Can you? I can't.

bigjim
bigjim Posts: 780
edited June 2007 in Campaign
Just reading post on another site. Re living the simple life. A lot of people have the dream. Isolated cottage. Not on the work/commute treadmill. Growing their own etc. I don't think I could do that. I need or think I need the regular human contact. At work. At home. I admire these people that head off into the wilderness or on long cycle tours. Camping wild etc. How do they do it? is it a skill that can be aquired? How long would you last? Who has done it? Or tried and failed? Is it possible to be a natural loner?

Jim

Nothing to prove.
«1

Comments

  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    It's easy, I did it last night, and am going to do it again in about half an hour, so long as I get back to pick my eldest up from Brownies.

    Warning about well known bike shop removed at request of moderators.

    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • alecstilleyedye
    alecstilleyedye Posts: 1,170
    if you do you'll end up with a beard and then have to do audax rides[:I]

    if i had a better signature, i'd use that instead
    riding on my bicycle, i saw a motorcrash…
  • <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by bigjim</i>

    Camping wild etc. How do they do it? Nothing to prove.
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    Economy with the truth helps. I had a phone call from a friend who was supposed to be wild camping. Under the influence of vast quantities of red wine she blurted out, "The accommodation's great and we're only a few yards from a really good restaurant."
  • Buggi
    Buggi Posts: 674
    i think it's easier than you think, but you have to reach a certain age before you want to do it.

    i think you're conditioned to like the hustle and bustle. it's what you're used to.

    _____________________________________________

    To infinity... and beyond!
    my epic adventure: www.action.org.uk/~Antonia
    _____________________________________________

    To infinity... and beyond!
    my epic adventure: www.action.org.uk/~Antonia
  • Joe Sacco
    Joe Sacco Posts: 4,907
    I'd love to do it. You need to be well setup to start with though, i.e you need to own the isolated cottage rather than have a mortgage on it for a start.

    You also need a good few acres of land to yield enough food.

    You also have no income so paying things like council tax, gas etc, becomes a bit challenging.

    One for people with a lot of money in the bank.
  • vernonlevy
    vernonlevy Posts: 969
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by alecstilleyedye</i>

    if you do you'll end up with a beard and then have to do audax rides[:I]

    if i had a better signature, i'd use that instead
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    I don't have a beard but tend not to shave before the day I do an Audax ride. Does that count?

    I don't wear sandles tho'
  • Rigid Raider
    Rigid Raider Posts: 1,568
    Mt brother in the USA keeps emailing me about this. he dreams of self-sufficiency for the day when oil runs out. I don't think he's realised that when that happens, anybody with anything worth having like food or alternative fuel or transport will probably get shot and mugged for it...

    Global TH1.5 Ti hardtail.
    Global TH1.5 Ti hardtail.
  • Unkraut
    Unkraut Posts: 1,103
    Does Eurocamp count as wild camping? Especially in Luxemburg. It has nothing of modern life about it except tables, chairs, beds, fridges and cookers, and a restaurent and shower block not far away. It positively brings out the caveman in you.
  • _Bonj_
    _Bonj_ Posts: 39
    There isn't a 'simple life' -it doesn't exist. Everyone needs money at some point for some things, so we might aswell just accept that money exists and try and make as much as possible.
  • <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Rigid Raider</i>

    Mt brother in the USA keeps emailing me about this. he dreams of self-sufficiency for the day when oil runs out. I don't think he's realised that when that happens, anybody with anything worth having like food or alternative fuel or transport will probably get shot and mugged for it...

    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    I suspect that American self sufficiency enthusiasts are also armed to the teeth.
  • <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by bigjim</i>
    [br.... I admire these people that head off into the wilderness or on long cycle tours. Camping wild etc. How do they do it? is it a skill that can be aquired? How long would you last? Who has done it? Or tried and failed? Is it possible to be a natural loner?

    Jim

    Nothing to prove.
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    Strange subject for Soapbox

    I have done it! Several times, and met so many people out there who do it too.
    Wild camping and finding places to sleep is an acquired art. You have to overcome your fears about chavs, wild animals, and even insects.
    I love the solitude, but that's just me, and I love to meet people (sometimes).
    When I do meet people, other cyclists or people who offer me somewhere to stay, they reinforce my belief that most people out there are OK.

    How long did I last?

    look at my site below, 5 months in South America and 3 months across Europe.

    I started the usual way with short rides, then week long ( LEJOG), and it just grew from there.

    I prefer to do most of my rides alone, my pace, my places to visit, stop , detour.

    george

    _________________________________
    Trip
    www.pedalpatagonia.co.uk

    2 Bikes
    http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/imjibi/Bikes
  • Archcp
    Archcp Posts: 8,987
    There's various degrees of simple life though, bigjim. You say 'isolated cottage', and that you need human contact. No reason why one shouldn't simplify one's life to some extent, and be at least partly self sufficient, but still have human contact.

    Ideally, yes, you need to own a place outright to cut out the mortgage. And be able to set up stuff like a wind turbine to get as much electricity as you can. If you have enough land, and work at it hard enough (it may be 'simple, but it ain't 'easy') you can probably grow enough excess veg to sell or swap some. Eggs also, I guess. In which case living in, or close to, a community is an advantage - people to trade with. Also, it would give the opportunity perhaps to earn money odd jobbing.

    Yup, I'm another one with the dream, and one who could probably do fairly well without lots of people around, in terms of how much company I need. On the other hand, I'm realistic about how much work it would be. I'd rather share it with another person who felt the same, than be totally going it alone.

    As for wild camping and so on, yes, I've no doubt the skills can be learned. It's not for me just know - I'm too nervous of the uncertainty, and as yet, I don't have the skills. Well, I'm learning to spin at the moment, but I couldn't exactly knock up a sweater in a day... And you have to be able to put preconceptions about eg. what is food aside. I like to think that if society went tits up, I'd be better equipped, mentally and skills/knowledge wise than many to live 'in the stone age' In fact, my department, if we stiuck together, would be fine - we have skinners, weavers, flint knappers, experts on pottery and ancient diet, people with many practical plant recognition skills... So archaeology <i>is</i> useful...[;)]


    If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.
    If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.
  • Flying_Monkey
    Flying_Monkey Posts: 8,708
    I think there are some rather different things here:

    1. Living the simple life, 'downsizing' (urgh...) etc.;
    2. Living in a remote place on your own;
    3. 'Roughing it' temporarily.

    These aren't the same things. You can live a more simple life collectively, in communes, co-ops, cohousing, or just with like-minded neighbours, in cities, towns and villages. It can be associated with all kinds of 'business' venture too.

    Buying a remote cottage, or living far away from 'civilisation' has nothing necessarily to do with this, and probably has more to do with some desire for escape, simple misanthropy, or all sorts of other reasons...

    Going off on your own for a while and relying on yourself as a temporary thing is different again. I do it simply to challenge myself, to reinvigorate my life, to have some peace, and to remind myself of the inevitability of death...


    Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety

    Now I guess I'll have to tell 'em
    That I got no cerebellum
  • <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Arch</i>

    In fact, my department, if we stiuck together, would be fine - we have skinners, weavers, flint knappers, experts on pottery and ancient diet, people with many practical plant recognition skills... So archaeology <i>is</i> useful...[;)]



    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    Bags I Ray Mears on my team - we'd be in the Iron Age within a week.
  • ankev1
    ankev1 Posts: 3,686
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Flying_Monkey</i>

    I think there are some rather different things here:

    3. 'Roughing it' temporarily.

    Going off on your own for a while and relying on yourself as a temporary thing is different again. I do it simply to challenge myself, to reinvigorate my life, to have some peace, <b>and to remind myself of the inevitability of death... </b>

    Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    I now have a vision of you boo-hooing into your Trangia. You do realise this sort of thing could land you straight into Pseud's Corner?
  • <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Flying_Monkey</i>

    , and to remind myself of the inevitability of death...


    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    I hope that this isn't because most of the time you reckon you're immortal. [;)]
  • Joe Sacco
    Joe Sacco Posts: 4,907
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by ankev1</i>

    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Flying_Monkey</i>

    I think there are some rather different things here:

    3. 'Roughing it' temporarily.

    Going off on your own for a while and relying on yourself as a temporary thing is different again. I do it simply to challenge myself, to reinvigorate my life, to have some peace, <b>and to remind myself of the inevitability of death... </b>

    Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    I now have a vision of you boo-hooing into your Trangia. You do realise this sort of thing could land you straight into Pseud's Corner?
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    You mean he is not in there already? [:)]
  • Rigid Raider
    Rigid Raider Posts: 1,568
    For an insight into life after the apocalypse watch the rather worrying film 28 Days Later on Channel 4, Sunday 10:00 pm. With a nod to Day of the Triffids it's the only plague/zombie film I've ever watched, which didn't have me in incredulous laughter. Some good shots of deserted motorways and London too.

    Global TH1.5 Ti hardtail.
    Global TH1.5 Ti hardtail.
  • Archcp
    Archcp Posts: 8,987
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Patrick Stevens</i>

    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Arch</i>

    In fact, my department, if we stiuck together, would be fine - we have skinners, weavers, flint knappers, experts on pottery and ancient diet, people with many practical plant recognition skills... So archaeology <i>is</i> useful...[;)]



    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    Bags I Ray Mears on my team - we'd be in the Iron Age within a week.
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    Bah. New fangled nonsense. That was where the rot set in you know...

    If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.
    If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.
  • <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Arch</i>

    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Patrick Stevens</i>

    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Arch</i>

    In fact, my department, if we stiuck together, would be fine - we have skinners, weavers, flint knappers, experts on pottery and ancient diet, people with many practical plant recognition skills... So archaeology <i>is</i> useful...[;)]



    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    Bags I Ray Mears on my team - we'd be in the Iron Age within a week.
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    Bah. New fangled nonsense. That was where the rot set in you know...

    If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    Arch looked up from pounding a mixture of earthworms and beetles. What was that strange aroma from Ray and Patrick's house? She wondered how they'd made that Aga. What was it they were eating last night? Could it have been navarin of lamb with seasonable vegetables washed down with a rather cheeky little claret from their vineyard. What ever it was, it couldn't be nicer than their fermented sheep guts.
  • Ravenbait
    Ravenbait Posts: 13,064
    That's a delicacy in some places, you know.

    Anyway. You'd be in trouble with Ray Mears on your team. What would you do about oilet facilities? Every time he pulled down his shorts to relieve himself your bog would be incinerated.

    Sam

    <font size="1"><font color="teal">The cross product of Tank Girl and Ellen Ripley:</font id="teal">

    http://ravenfamily.org
    <font color="purple">"<u>You</u> might remember that 'annoyed' is my natural state!"</font id="purple">

    http://gentlemencyclists.org/clubhouse
    <font color="purple">"Ya'd think we could just attract ants, like normal people."</font id="purple"></font id="size1">

    http://ravenfamily.org
    "You might remember that 'annoyed' is my natural state!"
    http://gentlemencyclists.org
    "Ya'd think we could just attracts ants, like normal people."
  • <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Ravenbait</i>

    Anyway. You'd be in trouble with Ray Mears on your team. What would you do about oilet facilities? Every time he pulled down his shorts to relieve himself your bog would be incinerated.

    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    How do you know these things? [:0]
  • Flying_Monkey
    Flying_Monkey Posts: 8,708
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Joe Sacco</i>

    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by ankev1</i>

    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Flying_Monkey</i>

    I think there are some rather different things here:

    3. 'Roughing it' temporarily.

    Going off on your own for a while and relying on yourself as a temporary thing is different again. I do it simply to challenge myself, to reinvigorate my life, to have some peace, <b>and to remind myself of the inevitability of death... </b>

    Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    I now have a vision of you boo-hooing into your Trangia. You do realise this sort of thing could land you straight into Pseud's Corner?
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    You mean he is not in there already? [:)]
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    There was a certain degree of self-depreciation involved in the post - I mean, can you imagine what I'd be like if I took myself seriously? [;)]. It's still true though, in as much as it can be to a relatively comfortable middle-class person like me. But, having just come back from the Big Smoke yesterday, I reckon if I was cycling on a daily basis in London I probably wouldn't need reminding! [:0]

    Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety

    Now I guess I'll have to tell 'em
    That I got no cerebellum
  • Ravenbait
    Ravenbait Posts: 13,064
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Patrick Stevens</i>

    How do you know these things? [:0]
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">You have to ask?

    Sam

    <font size="1"><font color="teal">The cross product of Tank Girl and Ellen Ripley:</font id="teal">

    http://ravenfamily.org
    <font color="purple">"<u>You</u> might remember that 'annoyed' is my natural state!"</font id="purple">

    http://gentlemencyclists.org/clubhouse
    <font color="purple">"Ya'd think we could just attract ants, like normal people."</font id="purple"></font id="size1">

    http://ravenfamily.org
    "You might remember that 'annoyed' is my natural state!"
    http://gentlemencyclists.org
    "Ya'd think we could just attracts ants, like normal people."
  • <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Ravenbait</i>

    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">How do you know these things? [:0]
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">You have to ask?

    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    In the interests of science you pulled Ray Mears' shorts down? [:0][:0][:0][:0][:0][:0]
  • ankev1
    ankev1 Posts: 3,686
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Flying_Monkey</i>

    [
    There was a certain degree of <b>self-depreciation </b>involved in the post - I mean, can you imagine what I'd be like if I took myself seriously? [;)]. It's still true though, in as much as it can be to a relatively comfortable middle-class person like me. But, having just come back from the Big Smoke yesterday, I reckon if I was cycling on a daily basis in London I probably wouldn't need reminding! [:0]

    Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    What on earth is going on? They close the forum down for a day for an oil change or something and now the regulars have lost their grasp on the language! First Redcogs and now you.

    SELF-DEPRECATION

    (Unless of course you are really losing value by the minute.)
  • <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Flying_Monkey</i>
    I mean, can you imagine what I'd be like if I took myself seriously? [;)]. <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    Probably best defined mathmatically, as certain concepts defy the imagination. [;)]
  • Ravenbait
    Ravenbait Posts: 13,064
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Patrick Stevens</i>
    In the interests of science you pulled Ray Mears' shorts down? [:0][:0][:0][:0][:0][:0]
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">Who said science had anything to do with it [}:)] ?

    <font size="1"><font color="teal">The cross product of Tank Girl and Ellen Ripley:</font id="teal">

    http://ravenfamily.org
    <font color="purple">"<u>You</u> might remember that 'annoyed' is my natural state!"</font id="purple">

    http://gentlemencyclists.org/clubhouse
    <font color="purple">"Ya'd think we could just attract ants, like normal people."</font id="purple"></font id="size1">

    http://ravenfamily.org
    "You might remember that 'annoyed' is my natural state!"
    http://gentlemencyclists.org
    "Ya'd think we could just attracts ants, like normal people."
  • Archcp
    Archcp Posts: 8,987
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Patrick Stevens</i>

    Arch looked up from pounding a mixture of earthworms and beetles. What was that strange aroma from Ray and Patrick's house? She wondered how they'd made that Aga. What was it they were eating last night? Could it have been navarin of lamb with seasonable vegetables washed down with a rather cheeky little claret from their vineyard. What ever it was, it couldn't be nicer than their fermented sheep guts.
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    Why do people assume that living in the stone age involved a diet of beetles? Based on the most common Mesolithic hunter/gatherer evidence, I'd be noshing on a starter of seafood platter, a main of venison and a dessert of hazelnuts...

    And at that stage, I'd never have seen a sheep - they hadn't been invented yet...[;)]

    If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.
    If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.
  • <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Arch</i>
    I'd be noshing on a starter of seafood platter, <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">


    Arch, I urge you to think more carefully about when the book says, "In the crowded hutments of the age, nearly everyone had crabs."