M.D. CREEKMORE

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M.D. Creekmore

Hello, I’m M.D. Creekmore. I’ve been interested in self-reliance topics for over 25 years. I’m the author of four books that you can find at Amazon.com as well as Barnes and Noble. Over the years, I’ve learned a lot about prepping, homesteading, and self-reliance topics through first-hand experience and now I want to share what I’ve learned with you.

Is it Time to Leave the U.S. for a Safer Country?

The United States is no longer the place it once was. With the border wide open and millions pouring in from over 170 countries, it’s not just about illegal immigration anymore—it’s about the erosion of safety and security. Violent gangs are forming, crime rates are skyrocketing, and you don’t feel as secure in your own home as you once did. Add to that the looming threat of war with Russia and the ongoing economic instability fueled by inflation and BRICS nations ditching the dollar, and it starts to make sense why many Americans are considering relocating to a safer, more stable country.

Relocating isn’t a decision anyone should take lightly. If you’ve invested in prepping and homesteading, moving across borders might seem like starting from scratch. But in these times, safeguarding your family’s future might mean finding a country where individual freedoms, financial stability, and personal security aren’t at constant risk.

If you’re thinking about making the move, here are five countries that check off some of the key boxes for Americans looking for a better life abroad.

1. Costa Rica

Costa Rica has long been a popular destination for expats, and for good reason. This Central American gem offers a relatively low cost of living, friendly locals, and a stable government. They’ve abolished their military, which might seem concerning at first glance, but their focus on peace and neutrality has kept them out of major conflicts.

What makes Costa Rica appealing is its freedom-friendly atmosphere. While firearms ownership isn’t as liberal as in the U.S., it is possible to own firearms with proper licensing. To me this is the main downside to the location, however, the U.S. is heading the same way, and working to ban and limit firearms ownership so…

The government is stable, crime is low (especially in rural areas), and you get to live surrounded by nature. Plus, their healthcare system is top-notch for expats.

Costa Rica does not require proof of vaccination for entry. While the country did have vaccine requirements for certain activities in the past, these have been dropped, and no vaccine certificate is needed for tourism or residence.

2. Panama

Another Central American option, Panama is growing in popularity for its welcoming attitude toward foreign residents. The cost of living is affordable, and they use the U.S. dollar as currency, which makes for an easier transition financially. Plus, Panama offers permanent residency through their “Friendly Nations Visa” program.

The individual freedom factor in Panama is strong. While gun ownership isn’t as permissive as in some parts of the U.S., it’s possible to own firearms for self-defense after obtaining the necessary permits. The country is politically stable, and there’s no risk of being dragged into a global conflict. They’re also big on personal property rights, and taxes are low for expats.

3. Uruguay

If South America is more appealing to you, Uruguay is a solid option. It’s one of the most politically stable countries in the region and has a good balance between modern comforts and traditional values. The cost of living is reasonable, especially outside of the capital, and the country has a laid-back, stress-free vibe.

Uruguay is one of the few countries in Latin America where private gun ownership is allowed, and they have a relatively easy process for obtaining firearms legally. The government respects individual freedoms, and the healthcare system is excellent for expats. Uruguay also avoids getting involved in international conflicts, making it a safer long-term bet.

Uruguay also has no restrictions on foreign ownership of property, and the process is straightforward. The country has a stable political and legal environment, which makes property ownership very secure. Additionally, Uruguay is known for its respect for private property rights, and you don’t have to be a resident to own property.

4. Portugal

Portugal is part of the European Union, but it’s one of the more laid-back countries in Western Europe. It’s affordable, with a cost of living much lower than the U.S., especially if you stay away from Lisbon. Portugal has excellent healthcare, a stable economy, and a culture that values freedom and quality of life.

For gun enthusiasts, Portugal allows legal firearm ownership, though with strict regulations. That said, crime is relatively low, and most people don’t feel the need to carry. Portugal offers the right balance of safety, individual rights, and low taxes for expats, along with easy visa options like the D7 for retirees or passive income earners.

5. Czech Republic

For those looking to relocate to Europe but wanting to maintain some of the freedoms we cherish in the U.S., the Czech Republic is a strong contender. One of the best aspects of the country is its approach to gun ownership. Unlike most of Europe, the Czech Republic allows private citizens to own and carry firearms legally with a license, and their laws are fairly liberal on this matter.

The cost of living is reasonable, especially outside the major cities like Prague. The government is stable, and the country doesn’t get involved in the kinds of geopolitical conflicts that are threatening other nations. Czech culture is also built around personal freedom, and expats are generally welcomed with open arms.

Conclusion

It’s becoming harder to ignore the signs that the U.S. is on a dangerous path. Whether it’s the open borders allowing unchecked migration, the rise in crime, or the economic issues stemming from international tension and the weakening dollar, now might be the time to seriously consider relocating. These five countries offer more safety, freedom, and a chance to start fresh in an environment that values the same principles you do.

If you’re ready to pack up and seek a better, safer life elsewhere, don’t wait until it’s too late. Time is short, and the world is changing fast. Prepare now, make the right connections, and be ready to move when the time comes.

Personally, I’m starting to learn Spanish and looking more and more into… Costa Rica… but always, do your own research and do what is best for you… I’m not leaving yet, however, I am making plans and retaining leaving as an option when needed.

Well, I got pissed and went off so I can’t post this on YouTube!

Well, folks, unfortunately, I was making a video for YouTube and while I was filming I got mad and didn’t hold back, at all. However, because of that I couldn’t post the video on YouTube because I know that 100% YouTube would take it down and probably delete my YouTube channel and account.

So, instead I uploaded it to my Patreon page for paid members. If you’re a paid member, then you can go here to watch it or you can become a member and watch it.

Thanks.

 

Why I’m Upping My Supplement Game

Over the past few years, I’ve been taking various supplements in an effort to improve my overall health. I’ve tried different multivitamins, turmeric, fish oil, and a handful of other products that promised big results. To be honest, I haven’t seen much in terms of noticeable changes. I’m not sure if I’ve been using the wrong brands, the wrong doses, or if supplements just aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. But instead of giving up, I’ve decided to “up my game” and go all-in with higher-quality supplements.

After doing some research and reading a lot of reviews, I’ve decided to try out three new supplements to see if the quality of the products I’ve been using has been the issue. The three I’ve chosen are: THORNE Men’s Multi 50+, NatureWise Turmeric Curcumin with BioPerine, and Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega. These brands are highly recommended and are known for being more potent, pure, and effective than your average off-the-shelf products.

Here’s what I’m hoping for:

1. THORNE Men’s Multi 50+

I’m over 50 now, so I wanted a multivitamin that’s specifically designed for someone my age. This product includes essential nutrients in forms that are supposedly easier to absorb, which might have been one of the problems with my old multivitamin. I’m hoping to see improvements in my energy levels, mood, and overall well-being with this one.

2. NatureWise Turmeric Curcumin with BioPerine

I’ve been taking turmeric for joint health for a while, but again, no real difference that I could notice. What makes this version different is the addition of BioPerine, a black pepper extract that’s supposed to improve the absorption of turmeric. Turmeric is known for its anti-inflammatory properties, and I’m really hoping this higher-quality version will actually help with some joint discomfort I’ve been dealing with lately.

3. Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega

I’ve tried fish oil before, but I’m stepping it up with Nordic Naturals, which is well-known for its high-quality omega-3s. Omega-3s are great for heart health, joint health, and cognitive function, so I’m hoping this supplement will help with overall inflammation and mental clarity. This brand claims to have higher purity and better bioavailability, so maybe this will be the one that actually makes a difference.

Why the Change?

The big question in my mind is whether supplement price and presumed quality makes a real difference. If you go online, there are hundreds of brands all claiming to offer the best product, from my research, the truth is, not all supplements are created equal. Some brands might use cheap ingredients or forms of vitamins that your body can’t really absorb, which would explain why I haven’t seen results.

I’m also making sure to take these supplements consistently and for long enough to really gauge their effects. Too often, people (including myself) take supplements for a few weeks, don’t see instant results, and then stop. But I’m going to give this a fair shot.

The Plan

For the next few months, I’m going to stick with these three supplements and track how I feel—energy levels, joint pain, mood, mental clarity, and any other noticeable changes. I’m hoping that with better-quality supplements, I’ll start seeing the benefits that so many people rave about.

If I do see some noticeable results, I’ll know that supplement quality really does matter. If not, well, I guess I’ll have to reconsider the whole idea of taking supplements altogether.

Stay tuned—I’ll update you all on whether this “upping my game” approach pays off!

This is an exciting step forward for me, and I’m curious to see how it goes. If you’ve tried any of these brands or have had similar experiences, feel free to share in the comments.

What did you do to prep this week?

If you’ve been with me for a long time, then you probably remember my weekly (every Saturday) post on my old website The Survivalist Blog. The post was titled “What Did You Do to Prep This Week,” and it was very popular with readers. At its peak, it received an average of 600 comments.

I’ve thought about doing something similar on YouTube. However, I’m hesitant because Google owns YouTube, and they track everything you do and say through their AI system. My concern is about the privacy and safety of my subscribers on YouTube.

On the other hand, this is my website, and Google doesn’t own it. It offers much more privacy than anything owned by Google. The downside is that people seem to have lost interest in reading and prefer watching videos, mostly for entertainment, I think.

Anyway, please share your thoughts below. And remember, when commenting anywhere, even here, never post your name or any personal information.

So, let’s get on with it… What did I do to prep this week?

Unfortunately, I’ve been dealing with a bulging disc in my back for the past few weeks, which has limited my ability to do heavy lifting and digging. Thankfully, it seems to be improving, and I’m starting to move around with less pain. So, I haven’t made much progress with projects around the house, but I did manage to put back some more preps over the past few weeks.

As you might have heard, Berkey water filters have had a lot of issues and have refused to get NSF/ANSI 42 Certification, among other problems. I no longer promote Berkey water filters and won’t until they resolve their issues. However, I didn’t want to throw away the Berkey stainless steel chambers, so I decided to buy replacement filters that are NSF/ANSI 42 Certified and far more cost-effective.

These are the ones I bought and tested, and they are as good or better than the original Berkey filters, with the added bonus of being NSF/ANSI 42 Certified.

I also bought two more 150-round boxes of green-tip 5.56×45 ammo at my local sporting goods store, as well as three 50-round boxes of CCI Stinger .22LR ammo and a 25-round box of 12-gauge #6 shot at my local Walmart.

Additionally, I added two Glock 17 magazines to my growing collection. Stocking up on full-capacity firearm magazines is extremely important! Why? Because the federal government is eager to ban these full-capacity magazines, so you need to stock up on as many as you can afford.

I also bought two cases of canned food from the same Walmart, as well as some canning lids for my home canning.

Now this was an exciting purchase, that I’m REALLY happy with! I bought this and put it on my Mossberg 590A1… and I love it!

Last but not least, I bought the READY HOUR 4-Week Emergency Food Supply and two Augason Farms Butter Powder to replace the one I opened and started using for cooking. “Use one, buy two” is my motto when it comes to prepping.

Well, that’s it for me. What did you do to prep this week? Also, let me know how long you’ve been with me and if you remember the original “What Did You Do to Prep This Week” post. Thanks!

 

Time is SHORT… I’m getting MORE food storage because YOU CAN’T HAVE TOO MUCH!

When SHTF, food is the first thing to go! So, I’m doing all I can while I still can, and you should too. My goal is to reach a 5-year supply, and I’m getting close. If you’ve read my book, then you know that I stockpile a variety of foods—everything from wheat, rice, beans, oats, and canned goods, to long-term storage foods like the kit below.

Pre-packaged survival foods offer many benefits: they’re lightweight, compact, and have an extremely long shelf life of 25 years or more, so you can ‘set it and forget it’ without the need for constant rotation. The only real downside is that you have to add water, while store-bought canned foods come with water included. However, canned foods have a much shorter shelf life, are heavier, and take up more storage space.

You can get this 4-week food supply at My Patriot Supply or at Amazon.com…

How to Prepare Your Home Prior to a Bug-Out

setting up a bug out camp shelter

by Randy W

One topic that I have not seen a lot of coverage on in recent years is the topic of getting one’s home prepared just prior to running out the door due to a forced evacuation or a “Bug Out” scenario.

If you live in an area susceptible to Hurricanes, tropical storms tidal waves, Wild fires and the like there will certainly be public service announcements, and News programs contain many of the things I am discussing here but in a situation where you do not have a large “time budget”, due to impending disaster, there are several things that should be addressed (if there is time to do so) prior to evacuating your home. (Please note all of these procedures should be followed if sufficient warning allows for the time to do so).

Personal property and belongings can always be replaced, take care of your loved ones and their safety as the first priority, then if there is time address these measure to prevent your home from sustaining additional non-storm related damaged caused by a compromised utility or system in your home.

First of all, I believe it is essential to leave you home as secure as possible being certain to remove, or secure any pets, cash, jewelry, valuable papers, documents firearms and ammunition. If possible, rare antiques, and valuable should be wrapped, boxed or protected, where they will be out of harm’s way. In case of potential flooding any and all household items that can be moved, should be placed on upper floors of the home rather than left in the basement or on the first floor if applicable. Valuable Items that cannot be moved or taken away should be left out of sight. If valuable electronics or furniture can be seen from an open window then cover all windows and doors with the blinds, or curtains so no one has the ability to see the contents of your home.

If you live in areas where storm evacuations occur such as along the east coast, it is a good Idea to have functional storm shutters installed on windows that face the prevailing direction a storm will usually come from and have plywood (at least ½ inch thick) pre-cut to size to fit all other doors or windows not so equipped. Having plywood precut to size, and properly labeled in advance, can save valuable time and ensure protection is afforded if sufficient warning for such measures is given. If you are forced to leave your home for long periods of time, this practice that will not only protect your windows from windblown objects, wind compression damage, and hail, it will also offer some additional security, protection should the area be overrun by vandals, looters or marauders.

Another good Idea to protect your home prior to evacuation is to learn where the main water shut off is in order to prevent non storm related, water damage. Once the water main has been shut off, it is a good practice to test a low lying faucet to see if the water is off prior to departure (if the is sufficient time to do so). More than one home owner has returned from vacation or a short evacuation to find the exterior of their home in good condition but flooded from a damaged washing machine hose, ice maker water line or other non-storm related, water damage that could have been prevented if water to the home had been shut off.

In rare instances if you should be forced to evacuate your home in winter conditions or for extended periods of time, the water meter should be disconnected and capped, the supply lines should be drained, pressured cleared, and all drains filled with a few cups of RV anti-freeze. This will prevent pipes from bursting in colder climates. While this would be rare in most evacuation scenarios weather related steps should be taken. In most cases of short term evacuations the possibility of frozen water lines would be small, but it is of course weather dependent.

In an event of a possible Forced evacuation there may not be time to drain and winterize the lines but be aware there are conditions where this could be warranted.

One of the scariest cases of having to evacuate your home would be due to a possible wild fire looming in your area. The Local Fire Marshal may ask to have home owners leave their water on with garden hoses at the ready (should the home owner be forced to leave, at least the fire department would be able to douse the roof or siding should here be a save opportunity to do so). Each forced evacuation may be different and the Local authorities will announce their methodology for such an evacuation. This is by no means a comprehensive guide and is just mentioned for educational purposes.

In addition to shutting off water flow to the home in case of a Bug-out, the natural or LP gas supply to the home should be shut off at the meter or the LP tank dome.

There are certain appliances that rely on pilot lights to start the flame when they are placed in use (water heater, gas log, etc.). These appliances will need to be re-lit once the home can be re-occupied. Most modern stoves/ovens, furnaces, and fire places have electronic ignition or igniters and do not need to be relit prior to use. Learn were the shut offs to you gas supply is located (Meter or tank) and educate yourself and others in your family how to shut them off. For most homes the gray colored gas meter will have a pipe coming from the curb (buried at least 2 ft.) carrying the gas to the meter and a pipe running to the ground that will enter the home on one of the exterior walls. Once located, the gas line shut off will generally be on the pipe line coming to the meter from the curb.

This valve will look like a brass spool valve with a tab standing out from the spool. This should be turned 90 degrees from vertical or in the horizontal position to shut off gas to the home. In situation where the home is fueled by an LP tank the shut off valve will be in the tank dome and may be a ¼ turn ball valve or a screw valve similar to an outdoor hose bib (water faucet). Each valve application may be different so familiarize yourself with safe and proper procedures prior to performing these precautions. A trained professional, utility employee or contractor may need to be contacted in order to familiarize you with your own home system and how it functions, but do not wait until an emergency to find someone to show you the ropes.

In the event of a storm surge, flood, or even earth quake such precautions could prevent further damage to your home caused by a gas leak and resultant fire. It might even prevent being overcome by gas fumes as you reenter your home. Advanced training in systems functionality may prevent additional non-related storm damage to your home.

One additional potential for non-storm related damage to your home would be your electrical system. It might be possible for it to sustain damage from severe weather. While it takes a Utility employee to shut current off to the home at the Mast head (Location where the lines come into the home). Most new homes do have the ability to shut off the circuit panel using the main shutoff, located in the circuit panel (many times this is the first breaker at the top or bottom of the panel, this will appear at least twice the size other circuit breakers in many cases). In some regions, building codes may also call for an exterior, electrical, main, shutoff, breakers, between the circuit board and the meter.

This is very convenient for the Local fire department in case of a home fire, but unless secured by a seal or padlock can also allow a thief to shut off power to the home in order to bypass security. While contriversial, cutting power to the home at the circuit panel, during extended evacuations, may be a viable option. It is probably lower in priority that the other utilities, but if there is a large windblown objects that strikes the exterior wall or you home an electrical line can be damaged in the wall, causing an ark and resultant fire at this location, especially if the object happens to be metal. In most cases of flood, the utility company will shut electricity off as a main distribution switch to prevent emergency workers from coming in contact with live lines. But do not assume this is the case without first contacting the utility prior to entering your home, after a natural or manmade disaster

Extreme caution should be used when reenergizing the main circuit to your home after a natural disaster due to potential damage to your wiring. Never stand in front of the main circuit panel when activating the main shut-off to the on position. Use a protected stance, off to one side of the panel with as much of your body away from any potential electrical fire ball that may form if a large ark occurs due to a power surge in the panel.

Please consult your utility or a professional electrician if you have any questions about shutting your power off to your entire home and prior to re-energizing the home if you have any concerns, this article is for educational purposes and is by no means an all-encompassing manual.

Many people have returned home to a natural disaster to see their home in ruins due to damage that occurred from non-related storm damage that could have been prevented by following a few simple steps to insure that damage to the systems of their home that we take for granted in normal times. Please do your homework so this.

We have taken time today to explore 3 of the systems in your home that may fail or cause potential damage to your home due to a natural or manmade disaster but this is not all inclusive as there may be other sources that I may have over looked that may be unique to our own situation such as solar array and batteries, Exterior wood furnaces, water or steam heat to your home just to mention a few. Making all of the systems of your home as inert as possible prior to bugging out may prevent additional non-storm related damage occurring to your home in your absence.

In summary, it is prudent to be knowledgeable about the main utility systems of your home and how they can be de-energized or shut off in case of an emergency. The main systems we have discussed today all allow us to live in relative ease and comfort compared to our ancestors of less than 100 years ago, but they also have the potential to cause harm to our property or loved ones if they are not properly shut down in times of emergency evacuations.

Electricity, Gas, and water when properly controlled are truly a blessing but when they are not contained or controlled in their proper infrastructure, can lead to additional damage to our home should they be left unchecked during a disaster. With proper knowledge these modern conveniences can be shut off or disconnected in such a way that they will remain in a contained and controlled manner that will allow our homes escape unintended damage that can easily be contained with proper education.