Living in Wild Areas
Living in a mountainous, rural area is a dream come true for me. I spent my summers in these mountains and longed to live here year round. I have been here almost 20 years full time, but with the perks of solitude and connection to nature, come the down falls. The whole idea of leading a more secluded life is to disconnect from the frenetic world of today. Then, along came the internet.
I have a love/hate relationship with the internet. It is great to be able to search for solutions, such as remedies for “impacted crop” of a chicken or a fool proof recipe for sandwich bread. I can have a website, keep track of friends on social media, promote a small home based business and the list goes on. But the inevitable happens, the internet is sketchy and unpredictable in our area.
So, keep in mind, if you want to live in a secluded area, you may have little or no connection to the internet. Until, they come up with a better solution for rural areas, you need to be prepared. Some solutions I have used are simple ways to cope when you have no internet.
First, start by NOT becoming reliant on your devices. They are fallible. Stay on task by surrounding yourself with a great library. That does not means TONS of books that take up precious space in your home. You need great reference books that you can go to repeatedly. I keep chickens, so I have a couple of good references that cover sickness and treatments of common ailments. I can and preserve. I have one or two books to answer my questions, should they arise. You do not need a “wall of literary works” to get by, just a handful of favorite “go to” books. And don’t forget a few great reads just for fun.
Consider a satellite phone or Ham Radio. Satellite phones can be pricey, but a life saver in emergencies. You will have to research your area and connection to satellites to determine what type of phone would work well for you. A ham radio can keep you connected to other people who share your passion and with the outside world. Hams use radio frequencies to communicate. The frequency bands vary across the radio spectrum. During daylight, 15 to 27 MHz is a good band for long-distance communications. At night, the band from 1.6 to 15 MHz is good for long-distance communications.
Keeping journals are also a great way to keep information organized and at the ready. I have one for my gardens, another for crochet and knitting patterns, and yet another for weather stats and nature watching. My “Farm Journal” has canning recipes, measurement equivalents, dates of when I refreshed the flock with new chicks, hatchery addresses, planting and harvesting notes and drawn garden plots.
When the internet goes out (as it frequently does) the initial response is usually extreme frustration. But when I realize I have information and connection at my finger tips, it’s reassuring. I may not have “right now” access to what I want, but there is still something about thumbing through a book. Running my finger down the content page searching for just the right place to look, is just as satisfying as web surfing to me. Rereading my journals for fail safe homestead tips, keeps me on track and settling in with a good book feels like I am connected to the outside world.