If you think of yourself as a rugged individual with a pioneering spirit that requires few modern-day luxuries, then living off the land might be for you. For those who live off the land, a good majority of their basic needs are met by Mother Nature: food, water, shelter, and heat, for example. And, of course, land.
Obviously, though, you need a little more than a plot and a dream to make living off the land work. So before you make the leap, let’s take a look at what living off the land means and what you need to make a success of it.
You Need Land
First things first, you need land in order to live off of the land. Your land should provide as many resources as possible, not the least of which is water.
Read: How much land do you need to be self-sufficient
Your plot of land should be able to produce food, although that can be accomplished in many different ways:
- Hunting
- Fishing
- Foraging
- Fruit trees
- Nut trees
- Cacti
- Gardens
- Poultry
- Livestock
Consider your needs when choosing a plot. One with a freshwater source will go a long way.
Your land should also provide resources that can support your infrastructure, particularly your dwelling. The most obvious example is wood, which can contribute to cooking, heating, and building materials.
You Need Food
Living off the land means no more grocery stores. You must develop adequate skills to put food on the table. The more avenues you have for food production, the better, but don’t bite off more than you can chew.
Producing your own food is a lot harder than it looks, especially if you’ve never done it before. The learning curve is steep, so don’t spread yourself too thin. It’s better to learn one skill set well rather than many skill sets poorly.
There are many ways to produce your own food, but how you do it will depend on your geographical area.
Meat and Poultry
Hunting and fishing are great ways to produce adequate sources of meat. Alternatively, you can raise your own livestock.
Don’t overlook small game that you normally wouldn’t think about. People have been living off small game like squirrels, rabbits, and quail for centuries.
There are also exotic meats, like frogs, snakes, eels, alligators, and the like, that are plausible if they happen to be in your area.
You’ll also need to know how to process and preserve your own meat or pay someone else to do it for you. Skinning and butchering are not for the faint of heart. This is especially burdensome when you have young children involved who often view animals as pets.
Don’t forget eggs, which are also a great source of protein. One of the great things about living off the land is learning how to think outside the box. Eggs don’t have to come from just chickens. Many people get their eggs from quail, ducks, geese,…