Is living deep in the woods even possible???

I've thought often about living deep in the woods. Totally off grid. Except for going into the towns or cities from time to time to get supplies and catch up with people.

But I just wonder how hard it would actually be. Like by the sounds of it it might be near impossible. It probably would really start to suck after a while especially if you ran out of food. but there could be a lot of upside to it too. Especially for anyone wanting to retire in some state of tranquility. I guess that's sort of the draw for me.

Plus the recreation of trying a variety of primitive skills to sustain yourself. Those skills would keep you busy and active and would be kinda fun too.

I mean lets face it lets say you're older. Like say over 50 or something. and you're thinking about your retirement. Well one option if you're single might be to go deep deep into the woods and live out there. Like a trapper.

So is this possible or would it be just non sense???

It's very possible. Humans haven't always had access to a grocery store. With that said I'd do a little research before going survivorman out there.

Of course its possible. It all depends on your skills and attitude. You're going to die eventually so of course if you're living out there eventually you're going to die out there. Depends strongly on what part of the country you decide to take the plunge into the forest too, and if it's even legal. California has outlawed living off the grid, I'm not sure about other states. Judging from your post though, you're not even half serious and seem to lack any of the basic knowledge required for such a thing. I don't mean to be a jerk but the truth hurts sometimes and if you're even asking such a question I doubt you'll ever know. I wish you the best in your endeavors though brother. reply to: mosquitoe

It's surely possible but it's not for everyone. To say keep in mind, as a retirement option, it may not be feasible for some due to health restrictions, even healthy people may have some challenges. It does make you fit and a bonus if you love hiking and park exploration.

Where I'm in the process of moving/living now is mostly off grid(mostly because of net service and electricity but I am fully contained if need be in emergencies to even saving electricity). Even just that is a bit on the rough side for many. The first time I lived off the grid it seemed on par with being homeless when it comes to ease of access to everyday living.

It also depends on how deep in the woods you're going to go; 30 miles from grocery stores(rural areas even then Merc stores are limited and expensive) or hundreds of miles without roads only accessible by plane(remote Alaska,etc.) I suggest trying it, at least part-way first(camping, temporary camp land rental, etc), see if it fits your needs before diving in to what you're questioning.

Packing a BOB(Bug out bag) is always helpful in case of being stranded. Also, be familiar and own firearms for your own safety. Of course, with that, comes hunting and other survival skills as needed.

Possible yes, but most people have this romantic idea bout living in the middle of nowhere and have no idea how much work it actually is if you truly want to be self sufficient. I have personally taken a similar but easier path. I live in a 31ft travel trailer and have lived deep in the woods of the Rocky Mountains, the desert in Arizona, the woods of Northern Wisconsin, and currently on an Indian Reservation in Southern California. I earn my money online so I either need cell phone signal or a way to get satellite internet, so that limits how remote I can actually get. Most of the places I've stayed in have been at least an hour to the closest grocery store. The only time I haven't had water / electric hookups was on BLM land in Arizona. I used a generator and had a service truck come fill me up with fresh water and removed my waste water. It worked out ok, but I much prefer having fresh water / sewer hookups. Of all the places I've stayed with full electric and sewer hookups, the most I've paid is $450 / mo which is the current place I'm at now. All the other places I've been have been $350 / mo or less.

What you propose is certainly doable, but it would be a big lifestyle change and one that you might not find to be as romantic as you thought. However, as someone who lives this lifestyle with some compromises, I very highly recommend it. There is nothing better than living life comfortably as a minimalist.

Yup, it sure is. Millions of people are still doing it to this day all over the world. Deep in the woods, high on a mountain, in the middle of deserts. Of course being born and raised in the modern world will increase your chances of death and inability to survive exponentially. I guess there is always the option to run back to the electricity and running water though if it starts to look bleak.

well if the shtf then I'm gonna go to do that most likely. If it doesn't but I just want to retire somewhere peaceful. Maybe that might be the time. Right not it's hard to say. I'm sort of a subscriber to the idea that if you have a life somewhere don't go rocking the boat hoping that things will be better somewhere else. It might but likely not. So for now I'm staying put. But anything possible. Anything could change at anytime. And if and when it does, I mean I wouldn't dismiss the idea. it's a possibility for sure. I mean why not, especially if you've always lived in the city. It gets a bit tiresome after a while.

originally posted by: AtheAlmightyOne
California has outlawed living off the grid

Without a legal reference, I call BS!
That is an absurd statement.

a reply to: mosquitoe

The good news, there are many places in rural America which can sell you acres and acres of pristine productive isolated land with water access for under $40,000 dollars. That could be paid off in a few years or less if you are a professional, or even for regular working folk with a handful of kids and annual tax refund money.

I have the same plans for my retirement. This is what I have been doing. First for a few years I read up and gained knowledge about survival skills . Things like what edible plants grow in the area I plan to live in, what animals live in those areas. I learned how to tell if the edible animals have any illness that might hurt me. I learned what predator animals hunt in the area and what to do if I encounter them. I read up on ways to clean my catch , filter water, build a shelter. Then I found websites that sell survival tools, read up on how well those tools work. After that I began to try out my knowledge in real world settings , First by taking enough water and food with me into the forest and seeing how long I could last before I wanted to come back . Finally I began to try and see how long I could stay in those areas with minimal supplies. So far My longest time with little supplies is a week and a half. That week and a half was done in December with 3 days of none stop rain. To be honest it really wasn't bad I still enjoyed being there despite the rain and I learned a lot about what works and what doesn't when it comes to shelters in the rain and cold. Now that I can do it with little supplies I'm confident that with my hardcore survival gear I'm not going to have many problems.
Most people think that if you live in the woods you have to cut yourself off from the world but that's not true. Part of my survival gear includes electronics like a tablet , phone, ipod, even a laptop. I have solar panels capable of charging everything. Plastic waterproof containers to store everything in. And I will still have my bank account so if i need anything I'll be able to get it , plus with my at&t account active on my phone I can even get wifi. Of course this only works if you have a good retirement plan or save up for years before you go.
My plan is to live in the forest and go to music festivals from time to time. But you have to get used to being outdoors, just going from air conditioning , fridge, toilet, shower straight to having none of those things you will have a bad time. Conditioning yourself to the change is key.

originally posted by: namelesss

originally posted by: AtheAlmightyOne
California has outlawed living off the grid

Without a legal reference, I call BS!
That is an absurd statement.

As someone who is living this lifestyle in California, he's actually correct as far as MOST counties in California are concerned. I live on an Indian Reservation so we don't need to play by the same housing codes and rules as other areas, but if you aren't on an Indian Reservation in California and you live in a home that is not approved by big brother, they can and will force you out of your home.

a reply to: mosquitoe

Perhaps so in peace time but unlikely to be viable in SHTF times.

a reply to: mosquitoe
Its possible, people have lived in all kinds of places form the wilds of Alaska to the swamps of Louisianan, and many other places all over the world including the Himalayas and everything in between. However, you got to understand that the people that did that, were not necessarily what you would call normal, and all of them did not just one day wake up and decide to go there and do that.

In fact many of them put a lot of thought and action and preparation before they went and did it. I always liked this guy Richard Proenneke , though like I said the guy spend over 30 years by himself in Alaska.

But before all that not only did he prepare to do all that, but likely put a lot of thought into it in fact a good chunk of his years before deciding to retire by himself there was devoted to it, oh that cabin you see in the film about him which was made, from bits and pieces of film he took, it was not and far from the first cabin he made by himself. The guy even studied the migration of the birds and fish and animals in the area as well for a good chunk of time before moving by himself.


So ya while it can be done, its not something one should do without preparation. If your serious and in whatever situation and condition you want to do it, and wherever it is, prepare and put some though in to it like Proenneke did.

Humans are not the hardiest of animals, catching a cold from one night in the wilderness can be fatal. And do not just up and go all willy nilly just like that, most especially not some place like Alaska or the other wilderness in the US or other parts of the world. If the bears with a sweet tooth dont get you, well there is always a grumpy Bigfoot.

But ya! whats that saying, a little preparation goes a long way? Or was it! Its best not to prepare as the trip will be more fun that way? Or was it who needs preparations when you got a gun? You know what I forget, but i am quite sure it went a little along the lines of the first, oh and no doubt the last applies as well.

This guy did, as in not prepare, he was pretty hardy and pretty self sure, Christopher McCandless And, at a latter date, about 4 months the wiki says, they found his body weighing 66 pounds and they think it was starvation that did it, but there were likely other factors involved as well.

originally posted by: skepticalguy

originally posted by: namelesss

originally posted by: AtheAlmightyOne
California has outlawed living off the grid

Without a legal reference, I call BS!
That is an absurd statement.

As someone who is living this lifestyle in California, he's actually correct as far as MOST counties in California are concerned. I live on an Indian Reservation so we don't need to play by the same housing codes and rules as other areas, but if you aren't on an Indian Reservation in California and you live in a home that is not approved by big brother, they can and will force you out of your home.

I was thinking of off the energy grid. That is what most folks mean, and how many live in CA.
One can legally buy land (way out) and put a trailer, or build a legal house, and then evaporate from most of the grid. Taxes will still need to be payed, etc.
If he is talking about illegally squatting on someone's land (and it all belongs to someone), then, no, one cannot 'legally' squat.

I think that all depends on which woods.

What sort of stuff grows there, and what sort of game is there?

For whatever reason, N. America seems to be full of inedible stuff as far as plants/trees go.. Its probably easier in countries where stuff that you can eat grows.

It is really possible.
Watch all those shows on Nat Geo Channel.
Like Doomsday Preppers and and that kind of shows.

You do have to research what is living in the woods in your neighbourhood.
With good research, it must be possible

Start doing a lot of camping in the type of woods you will be living in. Get a large backpack that supports at the waist. Bring the bare minimum equipment enough and food for a week or two. Have really good boots that are well broken in. Let people know exactly where you will be, how long you'll be there, and what you'll be doing. When you are out there, practice all the skills you'll be needing to survive well.

You can camp on most federal lands for a certain amount of time before moving to the next place. You'd have to keep a clean campsite that is a certain distance from rivers, streams and lakes. I think it is still possible to homestead a property by paying property taxes and building on it.

Keep getting out there as much as possible until it becomes your lifestyle, then after awhile you keep staying out there longer and longer with each trip until you rarely come back to civilization.

a reply to: mosquitoe

Sure it's possible, but really hard work - and you need to have or develop skills first. Hunting, gathering, fishing, building/repairing, injury/wound care, fire...

I've already decided on how far I'm willing to go. We're going to retire deep in the woods, in a log/stone home, with geothermal heat/AC, satellite internet (or whatever is available by then), solar/wind electricity, farming/greenhouse supplemented by trade & purchases from other producers, etc. Able to survive if the world goes poof, but living with modern shelter, etc until and if it ever does.

It can be done after a fashion -

The North Pond Hermit

The North Pond Hermit 2

The North Pond Hermit 3

It's completely possible. People do it all the time, but if you don't know them personally you'll never hear about it. I went to high school with a girl who didn't have running water in her house until our Sophomore year. On some of my backwoods adventures as a crazy young kid I've seen all kinds of contraptions built into houses that people lived in for years at a time, 40-50 miles from civilization. All you have to do is provide shelter, water and food and you're surviving. Might not be the easiest or most comfortable thing to do, but it's done every day.