Becoming a hermit, more or less.

I am looking for information about how to set up living by myself in a relatively, or very, rural environment. Why by myself? I’m not a misanthrope, no desires to undermine the societal structure, no Kaczynski-like delusions, no survivalist or militaristic aspirations. It’s just that throughout my life I have always been happiest on my own, and in a relatively unpopulated environment. Now in my 40’s, I have finally decided to do what makes me happiest.

I have checked some rural living sites, and read a few books, but they appear mostly geared to situations with more than one person in residence. I want to live as self-sufficiently as possible, “off the grid” (solar or fuel cell energy), with perhaps some connections to the outside world via phone and/or internet.

I have some background in farming and animal husbandry, not a lot of money but probably enough to get set up. I’m not looking for discussions on “why” I desire such a life, nor any other observations to that effect. I’m just looking for some leads and practical advice on how I might be able bring this about. I guess by our nature, we hermits and aspiring hermits aren’t likely to do a lot of communicating with each other.

Thanks for any help.

I’ve thought of the same thing a few times. In ‘real’ life my friends call me a hermit anyways. :slight_smile:

I figure for the basic(I mean Basic) necessities, you’d need:

No particular order…

  1. A slingshot for hunting small game like squirrells, rabbits, etc…
  2. Either a Windmill, Waterwheel or Solar panels.
  3. A source of fresh, clean water.
  4. Fertile land to grow vegetables.
  5. Basic cooking/eating utensils.
  6. Shelter…In my hermit fantasy I’d live HobbitStyle with living quarters dug into
    the side of a hill.

For phone/internet, I’d only have a phone for emergencies if possible. You can buy a cell phone for a fixed price that’s only used for emergencies. If I needed internet, it’d be satellite, the problem with this is that I’d need money.

Obviously, this is for North America. Living on an island in the South Pacific would change quite a few things.
-K

Well, it might be of some help to find out how Ted Kaczynski set up his life…with the savings you’d make by NOT building bombs and murdering people, and without the limitations of being a fanatical luddite, you might be able to afford some luxuries. Like a portable TV, or a toilet.

You should probably read My Side of the Mountain again, for pointers. Or maybe an SAS or U.S. Army Survival Manual, too. 'Couldn’t hurt.

Let me know how this turns out, OK? For I, too, have often dreamed of escaping the world by running off into the Rockies, and living off of shrews.

Ok, we (that would be the Missus and I) live two miles from any neighbor or paved road and a long way from town.

If you want to really go survivalist, I can’t help you much. I like electricity, hot and cold running water and all that.

If you are interested in living in a secluded area, here’s a few tips.

Land is too expensive now and farming returns are too low to hope to pay for your place via crop or livestock production. If you have the cash to buy a place, you can then save on living expenses by raising your own meat and produce.

If you’re going to have normal electricity with a freezer to store things and water from a well, you need a gas-powered generator. When there’s some type of storm, repair crews get to the people at the end of the line last. You need the generator to keep your frozen food from spoiling, and a few days without water is a few too many. For example, after hurricane Opal in 1995, we were out of electricity for 23 days. We couldn’t have made it without the generator.

There are good quality wood heaters available. Move to a place where firewood is plentiful. If you don’t know how, learn to use a chain saw. You’ll need it for firewood and to clear roads after high winds.

Get a good shotgun. Trust me on this, you’ll have cause to use it.

Ditto on a truck.

Try to get yourself a partner. Hermiting is hard! You’ll be surprised how many times you need somebody to pick up the other end of something, or hold a board while you nail it.
If your partner’s pretty and has a nice personality and likes the woods too, that’s even better. :smiley:

Check yourself out: Do you really want to do this, or is it an unrealistic pipedream? It’s one thing to imagine it, quite another to live it. Not everybody can live out in the boonies, even though the idea may seem appealing. On the other hand, I’ve been out here for 32 years and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.

That’s not much, but maybe it’s a start.

Good luck!