Best place in the U.S. for off-the-grid wilderness living?

20378 Views 73 Replies 37 Participants Last post by delta27, Oct 1, 2014

survivorman78

Discussion Starter · Jun 16, 2014

So I'm thinking of ditching city life with all the people and problems. Been thinking of buying some cheap land or maybe even renting some wooded forest land from someone. Buying a camper and taking tons of supplies and food for long term survival. Maybe even build a little homestead. Or a cabin.

So now I'm looking into where would be the best place in the U.S. to do this at?

I know in some states its really hard to do. First of all land is very expensive in those states. And then you buy the land and there's a whole bunch of laws, zoning regarding it. You need to have to government people come out to look at your land to inspect it. You also have property taxes, permits, etc which adds up to more $$$$$.

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rabehning

· #2 · Jun 17, 2014

You need to decide if you can deal with cold winters , or hot summer heat as to where you wanna live. Places out in middle of nowhere can be found in most states. Ideally , living in a camper, on some rented land would be great. No taxes, just have to deal with owner. Some places that is hard to find.

Another thing to think about is how far off grid you wanna be. Do u want electric service, wanna be able to use cell phone. How far from people do you wanna be. Do you just want out of the city, or do you really want just a smaller town to live in.

Nomad 2nd

· #3 · Jun 17, 2014

Depends on what you want.

It's done in Maine, the gulf coast swamps and the Nevada desert....

Reactions: 3

survivorman78

Discussion Starter · #4 · Jun 17, 2014

survivorman78 said:
I know in some states its really hard to do. First of all land is very expensive in those states. And then you buy the land and there's a whole bunch of laws, zoning regarding it. You need to have to government people come out to look at your land to inspect it. You also have property taxes, permits, etc which adds up to more $$$$$.

This video shows just hard it could be!

Reactions: 2

Hick Industries

· #5 · Jun 17, 2014

survivorman78 said:
So I'm thinking of ditching city life with all the people and problems. Been thinking of buying some cheap land or maybe even renting some wooded forest land from someone. Buying a camper and taking tons of supplies and food for long term survival. Maybe even build a little homestead. Or a cabin.

So now I'm looking into where would be the best place in the U.S. to do this at?

I know in some states its really hard to do. First of all land is very expensive in those states. And then you buy the land and there's a whole bunch of laws, zoning regarding it. You need to have to government people come out to look at your land to inspect it. You also have property taxes, permits, etc which adds up to more $$$$$.

I suggest looking at hilly, forested areas located in states that get sufficient rain, not too cold in winter, and at least 150 miles inland from the ocean.

My preference is the Ozark mtns.

Reactions: 3

comdot

· #6 · Jun 17, 2014

Downtown Detroit. Cheap land, nobody cares what you do or what you live in. All that and it's a wilderness, too.

Reactions: 5

Clique777

· #7 · Jun 17, 2014

survivorman78 said:
So I'm thinking of ditching city life with all the people and problems. Been thinking of buying some cheap land or maybe even renting some wooded forest land from someone. Buying a camper and taking tons of supplies and food for long term survival. Maybe even build a little homestead. Or a cabin.

So now I'm looking into where would be the best place in the U.S. to do this at?

I know in some states its really hard to do. First of all land is very expensive in those states. And then you buy the land and there's a whole bunch of laws, zoning regarding it. You need to have to government people come out to look at your land to inspect it. You also have property taxes, permits, etc which adds up to more $$$$$.

Joel Skousen wrote a book, "Strategic Relocation". Its probably the finest source of answers to the questions you have. If my memory serves me correctly, the best places (though maybe not the cheapest) places to live in the coming collapse are 1) Northwestern Montana, 2) East Texas and 3) the Hill Country of Central Texas. The book is not prohibitively expensive. I'm personally looking for other Christians to buy a large tract of land for a bugout location. I plan to permanently move there. I am thinking I can live on 10 acres or less. 10 families, 100 acres or something like that is my working hypothesis.

Reactions: 4

purplehullpeas

· #8 · Jun 17, 2014

I agree with Hick, Arkansas or Missouri. Yes, you get some stormy weather, but if you watch the national weather, almost every front that blows across the US dumps fresh water in those states. Here in NE Texas, we watch fronts miss us with the rainfall while Arkansas seems to get it all...along with some severe weather, the trade-off.
There are parts that have very low populations, and I believe the cost of living and land can be favorable.
Just my opinion. And they have four seasons, most years.

ForestBeekeeper

· #9 · Jun 17, 2014

Over 92% of this state is forest. We moved here, bought 150 acres with 1/4 mile of river frontage, and began building a farm house. We currently can produce most of our food.

We bought two parcels of land. One was $350/acre, the other was $900/acre. Taxes run $1.05 / acre.

There is almost no zoning here, no building inspections either.

We will soon be off-grid.

Reactions: 5

Sean_6399

· #10 · Jun 17, 2014

I'm gonna go with Detroit too.

Buy a house for $1, and it's already a WROL environment.

550cord

· #11 · Jun 17, 2014

New Mexico, Abiquiu area. Lots of water low population density, solar and wind available for power. soil is a bit rough and would take a few seasons to get back up and running. Jemez mountains. same deal but thick old growth pines make the soil more of a 6.5ph so you need to lime it. Las Vegas, NM no jobs but lots of cheap land and some of it has irrigation rights still. Pretty much anywhere in northern New Mexico or south east Colorado would be good if you are willing to work. Best part NO ONE GOES THERE. so there will be no one to check your permits. Taxes are on you though.

Watchingtheweasels

· #12 · Jun 17, 2014

survivorman78 said:
So I'm thinking of ditching city life with all the people and problems. Been thinking of buying some cheap land or maybe even renting some wooded forest land from someone. Buying a camper and taking tons of supplies and food for long term survival. Maybe even build a little homestead. Or a cabin.

So now I'm looking into where would be the best place in the U.S. to do this at?

I know in some states its really hard to do. First of all land is very expensive in those states. And then you buy the land and there's a whole bunch of laws, zoning regarding it. You need to have to government people come out to look at your land to inspect it. You also have property taxes, permits, etc which adds up to more $$$$$.

Out of curiosity, what skills do you have? I grew up in a major city and have lived in increasingly less populated places throughout my adult life. I am at what I call a BOL now, though I suspect someone in an off grid cabin in the mountains would laugh at that concept. Still, it is sufficiently out of the way, has some land, and has a water collection system. I have a year's worth of food stored up and some firearms and ammo. So at least the basics have been checked off.

There is an almost endless list of things to know and do. This has been my summer to plant productive and protective trees. I have an evergreen windbreak in the ground and have put some fruit trees and chestnuts in the ground. I have lost one of the chestnuts already and probably will lose another. The other two seem to be okay. These are blight resistant varieties, possibly root rot. I have an almost laughably small garden this year. Taming this small plot with electric modern implements or internal combustion is work - it would be very difficult without it. Out west I expect you would have to expend less effort to tame the land, but the land is less productive and more arid so growing food is more of a challenge.

With the price of propane skyrocketing I would like to have some alternate heat source come winter.

Modern life turns us into specialists dedicated to moving the levers of a modern society. The learning curve to become a truly self sufficient generalist is very steep if you didn't grow up in that lifestyle.

Good land is no longer cheap. Some very wealthy people have been seeing the trends and have been buying up large tracts in good jurisdictions. Asking prices for tracts of any size are usually in the six figures if there is adequate water.

I will second the strategic relocation book but analyze the raw data to see what meets your needs.

Good luck...i think you are on a worthwhile course and wish you well, just don't underestimate the task in front of you.

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LordOpie

· #13 · Jun 17, 2014

water, water, and more water!

as close as possible to a lake that doesn't dry up. There are reservoirs here in Colorado that were full. People probably moved near them for the water. The budget dried up and then so did the water.

Nothing is as important as a reliable water source.

Reactions: 2

Angry Cow

· #14 · Jun 17, 2014

Do your homework, ask locals, look around. Texas has horrible droughts every 15 years or so. Opie's right, you need a water source. Montana has areas where there is virtually no water table, plus the mountains tend to be riddled with old mines and the nasties (like pollution) that come along. Nevada is another state with polluted old mines leaching into the watersheds. Northern Idaho, land is way too expensive. Thanks to JWR everybody wants a homestead there. The problem is, it snows a LOT and most of the back roads are impassable for months on end.

Reactions: 2

McGuyversurvivor

· #15 · Jun 17, 2014

Hick Industries said:
I suggest looking at hilly, forested areas located in states that get sufficient rain, not too cold in winter, and at least 150 miles inland from the ocean.

My preference is the Ozark mtns.

not sure why you say 150+ mi from the ocean ?

perhaps out of concern about hurricanes ?

one thing to consider is that Oceans ,Seas and Large lakes nearby will moderate & buffer temperature swings, moderating the extremes that occur in areas without a huge body of water acting as a heat sink in summer and radiating the heat back out in winter,,

Reactions: 4

survivorman78

Discussion Starter · #16 · Jun 17, 2014

Watchingtheweasels said:
Out of curiosity, what skills do you have?

I have about 15 years of camping experience.

Reactions: 1

survivorman78

Discussion Starter · #17 · Jun 17, 2014

550cord said:
New Mexico, Abiquiu area. Lots of water low population density, solar and wind available for power. soil is a bit rough and would take a few seasons to get back up and running. Jemez mountains. same deal but thick old growth pines make the soil more of a 6.5ph so you need to lime it. Las Vegas, NM no jobs but lots of cheap land and some of it has irrigation rights still. Pretty much anywhere in northern New Mexico or south east Colorado would be good if you are willing to work. Best part NO ONE GOES THERE. so there will be no one to check your permits. Taxes are on you though.

Cool.

I don't know if you've seen this.

"In the arid wasteland of the New Mexico desert, 25 miles from the nearest town and deep into a territory no one is likely to find by accident, there is a makeshift community populated by societal dropouts who for a variety of reasons have chosen to live outside the influence of mainstream America."

Reactions: 5

OssaMAR

· #18 · Jun 17, 2014

Question if I purchase land in Maine, How would I be able to get my AR-15's and 30 round mags there without driving them thru New York.

Reactions: 2

kemosabe

· #19 · Jun 17, 2014

I heard the Ozarks if your tough enough.

Reactions: 1

daydreamer

· #20 · Jun 17, 2014 (Edited)

ForestBeekeeper said:
We bought two parcels of land. One was $350/acre, the other was $900/acre. Taxes run $1.05 / acre.

Sounds great. If I might ask when did you purchase the parcels? Within the last few years or longer? Thanks

Reactions: 1

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