Living off the land

[thabee420]

I'm planning on taking a one-month hiatus to live up north. I don't have a cabin, unfortunately, but I do have a tent and -40F rated sleeping bags.

It should be relatively easy for me to hunt small-game animals for sustinence, but does anyone know if there are any guides for Northern Michigan?

[Dread_Lord]

Contact the Michigan Militia, I am sure they have some wilderness survival tips for your area. They're into that sort of thing.

[T.K. Baha]

Dude your doing it wrong. If you want to live off the land at least do it in nice weather. "Living off the land" is polite speak for being a hobo but its good fun if you live somewhere warm. Save some dough buy a bus ticket south then just bum around some of the tourist areas/national parks of Florida. Great place to be when it starts getting cold up here.

[Son of Liberty]

Mmmhh, yeah (http://www.amazon.com/Bushcraft-Outdoor-Skills-Wilderness-Survival/dp/1551051222/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257144272&sr=8-1). That might be applicable.

[jolt890]

A good topographical map, a sturdy knife, a pot, and a big bag of rice can get you a long way.

[Dread_Lord]

A good topographical map, a sturdy knife, a pot, and a big bag of rice can get you a long way.

According to Christopher McCandless, lol.

[Femme Fatale]

Please be sure to write an account of this journey, post it on &Z, and we'll all have a grand ol' time.

[jolt890]

According to Christopher McCandless, lol.

Except he didn't have a map.

And he was an idiot.

[Dread_Lord]

Except he didn't have a map.

And he was an idiot.

Both points are good and true. He was one of those types that spent all their time in the cities thinking how great it would be to get out into the wild and live like a neanderthal. Then he gets out there and realizes that trees and rivers and shit aren't that fun. The human mind needs more than what he wanted to do out there. I'm against these outback pilgrimages for those reasons. Well, I mean I don't do them personally. Not without a cabin and a shitload of books or something because the wilderness is boring as fuck.

[thabee420]

Please be sure to write an account of this journey, post it on &Z, and we'll all have a grand ol' time.

Sounds like a good idea:thumbsup:

Unfortunately, it's going to have to wait a while. I see no point in freezing my ass of in solitude during our lovely Michigan winters.

I believe I'll head up in the Spring, of next year. Damn, do I really need a break from society.

[yawanur]

the wilderness is boring as fuck.

Depends on the person...

[Headspin]

According to Christopher McCandless, lol.

QFT! Read your flora and fauna book CAREFULLY!




Oh by the way, Happiness means nothing unless shared.

[th1rdeye]

You kind of seem like you're rushing into it. Take some time to gather info and get supplies. It's not easy to live off small game either, but if that's what you plan on doing, get really good at building traps NOW. My personal favorite is the Paiute Deadfall trap, look it up. Other skills I recommend you put some practice into are twisting cordage, fire starting, and shelter building.
I once had the same idea as you, I thought it would be really romantic to disappear into the woods and live off the land (yeah, like Into the Wild), but I ended up going on a 35 day backpacking trip with guides that knew some shit and they definitely put me in my place that I wasn't the wild man hotshot I thought I was.
So I wish you luck, the experience will change your life. Bring at least a couple weeks worth of food though, you definitely will want it there to "cushion" your transition into living off the land and eating fish and small game.