Which island for refuge? (Captain Cook: houses, buy, to live)

[geos]

As a backup for the next disaster du jour (peak oil, financial meltdown, nuke war, Twinkie shortage, etc.) I'm looking for a place to serve as a refuge. I'd like to get opinions on which island would be a good candidate. Not looking for complete desolation just low population, some infrastructure, relatively cheap productive land, decent climate, etc.

[cynmkolohe]

Sounds like you will want to investigate the Puna district of the Big Island...check out a few of the threads with lots of information about this area by using the "Search" feature!

With aloha,

Cynthia

[kaimuki]

I have to agree with Cynthia.

[ArkansasTraveler]

Originally Posted by geos

As a backup for the next disaster du jour (peak oil, financial meltdown, nuke war, Twinkie shortage, etc.) I'm looking for a place to serve as a refuge. I'd like to get opinions on which island would be a good candidate. Not looking for complete desolation just low population, some infrastructure, relatively cheap productive land, decent climate, etc.

You are a tad cracked but that is OK. You can run but you cannot hide. These islands get all the 'twinkies' from the main land via ship. When said ocean shipping companies stop running there will be no twinkies or any other food to eat here. Hawaii is not a self sufficient state.

[alohakat]

Puna is definately productive land (if there's soil on your plot -- you may have to truck in soil if it's recent lava flow), don't need to worry about watering a crop in most locations, it's most fertile, drains well ....IF you are OK with the potential disaster of lava flow ..... And what is "relatively cheap land" to you, being from NYC? 200K an acre? That fits Puna. 400k an acre? 750K an acre? Depending on price you may have more options than Puna.

Do you want the place to be off the grid?

[hotzcatz]

Well, Geos, dunno if being on the wrong end of a 2,500 mile supply chain is the best place to be for the next zombie incursion. I think Hawaii imports more than 80% of everything here. Before deciding, perhaps a long vacation would be in order to come look first? Each island is distinctly different from the others and you still have to live while waiting for the Twinkie Meltdown so you'd want to pick one you like.

Depending on your comparative database "complete desolation" could describe several of the islands although not Oahu or Maui. When you get low population you kinda lose the infrastructure not that we even have much infrastructure even in the populated areas. I don't think there is any cheap productive land. You can get a quarter acre of fresh lava for somewhere under twenty grand, I think. You should be able to find decent climate as long as you're not hoping for the four seasons effect. We generally have rainy season and not rainy season. Or no surf and high surf, depending on your interests.

For land that isn't terribly expensive, mostly it doesn't have soil so you get to try to grow stuff in cinders and dig holes in lava. There is generally trees and ferns growing in the cinder/lava so it isn't terribly desolate. The inexpensive properties don't come with electricity, cable, mail, pavement, water, sewer, trash service although with cell phones now you can generally get some sort of phone service even if you have to climb a tree. Some of the expensive properties don't come with sewer, mail or trash service, either.

[Calico Salsa]

Hi geos,

I too don't think of an island way out in the ocean as necessarily the best refuge from any of the things you listed except Twinkie shortage.

The upside of being far from everyone else is that they can't easily travel to you. The downside is that you can't easily get anywhere else. And of course the islands are an easy and logical target for air strike.

Personally I'd think the mainland mountains are a better refuge, as long as you can self-sustain.

I consider our household prepared for short term disaster - enough water, food, health staples to last our an interruption. After that things get kind of hazardous, with a lot of people competing for a few supplies. One could head off into the Maui mountains and go the rainwater/fruit/pig/fishing route.

But always the most danger, barring accident or stupidity, is from other humans.

[ArkansasTraveler]

Originally Posted by geos

--- nuke war --

Was going to do the -nukie- war but hit reply to soon --
Hawaii being the largest military complex of the US would receive a nukie strike faster than you could stick you head between your legs and kiss the old okola aloha.

[hotzcatz]

On the outer islands, though, we get to worry about Oahu Incursions. If the mainland barges aren't bringing any food (think of Iceland and how their money can't buy anything now) then the next source of food would be the outer islands. I don't know if there is enough to feed the outer islands and Oahu too but in case of a Twinkie Meltdown, I'm guessing we will get to find out. Oahu is about six or nine meals away from starvation if the barges stop, isn't it? The houses are so small and there are so many places to eat out that most folks don't stock much at their houses. If the barges stop and there isn't any food in the restaurants or grocery, then what? Maybe the military would airlift some in for their guys and share with everyone else although I dunno how long folks want to eat MREs.

[HawaiiboundNelli]

I'm just curious...why is it that everyone believe that the people on the islands will starve and not make it without the barges from the mainland...how exactly do you think the Hawaiian people made it before Captain Cook came and started the "mainland influence" ball rolling? hmmmmmmmmmmmm do you honestly think the Hawaiian islands can't be self sufficient? They sure can be..it just won't be what we are all used to!