Id hit Alaska. Once you hit the trail to the mountains, get lost and your off the grid. No paper trail, money, SSN, computers. Build a cabin and then live off the land. It dosent get any better than that. There was a movied about a man that did that called "Into the Wild", great documentary to watch.

Originally posted by havok
The best thing todo in my opinion, is to find a small home in the country.

Just getting away from the city gives a person the "off the grid" feeling.
Then plan your own ways of getting off the grid by generating your own electricity, or fuel, finding your own food, etc.

In these days, living off the land is more futile than just camping for a few months.
The disease's that fester in standing water can kill a person quickly.

I would say it takes a small colony of smart people to do it successfully, by that time, the gov't probably has its eyes on you and you become "domestic terrorists".

Living off the grid requires more no-how than most people obtain in a lifetime these days.
All this because of how spoiled we are as humans now.
We don't produce anything ourselves...food, shelter, clothing.
In the days where there was NO grid, people knew these things extremely well.
In the past centuries, we have successfully given up these skills for one thing.
Convenience.

Unfortunately I think havok is right. "Modern" people are becoming more lazy and useless by the day.

I've always loved the thought of living out in the wilderness in a cabin somewhere and hunting/farming/gathering food. Unfortunately I think I'll have to leave this one to daydreams for myself...but I wish you the best of luck!

I would say that any of your weaknesses would be amplified greatly. Unless you were a walking encyclopedia of all things survival, and had the ability to shut off the emotions, it probably wouldnt go well.

As far as where to go, Id say the great Canadian wilderness, Sierra Nevadas, Rockies, or an island in the South Pacific. Any of those have distinct advantages and disadvantages.

Hey man, I like the way you think. I have had that dream for many years and have modified it to make it my life. You can live off the land but it is tough. Biggest problem I had was potable or drinkable water.

As mentioned, starting as soon in spring as possible with a definite plan is best. I suggest southerly latitudes for the warm climate, I used to think Montana was an option but -30* broke that idea.

You do need to develope your skills and knowledge. Learn intense large scale gardening, plant and animal ID, learn the seasons and frosts dates, how to read the weather, learn how to live like grand daddy...cut wood with an axe, how to make something from nothing, how to dry meat, dehydrate fruits and veggies, how to smoke and cure meats, can veggies, build a simple cabin, how to fish, and on it goes.

Did you know that there is a large, mobile community up in the Appalachians along the "Trail"? Old "dead heads" and hippies, vagrants, wanderers, folks looking and searching, people that just dropped out.

We already live way out in the country, but are considering buying some land and homesteading up in the SC mountains along the Chatooga River next to Ga. Remote, beautiful, rich land, many resources, and a totally different mindset community there... kinda 1969 lost in time....beautiful, man.

If thats what you want to do, do it, but know there will be long days...sun up to sun down, everything you do from spring on will be in preparation for the following winter, there will be NO conveniences, every task will be a chore, and one screw up can cost you your life.

However, the freedom, the beauty of being in God's creation, the peace, the solitude, the joy, and how satisfying to eat a meal thet you not only prepared but raised, captured, hunted, or harvested.

Consider this scenario... it is a cool, rainy evening. You sit sipping hardened apple cider you made from apples picked a few weeks ago, after eating a dinner of pan fried trout you caught, fresh greens, some fried apples, and fried potatoes, all picked from your homestead; and cooked on your wood stove with wood you cut last spring.
You listen to a battery radio and hear a local mountain station tell the weather...might be snow by morning. Better top off the wood box, and get in more water so it won't freeze. Might want to check on the animals too...make ready a couple of bales for the horse and the goats...just in case.
You wind up the clock, one of those monsterous ones with the bells on top...you set it for 2am, so as to stoke up the fire and see if it is snowing. If it is, you won't be going to town and try to sell apples and pumpkins, but you might try...Christmas is coming and you'd like to get something for your neighbor, the one that helped you last year when you really needed it.
Now it's time for bed, you clo9se the damper on the stove, blow out the oil lamp, and check the rifle beside your bed...yup, safety is on.
Good night.