Anyone who has experience long-term living in the wilderness?

I am in the process of starting an organization devoted to wildlife conservation and would like to spend a summer living in the wilderness studying and observing the wildlife for a book I am writing but would like some help from anyone with long-term wilderness survival...please e-mail me if you would like to discuss this further. Thanks!Anyone who has experience long-term living in the wilderness?
I have had some extreme camping with the scouts, one in a survival setting of making huts out of branches, and brushy roofs in the middle of a snow storm. We only did that for a few days. I wouldn't want to do that for a season, but at least you are going in during the summer when the critters are about, especially biting flies and mosquitoes.



First, I would find a buddy. It's not wise to go by yourself. It would be too easy to knock you in the head, and no one would miss you until a missed status call.



Second, invest in a GPS unit if you are going into a large forrest. One company is also selling emergency response units that emails people you chose with your exact location if you set off. That would be smart because most forest unless in tourist areas are sparse on cell phone coverage. Never hurts to have an old fashion compass as well and a map.



Third buy a small kit with survival gear. Water tabs, MRE's, first aid kit, two-way radio and a way to power and charge out there. You might want to check out some survival sites and books, as there are enough loonies out there who fear basic survival, next big event in 2012. These people get off on wildness survival where they see themselves running when the next big one hits. If only Orson Wells scaring people off to the mountains with broadcast of aliens attacking the Earth. It kind of reminds me of that movie, "Red Dawn" when a pack of teens run to the mountains when the communist Cubans and Soviets attack their Colorado town (area).



I would invest in some good clothes, and some good camping gear. Backpackers have that to a science with solid packs, durable tents and the weight figured out to where they can pack it anywhere and not feel like a donkey at the end of the day.



Good luck with that. As a warning, there was once a guy who came from a good family up east who decided to give his college money to charity, and walked into the Alaska back country in basic clothing. He died of exposure. I would research the area you are going to, and find out what the extremes and plan accordingly. So many think that it will be warm all the time, or vise versa and find themselves in a pickle, and that is a week long camping trip that turns into a disaster. It sounds like you are talking months.



It sounds fun, but do it right, or we will be seeing your horrific ending on the news.
I would forgo the wildlife conservation part of your scheme. Observing nature is one thing, but if you read about the mess ups of previous wildlife conservation programs, you would find we are almost always wrong on what we THINK an animal or species needs, react, and mess it up for numerous other species. Read about Yellowstone for one.Anyone who has experience long-term living in the wilderness?
I started camping with the boy scouts. am ex army airborne rangers and just recently spent a month in the high sierra's at the age of 59. If I were you I'd take some survival courses outward bound is just one of many survival schools out there even with a GPS you still need map reading and compass orientation skills. but this I can say never go alone always let the local authorities know what your plan is, don't try to subsist of the land even if you have a handbook of the local flora. so take that course and enjoy your wonderful adventure good luck
Depends what you consider "long-term". I live in Africa, my school holidays involved living in the bush or camping in caves. We have plenty reserves where you can camp if you want. We also have plenty wildlife, even in our gardens. So watching monkey, buck etc isn't to tough and doesn't necessitate living in the bush.



During the school term we were often taken into the bush and forced to track and find our own way back to camp, sometimes it'd take a week, living in make-shifts, trees or caves, eating what we could catch with our hands or make our own fishing rods etc. We called them leadership courses (Eng.) or "veldskool" (Afr., pronounced felt schoo-el).



I also went to scouts which was basically the same thing, just lasted longer and involved building shelters or sleeping in holes. Then most people my age had fathers/uncles/brothers that did the same, just went through military training which would teach you similar things, just with a gun rather than a pocket knife. Camping and hiking is quite common place.



Currently I work for a company that do telecom installations throughout Africa. Site visits and builds normally involve tents and leopards/lions/elephants/buck/baboons etc. Fortunately, we also have gas stoves, chairs, air-conditioning pre made charcoal etc.



If you're looking for more US based ideas, try Guy Grieves - Call of the Wild. He cheated making a log cabin with a chainsaw, but still caught his own I think.