New Zealand Bug Out Cabin

I’ve been corresponding with one of our readers in New Zealand about low cost, alternative cabin building ideas with disaster preparedness in mind. We’ve talked about a whole range of ideas such as using straw bales for energy efficiency. The design presented here is DIY friendly, affordable, suitable for a grid-down situation and can be easily moved if desired.

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Gila National Forest/Wilderness Area

Gila National Forest
Gila National Forest

I was really drawn in by Keith Thompson’s compelling story in yesterday’s blog post and thought maybe some readers would like to learn more about the Gila Wilderness where Keith lives. This is a huge area in southwest New Mexico covering 2,710,659 acres (1,100,000 ha) of public land, making it the sixth largest National Forest in the continental United States. Part of the area, the Gila Wilderness, was established in 1924 as the first designated wilderness by the U.S. federal government.

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Remote Rural Land

Out of the way, abandoned homesteads in remote areas may be available at very low cost.
Out of the way, abandoned homesteads in remote areas may be available at very low cost.

Many of our readers long for building a home on their own land, but the high cost of land often makes the dream impossible. One option is to seek out remote rural land. This is not workable for everybody, that’s for sure. The conditions can be harsh, and I’m not going to give anyone the impression that this route will be easy. I’m just saying its one option to look into if you’re serious about going off-grid. There are remote places in NM, for instance, (and other western states) where land is very inexpensive. You might be able to buy a small lot for $2,000-$5,000.

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