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How do I become a self-sufficient old man in a shack?

news.ycombinator.com

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Re: How do I become a self-sufficient old man in a shack?

#81

Post by SageRaven »

sliverstorm wrote: post #67
SageRaven wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I read about this kind of failure all the time in homesteading and survivalist circles. It takes a certain mindset to succeed, which involves adopting a bit of minimalism and humility. One thing people have trouble wrapping their mind around is this: the more "toys" (tractors, machinery, etc.) that require consumables and maintenance, the less self-sufficient you will be. To be honest, even today's Amish are a far cr…

Is your comment about "toys" exclusive to those that require consumables? What about, for example, good knives and other various man-made tools? I've thought about doing this sort of thing, but I'd really miss quality tools if I had to give them up. That, and buzzing around on a motorcycle! But I imagine even if I had a good supply of money for fuel and tires, the high risk of injury when you're alone in the wilderne…

The value of quality, useful tools cannot be overstated. Just be wise in your choices and understand the expenses involved other the life of the tool.

Don't buy cookware with teflon, as it will eventually wear off (nevermind the toxicity), but buy quality heavy duty stuff. I have a set of decent stainless steel cookware and a fair bit of cast iron, where the "non-stick" coating can be renewed (if not maitained) for the life of the item.

Good knives (cookware or otherwise) are a very valuable asset. Invest in a quality set of water stones to maintain them (I prefer Shapton "glass" stones), and you'll have a useful tool for life. I'm still packing a Swiss Army knife and fillet knife I've had since I was a kid.

Tractors and horses can be valuable, if put to good use. However, both require maintenance and fuel. Hand tools and other human-powered devices can accomplish quite a bit and are much cheaper to maintain in the long run.

Re: How do I become a self-sufficient old man in a shack?

#82

Post by Willwhatley »

sblom wrote: post #49
mman wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh, by "escape the system" i meant escape the system we create here, as in keep my freedom, not be incarcerated, not be prevented from having sex or children for the rest of my life, etc.

But, Peter, they have conjugal visits in prison.

The sex you want, you can't get.

The sex you get, you don't want.

Re: How do I become a self-sufficient old man in a shack?

#83

Post by ippisl »

SageRaven wrote: post #28
lionhearted wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Serious question, not joking - wouldn't you die, literally die, without any protein, fat, or micronutrients?

Yes, he would suffer serious malnutrition. However, he could supplement with one or two other cheap bulk crops (whole wheat, corn, and/or beans). Still, it would be efficient to raise small grass-eating animals for food, such as rabbit or even guinea pigs. Grass and weeds are abundant and free, far cheaper than meat. Trace elements and minerals are fairly easy to get. Many of those same weeds you can feed to rabbits…

using animal mineral supplement is interesting , But what about minimal and maximal concentrations needed for humans , vs animals ? do you of an animal mineral product, with mineral levels that are proportionate to human minerals ? do you know someone who uses this idea ?

Re: How do I become a self-sufficient old man in a shack?

#84

Post by lutsp »

10ren wrote: post #77
lutsp wrote: post #73

I did this, years ago: http://www.atariarchives.org/deli/cottage_computer_programmi... I started this phase out wanting to be left alone and live on $40/month, but reality interfered and it turned out to be a way to completely change my life. I think it can still be done. There is a steep learning curve.

Welcome, cool to have you! Did you know you've been featured here? http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=905377 If you don't mind, I wanted to ask you: did you own the land for your shack, or rent it? The latter is cheaper, but not independent. I recall Thoreau didn't own his shack.

I owned the land outright. During my previous time with a NASA subcontractor in Silicon Valley, I realized that rent was a key problem and if I didn't own the land, the entire idea would collapse.

Then I bought materials in cash and built a little cabin, which meant it was also paid for. I was entirely debt-free, which I regarded as essential (and still do).

I started a little garden and had lots of free time to think. The rest, as they say, is history. :)

Re: How do I become a self-sufficient old man in a shack?

#86

Post by 10ren »

lutsp wrote: post #84
10ren wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Welcome, cool to have you! Did you know you've been featured here? http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=905377 If you don't mind, I wanted to ask you: did you own the land for your shack, or rent it? The latter is cheaper, but not independent. I recall Thoreau didn't own his shack.

I owned the land outright. During my previous time with a NASA subcontractor in Silicon Valley, I realized that rent was a key problem and if I didn't own the land, the entire idea would collapse. Then I bought materials in cash and built a little cabin, which meant it was also paid for. I was entirely debt-free, which I regarded as essential (and still do). I started a little garden and had lots of free time to thin…

Thanks! It makes such a difference speaking to someone who's actually done it. Not theoretical.

I guess you must have been relatively near civilization - at least a town. Can I ask how much money it took... and how much you think it would take today?

I think it depends a lot on the land, which seems relatively expensive here in Australia; if you want water, electricity and sewage utilities. I get the impression there's very cheap land in some places in the States.

Re: How do I become a self-sufficient old man in a shack?

#87

Post by 10ren »

mman wrote: post #34
lionhearted wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Okay, I understand better now. Why not do a kind of work you find really enjoyable, and sell/trade that work with people whose company you enjoy? This is generally my philosophy to entrepreneurship anyways - there's a bit of involuntary time involved (taxes, accounting, errands), but I think you could get it down to less than one hour per day. If you didn't care about having extremely nice material comforts/status sy…

Yes, this all stems from realizing the only reason i want to "get rich" is basically so i can live the life described. I want to do only the things that i want to do all the time. And the things that i want to do are extremely simple. But i am willing to give up some time to do other things. Yes, I would consider trading and selling involuntary activities. The only voluntary activities are reading, writing, thinking,…

Another angle is to try living this ideal life for a month or so. It might be difficult to pretend, because you can't 100% relax into it, but it might alert you to things you need you hadn't realized (eg. social); or, contrariness, give you a boost of motivation to do whatever it takes to secure it (eg work to save a little more money; research etc.)

It's just that idea of starting small, as a way to get started and get more information, more confidence (from having some progress), and get the blood flowing through acting on your vision.

BTW: lutsp is in the thread, who's actually done this (see his link to his shack.)

Re: How do I become a self-sufficient old man in a shack?

#88

Post by brg »

SageRaven wrote: post #28
lionhearted wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Serious question, not joking - wouldn't you die, literally die, without any protein, fat, or micronutrients?

Yes, he would suffer serious malnutrition. However, he could supplement with one or two other cheap bulk crops (whole wheat, corn, and/or beans). Still, it would be efficient to raise small grass-eating animals for food, such as rabbit or even guinea pigs. Grass and weeds are abundant and free, far cheaper than meat. Trace elements and minerals are fairly easy to get. Many of those same weeds you can feed to rabbits…

Is it true that a supplement of eggs would be enough to cover all nutritional requirements?

Re: How do I become a self-sufficient old man in a shack?

#89

Post by SageRaven »

ippisl wrote: post #83
SageRaven wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, he would suffer serious malnutrition. However, he could supplement with one or two other cheap bulk crops (whole wheat, corn, and/or beans). Still, it would be efficient to raise small grass-eating animals for food, such as rabbit or even guinea pigs. Grass and weeds are abundant and free, far cheaper than meat. Trace elements and minerals are fairly easy to get. Many of those same weeds you can feed to rabbits…

using animal mineral supplement is interesting , But what about minimal and maximal concentrations needed for humans , vs animals ? do you of an animal mineral product, with mineral levels that are proportionate to human minerals ? do you know someone who uses this idea ?

http://www.redmondnatural.com/redmond-natural-conditioner.ht...

We use this stuff for our animals. On occasion, I will fill a couple of gel caps with the stuff and take some myself.

I take the glowing testimonials with a grain of salt (ha!), but the stuff seems to have a good reputation. Most ranchers tend to neglect their herds (likely more out of ignorance than malice), so I'm not surprised to hear that adding this supplement would yield huge improvement. Anecdotal accounts on various forums have been positive.

For all I know, this stuff could kill me in the long run, so don't come blaming me if it kills you should you try it. Consult your physician, dietitian, lawyer and all that standard disclaimer stuff.

Re: How do I become a self-sufficient old man in a shack?

#90

Post by ganley »

pvdm wrote: post #44

Doug Fine has partially done this. He moved to New Mexico. Installed solar panels for electricity. Shepherd 2 goats for milk. Grow his own vegetables. Converted his car to run on cooking oil. http://www.dougfine.com/farewell-my-subaru/

His prior book, Not Really An Alaskan Mountain Man, which coincidentally I just finished last night, is about working toward a subsistence lifestyle in Alaska. He never even gets close, but it's an entertaining read.
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