Can you really live off the grid in Florida keys

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pat-tekker-cat

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Imagine 4000% humidity and being covered in no-see-ums & mosquitos.
Yep, either under a bridge, on a boat, or motorhome/travel trailer.
You have to consider, you'll eventually need to bathe & what you going to do with the pee/poop?
The Cubans put it in bags & hang it in the trees, yeah, nice, I know...
(that's why they got their roadside weekend bar-b-ques shut down).
You'll need your fresh water source, too.

To do it full time, would just become unbearable, at some point.
A nice little house or sail boat, solar outfitted, you can anchor out, but,
eventually, you'll need to come ashore for supplies.
Even a camper, solar set-up, etc... you'd need a home base, so to say.
Somewhere to park, do your water/sewage thing, get supplies.
I did see a wore out mobile home on 3 acres in Clewistan fl realestate
the other day, I think somewhere around 40K.
You'd be in the middle of sugar cane country & farm land.
Make a "home base", then you can branch out from there,
go anywhere you want, & at least have that port in the storm, to come back to.

Smokeycat got it down. One can only be "so prepared"...
Nice to have every supply you'd need, then the hurricane blows it all away.
The year it froze at the Ga house at Christmas, no power, we at least had a fireplace & grill.
We'd a froze to death, if not.
To be totally prepared/self sufficient, youd basically have to be Dick Pronnecke, and even he got tired of the isolation.



Correct ticndig. In 1900, the average life span of a caucasian in the US was 48. Do the math.
My great grandmother had a problem keeping husbands alive, too, around the turn on the century.
Had 3 husbands, she lived to be 98. Most all the women in that side of my family lived into their late 90's some even over their 100's.
Life was very hard in the south, back then.
 

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Blak bart

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Yea... and don't forget all the snow birds!

I'm leaving on friday because of 2,000,000+ tourons that mainly come here...uh....about now !! It's much more peaceful and the fishing is much better in the 700+ bahamian islands....I'm outta here.....theres a super highway running through the spine of my island
 

Blak bart

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In case your wondering what a touron is....moron + tourist = TOURON !!
 

NOLA.river.rat

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While on a summer break in college a buddy and I camped out in a tent at Bahia Honda State Park. It was absolutely miserable because of the heat and mosquitoes. Three days of no sleep and we were ready to go home.
 

smallfoot

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Ya gotta be tough to live in Flawda...:laughing7: Been here all my life and there's some things you learn. For that last 30 years, I've been out here alone in the woods in a house I built myself, but I have all the comforts of home. You can live by "getting by" but it's much easier on you to live with some conveniences and that's human nature. In more civilized areas you get to drink what the government wants you to drink. Most of it is so polluted with chemicals you can't stand the smell, unless you prefer poison to sulfur. First lesson: sulfur water...if you drink it, it emits sulfur from your sweat glans. Number one reason why we don't get "bugged" by skeeters and chiggers and ticks and anything else that crawls on you to feed. Second: Heat, well yes it's hot as hell sometimes, but I've never had to shovel snow out of my drive and thank God because it's a mile to the hard road from back here. Third, you don't have a large closet full of cold weather clothes and that's another reason we don't find many buttons down here(a negative). I mean you can sew buttons on a t-shirt if you want, but you'll probably need to find a golf course...There are many reasons to find fault with it but take a hint from Blak Bart, the keys is one crowded place with real restrictions everywhere and there would be other places easier to exist, even in Florida. Dangers exist anywhere you go and be prepared for that wherever you go.
 

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newnan man

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Please don't move to Florida. We are in the midst of "snowbird" season and I have to take back roads everywhere. A1A is a parking lot on the weekends. I am a Florida Native and try to be gracious but we do have our limits. If I chose to live off the grid I'd move to Idaho.
 

ARC

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Living off grid means no electricity from local power company so unless you like sweating your butt off you would need some kind of power source, solar, windmill or generator.

I started sweating just reading his post.. heh
 

ARC

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No-see-ums are going to give you a whole new outlook on life. Almost everything in the Keys is private property, campsites run around $50-150 a night. Your other living choice would be a boat or living under a bridge.. Pythons have worked their way down in the Keys. There are islands we visit in the backcountry between the Glades and the Keys.......EVERYTHING IS GONE....NO BIRDS, RACCOONS, CRABS...NOTHING...JUST SILENCE! Pythons have killed everything.

Yeah... the whole "living under a bridge thing"... IF the cops don't wrap ya up... the homeless will.
 

ARC

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A sailboat is the way to go if your in the keys looking to live cheap. Theres still a lot of rules and restrictions but many are doing it up and down the keys....part time and full time. It can be idealic at times and uncomfortable at times too. The boating lifestyle is not for everyone so being realistic with ones self is a must before attempting a move onto a boat. As far as living in the woods goes......well first everything is protected, a park, or private. The days of camping on the side of the road are over.....that was the 70s and it was possible to pitch a tent or park a camper at many dead ends and out of the way spots. Any spot you do find you'll run into me detecting or one of the local homeless that I often run into while i detect. One of my friends immigrated from Daytona and lived behind the publix in the woods for 6 months....then he moved onto a boat.....then he bought some other junk boats and fixed them up to rent. Eventually he sold them all and moved into a house. Off grid on one of the many undeveloped islands is well....brutal for anything more than a week or 2......you'll be dying of thirst ...you'll be ready for AC...and a fresh water shower. There is a multitude of mosquito born sicknesses including Zika and dengue fever. The homeless in keywest pay a brutal toll from the harsh bush conditions. The mangrove swamps and hardwood hammocks eat people up !! Dont camp under a machiniel tree and watch out for poison wood. Centipedes a foot long bite hard, so do the big black scorpions. Once adapted to a nice sailboat things can be quite nice.....but theres still alot of work to maintain it all !! And well....you have to know how to sail. If you know how to sail you go live off grid in the more beautiful and far less crowded bahama islands !!

Living on a boat can take its toll as well to those land lubars... heh

Try sleeping on a boat when the sea in rough... the key word is "try".

And if storms pop up... arrrrg.

IF a hurricane or anything else rears its head then its pull anchor and flee OR drop lots of anchors and pray... while you are elsewhere.

Just in normal weather day to day on a boat... when you hit land... your feel like you are still on the boat... your blood is still moving like the sea.
 

BillA

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learn another language and the world is your oyster
many options; moderate climate is first to avoid heating or cooling
there is life in other places, and it can be fine or terrible
-> vote with your feet
 

Blak bart

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https://www.atlasobscura.com/articl...ven-inhale-the-air-around-the-manchineel-tree
Okay.....if you ever are camping down here or maybe beach combing the shore line you should know what your tramping through. You do not want to mess with this tree. There are other very unpleasant trees down here but this one can kill you....the little death apple !! If eve had given this to adam we wouldn't be here. I've had the displeasure of digging in the loose leaf litter under one....just the dry dust in the air tore me up. The fine dust settling on sweat soaked flesh was horrible. I rubbed my eyes and had problems with burning and tears for a couple days. I was detecting again around this tree the other day.....I'm super careful and I somehow got 2 drops of sap on my arm....yup...2 blisters right where it got me. If you are more sensitive to these toxins they can kill you !! That's why I wrote dont camp under the machineel tree !!
 

Blak bart

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I remember that. 95 degrees and just relentless mosquitoes, even in the middle of Tamiami Trail pavement, 40 or 50 at a time. Worse in the bush of course.

If you get a flat tire on the 18 mile stretch ( the road into the keys from the mainland ) at night you call a tow truck and stay in the car even if you have a spare. The mosquitoes will fly away with your carcass into the swamp never to be seen again !! Or at least they will tear you up good !!
 

Blak bart

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Yup...I would think in greater numbers than here bill.
 

pat-tekker-cat

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If you get a flat tire on the 18 mile stretch ( the road into the keys from the mainland ) at night you call a tow truck and stay in the car even if you have a spare. The mosquitoes will fly away with your carcass into the swamp never to be seen again !! Or at least they will tear you up good !!
And, DON'T step off into the bushes to relieve yourself....
You'll only do THAT, once... :BangHead:

if you're smart:laughing7:
 

Charlie P. (NY)

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In case your wondering what a touron is....moron + tourist = TOURON !!

We have "Citidiots" . . . City + Idiot = CITIDIOT

Learned something new - I had never heard of a machinieel tree. Sounds like a good thing to know to avoid.

A zillion years ago THE ADMIRAL and I drove through Florida and stayed in a tent at campgrounds. I NEVER got a good night's sleep because every place we stayed was flat and unprotected and the wind kept up all night; flapping the tent.
 

Johnnybravo300

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You biggest problem will be your local govt. Weve been off grid for 10 years and now the county says we cant only occupy our property for 60 days at a time (whatever the heck that means).

They dont seem to understand that I dont need permission to occupy my own land haha.

They usually lose these battles but not before it can be a huge hassle or cost you a fortune to fight.

This is my home and my bugout location and I'll make my last stand here whatever happens.
 

Tpmetal

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https://www.atlasobscura.com/articl...ven-inhale-the-air-around-the-manchineel-tree
Okay.....if you ever are camping down here or maybe beach combing the shore line you should know what your tramping through. You do not want to mess with this tree. There are other very unpleasant trees down here but this one can kill you....the little death apple !! If eve had given this to adam we wouldn't be here. I've had the displeasure of digging in the loose leaf litter under one....just the dry dust in the air tore me up. The fine dust settling on sweat soaked flesh was horrible. I rubbed my eyes and had problems with burning and tears for a couple days. I was detecting again around this tree the other day.....I'm super careful and I somehow got 2 drops of sap on my arm....yup...2 blisters right where it got me. If you are more sensitive to these toxins they can kill you !! That's why I wrote dont camp under the machineel tree !!

add this to my list of things of why I dislike the south that help me justify winter up north. F THAT! Worst thing we have is rattle snakes and giant coyotes they call coywolf. You guys got flying cock roaches, all sorts of venomous spiders and snakes, termites, poison ivy, alligators, and so much more. Although I do enjoy the fried chicken, mashed taters, and green beans that seem to be on hand ready to go at any grocery store down there.
 

Bum Luck

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I love visiting Florida. There's lots of interesting places to go and some genuine characters to meet. Very nice people too, even transplants.

First: get a place with no brush around. A quiet road is nice; make sure your neighbors are decent folks, not too hard to find. Remember there are a****s everywhere.

Treat your yard with an area insecticide. Bugs don't pay taxes, so to h**l with them. Spray your house too, walls and ceiling as well. You'd be surprised at all the denizens that want to freeload off of you. Maybe disgusted even.

Make sure you have a good A/C. Keep it on all the time. Fresh air and open windows are your enemy most of the time.

Wear light clothes and wide brim hat and expose no skin. Before you go out anywhere, spray up with Permethrin.

No-seeums (punkies or sand flies) are nasty. Unless you're as tough as some that don't need chemical bug sprays, you'll cave in minutes. Here's some on tent netting:

NO-SEEUM-SWARM-ON-NETTING.jpg
Imagine spraying that with Permethrin, knowing they will last for seconds before dying. :occasion14:

Time your trips anywhere for some breeze. That helps.

Go out for breakfast in a restaurant. Lunch too, although a sandwich can be made at home or in the car for less.

Spend time at the beach DMing if you like, but drive there in a car with A/C. Leave before it starts cooling off. See above.

Super is good, lots of sea food and dandy "pier restaurants".

Get home and get inside with the A/C. Have a beer. Sleep.

Repeat.

Florida has changed a lot since I was a kid. It's too crowded for me in most places, and so there's too many rules. Don't even think of camping outside of a campground. Local cops want you to pay the campground, and lately, it ain't even a bad idea for staying alive. In the 70s, Periwinkle Park on Sanibel was $6 a night; most places were $2-$4. Now Periwinkle is $58 a night, Monthly: $1,475.00 - 2 People. It's still a great place, but there's (hardly) no free lunch anymore.

I don't want to whine about it; it's a classic case of scarce resources and market rates. And like all places, it is what it is.
 

Flipperfla

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Yep, ‘‘tis the season” we just don’t go anywhere on the weekends. Campsites in the State Parks are nonexistent unless you grab a cancellation. We are both retired and do our travels during the week. Especially the boat ramps, you could make a movie of the stupid sh!t you see.
 

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