My name is Mark Tipton and I am an American expatriate living in the Philippines. I went Galt in 2004 but now feel compelled to return to the US. This is a rather verbose introduction but I hope you will read through it as it will let you know something about me and my experience … and more importantly, why I am registering here now.

Until 2005 my dad and I owned roughly 170 acres of high desert in Northern Nevada … north of Reno. The property was fully off the grid and set up to use local water sources, wind and solar power. There was no outside utility coming in with the exception of cell phone signals. I worked full time and my dad was on retirement … something which will not likely be around for many of us here today I imagine. We invested heavily in precious metals. Primarily we bought and traded steel (barrels) (shotting) iron(s) lead (bullets) and copper (jackets). We bought numerous 98 Mausers from the local Big 5 and rebuilt them changing the caliber and the actions. In 2005 my Dad had a heart attack while I was out of town for work. I promptly quit my job and went home to help … as my boss said I would not be able to leave, and it was my dad, I parked the company vehicle at the bus station and went home.

I went to get him in the hospital and we were told he would need long term care. I took all the classes, all the courses, learned how to do things that nobody other than a mother should ever have to deal with and was within a few weeks of taking him home. Part of the process involved completely renovating his home to accommodate his disabilities. Upon completion, the home had to be inspected … and that was when they found out we lived off the grid. The entire legal situation quickly changed from me being such a “good man” for taking care of my dad to the point where I was facing federal charges. Taking him home would have constituted an act of “elder abuse” and not taking him home would have been “elder abandonment” both of which carry federal penalties. My only legal option was not to be the nearest living next of kin and the last time I was on my property, there were about fifty cops there sorting through my stuff as they took literally everything we owned.

As you can imagine, this was a bit unsettling and is ultimately how I ended up back in the Philippines where I had been doing volunteer work since 1998. I had very little to start with here and lost all that to two of the three worst storms in local history and now my wife has finally consented to moving back to the US and I feel compelled to return given the state of the nation … but I need to rebuild when I do. Don't worry, I am not asking anyone for money but I am looking for people who are interested in surviving and potentially surviving very well in a fully self-sustaining and potentially profitable environment. I will need partners and/or investors to make this happen but it is actually something that I have set up for others before.

Here I make my living primarily as a writer and web designer though I also do a lot of work as a business consultant. This is work that I have done on a number of different levels on and off since the early nineties when my dad and I began building our own home … it allowed me the freedom I needed to work on my own property and while it was good money, it was not consistent, thus, the reason I worked other jobs as well. As most people here likely know, escaping from the rat race can be done inexpensively but it is better to do it well … and two jobs is sometimes necessary.

In 1996 I developed business plans and business and marketing strategies for a guest ranch in the western United States. The actual business was a Guest Ranch providing country living for high end tourists. We also provided hunting and fishing tours as well as other offerings for the middle class and the rich. On the outside, this was all that the business appeared to be. On the inside, the setup was ideal for people who are concerned about current affairs and the goings-on in the world today. The entire plot was fully defensible and moreover, the setup was nearly fully self-sustainable. Obviously there is some need for a limited amount of outside influence though in that particular instance, the setup was sufficient to keep the property, at full capacity, fully isolated, defensible and alive for at least a three year period. At present there are two similar properties that I know about and I am hoping to do some networking and find some like-minded people who would be interested in setting up a similar venture. The business venture end could be set up for middle class or upper class visitors depending on the level of commitment involved. In return, I would retain management rights and a percentage of the ownership.

Personally, I am quite skilled at setting up minimalistic facilities as well. My dad and I built an entire project on a very limited budget. From acquiring land to setting up solar and wind to home made windmills for generating power and pumping water, I have personal experience and a strong desire to meet like minded individuals. I am more than happy to freely share my knowledge regarding smaller settings and hope to meet others who can give me new ideas and information in return. I am happy to be here and hope that we can meet some day … under the best of circumstances.

Mark Tipton