Going off grid. I wouldn't do it, because of lack of medical care.

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Networkn
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#3160094 16-Nov-2023 10:35

SJB:

Brit Ben Fogle had a TV series called Where The Wild Men Are where he visited people living off grid.

The most remote I remember were a couple in Canada I think that were 100 miles from the nearest town but there were no roads to get them there. Their son would visit using a sea plane and land on the adjacent river.

I also remember in an episode of Michael Palin's Pole To Pole that they were still in the Artic Circle when they came across a house in the middle of nowhere with a guy living on his own with his dog. God knows how far he was from civilization.

I could (maybe??) imagine a bolt hole that required a seaplane or helicopter such to get to, but not where I lived. I totally respect other peoples decisions to do that, and I can see the attraction, but I found the isolation of lockdown pretty tough even though I wouldn't describe myself as an introvert.

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#3160097 16-Nov-2023 10:47

MadEngineer: My grandparents owned a few houses around the marlborough sounds which I had the pleasure of spending many school holidays in. Some were boat access only.

Best memories of my life.

That sounds amazing.

I do really enjoy camping and being off grid for short periods.

Tinkerisk

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#3160100 16-Nov-2023 11:01

kingdragonfly:

It's next to Gila National park (pronounced "heela"). The house had a kitchen fire, and was already trashed and full of garbage, rats and mice beforehand.

That's funny. I even know the area due to the AFB and the Gila monster, which you should give a wide berth. 😉

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#3160107 16-Nov-2023 11:39

Yeah the Gila monster is nothing to mess with. It's one of the only two venomous lizards in the world.

They are sluggish, so you really have to get it angry before it bites.

Personally I like restaurants, and a large grocery store, so far off-grid is no go for me.

Mexican beaded Lizard vs. American Gila Monster

Tinkerisk

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#3160109 16-Nov-2023 11:44

networkn:

I do really enjoy camping and being off grid for short periods.

But believe me, not in the area that kingdragonfly reports here. That's where all the scorpions, centipedes, millipedes, vipers and rattlesnakes in the world meet ... and the Gila monster. As a European, I always wished I would never have to make an emergency landing there. You don't normally get to see these animals, but one of them in a sleeping bag or combat boots is enough to make it extra fun.

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#3160110 16-Nov-2023 11:46

Tinkerisk:

But believe me, not in the area that kingdragonfly reports here. That's where all the scorpions, centipedes, millipedes, vipers and rattlesnakes in the world meet ... and the Gila monster. As a European, I always wished I would never have to make an emergency landing there.

Yup, not interested in meeting any of those critters. I'll do my off grid stuff in the safe confines of NZ thanks.

kingdragonfly

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#3160114 16-Nov-2023 11:57

I used to live in the American southeast, which has a lot of venomous things, but nothing like Australia, where everything wants to kill you.

Rattlesnakes give plenty of warning, but the semiaquatic pit viper "CottonMouth" was what worried me. Also the recluse spider with necrotic venom, unimaginative called the "brown recluse", was definitely worried me because it's small and has no warning coloration (or aposematism, the exact opposite of camouflage) .

KRQE: Gila monster bite painful, dangerous

johno1234

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#3160119 16-Nov-2023 12:20

kingdragonfly: My American sister-in-law is over 90 years old. She was widowed twice. My guess is relatively well-off. Her current husband's into restoring old "big rigs", semi-trucks, and has a some children.

She bought a wrecked hose in New Mexico, and shortly will be really off-grid. The nearest town is 50 KM away, which only has 50 people. The whole US county of 350 square KM only has 82 houses, 194 people. The nearest medical care is 100 KM away, more than an hour drive

I'm not sure what she paid, but it's a 4BR 1Ba house on 29 acres, very hilly. My guess is the property went for around $300,000 - $400,000.

It's next to Gila National park (pronounced "heela"). The house had a kitchen fire, and was already trashed and full of garbage, rats and mice beforehand.

It's high elevation at 2KM, which is higher than Denver, Colorado, lower than almost all NZ mountains.

That's still within rattlesnakes range. (up to 3 KM) There's actually 8 type of rattlesnakes in the area, up to 2 M long. There's a concrete pad directly on the ground should keep them from living under the house, though they have sheds which will be appealing for mice, rats, and of course snakes. Not much they can do about that.

They have wood-burning (pellet) heater, propane heat, water heater, new solar panels, batteries, Spacex Starlink (NZ $200/month).

I can't imagine any child wanting to live there.

For me, I must have a medical center within a 15 minute drive, otherwise I ain't living there.

Still at least with today's solar and batteries, and Starlink, life off-grid is more civilized.

It will be extremely cold and snowbound in winter too.

MikeAqua

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#3160122 16-Nov-2023 12:30

networkn:

She's a commune wife. They are not legally married.

I'm not technically married to my SO other. We describe ourselves as married by Helen Clark in Wellington in 2001. Even though we didn't meet until 2007 and Helen Clark didn't actually marry us in 2001 until 2011 (after three years cohabitation).

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#3160146 16-Nov-2023 13:57

johno1234:

It will be extremely cold and snowbound in winter too.

Its New Mexico, so its pretty dry, There will not be huge amounts of snow, Annual precipitation is only 15 inches, (~40mm) -You can get that overnight in pretty much any part of NZ<

https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/gila/about-forest/?cid=stelprdb5037333

MikeAqua

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#3160156 16-Nov-2023 14:17

kingdragonfly:
KRQE: Gila monster bite painful, dangerous

Little piece of trivia Gila Monster venom was instrumental in the development of Ozempic.

Mike

johno1234

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#3160166 16-Nov-2023 14:30

wellygary:

johno1234:

It will be extremely cold and snowbound in winter too.

Its New Mexico, so its pretty dry, There will not be huge amounts of snow, Annual precipitation is only 15 inches, (~40mm) -You can get that overnight in pretty much any part of NZ<

https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/gila/about-forest/?cid=stelprdb5037333

15" rain is equivalent to 150" of snow.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/gila/news-events?cid=STELPRDB5137417

Spyware

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#3160172 16-Nov-2023 14:56

wellygary:

Its New Mexico, so its pretty dry, There will not be huge amounts of snow, Annual precipitation is only 15 inches, (~40mm) -You can get that overnight in pretty much any part of NZ<

https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/gila/about-forest/?cid=stelprdb5037333

15 inch is 380 mm.

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#3160176 16-Nov-2023 15:01

MikeAqua:

networkn:

She's a commune wife. They are not legally married.

I'm not technically married to my SO other. We describe ourselves as married by Helen Clark in Wellington in 2001. Even though we didn't meet until 2007 and Helen Clark didn't actually marry us in 2001 until 2011 (after three years cohabitation).

Despite that, you didn't describe her as your wife. Do you introduce her as your wife?

Senecio

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#3160177 16-Nov-2023 15:05

kingdragonfly: I used to live in the American southeast, which has a lot of venomous things, but nothing like Australia, where everything wants to kill you.

I grew up in Queensland where everything did try to kill me, but thankfully without success. In my time I was bitten by a redback spider, an eastern brown snake, an estuary bull shark and of all things a koala!

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