Back Country Living

StG58

StG58

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Orygun, the wet side...
Has anyone noticed people living in the back country during your travels?

I've been noticing camps in the back country for several years now. Probably at least since 2005 or so. The camps don't look like the usual gone camping camps. They look like folks are living on Forest Service or BLM land long term. Way more "stuff' set up than a person would need for even a couple of weeks in the backcountry. Things like water systems, shower and washing facilities, awnings, lots of fire wood stacked up and such. Now some of that could be people working on reforestation crews and such. Makes me wonder sometimes what the story is. Saw one guy on a bicycle over the course of several years in the same general area. Never saw his camp, but he was always around. He never would stop to chat either, and that's kind of a custom up here.

I'm curious if anyone else has seen the same thing in their area.
 
StG58 said:
Has anyone noticed people living in the back country during your travels?

I've been noticing camps in the back country for several years now. Probably at least since 2005 or so. The camps don't look like the usual gone camping camps. They look like folks are living on Forest Service or BLM land long term. Way more "stuff' set up than a person would need for even a couple of weeks in the backcountry. Things like water systems, shower and washing facilities, awnings, lots of fire wood stacked up and such. Now some of that could be people working on reforestation crews and such. Makes me wonder sometimes what the story is. Saw one guy on a bicycle over the course of several years in the same general area. Never saw his camp, but he was always around. He never would stop to chat either, and that's kind of a custom up here.

I'm curious if anyone else has seen the same thing in their area.
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You aren't the first person who I've heard this from.

Is this legal to live on that land like they're doing?
 
Basiasadie said:
In colorado this is common for transient people to live on blm. As long as they don't trash trails, most of the police and d.o.w. don't seem to mind much.
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Makes sense. I've seen it from time to time here in Oregon as well when we are out in the middle of nowhere.
 
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I think the Forest Service has regs that say no more than 14 days in any 30 day period. But it's hard to enforce. Most of the FS and BLM guys work in an office in Portland or Eugene, and probably haven't been actually out on the land in months. The Rangers tend to be young guys around here and probably wouldn't be inclined to mess with these folks much. I'd be in interested in knowing what the story is just out of curiosity. There seems to be more of it going on these days.
 
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StG58 said:
I think the Forest Service has regs that say no more than 14 days in any 30 day period. But it's hard to enforce. Most of the FS and BLM guys work in an office in Portland or Eugene, and probably haven't been actually out on the land in months. The Rangers tend to be young guys around here and probably wouldn't be inclined to mess with these folks much. I'd be in interested in knowing what the story is just out of curiosity. There seems to be more of it going on these days.
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Well, if the rental market in Portland is any indication, I would say that could be playing some part in it potentially.

The rent prices here in the city are astronomical, and I truly mean that. They've reached nearly bay area prices and they keep going up. I continually read on the news how more and more native Portlanders are being left out of house and home because they simply can't afford the drastically increasing rental rates. Even the housing market here is just plain stupid!
 
Anyways, I'm not saying that's the reason for this, but it wouldn't surprise me if perhaps it had something to do with it (at least for some people).

Where is the last place you saw it?
 
Where I live in Canada.. we have hundreds of young Americans who moved here during the Vietnam war. Many are successful family and businessmen, community leaders. A few are still reclusive and living very much in a private world. Living off the land. Minimal contact. Completely disconnected. Untrusting of all the things we accept. Especially government and authority.

Does that make them wrong or us right? Most who live that back country reclusive life have more respect for the land than we do. Most of our laws are written to prevent abuses. But sometimes we need to understand not everyone can fit into those rules. Thank God we live in a free country.
 
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Chris said:
Anyways, I'm not saying that's the reason for this, but it wouldn't surprise me if perhaps it had something to do with it (at least for some people).

Where is the last place you saw it?
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North of Hwy 6 on State Forest land in the fall of this year, middle of September. It was in the hills above Lee's Camp. Pretty nice setup with a camp trailer and amenities. Also saw a pretty well set up camp, that was abandoned, in the Siuslaw NF just west of the Grande Ronde Indian Res. The remnants of that camp were WAY back in the puckerbrush.

I've seen it in the Willamette NF south of Mt. Hood a couple of years ago. Then there is bicycle guy up on BLM land west of Carlton up around the McGuire reservoir.

billiebob, that would put a lot of those guys into their sixties... You have to admire a person for acting on their convictions. It takes a lot of courage to do that.
 
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billiebob said:
Untrusting of all the things we accept. Especially government and authority.
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Hell I grew up in the 70's/80's part-time in the city, part-time on my grandparents farm, and I'm STILL leery of Gubment, authority, and apple products!

signs-movie-foil-hats-joaquin-phoenix.jpg
 
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Not sure what you consider, "back country" but after retiring from the military I've lived in a few of the largest cities in the US and I would trade where I currently live for all of the Jeeps in North America. The town I live in has only two city limit signs and they are both on the same post. :rolleyes:
 
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All I can say is the thought of getting "off the grid" has been a tempting thought for me for many years. I'll never do it for too many reasons but I can sure see the benefits. I think it's ridiculous that we have no way for people to do that legally without fear of getting busted by some bored ranger or federal agent when they're doing no harm and not in anyone's way.
 
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I really agree with you Jerry. I would LOVE to live off grid. Especially since it's already in my nature, I have and use all of the technology required and was born and raised to it. The problem here in Oregon is that the majority of the land that would be suitable is tied up in Forest Service, BLM, State Forrestry, and private Forrestry lands. It is seriously north of 70% of all land in the state.

On the other hand, there are at least a dozen folks at work, out of about a thousand employees, who have managed to pull it off. Those are just the ones that come to mind. They are an independent bunch. Most don't give a hoot about what the .gov people are up to and don't let it effect their programs. The ones I know well enough to talk with have the attitude of "OK, if you are going to mess with me, pack a lunch and bring some friends ". Haven't heard of any of them getting messed with.
 
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StG58 said:
I really agree with you Jerry. I would LOVE to live off grid. Especially since it's already in my nature, I have and use all of the technology required and was born and raised to it. The problem here in Oregon is that the majority of the land that would be suitable is tied up in Forest Service, BLM, State Forrestry, and private Forrestry lands. It is seriously north of 70% of all land in the state.

On the other hand, there are at least a dozen folks at work, out of about a thousand employees, who have managed to pull it off. Those are just the ones that come to mind. They are an independent bunch. Most don't give a hoot about what the .gov people are up to and don't let it effect their programs. The ones I know well enough to talk with have the attitude of "OK, if you are going to mess with me, pack a lunch and bring some friends ". Haven't heard of any of them getting messed with.
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Personally, I believe that the government resources are stretched too thin to worry about people living off the grid. Chances are you wouldn't be messed with unless you were up to no good or drawing a lot of attention to yourself.
 
Of course, if everyone starts doing it then it's something that the government would definitely take notice of. However, I find that highly unlikely at least anytime soon.
 
Going off grid has nothing to do with squatting on government or private land. You need water, and you need permission to take that water from a stream but getting a water license is not that difficult. You need power, wind? Photovoltaics? Peloton Wheel? All pretty easy if you needs are not excessive. Heat? Solar? Wood?

We have a friend in Denver who has heated with solar since the 80s. He added a huge photovoltaic array a few years ago and now gets a cheque from the utility for the excess power he produces and feeds back into the grid. Colorado is progressive enough they pay him a higher rate than they charge if he needs to draw.

But getting off grid so you won't have to pay property taxes??? Only if you buy a boat.
 
Nope, going off grid sure doesn't have anything to do with squatting on government land. Or private land for that matter.

But I keep seeing these folks out in the backcountry. Looking at the gear they have, it seems that they were doing reasonably well at some time in the near past. At least well enough to have some solid gear, if well worn.

Just makes me wonder what's up with that, and what the story is.

As for the other, I could spin you a whole story on what happened to land availability and prices in Oregon.
 
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StG58 said:
Nope, going off grid sure doesn't have anything to do with squatting on government land. Or private land for that matter.

But I keep seeing these folks out in the backcountry. Looking at the gear they have, it seems that they were doing reasonably well at some time in the near past. At least well enough to have some solid gear, if well worn.

Just makes me wonder what's up with that, and what the story is.

As for the other, I could spin you a whole story on what happened to land availability and prices in Oregon.
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Wow! You guys are So Lucky to live in that part of the country. I often dream of visiting those places. I guess it's only normal if you are used to living around the Caribbean. I will send you guys some pictures of palm trees.

Stay Safe and Happy New Year!
 
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