Primitive/Survival living

[KarlMalone]

Hello all, first post. Im looking to get away from it all for a couple months, and test myself and my limits. What I want to do, not right away mind you, is to go out in wilderness and survive for a couple months. I would like to be completely remote and removed from society, setup a camp from scratch and just live for a couple months. My question is where does one go to do such a thing? Im pretty sure most national forests dont allow such things, so how/where do people overcome this problems?

[Sarge47]

Hello all, first post. Im looking to get away from it all for a couple months, and test myself and my limits. What I want to do, not right away mind you, is to go out in wilderness and survive for a couple months. I would like to be completely remote and removed from society, setup a camp from scratch and just live for a couple months. My question is where does one go to do such a thing? Im pretty sure most national forests dont allow such things, so how/where do people overcome this problems?

Hi Karl, welcome to the group. To properly answer your question I would need to know more about you. Your age, what you do, etc. The point is that simply going out into the woods for a couple of months is not a true "survival" situation. That occurs when your life is in serious peril and I cannot imagine anyone going out and doing that as their idea of fun. However, if your talking about "living off the grid" and honing survival skills, well that's a different matter.

[KarlMalone]

I am 20, live in California, right now I build motorcycles for a living. By survival I mean living off the land, camping gear just a very few essentials. My main question at this point is where can I do such a thing.

[Sarge47]

I am 20, live in California, right now I build motorcycles for a living. By survival I mean living off the land, camping gear just a very few essentials. My main question at this point is where can I do such a thing.

You're talking about living "off the grid". Good question. I'm not sure at the moment, however you want to be careful when you do decide to go as the most dangerous enemy out there is your fellow man.

[KarlMalone]

Yeah, thats what im worried about, trespassing. I cant come up with any ideas on where to do something like this.

[Sarge47]

Yeah, thats what im worried about, trespassing. I cant come up with any ideas on where to do something like this.

You'll need to do some homework. Some parks may allow it, some won't. Also there are a number of backpacking trails that you might check out, you don't have to stay on the trails. Check it all out.

[owl_girl]

Alaskas awesome! Its warm in July and August depending on what part you go to. Its not all tundra, for example in south east Alaska there’s the lush green Tongass rainforest. You have plenty of wilderness that’s free to camp on. Plus its vary pretty. Perfect place for honing survival skills. But don’t go on the mud flats. The ocean beach is safe so long as its not a muddy one.
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[KarlMalone]

Alaskas awesome! Its warm in July and August depending on what part you go to. Its not all tundra, for example in south east Alaska there’s the lush green Tongass rainforest. You have plenty of wilderness that’s free to camp on. Plus its vary pretty. Perfect place for honing survival skills. But don’t go on the mud flats. The ocean beach is safe so long as its not a muddy one.
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Right on, Im willing to go almost anywhere but alaska its just too far away. Do you have any other suggestions for places?

[owl_girl]

Umm Canada is a little closer but not much. I’ll have to do some research to fined a closer location.

[KarlMalone]

id very much appreciate it.

[owl_girl]

In a lot of Californian parks a wilderness or backcountry permit is required for camping outside of campgrounds. Permits are usually free from what I’ve seen, talk to the park headquarters to get one and to find out what there requirements are. This website talks about Backcountry Camping near the California Salmon though there is a 30 day limit for backcountry campers. http://www.california-salmon.com/cs-camping.htm

[syllamo]

I suppose that the question would depend on your level of disconnect required. Myself, I am leaving on a journey to South America on the 31st for 3 months.

[Rocky789]

Karl Marlone im looking to do the same thing and am having the same problem, I live right in the middle of the east coast and just cant think of a area thats close by, Im a fairly experienced person in the area of survival related skills and can only say my biggest inexperience is with skinning animals, making ropes, and herbal medicines but have no worries other then those about my capabilities. Right now its just finding someplace close by, maybe to stay there for a week or two just to check it out before I make any kind of commitment.
But I have actually heard that in california Andrew Molera Park is a place where one can do some off the grid living but probably only for a short amount of time.

[KarlMalone]

Karl Marlone im looking to do the same thing and am having the same problem, I live right in the middle of the east coast and just cant think of a area thats close by, Im a fairly experienced person in the area of survival related skills and can only say my biggest inexperience is with skinning animals, making ropes, and herbal medicines but have no worries other then those about my capabilities. Right now its just finding someplace close by, maybe to stay there for a week or two just to check it out before I make any kind of commitment.
But I have actually heard that in california Andrew Molera Park is a place where one can do some off the grid living but probably only for a short amount of time.

Glad to see im not the only one with the same problem. One possible solution I can think and what im trying is advertising to rent land from somebody with a large ranch, havent found anything yet but I think thats my best bet.

[LiL' bunny fufu]

ill try 2 send u a link

[LiL' bunny fufu]

http://www.parks.ca.gov

[LiL' bunny fufu]

try it mabey there is some info there

[rusty_oxydado]

Try in N. Ca. Marble Mountain Wilderness area, "Lovers Camp"
It is a roads end trail head to the high country and some fantastic high country lakes. When you find an area you are interested in , notify the local rangers you will be in the area, and the general area you will be messing around in.
Any areas with extended trails it is expected there will be some amount of camping going on, call and talk to your local ranger, and ask for suggestions if you are not too sure of good areas to set up camp.
If you are just going to go somewhere and step off the trail to undomesticate yourself, then what is the question? You lay low, keep quiet, and keep a vigolent eye on your back trail.

[donny h]

Just some thoughts on possible locations:

Leave Ca., there's too many people to ever get away from them all, and the gun laws may interfere with your plans, Canada is out too, also because of gun laws.

Alaska isn't just expensive to get to, it's expensive once you're there.

Aviod any sort of parks, period. They will have too many rules.

I'd look for BLM or national forest land, in a state without a lot of extra rules imposed by BLM or forestry officials, you'd think they would be the same from state to state, but they are NOT.

West Texas is wide open, but living off the land out there is a good way to wind up skinny. Maybe skeletal.

If your just looking for a forest you can disapear into for a summer, without a vehicle to complicate matters, then there are lots of forests in the west that are both big and remote enough, IF you leave the forest before the fall hunting seasons.

Surface water is a problem in many places in the west. For that reason, Arizona would be tough, as would most of Nevada, southern Utah, and western Colorado.

Possible mountain ranges: Uintahs, Wind River, Bitterroot, or one of the 80(!) ranges all over Idaho.

Oregon and Washington both have more people and more rules/laws than the mountain west, Colorado isn't as wide open as it used to be, even Utah is getting more crowded.

I would focus on Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana, their combined population (2mil) is 2/3s that of just Orange County in California.

[Rocky789]

It can be a little difficult nowadays to find a place you can use like that especially someplace where you can actually be really comfortable living in without much worries. Anymore most of my trips are I find some place in the mountains where I know people are (usually a large lake) and then I find a road about 12-15 miles away from it where I can just get dropped off on the side of the road by a friend (especially need someone that knows where you are and what you are doing) and then just hike from that spot to my destination with nothing but woods in between and not seeing another human for a couple days. Not quite what you are looking for but it really does work on your skills and gets some adrenaline rushing through your blood.