For a while I’ve been thinking of heading to the northern United States and living off the land by myself but I don’t know where to start can anyone give me some advice?

As others here have said, don’t. This is the type of thing that takes a massive body of knowledge and experience to do safely, and even then it can go very, very badly.

I’ve spent a lot of my adult life doing intensive wilderness training with the intention of doing the same thing, and after a year-long survival immersion course I came to the conclusion that it really wasn’t reasonable or possible. Even with extensive training.

Humans are fundamentally tribal creatures who have existed and survived in groups through our entire history. We are not equipped physically or mentally, and especially not olfactorily (not a word, I know), to survive in nature alone. The few who have succeeded anyway, like the indigenous tribal scouts of old, have spent years, if not their entire lives, learning and preparing for the task, and they are by far the exception, not the rule.

Most modern experts and instructors in the field are still not equipped for this kind of long term survival. Even those who have spent hundreds of hours in mock survival scenarios, out camping with minimal or no gear, and have actually, actively practiced living off the land, are not going to be able to survive long term while being safe and comfortable, if at all. Even with all my training, experience and certifications, I would not consider doing this any more, especially not in winter in North America.

Depending on your resources, getting a 4-season, 4x4 RV or a solid winter camping setup and going and camping in remote places for extended periods of time could be your best bet for the kind of solitude that I’m guessing you’re after. You’re not gonna be self-reliant, but you can get further out there more safely and more comfortably than most other options. You’ll have to move locations regularly (most dispersed camping in the US has a two week limit per-location), and you’ll still have to rely on civilization for food and fuel, but it’ll scratch a good bit of the itch.

That’s what I did once I realized that solitary, off-the-land survival wasn’t really obtainable in the ways I’d once dreamed of. I’m super grateful for my setup and the places I’ve been able to go, and it still seems like my best options given the reality of the situation. I’m happy to answer any questions you may have. Good luck!

/r/Survival Thread