National Geographic Channel Documentary (Honolulu, Kailua: 2015, homes, camper)

[Lower48Doc]

Hi all,

The National Geographic Channel is casting a documentary that gives a raw and honest demonstration into the lives of people living beyond the end of the road in Hawaii.

We are interested in active, rugged individuals, families, or groups living off grid who are hunting/growing their own food, gathering their own fuel, hauling and purifying their drinking water, chopping down trees to stay warm, generating their own power and utilizing what they can from the land to build shelter. We are also interested in hearing from those who are about to make the move for the first time.

If you or someone you know is choosing to live remotely, far away from gas stations, shopping malls, highways, and everyday conveniences, and would like to share your experience with the National Geographic viewers, contact our research team:

Offgrid48@gmail.com Or Ally Siegel (323) 785-8658

Thanks!

[Futuremauian]

I'm too much of a city boy to participate, but I would really like to watch the program. Any idea when it will air? 2014? 2015?

Aloha!

[Fredesch]

You might want to post this message on PunaWeb.

[Mikala43]

If they are that remote probably no internets....

[Mikala43]

I've been in contact with the OP and this seems legitimate, so I am re-opening this thread.

[OpenD]

Agreed.

I had a very nice phone conversation with Ally today, and as a result I'm putting her in touch with some people I know on the Big Island who may be helpful to her quest to learn about people living off the grid in Hawai'i .

She's been working on a NatGeo documentary about living off the grid in Alaska for the last year, now she's just beginning to learn about Hawai'i, so I'm sure anything you can share will be a
useful and welcome contribution.

[KauaiHiker]

I thought the thread closure was rather arbitrary, we didn't even get a chance to discuss this concept. It totally seemed legit to me, even if I find it sad that this trend of sensational reality-TV is everywhere, even on Nat Geo channel.

I just think the concept is not gonna go very far in HI--outside of a few places on the Big Island. Even there, lots of compromises: bleach for the water catchment, cutting tree (ferns?) to stay warm?, culling food? Oddly, the abundance of protein and edibles in HI is lower than other places, meaning you'd need more land--but people usually have less here. There is access to public land, but not in the way the national forests are open to harvesting on the mainland--so less resources to live on. Year-round agriculture, but also year-round pests (yes, you can go fight'em organically, but most just stock up on round-up and deet).

Maybe they'll contact the Robinsons and get to film Ni'ihau, but I really doubt it. Actually, I would prefer never to see Ni'ihau on TV.

Ironically, lots of the neighbor islands are very rural and far from gas stations and malls and fast food franchises, just not all survivalist back-to-nature. A lot of people grow some food in a garden, but also drive once-a-week to walmart. In a sense, HI is much less suburban than where most of the mainland TV viewers are, but nowhere near as wild as the hinterland on the mainland (Montana, Wyoming).

I predict this show is going to zero in a few (white) people with solar panels and permaculture and nice views of the coast (and probably 1 Mil $ homes). And then there will be lots of setup shots of all the popular tourist destinations, probably from a helicopter.

[Mikala43]

Believe it or not, I had 3 similar types of request in one day, the other mods probably had them too.

This is the only one that was legitimate.

[hotzcatz]

You don't have to live off the end of the road to be off the grid. Lots of folks live off the grid in town. However, there was a forum up around Volcano called "Sensible Simplicity" where there was a lot of sustainableness and off grid stuff talked about for several years, then the fellow eventually kind of gave up on educating the public and started a rock-n-roll band instead.

They should check the Island of Molokai, they're pretty good at off grid.

[Jungjohann]

Too bad Steve Irwin, aka, 'The Crocodile Hunter', is no longer with us. The National Geographic Channel could have enlisted him, and his crew, to venture into the deepest, darkest, unexplored, (in anything less than a Hummer or a Lexus), parts of windward Oahu, namely Kailua, and sought out the rarely seen, (except at Stinger Rays) form of life, the White Viper. I can see it now, as Steve, with camera crew in close pursuit, ventures up the driveway, to the lair of the mysterious White Viper..........................
'Well, here we are folks, at the very entrance to the natural living habitat of the White Viper...Let's have a little look at what may be living on this blokes driveway.. CRIKEY!!!! WILL YOU JUST LOOK AT THAT!!!! A GIANT AFRICAN SNAIL CHUGGIN ACROSS THE CONCRETE!!!!! Lets give our little limaceous mate a closer gander... Yep, sure nough, a giant african snail.. Wonder if this little bloke knows he's not supposed to be in Kailua?? Must have snuck up here, overnight, from Waimanalo.. Well, that's determination for ya!!! And, just look, our little buddy appears to have left a slimey trail all over the Vipes Lexus!!!! You'd better move on little one, or the Vipes gonna deal with ya!! Fortunately, the Great White Viper is also known to have a similar habitat in downtown Honolulu, so this shouldn't be a problem!! And, what have we buzzin away over here by the redwood trim on the garage??? Why, it's a carpenter bee, happily gnawin away at the Vipes redwood trim!! By the looks of it, must be a union bee, what with this being Sunday and all... Shoo ya little carpenter, wouldn't want the Vipe to see you eatin his garage!!! Fortunately for the Great White Viper, he's also known to maintain a lair in San Francisco, so, a little missin redwood shouldn't present too much of a problem!! Now, lets meander deeper into the Vipes habitat, lets check out the back yard.... CRIKEY!!!!!! WHAT HAVE WE HERE!!!!! A BLOODY SWIMMIN HOLE!!!!!!! COMPLETE WITH JACUZZI!!!!! Why, I'd be willin to wager that the Great White Viper must spend a lot of time hangin around this pool, socializin with his fellow Vipers, and sippin on the occasional martini!! And, by the looks of things, a mai tai or two as well, judgin by the little umbrellas floatin in the jacuzzi!!!! We'd better be scampering along now, seein as it's near sunset, and this is the time of day when the Great White Viper is known to return to his habitat, after a grueling day of struggling to eek out a meager living in the world of..........Well, mateys, that's all for this week, don't forget to tune in next week, when we journey into the deep jungles of upper Puna, better known as Volcano, down on the Bigger Island, in search of that reclusive, internet beast, the OD!!!!

uuuurrrrppppp,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,