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Those of you who live in remote areas off-grid. Can your home be accessed by road or just by plane or river boat?
I see remote land that is cheap but has not access except by air or river boat. A few of them have trails open during the winter. I guess during the summer is full of mosquitos and mud (mud pools too..uh..uh) so it would be somewhat impossible to transit there.
I guess that if one intends to work or have a business in the city and doesnt own a plane, it would make non-sense.
If I want to build a small log cabin (150 sq, feet, real log cabin ...not made of plywood, etc), would it be easier to do in remote areas? I mean, would it be less hassle with building permits and all that?
I also wonder about wetlands. I wouldnt like to see mud eating my cabin.
Those of you who live in remote areas off-grid. Can your home be accessed by road or just by plane or river boat?
I see remote land that is cheap but has not access except by air or river boat. A few of them have trails open during the winter. I guess during the summer is full of mosquitos and mud (mud pools too..uh..uh) so it would be somewhat impossible to transit there.
I guess that if one intends to work or have a business in the city and doesnt own a plane, it would make non-sense.
If I want to build a small log cabin (150 sq, feet, real log cabin ...not made of plywood, etc), would it be easier to do in remote areas? I mean, would it be less hassle with building permits and all that?
I also wonder about wetlands. I wouldnt like to see mud eating my cabin.
Thank you
Thank you
I got rural land that is a little over a mile from a road so is technically road accessible (if I were to put in a driveway but I'm not so it's only trail accessible now and will stay that way). It was cheap but that's an exception (there's still land there for sale but most of the best lots have sold...). Most road accessible land will be expensive. What isn't is in areas without jobs, etc., nearby. The closer you are to a well populated area the more expensie it will be. There's only something like 1 percent of Alaska's total land in private hands. The rest is government and native owned land. So while it's a big state the land available is rather limited. For cheap land fly-in/boat-in is the way to go (the state has a lot of fly-in only land for sale cheap). Often those trails you mentioned go over rivers and such and can only be used when safely frozen (and be sure the ice is solid because help probably won't be nearby).
If it's what you truly want, you'll have to give up the idea of a job in a city. It's simply not an option in the real remote areas. Find alternative ways to make money (trap, prospect for gold, whatever you can do that makes some money). Get enough land to grow food and hunt and fish (yes I know you mentioned on another thread you don't want to but I do think you will eventually submit to practicality in this matter). Buy little and you need little money. It all depends on what you're willing to live with.
Wetlands can be an issue but so too can permafrost. Build incorrectly on permafrost and your cabin will slowly sink as it melts. You must keep permafrost from getting heated and melting, so build on posts and insulate your floor well. Wetlands, you have to see the land to know for sure what you've got. As a rule of thumb the lots the state sells all have a buildable spot (generally 1 acre for every 5 acres based on what I read in appraisal reports they did) but of course the rest could all be swamp/muskeg/etc., and with private sales (not the state sales) you need to be even more careful. Check out the land first before buying or perhaps have someone you know well in the area check it out/take pics/etc. if you truly can't.
As for building permits and such, in unorganized rural or bush areas, basically, anything goes, no permits needed. Even in many organized areas there isn't much in rural and bush areas to stop you. You mainly have to deal with permits and such in more populated areas (like Anchorage, etc.). There are state laws on standards for outhouses and such but they're pretty basic (don't use those clearances and you may end up with tainted drinking water). You may want to file for the water rights after you build to protect yourself in the future but based on my conversations with people in the bush and rural areas, most don't bother. Still isn't a bad idea to do so. Check with the DNR on water rights.
Also, keep in mind getting heavy equipment into real remote areas can be much more trouble than it's worth. I hope you are comfortable with using lots of hand tools.
I posted a link on a different thread to another board at frontierfreedom.com that's focused on this sort of thing, you may find some additional help there in older threads and such. You mentioned though that you don't eat meat/etc. I'll only warn you that if you're an animal rights/PETA type of person you'd have some trouble there.
Last edited by arctichomesteader; 07-19-2008 at 10:33 AM..
You have a nice website. I couldnt register though. I will try again later.
I am on the same line of thought so I find your website interesting.
Well, where I became vegetarian it was a rare thing. This was 30 yrs ago. I think people become vegetarian for many reasons. The culture has changed a lot since that time. It is not longer a rare thing anymore.
I would die before eating something dead. I just cannot handle it.
Someday, when I have time, I might try to study edible wild veggies. According to USAF surviving manual, there are many kinds of edible roots, leafs, etc that one can find in the artic. I think there is also a small school in Washington that teaches to identify different types of wild edible veggies.
Don't you kill the veggies when you eat them? I guess an onion's life isn't worth as much as a bear's life. You are going to have a tough time living in Alaska without eating mosquitos...it just happens when you least expect it. But I suppose their life isn't worth much either.
Just having fun, please don't get offended. I have these same discussions with my mostly vegetarian daughter.
You have a nice website. I couldnt register though. I will try again later.
I am on the same line of thought so I find your website interesting.
Well, where I became vegetarian it was a rare thing. This was 30 yrs ago. I think people become vegetarian for many reasons. The culture has changed a lot since that time. It is not longer a rare thing anymore.
I would die before eating something dead. I just cannot handle it.
You can store many of these vegetables for a long time particularly in Alaska. I would need to shop once a month.
Needless to say, I will have my own garden.
Not my website, the couple who run it live in the bush in Southcentral Alaska. I'm just a regular member there, I got a lot of help from it as it's focused on living in the bush or rural areas in AK. Good luck trying to register, email Chuck (one of the admins there) if you keep having trouble. They have had issues with their server at times so maybe all the bugs aren't worked out of things still...
Shopping once a month from the bush would get expensive. Might aim for as close to a year between trips as possible. Quite doable if you buy enough at one time and properly store and preserve everything (you'll need to can, dry or freeze most fruits and vegetables to get them to last all winter, root cellars are great for part of the winter but keep in mind just how long the winter is in Alaska, even though many things will last through the winter in one they may not taste too great by the end of it, potatoes for example get real sugary sweet, too sweet really, if stored in cold temps too long). In case you've never gardened in a real cold climate before you may want to check out some of the publications put out by the USDA extension service in Alaska, they're online so just search for them. Lots of helpful advice.
Not to insult you or anything but anything you eat is dead, whether it's plant life or animal life, every creature in this world relies on eating another living thing to survive (even non-carnivorous plants, since they rely on nutrients in the ground that are there largely as a result of living things dying and decomposing). Just reality. Doesn't mean you have to enjoy killing things (I don't enjoy killing things, but it's a fact of living in this world so I don't let it bother me too much). In any case, just be sure you don't try to force your views on those who do eat meat, hunt, fish, trap, etc., as the right to hunt/fish/trap/etc. is taken pretty seriously by a lot of people in AK, for good reason...
These are typical comments I have heard for a very long long time. I grew up with them around me. I had my reasons when I started but not now. Right now, it is just the way I am. You probably dont ask yourselves why you eat meat. You just eat meat. Samething here. I dont need to explain myself why I eat vegetables. You would be speechless if someone asks you why you eat meat when you are eating. It is just the way I am. The only thing is that I wouldnt be able to eat meat or fish the sameway we would find distasteful to eat insects or snakes or....raw monkey brains...whatever. I have to leave the room if I see someone cleaning fish or an animal bleeding out. I just cannot handle it.
I can tell you that many of these things when I started they were like taboo not only vegetarian and natural foods but also alternative energies, natural medicine, etc. The world has changed a lot from back then in relation to these things. It is great to see young people becoming vegetarians, Gore talking about alternative energies, etc etc. All these was taboo when I was young...same talking line as UFOs. I sense now less idealism but more pragmatism. Young people is touching wood...
People will become more and more vegetarian friendly. Many actors in Hollywood are vegetarians long time ago and you know Hollywood is a trend setter for lasting social changes. People talk about these things everywhere now.
People associate Alaska with hunting but it is just a way to market Alaskan tourism. One can be Alaskan and vegetarian. At first sight, it might look like there are not many edible wild veggies but in fact there are many, even in artic lands.
If you have the USAF survival manual, you can find a chapter about wild edible vegetables in the artic. There are many. There is a school in Washington state that teaches how to identify edible wild veggies. I am sure native americans know as well. We have been conditioned to think that we need meat and our brain selects just a set of acceptable foods. In fact, the universe of edible vegetables is pretty big. You know people used to drink milk on the table as an essential food but now..how many people you know who drink big glass of milk three times a day? Nobody. They just wanted to market and sell milk.
Who knows? I might be tastier for Alaskan bears...something different... you know?
It is great to see young people becoming vegetarians, Gore talking about alternative energies, etc etc. All these was taboo when I was young...same talking line as UFOs. I sense now less idealism but more pragmatism. Young people is touching wood...
People will become more and more vegetarian friendly. Many actors in Hollywood are vegetarians long time ago and you know Hollywood is a trend setter for lasting social changes. People talk about these things everywhere now.
These are typical comments I have heard for a very long long time. I grew up with them around me. I had my reasons when I started but not now. Right now, it is just the way I am. You probably dont ask yourselves why you eat meat. You just eat meat. Samething here. I dont need to explain myself why I eat vegetables. You would be speechless if someone asks you why you eat meat when you are eating. It is just the way I am. The only thing is that I wouldnt be able to eat meat or fish the sameway we would find distasteful to eat insects or snakes or....raw monkey brains...whatever. I have to leave the room if I see someone cleaning fish or an animal bleeding out. I just cannot handle it.
I can tell you that many of these things when I started they were like taboo not only vegetarian and natural foods but also alternative energies, natural medicine, etc. The world has changed a lot from back then in relation to these things. It is great to see young people becoming vegetarians, Gore talking about alternative energies, etc etc. All these was taboo when I was young...same talking line as UFOs. I sense now less idealism but more pragmatism. Young people is touching wood...
People will become more and more vegetarian friendly. Many actors in Hollywood are vegetarians long time ago and you know Hollywood is a trend setter for lasting social changes. People talk about these things everywhere now.
People associate Alaska with hunting but it is just a way to market Alaskan tourism. One can be Alaskan and vegetarian. At first sight, it might look like there are not many edible wild veggies but in fact there are many, even in artic lands.
If you have the USAF survival manual, you can find a chapter about wild edible vegetables in the artic. There are many. There is a school in Washington state that teaches how to identify edible wild veggies. I am sure native americans know as well. We have been conditioned to think that we need meat and our brain selects just a set of acceptable foods. In fact, the universe of edible vegetables is pretty big. You know people used to drink milk on the table as an essential food but now..how many people you know who drink big glass of milk three times a day? Nobody. They just wanted to market and sell milk.
Who knows? I might be tastier for Alaskan bears...something different... you know?
Well, humans are omnivores, it's a scientific fact. We were meant to eat meat for at least part of our diet, when it's available. We can also survive off plants. If the Inuit were vegetarians they would have never survived in the far North for the many centuries that they did. Humans were originally hunter-gatherers. It's in our blood, hunting/eating meat, as much as it's in a wolf's blood to hunt. People are individuals though and some take to a vegetarian diet well, others don't. I do have problems if I don't eat meat for extended periods, and I'm not the only one. This has been documented in others' cases. Some people simply don't do well without meat, others do better without it. Diet is a pretty individual/personal thing, though one's ethnic background can have an influence in some ways.
I'm well aware of all the edible plants and such in Alaska. There's quite an abundance. I'm working on educating myself on the ones I'm not real familiar with. Surprisingly, a lot of the better wild edibles in Alaska are also present in New England, which is where I'm from (and am currently still in until the Spring) so I'm already quite familiar with many of them. Nothing quite like wild berries, for example. The commercial varieties are just lacking, especially blueberries, and when was the last time you saw cloud berries in a store. I've done a lot of gathering of wild plants in VT. The only thing I don't collect are mushrooms and as I'm not a big mushroom fan anyways that's not a big deal. Still, even in VT, if it weren't for modern agriculture, food preservation methods and the complex delivery system...you wouldn't survive off plants alone. You'd have to hunt or fish. Alaska's even more extreme than VT. Humans have always adapted to live off of what was available in their area. In places like Alaska, meat and fish were and still are incredibly important for survival for those who live off of the land and don't rely on the "system" to do so. In other areas fruits and such were more abundant. The animal rights/anti-hunting/fishing/trapping movement could never happen in a society of people closely tied to the land, it can only happen when people have been disconnected from it. You'll notice generally the support for the anti-meat groups like PETA is concentrated in large urban areas, where people for the most part are quite detached and often downright ignorant about the natural world and where food comes from (seriously, there are people who think meat, fruits and vegetables come from the grocery store, milk comes from cartons, etc., they just have no clue where food actually comes from because they're so far removed from the land) and so they're easily mislead by animal rights groups' propaganda.
I can warn you that outside of bigger cities hollywood stars have little sway. They're entertainment, if that, at most. A lot of people I know find the lives of the stars quite despicable and are not interested at all in imitating them. As for Al Gore, while I care about the environment quite a bit, I don't like Al Gore. He has been to some degree damaging to people who care about the environment who base things off of sound science, because simply put, a lot of people now associate anyone who is concerned over the environment with people like Gore.
Still not slamming you but giving you my thoughts on all of this. We are definately opposites on this issue. All I'll say is if you respect my right to use meat, hunt, fish, trap, raise livestock, etc., and don't try to force your views on me and others, I have no problem with you being a vegetarian and I'll respect your right to do so. It's only when radicals (like PETA and the HSUS) try to force their vegetarian views on me, that there's a problem. Those groups can go ahead and ban hunting, fishing, trapping, eating meat, etc., makes no difference, because that won't stop me, I won't give up my rights. Myself, I have no interest in relying on stores and such for my survival and instead prefer to be self-sufficient. A vegetarian could not survive in much of Alaska without the stores/commercial food supplies that exist these days. Alaska isn't exactly prime agricultural land in general. Crops like potatoes and such thrive and most anything can be grown although at great effort and expense in some cases, but the land simply isn't as productive as elsewhere for most crops, especially warm weather type crops like corn. There's a reason the natives relied so heavily on meat and fish, and they knew what they were doing.
On the other thread I mentioned the DNR land sales. They have some road accessible land near mine (same subdivision) cheap (starting at 550 an acre, though some is slightly more expensive, 20 acre lots, no property taxes, send me a message if you're interested in the exact details) about 150 miles, give or take some, from Fairbanks, gravel road most of the ways. I thought I'd warn you in light of this thread though that if you did buy there you'd want to be careful making surprise visits to me, as I'll most definately be hunting, trapping, and fishing, especially seeing as how there's a big state forest right next door to my lot open to all of this stuff (talk about nice, having a big pretty undeveloped forest next door), apart from perhaps raising some chickens and bees on my land (although I'm not planning to eat the bees, only some of the honey they make ) in addition to gardens and such also. So you could catch some pretty bloody scenes if you came by unannounced in the middle of me at work on an animal or a catch of fish...but it may be a good area for you.
Pretty tough to gather wild veggies in the winter. The ground is frozen as hard as a rock for 6+ months of the year. You can always be a snowbird...and stay for the summer.
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I've done a lot of gathering of wild plants in VT. The only thing I don't collect are mushrooms and as I'm not a big mushroom fan anyways that's not a big deal. Still, even in VT, if it weren't for modern agriculture, food preservation methods and the complex delivery system...you wouldn't survive off plants alone. You'd have to hunt or fish. Alaska's even more extreme than VT. Humans have always adapted to live off of what was available in their area. In places like Alaska, meat and fish were and still are incredibly important for survival for those who live off of the land and don't rely on the "system" to do so. In other areas fruits and such were more abundant. The animal rights/anti-hunting/fishing/trapping movement could never happen in a society of people closely tied to the land, it can only happen when people have been disconnected from it. You'll notice generally the support for the anti-meat groups like PETA is concentrated in large urban areas, where people for the most part are quite detached and often downright ignorant about the natural world and where food comes from (seriously, there are people who think meat, fruits and vegetables come from the grocery store, milk comes from cartons, etc., they just have no clue where food actually comes from because they're so far removed from the land) and so they're easily mislead by animal rights groups' propaganda.
) in addition to gardens and such also. So you could catch some pretty bloody scenes if you came by unannounced in the middle of me at work on an animal or a catch of fish...but it may be a good area for you.
