Where to live off grid permanently | Squat the Planet

Where to live off grid permanently

WildGirl

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My husband and I are getting real tired of the daily grind and society in general. We are both from up north in MN and grew up hunting fishing camping etc. Together we have a lot of knowledge of the wild and realy want to disappear from the world. We made a plan to get a camper and get set up with all the gear we would need for years, and we hope to find someone with a farm or a ton of land near a lake/river who would let us stay there in return for farm work etc. No (or very little) electricity, just living off the land, but permanently. Ideally around Kansas Missouri or any southern state. Does anyone have advice for us or know anywhere we may be able to stay?
 

Shwillam

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Black Bear Ranch in northern Cali. Its an anarchist mostly open door commune that makes its own power (hydro and solar), food (full perma culture garden), animal pals (goats chickens and ducks and all the eggs milk and meat they are so kind to share with us), booze (full venyard for wine making), ect ect. No cell service, roads ext. Its deep in the Cali mountains
 

Hillbilly Castro

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To be honest, I wouldn't do it the "conventional off-grid" way of buying land, building structures, etc etc. I would run a decentralized network of clandestine, ultra-low-cost living structures in a myriad of places and move between them. Then the pressure is off on having to pay taxes, obey zoning laws, permits and so on and you are free to move about a variety of locales. They could all be in the same general area, or they could be all over the world, whatever you decide. And if they are built for less than $500 apiece, and are very well hidden (cargo nets high in evergreen trees in remote places, little sod houses on uninhabited islands, underground houses on remote low-tonnage railroad right-of-way, even urban modifications in the masonry of bridges big enough to dwell in) should they be discovered the costs to you would be negligible and still lower than a tax bill + the cost of building things to code. And though you could restrict yourself to lands where there is low tax and few zoning laws, those laws and taxes can change, and doing things as I describe would allow you to go anywhere you want!

Oops, I wrote this without understanding you just want to stay somewhere. Even still, the decentralized low-cost homesteading idea would allow you to not have to rely on someone else for land, should a problem arise.
 

DrewSTNY

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To be honest, I wouldn't do it the "conventional off-grid" way of buying land, building structures, etc etc. I would run a decentralized network of clandestine, ultra-low-cost living structures in a myriad of places and move between them. Then the pressure is off on having to pay taxes, obey zoning laws, permits and so on and you are free to move about a variety of locales. They could all be in the same general area, or they could be all over the world, whatever you decide. And if they are built for less than $500 apiece, and are very well hidden (cargo nets high in evergreen trees in remote places, little sod houses on uninhabited islands, underground houses on remote low-tonnage railroad right-of-way, even urban modifications in the masonry of bridges big enough to dwell in) should they be discovered the costs to you would be negligible and still lower than a tax bill + the cost of building things to code. And though you could restrict yourself to lands where there is low tax and few zoning laws, those laws and taxes can change, and doing things as I describe would allow you to go anywhere you want!

Oops, I wrote this without understanding you just want to stay somewhere. Even still, the decentralized low-cost homesteading idea would allow you to not have to rely on someone else for land, should a problem arise.

Man, this is such a cool idea that it needs it's own thread! :)
 
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DrewSTNY

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You may be able to work something out with a farmer, but it's likely to take a few seasons before they would let you garden.

This is similar to what I am working on. Going to have about an acre adjacent to farm land that I have permission to use for whatever I want. Plus, it's right next to a spur line. :)
 

somn

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Yeah, we are looking to make something permanent. Grow our own crops, hunt, fish, etc.

permanence doesn't exist! especially if you are counting on endless reliability and generosity from a landowner. there are alot of people doing similar to what you are talking about but i think most move around seasonally. (isn't that the point of a camper?) no offence but living on a someone elses land forever in exchange for manual labor sounds like serfdom or worse to me.
 

Tude

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OK - two facebook groups to look into.

Off Grid and Homestead Ladies - closed group - you would apply to join
Living Off the Grid - just went secret - I would have to sponsor you to join.

Living off the grid is pretty awesome - huge membership with a lot of interaction - actually same with the off grid ladies group. From their chicken chatter to goat milk to making own soap and solar panels - cool ass readings. And of course you can go on to other groups from there.

From the other group I moderate - some people have managed to purchase a piece of land - or a rented piece of land (not sure how that works) and they have installed a "tiny house" - came in on a trailer, and they are in progress as well as another friend in making a farm - chickens, goats and rabbits are in.

I say go for it if you can. :)

pm me if you want into any of the facebook groups
 
A

AlwaysLost

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I'd check Missouri before Kansas Kansas is mostly protected grasslands and corporate farms these days. Western Kansas is very impoverished.
 

Liras

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Try some true wilderness in the North: Canada, Alaska, etc. Go for a test period, a year or so, noone will find you if you're some 100km from the nearest road. You can do what you want, the law is not enforcable upon you, BUT this kind of works both ways: if you get hurt, die of hunger, get eaten by a bear, noone is going to help you and you can't just walk out in a day or even a week, so think twice if you have the skill required.
 

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