekmore is one of America's foremost experts on survival, emergency preparedness, and self-reliance. He has dedicated his life to learning the skills needed to stay alive in an increasingly dangerous world. Since its inception in 2007, his blog ( www.thesurvivalistblog.net ) has grown into one of the most popular preparedness sites on the Web. A few years ago, he got sick of being another rat in the rat race, so he bought two acres of land off the grid for $2,000 and parked a 26-foot travel trailer on it—this is now his full-time home and survival retreat. He is a black belt in Shotokan karate, gunsmith, survivalist, homesteader, and all-around nice guy.

Product Details

• Paperback: 88 pages
• Publisher: Paladin Press (March 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581607474
• ISBN-13: 978-1581607475
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (105 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,556 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #45 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Hiking & Camping > Instructional

More About the Author

MD Creekmore, is a full-time survival author, blog writer, emergency preparedness consultant and author of "31 Days to Survival" and "The Dirt Cheap Survival Retreat" both published by Paladin Press. His free survival blog site "TheSurvivalistBlog.Net" has more than 3,500 articles published on a multitude of survival and self-reliance topics.

Over the years he has studied all facets of survivalism learning what works and, more importantly, what does not work! His goal is to show you how to prepare using his vast resources and personal experience with helpful survival tips, guides and checklists - focusing on prepping with a very modest budget.

You may find other preparedness sites giving the impression that you need fancy Freeze Dried Foods, a massive gun collection, a Hummer equipped with a gun turret and a 50 acre retreat secluded in some remote mountain top of Idaho. Although this may seem attractive on some level, it is not possible for the average Joe & Jane plus, nothing could be further from the truth!

It is M.D. Creekmore's firm belief and conviction, backed with life experience that you can be practical, live efficiently well within your means and take positive, incremental steps towards preparedness success - all with minimal finances. Let M.D. Creekmore show you how you can do it...

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

153 of 155 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Dirt-Cheap Survival Retreat-Yes It Is! May 2, 2011

By Wretha Smith

Format:Paperback

There are people who have seemingly unlimited funds to purchase whatever goodies they want. This book is not written for them, though they could glean some great ideas from this book. It's really written for the rest of us, those who have limited incomes but still want to go off grid and live comfortably*.

Creekmore writes with a very down to earth style. He gets right to the point. He didn't fill this book with fluff -- this book is written from experience -- he actually lives the life and walks the walk. I live 100% off grid, and have done everything on the cheap, I've lived this way since Dec '07, I can tell you that this book has some useful ideas and info. You can learn more about me and my off grid life by viewing my Amazon.com profile.

This book covers most all of the bases, I say most only because there is always something that could be added no matter how complete a book might be. You will learn about buying land cheaply, how to get shelter, how to power your place, this is something that can get expensive, but Creekmore tells you how to do it on the cheap. He also tells you how to deal with waste and sanitation, about security, food, water and more.

This isn't about being a hermit living in a cave, wearing skins and eating worms, Creekmore does use modern technology, lights, radio, computer... he just does it smarter, and he is sharing this info with the rest of the world in this book, hopefully so that the reader will have a head start on what to do and what not to do.

The part that I found very interesting is the security section, a couple of the ideas are the kind that make you slap yourself in the head and say "Why didn't I think of that???" I also like the section on how to find cheap land. Without that, you probably will not be able to even get started living anywhere on the cheap.

Whether you already own raw land and just want to know how to get started living cheaply, or you are just thinking about doing this, I highly recommend this book. Thanks Creekmore for sharing your life and experiences with the rest of us.

*Comfort is in the eye of the beholder, I'm not talking posh with all the latest bells and whistles, I'm talking about living on your own land, with shelter, food, water, sanitation, electricity and electronics, the basics that are needed and wanted to live "comfortably".

75 of 81 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Good ideas, no details, very short June 7, 2011

By sprkymrk

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

As the title says, this book is good for giving a person a few general ideas. I applaud the author for what he has accomplished on a limited income. However, there are very few details in the book (it's not a step-by-step "How To" book so much as an "idea" book). It's also a LOT smaller/shorter than I thought it would be. I literally finished the book in a couple hours of light reading. It's probably got about the same amount of content as a monthly magazine without ads.

71 of 78 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Retreats for the rest of us March 11, 2011

By Ellen Adams

Format:Paperback

M.D. writes for the majority of us who will never own the "ultimate survival retreat", but who want to be either more self sufficient or better prepared for hard times. He makes it sound almost easy, too.

Well worth the price of admission.