Leaving it all behind... Where do I start

[Ron8292]

I am a 31 yr old Health and PE teacher living in New Jersey. Over the past several years I have become more interested in essentially leaving "society" for a life in the wilderness. I dont hate society or people but Im just tired of the hustle and bustle, meaningless jobs, meetings and committees etc.... The same story from a lot of people on this forum from what I can tell.

I am an Eagle Scout and have always loved camping and the wilderness and I still try to camp a few times a year. I am a former EMT and have been working in construction/ carpentry since I was 12. (I now do handyman work in the summers when I am not teaching). I also have some experience with raising chickens and growing a small vegetable garden. I say these things not to brag but to show that I have at least a very moderate amount of knowledge and experience that might be useful for wilderness living.

As of right now I am just beginning my research for this and have a goal of about 5 years before I make any real long term commitment. My question is where can I find people that are willing to give me some kind of "apprenticeship" where I can learn other important skills like hunting and meat/ hide preservation, canning etc... I would like to possibly do this for a summer or even just for a few weeks. My ideal location would be a northern climate like Alaska, N. Dakota, Minnesota etc... But Id settle for anywhere that someone would give me the opportunity and their knowledge.

[crashdive123]

The information you seek is out there. A few years ago one of our members made an offer that is just what you are looking for. As it turns out, none of the members that come here looking to do that sort of thing were really serious.

I'm not sure if the offer still stands, but here it is http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/showthread.php?8383-Wilderness-Living-An-Open-Invitation&highlight=cabin

Here's another good read http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/showthread.php?8382-Wilderness-Living-How-It-Really-Works

Being from NJ (left almost 40 years ago) know that when you get away from the hustle and bustle of metropolitan areas that things can and do slow down a bit. Don't discount rural living as something to look into.

[hunter63]

Hunter63, saying Hey and Welcome.
Any particular trade in mind?.......Most all things are better digested in small bites.

[Rick]

Have you considered a volunteer stint with:

World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms
Peace Corps
UN Volunteers
Help Exchange
Conservation Volunteers
And more. Check out:

http://www.volunteerinternational.org/

Or here in the US with Global Volunteers:

http://www.globalvolunteers.org/usa/

[LowKey]

How much money you got? There are Farm schools out there.
Ran across this one in MA
http://farmschool.org/learn.php

[DSJohnson]

Ron, If you will, check out these two websites. They both advertise "apprentice" opportunities in their publications. You should also check out Tiller's International. Good Luck sir.

http://smallfarmersjournal.com/
http://ruralheritage.com/

http://www.tillersinternational.org/

[1stimestar]

You could also join VISTA, Volunteers in Service to America, which is similar to Peace Corps but stays in America.

[Ron8292]

Thanks everyone for the helpful information. I will definitely look into all of these suggestions. Even if I never make it to the wilderness I think time spent elsewhere learning these skills will be an enlightening experience. Like I said my goal is to take it slow and piece by piece over the next 5 years. This is not something I am going to just jump into. That being said I also like the suggestion for rural living. While I want to live in a remote area it would still be nice to be able to drive into town for bacon and eggs on sundays. Ive also considered some type of co-op community but I am hesitant because it seems to me the line is blurry between co-op and commune. Most of all I want to live a more self sufficient life in an area with a lot less NY/NJ (if you know what I mean)
As for a career or source of income I believe that my experience in construction and my degree in health and exercise science could be put to use in basically any community or location. Everyone needs stuff built and needs to stay healthy. Thanks again for all of the help. This is a great starting point.

[AvatarHomestead]

Ahhh...yes, Ron. That is the age old question I'm asking myself! Where do you find the training and experience to do such things? One way of getting some great training is to look at "meetup.com" and join a local group that is doing such things. I started my own meetup group and we have probably done over 90 different activities over the past 2 years that gave me a great deal of experience.
For me, my recommendation is not to worry so much about the training, you'll get plenty of that as you meet people along the way whose interests align with yours. I suggest you work out the whole "soft people skills" first. I learned real quick that it's the "people" that stand in my way of getting my dreams accomplished. It's finding the right people, because you won't do it alone, that's one thing I can confidently say.
I reaffirm what Crash has been saying, it's REALLY tough to find people who take it seriously! Most people are just "dabbling" with the idea, they are not truly serious about getting out on some land and making it work. And those who do actually venture out, they change their minds quite quickly after they discover how much manual labor is involved! It's not easy! But....the rewards are tremendous from what I've heard from others who truly live "off-grid".

Good Luck to you!

[Grizz123]

I moved back to south jersey 11 years ago and have been trying to leave for the past 10 1/2 years... Feel free to PM me and we can talk. It would be nice to have someone else in this state who feels the same as I do...

[RALPER]

Purchase the book: "Encyclopedia Of Country Living" by Carla Emery. It will teach you about canning, food drying, gardening, raising animals, and just about all you need to know about country living.