I want to be self sufficient. Bath room in the house. Warm house in the winter including garage to park and work on vehicles. An attached green house to the garage. Just want to be comfortable when not out playing the snow. I fish and hunt. Would love to shoot my guns in any part of my yard without worrying about someone telling me I can't do that. Am I asking for too much?

You can do that in about any of the 57 states. Just have to pick where you live and how much land you have.

The question would be how much money do you have, and can you get a job or make a living where you want to be.

To have room to shoot at one's house requires space. If not out in a wilderness area, that requires a good sized piece of dirt. From what I've read and heard, land prices in AK aren't cheap. I agree with Rost. To hunt and shoot without bothering anyone, you need a buffer. Where to find the best deal on space is the question on the table, IMHO.

DF

I spent some time in Alaska.

Late summer/early fall in Gustavus, then winter in Anchorage. Came back another year and spent May-November in Juneau.

"Self sufficient"? Good luck. Alaska is expensive! Gas is $2-3 more than my current state of CA. Food is expensive as are tobacco products (ludicrously expensive!). Clothing, automobiles, alcohol and firearms seem to be reasonable (again, compared to CA prices). Movie tickets were on par with CA prices. I can't recall the price on sporting goods, except for non-resident fishing license which was extremely high. Trapping license was priced reasonably though.

Rent can be expensive, but I was fortunate enough to rent a mobile home with 2 other housemates while I lived in Anchorage. In Juneau I traveled around enough that renting a room/house wasn't worthwhile. Spent my off days at a campground or The Alaskan bar & hotel. Ahhh, good times! ... Ugh, and some bad times too.

Finding a house for rent for "cheap" or "reasonable" rate is hard to do, if not impossible. Houses in Anchorage and Juneau had bathrooms with running water, but it is to my understanding that the further north you go, the less likely you'll find homes with running water. A lot of homes/cabins are "dry" (no running water).

I was only in Anchorage, but to me winter didn't seem that bad (compared to some place like Fairbanks). I worked a snow-removal job, so I was out in the elements a lot. I also had no running vehicle, so I walked everywhere. Summers in the southern parts of Alaska are damp and overcast most days. Moreso in Juneau than Anchorage.

Heavy tourist influence in summer, to the point where it gets annoying. Especially in Juneau, downtown, when the cruise ships offload. Winters are cool, all the tourist go home, and everyone settles down for the long haul of winter. Winter "feels nice" after a busy summer. Anchorage had a sunrise:sunset time of about 11 AM & 4 PM in January.

You sound young, so think it out before you go up. Get a job for the summer, don't do what I did and blow your money at the bars on your days off (hey, I worked a trail crew, that's what we did!).

Actual residents of Alaska can tell you more, but I thought I'd put in my 2 cents as a failed "resident-attemptee" of Alaska.

FWIW, it's been a dream of mine to build up a cabin in Alaska and be "self sufficient" since I was 8 years old. But now I realize it takes a lot of money. Either you're independently wealthy, or you work. You can't hunt or grow everything in Alaska, and you still need supplies flown in. Even famed Dick Proenneke needed resupply.

Anyway, good luck in your venture.

Jay

Alaska, by far the biggest state in terms of land area, has the most locked up land by far. Most of it is possessed by the Federal government and is not for sale. The State has lesser portions but it is still significant, and also not for sale - mostly. Generally the lands which are available for purchase are already privately owned. By looking at where people already live, you can see that much of this land is near the populated areas. (But not all populated areas have marketable lands.)


The 12 land-owning Native corporations and the dozens of village under them are the largest private landowners. However, none of that land is owned by individuals, and none can be owned or purchased by individuals. There are Native allotments which are owned by individuals, or the heirs of individuals. Many of these are restricted in nature and can only be sold to people of at least 1/4 Native heritage. However, some of these lands are unrestricted. Since allotments were granted 160 acres at a time, many of these tracts are fairly sizable as long as the original selection was a single piece of land. (160 acres of land in a square is 1/2 mile per side.)

The State also has some trust lands which they periodically market to provide funding for the specific entities for which these land trust were established. Many of these lands are quite remote. (Remote can be good; it is also generally expensive. Yes, you can use dogs if there are trails for access. You better enjoy cutting and drying fish if you plan to have dogs on "the cheap" however. That will be your summer's work. Oh, and a boat will be handy if you're planning to catch enough fish. And nets, lines, anchors, etc. And make sure the land you acquire has water access in that case as well. Make sure you have the skills to build sleds if you want to use dogs; sleds aren't free if you're buying either. ..........On second thought, plan to buy a snowmachine. It's cheaper and much easier. They're only $6-12 thousand; gas can generally be had for $6-11/gallon, and some of the higher-tech [more expensive ] ones will "sip" gas at 15 mpg or better.)

Just remember, if you have to ask, you probably can't afford it.

-and-

"it's only money, you can't take it with you."


editted to add........"bathroom in the house" ??????? You do know what a honey bucket is I suppose???

Better get a 50 bmg, at a minimum

I thought a honey bucket was a bathroom in the house Klik??

All things are possible with enough time and $$$.

Due to game densities and the cost of living, Alaska is the most expensive place to do what you want to do. Also due to the short growing season it's the most difficult to grow enough food, especially as thats the time of year you want to be out enjoying the state.

Did you have to spell it out for him???? Sheesh!


Boy, we sure have painted him a rosy picture of what sometimes gets embellished in a rather over-romanticized way......or not! (I gotta admit, there probably is a place or three in the States where living may be just a bit easier. I hope the O poster wasn't getting simple confused with easy, not that simple is really simple either. )

A sense of humor.

Bring your own woman, we're not sharing those!

" since I was 8 years old. But now I realize it takes a lot of money. Either you're independently wealthy, or you work. "

Or you learn to live without all of the frivolous stuff that some people seem to think they need.

http://www.remoteproperties.com/yentna.html

How do you suppose people in the bush get their supplies? PFD alone won't cover you from PFD To PFD.

You beat me to it.

Better yet, bring more than one!

Gold. You just pick it up off the ground; or wait until the mail comes to cash your government check.

Was this directed at me or the OP?

Just because "those" implies a plurality, don't assume anything... (although the singular might have given something away)

Ya just lose your turn!

See!

Tough crowd! I'm pretty sure I was warned about fellas like you two when I moved up here! I would be willing to compromise though and share my wife's to do list if anybody is interested.

A masochistic bent don't hurt either. Or is that sadism??? I get confused.

907 = all filled up !!!! ....that being said ...its 34 degrees this morning .....there is also the "blood and thinking of folks in libtard Colorado"...are u a carrier???

Who all is she going to do?

Sorry I couldn't resist that. I'm normally not like that. Grins

Boy I want to go. Everything I ever dreamed of....


I am staying in Oregon. I am willing to visit quietly but Oregon will be home.

There are a few options when the sticker shock of AK wears off and the reality settles in vs. the idealistic dream that carried you North.

You find a day job with decent pay, you take a vow of poverty, you go on public assistance, or you tuck your tail and head South.

BYOW I hear they're a bit scarce ...

I had it coming.



Not in Anchorage, but I did bring my own.

Well I spent a lot of years flying for a living there, I averaged around 55K a year flying, but living out where I had to live, It really was just getting by. And I have very little time to actually go hunt or fish. I did but no were as much as most would thing or I would have liked. The Seasons happen to also be the busy times for pilots. Now If you have enough money to retire then its a different story. How much money well that would be a subject of its own. I would say a fully funded retirement with a value of 2-7 million would be about right. Those that have that retire to florida or Az.

What I hear from the folks in AK generally is...

The odds are good, but the goods are odd....

No shortage of women but the women are short on teeth...

There's a LOT of ass in Alaska, unfortunately it's all on one woman.

I had the same thought.

Even "Goodtime Charlies" ain't a good time...

Keep it up, maybe you can convince a few more lesser 48ers to stay south.

Except for the cost, I am hearing mostly lies.

Denial has always made things seem longer or shorter, as needed, and less painful overall......and where that doesn't work, Al K. Ohol finds plenty of employment. Costs where money is concerned can be trivial relative to other "lies".

and she lives in Hoonah.

She does..

I can't think of what is so bad about a woman with no teeth? I just think of the advantages.

Do not worry I have My own woman. And I will not share her and that is why the honey bucket.

Just trying to keep some folks from becoming sourdoughs....


sour on Alaska

not enough dough to leave.

My dream is to hunt moose in AK. Has been for a long long time. That dream keeps me alive. Gives me a "Brass ring" of sorts. If I lived there,what would I dream about then? Living in Pennsylvania? God I hope not. I would split the difference and retire to Montana though.

Nothing as drastic as dreaming of living in PA. It's usually more mundane like spending somewhere between a couple weeks and a couple months in a place like this in the dead of winter.

If you are good at something and reliable you can more than make ends meet here. Good auto/boat mechanics can just about write their own tickets. Medical professionals seem to often be in demand. Construction can kill two birds with one stone since it pays and you would have the skills to build your own remote dream home. http://dnr.alaska.gov/mlw/landsale/

Don't bother. I hear Alaska is closed.

You are obviously not listening... so how about a couple charts?


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Alaska_Crude_Oil_Production.PNG
http://mjperry.blogspot.com/2011/12/north-dakota-sets-more-oil-production.html

Well, I can't seem to get either of them to C&P... Take a look at the two charts and decide which is the better place to look for work as an untrained hand...

yep Alaska ain't closed but the odds of any swingin dick gettin a job on the slope are pretty slim unless you have an in with someone or a skill set that is in high demand.

Where is the wildlife and fish?

Electronics, any kind.

There is a great shortage of stuff like this in Montana.

You Alaska guys forgot to tell the Op about the yearly oil check!

The pfd check is a piss poor reason to move to Alaska. Do I complain when it shows up? No, but the extra grand is not the reason I stay in Alaska.

Electronics, any kind. That is repair, maintenance, design, build, and update. RF to audio.

I don't think a 1000 bucks would last all year. It might take a little more considering I love to fish and hunt. Always have been captivated by the big Dall Sheep horns.

House in SE. 400k.(not a [bleep]) Good SE do it all boat 100k. Rent in SE 1k plus a month. Working to pay for all this cuts into the hunting and fishing a bit. Remember 90% of the good hunting is not a jump in your pickup and go type of deal here. In all reality if your real reason to be here is to hunt and fish you will be ahead of the game money wise to come up and go with a guide periodically. Our income here would put us in the upper middle class down south , here we are lower middle class in all reality. 3 types of Alaskan households 1 wealthy. 2 broke . 3 broke and in massive amounts of debt trying to take advantage of what Alaska has to offer.

Great personalities, you get past that whole sexual thing...

ABC

and in the water



do I win anything for this?

A new TOYO (if you pay the $1500.00)

hot damn, I never won anything before! this is great!

A free table dance. Ask for "Tiffany".

Sheesh. All this time I thought her name was "Bunny."

What is this kalifornsky about? I do not want anything to do with California.

Alaska used to be part of Russia and the Russians actually had a settlement in California at Fort Ross. The Russians used Aleut hunters to kill seals and otters for the fur trade. They left in 1842. I think that's about the extent of the tie, and a road named Kalifornsky Beach.

Apparently Kalifornsky used to be Kalifonsky which has a basis in the Denai Indian word Kali meaning fishermen.

Because of a misspelling, according to Alan Borass, KPC anthropology prof.

A belt-fed semi-automatic .458. And bear bells.

Another bit of history apropros of nothing much above, is that during the Civil War, Russia anchored a goodly portion of their Pacific fleet in San Francisco harbor, I read somewhere... Just sort of a stopper in the bottle, like....

And that a Confederate gunship (Shenendoah?) made depredations against the Yankee whaling fleet in the North Pacific.

Off the top of my head from somewhere in past readings - may not be accurate...

Sounds like the start of a Clive Cussler novel.

(You're welcome. My corrections are always inexpensive.)



I believe you're thinking of the gals who lived on "the line".....they were required to get a yearly oil check along with a small fine.

Klik

That is just WRONG on sooooo many levels

I love it!

A chainsaw is a real man must have..

Means nothing without the pic.......


so.......

Just another one of Alaska's rarely talked about species of dangerous game, the nefarious "Saber-toothed Crotch Cricket!"

kind of a big word there.....not sure I have that in my lecksilicon; thinking it must mean really loud somehow.......thinking it probably doesn't refer to the machine either.

That works too

ohh my Alaskan brethern, you do crack me up!

Poena point park looking west to kaena point (not actually on the point but around the corner in the cove); would know it anywhere

edited to add, I've looked at more sunsets with Kaena point in the picture than all the other sunsets put together.

Really dick?

http://www.caribbeanlandandproperty.com/moredetails.php?1467

TFF.

Don't make fun of the egg-spurts.

Well hell, if it was good enough for Wyatt Earp ... except oil checks were not in vogue then.

Oh wait- that was down south... he was "just" a saloon owner in Nome during the gold rush there at the turn of the 20th century. Sold out for $80 K IIRC - not a bad price for 1906 or so...

Mark, you have entirely too much free time on your hands.

Apparently. I sure never intended to be caught on camera like that.

Never should have given the kid that i-phone...

Is it too late to move and get ready for winter?

If you gotta ask..

What part of the state are you planning to move to? N slope winter will be starting any day, South Central is about a month away, SE you've got some time.

It is probably too late if you are hoping to build a cabin... otherwise you should be fine.

I moved up over Christmas, so maybe I'm the wrong person to ask. (I don't recommend that BTW...)

DOHH!!

Too hot in the Caribbean.

I just bought a 243 BAR for moose, sheep, and brown bear hunting/defense.

Sounds good. Should go well with your trolling rig.

Way over kill,I heard the 22-250 was just right.

Just goes to show, you never can be sure who to trust. .......oh, wait, thinking like that should be reserved for the forum a couple rungs up.

YES, it's too late.

We did this 13 years ago, you can't just move here and move into the bush and be self sufficient over night. 13 years ago we had a car and a van and 10K to move here. We made it here with the car and a U-Haul because the van broke down in MT.

If I were to do it NOW, I'd have 20K and I'd already be scoping the jobs. Currently I live off-grid, and we survive on my fur business. Sometimes the pickins get slim, sometimes not. I don't have cable TV or running water.

That was the short version

Oh, I'm one of those women that doesn't share either.

in all seriousness


just for somethin slightly different


there's some good kernels of advice amongst all the BS we've thrown out there at ya. Being able to tell the diff is a valuable skill to bring with you here or anywhere.


but of the people I see here that adapt the best and seem truly happy here what you really need to bring are:

1. a sense of wonderment for this grand and diverse place

2. a can do attitude

3. a friendly disposition

4. willingness to lend a hand when it's needed

5. some thick skin and a good sense of humor


I know some folks that have landed without much more than just those things and they have seemed to thrive, eventually.


in the absence of more than a few of those things, a boatload of cash would be a decent alternative.

I still got a couple of items to pick up. I need a generator still. I will get a boat when I get there. I should have 2 snow mobiles this winter. I am slowly collecting the things I need and putting back cash. I have been reading this forum for a while and am compiling a wealth of information. Where to live, where to hunt, what to buy, what not to buy, and many other items. I believe I want to live far enough out to shoot my rifles when ever I want. All most off the grid.

But need that in door bath room for the wife.

What is considered a good brand for a wood stove in Alaska?

You do know that they sell all that [bleep] in AK right?

Most important thing to bring is cash, and lots of it. After living in Alaska for over 35 years I became used to the high prices and thought of them as normal. Since moving out in April of this year the realization of how high the prices were has finally sunk in and I am still amazed at how much less everything is in most lower 48 states costs.
Land prices in Alaska are simply nuts.
Auto insurance, fuel, utilities, house prices, food, you name it. All are much cheaper down here.

http://www.greatlander.com/

A most welcome monthly publication...

big boy toy catalog

You might want to decide what area your going to move to first,and what kind of wood your going to burn or have access to.

But I am finding that things are cheaper here in Colorado. You just have the transport problem once most items are acquired. Land is still costly unless your farther out in Alaska.

Are you new here, or have you simply failed to read the previous posts in this thread?

Alaska is more expensive largely because of the transportation problem. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you'll still need to transport anything you have or get from Colorado. I hope you've done your homework on that.



There are reasons why land is less expensive in some parts. There can be some good deals, but....refer to my previous comment. And if it isn't that, there are almost always other reasons for an apparent good deal. Alaska has ways to collect payment. (That doesn't mean it's a bad thing, just that you have to be prepared to mortgage something. It has occurred to me that I might be trading some quantity of life for the quality we have. I'm fine with that; not all people may feel the same way.)

"Quantity of life"???

Perhaps a better word is "expanse" ? We have no opera, theatre, roller-rinks, Chucky Cheeze for the kids, etc. out here in the villages. But there are other aspects taking up those time niches. If you can pry them away from the Internet and i-phone texting...

Village, and even more so, "bush" lives seem to be pretty well filled up where we don't have time to do all the things we want to do as often as we might wish....

Kids anywhere, of course, ""have nothing to do"..... They "need" skate-board parkss, "fun-Fridays", etc. etc.

Funny, growing up in rural NoDak, in a small town, working farms in the summer from the time I was 13, I never seemed to have that problem.. In my spare time, however limited, I tried to drown myself mesing around in the Missouri River, or hunting the breaks in blizzards....

At 65, living the life I have chosen, I still don't "have nothing to do". Except maybe this...

You make a very good point. Quantity of living really has very little to do with the dates posted on one's headstone.

The more crap you have, the harder it is to move. The best advice for moving to AK is to sell as much stuff as possible, gather up as much cash as possible, and spend a year or two figuring out the state before you settle in your ideal spot. Then you'll have the cash on hand for the gear that is best for that spot.

Sure gear is slightly more expensive up here, but you can burn up some funds shipping, storing and shipping that gear again.

It's way to easy to get encumbered with the "gotta have it" crap and end up not enjoying the state as much as if you weren't so weighed down by that stuff.

I have a 8emi truck to load everything into. You only need to bring the big items with you like snow mobiles, quads, and truck.

If you haven't already, check out the Alaska Outdoors directory forums...

http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/forumdisplay.php/99-Alaska-Living

In reality all you need is lots of money, since the cost of living up here is one of the highest in the nation. But if you have the money you can make your wishes come true

Do you even have any idea what you're getting into? Or are you just hoping to get into something you have romaticized? Never mind. Carry on.

if you doubt transportation costs, check out say 50 pounds UPS...to a friends house from Texas its almost 400 bucks....

from what I"ve read, you have no business attempting a move. But thats just IMHO.

Ummm, if you have ask, I would recommend you stay put. Alaska has produced many a trail of tears.

Shhhh!!!!!!!!!!!

Those guys have GREAT "Leaving Alaska" garage sales!!!!!!!!!

You guys back off now. I have my eye on that belt-fed semi-auto .458 Mag.

You can go for the bear bells tho.

Sometimes in a forum like this you can find "specialty items". Items developed by the people which live in the area. You will not find these items any where else.

You won't need a tractor/trailor in most parts you describe your desire for up here. A big liquid-cooled, paddle-tracked snowmachine might also be unneeded, even undesirable. A good "trailer" can be very handy however. (High-marking isn't recommended with such a setup.)

Self sufficient is a vague term. Do you want phone, electricity, access to grocery stores, wood for heating etc. I shoot in my yard any time I want and am close enough to town for the misses to run in and get something for dinner.
A marketable skill is the best thing you can bring with you if you want to live the alaskan dream...

Alaska can be a great place to live and raise a family.

You should probably post up your intended GPS coordinates, so when it comes time to go looking for you, we can alert the authorities on where to find your carcass.

Right now I am dreaming about returning to Idaho. I guess you either love it or hate it. While I do not hate it I do not or at least dont think I want to stay. My big [bleep] up was moving to Anchorage. First time I have lived in a city and need to find me a place in the sticks. Any place south of here or north and I think I would be more than Ok

Elk,
Sorry to hear that. As a first city to live in, Anchorage would suck. You need to really spend some time in Seattle or Portland to appreciate Anchorage.
As I recall, you were in construction trades, which is a difficult way to go here. The work/money is available in the summer and fall, as is the fishing and hunting. Makes a guy choose between making money to afford hunting/fishing and actually hunting/fishing.

Yea, Im about to hang it up and head back down.

The key is having both the money and the time to enjoy the state. It's a heck of a balancing act and if you're not able to enjoy the state as much as you'd like it's not the best place to live.

The campfire burns bright, as always! I'll wade in while it's only knee deep...

I lived on a boat in Sitka for a season, did some seasonal fishing out of Wrangell (commercial) and I moved to Fairbanks a long while ago, then moved back to WA a little over a year later. (A couple months before getting my first permanent fund check, it wasn't worth waiting for. - - But I did get one season of resident fishing and hunting licenses!) I liked AK better than here, especially politically & outdoors, but it was too far from Family, and I wasn't prepared financially.

To really 'do' Alaska, you need money and toys. Not just to enjoy, but to survive without hardship. Things cost a lot, distances are FAR, and you need good equipment to function. Jetskis & Jetboats in the summer, 4wheelers Utv's in the spring/fall, snow machines in the winter. (All late model and in good repair if you value your toes and fingers!) Your clothing and footwear need to be top drawer, designed for your locality. You vehicle needs to be reliable and customized for the cold. Everything you own need to be equipt to survive a breakdown for a number of days. Doesn't hurt to have a Super Cub or something either!

To go there unprepared and underfunded, you can get work if you dig hard, and you can survive, but it's no better than anywhere else. Not to mention you'll be seeing the equipt out enjoying the place, while you plod along punching the clock and just getting by.

It doesn't hurt anything to have people there too, not just fallback either. If you're outside the main cities, networking is the #1 way to get local knowledge, work, scouting reports, and absolutely everything else. Cities are cities, the bush is a very unique place, and the people who are friendly and network are the ones who thrive. I loved it up there, but I love my family more, and I was alone up there. I made friends fast, found a fantastic church, hunted, fished, etc. But being alone in a crowd wasn't for me. Glad I went, but it wasn't for me. At least not then.

Be prepared and you'll love it!

Snow machine!

Spent 10 years in a small place called Big lake just outside wasilla in the Mat Su valley, cabin on 20 acres no running water or electricity loved every minut of it! Alaska does not have seasons like you have come to know there is hunting season, fishing season and snowmobile season better enjoy them all might also consider becoming very handy with a snow shovel because that is your in between season enjoyment
Good luck!

What about tourist season?

BTW I'd take living in Anchorage over not being in AK any day. Trust me you are closer to Alaska in Anchorage than in Idaho....

But I"m biased anyway and not sure I could live in ANY city period.

Phone can be a satellite phone. Electric can be solar, wind, and generator. 4WD Truck, Snow Cat in winter.

I will need the bear bells too.

Bare Belles keep you warmer, though.

At a significantly higher cost.

Just bring half a million dollars, and buy all that. You should have enough left over to almost cover fuel for the first winter.

"almost".


Bawahaha.

What do you know? You are just as happily married as I (and many others) are.

Oh wait- that's not mutually exclusive in the singular.... the belles part - not the cost...

But since she makes more and works harder than I do (someone has to do the dishes and vacuuming!), she can spend whatever the hell she likes!

Been out in the cold when it was -25F with 60 mph winds for several days straight so I think I can survive for a little while. No need for GPS coordinates to find me. I do understand it gets colder than that in Alaska and for longer periods of time like weeks.

Sounds like an interesting tale. Please regale us with the details.

Once upon* a time, in a land far* away....



*Once upon - "February, generally the period between the 7th and the 19th of the month, back in '33.

*far land - Siberia; for purposes of this tale, deeply nestled in the Verkhoyansk Range

Ahh yes, life in the Gulag was tough!

While driving along in a "white out", I saw a little piece of taillight from a car that had slid off the road and was buried with snow. I dug down and found 3 frozen girls inside the car. I was able to save all of em with a 5th of whiskey and my body heat. Their uncle is a pretty famous chief, and he still sends me fish wrapped in the Fairbanks newspaper.

I don't blame him for still being mad at you!

Prick...I just got hot coffee all over me.

Well it did take the smile off my face.

Here's an extree one or two to help bring it back from "down under."

my wife has worked for the/that paper for near 25 years ...hell! I call it the daily fish wrap....

Could not have said it better.

Not much to say about being in -25 degree conditions. We were elk hunting in Gunnison Colorado and it got cold that year. It also snowed about 2 feet. We had 4 elk and 3 deer to pack out about 3 miles. Like I said not much tell. It was cold but not like Alaska cold.

Cold is relative in Alaska. It's a big state.