# living in the wilderness **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 16, 2002, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-in-the-wilderness/132592 "2002-10-16T23:23:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NewUser1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f1d935/32.png) [@NewUser1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NewUser1)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-in-the-wilderness/132592/1 "2002-10-16T23:23:28Z")
I have decided to quit society and live in the woods. I was wondering if there is any place left in North America that a guy can live off the land. I mean hunt, fish, or cut down trees whenever he wants? I wont have a house or anything, just one I build as a make shift shelter. I was thinking somewhere near the mountains by the way… sweet sweet mountains. ---
**Author:** ![Quintas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/48db29/32.png) [@Quintas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quintas)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-in-the-wilderness/132592/2 "2002-10-16T23:46:48Z")
Im sure there are places in Alaska or British Columbia that would suit you. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-in-the-wilderness/132592/3 "2002-10-16T23:55:09Z")
Before you head out into the wilderness, read Jon Krakauer’s [Into the Wild](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0385486804/qid=1034812070/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/102-0650029-4759355?v=glance&n=507846). Quitting society isn’t as easy as it sounds. ---
**Author:** ![bbeaty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c0e974/32.png) [@bbeaty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbeaty)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2002, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-in-the-wilderness/132592/4 "2002-10-17T01:43:30Z")
Or try the many books by “indian guide” \Tom Brown Jr.\, a man who can live anywhere (although he tended to stay deep in the pine forests of New Jersey.) ---
**Author:** ![bbeaty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c0e974/32.png) [@bbeaty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbeaty)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2002, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-in-the-wilderness/132592/5 "2002-10-17T01:50:48Z")
Or even [Tom Brown Jr.](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index=books&field-author=Brown%20Jr.%2C%20Tom/) ! ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2002, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-in-the-wilderness/132592/6 "2002-10-17T13:03:09Z")
I’ve read a couple of (nonfiction) books about people who’ve “lived in the woods.” It was a considered a trendy thing to in the early 20th Century. Suffice to say, it ain’t all it’s cracked up to be. If you _really_ tried it, I confidently predict you’ll be back in less than one month. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2002, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-in-the-wilderness/132592/7 "2002-10-17T13:34:53Z")
Bear in mind that everything “forest-y” and “mountain-y” and “wilderness-y” in North America, including Canada and Alaska, is already spoken for, one way or another. Either it’s owned by the paper companies, or the various Park Services, or other private owners. All of these folks tend to have strong, usually negative, views on the sudden appearance of _My Side of the Mountain_-wannabes, who hunt in _their_ forest, fish in _their_ waterways, cut down _their_ trees, and build shelters on _their_ property. If you wanna do the _Walden Pond_ thing, you’ll have to buy some land yourself, or pay rent to a landowner somewhere. Or squat, which is illegal. ---
**Author:** ![Church\_Key\_Kid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Church\_Key\_Kid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Church_Key_Kid)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2002, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-in-the-wilderness/132592/8 "2002-10-17T14:06:10Z")
I posted this very same question a few months ago. You should pick up a National Geographic video called Surviving Alaska. It’s about people that actually moved out into the Alaska wilderness. Sure, they have generators and guns, but they’re still making it. Unfortunately, they say they need to go the 100 miles or so into town to get medicine and flour. Also, without a companion, things can get really crazy. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2002, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-in-the-wilderness/132592/9 "2002-10-17T14:24:36Z")
> [@](#): > > Before you head out into the wilderness, read Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild. Quitting society isn’t as easy as it sounds. **SpoilerVirgin** , I’m looking at you curiously because we might have been seperated at birth. Your comment was exactly what I was about to post. Excellent read, huh?