There are some very good points in the previous posts. It's very interesting to see the different schools of thought and preferences. IMO, regardless of the area it's going to take banding together to make it.

The mountain idea just really depends on which mountains we're talking about in particular and what the weather is like when you have to bug out. Last winter I was in the Leadville area. If there wasn't any electricity and plenty of stored supplies in place it would be very difficult to survive, especially if you had to provide for an entire family until the thaw. It's not impossible, just not easy if you're not really, really prepared. At one point last winter the actual temperature was -33 and the animals were long gone by that time. Personally, I just can't stand being stuck in a cabin for one whole day, much less all winter.

During the summer the mountains are great! It's absolutely beautiful and full of food. During the winter, not so much. I'd like to think I'm pretty tough, but I don't think I could survive a winter up in that part of the country if I had to provide for my family.

My home is about 1/4 mile from a 21,000 acre lake in South Texas. Of course it's hot during the summer, but the winters are very mild and there is food everywhere for people that know how to go out and get it. There is also a large ranch next to me that has tons of exotics (even buffalo) and we have tons of deer, pigs, turkeys & varmints that live here year round. Right now I can walk outside my front door and shoot a cottontail rabbit. My parents and my brother live within 10 miles from me. We plan to pool our resources together here initially.

My brother and I have hunted and fished together all our lives, so providing won't be too hard. Everyone can take care of themselves. Mom & dad are getting up in the years, but they're still doing well. In fact, mom is 83 and still carries a Smith snubby .357 Mag. Even my 11 year old daughter can drive a car, ride a dirtbike, shoot a gun, a bow and fish (this morning she caught more white bass than I did). Both of our wives have CHL's and can shoot rifles and pistols well.

If we have to leave this area we will make our way to the hill country where my dad was raised. There is a huge ranch we've spent a lot of time on. That part of Texas is really, really rough, but it has everything you could ever want. It's the kind of place someone could go to and get lost.