Wilderness Living Dreams or Delusions

[Mtnman Mike]

People can spend as much money as they wish and most people would need a Lot of money to build what they would find comfy enough.

I try to live very frugal, most would say I am a cheapskate. I think only the homeless would live on less money than I have especially for the past ten years.

In 1987 I paid $8,000 for my 3 and 1/2 acres of remote mtn land in southern Wyoming. It is at 9,500 feet and about 12 miles west of Encampment, WY

I also paid around $1,000 for the interest but paid the land off in 3 years so a total of $9,000 for the land which is supposed to be worth at least $50,000 today not including my buildings which most do not know about unless they read some posts on the net.

I have spent maybe a total of $4,000 for building materials and equipment. I do not keep close tabs of my expenses for the past 20 plus years for I am no bookkeeper.

But I also have salvaged much material such as lumber, steel beams etc. One big expense was 80 pound bags of concrete which I have bought at least 250 and carried them up the mountain to make my underground cabin/bunker stronger.

I just wanted to share some of my expenses to show that it is possible to Not spend huge amounts of money to make a good survival retreat. Most probably would not really like it for it is sorta "crude" but it does work for me. And I will make it a little nicer if/when I ever move up there permanently.

I "only" live up there from June to November for the past ten years.

[Nativedude]

I have a serious question for those whom choose to live in the remote wilderness, yet spend so much to live there. Why?

Why do you need a well/running water, septic system, house building kit flown in, grid electricity, creature comforts (as city people call them)? If your hep on having electricity there is solar (photovoltaic) or windmill (turbine) electricity.

When I first ventured out I had a Yurt that I bought used for $1,000 (still have it). I now use it as a base for my survival/primitive living courses. 50# of salt pork, potatoes, and powdered milk. 25# each of organic flour, rice, beans, and sugar. 10# of cinnamon, vanilla beans, cumin, raw garlic, garlic powder, and paprika. I also had 1 hen and 1 rooster, and various bundles of fresh herbs that I dried.

I had all of my tools (axe, auger bits, chisels, etc.) for building my shelter, as well as, my clothing, bedding, and various other in-sundries. . . .Everything I needed to live.

All told, and this is building up my supplies (other than food) over a 10 year period, I had spent about $5,200.

Now I do a lot of trading when I go to town. Don't spend nor need a lot of cash. The most expense I have is my sat. phone, which I use for my internet connection. Going to change that this coming March, so that expense will be cut by about 70%.

I have an outhouse (dug a 10'd x 5'l x 4'w) pit. Still a long way from being filled. That's my septic. I get my water from the river or falls, hunt & fish for my meat, etc.

I figure, if I'm going to live in mother Nature's livingroom, I'm going to use what she has to offer to live there. Not have it MANufactured in the city and bring it into her abode. I guess that's just me?!

Anyway, you can live cheaply, if you choose, in the remote wilderness. It's just up to you how many "creature comforts" you need!

[crashdive123]

So - do you accept money from your students?

[justin_baker]

I dont think i would mind the hardships faced, i dont really need much to be comfortable. I love the wilderness so much though, there is no way that i am not going to spend a ton of time out there. I could easily spend some time in a brush shelter if it meant getting away from civilization. Mabeye i would get bored eventually....but i cant really know.

[Alaskan Survivalist]

I have not seen this thread before. Makes me glad I never had the option of having enough money to even think of doings things that way.

[Sourdough]

I have not seen this thread before. Makes me glad I never had the option of having enough money to even think of doings things that way.

How much money do you have in your place.......? If someone said, "I'll buy everything (Guns, knives, house, land, everything) you walk away in a sheet, leave your Alaska clothing, leave everything.......HOW much.........I'll bet it is Hundreds of thousands of dollars. The point of this thread is people think they can take a swiss army knife & $5.00 and live forever in the wilderness.

[randyt]

very interesting.

i'm curious with this wilderness living does that mean not working outside the home?

interesting too is the money required. back in the early eighties i helped a friend build a log house in rural ky. at that time he had very little in his homestead, things have changed over over the years. he scrounged nearly everything. no indoor plumbing, no electricity, no HVAC. he has a spring that we would take a bucket to for water. over the years he has added a generator that he only runs now and then. he put a insert into his fireplace, for years he just used the fireplace. he added a water holding tank and a indoor flush toilet. things have grown around there. he did this with six kids and a wife, the oldest was 18 years old. it was a rough set up. food was mostly beans and oatmeal. ya know the old "oatmeal or no meal thing".

back to the house. when i showed up to give a hand he had stone piers and one row of logs started. his boys were dragging red cedar out of the woods with a team of mules. in a week we had the walls up and started on the rafters. plywood went down on the roof and roll roofing. plywood went on the gables. dirt was filled in the gap around the piers. i had left before that happened. he built a stone fireplace and moved in. they lived with a dirt floor for a few years. they moved in that fall, they were living in a pickup camper and the boys were living in a old corncrib that a farmer gave them.

a lot has changed since then it's amazing what can accumulate over time.
this gent was a mason and worked outside the home, i'm guessing he was 47 years old at the time. by the way this took place about 25 miles from our friend Poco.

[Sourdough]

very interesting.

i'm curious with this wilderness living does that mean not working outside the home?.

In my opinion you can live in the wilderness, and work Outside the home. Again, I think the point of this thread is, it ain't FREE. One way or another it takes hard labor or money, and often a lot of both.

[Alaskan Survivalist]

How much money do you have in your place.......? If someone said, "I'll buy everything (Guns, knives, house, land, everything) you walk away in a sheet, leave your Alaska clothing, leave everything.......HOW much.........I'll bet it is Hundreds of thousands of dollars. The point of this thread is people think they can take a swiss army knife & $5.00 and live forever in the wilderness.

I think there is no limit to how much money you can put into a piece of land. The real question is do you have to have it all before you make the move or will you be able to accumulate more when you get there? At some point you must develop a livelyhood there and if living within your means will be able to accumulate more. What is the minimum you can live with? Then how can you accumilate more? Answer that and you get it done. The real issue is how do you get there from here. I have great admiration for those that can do it without money because they are few.

[Alaskan Survivalist]

I dont think i would mind the hardships faced, i dont really need much to be comfortable. I love the wilderness so much though, there is no way that i am not going to spend a ton of time out there. I could easily spend some time in a brush shelter if it meant getting away from civilization. Mabeye i would get bored eventually....but i cant really know.

I think you should read this.

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...ad.php?t=10960

[welderguy]

How much money do you have in your place.......? If someone said, "I'll buy everything (Guns, knives, house, land, everything) you walk away in a sheet, leave your Alaska clothing, leave everything.......HOW much.........I'll bet it is Hundreds of thousands of dollars. The point of this thread is people think they can take a swiss army knife & $5.00 and live forever in the wilderness.

Just curious what is the 5.00 needed for in the wilderness?

[Sourdough]

Just curious what is the 5.00 needed for in the wilderness?

Tents, nails, stoves, tools, etc. (about $8,000.-- worth of basics).

[Alaskan Survivalist]

Sourdoughs point is well taken and the more assets you have the greater your odds of success. It will vary somewhat depending on the resources provided by the land and your own abilities. Here knowing 12 ways to build a fire is not needed. You are better knowing one way to build fire and 11 other things. The wilderness is not going to change to accomadate your fantasies and if you intend it to you will need heavy equipment. There is a difference between surviving a week and when it becomes your life and people need to get real. Our experiences differ some but I know exactly what he is trying to communicate.

[welderguy]

Tents, nails, stoves, tools, etc. (about $8,000.-- worth of basics).

I got ya !

[seeker1968]

I have a serious question for those whom choose to live in the remote wilderness, yet spend so much to live there. Why?

Why do you need a well/running water, septic system, house building kit flown in, grid electricity, creature comforts (as city people call them)? If your hep on having electricity there is solar (photovoltaic) or windmill (turbine) electricity.

When I first ventured out I had a Yurt that I bought used for $1,000 (still have it). I now use it as a base for my survival/primitive living courses. 50# of salt pork, potatoes, and powdered milk. 25# each of organic flour, rice, beans, and sugar. 10# of cinnamon, vanilla beans, cumin, raw garlic, garlic powder, and paprika. I also had 1 hen and 1 rooster, and various bundles of fresh herbs that I dried.

I had all of my tools (axe, auger bits, chisels, etc.) for building my shelter, as well as, my clothing, bedding, and various other in-sundries. . . .Everything I needed to live.

All told, and this is building up my supplies (other than food) over a 10 year period, I had spent about $5,200.

Now I do a lot of trading when I go to town. Don't spend nor need a lot of cash. The most expense I have is my sat. phone, which I use for my internet connection. Going to change that this coming March, so that expense will be cut by about 70%.

I have an outhouse (dug a 10'd x 5'l x 4'w) pit. Still a long way from being filled. That's my septic. I get my water from the river or falls, hunt & fish for my meat, etc.

I figure, if I'm going to live in mother Nature's livingroom, I'm going to use what she has to offer to live there. Not have it MANufactured in the city and bring it into her abode. I guess that's just me?!

Anyway, you can live cheaply, if you choose, in the remote wilderness. It's just up to you how many "creature comforts" you need!

I am guessing you are single....

[Rick]

I'm guessing he's a complete fake and you are new to the forum. I won't make you guess where the introduction section is, however.

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...ead.php?t=7813

[seeker1968]

I'm guessing he's a complete fake and you are new to the forum. I won't make you guess where the introduction section is, however.

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...ead.php?t=7813

No I am not a fake, I just hang out on the bushcraftusa forum more. I have just started to catch up here. I am pretty new, but I am not sure how that makes me a fake lol.

My comment wasn't meant to be degrading, I actually envy the guy for being able to live that way, I just know my wife would not go along for the ride.

No offense meant. But I am wondering what your problem is...

[Rick]

I don't have one. You misread the post. Nativedude is a fake. He said he was from Alaska but his IP was from Detroit.

[Ken]

No I am not a fake, I just hang out on the bushcraftusa forum more. I have just started to catch up here. I am pretty new, but I am not sure how that makes me a fake lol.

My comment wasn't meant to be degrading, I actually envy the guy for being able to live that way, I just know my wife would not go along for the ride.

No offense meant. But I am wondering what your problem is...

No, no, no. Read that again. Rick wasn't calling you a fake. Nativedude is the fake. Every one of his threads and posts was pure bull$hit. The liar lives somewhere around Detroit.

Now, how about that introduction?

[Ken]

Rick, how about typing with only your left hand?