Monthly Archives: October 2012

Product Review: Meal Kit Supply MREs

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After Momma Bear’s post on MREs (meals ready to eat) we decided we wanted to add more MREs to our preps. We have a couple of cases but, with a family of six, those would go quickly. We decided that we should have one case for each person — eating two MREs a day, this would last six days.

The ones we currently have I bought from a military surplus store. They were already a couple of years old, I have no idea what conditions (temperatures) they had been stored at, and they cost $70 a case. So I was looking for another source when, coincidentally, I was contacted by Meal Kit Supply (after they saw Momma Bear’s post), and asked if I would consider reviewing their product. I said that I would, and a few days later a case of MREs arrived in the mail.

Like Momma Bear said, MREs have improved substantially over the years. My first MRE was in USMC boot camp in February 1986, and if you were starving (and we were) they were…okay. When I went back into the National Guard in 1996, it was obvious they’d done some work to improve them — and they were better. (The last MRE I ate was in 1999.)

When we opened the case from Meal Kit Supply the first thing I noticed is that they were packaged in clear, heavy-duty, plastic bags (instead of the tan military ones). That was kind of cool.

I wanted to get the whole family in on the sampling/reviewing. I wanted them to be familiar with the meals, including how to use the Flameless Ration Heater. So we randomly grabbed six out of the case (case of 12). Instead of trying to explain to them how to use the Heaters I chose to let them watch the video on the Meal Kit Supply website and then see how easy it was to follow the instructions.

Then, in the kitchen, we each opened an MRE. I explained that each had an entrée, side dish, dessert, bread/cracker, spread, beverage, spoon, and condiment packet, and I had everyone identify what they got in their meals. We then, without any issues, activated our Flameless Ration Heater to heat our entrée and then set it aside (it takes about 10 minutes to warm up). We sampled, and then let everyone else try, our bread or crackers with the included peanut butter, jelly, or cheese spread. Once the meals were warm we each went around and allowed everyone else to sample our entrée and side dishes so we each tried everything.

Now I need to mention that my kids (ages 18, 15, 13, 11) aren’t that picky when it comes to eating; they know if it’s put in front of them that’s what’s for dinner and there’s no “I’m not eating this” nonsense. But, overall, Sarah and the kids liked them, and were pleased with the diversity and flavors. Personally I was very impressed with the freshness and overall quality of the food and flavors. Maybe it was the years since I’d last had one, but I remembered them being much less flavorful and more stale tasting.

Once we were done eating we discussed each of them, recorded comments, and rated them on a scale of 1 to 5 (1=terrible, 3=not bad at all, 5=pretty darn good). So of the random six we had eaten, here’s our menus (menus may vary), comments and average scores:

  • Spaghetti, Potatoes Au Gratin, Carrot Pound Cake, Cracker, Cheese Spread, Grape Electrolyte Drink Powder (EDP), Cocoa Beverage Powder (CBP): “Spaghetti wasn’t bad, but noodles were kind of mushy” / “Cheesy potatoes were pretty dang good” — SCORE: 3.58
  • Chicken with Noodles, Fried Rice, Vanilla Pudding, Cracker, Peanut Butter, Grape (EDP), CBP: “Not bad” / “Chicken tastes normal” / “Chicken was really good” / “Rice was flavorless and mushy” / “Vanilla pudding was pretty darn good” / “Grape beverage was very good” — SCORE: 3.67
  • Vegetable Lasagna, Applesauce, Fudge Brownie, Wheat Snack Bread, Cheese Spread, Orange (EDP), CBP: “Slightly disappointed with the lasagna” / “Lasagna didn’t quite taste right” / “Need to add flavor to lasagna” / “Brownie wasn’t bad” / “Brownie was pretty tasty” — SCORE:  3.25
  • Chicken with Feta, Potato Cheddar Soup, Chocolate Pudding, Cracker, Peanut Butter, Orange (EDP), CBP: “Chicken with feta was really good” / “Chicken entree was very good” / “Soup was very good, yea very good” / “Pudding was yuck” / “Pudding wasn’t great, but would be better warmed up” / “I like the juice” — SCORE: 4.08
  • Pork Sausage Patty, Hash Browns with Bacon, Strawberry Toaster Pastry, Wheat Snack Bread, Peanut Butter, Orange (EDP), CBP: “Pork was too sweet” / “Pork tasted like real sausage” / “Bacon was nice in the hash browns” / “It’d be a nice breakfast.” — SCORE: 3.58
  • Apple Maple Rolled Oats, Hash Browns with Bacon, Nut Raisin Mix with Chocolate Chips, Wheat Bread Snack, Blackberry Jam, Fruit Punch (EDP), CBP: “Oatmeal had good flavor” / “Mixing in the nuts and stuff in the oatmeal was a good idea” / “Oatmeal was mushy” / “It’d be an odd dinner” / “Blackberry jam was good” — SCORE: 3.33

So Chicken with Feta was the top score and the Vegetable Lasagna was the bottom. But nothing was below 3.25 which is in the “not bad at all” range. Everyone commented that there was nothing they wouldn’t eat, and with some time and creativity they’d be even better.

Pet Approved!

There are many sources for MREs. My only hesitation about Meal Kit Supply’s is that they are a little bit more expensive than some others, at $124.95 for a case of 12 (though that price does include shipping the 22 pound case). But their MREs are guaranteed to be fresh, they are built to military standards but use premium components. And they actually make them themselves overseeing each step of the process, they’re not just the distributors.

MREs are the perfect ‘Week 1 Food’ in a disaster: they’re pre-cooked, mobile, and ready to eat. Meal Kit Supply MREs are 100% U.S. Military food components — the same as the military uses. Now I suppose you could say that’s good or bad, but at least there is a consistent base to compare them to. I was happy with Meal Kit Supply’s service, their MRE’s taste, and was very pleased with the freshness.

 

 

Momma Bear’s October Preps

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Although October’s weather has been mild and the leaves are just barely starting to come down, it feels like THE SKY IS FALLING! After an exceptionally warm and dry summer, the acorns are dropping in record numbers. (I learned that this will lead to next summer having a mice and deer population boom (due to the surplus food), followed by an overabundance of ticks that live on them.) I felt this was a good time to study up on acorns as a food source. Acorns, like other nuts, are surprisingly nutritious and containing protein and “good fat”. Acorns do have high quantities of tannins, which make them bitter and somewhat inedible as is, but these tannins can be removed with repeated boiling. The acorns can then be roasted and ground into a meal to be used in place of, or with, flour. You can even make a coffee-like substitute. Acorns are best stored as nuts, and then processed throughout the winter as needed, because the ground meal has a short shelf-life due to the high fat content. Fall is a great time for gathering “natural produce” from your local surrounds. If you are unfamiliar with wild edibles, look for a local class offered by an expert. Here are my links to: acorn processing (with recipes) and a local nature hike for wild food identification.

The HAM radio class has been…interesting. No, I am not going to lie, it’s HARD! This class is put on by the local HAM radio club, using approved slides by the American Radio Relay League (the people who license you). BUT, what they don’t tell you is that this book/class/test has almost nothing to do with how to actually operate the radios. It covers the laws of usage, and the how and why of the science that make these radios work. For anyone who doesn’t have a science or electrical background, or who has been out of school for a long time, this is some hard stuff! There is nothing in the book or class that will teach me how to actually dial in and listen to people broadcasting, let alone how to actually broadcast myself. My class ranges in age from about 12 to 70 years old and we are all pretty much shaking our heads. Once we finish the class and take the test we will be licensed, but we are all going to have to join the club to get mentors to teach us how to actually operate the radios!

In the last month my husband and I attended our first of two gun shows together, and took our concealed carry class. If you have never been to a gun show before (my husband had not), I describe it as “Bubbas, Bellies & Bullets”. They have so many rows jammed with tables that I literally had to squeeze in between all the big bellied bubbas to even walk. As a Marine my husband is familiar with a number of interesting weapons, but he had never seen so many interesting people in such a confined space. I finally explained to him that gun shows are to the NRA what ComiCon is to gamer/sci-fi nerds. Gun shows are the ultimate showplace for our right to bear arms. We spent our time at each of the shows looking at smaller handguns that I could use for concealed carry. What I discovered was that the bursitis in my elbow prevents me from comfortably holding any weapon over about 1.5 lbs., thus limiting my options. Like everything else, we will be taking our time, heading to the range to try them out, to find just the right weapon.

What did you do to prep this month?

Nuts & Bolts by Nick: Roots of Structural Awareness

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(Nick is our newest regular Guest Contributor and will be posting, Nuts & Bolts by Nick, the fourth Wednesday of each month.)

I’ll be the first to admit it. Swinging a sledgehammer into a wall can be very therapeutic. As the yin to the yang of construction, demolition is the part of my job that folks always seem to want to try for themselves. Breaking stuff just looks like fun (and easy). But for every bit of The Hulk is an equal part of Isaac Newton. As a general contractor, It’s my job to know what’s inside those walls before I start swinging. To see beyond the plaster into the labyrinth of snaking gas pipes, drain lines, wiring and load bearing studs that–if accidentally damaged–could make for a really bad day.

So what does this have to do with prepping?

In an emergency, or disaster situation, knowing how to interact safely with the structure of your home is a very useful survival skill set. With the varying levels of severity in each emergency, your home presents both differing levels of protection as well as hazards. Balancing these through awareness and understanding will increase your ability to utilize your home as a safe haven when problems arise. That’s where I come in. As someone who has made it their business to see beyond the surface into the inner workings of the home, I hope to bring insight to the relationship between disaster preparedness and structural awareness.

In one of my favorite books, Connections by James Burke, the author begins to explore the interconnectedness of the technology in our lives by asking us to look around where we are sitting and examine the things we see. He challenges us to ponder how many of the things we see do we really understand? How many could we fix or make for ourselves? It can be overwhelming to realize how surrounded you are by complex items that you have come to rely upon for your day-to-day existence. The prospect of trying to learn all of these bits and pieces for yourself can be down right frightening. Forebodingly, in the 1980’s BBC documentary based on his book, Burke is filmed explaining this condition by telling the story of the interruptions caused by the 1965 New York City blackout as he rides an elevator to the top of the World Trade Center. Faced with the feelings of helplessness in an overly complex world we have only two choices: accept fate, or choose to arm ourselves with understanding.

So where to start? Like putting the first can into your food cache, or assembling your first bug out bag, the answer is to start with the simplest things first. Too often preppers focus on total world collapse, while forgetting the common disasters that happen daily. In the U.S. a house fire is reported every 90 seconds. It’s a disaster that’s statistically likely to happen yet so few take precautions. Start by ensuring that you have smoke and carbon monoxide detectors placed properly in your home and test them regularly. Keep fire extinguishers in kitchens, garages, work rooms, and on each floor. Test them, as recommended by the manufacturer, and locate them near exit doors rather than near stoves and counters; you don’t want to have to reach through a fire for the extinguisher. Lastly, plan your escape routes and methods then PRACTICE. When your bedroom is ablaze is not the time to learn how your escape ladder works.

By breaking down the whale of structural awareness into the bite size pieces of simple preps, you can move closer toward an understanding of your dwelling that will increase your self-sufficiency, disaster readiness, and overall peace of mind.

Nick’s Bio
Nick is a general contractor who brings construction experience and insights into the realm of emergency preparedness. His business, Mighty Oak Homecraft, is focused on sustainable remodeling, to protect the health of the environment and the dwelling’s occupants. A frequent domestic and international traveler, motorcyclist, outdoorsman and amateur writer and filmmaker, Nick lives in Pittsburgh, PA with his wife Jen, son Demetri and Boston Terriers Willow and Xena.

What We Did This Week To Prep 10/19/12

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We started off the week making salsa. After picking all the remaining tomatoes from our garden (red and green), digging up a couple of onions, and picking the last of the cucumbers (because they were there), we set to work cutting everything up. Last year was our first salsa making experience and though it came out pretty good, I wanted to try a new recipe this year. A couple of months ago I had seen a post on The Homestead Fritz – How To Make Great Salsa; there he mentioned that his coworkers described it as, “the best salsa they have ever eaten.” With that recommendation, I decided we’d give it a try. With all six of us cutting stuff up: tomatoes, onions, pepper, jalepenos, garlic, cilantro, and cucumbers (again because we had them, figured it’d make it more chunky) the process went fairly quickly. After everything was mixed together and cooked up, Sarah and I spooned the salsa into the canning jars (we didn’t have pint size so we used quart jars — but with the size of our family those will go quickly). Since Fritz didn’t mention it, we weren’t sure how much it’d make. We followed his recipe (our only addition was the extra cup of cucumbers) and we came out with three quarts of salsa, plus one 1/2 pint jar (that we gave as a gift to friends). Next year we’ll double it (or even triple, we like salsa), and use the pint size jars so we can share more with friends and neighbors.

My good friend, and fellow prepper, Mike recently gave us the book, So Easy To Preserve put out by the Cooperative Extension of The University of Georgia. Since we have very limited canning experience (blackberry jam and salsa last year) it came in handy reminding us of the steps involved in the water bath method. It’s a good reference book that thoroughly covers: canning, pickling, jellies, freezing, and drying.

Inadvertently, you could also call it busy or lazy, we had a small test of our store what your eat (SWYE) food storage. We normally shop every two weeks. Well life got busy, we missed a shopping trip, and we went a full month without grocery shopping. It’s interesting that with our food storage we really didn’t notice it all that much. Sure we were missing the items that have shorter shelf lives: fresh fruit, most fresh vegetables (though we were able to add some from our garden), and milk. Since we’re not big milk drinkers we’d just mix up some of the powdered stuff when we needed to add it to a recipe. Another item we would have been out of is eggs, but we have a local farm source that we get them from regularly so we didn’t go without. It was interesting how uninterrupted our daily food supply was; between our SWYE pantry and our deep freezer we had plenty. It’s nice to know that if we HAD to go that long it wouldn’t be an issue at all; that alone gives us a certain feeling of safety and confidence.

I’m happy to announce our fourth (and most likely final) regular blog contributor, Nick. Nick is a general contractor and a prepper who specializes in “Sustainable Improvements, Repairs, and Installations“. He will be posting the fourth Wednesday of each month (starting next week, October 24th), focusing on what we can do to make our homes more sustainable and keep them in good repair — from a prepper perspective. I’ve now completed one of my goals for my second year of blogging, to have a guest contributor for each week:

  • Week 1 – Rural Relations with Josh
  • Week 2 – Sarah’s View
  • Week 3 – Momma Bear
  • Week 4 – Nick

These four share really good, and varied, perspectives–different than I’m able to provide–that I believe will add value to both my blog and the prepper community. For more information about each of them, and a list of the posts they’ve written, there’s a link to Guest Contributors in the top right hand portion of the Home page.

Finally, I want to congratulate two of my closest prepper friends on additions to their families. From our prepper coffee group, both Mike and Rick had newborn sons this month! They’re both great dads who I know will raise their kids up to be “properly” educated, self-sufficient, and independent.

What did you do?

 

Momma Bear: Figuring Out How To Make Food Storage Work

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At our house food storage is a complicated issue. We all face obstacles to our prepping, whether it is financial, lack of family support, or just being unknowledgeable. I grew up poor, so you might say I have “food issues.” And when I say poor, I mean that I really only finished my senior year of high school because they provided low-income families two free meals a day; for me the school part was just the filler between my meals.  But what I did not realize until recently, thanks to the article: The 5 Stupidest Habits You Develop Growing Up Poor, is that growing up that way affects how I shop for food even today. After 20 years of marriage, with a much more substantial income, I was still shopping paycheck to paycheck. I had the mentality of only buying exactly what we immediately needed.  But once I became a prepper, I had to retrain myself to “buy extra.”

One obstacle of the ‘poverty cycle’ I was able to break, was my love of packaged foods. Packaged foods are cheap, have a long-shelf life, and feed more people than fresh foods do. Poor people eat lots of these, essentially training their bodies to expect high fat, high carb, and high sugar as the core of their diet. This causes their bodies crave these foods and, as a result, they tend to be frequently overweight, even obese. I was able to overcome this and have raised my children on fresh, home-made meals with plenty of vegetables. Though the flip-side of this is that it’s really hard to reconcile my love of fresh foods and wanting to stock my long-term food storage. To combat this personal conflict, we have been gardening and canning foods at home. I feel that at least then I can control exactly what ingredients are in my “canned” foods. (It has also been a great teaching tool for my children.)

I do not believe that there is only one way to have/create/do food storage. I believe that how we choose to store food needs to be a reflection of our families and who we are as preppers. Here is my take on different types of food storage:

Food Storage Theory 1: Most preppers live by the simple motto “store what you eat, eat what you store.” This is the simplest way to store food, one giant pantry that is in a constant rotation as part of your daily household diet. Most commonly you will see shelves filled with canned and packaged foods, and buckets of rice and beans. It makes prepping very easy because your goal is to store the same things in increasingly larger quantity, and you never run the risk of waste because you know you will use it. I applaud people who do this because they are able to use everything without risk of waste.  Although I have increased the amount of beans and other previously unknown foods my family eats, they will never be lovers of beans or packaged foods. This storage method simply doesn’t work for our family.

Food Storage Theory 2: This is the idea of having two separate food “pantries”, one that is for your regular rotational use and one that is exclusively long-term food storage (that you won’t eat unless the SHTF). The rotating pantry contains basic items that wouldn’t be the core of any diet, but that you do regularly eat, and could enhance the longer term food storage. At our house this is condiments, oils, canned vegetables, powdered broths, etc. The long-term food storage then consists of large quantities of beans, pasta, rice, TVP, and an assortment of canned and packaged foods that are NOT even part of our regular diet. This is a more expensive way to prep because you run the risk of possibly never using that long-term food storage and at some point you will have to decide what to do with it as it ages. This is how our family is storing food.

Food Storage Theory 3: This is a combination of the first two Theories, plus fresh foods from a garden and a renewable protein source raised at home (chickens, rabbits, goats, etc.). These are the people that are pushing for the greatest level of self-sufficiency should the SHTF. Many of us may never be able to attain this goal for a number of reasons. For instance, local ordinances restrict us from owning chickens, and although we are allowed to have rabbits, “processing” them at home is illegal. Even if we could, I’m not sure we would chose some of those options; I applaud those that can achieve this level of self-sufficiency.

My post next month will focus on specifics of food storage: container choices, canning and dehydrating, and purchasing bulk items from Costco or Sams Club. I would love to hear feedback from other preppers as to how they store food.

What We Did This Week To Prep 10/12/12

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The week started off with a drive in our new (to us) Ford F350 pickup truck to Josh’s house (Josh of Rural Relations with Josh), about two hours away. I had gotten together with him several times, but this was the first time meeting his family. We thoroughly enjoyed his wife and children and our time at their place. While there Josh taught me how to split wood (I grew up in the suburbs…), and Brynn and Alison enjoyed learning how to ride his off-road mini-bike. It was fun to see his place, “in real life”, and see what he describes in his blog posts. While there are some great aspects to his property, I also saw the disadvantages and hassles he has discussed. Again I’d encourage everyone, develop community, get to know both your neighbors and the like-minded preppers around you; take the initiative and reach out to them — I believe community will be the key to survival in the future.

Our “father” rabbit, Winston, had an ear infection this week. So we went to our favorite rabbit resource, Rise and Shine Rabbitry, and determined he had a mild/moderate case of ear mites. We’ve been treating it by putting drops of olive oil mixed with tea tree oil into his ears and massaging it in. Apparently ear mites can live up to 28 days, so we’ll treat regularly for the next month. We definitely do not want them to spread to Clover, our pregnant doe, or her future babies.

Summer here in Western Washington is pretty much over. After almost three months of sunny days, but without too hot of temperatures, it’s been one of the best summers we can remember. But now they say rain and the clouds are on the way again; possibly with very heavy rain this weekend.

We’re done with summer gardening. We picked everything still on the vine and will can some salsa this weekend. We left most of the plants themselves in place, for now, and will pick them as needed to feed the rabbits. We just received our fall/winter crop seeds in the mail. We’ll be growing a bunch of greens, mainly for the rabbits, and a compost cover crop for the garden as a whole. After most of the plants are out of the garden we’ll cover the garden with the hay and manure from under the rabbit hutches as a fertilizer-rich mulch layer.

What did you do?

Sarah’s View: Knitting

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I started working on a number of knitting projects in the last few weeks and realized that, while I tend to knit for fun, it’s also a worthwhile prepping skill. I originally tried knitting in high school, but never quite got the hang of it. Periodically I would try again, but it wasn’t until a few years after college that I really got it, to the point where I could follow a pattern without someone nearby to assist. I’m pretty sure my first (and second and third) project was a scarf. Not a bad item in a disaster, it’s amazing what a difference keeping your neck warm can make!

My knitting tends to go in phases as I usually knit during my commute and it just isn’t comfortable to have a knitting project on my lap in the warmth of the summer. So, around October I start to think about knitting again. I find my unfinished projects, sitting since spring, look through my bag of yarn and get started again. This leads to many more unfinished or abandoned projects than completed items. For example, my most recently completed project is a baby blanket. The child the blanket was originally intended for is now three years old; I will need to find it a new home. Over the years I have attempted many projects and managed to complete a number of them. Some of my successful items include: hats, Christmas stockings, drawstring bags, more scarves, stuffed hippos (possibly my favorite project as I created the pattern myself) and fingerless gloves.

In some ways knitting is a great prepper skill and in others it’s probably not as useful. I would still be dependent on yarn as we don’t currently, nor are likely to, have a natural supply via an alpaca or sheep (not to mention the sheering, carding and spinning involved). I could, with a supply of yarn, probably create a blanket, at least one sock (since I’ve done Christmas stockings just never two matching socks), and I likely could manage a sweater. It is also requires no electricity, keeps fingers and mind occupied, which is useful when the power is out. As a (wife of a) prepper I should work on more useful projects, but at this point it is just nice to know that while most of my knitting is for fun/gifts these days, if necessary I could provide warmth and comfort for family and friends, even if they didn’t fit quite right.

 

What We Did This Week To Prep 10/5/12

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Monday morning I bred our rabbits for the first time; it was relatively uneventful and went, essentially, as one would predict. We should have babies about November 1st, and then harvest them about February 1st. We’ll bred Mom #2 December 1st. This should establish a cycle where we bred one of our two mothers and butcher a litter, of approximately eight off-spring, ever eight weeks. If things go as planned, that will provide one rabbit to eat (approximately 2 1/2 pounds of meat) a week.

I ended Monday by going to my friend Rob’s house (where I got the female rabbits from originally and where I helped butcher more last month) to again help him butcher the current litter and to continue developing my skills and knowledge. I brought my son, Ryan, and had Rob teach him the process. After watching Rob, Ryan did three of his own; since there were fewer in this litter I only did one. Ryan and I are feeling relatively confident in our skills, we’ll probably help Rob another time or two before we do our own.

That day had a “Circle of Life” type feel to it: breeding to create life in the morning and ending life to provide food that evening. It was interesting to view, and participate, in the cycle first-hand.

Several months ago Sarah, along with her cousin, set a goal of getting in better shape. To do so they decided to challenge themselves by signing up to run a half-marathon. Sarah has never been a runner, and though she works out on a regular basis, this was a new thing for her. This past Sunday she/they achieved the goal by successfully competing the Bellingham Half-Marathon. She trained regularly and was well prepared for it and did very well, including accomplishing it within the time-goal they had set. Afterward, and in the days following, she felt pretty good; we attribute that to good sleep, nutrition, and especially hydration leading up to the race. Is this a prepper topic? I believe it is. A lifestyle that includes healthy and consistent: exercise, nutrition, sleep, hydration, learning, and achieving goals is the key to success now and will be even more important in a collapse.

Property update: We got the septic inspection (passed, all looked good), well inspection (passed, also looked good), and the home inspection (there are several things that need done, but the house is structurally sound) done this week. We approached the Seller with some items that needed repaired so  the house would appraise, and we were told they didn’t have the money or time to get it done and were unwilling to do it. This essentially stopped the process and at that point we chose to walk away. Maybe time, and lack of success, will make them more willing to negotiate in the future. We still love the property, the location, and the pole barn, and believe the house is fine for now and has potential for the future. But we want to be smart about this decision and approach it logically and as unemotionally as possible.

What did you do?

Rural Relations with Josh: Lessons Learned, Part II – You Can’t Choose Your Neighbors

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There’s a story of a realtor showing a house to a couple from out of town, and the couple asked, “What are the people like here?” The realtor replied, “What are the people like where you live now?” The couple responded, “They are great to hang out with, respectful, and genuinely good people”. The realtor replied, “The people here are just like that!” The next couple to come through had the same question, met with the same question from the realtor. The couple responded, “The people where we live are rude, unfriendly, and generally ignore us!”. To this, the realtor responded in kind, “The people here are also rude and unfriendly”.

This story, which was para-phrased from an unknown source, attempts to provide a simple explanation for those who might feel they have less than ideal neighbors. While neighbors can be great, and add value to your neighborhood, differences can arise. I feel it’s important to bond with neighbors early on, so that when issues come up you can work together to solve them. If you add an HOA (home owners association) into the mix, some neighbors will never get along as the HOA becomes a tool of manipulation by the [popular] majority.

I live in an HOA controlled neighborhood consisting of 22, 5-acre lots. I have some neighbors I really like; I drink beer and BBQ with them and our kids play together. But not long after moving in I discovered that there were a number of feuds in the neighborhood; they originated primarily from property lines and HOA disagreements.

Lesson I:  Get a Survey
An example of a dispute was when a two adjoining neighbors decided to “share” their property, across property lines, to have a larger motocross track. After a while, one neighbor decided to bull doze an area to create a banked turn which the other party felt was on their property. This turned into a situation where they both withdrew their share option and left a disputed area where neither knew where the lines were as there were no recorded surveys or marked corners.

The only recorded surveys in the neighborhood are on my lot and my immediate neighbor, as we went in together to get a good deal before I put up my fence. In my opinion, it’s absolutely critical to get a survey performed and recorded before closing on the property to resolve any issues or line disputes. After getting my survey, I found that I had actually “gained” an acre or two (on a 5-acre lot) over what I thought I owned. Also, get your immediate neighbors to go in with you on the survey (if they don’t already have one), this will minimize the potential for disputes over the surveyors work. I got a chuckle out of putting up a fence through my neighbors back yard; luckily it was inhabited by renters, had the owner still lived there it would have likely caused a dispute because he would have assumed I was encroaching.

driveway in the summer

Lesson II:  No Easements through the Property
A few months after moving in, the neighbor beyond us on the last property on our dead end road (who has a legal easement through our property) put his house and shop up for rent, as two separate units, after being unable to sell. This immediately took us from having no traffic through our property to seeing traffic day and night on that easement. The ride out to the neighbor’s property is pretty long and winding, and folks are going pretty fast by the time they reach our lot as they want to get to their destination.

driveway in the winter

Soon after, renters moved in: a couple in their mid 40’s from California in the main house, and a young local guy in the shop. We welcomed them all to the neighborhood with fresh baked bread and open arms; we wanted to get off on the right foot. We became good friends with the guy in the shop, but we had a number of issues with the other couple, mostly related to speeding through the property which put our kids and animals in danger. Other neighbors also asked them to slow down as well.

One day I was working in the yard and my kids were outside with me on the play set, but with my wife gone in one vehicle and my truck in the shop it might look like no one was home. I heard the neighbors driving in and saw their SUV coming down the driveway. Just as I was about to wave to them, I heard the engine rev up as he hits the gas — thinking we were not home, and he has a free ride that last 100 feet through our property. After about two seconds of V8 acceleration, he sees me standing there with my mouth open in shock, whereupon he slams on the brakes and the SUV nose-dives considerably. I have no idea how to deal with a person like that in a positive manner and our relationship was poor until they moved out after a year. I had a conversation with the woman before they left (“stopping by to ask you to slow down, again, ma’am”) and she indicated that they had never had such a poor experience in any neighborhood in their entire life and felt victimized by the rest of us. Best of luck to you in your new neighborhood…

Lesson III:  No Home Owners Association
Finally, if you live in an HOA controlled neighborhood you voluntarily chose to allow your freedom to be severely limited. A couple of the rules in my neighborhood are, 1) only low flow faucets and fixtures are allowed in homes, and 2) no discharge of any weapon, including firearms, BB guns, slingshots, or bows. This is not quite what I envisioned moving out into a rural wooded area with 160 acres of unoccupied woodland to the north of me. Before moving in I had inquired of the HOA president and a number of neighbors who assured us that the HOA was there only for the road maintenance. This turned out to not be the case; unfortunately HOAs are often a lever of convenience. Don’t risk it.

I am happy to report that we do not have any issues with our current neighbors. There are new couples in the house and shop at the end of the road and they are respectful and friendly. We do the best with what we have, but before you buy your own rural property look carefully at these issues.