Caching for the Resistance

As a Scout for the Resistance, it's my job to discover locations and strategies that will help the Rebels in their perpetual war against the Establishment. I have noticed a trend in Society that seems to be accelerating; acts of Open Rebellion are becoming more common. This is a meme that spreads quickly, which means we must start preparing TODAY.

How best to fight the Establishment? To answer this question, we must reflect on another: What do we need to survive and thrive?

These questions are connected because the Establishment will always try to control access to the things we need to survive and thrive.

These questions are hard to answer in essay format, because the answer will be different for each of us at different moments in our lives. Expressing solutions to dynamic problems with static symbols has always been a problem for humanity, and for this reason we must beware of ideology. The answers will evolve slowly, through dialectic, and we will naturally refine our methods as we progress.

There are some heuristics that can guide our search. Here's a simple recipe I found online called "5 Basic Needs to Survive and Thrive":

Air – Make sure that you get outside. Breath as much fresh air as possible. Get moving, go hiking. Allow fresh oxygen in, let it circulate through your body, keeping you fresh and healthy.
Water – Drink as much fresh, clean water as your body needs. This is one of the best things you can do for your health.

Food – Make sure you are eating fresh, good, wholesome foods that are rich in nutrients. Balance is key. And make food a family affair. Turn off the TV and get talking. It’s an opportunity for engagement.

Shelter – Your home is supposed to be your safe haven. Make it as comfortable as possible. Fill it with things and people you love. Keep it clean. It is your place of safely; it should feel that way too.

Sleep – Allow yourself to rest. We live in a high paced society and sometimes sleep isn’t as much a priority as it should be. Make sure that you are allowing your body to recuperate from the day so that when you wake up in the morning, you are ready for more.

I'd like to focus on Shelter for a moment, because it's one of the keys to the Establishment's domination. Therefore, a change in perspective could be key to the flourishing of the Resistance.

The Polygonal-Matrix

The State works with a Polygonal-Matrix system to define property boundaries. This outdated "solution" to the problem of scarce land has been used to exploit land owners and renters alike. The Polygonal-Matrix system works like this:

Take a region of Earth where a violent cartel has amassed guns and gunmen.

First, a map of the territory is generated.

Then the map is divided into polygons.

The polygons are defined by their vertices and stamped into the Earth via "Property Stakes", usually iron pipes ranging from 1/2" to 1" in diameter.

The Cartel runs a protection racket using the Polygonal-Matrix to associate land with particular victims. They maintain a database that defines the "owner" of each parcel, who is then extorted via "property tax".

The victim is offered a choice: pay the tax, and the Cartel will allow them to maintain residence. Refuse to pay, and the Cartel will physically remove the victim and replace them with someone more compliant. The racket runs on predictable rules, which encourages the victims to feel as if the extortion is fair and just. Along with permission to live within the polygon, payers of property taxes also receive a bonus: the option to call upon the Cartel's violence as a tool for resolving disputes. In exchange for paying the racket, the property owner receives protection from the Cartel. This often induces Stockholm Syndrome in the land-owners such that they begin to feel affection and sympathy towards the Cartel, even going so far as defending their behavior and identifying as a member of the group.

For the Resistance, the Polygonal-Matrix is a problem. We know that borders are dynamic illusions, and ethical dispute resolution depends on situational awareness. We know this Deadly Game of Written Law is a farce and the scales are tilted, therefore we must think carefully about how to Rebel.

A solution I've been toying with is squatting. Squatting is direct use of land outside the defined rules of the Cartel's Polygonal-Matrix. Squatting makes use of the fact that the map is not the territory. The Polygonal-Matrix is not the Real World.

The Real World affords us opportunities that are not present in the Polygonal-Matrix. We must embrace these opportunities and use them in our fight against the Establishment. To remove ourselves from the Matrix, we must find a safe shelter that DOES NOT EXIST on the map. A place to call home where the Cartel cannot find us.

It's easier than it sounds.

The Cartel is severely limited in manpower and brainpower. They do not have enough forces to comb the territory for squatters, and their enforcement officers are selected based on obedience, not intelligence. They quickly succumb to routine and rarely discover squatters without help from citizens. They rely on their victims with Stockholm Syndrome to report neighbors who deviate from their rules, but with a bit of cunning we can build homes that go undetected for years.

The first problem for a would-be squatter is choosing the right locations. I say locations because the wise squatter has multiple shelters. Diversification of land holdings is a rational response to our unpredictable future, and the loss of efficiency due to redundancy is justified by the peace-of-mind that comes with backup plans.

Choosing the right location for a shelter is a tricky subject that inevitably requires knowledge of an individual's personal preferences, but there are some heuristics that can help us here, too.

Don't squat in a flood plain.

Don't squat in plain sight.

Don't make an obvious trail.

Don't let someone see you "exiting the map."

Protect yourself from the elements.

Protect yourself from insects.

Use locally sourced material.

Prepare to move.

I want to focus on number 7 for a moment, because it's one of the easiest strategies to implement once you start thinking about the problem from a different perspective. Many people make the mistake of designing their shelter before they acquire materials, but this conceptualization puts the cart before the horse. The best way to build a shelter off-the-grid is to cache materials first, then design the structure based on the materials available.
This strategy of caching materials first is the inspiration for the title of this post, but I thought you needed to know WHY this strategy is important before I told you HOW it works.

How it works is simple. Collect valuable building materials whenever you see them available for free. Pallets, 2x4s and tin roofs can be used to build almost anything, and you can find them for free almost anywhere. Collect these materials every chance you get.

Store these materials in potential squats before you need to use them. By placing these structural components at your site early, you can test the waters of the location before moving in. If you return to find your supplies undisturbed, you can increase your confidence regarding the seclusion of the squat. If you return and supplies are missing or appear tampered, you will be alerted to potential danger.

My latest idea for efficient caching is to create piles of pallets and corrugated roof panels, alternating wood and metal to protect the load from the elements. Start with a pallet, add some roof material on top, then another pallet, then roof material, until your stack is too tall to add to. Leave some roof material on top, and the stack should survive for years without rotting much. If you leave a few stacks like this in a potential squat and they're still there when you get back, you can feel safe knowing the place is likely unused. With all these materials available ready-to-hand, a shelter can be constructed in a matter of hours.

Caching for the Resistance is a safe (and FUN) way to fight the Establishment by undermining the Polygonal-Matrix, one homestead at a time.