This is absolute insanity. Look fatrat, I saw "Into the Wild" too. It was a great movie. I don't know if that is where this is coming from. My guess it's either that or you are suffering a mid life crisis. Either way, happiness comes from within my friend, not from external changes you make to your life. I lived in NY for 2 years and I would agree with just about everything you said about that place. I will point out that from a health perspective, being around a lot of people and bacteria and disease actually "strengthens" your immune system, not weakens it. In fact, moving away from society would have a detrimental effect on your health if you were to ever move back as your body would no longer have as strong an immunity to viruses and disease. But back to NY. Your logic fails on several levels. I agree, the NY rat race is not healthy for anyone and there is not enough money in the world that would ever make me move back there. But my God man, there are a million places to live other then NY city, even in the state of NY!!! You wouldn't last 30 days in the winter up in the deep northwest. My guess is you would die a slow and painful death. Your stats and Cutten's stats on crime in NY and how risky it is to live there is laughable at best. You would have to asses the probability of not only the 18 or so million people that live there but the millions that visit each year and then take the crime stats in consideration. When you measure those numbers against the small population in the northwest part of Canada and look at the amount of death, sickness and suffering there per capita, I think you would realize you are much safer in NY. There are only 100's of hospitals within shouting distance of where you live in NY that can cater to any emergency within minutes. In the Yukon, you could just as easily die from the common cold. Everyone goes through a midlife crisis, just leave NY, get a new car, read up on Buddhism, exercise on a regular basis, get a haircut, write a book, volunteer your time to help others. There are a million ways to beat it.
Fatrat, you have a lot to learn about rural living before you're ready to try it. You seem to be concerned about all the wrong things- Having no municipal power/water hookup is no big deal at all. I live in rural (but not remote) northern Illinois. I have no water or sewer hookup, and that's not a problem. For water, I have my own well. Modern wells are very low-maintenance. All I really have to do is apply a few pounds of rock salt every couple months to reduce the iron & rust, and I'm good to go. The water pumping is all done automatically. My water stinks of sulfur sometimes, but I've gotten used to that. Instead of sewers, we have a septic tank and culvert system, which works out just fine. As for power, all you need is a decent generator and a drum of fuel, so having no power lines isn't much of a problem either. However, I think you're underestimating the impact of not having a grocery store nearby. A diet of nothing but salmon, wild game, and water is going to get really uncomfortable, real quick. You're a human, not a carnivore. JMHO... Edit: Come to think of it, aren't salmon migratory? That means wild salmon would only be available to you for a couple months per year, if that.
Mindless patriotism is almost too funny a comment..what the heck does that have to do with anything??????? He currently lives in the U.S. so why would he NEED to go to canada to find the boonies was my point. Why as a trader would he want to go to a higher tax rate situation than he would have in the U.S. ???
If you think you have any idea what a winter in the NWT is like you are in for a rude awakening. I spent several weeks in Norman Wells, NWT a few years ago. The temperature got down to between -35C to -45C (-31 to -50F) and stayed there. You pussies in NYC who think you get cold weather have no frickin' idea. Even worse, the windchill factor can easily make it feel 20 degrees colder. At a balmy -20C (-4F) a 40mph wind would make the temp feel like -50C (-58F). Exposed skin freezes in a matter of seconds. Blizzards can last a week with 60-100mph winds, -80C(-112F) windchill, and with maybe 20 feet if visibility if you're lucky. If you were to take a piss outside in these temperatures your piss would freeze before it hits the ground. Itâs the kind of cold that freezes your nostrils shut, while simultaneously lighting your sinuses on fire. On top of that in the dead of winter you get to see the sun for maybe 1-2 hours per day depending on how far north you are. Places further north dont see the sun at all for several weeks. The only way to get there is via ice road (driving on a frozen river) or small airplane. If you choose to live somewhere near the ocean you'll also need to worry about polar bears, the only animal that actively hunts humans. This is definitely no place for some wanna-be tough guy city boy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0FkvB87Xq4
Is this a serious topic? If so, living in remote wilderness areas is perfectly doable. Although cutting 8 cord of fire wood every damn summer is no easy task. Nether is drinking ice. If your main concern is economics and invisibility, why buy land? I mean, you could just go way into the outback and just live. Who's going to kick you out? Just pick out place and build a shack. One other thing, 65% of the earths land is covered with saltwater, and that 65% has by far the lowest density of population than that which is not covered by saltwater. Get a boat and go hide.
Pirates are an issue anywhere. On land they call them robbers, thieves, muggers, and governments. And they know where you live and when you're home or out visiting. My point was, you may find a more comfortable life, that meets all your needs, on the water. Just a suggestion.
Getting a boat and sailing in the Caribbeans or Polynesia wouldn't be a bad life ! I think though that living in remote Canada is doable but you don't need to go too far in the north. Northern Alberta or BC should be enough specially if you come from NYC.