# Live Free or Die



## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/live-free-or-die/


*About the Show*

Live Free or Die explores one of Americaâs most remote subcultures, following five people who have left the modern world behind to live in backwoods and swamps where they hunt their own food, build their own shelters, and survive only on what they can produce with their own two hands and sharp intuition.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/live-free-or-die/articles/what-it-means-to-rewild/


What It Means to Rewild 
By: Patrick J. Kiger
Published Aug. 29, 2014 In a remote corner of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina, eight miles from the nearest town, a man named Thorn lives in an improvised hut that he built from wood and leaves, dines upon beans and squirrel meat, and wears mittens fashioned from raccoon pelt. In a day and age when most of us depend upon elaborate electronic gadgetry and dine upon food grown on industrial farms, Thorn aspires to be a self-sufficient modern primitive, who relies upon the forest around him for his daily needs.
âIâve been accused of being born 14,000 years too late,â he explains, in the initial episode of the National Geographic Channel series Live Free or Die.
Thornâs lifestyle may be unusual, but heâs not alone. Throughout the U.S., a small but seemingly growing segment of like-minded people are choosing to opt out of civilized comfort and the conventional economy. Adherents of âRewildingâ, as the movement is called, instead live in rural areas where they seek to subsist off the land, hunting and fishing and gathering wild plants for food, and build their own dwellings from materials they find there. To varying degrees, they eschew manufactured products and modern technology as well, preferring instead to rely upon the sort of tools that they can make themselves and operate with muscle power, such as the arrows that Thorn fashions from river cane, or the traps that Gabriel, a California-based fellow hunter-gather, builds from sticks and rocks. They donât just live off the grid, but often do without electricity and tap water altogether. Thorn wonât even use matches to make a fire.
At the heart of Rewilding is a belief that a modern culture, in exchange for comfort and security, inflicts an unsustainable psychological and physical toll upon humans in exchange for comfort and security, and harms the environment in the process. As Rewilding activist Miles Olsen wrote in his 2012 book Unlearn, Rewild: Earth Skills, Ideas and Inspiration for the Future Primitive, Rewilders seek âto grapple with the problem of civilization at its roots, and our place within that problem.â But Rewilders often see those woes as too profound to solve merely by switching to greener sources of energy, or by sustainable practices such as recycling or buying organic food from local farmers. But unlike Preppers, who stock up on dried beans and ammunition in preparation for the collapse of civilization, Rewilders often think the answer is to opt out of civilization altogether and strive to reconnect with nature, in the way that natives, settlers or even ancient humans did.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

*Meet Amelia*

Photograph by National Geographic Television/Lindsay Cooper
Amelia was raised by unconventional parents. She currently live with her husband, Tony, on a plot of land on a Blue Ridge mountainside. After three years, she is thoroughly adapted to life on the homestead. She keeps things organized, cuts the firewood, and maintains her bees. She's learned a lot about construction and agriculture from Tony over the years, and contributes to the ongoing building of their house.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

http://channel.nationalgeographic.c...ree-or-die-diy-how-to-build-a-bow-drill-fire/


* How to Build a Bow Drill Fire*


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## hurryiml8 (Apr 15, 2009)

Looks interesting. I will have to check it out. "Alaska the last frontier" is my favorite, and I like "Mountain Men" too. Thanks for the heads-up.


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

The new breed of survivors to start over when Ebola, EMP, etc. etc. wipes out all the others.


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

Ruh roh. If that is who it looks like it is, we may be in for some serious problems...


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

Every long-haired Caucasian looks like the medieval paintings of Jesus. 

Whereas swarthy, longhaired fellows like me always look like we should be rushing an Israeli checkpoint wearing a bomb vest. 

Which depiction is more accurate, do you think? 

But to the point of the rewilding, I love the idea, but there are quite a lot of issues. Who pays their property taxes? Who keeps their children from being taken from them by the state for living in a tent?

I'm not sure that publicity on this way of life is a good thing.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

well i was snooping around the website and seems they added a few things...check out the vid of amelia and a bit about her and her background.


http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/videos/live-free-or-die-amelia/


amelias husband tony....very interesting couple.....looks like this couple talks the talk and walks the walk.


http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/videos/live-free-or-die-tony/


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## unregistered358967 (Jul 17, 2013)

I wish I got this channel. I thought the show utopia would be more like this--- but this sounds more up my alley!


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

I like Tony and Amelia a lot. My husband still can't see livin life that way. He was raised a super consumer. Tony thinks the way I do.
I have to check out the show.


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

Ummmmm...
My first thought was this article..http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ow-ancient-paths-natural-fulfilling-life.html

If you look at the pictures, these folks are healthy and glowing and their clothes and boots.. wow! Money!! All I could think was 'Trustafarians'.

Ok.. this coming show.. 'Thorn' (oh for pete's sake. Really?) is living 'wild' on 120 acres of NC mountain land. You're looking at about a half a million dollars worth of land, at least. And if it was left to him in a will or whatever, the property taxes alone would be brutal.

(and I must make mention of Gabriel's hair.. there is some serious product going on to that stuff. I am thinking that he gets it to look like that with a dollop of bear fat)

Ok.. one more negative comment/thought and then I will shut up..
I hope this doesn't prompt people to go 'live in the wild'. Because there isn't much legal wild left. And they are going to build a lean-to on someone's land and start eating some one else's deer and it won't be pretty.
Or they will got 'Into the Wild' and die.

I'm done.
Forgive me.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

your forgiven....lol


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

land....did you know i seen a bunch of land up here in mtns..mostly 100acre tracks with timber go for $30,000ish in 80's and probably till 93-94ish.....in fact i could kick myself for letting a 160something tract in 1987 with a home,barn and orchard that had a mile and half driveway over steep ridges get away...asking price...$39,999 back then.....but its not like that now...but a few deals pop up.

lots of retires started moving in driving prices up about 93-94ish....i bought in 97 when prices started upward and that was about the end of multi goods deals not hard to find.

tony and amelia have a steep piece of mtn land and from what i can see are living an off grid homesteading life....what many here do.i think they are just minimalist living life as they see fit.about how i live with grid tie but being frugal.

i dont think theres any danger of the masses flocking to be wild.

the hair guy...it says he only lives wild part time of year.dont forget this is being presented to you in a certain way.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

i think modern nomads/homesteaders/hippies/dropouts/minimalists whatever label you wanna use on each one as none are the same....is a blending of past/present and future....in fact this very way of life is probably the future as we are seeing natural resources disappear.folks are either going to go to population centers where its safe,sound and given "food" or be out away from these places tending,gardens,livestock,hunting,fishing,gathering,wildcrafting for daily needs. i have seen this in many places in my travels already.


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## copperkid3 (Mar 18, 2005)

chickenista said:


> Ummmmm...
> My first thought was this article..http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ow-ancient-paths-natural-fulfilling-life.html
> 
> If you look at the pictures, these folks are healthy and glowing
> ...


********************
that there was no easter bunny or santa claus......

I'm still waiting to find out all there is on the tooth-fairy..:kiss:


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## susieneddy (Sep 2, 2011)

Harry Chickpea said:


> Ruh roh. If that is who it looks like it is, we may be in for some serious problems...


looks more like Matthew McConaughey


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## Sanza (Sep 8, 2008)

LOL I'll go against everyone and say I'm not buying it......This prettyboy is wearing rings! Obviously he hasn't snagged one on a branch or something yet, so that tells me that he hasn't done much hard work. We all know the many ways we can get snagged and caught up on things, and how dangly jewelry and hanging hair is a hazzard.
I guess it's all staged for tv


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## Halfway (Nov 22, 2010)

Looks like people sitting on a bar stool in Coeur d'Alene prepping to head back out "off-grid".


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## susieneddy (Sep 2, 2011)

Sanza said:


> LOL I'll go against everyone and say I'm not buying it......This prettyboy is wearing rings! Obviously he hasn't snagged one on a branch or something yet, so that tells me that he hasn't done much hard work. We all know the many ways we can get snagged and caught up on things, and how dangly jewelry and hanging hair is a hazzard.
> I guess it's all staged for tv


you will never know until you watch it


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

Uggla just lost my long post. try #2
Okay I have been watching all they have on youtube. this is my review 
I love Tony and Amelia. They are my kind of people. I relate very well with them. 
Colbert. I like him too, I feel so very bad for him loosing his home of 20 years. I love seeing how he was able to pick thew the ashes and carry on. I felt so bad for him. I would love to see a modern day American go threw loosing everything and pick up 24 hrs later and resume life.
Gabriel and Thorn, I wonder if it's all just show? I enjoyed watching Thorn make his own fishing line and tackle. His house from all around him, reminds me of my youth. I personally would embrace a modern bow, cross bow, or gun. Would increase success 10 fold.The whole daughter makes me say "no way on God's green earth would an ex or a judge allow a young girl live with her daddy like that".
Thorn and Gabriel need to give up the whole primitive hunting thing as them boys are gonna starve to death. Embrace a cross bow.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

tony and amelia are setting up a nice productive mtn side homestead.they are a fantastic couple.


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## Show-Me-Stater (Dec 16, 2005)

I'm kinda hooked on this now


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## Guest (Dec 9, 2014)

Colbert is still my favorite. 
Amelia is rocking! 
Don't know that I so much like Tony, he strikes me as a city boy playing at homesteading. His gag reflex is going to be an ongoing joke at our TV. LOL! 
Thorn now has a goat and a better house... And lives next door to Tony & Amelia. 
Gabriel is, well, one of them thare California guys... 

Ending my ArmChair Quarterbacking for the night.


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## whiterock (Mar 26, 2003)

I found it amusing and entertaining for the most part. Sometimes I wanted to reach in to the shot and slap the fire out of someone.


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## CajunSunshine (Apr 24, 2007)

I must disagree with this bit:



myheaven said:


> Thorn and Gabriel need to give up the whole primitive hunting thing as them boys are gonna starve to death. Embrace a cross bow.


I own and use modern and primitive hunting gear (atlatls, too!), and am here to tell you are so wrong. I (and thousands more like me) prefer the old ways for many reasons.

Here are just a few of mine:

When times get really hard and if I can no longer buy replacement parts for my worn out modern gear...I can rely on the old tried and true replacements from Nature for my primitive gear. 

Instinctive shooting with primitive bows beats the pants off of modern archery in more than a few ways. 

I learned a hard lesson during a particularly grueling archery tournament. While traveling to the finals, I was involved in a wreck. My truck was still roadworthy, but my bow was not; the sighting pins were knocked around a little. I barely made it to the tournament in time to participate, and there was just not enough time to reset my pins properly. Fortunately most of the pins were not off too badly, and I was able to wing it by making a few preliminary shots and roughly estimating the difference in yardage, etc., etc. before the tournament started. Although I won a trophy, I was pretty shook up: what if I was depending on this "latest and greatest" tool in hard times...and _lost_ a critical part or two??? 

That's when I decided to learn all I could about primitive hunting. 

The high accuracy of primitive bow participants in the tournaments have always impressed me, so it was an easy transition because it was something I could believe in.





.


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## postroad (Jan 19, 2009)

Ernie said:


> Every long-haired Caucasian looks like the medieval paintings of Jesus.
> 
> Whereas swarthy, longhaired fellows like me always look like we should be rushing an Israeli checkpoint wearing a bomb vest.
> 
> ...


 Being that Jesus was Jewish I imagine he must have been dark haired and swarthy


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

Cajun I'm not saying you give up on it. those boys need too. but they could suck just as bad at hunting with modern tools. my children and I love making bows and cross bows. my children are pretty good with them. Those boys are gonna starve.


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## CajunSunshine (Apr 24, 2007)

lol, they are that bad? 

I have not watched it, but now I almost wish I could just so I could gawk, and shake my head at all the foolish Hollywoodies.  (I don't have a TV.)

phew, you'd think the entertainment industry could at least try to find something closer to the real deal...



.


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## 95bravo (Mar 22, 2010)

I dig live free or die. I really hope http://anamericanhomestead.com/ gets a t.v. gig.


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

Cajun if you can watch thinges on youtube you can watch it. that's where I watch mine.


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

Okay I take it back now thorn and Gabe should keep on hunting like their doing. I grew up making primitive things and actually using them. Most have not. for Peet sakes I put in a garden to feed my family at the age of 8 with a shovel and butcher knife. I'm not your normal everyday kid.


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## bowdonkey (Oct 6, 2007)

I wouldn't waste one second of my life watching any of that garbage. They call that reality? Probably like all the others reality shows and just a bunch of unnecessary drama. Now if there was a female in heat in the show, I just might have a gander!


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

TraciInTexas said:


> Colbert is still my favorite.
> Amelia is rocking!
> Don't know that I so much like Tony, he strikes me as a city boy playing at homesteading. His gag reflex is going to be an ongoing joke at our TV. LOL!
> Thorn now has a goat and a better house... And lives next door to Tony & Amelia.
> ...


my husband can't stomach cleaning out the animal's. he gags and dryheaves too. I and dd do the butchering. I do the Hides too. dh does the heavy lifting and tractor work.


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## deb_rn (Apr 16, 2010)

We really enjoy the show. You do have to realize it IS TV, after all. Take what you can and leave the rest. Mick Dodge is another one we like... and there are bits that bug me there too... but still more fun than 95% of what is on TV these days!

Debbie


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## susieneddy (Sep 2, 2011)

95bravo said:


> I dig live free or die. I really hope http://anamericanhomestead.com/ gets a t.v. gig.


I thought I read somewhere (maybe on here) that it is on the Roku Homesteading channel


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