Survival Tip #15

Picking your Fortress
The term fortress is used to describe the place you plan to settle in the Primal Age. Always keep in mind no location is worth your life, and in the journey to get there your plan may have to be adjusted.
The first and most important thing you need to account for when picking your location is water. You want a fresh water supply, such as a river, creek, lake, or well. You will need to continue to purify this water, and if in a cold climate find a way to penetrate the ice to get to it, but you can count on this source never ending. Man made things such as a water tower aren’t bad things to consider in addition to a natural source, but nothing is a substitute for a natural water source. Just keep in mind that every survivor out there should be searching for a natural water source, so the more obscure your source is the less likely you will be to have unwanted visitors.
Why were castles built on hills? So you could see your enemy coming. Two commonly accepted strategies in surviving the end of the world are elevation or underground. Now if we were discussing nuclear war, or some airborne virus, underground has many advantages. If we are talking about zombies, or some form of military invasion you want to see your enemy coming. So, find a place that offers elevation. This can be in one part of your fortress, such as a watch tower, or can be your entire location.
Preset defenses can include anything manmade or natural. Is your fortress on a cliff? Or have a large stone wall around it? The less time you have to spend on defenses the safer you’ll be upon arrival.
How many people can the fortress safely house? How many supplies can it store? How many people will it take to maintain? How many people will it take to defend? Does it have a self-sustaining power source? How far away is your fortress from your present location?
These are all things to consider when picking where you will be going. I’m not going to list possible locations; however I invite anyone to share a logical choice.