Cheap desert land to "bug out" to?

Originally posted by wanderingwaldo
There is always an abundance of food in the desert year-round and plow-free: tumbleweed, cholla, prickly pear, mesquite, agave, amaranth, wild lettuce, mustard, the list goes on and on.

Oh yummy. I think I'll choose end up being shot dead trying to steal someone else's food before I resort to THAT, ha.

Originally posted by Divinorumus

Originally posted by wanderingwaldo
There is always an abundance of food in the desert year-round and plow-free: tumbleweed, cholla, prickly pear, mesquite, agave, amaranth, wild lettuce, mustard, the list goes on and on.

Oh yummy. I think I'll choose end up being shot dead trying to steal someone else's food before I resort to THAT, ha.

It is actually quite yummy, although it takes a while to come up with new recipes. Stealing 100lbs of rice and beans from a starving man sounds a lot less appealing to me.

I currently live in Northern Nevada, the high desert. I have also lived in Arizona, New Mexico, Wyoming and Texas. The skill sets for each of these areas are a little different and each has its own pluses and minuses. The big thing is that each of these deserts will kill you if you are not on your game.

Eastern New Mexico has some cheep land as does Northern Nevada. PM me for details on the Norther Nevada area.

Doesn't northern nevada still get very cold in the winter?

Also I am willing to either sink the money into a well, or build a water collector large enough to support at least a couple people.

This isn't so much about "bugging out" as "dropping out" I guess.
This is mostly about preserving the quality of life for someone I care about, and doing my best to live off the land as much as possible and reduce my cost of living so that I can afford to have more time to take care of them.
Primarily it's about the climate, I'm from maine, and this place is unfit for human life 6 months out of the year. It's hard on a young healthy kid, and I'm no young healthy kid anymore.

All of the information you guys are providing is helping though so please feel free to add anything you know about the area.
Whaaa, In nothing we trust, wanderingwaldo, waterdoctor, Doc Holiday, calcoastseeker, calstorm, redgy, Mortimer452, RRokkyy, all helpful information thank you all, I really appreciate it.

Edit: I also read that you can get a discount on the concrete used on a earth sheltered home in Texas, but can't seem to find any more information. Anyone else know about this possibly?
This is the one location I have found it, and have been searching all over to try and confirm it. Source
Anyone know if any other southwest states also do this?

[edit on 20-12-2009 by ashamedamerican]

Just to add my two cents into the mix since I have been looking into property for the same purposes for a couple of years now.

The main problem with New Mexico, Arizona is that if there is a collapse of the United States, the border between Mexico and the US will become completely ineffective. Hence, all of the drug cartels, which have already made their way into Arizona, will surely relocate and attempt to head North into the US.

Further, with the US government relocating to Colorado, I would imagine that one of the benefits of doing so is for the purpose of not losing the southwest should a cilivlian uprising occur.

Lastly, water is already a huge problem in that area. I found a couple of decent tracts of land in Arizona, lying adjacent to preserved Native-American Indian lands, that had natural springs on them. Reasonably priced and solves the water problem. Otherwise, if TSHTF, water will become more valuable than gold in that area and will be fought for just as hard.

I would recommend New Mexico, especially any area along the rio grande/bosque area where the soil is fertile. There's Belen just to the south of Albuquerque and Bernalillo to the North. Both are great areas to live especially if your looking for a place to grow food, and be away from the big population areas.

You could definitley find some good deals on plots of land in Valencia county.

I'm slowly narrowing my location to:
1. Downwind from an open desert area with little plantlife to reduce the pollen count in the air.
2. Slightly higher altitude to amplify the reduced pollen count effect of 1, without going so high as to thin the air making growing and breathing harder.
3. Upwind from a reasonable sized city where jobs can be found, medical attention recieved, supplies purchased.
4. Within 2 hour maximum commute to aforementioned city, without hopefully being within a one hour or thirty minute drive. (don't need it being too easy to walk there from a city just in case TSHTF)
5. If such a place exists, somewhere that the warm dry climate can be enjoyed without temperatures at too much of either extreme.

Good soil is a bonus but I can work around it.
Easy access to water is also a bonus but can also be worked around.

All of you have made me think of things I had not considered, and I appreciate that. As for worrying about being so close to an unstable border, I'm not dumb enough to move that close to the Mexican border and not arm myself. Anyone crazy enough to try a home invasion on an earth sheltered home (especially one with a panic room) is more than welcome to try. And just because they get in doesn't mean they will be able to get out.

Based on your needs then North of Albuquerque might be good. Or west of Tucson. Lived in both the places and not my idea of bug out locations. Best of luck to you.

Sorry New Mexicanos and Arizonans, your states have been overrun by communist infiltrators from the People Republic of Kalifornia!

I would choose the desert regions of Texas over New Mexico. Land prices are cheaper there and generally have far less restrictions than New Mexico.

El Paso/Juarez/Las Cruses should be avoided as it's become the 2nd largest desert urban area in the US after Phoenix. Downstream like Terlingua and Del Rio aren't too bad. Plenty of cheap land NW of Del Rio. It's a little bit wetter there as well.

Nevada's not bad but there's still a ton of folks who'll flee Las Vegas.