Buying land off grid

[hick]

Thanks Norton.

Rest assured, I'll be giving it all lots of thought and taking
everything and everyone's insights on board.

With all I've said regarding wanting to do-it-myself, etc.
- I remain open to partial off-grid and even existing structures.

It's just going to boil down to what I decide on at that time.

[hick]

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.

Noted in bold on my permanent list.

I'll be sure to get proper training with this weapon.

Thank you bsnub.

I've been checking out Dick Proenneke.

[Slick]

Originally Posted by Slick
.203

Supposed to be .223 I was on phone ffs.

You can shoot .223 Remington through a rifle chambered for 5.56 NATO.

You can not shoot a 5.56 through a rifle chambered for .223

That pic I had up earlier had a Colt LE6920 AR15 with Eotech sight and thats a 5.56 NATO rifle and can also shoot .223 no problem.

This is the kind of thing that should be thought about when in the bush. The rifle shoots 2 different, easily attainable and reloadable rounds. One for combat/defence and another for ranged hunting.

Both are very good for both hunting and defense.

The .308 is also an excellent round and has partner in the NATO category - the 7.62×51mm. Marine Corps still use this in the M40A5 & M40A4 'sniper rifle' and if its good for drilling people then you bet it will work for wildlife.

Anyway all this .44 mag/desert eagle stuff...

After having shot hundreds of thousands of rounds in my lifetime... That .44 is the LAST piece I would want around. Same with that Blackhawk.

Anyway just my .02

[hick]

And it's appreciated!

[hick]

I asked abt your wife, if she could live that way, bcos...

I'm your new....sweet - soul - sista'





She says, "thanks for asking about me."

[UrbanMan]

(that'd be my first month alone in the wilderness since I was 25 y/o. (!)

Have you considered doing another month now, before purchasing? Lots of things that were easily doable at age 25, are not so easy a couple decades later.

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.

So, she's got 5-7 years to pray for change ...

[hick]

Have you considered doing another month now, before purchasing?

Oh yes. Ideally I would be spending a week or three on said property before purchase.

I'm probably not going to have time....ya know...to do that with anything more than 3 properties, so I'll need to narrow it down as well as I can from here.

So, she's got 5-7 years to pray for change ...

Yeah, you got it, haha. She'll never have to do anything she's not comfortable with, etc.

Worse case scenario is we'd spend some months apart each year. I'm sure we could both deal with that.

May even get a visa for her dad and have him come over and help me build. That'd be pretty sweet.

He's worked in Korea, Norway and Madagascar. Alaska (or CAN) would be a good one to add to his list.

[hick]

I'm not interested in that 5.92 acreage anymore, but the wheels are defo in motion.

Alaska's Remote Properties LLC, Anchorage, Alaska

Hello there,
I hope you're having a good day.
After searching around quite a bit for off-grid land for sale, I came
across your advertisement for a Bear Lake property.
Yentna-Susitna Drainage
ASLS 87-191 - Tract A, apr. 5.92 acres
I had some questions, but firstly:
Is that still available?
Kind regards,
Hick Redneck Ohioan
------
Yes it is. We are out of the office til Tuesday. In car you hear back from us sooner after today.
Best,
Barbara or Bernie Vockner
Remote Properties LLC
remote@remoteproperties.com
Alaska's Remote Property LLC, Anchorage, Alaska
907-277-4608

[katie23]

^very nice looking couple. Thnx 4 the pic. I wish you all the best in your endeavors.

[hick]

Sounds like I got the right guy to know:

Hi Hick;

Not at all a bother sending a lengthy email, at least I know what you want. It is hard to find any free standing parcels with no neighbors. Reason for that is, it is just how land came of being in Alaska when it became statehood.


Land was sold by the state or then could be staked by people, but it was mostly in 5 acre parcels and in a designated area. So you have literally lumps or clumps of properties and then miles and miles of nothing again.


It is truly a rare find and brings an absolute premium when there is a parcel with no neighbors, as that usually was staked before statehood and most of those parcels usually go from father to son or from friend to friend. And under many circumstances either the state or the federal government (National Park Service) bought those people out at prices that you and I could not compete with. I know for sure not me.


On the flip side is that a lot of people who own those parcels from the state now are getting up in age and are selling. The reason is mainly, they got too old or never had the money to improve on the land or the wife may have told him, “honey if you want to live out there, go right ahead.” I let you figure the rest.


I know the property and the location saw the movie and the book of the lifestyle you want to experience. As a matter of fact a friend of mine owns a 2½ acre parcel, that property now is in the middle of the Park and he turned a $1.2M down from the Park.


Be realistic and think about what it costs you to get in to some of those remote areas. Figure an airplane floats, skis, etc. is around $500.- to $800.- per hour and covers about a 100 miles. 80-100 miles of Anchorage is not all that far, so that flight would cost you an hour in, an hour back, about $1,400.- you will need certain items flown in. A Beaver type aircraft is about $800.- an hour and carries about 1200 lbs. I let you add it up how many pounds you are going to have to fly in. From the heavy wood stove, tools, roofing, etc. And keep in mind most of our trees up here, although somewhat usable for a building project are usually best for fire wood only. They are not like the California Redwoods, as the harsher clima here makes them grow more twisted and crooked.


I know a lot of people believe in solar power, but it works just marginal up here. During the short day light hour days, middle of November to aboiut middle of February, when you need lights the most there is not enough sunshine to keep your batteries going. Of course, in the summer months you have plenty of sunshine, but you need the lights the least as it is daylight until midnight.


There is no problem getting a septic or well done, but I hope you have a strong back, as you will be the digger for both. Although an outhouse with a 50 gallon barrel and holes in it works the best. While real septic systems rarely work as the frost goes down 10’.


No, you can not just call your friendly well driller or backhoe operator, how do they get there?


I see you like to be next to a water source and filtering water is not a big deal any more, as a $30.- one micron filter that catches 99.95 of giardia and other, will do the job. You can have a water tank in your attic as this way it will not freeze in the winter time while you are there.


A 12 volt water pump like they have in motorhomes will pump the water and pressurizes enough to have an On Demand propane hot water heater. A little 2,000 watt Honda generator will run a skill saw and drill and power a whole bunch of LED light bulbs and only sips a little bit of fuel.


A lot of the areas have little or no property taxes and you do not need a permit in most places for doing what ever you want (within legal limitations). No cat house


Perma frost is something you have to deal with as it is almost everywhere.


For hunting and fishing, as long as you are on a lake or creek of any size you will have fish. And moose, bear, etc. you find them everywhere, including in the cities.


Again, in those outlying areas there is no zoning, all the parcels have been surveyed, although sometimes it takes a bit of doing to find the survey stakes. You own all the rights to the land and what is on it. You can drill a well for septic or an outhouse as long as it is a 100’ away from the water and the dwelling 75’ from the water and no closer then 25’ to the property line.


The State and Federal Government own the subsurface rights.


You should take a look at the property that is in our Yentna Susitna River section, at the top. There is your free standing parcel with it’s own private runway plus the acreage and the owner is famous or infamous depending upon how you look at it. As he was literally living with the bears. I believe Google it under, “Living with the Bears in Alaska” and he will come up.


By the way, all the paperwork can be done any more by email or Fed Ex as long as you are close to a notary.


By the way I always suggest to maybe pick 2 or 3 properties out and then make a little vacation trip up here, check it out and see for yourself, as many times we hear from people they had no idea how remote, remote really is. Or they thought they liked the parcel but after looking at it, they did not even want to be buried there. But ultimately it will be your choice. And your survival skills will come in real handy.


I hope this helps you a bit. Keep an eye on our web site and of course, if anything comes that looks like would suite your needs I will let you know.

Best,

Bernie

PS: Wife and I own 3 remote cabins (fly in only). We built them ourselves and understand the work it takes, the logistics and of course, also how much it costs.

[bsnub]

^ Interesting read.

he was literally living with the bears.

He was talking about Timothy Treadwell. Werner Herzog made a doc about him called "Grizzly Man". He filmed himself with the bears pretty much all the time. His death was recorded on camera as he and his girlfriend was being eaten by one of the bears. Pretty gnarly way to go but it ultimately was darwins law.

[rickschoppers]

^^
Wonder if he would be willing to sell one of his remote cabins, and for how much. I had thought about having a summer base in Alaska since I have relatives living there. Thailand would be my winter base. Never pulled the trigger, yet.

[hick]

^^
Wonder if he would be willing to sell one of his remote cabins, and for how much. I had thought about having a summer base in Alaska since I have relatives living there. Thailand would be my winter base. Never pulled the trigger, yet.

Well, we're nearly in the same place, then - minus the family part.

Too bad we didn't know each other better, could consider splitting a parcel.


Anyways, I kinda' doubt he wants to sell, rick.

I mean, he'd just list it on his existing site, I'd think.

Prolly saving it for family or friends.

But then again, never hurts to ask, eh?

[rickschoppers]

You are probably right about family and friends since it is what he wrote about the disposition of most land like that in Alaska. I can respect that.

[hick]

Be realistic and think about what it costs you to get in to some of those remote areas. Figure an airplane floats, skis, etc. is around $500.- to $800.- per hour and covers about a 100 miles. 80-100 miles of Anchorage is not all that far, so that flight would cost you an hour in, an hour back, about $1,400.- you will need certain items flown in. A Beaver type aircraft is about $800.- an hour and carries about 1200 lbs. I let you add it up how many pounds you are going to have to fly in. From the heavy wood stove, tools, roofing, etc.

Welp,...thinking back when this plan was hatched in a Bangkok condo hovering over a computer screen at 3AM.....the pilot's license and plane was in the mix then...

Seems like no other way to rightfully do it, proper-like, really.


Thinking of adding 30k + 8k + Miscellaneous expenses and ...maintenance and storage fees into the budget.

Why not?



It'd fokin' be completely rude not to.

[UrbanMan]

Now you need a plane? This simple life you seek seems awfully complicated.

[hick]

I don't need one. I want one.

There's a difference.

[hick]

I see this...



I think.... Oh fuck yeah.

Why not? You may only live once, etc.

[UrbanMan]

I see this...

Simple little house there in the background. To allow communing with nature, of course.

[hick]

I'm not sure what or why exactly you wanna' pick at me Urby but,
life is long and minds will change.

It'll happen again and again. You can bet on that.



where the bush pilots measure Cessna dick.

What is Alaska's favorite all around bush plane for a family?

[UrbanMan]

Trying to be a little funny, and also understand it. I meet someone who did something unorthodox, or is planning to, I'm the sort who ponders their actions. Interesting to figure out what makes people tick.

Some of what this is all about is the idea of escaping the complications of city life (right?) and living more simply. Yet when a list/inventory of all things needed is made, its far from simple. These perceptions formulated by me, sitting on my possibly flawed perch.

[hick]

Fairy dust aka Fair enough.

My main objective remains to have my own space to take a break from the teeming hordes of humanity, yes.

But, as you can see (from the above email reply) that it may not be possible or plausible in Alaska, at least.


This changed the game for me:

"Land was sold by the state or then could be staked by people, but it was mostly in 5 acre parcels and in a designated area. So you have literally lumps or clumps of properties and then miles and miles of nothing again."

"It is truly a rare find and brings an absolute premium when there is a parcel with no neighbors..."


Now I'm looking at these 2 (main) options (for AK):

1) Get as remote as possible with "absentee" neighbors and/or backed up against state land with enough acreage, so that (hopefully) if someone did move in, I couldn't really see or hear them. (or smell them).
Transport to and fro would either be:
-my plane (this is badassery defined, imo.)
-my boat


2) Get something "out there" but reachable by auto.
That would save a LOT of hassle.



or.....



3) <sings> Oh Can-a-da

"Hi Hick,

In reply to your email below. There are no restrictions for foreign ownership of purchasing land in BC. Some provinces in Canada may have some restrictions. We only sell land in British Columbia. We have sold many properties over the years to people in the USA and international.

The BC government did in impose an extra tax to foreign ownership but this is on residential property and is only in the metro Vancouver city. The rest of British Columbia is treated the same for ownership (no restrictions or penalties) whether you are a resident Canada or not.

Please let us know if we can provide you with any additional information on our properties Home - Welcome to NIHO Land & Cattle Company Ltd."



PS: I've given up on NZ and other international locations, cuz I want to loop family visits to Florida and NC (and a storage unit in FL) into this...

[rickschoppers]

This all sounds great and even I have thought about going off the grid even more than I am now but, one thing has kept me from doing it in the past. A moderate to severe injury, or a health issue that would need regular attention. Either one of these could be life threatening if you are out in the bush with nobody around and they would also put an end to living completely off the grid. I am not tryng to be negative, only realistic.

[hick]

^ Yes, Rick.

It's realistic and practical thinking, that.

Never know what'll happen.

If taking the remoteness on as a lifestyle (I'd say) the best one can do is be as equipped and trained as possible for medical emergencies.

I'm the sort who ponders their actions.

“No permanence is ours; we are a wave
That flows to fit whatever form it finds”

― Hermann Hesse, The Glass Bead Game

Heh

[bsnub]

Living off grid doesn't require one to live way out in the Alaskan frontier. I live in Washington and there are plenty of places accessible by road that are very isolated. The Okanagan is a great example. I have a couple of friends who live up there on acreage and both are off grid.