Reputable mail-forwarding services to help increase OPSEC at homestead

[Nickelless]

I recall reading some time ago on Survivalblog that Rawles has all of his mail forwarded from an address other than that of his homestead, and I think this would be a grand idea I'd like to check into myself. Have any of you used mail forwarding services, and if so, any recommendations on ones to use? I currently have a P.O. box, but I'd like a little more "insulation" than that, preferably an address in another town.

[KGMe]

At one point in time I was researching what it would take to live on a boat without a permanent address. The most popular service for full-time cruisers seemed to be St. Brendan's Isle. They also provide you with a primary address in Florida for voting, driver's license, etc. I have no personal experience with a mail forwarder, but these guys seemed to be the hands down favorite for live-aboards.

http://www.sbimailservice.com/index.html

[obilly]

i do not think you will accomplish anything,,,,,you would have to change your address with everybody you do business with to the mail forwarding service who would send it to your p.o. box,,,,and then you still have to go pick it up from the p.o. anyone who wanted to find you would just wait at your p.o. box,,,,and really as long as you are pinging away on that ip they already know where you are. it would help to know what your are trying to do here. you might put yourself in the DHS spotlight by doing this.

[Nickelless]

i do not think you will accomplish anything,,,,,you would have to change your address with everybody you do business with to the mail forwarding service who would send it to your p.o. box,,,,and then you still have to go pick it up from the p.o. anyone who wanted to find you would just wait at your p.o. box,,,,and really as long as you are pinging away on that ip they already know where you are. it would help to know what your are trying to do here. you might put yourself in the DHS spotlight by doing this.

Billy, this wouldn't involve the post office at all and I can't see how it would pull DHS into the mix unless I were wanting a false address for illegal activity, which I don't. I'd just be having mail sent to one particular address and forwarded in bulk to my home address. I e-mailed Jim Rawles to ask him about what he does. I'll let you guys know if/when I hear back from him.

[Meetzos]

Billy, this wouldn't involve the post office at all and I can't see how it would pull DHS into the mix unless I were wanting a false address for illegal activity, which I don't. I'd just be having mail sent to one particular address and forwarded in bulk to my home address. I e-mailed Jim Rawles to ask him about what he does. I'll let you guys know if/when I hear back from him.

I think if you start down this road, the .gov folks would get a notion to start looking into your business. Even though you aren't doing anything illegal they always look at you as guilty until proven innocent. Besides your ss # follows you everywhere. If you are employed they will want your home address not a po box. Just my 2 worthless cents.

[Nickelless]

OK, in looking back over my posts in this thread I guess I didn't clarify my intentions. I'm not trying to hide from the government, I just don't want my address or even hometown circulating in the general public. Of course I'd give my home address, etc., to anyone legitimate who wants it, but especially as a prepper, I don't want anyone who knows I'm a prepper to know where I live. I only give my home address to people I know and trust.

[SongSungAU]

I don't want anyone who knows I'm a prepper to know where I live.

Just a thought.... When TSHTF and all the people around you start losing weight and your weight remains the same, they will know you have a stash of food and will just follow you.

[NotTheOne]

I currently have a P.O. box, but I'd like a little more "insulation" than that, preferably an address in another town.

Why not just a PO box in another town?

[Meetzos]

Just a thought.... When TSHTF and all the people around you start losing weight and your weight remains the same, they will know you have a stash of food and will just follow you.

Especially when they smell carrots on his breath.

[Nickelless]

Just a thought.... When TSHTF and all the people around you start losing weight and your weight remains the same, they will know you have a stash of food and will just follow you.

So should I just not prep and waste away so I'll blend in with everyone else?

Why not just a PO box in another town?

I'd rather not use USPS just in case they have rules against "ghost" addresses or otherwise from people not living in a specific location. I want to stay as far away from USPS/DHS issues as possible. Or is it fairly common to rent a P.O. box in one town and live in another?

[Pyramid]

OK, in looking back over my posts in this thread I guess I didn't clarify my intentions. I'm not trying to hide from the government, I just don't want my address or even hometown circulating in the general public. Of course I'd give my home address, etc., to anyone legitimate who wants it, but especially as a prepper, I don't want anyone who knows I'm a prepper to know where I live. I only give my home address to people I know and trust.

Someone who wanted to know where you live wouldn't have that much of a challenge. Just be on the look out for someone pushing a grocery cart with enough canned carrots to build a fort with and follow you home. Preps located, secured, and stored by someone else. I say this with no disrepect whatsoever, good luck.

[Nickelless]

Someone who wanted to know where you live wouldn't have that much of a challenge. Just be on the look out for someone pushing a grocery cart with enough canned carrots to build a fort with and follow you home. Preps located, secured, and stored by someone else. I say this with no disrepect whatsoever, good luck.

I do my preps shopping in the middle of the night and bring everything in through my garage. Nobody sees me bringing anything into the house. No sign of carrots anywhere.

[LukeNM]

I had a home based business and used a mom and pop mail service (combination antique shop) for business purposes. I just stopped by a few times a week to pickup the mail. Customers did not know where I lived. I am sure they would have forwarded to mail to me, for a fee, if requested.

[SongSungAU]

So should I just not prep and waste away so I'll blend in with everyone else?

LOL! No, I didn't mean you shouldn't prep. I just meant you won't be able to keep the prepping thing a secret if you are going to be around people. They will notice.

[obilly]

nicklless ,after 3 weeks you have nothing to fear from the starving,,,,you will be eating while they will only have the energy to sleep,,,,,,,keep on prepping.,,,,????

[Saguaro Kid]

A lot of people use this service.

http://www.escapees.com/MailForwardingService.asp

[Pyramid]

I do my preps shopping in the middle of the night and bring everything in through my garage. Nobody sees me bringing anything into the house. No sign of carrots anywhere.

You've probably thought this through more so than I have. It just seems to me that a cart full of 1 item is not overly discreet or tactful. A cart full of canned carrots stands out like a turd in a punchbowl, whereas a few cans mixed in with several other items will raise no red flags. The real point of vulnerability is in the store and pushing the cart to the car. Shopping in the middle of the night is not a bad idea, as you're probably the only intelligent person in the store out of the other 25 employees and shoppers present at Sprawl-Mart. The random late-night creepy-crawlies would concern me, however, but hopefully you are in a safe neighborhood. Be safe out there and good luck.

[Dave Thomas]

Order some ammo from Cheaper Than Dirt!, and they'll keep sending you catalogs until you're mailbox explodes. The mail carrier will shake their head and just pass you on up.

[Nickelless]

LOL! No, I didn't mean you shouldn't prep. I just meant you won't be able to keep the prepping thing a secret if you are going to be around people. They will notice.

Wear baggy clothes to make it look like you've lost weight.

You've probably thought this through more so than I have. It just seems to me that a cart full of 1 item is not overly discreet or tactful. A cart full of canned carrots stands out like a turd in a punchbowl, whereas a few cans mixed in with several other items will raise no red flags. The real point of vulnerability is in the store and pushing the cart to the car. Shopping in the middle of the night is not a bad idea, as you're probably the only intelligent person in the store out of the other 25 employees and shoppers present at Sprawl-Mart. The random late-night creepy-crawlies would concern me, however, but hopefully you are in a safe neighborhood. Be safe out there and good luck.

Compared to most people who shop late at night at Wally World, I look really normal! But seriously, as far as being vulnerable to thugs late at night, off-duty cops do security at night at both of the local Walmarts and they typically park their squad cars on the curb all night long, so that's probably a good deterrent. But really, I think I'd be more at risk for mugging if I was walking out with expensive electronics (in fact, I was mugged a couple years ago for my laptop--right after that happened, I started packing heat). I don't think I'll be a target if I'm pushing out a cart full of food, and if you're hungry, I'll be glad to give you some of my food.

I tend to buy a lot of one or two (mostly food) items at a time, so I figure that I probably look more like a crazy eccentric than a prepper. But hey, I only bought 42 pounds of oatmeal, 12 jars of blackberry preserves and 10 jars of almond butter (I'm allergic to peanuts) last week. A couple months worth of breakfast and lunch for just under $100!

And by the way, Pyramid, next time you see a turd in the punchbowl, use it to fertilize your garden!

[AceNZ]

I can recommend these guys:

http://www.usglobalmail.com/

They're in Houston.

[TnAndy]

I don't think I'd bother with more than a PO box, personally. Anybody that wants to spend a bit of detective time can find you IF they have your real name. I think I'd only use a drop mail service if I was gonna be a boater, or a road gypsy of some kind.

Even Rawles location of an "un-named" river would NOT be that hard to find if his name is on a property deed, or if set up in a corporate name, and his name appears anywhere in the lists of coporate officers ( obtainable from the State ), you look for property deeded to the corporation. He has compromised his own "opsec" by narrowing down the choice of States to 3-4 western States ( and probably one if you really read his stuff ). So unless JWRawles is a completely fake name for internet/author use, then he wouldn't be THAT hard to locate.

Even with fake names, people slip. There is a fellow that owns JRH Enterprises, that advertises on Rawles site (and other places).....I know him personally....good guy, and for several years, I "thought" his last name (the H of JRH ) was one thing, which I later found out it wasn't.......that was his "internet persona" .....ahahahaa.......whatever......

[138]

A great book on this subject is How To Be Invisible by J.J Luna. Below is a free pdf of the 2000 edition. I would recommend buying the updated book. Great info.

http://www.canaryislandspress.com/media/HTBI2000.pdf