Believe it or not, living away from society may be far more attainable than you may think. However, you must learn to live off the system rather than run away from it. Instead of buying new land take advantage of what america already has to offer, after all our ancestors killed off millions of people and destroyed entire cultures to get this land. Keep in mind, i am not chastising you if you do not follow through, i merely thought someone might benefit from these ideas. These ideas are also extremely theoretical. My boyfriend and i plan on testing them out in a year or two when we are better prepared. First of all, you don't even need to buy land. There are acres of public land if you just know where to look. Research BLM lands also known as The Bureau of Land Management. One major thing to remember, however, is to always follow the rules regarding waste, food, etc. They are there for a reason. If you don’t you might call attention to yourself and get booted. Not to mention, you might throw off the ecosystem. They own tons of land and it is very rarely patrolled. It’s also public. The only thing you have to worry about is being found by hikers or land surveyors. How you do this is to settle a long ways off the trail. Follow a stream so you don’t lose your way. Also keep your commune small and build your structures to look temporary. You’ll want something a little more substantial than tents. Research the way the Native American Tribes of the area lived. After all they lived there for centuries with little help from neighboring tribes. Investigate the structure and uses of wigwams, teepees, longhouses, etc. You’re going to want to keep in mind the weather and seasons you will be enduring. Read wilderness survival guides. They are designed for short term but they are chockfull of information. Another problem will be how to get there. The best way is to walk or hitchhike. Abbie Hoffman says that hitchhiking in couples (one woman and one man) dressed like hippies, is the safest and most likely way to get picked up. You can also save up a little money, take a bus, and hoof it the rest of the way. Another option is to take your car, but i wouldn’t recommend it. For many people, a car symbolizes freedom but this is the exact opposite. A car is responsibility. You must pay for gas, insurance, registration, and a Parking permit. But you can park the car if you have a park pass. i suggest getting a yearly pass. The car might raise suspicion so you will want to move it to different parking spots. Water is one of the most important things when deciding where to camp. You must be near a water source. It is required by park law to keep your campsite a little ways away from the body of water. This is generally a good idea since water levels tend to rise in the spring. Another thing to keep in mind is to find a remote water source. You don’t want to camp next to a busy fishing hole. The risk would be too great and it would feel over crowded. Electricity is a commodity. We don’t need to live with it. If you are camping in a cool area or a place that outlaws fire, you can bring a camping stove; just remember it needs to be filled with propane. To keep this running you might want to take up a craft you can sell such as knitting, wood working, or something. You can also try panhandling but this is a very shaky source of income. Plumbing is a commodity as well. Human waste is biodegradable and can make an excellent garden patch, complete with fertilizer if you can stomach it. If not, follow park regulations and bury it under a few inches of dirt. Also check your area for local regulations for any special rules, especially if you’re in bear country. Health care is important to survival. Everyone should know some basic first aid and CPR. There are other ways to heal someone than modern medicine. Besides, stocking up on drugs might prove rather problematic. Get books on herbal remedies of your area. Have everyone in you group know and understand the basic features of important plants. It is also important everyone knows what kind of wild foods are good to eat. Food is important but not as important as water. You’re going to want to bring a stockpile with you. Cheap things and things that don’t require much preparation and take up very little space in your backpack are good. If you are hitchhiking or taking the bus, you may want to consider buying your supplies from in town, so you don’t have to haul as much stuff across country. Beans and rice are some basic staples in your diet until you can produce anything by farming. Check out some books on bio-intensive gardening and be prepared to forage before your garden kicks in. You won’t want livestock as it is the most inefficient means of getting food. The cattle will trample the local vegetation and get sick from the new environment. They also take up too much room and you would be found out immediately. You can live without meat. But if you insist on having more protein, trapping and fishing are the way to go. Hunting is a pointless waste of time and unless you want the trouble of obtaining a hunting license you are likely to be arrested. Your government and society are up to you. The enforcing of rules will be a difficult decision to make as your followers will be hungry, stressed, and in a completely new environment for them. You might want to read ‘Lord of the Flies’ before continuing (just kidding, but it might not be a bad idea; the strategies of management are rather unique). One thing to keep in mind is there MUST be a government. If you are going to rely on each other and live in close proximity, there must be rules and some common courtesy. Also keep in mind you will be roughing it. This will not be like sitting on your couch and dreaming of anarchy. This will be DIFFICULT. Plan to go hungry. Plan to be tired. Condition yourself before you leave. This isn’t quite like camping in the fact that there won’t be smores and you can’t go home when it rains. But if you manage to complete this you will experience something few people have dared to think about. You will know what you are made of. So good luck and thanks for listening. Please tell me what you think. Want to know more about something? feel free to email me. Venus
NorthernVenus, that is great information. If you would, keep an eye on the thread in my signature, we're in the process of brainstorming for such an event. It would be great to have a few planned voyages out into the wilderness with 15+ people so that we could get the hang of it. We could do that every 3-4 months for at least a full month. Or we could start out living outdoors for a month, then stay out longer and longer each time. Whichever works best.
Agreed, this is something I too am interested in.. In fact, This is what I WANT to do.. I am almost 29 and really dont like what babylon has to offer. .I would rather live off the grid in a self sufficient community based by people with the same ideas of living freely.. I have woodworking skills and can make some money with that.. I Work alot with my hands and am amazed at some of the stuff I have made.. All in all, I Want to leave this place and move where we work together to make a better place for us to live... Loving you Daniel
yea, i definitly want to do this too. keep me updated as to when u plan to do this, and ill defintly join u.
NorthernVenus Lots of great information there. I once read a book called roughing it easy. It is a very old book but, it covers everything from building shelter to refrigerating and storing food.
