Anyone in a fly-in location?

[Northern_bushrat]

We live in a water/air access only location in northern Canada, it's our 3rd year of living year-round out in the bush. Is there anyone else on this forum in a similar situation?? I find we're getting so absorbed in our sort of limited life here, it would be nice to have more people to share the woes of crappy ice conditions, overflow and the joy of moose encounters and wolf songs with. Most people do take interest in it but if that's the mainstay of your life it takes on entirely different dimensions. Guess if there's someone else with satellite internet out in the bush who won't see other people for the next few months, they'll know what I mean...

[dinosaur]

NB , I am not in a fly in location but i would love to hear about what you go through day to day. I can tell you my problems day to day if you like and we can both have something different to think about instead of the same old thing.I just read a book called the Last Frontiersman (I think) that was about the life of Heimo Korth and his family , it was amazing.

[Northern_bushrat]

It's pretty quiet here in the winter, waiting for the lake ice to get thicker....can't get out for another 6 weeks or so. Keeping track of the moose and an ear out for wolves is pretty much the entertainment for the next months. Other than that and not seeing any people, it's not much different from simple homestead life. Hauling wood and water, looking after the ducks and dogs....surfing the net ;)
Would you like to live out in the bush?

[dinosaur]

I think I would enjoy it but i guess it's one of those things tht you don't really know how you would respond until you do it. I am still living on grid but I built me a one room cabin on some family land a couple years ago that is off grid and I spend a week at the time there when I can with the boys . When it's time to come home I always wish I could stay. I have read enough about bush life to know that you have to be a special person to be able to live there as you do .

[Northern_bushrat]

I don't know...it probably helps to be of reclusive nature but I think anyone with a sense of self-reliance and a great love for wild animals and nature would thrive out in the bush. It has it's ups and downs like any other lifestyle.
I agree that to be successfull at it it's probably necessary to try it out first or learn the basic skills beforehand. And to be realistic about one's abilities. But the biggest hindrance is finding a place, at least here in Canada. You can mine and log the wilderness to heart's content, but it's almost impossible to get a remote piece of land for just living there. Guess that shows society's values......

[gardenfay]

Hi Northern bushrat;
my husband wonders how you get internet?

[Northern_bushrat]

We have our own satellite dish for internet reception, sort of like satellite TV. There's a number of companies like lincsat and hughes.net that offer it. Works okay and the only power the system draws is 2 watts for the modem, and then whatever the laptop requires. The good thing is that we have phone over the internet too; this system ended up being more cost efficient than having a satellite phone or radio phone and of course it's nice to have the internet access - otherwise we'd be doomed to our books for all information.

[gardenfay]

Well that is really good i think. he has been to Alaska twice briefly and my older brother worked on the pipeline several years and it seems to me it would sure make a difference to be able to talk to people on the phone and "chat" on forums like this.
and like you mentioned on getting information. that could literally be lifesaving - and even in everyday situations just so darned nice.
thank you

[Lobo]

Northern Bushrat,

Did you write an article for another mag (CSY)? It was an execelletn story and I always hope for an opportunity like yours. I would want to live a bit more rustically though.

Lobo

[austin]

If you don't mind me asking....
What province are you in?
When did you move to your fly-in location?

[flatwater]

I would be interested in a pen pal/ using the internet to yak and send a few pictures back and forth. Heck if your interested I would purchace a web cam. PM me if this sounds interesting

[johnjmw]

Bushrat, to some extent, I am very envious of your set up. I use to love camping out far enough for the real peace and quiet where you can hear a duck taking off on a lake so far away you still cannot see it. I've been canoing up at Quetico and the Spanish River and loved it. I just don't know if I would have the endurance to live there year round. Being snowbound all or most of the winter might not work.
John

[12vman]

I'd love it! My location would be (could be) made for fly in only being it's on a huge ridge and the driveway is unusable at times.. 8)

[cookiecache]

My place here in Alaska is fly-in access. Float plane from late May to early October. Skis from mid November to early April.

I guess I'm lucky because there is a cell phone tower that is in range - broadband mobile for internet. The bad thing is the cell signal booster really sucks the power (I use solar power).

[Northern_bushrat]

hi all,
oops, haven't looked in here in a while and just noticed now there were some more posts in this thread!
We're out here almost 4 years now, up where Alaska, the Yukon and BC meet.
I haven't been able to get anything into a magazine yet...but am trying :)
It does get lonely in the winter here but we don't mind...we'll be pretty weird in a while (if not already) I suppose but it only shows when we go to town ;)

Hey Cookiecache, how far from the road are you? Yes you're lucky with your cell phone there! In the area where we are, they don't even work in the closest village! Are you there year-round?

[offroaddiesel]

hey may not be in a fly in area but it should be in the winter with close to 10 feet of snow this winter and the same as last year, my drive way is a mile long and there are days when its a all day plus just to get it cleared then spring comes and the road gets a little muddy ,but still looking at 4- 5 feet of snow left, may not be in alaska but western maine can be a little extrteme when it comes to weather, but lived here all my life and over 30 yearrs here and would not move for any reason. steve

[rantinraven]

Northern Bushrat,

Do you do any indoor gardening or what I like to call "sunroom gardening"? Or do you just use the normal freeze and can methods for storing produce? This year I am trying a little something similar to see if I can keep some plants producing longer. I am fascinated by the lifestyle but I don't want to bombard you with questions so I will keep to the one for now, Raven

[offroaddiesel]

I would be interested in a pen pal/ using the internet to yak and send a few pictures back and forth. Heck if your interested I would purchace a web cam. PM me if this sounds interesting

flatwater that could be a fun if not educational for others to do that, i have always been interested in other area where they live, most people think its too extreme where we live , i dont .i would not want to do it on this forum but email pics would be fun. we are always out taking pics of our place and area around here . steve

[Northern_bushrat]

Hi Raven,

yes I've been experimenting with growing some stuff over the winter inside the cabin. Hasn't been such an outrageous success because of the short daylight hours here and some nights it gets pretty cold in the cabin by the windows where the planters are.
tomatoes usually hang in there until about Januuary, then are killed because the soil freezes during a cold snap. Swiss chard works really well, even keeps growing at a somewhat decent pace.

[Justacowboy]

I'm not in a fly in location but I think it would be easier to fly n sometimes.. ::)

Northen Bushrat like you I have hughes net satellite internet and it is my only form of communication I was wondering what VOIP, or service you use for telephone and how you like it.. right now I use skype and it is pretty frustrating with the delays and garbled talk..

When I'm out rambling around on the mules hunting and such I have a SPOT messenger that I let everyone know that I'm ok...

Thanks.. Brett

[Lobo]

I would LOVE to live in a fly in location with 1 or 2 people. I would ned an area though where I could garden, forage and have a goat and chickens. That would be the ultimate dream come true.

Lobo Lone Wolf

[Northern_bushrat]

I'm not in a fly in location but I think it would be easier to fly n sometimes.. ::)

Northen Bushrat like you I have hughes net satellite internet and it is my only form of communication I was wondering what VOIP, or service you use for telephone and how you like it.. right now I use skype and it is pretty frustrating with the delays and garbled talk..

When I'm out rambling around on the mules hunting and such I have a SPOT messenger that I let everyone know that I'm ok...

Thanks.. Brett

We have the same problem with phone via the internet. We're on the second cheapest plan with hughes and the upload/download speed we get are usually not fast enough to have a good connection. If you use it in the dead of night when nobody's on, it works okay :P
We're with a Canadian VOIP company called Babytel; that works via a router and normal phone that's plugged into the router. We use Skype too but with either one, a lot times the connection is bad. We'll get rid of Babytel soon since we want to buy a netbook - works out better energy consumption wise; we'll just use Skype then.

We've heard a lot of different accounts about the Spot, supposedly it doesn't work so great in the North where we are. My partner bought a PELB but I'd rather have the Spot. That way at least, you can also ease people's mind when you're just delayed because of bad weather or require just simple assistance but not a fully fledged rescue.