Buying land off grid

[hick]

I like this builder's style:

https://www.survivalmonkey.com/threa...d-cabin.58544/

[stfranalum]

also, just food for thought hick...

consider saving that money and letting it grow in the bank and just backpacking...appalachian trail kinda stuff. you'd get every bit of solace you'd want. and not just trails...but summertime (when you're off) solace and to boot, you can choose new locales each year. added bonus you dont spent your hard earned cash and let it grow towards retirement. ...and still get outdoor peace of mind.

if you decide to buy, consider also buying land that will appreciate in value. florida...no thanks. in 30 years, it might be under water, literally. higher elevation places like vermont and of course the pacific nw would be good places.

it's quite a dream. just my 2-satang, to boil down what you really want out of it...it might not be necessary to dump a load of cash into it and still end up with peace, quiet, self sufficiency and all that jazz, if you dont buy but get hardcore into adventure backpacking and whatnot.

:-D

[UrbanMan]

Franny - That ain't gonna do it for the Hick. In addition to everything he's stated, I'm sensing he has a need to do something epic. Define a challenge and defeat it. Self actualization. Look at this damn fine thing I created in the middle of nowhere!

Most of us have a distant goal. Very often its tinged in fantasy. Helps us get through the dog days of life.

[SKkin]

I had an internet friendship with a woman("Cosmic Rose") who lived off grid in WA state...was on her "email list" back in the advent of my internet presence(1995-early 2000s). I stated my opinion on something one day on her list and was booted from that list(probably around 2005).

So I had lost contact with her and burned bridges etc.. Checked her site the other day and found out the "Carlton Complex" fire(July 2014) had burned down their house and they had no homeowner's insurance. Bummer. She had apparently been trying to sell the property before disaster struck. I'm not sure why she was wanting to leave that lifestyle considering how she used to go on about it.

Her and her husband had obtained the property by virtue of a personal injury lawsuit her husband won. I used to tell her the same thing about taxes on property that someone else mentioned above. In the US you really never own it, you're always renting. Just try skipping those property tax payments and see what happens. She'd brag about not paying income tax and not being under the thumb of gov't. I asked do you pay property tax and do you buy gas(taxed) for your cars...how about sales taxes? So she was not as "free" as she made herself out to be.

btw...They had 20 acres. Also she was into much of the same thing you are voicing here in this thread jimbo...or what you're stating your intentions are for this potential off-grid property.

Anywho here's a pic of her former place("Hugheston Landing"):





and a quote from: Hugheston Landing Cosmics Off Grid Home Port on what happened:

This is what happened to our family... our two businesses... and Hugheston Landing.
On July 17th 2014 our home burnt to the ground. We had no homeowners insurance.
This is why we are no longer living in the Methow Valley. One month later...
a mudslide took out the road and our driveway while the valley suffered from flooding. One year later...
the valley was struck again by a massive wildfire throughout the entire county. (Okanogan County)
Stay tuned for updates on our whereabouts.

Click on the following link to read about the 2014 events

Trial By Fire — The Methow Valley's Summer of Disaster

In the summer of 2014. the Methow Valley was home to the Carlton Complex Fire... the largest wildfire ever to hit Washington state.
This publication examines what happened, looks at the path to recovery and tells the very personal stories of individuals who narrowly escaped the fires and floods.

Just thought I'd throw this in here...as food for thought. She has more info at that first link on how they powered their place.

Why did a militant off-gridder decide to give it up? If we were still on good terms I'd email her and ask her...

Moral of her story...? Insurance is important?? When you're off-gridding out in nature big fucking fires are a bitch???

https://issuu.com/omakchronicle/docs/firestorm_2014

[hick]

Hmmm,...

Yes, this is all good and solid -

Ya'll said it -> food-for-thought, fellers.

Thank you.

Gotta' pay those taxes, for sure. And skipping insurance is just plain asking for it.



Sobering (read as: realistic) article here:

Getting Off-Grid: The Crucial First Steps In Building Your New Homestead | Off The Grid News

Without a comprehensive plan, many homesteaders meet with the frustration of relocating poorly planned resources and causing more work for themselves in the long run.
If this wasn’t done prior to purchasing land, it is essential to spend time in the county courthouse where the property is located. Every possible detail of the property should be clearly understood before the first shovel overturns the earth. Legal boundaries must be clear and recorded in the land survey and/or plat map. Zoning restrictions and any building permit requirements should be clear to the homesteader, as well as legally recorded rights to minerals and water. The key in this step is to eliminate any possible legal troubles in the future progression of the homestead.

When these concerns have been adequately researched and addressed, the next step is to begin the plan for the home and outbuildings. Utilities such as Google Earth, websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov, most online map software and your property survey are great references for identifying potential building sites. If the land already has buildings it may be impractical to relocate them, but it is good to know any possible troubles such as flood or fire damage that could be expected due to their location. Orientation with the track of the sun is an integral part of an off-grid solar solution so keep this in mind when plotting the location of solar-powered structures.




Beyond equipment and home maintenance, I reckon my (main) continual or guaranteed payments will be:

Property taxes
Flights back and forth to Thighland
health, life and property insurance
winter stabling the horses
satellite phone payments

[hick]

consider saving that money and letting it grow in the bank

Well,... market in my case but I get you.

Most of us have a distant goal. Very often its tinged in fantasy. Helps us get through the dog days of life.

Can't argue with that one.

Nothing happens unless first we dream.
- Carl Sandburg

[hick]

Moral of the story:
Insurance is important because when you're "off-gridding" out there, big-fucking, cataclysmic things can happen.

How about the above?

[hick]

Here's what my wife may be envisioning:

Year 1:



Year 10



My dreams are bit more in this range:



If you're gonna' dream....make em' big.

[bsnub]

^ That top photo is Dick Proenneke he was mentioned before and if you haven't already you really need to read his book and watch his video's. Here is a short clip;



His cabin was preserved as a landmark by the national forest service.

[Little Chuchok]

South Island in NZ. Plenty of trout/deer/goats to feed you.Very very nice pinot noir in central otago to help things along.

Mate of mine bought 8000 acres an hours drive out of Queenstown. Totally off the grid, but it does have it's own mini hydro power station . Can get there by car, but need 4x4 when it snows in the winter. Cost him USD2 mil. It was a bargin though as the owner wanted a quick sale and he had the cash.


Plenty of blocks of land around the 50 - 100 acres available down there.

[hick]

Thank you gentlemen.

[hick]

South Island in NZ.

Amazing scenery, topography, etc.

Saw a show recently about some cracker doing a Maori initiation down there.
Looked really intense.

Can't help but think of these homes:



This amazing off-grid hobbit house cost less than $5,000 to build

[hick]

[hick]

heh

[UrbanMan]

BOB DYLAN LYRICS - Gotta Serve Somebody

No one is free. Bob Dylan knows.

You may be a construction worker working on a home
You may be living in a mansion or you might live in a dome
You might own guns and you might even own tanks
You might be somebody's landlord you might even own banks.

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

[hick]

Zeroing in on 6 acres in AK nearby Lake Clark Natl. park, couple miles inland from Cook Inlet.

Really, that's not as much land as I was hoping but am requesting more info.

Like that area a lot!

[hick]

Bob knows.

Bob does know. And thanks to him, Tom and another Bob - I have no illusions about my disillusionment.

[Norton]

Like that area a lot!

Alaska's Remote Properties LLC, Anchorage, Alaska

[katie23]

All the best on your ventures, hick.

I asked abt your wife, if she could live that way, bcos I think that is (and she is) important too, no? I've read your responses (will read the other links when I've more time), and I think at this point in time, I couldn't live off grid. Can't imagine my close female friends in that situation, either. We all grew up somewhat 'on-grid' and I need thecloseness of malls, shops, people, etc to keep me sane! Too much isolation and I might end up like that guy in The Shining. But this is for now. Don't know what would my viewpt in my 50s or 60s. Cheers!

[rickschoppers]

Alaska is a whole different ball game. It is about as extreme as you can get when it comes to survival and going off the grid. You better have all your ducks in a row and if you enjoy challenges, Alaska is definitely it.

[Slick]

^ agreed. Alaska is serious business.

FYI HughesNet works there too

But yeah that's hardcore.

Have you looked into reloading ammunition? Personally I would stick to basic ammunition that's easily attainable. 9mm .45 12ga .203 5.56 and .308

[hick]

It's boiled down to where it started.

Alaska or possibly NW CAN.

Oregon, WA state and Montana still have cards.

Wyoming, Maine, NH, lesser so.

Anything outside N.Amer. is out because (although it puts more strain on my wallet) I just cannot do it to my family.

"Hey guys, I'm buying some land on the S island of New Zealand and will be dividing my time between there and Issan from now on. Have a nice life."

I can't do it.

Much rather, "Saudi - FLa - AK - Issan" or some version of that.

I asked abt your wife, if she could live that way, bcos I think that is (and she is) important too, no?

Of COURSE she is and I'll say it again:

Thanks for asking about her, that's very sweet of you.

So sweet in fact, I'll try to post our pics for you if photoFLUKbucket is having a cooperative day.

All the best to you too. <big smile from both of us>


We talked very soberly about all of this only last night as she can see I'm getting more serious about it and considering a real move.

Our timeline is looking (roughly) like this:

2017/18: purchase

2018: I go there and visit the county courthouse for my zoning papers, permits, etc. Get it surveyed properly, do various permafrost, water line and elevation checks. Place posts/signs of ownership, no fences.

2019: In alone, camp for a month and start falling timber. (that'd be my first month alone in the wilderness since I was 25 y/o. (!)

(At this point I may consider hiring a crew to erect (I said it) a cabin in my absence. This will depend strongly on my feeling and experiences in the nearby town,...locals etc.

2020: I go it alone, and either get to work on my cabin (with a crew) or

....there are just too many contingencies to go on from there....



Basically I told my wife that it will take me around 5-7 years before I'll want to stop working AND
before she'll probably feel comfortable enough to go to AK.

She said (happily): Ok, good plan - I'll wait in Issan then.

She has plenty do there any way. Her mom and dad keep unbelievably busy.

They've got around 15 rai and side-jobs galore. Plus her dad builds houses and she assists.

Anyways, point is katie,...don't worry about her. She's good.
Excited to see me make a long held dream a reality.

Have you looked into reloading ammunition?

Probably go with the 12 gauge shotgun w/ a 10 round mag.
(The 20 is too bulky, imo.)

For handguns, I like the Smith & Wesson 629 Backpacker. It's a snub nosed .44 mag. Good for long walks.

Otherwise, I may take your .45 suggestion as some models have a really nice fit and are fairly compact, but I'm just a bit partial to .44s, so...

The last time I was on the range (oddly) my accuracy was a bit higher with a .44, but they weren't mine. These finer details have to be decided on the range and at the gun store.

That said, I'm pretty sold on either of these:


All-Stainless Desert Eagles in .357 Mag and .44 Mag Announced

I prefer the 30.06 over the .308. as I've got more wilderness experience with it.

It's that standard, or rather thin line of stopping power versus range versus accuracy.

All that said, I'm well out of practice.

I'll take a refresher firearms use, operations and safety course while I'm considering the purchases more closely and before I head out in it.

I've got plenty of time to compare and consider since I'll be spending some worthwhile time on the ranges and talking to pros, etc.


Let's talk about fly rods and the best trees for cabin building. Haha. Less grisly of a topic.

I had some really grizzly pussy once.

[hick]

Like that area a lot!

Alaska's Remote Properties LLC, Anchorage, Alaska

Thanks Norton.

Yeah, I was all hot and bothered about this one last night:

Alaska's Remote Properties LLC, Anchorage, Alaska


But slept on it and...there's no way. Not enough acreage for starters.


I do like how it's in the isolated/generally free areas of permafrost. Well, depending on whose grid you trust.
But based on their zoning maps, you could end up with pretty much anyone or anything as a neighbor and within spittin' distance.

I'll hold out for something snug against water on one side and state land on the other...


At any rate, that site is very comprehensive. Depending on their customer service, I may go with them on something else.

[bsnub]

.203

That said, I'm pretty sold on either of these

Desert Eagles are not suitable for Alaska. Firstly they are unreliable wherever you are as the actions are prone to jamming but its much worse in cold weather. I would know as I owned a .44 magnum DE for many years. It was just a showpiece and not to be depended on. Most of my friends who live and or work in Alaska depend on the Ruger Blackhawk. That is what you want to protect yourself from all the alpha predators up there.

I would never depend on a Desert Eagle. Never.

Blackhawk is very common sidearm in Alaska;

[Norton]

I'll hold out for something snug against water on one side and state land on the other

Just one example of many. All sorts of acerage available in US and Canada. Frankly going completely off grid not advised. There are plenty of large acerage plots which have electricity and often natural gas hookups. Places where you can do all the stuff you want in near total isolation. Trust me. Having spent part of my youth off grid, it is a hard life. Your dream house above ain't going to happen 100% of grid. Give it some thought.