@cephalopie spouse and I have a difference of opinion plus two
realistic options if we need to choose. I'm middle of nowhere, he's very firmly city.
@Zailrand i should putz around in my garden soon...
@Zailrand
Village.
I currently live in the middle of nowhere. It is very difficult to grow, hunt and raise your own food by yourself. Especially if you are starting from scratch.
The optimum size is 150 to 1,500 people.This evenly disperses the workload, and takes advantage of different skill sets.
@corlin True, although I figure I could manage adequately for a few years just me in the middle of nowhere (have a remote house that was my mums) ... Get some rabbits n chickens, or just eat the dim local pheasants... Get a stock of plenty of food and fuel to begin with, lots of wood to forage locally and leave to dry, even coal at the bottom of the gill next to the house...
@Zailrand
I did do this. Spent 1 winter and 2 summers by myself, way out in the hills, of southern Missouri. Ozark mountains.
Did not go well. I did have plenty of deer to hunt and eat, some small game. But the land was rock, no soil to speak of, so no garden.
The first time I fell breaking the ice on the pond. I almost starved, in the following weeks.
You need people around, stuff happens.
@corlin Yep, I get that. We have good neighbours up there, right next door. My mum lived on her own in that house for years in deteriorating health, not that she was particularly self sufficient.
@Zailrand
My current living situation. On about 80 acres, of land completely surrounded by national forest. This land was owned by one person before the national forest. Got grandfathered in. One dirt road. Right now there are 14 dwellings, with 47 people and animals. 4 kids all home schooled. Pretty close knit group. Nobody I don't like. Some I disagree with politically. But we all look after each other. We share a good well. Years ago we put our money together, and ran cable up. So internet.
@corlin sounds more collegiate and cooperative than the place I'm thinking of, but that's the bloody English for you! Differ quite a lot with the immediate neighbours politically but they're great people. I help them with IT stuff, they help us with various things and keep an eye on the place when we're not there :) Not as remote as where you are sounds but remote for England :)
@Zailrand There's advantages to each. More food stores in the city, but you can grow more of your own out of town, and in small towns you know your neighbors, and are more likely to get help from others around you.