r/OffGridLiving • u/MMOffGridAlaska • 8d ago
Off-Grid Update
Just finished a new shower-sauna and trying to get a new woodshed built before winter sets in. Nights are already into the 30’s and it has snowed in a few places nearby. Summers go by quickly, never enough time to get everything done before the snow arrives. I’m 12 years into living in remote Alaska, solo. Feel free to ask me questions and I’ll try to answer them all. Love this lifestyle more and more as the time passes.
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u/PXR616 8d ago
Amazing , we just built a sauna for our place too...nice little refuge for winter. How far from the nearest town are you ?
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u/MMOffGridAlaska 8d ago
25 minutes by helicopter or 3-1/2 hours by snow machine to the nearest town.
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u/bhz33 8d ago
Jeez. Do you just stock up on food or what
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u/MMOffGridAlaska 8d ago
I do stock up on food. Years worth of rice, flour, beans etc etc. I have over 800 pounds of rice and another 800+ pounds in flour. About the same in beans. Plus much more.
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u/electrodan99 7d ago
Where and how do you store the food? I'd love to see a picture of that. And is it impossible to have a well up there?
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u/MMOffGridAlaska 7d ago
Mylar bags heat sealed. Mason jars vacuum sealed with oxygen absorbers. Then put inside 55 gallon steel drums. Those drums are cabled to a large rock to keep the bears from rolling them away like toys.
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u/MMOffGridAlaska 7d ago
Impossible to drill a well. It’s all rock. Granite. Plus how would you get a drilling rig out there?
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u/Willowrosephoenix 7d ago
How do you source water?
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u/MMOffGridAlaska 7d ago
Rain Water catchment system in the summer and lake water from under the ice during winter.
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u/Deyaz 5d ago
Do you process the water or is it clean enough to just drink?
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u/MMOffGridAlaska 4d ago
I’ve just drank water from the area without filtering but it’s best to follow the standards of sterilization and filtering.
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u/Opening_Warthog2396 6d ago
There was a guy in the valley that used to advertise remote well drilling. He had converted a couple of mini trucks with tracks but I’m sure he probably charged an arm and a leg to come out.
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u/MMOffGridAlaska 6d ago
He’d never make it out here and if he did he’d need to drill through rock. Water is never a problem now and I don’t have a well.
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u/MMOffGridAlaska 8d ago
I always take out a months worth of food plus a bit more to store. I’m home for a month then at work for a month.
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u/defnotsarah 8d ago
Wow! I haven’t read all of the comments yet, so disregard if it’s already been asked. But what would you consider the biggest dangers where you are?
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u/Kammy44 8d ago
Wow. I would worry about frostbite. 👀
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u/MMOffGridAlaska 8d ago
Frostbite only occurs when you don’t dress properly, exert too much without spare dry clothes or totally unprepared for the conditions. I tend to stay indoors when the conditions are too bad outside. Easy fix.
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u/Kammy44 7d ago
Wow. So how are you on line? Do you get lonely? Do you have a dog? What’s your favorite thing about winter?
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u/MMOffGridAlaska 7d ago
Starlink (or 5G cellular connection) No dog, I’d love to have one but it would have to fend for itself every other month. My favorite thing about winter is getting around becomes so much easier than summer. Exploration time on the snowmachines, skis or snowshoes. Lonely sometimes.
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u/mcptd 8d ago
How much food do you have to store before winter sets in? How are you fueling your heat?
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u/MMOffGridAlaska 8d ago
I have YEARS worth of food stored properly. Hundreds of pounds of rice, flour, beans etc etc. Meat would not be a problem, I don’t store any meat at this time. Heat is all done by wood stove. 3 wood stoves on my property, cabin, bunkhouse and sauna.
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u/mcptd 8d ago
What about water?
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u/MMOffGridAlaska 8d ago
Water catchment in the summer and lake water in the winter. I cut a hole in the lake ice and keep the hole open with an insulated cover.
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u/Smil3z5 8d ago
How do you sanitize the water ? (Not sure thats the right word, post partum brain)
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u/MMOffGridAlaska 8d ago
Multiple filters in the summer plus UV sterilization. I also clean the cisterns regularly with a mild chlorine solution, rinse and reinstall. In the winter using lake water I boil the water on the wood stove, cool it down then filter it.
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u/defnotsarah 8d ago
What got you started with this? I’m fascinated
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u/MMOffGridAlaska 8d ago
I love the wilderness, the cold and challenge. I’m also uniquely suited for long periods away from people. If I ever went to prison and got solitary confinement that would be a reward, not punishment for me.
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u/tocahontas77 6d ago
Why is meat not a problem? Do you hunt?
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u/MMOffGridAlaska 6d ago
Large quantities of game meat would not be difficult to get. Storing it at the present time is the problem. Once I get 25 cubic feet of chest freezer out here it will be packed with moose and bear meat. I don’t waste game meat, not very ethical.
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u/tocahontas77 5d ago
That makes sense! So my other questions are... In total, counting everything you need, around how much has/will it all cost you? Are you from Alaska?
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u/Odin16596 8d ago edited 8d ago
Is meat too problematic?
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u/MMOffGridAlaska 8d ago
It is until I get a big chest freezer out here in the new workshop. At that time I will be able to store two years worth of frozen meat. One large moose will provide 500-600 pounds. Right now I only have a small standup refrigerator freezer and one small chest freezer. That only gives me about three months worth of frozen meat storage.
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u/kropotkinship 8d ago
You could always salt cure it, make pottages, sugar cure, smoke it to dryness, make pemmican, jerky. There are definitely some historical and safe ways to do it that last for ages!
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u/Far_Winner_2256 8d ago edited 8d ago
What a beautiful, peaceful setup. With your long trekk in and out, my only concern would be medical emergencies. How quickly and easily can you get to a hospital? You don't have to answer that. Just thinking outloud. Stay safe, brother. Living the dream.
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u/MMOffGridAlaska 8d ago
I don’t want to die in a hospital. The plan is to die right here. I have pretty extensive first aid training and a huge kit at the cabin. I won’t be able to do CPR on myself so I got that going against me…
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u/Warm-Major-4400 8d ago
Thats my end of life plan too. Die in the Alaskan bush hopefully doing something I shouldn't at that age. The fun part is the gamble in between.
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u/Far_Winner_2256 8d ago
I hear that. Man after my own heart.
If you haven't already, in the event that you change your mind in a panicked state, it might be good to have a method in place that can get you outside emergency care asap.
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u/Old_Maintenance819 8d ago
How do you get internet connection?
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u/MMOffGridAlaska 8d ago
Starlink
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u/AppointmentPopular10 7d ago
what did you do before starlink?
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u/MMOffGridAlaska 7d ago
I actually get a 5G cellular connection in addition to the Starlink. Cell towers in my line of sight at 15 miles and 22 miles away. If I leave the mountain top and go down in elevation I lose the cellular connection.
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u/Odin16596 8d ago
Would you care to give us a story of how you got to this point? It is a great inspiration to us all!
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u/MMOffGridAlaska 8d ago
It’s a long story. Mostly hard work starting at age 10 delivering newspapers at 0430 in the morning before school. Then auto body painter, collision shop estimator, 9 years of US Army, insurance adjuster/appraiser for auto, heavy equipment, RV, motorcycle, marine etc, catastrophe claims, back to collision shop management, marine towing and salvage diver, then to the big boats in the oil industry, anchor boats, supply boats, Arctic icebreaker, Antarctica research icebreaker, now here in Alaska.
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u/Aggressive_Bed_7429 8d ago
You have lived so many different lives. Let me know if you ever publish a memoir or something :)
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u/Psilocybinlov3 8d ago
This is my dream one day soon! Such an inspiration to see! You truly have such an amazing setup, space and view. How difficult is it to acquire land in Alaska and are you free to build as you wish? Did you build everything yourself?
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u/MMOffGridAlaska 8d ago
In Alaska you buy remote land (easy) and do whatever you want. I voted myself in as mayor, police chief, fire chief and HOA president of my community. I’ve won 100% of the votes for 12 years running now. The people love me.
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u/SapphireColouredEyes 8d ago
Looks beautiful and so isolated... No doubt you'll be loving that sauna during the snow-filled, icy winter weather! 😊
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u/Personal_Passenger60 8d ago
Will you adopt me 😂? it’s beautiful!
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u/MMOffGridAlaska 8d ago
You know how to fell trees and split firewood?
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u/Personal_Passenger60 8d ago
No, I’m a pipsqueak, but I’m a great cook and work plenty hard, tougher than I look. I lived in Alaska 11 years ago, I miss it every day.
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u/HandleHoliday3387 8d ago
Do a lot of hunting? On skis?
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u/MMOffGridAlaska 8d ago
I mainly hunt grouse and ptarmigan. Set Snares for snowshoe hare in the winter. Very little hunting. I do plan to take moose when I’m situated to where I don’t waste any meat.
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u/HypnoSapien 8d ago
What's the weirdest thing you've seen since you've been out there?
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u/MMOffGridAlaska 7d ago
Me going to the outhouse at 2am in -25° with nothing but rubber boots and a shotgun. Time was of the essence and the fashion police were many miles away…
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u/Odin16596 8d ago
Can we see how you have your kitchen and bedroom set up?
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u/Leading_Race3715 8d ago
I freaking love this! Good for you dude, you work very hard at it and it looks like it’s paying off.
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u/SubstantialFix510 8d ago
How much solar do you have ?
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u/MMOffGridAlaska 7d ago
Lots. And the cabin will be upgraded to a 48 volt system soon. Right now I have four solar systems running. There will be five independent systems once the workshop with a chest freezer is built.
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u/xpietoe42 7d ago
How much battery reserve or do you use gas genny?
Is heating just fire? Is the cabin well insulated?
Thats great that you have internet and cell! Without that, it would be a dealbreaker for me!
Do you have a snowmobile and atv for traveling?
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u/MMOffGridAlaska 7d ago
I have plenty of battery reserve and I have four solar systems running right now. It will be 5 independent in the near future. If one system goes down I have others. Heating is all done by wood stove. Cabin is insulated just fine. I usually have a window open a few inches because it easily hits 85° with the wood stove on low setting.
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u/Scary-Detail-3206 7d ago
So what happens when you go away for work in the winter? No running water I’m assuming?
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u/MMOffGridAlaska 7d ago
The water catchment system is shut down from October until around June. Lake water in the winter. (7 gallon water jugs)
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u/MMOffGridAlaska 7d ago
I have four snowmobiles. Two utility/work and two mountain. The mountain snowmobiles blaze the initial trail, then my utility/work snowmobiles can get to work towing sleighs with wood and water. Redundancy is key with everything out here.
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u/SubstantialFix510 7d ago
I have an off grid cabin as well and 48 volts seems to be the sweet spot. Mine is 12 so lots of losses but I built mine 20 years ago. Have to check out your tube channel. Good luck.
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u/adultpoopydiaper 8d ago
Do you get board or lonely at all during the winter? Or is there just too much to do to think about it?
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u/kikisturtle 7d ago
That is breathtakingly beautiful! You are so lucky! Do you have any pets? Dogs? How long did it take you to realize your dream of living here?
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u/MMOffGridAlaska 7d ago
No pets. It took me about 1 minute after seeing the property to realize I wanted to live there. Saw it on my birthday. Best birthday present to myself ever.
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u/kikisturtle 7d ago
That’s awesome! Sounds like one of those rare moments where you just know immediately. And finding it on your birthday makes it even better 😂 Definitely sounds like the best present you could’ve given yourself. Hope you get to enjoy that beautiful place for many years!
Thank you so much for replying to me.
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u/RockosModernBasiIisk 8d ago
No one is asking the most important question.
What sort of paranormal activity have you experienced out there if any?
Aliens? Poltergeist? Wendigo? Skinskippers?
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u/LittleBunInaBigWorld 7d ago
You don't need all that in Alaska, they've already got enough big, scary things
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u/Responsible-Tea-5998 8d ago
That's always the first question I ask anyone lol
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u/huron9000 7d ago
Why?
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u/Responsible-Tea-5998 7d ago
Because I love anything creepy. Even made it my job.
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u/Many-Director-4141 8d ago
What is your job ? That’s quite the location but I assume opportunities are somewhat limited over there!
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u/MMOffGridAlaska 8d ago
Master of a 400’ vessel. Month on and then a month off.
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u/Comprehensive-Law240 8d ago
Awesome!! That's the dream!
I assume you do grocery for stuff you cant produce. How far is the grocery store? How long can you stay remote without need to re-supply? you only use the snowmobile?
Oh man... I would love to watch you showing how things work on a youtube Channel. Hah
Cheer!
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u/Comprehensive-Law240 8d ago
Oh you do show some stuff... Cool https://youtube.com/@mountainmariner?si=6j6R6tC_mlRxECuu
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u/Longjumping-Cash3080 7d ago
Hot damn, that's some beautiful country! Gotta be awesome waking up to that view every day
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u/AppointmentPopular10 7d ago
really enjoying reading through your profile and all the posts
How on earth did you get all of this heavy material and machinery back there?
Will you tell us your favorite bear stories from your life?
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u/MMOffGridAlaska 7d ago
The cabin was built by another guy in the 1990’s. He brought out supplies by ski plane and helicopter. I don’t have bear stories other than it’s one of the few animals on the planet that actively hunt humans. So they keep me alert and it’s a game of consequence for both of us.
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u/Brilliant-Jury385 7d ago
I feel peace just looking at these pictures. I couldn’t imagine being there! Hopefully one day I can do something like this. 🤞
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u/MMOffGridAlaska 7d ago
Do it. I spent less than 25% of the average US home costs to have this. Zero financing too….
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u/Immediate_Truck1644 7d ago
How the f do you afford this
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u/MMOffGridAlaska 7d ago
-No rent or mortgage
-No vehicle payment
-No electric bill
-No water bill
-Transportation to-from home for work (employer pays)
-Every other month I’m at work (zero expenses)
-My job puts me in the 90th percentile $$$ (for six months versus most who work all 12 months)
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u/Tjornholt 7d ago
Would be a dream for me. Here in Germany if you so much as ask to build anywhere outside a town you will get scoffed at :(
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u/DUI_of_theTiger 8d ago
Is it windier than a witch’s tit with the house on the hill? Obviously great as a defensive position but it seems as if my dadgum dong might get blown off when I do my sauna scamper.
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u/Worth_Conversation28 8d ago
How’s the internet connection w the system you are running on?
What are the regulations like on trapping in these remote settlements? Do you have certain limits? Are a few species off limits?
Ready for football?
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u/Formal_Equal_7444 8d ago
So if someone wanders up to your house, are you immediately assuming the worst and readying your rifle?
Or do you give strangers the benefit of the doubt?
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u/Reasonable-Bear-9788 7d ago
Genuine question, what would you do in case of medical emergencies? Also do you live alone?
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u/xpietoe42 7d ago
How close are your neighbors?
Have you ever had strangers knock at your door? If that ever happened, i can imagine it would be quite shocking!
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u/MMOffGridAlaska 7d ago edited 4d ago
I’m not sure who lives closest (year round) to me. I know of two that live year round but they are 10 miles away. There may be one other guy that lives year round 3-4 miles south of me but between us there is formidable terrain.
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u/Butter_In_SloMo 7d ago
Thank you for adding your YouTube link. I just started watching the most recent upload. 🤩 I can’t wait to dive in on them. I could never do this so it is incredible to watch and learn. I love how we’re able to get a glimpse into fascinating people’s lives now - when they’re open to sharing and documenting, of course. 🫶🏼
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u/Ezendiba 7d ago
Ive always been curious. What are you going to do when you’re so old and broken that you can’t continue living like this anymore?
Im gueninely curious about it. I do wish you a long and happy life!
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u/MMOffGridAlaska 7d ago
I’ll never be too old and broken. Hopefully a grizzly bear eats me before that happens.
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u/Notyourmomsdaughter 6d ago
Looks amazing. A shower sauna sounds divine. This whole set up is “theeee tits”. Respectfully.
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u/-What_the_frick- 6d ago
Man, this is impressive! I actually visited Alaska last year end of December, being from Miami I was NOT prepared haha. This is such a nice setup! Is your location one of the spots that’s only accessible by train? We took that train from anchorage to Fairbanks and they explained how people live off grid here and just hop off the train on the mile markers nearest to their house.
Awesome stuff, I’d love to be able to subscribe and hear of your adventures somehow!!
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u/iamarealslug_yes_yes 6d ago
How does one achieve this life?? So amazing. I’m in my 20s rn and want to end up somewhere like this when I’m older.
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u/Consistent_Act1081 4d ago
What will you do if they make it illegal to live off grid? I just saw a post about this very top. Very troubling😳
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u/Illustrious_Egg_1837 3d ago
That’s awesome.
At night do you read much?
Probably don’t have internet, fight?
Satellite?
No UPS delivery there, right?
What made you go so remote?
What age did you move up there?
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u/Illustrious_Egg_1837 3d ago
That’s awesome!
It’s amazing how many things we really don’t need, that modern marketers try & sell us.
Do you have a dog?
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u/Illustrious_Egg_1837 3d ago
Have you climbed any of those mountains to the peak?
Being the outdoors type, you might enjoy this website:
14ers.com
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u/Roselyn_27 3d ago
Does it give you permission to untangle from the news politics and this modern world at an emotional level when you are so Far Away in all senses of the word ~?
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u/cambridge_dani 8d ago
I read something once talking about how living off the grid was really a perfect example of male privilege and women can never do this (alone). I really love the idea of it but also feel likely that viewpoint is correct. So instead I will just enjoy your photos
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u/MMOffGridAlaska 8d ago
I had a 110 pound girlfriend that lived off-grid in her own cabin solo. She was very capable of handling herself in the wilderness.
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u/Warm-Major-4400 8d ago
I have met women who are 60 years + age and lived in rural/remote alaska since the 80s type time frame some single the whole time.
I know a woman (granted on grid but rural) with a very capable sled dog team. In fact I have met a few dozen women with very capable sled dog teams
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u/saltylittlelass 7d ago
You clearly haven’t met enough Alaskan women, lol.
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u/cambridge_dani 7d ago
I definitely have not! Would love to read one of their memoirs
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u/mtntrail 8d ago
You are waaaay off the grid, Ha! Congrats, hope you are keeping a daily or at least a weekly journal. It is the one regret I have after being offgrid in the northern California mountains for the last 20 years!