What do I mean about more realistic? Well for one I am not going to move from the USA
And neither will most of my other readers, which is why I have never advocated any such thing. Discussions of opportunities elsewhere are not meant to be taken as relevant except for those who actually can (or for personal reasons, have to) take advantage of them.
1) Where in the USA are valid sites?Most people will be safest away from big cities BUT ALSO away from deep-rural and especially away from non-agrarian areas. I generally recommend small to medium sized towns, with some existing REAL economy, or in other words stay away from oh-so-trendy exurban commuter communities, with no real local economy, that are just "bedroom" communities for long-distance commuters.
Look for lines of INDUSTRIAL transportation. Small towns with railway junctions, where there is some loading and offloading, are good.
Most such places will have a yard. Grow vegetables in it, but don't count on it for feeding yourself. Instead, get used to storing food.
WATER will be in short supply in some parts of the country. Think twice about living anywhere where you could not raise crops off rainfall and live off runoff from the roof.
If I were looking for cheap, arable land, I would consider West Virginia. Colder than heck in the winter, but the summers are long enough and hot enough to bring in crops.
One more thing to consider is heating or cooling where needed. W Virginia for example is VERY cold in winter--so I would want enough trees for firewood, in case I did not have other options. I would also want lots of thick blankets and good winter clothes.
2) How far is to far? If Something happens that makes me run for the hills - how far is to far for the hills?Generally speaking, you do NOT want to have to "run for the hills". If that's what it would come to, move now. Generally speaking, you are safest "hunkering down", and especially among family, friends, and friendly neighbors. Don't "run for the hills"; you will end up a refugee, then die.
3) How far does one want to be from large urban centers, like Dallas or Austin Texas for example?It's not so much the size that concerns me as the sprawl and the number of potentially hostile denizens thereof. I would stay well clear of Dallas or Houston. Austin would not be as bad. The problem with sprawl is trying to get to food, work, friends, etc, when and if gasoline runs out or becomes unaffordable. Better to be in a smaller and preferably more compact town.
Imagine watching a time-lapse movie where you see farmers heading into the cities, and then cities emptying into the suburbs. Now play the movie backwards. That is what could happen as fuel prices keep going up (temporary reprieve notwithstanding).
4) What should one have already at the site?I think this question assumes a retreat location. I am not recommending such a scenario.
5) What should one have prepared to take to the site or to get them there?You might consider an "emergency pack". There are standard lists of what to put in them. Maybe someone can look them up, or I can. I think the most important item to have on hand is FOOD. Dry goods that keep easily, supplemented with some canned goods. But I am not recommending food stashed away strictly for emergencies, but instead a regular food supply that just happens to be unusually big. Think like a Mormon.
6) How much land should one get as a minimum?Unless you really are in a position to be a farmer, forget about acreage, and make do with whatever yard it comes with.
7) What should the land look like?Arable without irrigation, and not prone to floods.
8) What kind of shelter or improvements should be done to the land?As little as possible to get the job done. Anything that requires a lot of maintenance is a bad idea.
9) What Have I missed here? Like how does one prepare the site for protection?Protection from what? Assess it for floods because that is one of the most common natural hazards. Next, fire.
Protection from "un-natural hazards" (the two-legged kind) is mostly a matter of keeping a low profile and having lots of friends. But take all reasonable precautions. For example, avoid situations where someone could sneak up on you (lots of tall shrubbery close to the house, for example). Personally, I like to secure perimeters with formidable hedging--stuff like holly. It's good to have formidable defenses that don't LOOK like defenses (which puts the idea in people's heads that you have something to hide or protect in the first place).
