View Full Version : Help me get off the grid and disapear
i am very interested in homesteading, and living a self sufficient life.
my plan is to squat on an undeveloped plot of land about 1.5 acres. i plan on using wind and solar power. and growing vegetables and raising chickens. i live in the northeast and winters get quite chilly. i was wondering if anyone would want to give me tips and tricks to pull this off successfully.
note: im not expecting to be living the life of luxury, just a meager existance deep in the woods.
Are you doing this alone?
Think about water, for drinking, washing, vegetables and chickens.
If eviction is a reasonable possibility, consider this.
Plant trees. I don't know any specifics for a cold climate area. Nut trees?
Decent quality tools.
Think about hunting, trapping and fishing, if that's feasible, but of course not overhunting/fishing/trapping. Also look into wild food plants, including fungi, in your area.
Think about milking animals.
What are you going to feed your chickens?
I have seen people mount solar panels up in the tops of trees, with ladders tied to the tree. You might need something similar for wind power, in the woods.
You don't need much/any power, really. It depends on the standard of living you want.
Obviously, design your shelter to be appropriate for the climate, to save energy heating/cooling/lighting. Consider burning wood for heating.
If you don't know about the specifics of sustainable gardening, I can elaborate.
Think about reading Walden, by H. D. Thoreau
grusomhat
2007-11-23, 07:55
Do you already have the house there or are you going to be building one?
There's plenty of fun things you can do to be self-sustainable.
Water, collect rain water for things that can use it. Bore a water well or w/e it's called for drinking water and other stuff like that.
Power: Windmills and solar panels are pretty good. Just have a bank of 12 or so 12V batteries. I've seen someone use Submarine batteries. This is for storing power for when you don't have sun/wind.
Self-composing toilet. Compost bin. Veggie Garden.
just to clarify, this only needs to keep me alive until the winter
(6.5months). i plan to build a 8x10 foot hut, complete with bootleg windows and sealed from the elements, if my endeavor is massively successful i will prepare my living arrangements for the cold(15 degrees F)
i have experience growing vegetables and plan to use a bio-intensive gardening design, i already own chickens and i have learned that they eat almost anything.
the location is within 50 feet of a fresh water stream, so liquids wont be a problem
i can build a windmill to support the small amount of energy needed.
i also have the ability to hunt for small game, along with the know-how to prepare said food items.
i also have access to all the tools need for this project.
Whats this about planting trees? if anything i was planning to clear out a few trees for lumber/firewood/anything else i can use it for.
if all goes well, ill be off the radar by may 2008.