first of all, I'd like to say hi to everybody 'cause this is my first post. But let me throw an idea at you all and see what you think and some suggestions you have. Me and a few of my friends have been talking and have really seriously been talking about buying some land up in alaska or in british columbia. What we want to do is live off of the land for a year or if things go well, longer, not exclusively living off of the land but with a few things from here obviously. We just want to rely on the land for food water some shelter(we are still discussing this) some extra clothing and materials, fire, and other things that have slipped my mind right now. I know this is dangerous, in fact my parents know a guy who had a couple of friends die doing this, but we are thinking about doing this in two to three years, so right now we really want to start preparing. What I am asking is an opinion but also some suggestions about good survival schools that would deal with this type of long term survival, also maybe some different aspects and things that we may need to think of or things that we may need to take that may have slipped our minds. We aren't just some punk kids doing this as a dare we have our own reasons and really want to be prepared about this. I don't know if this is the kind of things that you talk about here, but you all seem very knowledgeable and i'd appreciate any feedback or suggestions. thanks<br>shane

Shane, first welcome to the site. Now, which Alaska do you wish to homestead? The state has several regions very different from each other, including a technical desert! You might want to check out WSI, which is listed in the schools here. Are you buying the land outright, or homesteading? Residents can acquire land this way, but there is a waiting list for land with road access. "Cabineering" is a custom up there. This is a fancy name for squatting. The people usually aren't found unless theres a fire. Alaska magazine is a treasure trove of information and resources.Homesteading was a popular movement in the 70s.There is a publisher, Rodale Press that put out many books, sadly in short runs. Mother Earth is the grandmother of the surviving magazines.These are just short thoughts on a big subject.

I lived in Fairbanks Alaska for three years. After I moved back to the lower 48 I read a book a friend from Alaska gave me. Its called Edges of the Earth, by Leo, Richard, New York: Henry Holt, 1991. Its about a man, a woman and their child doing what you are talking about. I got a lot of enjoyment out of it and I think you could get a lot of information from it.<br> I also flew Medevac helicopters for a few years there. I saw many people who had lived there their whole life get into some serious trouble. Having a reliable source of communication with the outside world is of great importance. I once picked up a man who had been hunting with his son. On the way back their ATV rolled down a small bank. I think the father received a broken ankle and a few broken ribs. The son had to walk for two days to get to the nearest phone just to call for help.

This may seem rude or whatever but, Do you guys have enough money to live off the land for 3 years? i mean what happens when u get back? <br>Have you been to alaska before? are you familiar with the alaskan wilderness?<br>and .... can i go~!? lol <br>