Where in US?

In your case I would consider relocating to a state where they still allow mining claims. Those States are Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

Locate a place on BLM land that you are satisfied with and stake out 20 acres for a placer claim (they are much easier on accepting placer claims than lode claims), then file the claim. It will cost $140 each year to maintain the claim. The first year will have a few extra fees, maybe an extra $50.

You can live there for as long as you maintain the claim, but you don't want to have anything too permanent. That's because 1) you may need to post a bond to do any structural work to assure that you will leave the land the way you found it, and 2) you could lose any improvements you made when you move away. Ask in your area before building anything. You are best off living in a travel trailer. If you have any sheds or chicken coups, make them skid-mounted so you can taken them away with you.

__________________
Ask Me About Linux System Administration

Nobody mentioned the slabs. Slab city in Cal. It is a place people are legally allowed to squat. It is basically an RV community of sorts. If I heard right it is only an hour to L.A. Also a place in town allows draining of septic tanks and filling of fresh water tanks.

this is the link I was looking for:

http://www.rv-camping.org/BLMCampgrounds.html

I also have lost a link I used to have to 35 acres for rent in the ozarks of arkansas. what I remember about it was it was only $100 a year but it just had an old dirt lane in from timber cutting and had not improvements of any kind and nothing anywhere close so it would be absolutely primitive living with no elec or water or septic. the land had been clear cut if I remember right years ago and now was covered with mostly pine and oak forest.

think I found it through unitedcountry.

Yeah, I suppose so. There are also some undocumented RV parks south of Quartzsite, AZ along US-95, and another just north of the Lake Havesu City, AZ airport.

The problem with those places is that the heat is relentless a good part of the year, so living off the land is out of the question.

By the way, The Slabs is located on the east side of the Salton Sea, which is at least a 3 hour drive to L.A., even with no traffic.

__________________
Ask Me About Linux System Administration

..............I'll bet he was in a public library someplace as he responded several times , then just disappeared off the map . , fordy

Regardless of who it is, I hope he finds a suitable place to live.

__________________
Ask Me About Linux System Administration

In MIchigan you could live as a fishing guide..or hunting guide..

I wonder if you would want to try wwoofing. ilve and work on a farm for room and board, possibly some pocket money. I think it requires four hrs of labor per day and is for a time agreed to by both parties.

http://www.wwoof.org/

Though we have a couple more months of winter before the seasonal jobs start, Alaska has many summer resort, park and other tourism jobs. Most of these provide room and board along with hourly pay. I know some will negociate with you on airfare to get there.

Here's a couple of websites that may give you some ideas.

http://www.workarctic.com/

http://www.coolworks.com/

I know a man who did just what this guy wants to do. There are five primitive campgrounds in the national forest here. There is also abundant state owned lands. You can stay on the state lands in a tent for up to a week at a time before you have to move on. Thing is that there are hundreds of parcels in the range of 40 acres and up. You can usually leave one piece and be on another in a matter of 20 minutes or less.

I deal with the man over our region of state lands. He said about 60 percent of the parcels he has not visited at all and he has been working there for almost 10 years. His office is 150 miles away. The only time he comes out is if they decide to log it.

haven't read the whole thread, but in sd, you can often get a job working that includes a house. your experience would be a plus, and you'd learn new things too.