Curley from Alabama

[Curley]

Hello! Curley here from Alabama, USA. I look forward to gaining knowledge and skills from y'all.

[Pennsylvania Mike]

Hello and welcome from Pennsylvania.

[hunter63]

Hunter63 saying Hey and Welcome....From Wisconsin.

[alaskabushman]

Welcome from the other "Ala" state.

[Rick]

Welcome home.

[Curley]

Thanks Mike. I found this site today while looking around really for actual published survival stories other than literary works from the likes of Thoreau. I would love to think that I could be dropped from a helicopter into the middle of the woods with nothing more than a pen knife and a Zippo and in a month have a 1200 sq ft cabin, a rack of meat I canned and a bear skin rug but I realize that is stuff made of fantasy.

The real truth is my wife and I have been steadily looking for land, although we have 5 rural acres now, but closer to some big woods like a National Forest. Financially in the long run it would make more sense to go off grid where we live now. We have a nice garden, we are far enough out from congestion and crime and its peaceful.

However, within 5 years we will be empty nesters and the house is too big, requires maintenance and we desire to move a lot closer to nature. I have accumulated some skills in the woods hunting, fishing, camping, processing meat, reloading my own ammunition and of course gardening, canning and preserving.

But I am here seeking knowledge based on experiences of people who have already done this. I realize that anyone who has done this on a permanent basis will likely not be on a forum such as this for obvious reason of not having computer access. But if you or anyone else on here has the practical experience and knowledge I seek, I hope I can be given some good direction.

[Curley]

Thank you everyone. I addressed Mike but am anxious to here from anyone who can offer ideas. It just happened that as I was typing my response to him I got interrupted for a bit and returned. I appreciate the welcome from you all.

[Rick]

Of course that is completely impossible. Everyone knows it would take a pen knife, Zippo and trap engine.

[Curley]

I have lots of "Stuff for Dummies" books as well as medicinal books, tanning books and various survival books. In reading them the writers seem to speak of practical solutions and procedures but I want to hear from real live people. Unfortunately Elmer Keith, Hugh Glass and Jeremiah Johnson are all dead so I must hear from live folks. I reckon y'all face nimrods like me regularly so I am certain you all have some words of wisdom for me.

[alaskabushman]

Books are an amazing resource, and I have them in abundance. I firmly believe you can learn to do almost anything from a book. However, nothing is a good substitute for just "getting out there and doing it".

If you are looking for a very interesting story take a look at "The Cheechakoes" by Wyane Short. https://www.amazon.com/Cheechakoes-W.../dp/0964498057 Its a fantastic story about a family of homesteaders who settled in the wilds of Southeast Alaska back in the mid 40's. Life was rough back then and it took real grit to survive. Its one of my favorite books.

[Curley]

Thank you for the recommendation. I will look it up. Sounds like it could be helpful. I would love to find such books about folks in the Southeastern US too. As much as I have dreamed about going to Alaska, my wife won't commit to such an endeavor. Everybody talks of wet heat and dry heat and wet cold and dry cold and the differences between...truth is, cold is cold and hot is hot regardless of moisture content and she can't handle that much cold that often. I am not so sureI could either. Maybe twenty years ago.

[crashdive123]

Hello and welcome.

[alaskabushman]

Thank you for the recommendation. I will look it up. Sounds like it could be helpful. I would love to find such books about folks in the Southeastern US too. As much as I have dreamed about going to Alaska, my wife won't commit to such an endeavor. Everybody talks of wet heat and dry heat and wet cold and dry cold and the differences between...truth is, cold is cold and hot is hot regardless of moisture content and she can't handle that much cold that often. I am not so sure I could either. Maybe twenty years ago.

I wasn't really suggesting you pull up and head north...just recommending a great story.

As far as hot is hot and cold is cold...couldn't agree more. I tend to avoid the heat if I can. I've spent time in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina, and I have learned that I'll take 30 degrees over 100 any day. To each their own.

Actually where I live the weather is more like Seattle than northern Alaska. It never dips below zero, and its rarely below freezing for more than a couple weeks at a time. I've lived up north for a while as well and I don't care for the -40 degrees either...I'm just picky I guess.

[1stimestar]

Welcome from Alaska. I have raised my kids for many years now in a dry and then a damp cabin. The last 5 years of those alone since they were 9 and 13. It's doable. Just depends on where your priorities are. I just bought a house with running water but still have a 1200 gallon bulk tank and have water delivered, very common up here with the amount of permafrost we have. Many of my friends are fully off grid (and still have internet via satellite.) Here's a little video of our last cabin. It shows the handy water system and my two story outhouse.

[Antonyraison]

hi and welcome

[Tokwan]

Welcome from Malaysia

[Fixit]

Hello from Tennessee . There are lots of offgrid people with Internet . I can say that as I sit here at home ,offgrid 5 miles back on a logging road. You just have limits to the Gigabyte's you use each month .