New here, and I got an idea!

[platinum]

Hey, I'm new to these forums, and I've been thinking that this "connected" life isn't all it's cracked up to be.

I am currently stuck in the loop of working a job, paying a debt, etc. I wanna try *living*

There's an island in Lake Superior (I'm from Ontario, Canada) called Simpson Island. It's pretty much all forest, some plains. I would love to just get away from it all and *squat* right on that island. I think it would allow me to deeply reflect on some things. I could check in on society a few years later to see if things have improved (probably won't).

Waddaya think?

 

[wildboy860]

do it! then report back to us an how it all goes down.

 

[menu]

I agree with Wider. its not something you really should just jump into. and especially when you talk about "a couple years". might want to plan very thouroughly. especially with food supplies and water. and also something to think about is any kind of companionship. ya know? you dont want to lose your mind. and how are you getting to this island? ferry most likely? and is there any sort of population on this island?

 

[platinum]

Well, the island rests on Lake Superior, so fresh water won't be an issue. I'm thinking of a small cob cottage or earth shelter. I seem to be having difficulty finding information about edible plant (AND nuts) in northern ontario. I'm sure that there are plenty. I don't mind being alone.

i'll be buying some books on getting additional info on surviving the wild. The island is uninhabited, but you can get there via boat.

i think that's everything. i will be thoroughly planning this (if i do end up going through with it, which i would really like to do). don't wanna end up like someone i saw in a movie not too long ago

 

[Mama Dragon]

i love the way you're thinking but, as someone who has lived alone in the woods, i can tell you, it's harder than you think

first of all, foraging is rewarding, but it's difficult to learn. there are hundreds of edible plants in any ecosystem, but there are thousands of inedible, even deadly plants, and when you first get out there, they're all going to look the same. plus, edible plants often have very similar poisonous look-alikes. (here in MO, we have deadly Water Hemlock, that looks exactly like tasty Queen Anne's Lace, and deadly False Morels, that look like, and have the same growth habits as tasty delicacy Morel mushrooms) It takes practice to learn to recognize and forage, and book illustrations just don't cut it.

Gardening in the wilderness is rough. If the land is forested, finding an adequate place will be near impossible. Gardening for survival is no piece of cake, either. It takes a sizable piece of land to support even one person, and hours of daily work and cultivation.

You'll need to learn to hunt (and fish!), and since you'll be trying to survive out there, you'll likely be poaching ( I don't know anything about hunting laws in Ontario, though...) Hunting, like foraging, isn't as easy as the books and tv shows will have you believe. Do you hunt? Have you experience in killing, gutting, and chopping up real animals? It takes patience, determination, and an iron will. What weapons will you take? Will they be legal? How will you preserve extra meat?

Building comfortable long-term housing is difficult as well, but do-able. Definitely do your research, and remember, the more materials you haul out there, the more likely you are to get noticed. You'll have to keep in mind all weather conditions, storage, and waste removal.

What are the laws regarding living there? Will you be considered trespassing? Is building on that land prohibited? Poaching? Wildcrafting? Little wilderness laws often have nasty consequences. In MO, if you get caught just owning an eagle feather, you can get serious jail time. I have a friend who was playing around on government land with a bow, not hunting, just shooting trees and things, and he got a $300 poaching fine. Know what you could be getting into.

And as fun as getting away from civilization is, it is lonely. Make sure you have a cell phone with reception or something in case of emergency, and adopt a good dog.

I hope you have the determination to get out there. Living off the land is beautiful. Out there, it's easy to feel at peace with life. You learn about yourself and about where you fit into the universe. It's crazy dangerous, though. The day to day grind of just surviving takes a lot of the romance out of it.

Best wishes

 

[Wolfeyes]

One thing that would worry me most about this plan, given that this island is in Lake Superior, is the weather. November especially...

 

[Rash L]

dont forget to bring a camera.... because pictures are fun!

 

[platinum]

Thanks everyone!

The neat thing is that one Island in particular I'm looking at (Michipicoten Island) is definitely uninhabited. No humans at all. I was also considering a provincial park, but full of campsites and tourists such = not a good idea.

This island is a ways south from Thunder Bay, and an earthshelter or well built cob-house would be well insulated from the cold.

 

[platinum]

At this point, it's just a matter of saving up money, buying supplies, etc. I might go in spring 2011.

I think spring 2011 is a good date. It'll give me a chance to at least visit before I go and stay.

 

[Wolfeyes]

I wasn't so much talking about the cold specifically. If you go for it, set up on the leeward side of the island(the side opposite from the direction of the prevailing winds).

For example, if the wind blows predominately from the north, set up on the south side of the island.

Given the the island is on the north side of the lake, it might not be so bad, but I've heard from locals, research and a family member who worked on the lake freighters that the winds can often hit 65-70 mph in November. You'll want as much cover between yourself and those winds as you can get, without having any weak trees in a position where they can fall on top of you...

 

[Apples]

Yo man, hope this works out for you. Nothing I like more than being out in the wilderness. I love getting away from city life. Hope you keep us up dated and share stories of your adventure.

 

[platinum]

Thanks for the tips everyone!

It's so cool to find people who like to break away from it all. Though guessing from the chat thing above this box i'm typing into, people seem to get bored. I plan on using my time of solitude for meditation and self-reflection.

It would seem that there are several uninhabited islands in lake superior, and the prevailing winds in the area are from the north west but sometimes from the east. I think i'll be safest on the south part of any island.

 

[Radar Lockey]

Just don't pull an Alexander Supertramp on us.

Damn. I wish I could have actually met him.

Really I do. That's some shit for sure.

If nothing else, keep a log of your days, and thoughts and changing perceptions.

 

[platinum]

keeping a log is part of the idea: so i don't lose my mind

other than that, the idea behind this project is to become "unconnected" from this life that requires the accumulation of stuff: where one's worth is determined by the stuff he owns, working your ass off to get more stuff, and replacing it with better stuff in a senseless cycle.

:borg:

it may seem kinda cliche, but i mean it whole heartedly. hey, i just may take the time to bring some books with me and learn something! (besides meditating and self reflection).

I can see it now, spending the day hunting/gathering food, the evening eating and reading, and the night sleeping under the stars.

 

[platinum]

i found a pretty cool island to consider.

in google maps, take a look

+44° 57' 9.10", -81° 24' 32.53"

those are the coordinates. it's a little further south, not poulated, and close enough to main land that i can get stuff on occasion, but far enough that i won't have to bother

 

[platinum]

I can't believe I've done it...

I did some reading, and it seems that one is able to stay and live on crown land here in Canada. But on the websites, it says that you need written permission. The funny thing is that it doesn't say whom needs to write it out for you. It's a government website, so they are never much help anyways

Well, I thought a while about it, and I decided to write a letter to the constitutional monarch of my country: the queen.

In it, I state that I want to live in a *small* area of land (i had no idea that 1 acre was 43560 square feet, thats huge for just a little dwelling!)

I state that I have no dependants, this is not for profit, and I will just be doing this for myself as part of living a simple, peaceful, and spiritual life. Now all I gotta do is wait...

Also, check this guy out >>>> www.dickproenneke.com

 

[katiehabits]

I can't believe I've done it...

the queen will not write you back. better luck squating honey. where in canada are you planning on liveing?

 

[katiehabits]

I seem to be having difficulty finding information about edible plant (AND nuts) in northern ontario. I'm sure that there are plenty. I don't mind being alone.

i'll be buying some books on getting additional info on surviving the wild.

check out these books

SAS Survival Guide
by John 'Lofty' Wiseman

A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants: Eastern and Central North America
by Lee Allen Peterson

A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs 2nd Edition: Eastern and Central North America
by James A. Duke

Tom Browns Field Guide To Wilderness Survival
by Tom Brown

How to Stay Alive in the Woods: A Complete Guide to Food, Shelter, and Self-Preservation That Makes Starvation in the Wilderness Next to Impossible
by Bradford Angier

Dwelling Portably 1990-1999
by Bert Davis (Microcosm Publishing)

good luck and i hope these help!

 

[platinum]

I can't believe I've done it...

well, i guess it was worth a try. if i get a response at all, it'll be awesome

anyways, there are a few islands i've been looking at. one in particular interest is lyal island. it's a nature reserve, but it is semi out of the way.

the rest of potential spots include along/within out of the way provincial/national parks. it would seem that there are a TONNE of indian reserves when you look at maps close enough. there are a few spots that are not too northern that are not reserves or anything like that. I wouldn't want to set up camp on a reserve seeing as how I am as white as they come

there's another spot not far from thunder bay that is not a park, not a reserve, not an indian reserve, nothing. it's about 2km from a county highway, and there is a couple small lakes. water wouldn't be an issue. it is surrounded by forest for the most part. I think it would make a great spot.

type it in google maps:

48.584818,-89.056749

 

[yarn and glue]

I can't believe I've done it...

the queen will not write you back. better luck squating honey.

hahaha, too true.