# Best place to live in the woods long-term?



## mkirby

I'm starting to get sick of being the city and I think I'm almost ready to spend some time surviving the natural way. Let's say me and a couple of friends wanted to go kick it in the forest for a couple of months...what's the best place in North America to go do that? I want to find a spot where I can build a permanent structure to live in and have a fire, etc. without getting fucked with by cops or park rangers. I also want it to be a place with a decent abundance of wild edible/medicinal plants, fresh water, and game to hunt, that kind of thing. Where should I go?


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## Kalalau

Kalalau... it's everything you want except for the north america part.... one thing I know is that most people can't hack the woods by themselves... they need community... unless you're mostly antisocial... I'm sure there's other places... but I'm not sure where they are....


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## finn

No matter where you are, a fire is not something you can hide so easily, unless you're really careful about the smoke. I've heard of small caves which were made inside of crevices, designed to hide the smoke and light of the fire, so that food could be cooked, but it's not exactly an easy task. With summer ending and winter coming, I'd advise you work on your skills before you head out into the woods. The warm months should be when you're building up your larder... Either way, you also have to worry about ATVers as well as everyone else if you want to be hidden. I remember a news story about a father and daughter pair who lived in the woods in the pacific northwest for a while before some endurance runners stumbled upon their camp- maybe around there?


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## uncivilize

The father/daughter were living in Forest Park in Portland. There's a fictional account based on their story called My Abandonment, pretty good read, a little annoying because it's written from the perspective (and style) of a 12 year old girl. They were still fulfilling many of their needs from the city.

Like finn said, winter is not the best time for you to do this unless you really know what you're doing. You want to be LIVING in the woods, not surviving. Fall is the time to put up alot of food you'll be needing when the cold comes, collect firewood, build a good shelter, get your clothing, blankets together, etc. 

The best place to go? Depends on your knowledge/experience, and the resources available, just find what you need. There are vast open areas all over North America. To truly "live off the land" hunter/gatherer style, you'll have to have a group of experienced people, and for it to be sustainable, you'll need more acreage than you'd think. Might be a good idea to do it near where road kill would be a resource. Shit I started rambling, there's so much that can be said about this. Are you really ready yet?


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## mkirby

I wasn't talking about doing this tomorrow, I would wait until next spring and I would definitely bring some people with me who have more wilderness experience than me, and improve my survival skills in the meantime.

Would smoke really matter if you were miles into the woods? you'd think small amounts of it would be disregarded because there are so many natural fires that occur....what if you only cooked at night?


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## Diagaro

not even bothering to read entire thread before posting reply but whatever.
I say the cascades or the olympics in washington state.
you can get soooo deep in that you will never see hide nore hair of hikers, hunters or baged officials and you can still be close enough to civilization incase you bit off more than you can chew and break your leg or start the long death of starvation.
when i was 12 years old i took the ferry across from my home town of lynnwood to kingston and walked up the highway till i saw no more mailboxes. i lived back there the better part of my 12 year on this planet. there was times of starvation and severe weather and i had to teach my self to hunt and forage but it was hell - the best hell i ever experienced ever
my advice is to make a net out of reeds dont bother with a fishingpole its just more shit to get snagged on foliage and its clumsy in the wild
everything you may ever need can be made from what surounds you you just have to be cleveri trapped a full doe with no young (thankfully) my first month there skin, gut and cook all meat ASAP eat what you can and donot eat anything else after 24 hours unless you have snow to keep it on ice witheven then there is bacteria in the snow wich will give you disyntary and shit if you ingest it so a second cooking is necessary.
bring lots of dehydrated foods otherwise


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## LeeevinKansas

Like uncivilize said, you need alot of acreage to truly live off the land. 

in my own experiences, which are not so much living as surviving, find a woody area in the countryside, in a rural area if possible. It might be a good idea to have a gas station somewhere close by, close as in like 5-10 miles, so if you end up sucking at living in the forest, you have something to fall back on. This kinda lifestyle is common knowledge for the most part. 

Find a river to live by, that has fish in it, at the very least crawdads or crabs, something you can eat. If possible find an area with lots of Birch trees, as the bark can be used for a plethora of things, from bedding to building shelter. Also Honeylocust trees are another option to look for. Their innner wood is extremely durable, and in ancient time was used to make bows, but they also are good for making pikes for hunting food. 

Try and pick up some books on edible plants, edible fungi, and medicinal herbs, cuz that knowledge can save your ass sometimes.


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## Cade

I think it truly can depend on what enviroment you were brought up in because that way you will know even more about the area like its terrian, weather, food, water etc. For me, I would feel most comfortable living long term in the high desert. Only because I have spent many summers and winters in these places. This is not to say that you can't learn the area of course. 

Some places that you might find interesting are the Boundary Waters of northern Minnesota. The entire place is a National Forest that does not allow any type of motorized vehicle enter, because there are no roads in the place. Canada is also very similiar in the fact that there are many place uncivilized and uncontrolled.

Read some books about the native plant life, animals and weather. Stock up on all of your supplies. Learn from others. And don't die out there!


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## distro

spent 3 weeks in steamboat springs colorado camping up in the mountains there. saw some moose and buck. heard shot guns so i guess theres game. it gets lonely there. almost boring. never saw any park rangers or mountain rangers. even chased deer with a spear i made from pine. made some shelter outta fallen trees. i dunno. it was an alright time. learned alot of things bout myself.


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## vandalette

distro said:


> spent 3 weeks in steamboat springs colorado camping up in the mountains there. saw some moose and buck. heard shot guns so i guess theres game. it gets lonely there. almost boring. never saw any park rangers or mountain rangers. even chased deer with a spear i made from pine. made some shelter outta fallen trees. i dunno. it was an alright time. learned alot of things bout myself.



And did some stick and poke tattoos and don't forget squirrel hunting.


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## adanisback

Best place to live in the woods is probably out west (California) just because the weather is pretty nice all year around and would make for some comfortable living...that or Montana(weather can suck but its so fucking beautiful there)


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## Beegod Santana

The pacific nw or nor-cal would be my main choices just because of the abundance of wildlife and the relative mildness of the weather. As far as fires go, I've had long term camps right next to towns that never got noticed, I doubt you'd have much trouble getting away with one out in the woods. People make living out in the woods sound like rocket science, but really a lot of stupid ass rednecks are doing it every day. If you really plan on going off the grid for an extended period of time though, I highly suggest you bring a rifle. I know its not the most natural thing in the world, but it could very well save your ass in the tough times.


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## cranberrydavid

Beegod Santana said:


> As far as fires go, I've had long term camps right next to towns that never got noticed, I doubt you'd have much trouble getting away with one out in the woods.



It's probably actually easier in some ways to hide a fire near civilization where smoke blends in better. I know that here in WA the DNR contracts with private pilots to fly fire patrol over some pretty remote areas during the summers. Smoke lying in a valley in the morning will guarantee a visit because it might be a smoldering forest fire in the making. After the fall rains start, anything goes. 



> If you really plan on going off the grid for an extended period of time though, I highly suggest you bring a rifle. I know its not the most natural thing in the world, but it could very well save your ass in the tough times.



Yup, a .22 equals food, safety, and an emergency signal. But it can also give you away and get you a court date rather than a warning. There's always trade offs.


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## LeeevinKansas

just avoid people. look i know everyone tells you to head to the PNW forests and stuff, but thats considered pro-wilderness survivor. u needa start out something much more basic. i recommend the midwest. especially KS, OK, NE, MO, etc. we have lots of forest areas that arent as majestic as those in the west, but theyre still wild enough to train you. 

1. Flint Hills - KS

Flint Hills - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

GO to the flint hills as your number one option. Its a large area encompassing much of eastern kansas, and it consists of many rolling hills dotted in woodland forests and many a river and stream. Its a perfect area to learn to live in the forest. The majority of the land is not owned. Alot of it is, but alot more isnt. As far as people goes, theres a very small chance of you having to worry about anyone spotting your camp, or spotting your presence. Theres various small towns that dot the landscape, but still spread out enough to make the area in betweens pretty damn rural.

2. The Ozarks - MO

The Ozarks - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ive been here alot of times, most of the time to actually camp, but ive also shown up a few times to just live in the woods. Most of the area from what ive seen that is around lakes and some of the rivers, have been turned into wilderness resorts, camping resorts etc. But alot of the rest of th eland is just government owned im assuming. The weather is a bit cooler than the flint hills though, and the forests seem to be a bit thicker. 

Theres more too, Ks is literally riddled with them, but the flint hills is the most popular. The same goes for MO. OK, and NE, have various forest/wooded areas too, but ive never spent much time in them. 

YOu dont wanna head all the ways out the west to get stuck up in some crazy extreme ecological system if u dnt know next to nothing about wilderness survival. Alot of it is common sense, but that being said you have to adjust you common sense to the different situations youll come across in different foresty areas, and trust me, its smarter to start with the basic.


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## adanisback

LeeevinKansas said:


> just avoid people. look i know everyone tells you to head to the PNW forests and stuff, but thats considered pro-wilderness survivor. u needa start out something much more basic. i recommend the midwest. especially KS, OK, NE, MO, etc. we have lots of forest areas that arent as majestic as those in the west, but theyre still wild enough to train you.
> 
> 1. Flint Hills - KS
> 
> Flint Hills - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
> 
> GO to the flint hills as your number one option. Its a large area encompassing much of eastern kansas, and it consists of many rolling hills dotted in woodland forests and many a river and stream. Its a perfect area to learn to live in the forest. The majority of the land is not owned. Alot of it is, but alot more isnt. As far as people goes, theres a very small chance of you having to worry about anyone spotting your camp, or spotting your presence. Theres various small towns that dot the landscape, but still spread out enough to make the area in betweens pretty damn rural.



honestly *LeeevinKansas* you just solved my destination problem lol thanks man! That place looks so god damn beautiful. Thanks again hahaha


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## Loth Lorien

You should keep me updated on this. I've been looking into and planning on a similar adventure in the NW around May.


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## warphead

How hard is it to stay on BLM land indefinitely? I know you have to move from campsite to campsite; but what about off the beaten trails on BLM property? Any advise?


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## Michigansupertramp

Once you learn how to live in the wild, head to some real forest. Its not easy, and its going to be rough, and you dont need a gun which is illegal. I spent over 2 months with a freind alone in the wild, and it was amazing, breathtaking, and i wouldnt have changed anything in the world for it. All you have to do is research, and be safe. I teach survial in the woods, so please, do not read into the wild, and run out to the woods. This is NOT safe. Ive been at 10,000 feet in august, on a 2 foot rock wall, and had a huge snow storm and 25 degree weather and 50 mph winds come ripping down the valley in the tetons, you need to be able to make shelter fast, and keep warm, also bears. The area im talking about is the national forests around yellowstone, other then alsaka, it is the most remote area in the lower 48. I spent 2 months in the wind river range, the bridger teton national forest, the shoshone national forest, and the caribou targhee national forest, all on wiki, and all over a million acres, we literally hitchhiked 20 miles, and walked in, you need to be safe! ask me questions if you want to know more what you need to have

Warm clothing.
Carbs, rice, potatoes.
Fly flishing gear and know how to do this, the streams are loaded with huge fish, we eat fish ever night, it was amazing
No a little rock climbing, because your gonna wanna climb a mountain
Bear spray, i have had to bear spray 2 bears, i always carry a .45 caliber ruger, but the bear spray i use first, and it has worked twice without having to put rounds into the bear. you would be fine with a 15 dollar bottle on any animals.

You will be amazed with the beauty of this place. The hidden valleys.

The two of us found 1750 dollars in gold flakes panning for gold when we were bored out there in the streams way up in the mountains in the wind river range.

ENJOY. BE SAFE.

Also, have a map of the area and a compass, its impossible to get lost with a little detail and knowing how to use it, very simple, you can hike in off trail

2 months. thousands of bears, fish, moose, wolves, eagles, snakes, not one human. i cant wait for this summer. 

Wind River Range - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Shoshone National Forest - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## Starnightwolf

Best place i know of is BC canada. Good source of plants and food and easy to get away with being there. Only problem to me there is the bears.
I plan to go there and live off the land in a few years.


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## nadaynadie

Diagaro said:


> trapped a full doe with no young (thankfully) my first month there skin, gut and cook all meat ASAP eat what you can and donot eat anything else after 24 hours unless you have snow to keep it on ice witheven then there is bacteria in the snow wich will give you disyntary and shit if you ingest it so a second cooking is necessary.


 
Another thing you can do is learn to dry meat so you don't have to throw it out. It's pretty easy to do and a great skill to have. Once it's dried, the meat will last a long time.



mkirby said:


> I want to find a spot where I can build a permanent structure to live in and have a fire, etc. without getting fucked with by cops or park rangers. I also want it to be a place with a decent abundance of wild edible/medicinal plants, fresh water, and game to hunt, that kind of thing. Where should I go?


 
The best attitude for this kind of experience (in my opinion) is to embrace the wilderness and do as little as possible to disrupt it. Some people head to the wilderness, cut down the plants randomly, scare the wildlife, and try to recreate all the comforts of the city. I don't get the point of that. Plus, it's nice if you don't leave a mess for the next person who heads out. I've been to many places that would be beautiful if they weren't drowning in litter.


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## travelingjoe

Threads old but a lot of good info here.


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## codycodnyk

If you can find someone with private hunting land that they don't go to often, you might be able to offer improving their site in exchange for camping there. A lot of suburban folks with money have hunting land far away in the sticks. Some of these people don't go there often because of work, so they might only visit their land for a weekend or two. I have an uncle in that exact situation, and everytime he goes up, he has too little time to make the campsite better. He keeps saying he wants to dig a latrine and build tree stands, but he doesn't want to waste the short weekend on work when he could drink beer and hunt. Perhaps if you put a Craigslist ad out there, you'd get a bite.

I recommend this method because you'd have much less contact with game wardens or rangers, if any at all. Plus they can't run you off since you have permission from the landowner to be there


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## codycodnyk

Edit double post


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## travelingjoe

Smart idea


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## Arnold

There seems to be a lot of information in this post that I would disregard. For instance, firearms are illegal? WHAT?

I've spent the last year gathering knowledge on surviving in the extreme northwest. I'm planning on spending the rest of my life out there sometime soon, 50+ miles from anyone and anything, and I can tell you, a firearm is something I will probably not only need, but want.
I too have grown weary of the urban lifestyle, and am tired of society demanding that I conform to their own standards and demands, so as I prepare to go I'm looking forward to spending the rest of my life doing what I want to do; living life. 

My advice is to look into your future and know what you want. You say you're going to take people with you? how will that alter the dynamics of your lifestyle in the future? Being alone can be difficult, that's the one part I'm not looking forward to but I've accepted it, so just make sure you're mentally ready for that if it happens, and above all trust those going with you, as well as understand that they may leave you high and dry. What if they decide they don't want that lifestyle anymore? What will you do if that happens? People change their minds all the time, just look at divorce rates!!
Will you ever want kids, etc? Are you prepared to raise them out there? It can certainly be done but these are some of the things that you will need to ask yourself.

As far as finding land, well... that's the fun part.


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## Robert zolzer

Im going to live in the woods still thinking witch one to go to. Im leaveing bout june im going to ride my bike. Been doing alot of study of it and know im ready


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## AlwaysLost

LeeevinKansas said:


> just avoid people. look i know everyone tells you to head to the PNW forests and stuff, but thats considered pro-wilderness survivor. u needa start out something much more basic. i recommend the midwest. especially KS, OK, NE, MO, etc. we have lots of forest areas that arent as majestic as those in the west, but theyre still wild enough to train you.
> 
> 1. Flint Hills - KS
> 
> Flint Hills - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
> 
> GO to the flint hills as your number one option. Its a large area encompassing much of eastern kansas, and it consists of many rolling hills dotted in woodland forests and many a river and stream. Its a perfect area to learn to live in the forest. The majority of the land is not owned. Alot of it is, but alot more isnt. As far as people goes, theres a very small chance of you having to worry about anyone spotting your camp, or spotting your presence. Theres various small towns that dot the landscape, but still spread out enough to make the area in betweens pretty damn rural.
> 
> 2. The Ozarks - MO
> 
> The Ozarks - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
> 
> Ive been here alot of times, most of the time to actually camp, but ive also shown up a few times to just live in the woods. Most of the area from what ive seen that is around lakes and some of the rivers, have been turned into wilderness resorts, camping resorts etc. But alot of the rest of th eland is just government owned im assuming. The weather is a bit cooler than the flint hills though, and the forests seem to be a bit thicker.
> 
> Theres more too, Ks is literally riddled with them, but the flint hills is the most popular. The same goes for MO. OK, and NE, have various forest/wooded areas too, but ive never spent much time in them.
> 
> YOu dont wanna head all the ways out the west to get stuck up in some crazy extreme ecological system if u dnt know next to nothing about wilderness survival. Alot of it is common sense, but that being said you have to adjust you common sense to the different situations youll come across in different foresty areas, and trust me, its smarter to start with the basic.



I'd advise against camping illegally in the flint hills. Yeah u might not get caught but most of it is protected grassland. You could find yourself in a world of legal trouble if caught...

As for Ozarks heck yeah that place is awesome.


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## todd

so how did your project work out? did you spend anytime camping?
this past winter I was at Land between the Lakes national forest for a week. its nice to recharge your nature batteries but id really like to do it long term also.


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## Dutch

Bumping an old thread I know. But..

When I walked the Washington section of the pct for a month it was fuckin rad. Every day was an adventure. Same with mushroom hunting for profit in Idaho/Washington. Every day I was climbing and moving thru a forest. I could live a life moving around the PNW. 

But when I walked into the forest expecting to set up a quiet camp and just get back to earth.. Holy shit I was bored. Lasted 6 days and bounced.


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## severin

dude, no. Just, no. You find a place to chill in the forrest without immediate consequences you are living a fucking miracle. 

I've been....... gradually.. looking..... for that. It is extremely difficult to find.


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## Packitup

I would say Canada. You freeze meat throughout the winter. You could be far enough away from civilization so nobody would see your fire. Winter will be rough but two or more people could build a cabin in enough time.


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## Hide2night

I’d love to know this as well, preferably mountains, a lake, and some snow, that’s in the continental US. I’ve been scouring Google Earth but kinda hard to tell


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## Omightydarkone

When it comes time for me to disappear( beginning of spring i hope) im picking canda. It has a vast amount of untamed wilderness. Once you get so deep in there the chances of you seeing any people are super slim to none. Which is a good thing when it comes to hiding smoke Winters are brutal but bears hibernate during them which is a plus. You would also be able to freeze food instead of having to smoke all of your meat. Plenty of enough woods to build a cabin with. Make sure you have the right gear for winter survival, particularly clothing. Snow shoes would be a plus. Either make them or buy them. Oh and you're gonna want a gun. Aint no way around it. Get good with an axe and brush up on survival skills.


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## MaybeDoIt

Just made an account to reply to this thread. I've been searching the internet for this sort of advice and haven't yet found what I'm looking for…maybe it's my search terms that are inadequate, or more likely the people who _do_ find these wild places keep quiet about them (and don't have the Internet). Bumping again in hopes that someone sees me and can reveal even *more* info…

I'm eyeing stretches of wilderness for the sake of primal living—for how long, who knows—and here are the useful posts I've found so far… this reddit post, a city-data.com post (only good responses are on p 3&4), this random infolific.com article, and of course this forum post we're on now, which may be the most helpful. My search has told me:

- The "Pacific Northwest" (of the States) keeps coming up. I'm hearing a lot of Idaho, Montana, and some votes for Washington (in that order). Idaho has the "River of No Return Wilderness" area in it, which is the U.S.'s second-largest wild area _without paved roads_ (! nice). I don't recall specific recs for Montana, but for Washington, people mentioned the Cascades and Olympics.
- Canada got suggestions for most territories. The ones that matter most to _me_ though are northern Alberta and northern Sask, just because I'm in NorCal right now so those are the closest.
- A spattering of random other states, including Utah, Arizona, Colorado…not as much consensus here though. Also Northern Maine (??? not sure about that.)

Aside from these _reasonable_-seeming suggestions for places in the wild where you _might_ not have to worry in the back of your head about a forest ranger giving you shit, there were also some _unreasonable_ suggestions such as:
- Southeast Alaska. Yes, it's within the realm of possibilities if you're a survival pro…not what I'm looking for though. I'm looking for a place to go full primal starting in the springtime. (Not a place to bring a loaded rifle and tons of warm clothes and other survival gear.)
- The Outback (Australia). Everything kills you (apparently). But from what I gather, the nobody-gives-a-shitness is even _stronger_ than in Alaska's outback. Also, even though you'd have to learn about all the deadly things and their poisons, apparently food (hunting) is super abundant.
- There are obviously various other places that we're leaving out, like anywhere in the Amazon, the jungles of Africa, desert regions like in Mexico, the tundras of Russia…_obviously_ no one's going to find you or bother you in those places, but you need some _very specialized_ survival training to last very long.
- Nobody seems to be talking about New Zealand. Not sure why (other than flight costs, maybe?),

OTHER THINGS I'M THINKING ABOUT:
- I don't want to be in 'bear country' (i.e. Grizzly bears), and avoiding Lyme-carrying ticks would be nice. Mosquitoes, too, but not as worried there. I'm overlaying maps of each to help me think.
- I'm a 'U.S. Citizen' (lol)…so…not sure how that might complicate things. Never had much serious experience with the law, but I'm guessing it might be easier to explain myself to a ranger as a U.S. Citizen in the U.S. than as a 'visitor' in Canada? Or Australia? Etc etc. Especially if I end up throwing away my documentation when I make the move.

I just want to go somewhere where I can rest assured that even if someone finds me, they won't give me a hard time (or care much). I understand that's difficult to find.

What do you think? In any case, I think I'm going to do a 'test run' of all of this soon—with a backup plan, some gear, and my bank account still open, of course…but eventually, the point is to close all of that down, throw it all away, and live *only* with nature. Just me and my body. And the woods.


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## Eminent

MaybeDoIt said:


> Just made an account to reply to this thread. I've been searching the internet for this sort of advice and haven't yet found what I'm looking for…maybe it's my search terms that are inadequate, or more likely the people who _do_ find these wild places keep quiet about them (and don't have the Internet). Bumping again in hopes that someone sees me and can reveal even *more* info…
> 
> I'm eyeing stretches of wilderness for the sake of primal living—for how long, who knows—and here are the useful posts I've found so far… this reddit post, a city-data.com post (only good responses are on p 3&4), this random infolific.com article, and of course this forum post we're on now, which may be the most helpful. My search has told me:
> 
> - The "Pacific Northwest" (of the States) keeps coming up. I'm hearing a lot of Idaho, Montana, and some votes for Washington (in that order). Idaho has the "River of No Return Wilderness" area in it, which is the U.S.'s second-largest wild area _without paved roads_ (! nice). I don't recall specific recs for Montana, but for Washington, people mentioned the Cascades and Olympics.
> - Canada got suggestions for most territories. The ones that matter most to _me_ though are northern Alberta and northern Sask, just because I'm in NorCal right now so those are the closest.
> - A spattering of random other states, including Utah, Arizona, Colorado…not as much consensus here though. Also Northern Maine (??? not sure about that.)
> 
> Aside from these _reasonable_-seeming suggestions for places in the wild where you _might_ not have to worry in the back of your head about a forest ranger giving you shit, there were also some _unreasonable_ suggestions such as:
> - Southeast Alaska. Yes, it's within the realm of possibilities if you're a survival pro…not what I'm looking for though. I'm looking for a place to go full primal starting in the springtime. (Not a place to bring a loaded rifle and tons of warm clothes and other survival gear.)
> - The Outback (Australia). Everything kills you (apparently). But from what I gather, the nobody-gives-a-shitness is even _stronger_ than in Alaska's outback. Also, even though you'd have to learn about all the deadly things and their poisons, apparently food (hunting) is super abundant.
> - There are obviously various other places that we're leaving out, like anywhere in the Amazon, the jungles of Africa, desert regions like in Mexico, the tundras of Russia…_obviously_ no one's going to find you or bother you in those places, but you need some _very specialized_ survival training to last very long.
> - Nobody seems to be talking about New Zealand. Not sure why (other than flight costs, maybe?),
> 
> OTHER THINGS I'M THINKING ABOUT:
> - I don't want to be in 'bear country' (i.e. Grizzly bears), and avoiding Lyme-carrying ticks would be nice. Mosquitoes, too, but not as worried there. I'm overlaying maps of each to help me think.
> - I'm a 'U.S. Citizen' (lol)…so…not sure how that might complicate things. Never had much serious experience with the law, but I'm guessing it might be easier to explain myself to a ranger as a U.S. Citizen in the U.S. than as a 'visitor' in Canada? Or Australia? Etc etc. Especially if I end up throwing away my documentation when I make the move.
> 
> I just want to go somewhere where I can rest assured that even if someone finds me, they won't give me a hard time (or care much). I understand that's difficult to find.
> 
> What do you think? In any case, I think I'm going to do a 'test run' of all of this soon—with a backup plan, some gear, and my bank account still open, of course…but eventually, the point is to close all of that down, throw it all away, and live *only* with nature. Just me and my body. And the woods.


Did you have any luck?


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## ResistMuchObeyLittle

Just my humble opinion after spending 2 months in vast hills of Virginia near the AT---
This almost an impossibility to the "Average" person with very little knowledge in the ways of outdoor wilderness living skills. It'll be fun the first day, that is until you realize just how screwed you are with none of the conveniences of the city/town.

Some are able to do it, most cant hack it. And keep in mind, if you attempts this in a true "Wilderness" setting, Such as the North Cascades, you are on the bottom of the food chain. Mountain lions, bears, wolverines, etc. I saw them frequently in the N Cascades. I saw a lot of Bears in Virginia and Mountain lions were spotted, tracks.
They can and will kill and eat you. And a great possibility no one would ever know, even if a hiker or ranger eventually stumbled across your camp.
Starvation is another thing that could kill you if youre inexperienced.
Hypothermia is real.
Lightning.
The list goes on.
Be careful what you wish for.
I say this with experience.


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## hiveranno

Right where I’m at. Paddle in only, off grid, self sustained n a visitor early now n them. Total off grid n went legit n got my own setup. Now nobody can boot me off.. northern minnesota


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## Ed Meyer

mkirby said:


> I'm starting to get sick of being the city and I think I'm almost ready to spend some time surviving the natural way. Let's say me and a couple of friends wanted to go kick it in the forest for a couple of months...what's the best place in North America to go do that? I want to find a spot where I can build a permanent structure to live in and have a fire, etc. without getting fucked with by cops or park rangers. I also want it to be a place with a decent abundance of wild edible/medicinal plants, fresh water, and game to hunt, that kind of thing. Where should I go?


Old post, But if you really want to get away from everything, without leaving the country, consider Voyageurs Natl Park, It is 214,000 acres of practically nowhere. I did 9 months there a few years back.... Saw 2 people in 9 months....


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## Tony G

The pnw is the best for getting away theres miles and miles of public land you can disappear up there and as long as your gear is up to snuff you can live of the land indefinitely


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## rocket potato

warphead said:


> How hard is it to stay on BLM land indefinitely? I know you have to move from campsite to campsite; but what about off the beaten trails on BLM property? Any advise?


its easy! depending on where you are, of course. been doing this for a year now. avoid those fancy camp grounds and you should be good to go, unless youre in a popular area (which is good to avoid, too) where the LEOs lurk.


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## Vandimonium Prime

finn said:


> No matter where you are, a fire is not something you can hide so easily, unless you're really careful about the smoke. I've heard of small caves which were made inside of crevices, designed to hide the smoke and light of the fire, so that food could be cooked, but it's not exactly an easy task. With summer ending and winter coming, I'd advise you work on your skills before you head out into the woods. The warm months should be when you're building up your larder... Either way, you also have to worry about ATVers as well as everyone else if you want to be hidden. I remember a news story about a father and daughter pair who lived in the woods in the pacific northwest for a while before some endurance runners stumbled upon their camp- maybe around there?



When it comes to stealthy fires, Have you looked into dakota fire holes? Hobo stoves would also be a good option.


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## TheTexasRoadrunner

Normally id start atlooking at the wooded areas where two highways cross each other and the have on and off ramps. In smaller towns theres rarely any homebums or others in them and they are normally in areas with great places to.dumpster dive and play music.for.cash.


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