I am changing my way of living.

reply to post by gandhi


So many people feel the same way at your age, i don't mean to sound condescending but it's true.

As for leaving society etc, mate unless you have very good skills then you're going to be in trouble. I've known people who have backpacked around the world on only a few thousand pounds, spending years doing it and making money on the way doing odd jobs or street juggling and other such stuff but that is a seriously hard existance.

You're 17, wait until you're a little older before making this kind of decision and at the very least spend a couple of years dedicating yourself to bushcraft skills so at least youo're prepared.

Staying warm in sub zero temperatures, especially temperatures that Canada can reach is a lot harder than you realise. Building shelters to survive those temperatures really does require experience and practice and you will need a nice fire. If you're serious then i suggest you spend a summer building a small cabin with a stove.

In all truth though once again the best advice i can give you is to not do this until you're actually prepared. You don't want to end up starving/freezing to death.

Your past suicide attempt would kind of suggest you're just depressed, maybe it would be worth talking to a family member or indeed a therapist about how you feel.

[edit on 7-11-2009 by ImaginaryReality1984]

As an Eagle Scout and a Marine (ask yourself 3 months from now the same question) Do I want to leave?

at 17 years old I was left out for 3 days alone with nothing but a knive/water and a few survival items. It was raining, it was cold, and no food. I hated it.

reply to post by gandhi


I totally understand and empathize with you, however I think there is a better way to approach this issue than running away into the woods. The simple fact is that you are not ready to go natural and the experience will probably wind up being negative for you in many ways.

Instead, I suggest you do a couple of things to move you into that sort of life in a positive and constructive manner.

First, become a student of permaculture, which is the science of creating sustainable food sources by working with nature instead of fighting nature. Perhaps what you need is to find a permaculture community where you can live a sustainable lifestyle while learning how to become attuned to the ways of iving naturally.

Second, you live in Canada, as do I. Depending on where you live, especially if you live in the prairies, there are large aboriginal communities that are starting to find their own ways again. If you are in Manitoba, check out the aboriginal studies at the University of Manitoba.

Third, at 17 you have the passion and energy that can make you into one of those people who can effect true and lasting change in this world. Become enraged at this society but then channel that rage into a force that drives to change, heal and transform your life and society.

As the founder of Aikido said "First we cultivate ourselves, then we get our house in order, then we heal our nation then we enter into harmony with the universe."

Success to you my friend

reply to post by gandhi


You might want to watch that Sean Penn movie, "Into the Wild"

That kid seemed like he wanted all the same things as you and for the same reasons, and it worked out for him for a little while....until he died

Look at all the replies telling you to think about it and be cautious! Thats one thing I love about this site, people who dont even know one another have the compassion to show worry for fellow ATSers thinking of doing something crazy.

I have always felt the same way you do, if I didnt have so many things currently keeping me a part of society I would go to up to nor cal, drop off the grid, and grow cannabis with my cousin, living off the land. But sadly, I dont have that kind of time, and the current legal situation Im in forbids me from going anywhere.

I read a survival handbook some time ago (wish I could recall the title and author, but I can't). One of the things that stood out was mention of the fact that so called "mountain men" who lived alone off of the land had notoriously short life spans. Mid 30's on average.

This was attributed to the fact that they essentially wore themselves out trying to provide for all aspects of the sustenance of their life single-handedly. Their diets were also too limited in choice to provide for long-term good health.

I think the advice of a previous poster who suggested trying it out for sequentially longer periods of time is probably good if you are adamant about going ahead with this. A like-minded partner might also be an asset

Even if you do not succeed over a long period of time, there is no way that you will fail to learn something of yourself, of nature, of your capabilities, or a host of other things that will benefit you in ways you couldn't even begin to imagine.

You deserve some credit for recognizing at the age of 17 that this world is badly messed up and over complicated. Most youths your age seem to be buying into materialistic lifestyles and chasing the other carrots dangled in their faces to lure them into a shallow existence.

Best of luck with whatever you decide to do.

Make sure you wrap your body in orange.It will be easier for your family to have something to bury.Did you ever hunt?trap?fish?Those animals are smart during hunting season.Do you know how to set a snare for beaver under the ice??You must know you look for the air bubbles??Do you know all the wild mushrooms and plants?

Your first mistake is leaving in March with snow still in the woods.A lot of black flies during spring.Find a girl, enjoy life with someone .Dying alone is that how you want it to end???

Hold yer horses there man.

Believe me I've often "fantasized" about doing the same. Sounds cool to just take off, disappear into the forest and take care of yourself for eternity, just like the cavemen did.

What you're suggesting is WAY harder than you think. I've trained, read, camped alot, hunted alot, even been on few "unexpectedly extended" camping/hunting trips due to unforeseen circumstances. Once you run out of supplies it starts getting REAL hard.

Do yourself a favor and bring a tent along, firemaking tools, a day or two's worth of food/water. Don't expect to just take off with a multi-tool, some para-cord and a rifle and start building your life out in the woods. Try it out the hard way but have the stuff to make it easier available. Hunt, trap, forage, save your supplies until you have to use them, see how it works out. Take a 3-day trip, come home, gather your thoughts, decide what you did wrong. Take another trip for 5 or 7 days and repeat.

If you really want to REMOVE yourself from society I'd say you're better off just getting yourself some remote property to live on. Something a half-day's walk to civilization so you can go into town to get supplies in the morning and get back the same day. Build yourself a semi-permanent dwelling, garden, hunt/trap all you can, use these yourself or sell for supplies in a nearby town.

I know you may feel like society is completely in the gutter but you can't remove yourself entirely. You have to interact with people or you'll go completely nuts out there by yourself. There's still plenty of good folks out there and many of them can be found in smaller remote communities.

id like to do the same but this be difficult with low experience.
still would be nonetheless