Just moved off the grid--need safety advice

[StarfishKey]

This is a really awesome thread, and the photos you provided on your profile album are amazing! I have been considering off-grid living for quite a few years, and have done a lot of research. I am living more and more off-grid in my daily life all the time, sort of slowly preparing for it so I know if I would be good at it. I want to try it in several different environments, because I am in love with multiple different climates and it's not that easy for me to just pick one. So one of the places I would like to try it is in Alaska, although my plan is to only live there for a year or two (unless I love it so much I decide to stay). I would love to learn from your experience so maybe one day I could set up my own (although of course survival for a year or two involves less planning and work than an intent for long-term survival).

So I hope you could find time to answer a few questions:

1. Could you tell us a little about how your internet set-up works? Has it been reliable for you? What kind of cost was involved in installation/set-up and monthly usage?

2. What kind of energy source(s) are you using? Have you attempted greenhouse or some indoor growing, or will you in future? How well have these things worked for you?

3. How do you manage the solitude? Do you ever see other people on the road, or neighbors (you mentioned the closest neighbor had a fire, don't know if others are within a few miles, or if someone new moved in and built nearby)? I would think in the winter it's especially hard, since while you're alone you have to be really careful when going out to not go too far or risk some type of injury or possible exposure to hypothermia (plus, it's dark so often, which might cause depression and sleep problems).

4. How do you manage food and supplies? Do you go in to town? If so, do you need to stockpile for a few months at a time? Do you have to go by snowmobile?

5. Are you capable of receiving packages? Do you have access to mail delivery (even to a P.O. Box, and if so, how far away is it and how often are you able to go)? Or do you rely solely on online communications? Do you have a phone line? A consistently working cellphone?

6. If you had a chance to have any type of house built on your current site that you wanted, do you think a concrete dome (I noticed your house seem raised, maybe for Springtime flooding, so let's say a dome on concrete stilts) might be more durable? Not sure if you know about these types of designs, but they are often noted as great for off-grid living because they are fire-proof and termite-proof, as well as generally disaster-proof for virtually any type of disaster possible, including bombs, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, etc. Apparently they insulate it so it can stay warm enough. But my concern in looking at your house is that while it's really attractive, it is full of flammable wood, and it seems you're far away from fire dept. help. I'm wondering if that issue could be eliminated completely with a cheap and basic concrete dome house? (sort of like a traditional igloo design worked, I guess, except with modern design features)

7. How do you get your water?

8. You mention knowing very little when you started. What are some of the major things you learned?

It's so great to hear that you've really enjoyed your choice, and so much so that you want to stay there now that you've survived two years of it. I would like to have a similarly positive experience, but I'd love to learn from the experience of others first to make success as likely as possible.

I know these are a lot of questions and you might not have time to answer them all, but certainly others reading this thread would find them helpful and interesting, and perhaps there are more people other than just the OP who can chime in from experience of some of these concerns in off-grid living in Alaska.

I can live without most on-grid comforts, but I think I would prefer a home that has access to internet, and to have neighbors within a few miles, as well as the possibility of obtaining (slow) help in a medical emergency situation - like a town or medically-trained resident at least 30 miles away or something. So I'm wondering how set-ups like yours work out for people, especially when they stay for years.

[Wdexp]

Well, tigerfan3 looks like your making it in the bush. Thats so cool, glad its working out for you. Did you retire now and did you look into the spot tracker system? any interesting storys about your adjustment to the wilds up here.

Again glad it has worked out in the bush up here for you.