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Thread: "I ran away to off-grid Wilderness & LIVED".

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    Default "I ran away to off-grid Wilderness & LIVED".

    Just a small ray of HOPE for the youth who want to Live in the wilderness. I did it, I am still alive at 65 y/o.
    It is doable today, in fact with todays higher quality tools, it might even be easier. My advise is do it where there is year around food like fish.

    You will need skills.

    I ran away from home at age 15 and never went back. I served a very rigid 4 year apprenticeship, and my journeyman papers are signed by Nelson Rockefeller, then Governor of New York. Spent 4 years at Rochester Institute of Technology studying Mechanical Engineering.

    At age 22 I took my skills, and $127.00 cash money, and moved to Alaska.


  2. #2

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    Very Cool!!! Thanks for sharing.
    ---------------------------------------------
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    Tres
    Website has been updated for 2012!! http://wildernessmeans.com/

    NOTE: I'm a machinist, gunsmith, writer, and instructor of many outdoor topics looking for gainful employment in any geographical cool place to live. Resumes posted on website.

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    Senior Member randyt's Avatar
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    many times a fella will mover to a place and never make enough money to leave LOL, just funning around. I think it's a great post. Thank you

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    One step at a time intothenew's Avatar
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    You studied thermodynamics, and then moved to Alaska? Rankine and Kelvin weren't very big influences on ya' were they?
    "They call us civilized because we are easy to sneak up on."- Lone Waite

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    Quote Originally Posted by intothenew View Post
    You studied thermodynamics, and then moved to Alaska? Rankine and Kelvin weren't very big influences on ya' were they?
    Don't know who or what they are. Served a 8,000 hour apprenticeship as a Machinists/Tool & Die Maker. At that time Farrel Corp. built the largest machine tools in the world. Lathes 200+ feet long, Boring Mills 4 stories high.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Sourdough View Post
    Don't know who or what they are...........
    If you have to explain a joke, it's not funny. But, allow me to entertain myself.

    Thermodynamics, in a simple explanation, is the study of heat. It is commonly a course of study in ME. Rankine and Kelvin were two scientists that defined absolute zero, no heat, nada, nothing. There are temperature scales named after each that are used in thermo cipherin'. Those guys knew cold, real cold, and defined it.
    "They call us civilized because we are easy to sneak up on."- Lone Waite

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    Senior Member BENESSE's Avatar
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    In looking back, SD, is there anything you would have done differently, if you had a chance?

    I ask this only because in the last year of my mom's life we were able to really talk as friends for the first time and she shared some vulnerabilities (borne out of just not knowing any better) I thought she'd never bring herself admitting to, or to doing anything that was less than perfect. I learned a lot from that; I respected her more and loved her more and felt closer than I ever did before.
    So the point of my question really is....is not to be hesitant to share with young people the mistakes you've made along with the victories. I happen to believe one learns from mistakes much more than from successes. And if it's other people's, so much the smarter.

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    A plus 1 on MRS B post. I would like to hear a bit more about your experiences, the good the bad and the ugly.
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    Quote Originally Posted by BENESSE View Post
    In looking back, SD, is there anything you would have done differently, if you had a chance?

    I ask this only because in the last year of my mom's life we were able to really talk as friends for the first time and she shared some vulnerabilities (borne out of just not knowing any better) I thought she'd never bring herself admitting to, or to doing anything that was less than perfect. I learned a lot from that; I respected her more and loved her more and felt closer than I ever did before.

    So the point of my question really is....is not to be hesitant to share with young people the mistakes you've made along with the victories. I happen to believe one learns from mistakes much more than from successes. And if it's other people's, so much the smarter.

    B, I made truly thousands of mistakes. Some nearly fatal. I would never go off grid, there are too many wonderful locations in the wilderness that have power. The big thing I would change is I would have chosen south east Alaska.

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    It's not too late. Ketchikan and Sitka might be calling your name. Vancouver might even be whispering your name. You can never tell.
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    Senior Member BENESSE's Avatar
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    That's a good start, SD.
    But running away at 15?

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    Quote Originally Posted by BENESSE View Post
    That's a good start, SD.
    But running away at 15?
    My father was very abusive. I went to school mornings only. I got two jobs, worked from noon till 9:PM got a room with breakfast for $35.00 a week from a lady who had a son my age. And I finished high school with my class of 65'.
    Last edited by Sourdough; 02-11-2012 at 06:24 PM.

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    My hats off to ya SD. Since I was getting my first job about the same time you were I know what the pay level was for a high school kid working partime. I would have had a tough time living on the 65 cents an hour I made flipping burgers at the new fast food place in town.( Henry's Hamburgers) No wonder your so self sufficent man. You been doing it for 50 years. Really liked the post.

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    The point that I am trying to make to those who think they want the wilderness life is: YOU have to have skills, You have to be able to disassemble and (harder) re-assemble a chainsaw, and dozens of other tools. There is very little that is like camping, and none of it is Primitive Camping. If your skilled as a Carpenter, Millwright, Mechanic & have a high mechanical aptitude, you have a chance. I might add 14 to 16 hour days of hard manual labor.

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    Senior Member BENESSE's Avatar
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    You graduated from the school of hard knocks, SD.
    It's the kind of education that's thrust upon you, and if you have any brains and brawn, you make it through and you learn from it. If you lack either, you better believe in luck.

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    You grew up doing it SD. That makes a huge difference between you and the kids that want to go out there today.
    If they haven't had to be self-sufficient and self-reliant, they endanger themselves and others with them.
    But as you point out, you are living proof it CAN be done.

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    Love this forum, hands down to you SD. So, mind if I ask what your initial living situation was like? Like, we're you completely off-grid or did you re-supply once in a while and work part-time. And what did you bring with you that was not procured from the land?

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    Very interesting takes.

    I just don't see many young people having the desire or ability to do what you accomplished. There are a lot of reasons for this. Simply, the times are changing.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Warheit View Post
    Very interesting takes.

    I just don't see many young people having the desire or ability to do what you accomplished. There are a lot of reasons for this. Simply, the times are changing.
    Wait a second. In this thread http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...-just-me/page2 you said:
    A lot of generalizations being made in this thread. A shame.
    So which is it?
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    Someday soon, I will make up there to AK. There is something about that place that keeps calling my name. A good friend is up there on Kodiac right now driving log truck. He sends pics almost daily to add to my yearning. It does look like a rough, rugged place to go trying to live off the land, but I would love to slowly gain the experience.

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