>>2835946
I live in the 'burbs, bro.

It's a old, established suburb though and I like it. Relatively big plots, tree-lined streets, cafes and shops within walking distance, convenient to anywhere else in the city worth mentioning.
Our plot backs onto a river on one side and there are woods opposite, enough yard space that my wife has the veggie garden she's always wanted and we're considering getting goats to go with chickens.

I like going /out/ on a weekend but I've also got connections in the city I wouldn't be happy moving away from.

>>2835946
I live at the edge of a town. Not in the suburbs; town boundary ends beyond my road and ag land and undeveloped land begins. It makes it great for Search & Rescue because I have a fast response time to the station. It also means I can go to the diner for breakfast and see my buddies, but I can still walk out of my backyard and go fishing.

>>2835946
I live almost exactly between Chicago and Desmoines. The look and feel here is generally like that of an exurb. with one exception: You can drive here at almost any rate outside of town.

>>2836023
>I live almost exactly between Chicago and Desmoines
I'm not trying to be facetious when I ask this but, what the hell do you do for /out/ in that kind of area?

I live in the suburban hell sprawl of south FL. Id kms if I didn't have my boat

>>2836026
Huck corn at passing cars

>>2836034
The grass is always greener, my man. I went to Florida for the first time last year and immediately went back several times after that. If I lived there I'd be diving and fishing like there's no tomorrow. That or I'd buy a fanboat and disappear into the Everglades for days at a time.

>>2836037
Fishing and diving is all I do. Just can't stand the swamps especially when the suffocating heat and mosquitoes are bad aka most of the year.

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I love my area of Appalachia. I bought 10 acres at very reasonable cost. My property is in an area that is mostly national forest and for that reason is very lightly populated. A 200 acre state wildlife sanctuary borders my western property line. Appalachia has a moderate climate, lush vegetation, abundant sunshine and rainfall. We have strong storms that bring heavy rain that quickly pass leading to sunny days. These strong passing storms provide us ample rain while allowing a high percentage of sun during the day. Portions of Appalachia are designated as temperate rain forest.
Appalachia has a tremendous amount of freshwater streams and rivers enabling an abundance of fish and wildlife, including large game such as white tail deer, feral pigs and black bears.
Appalachia also has a rugged, independent, even rebellious population. Appalachia's rugged terrain, moderate climate, abundant fresh water and game make it a perfect area for the guerrilla war fighter.
There are many reasons that US Army Green Berets and Rangers retire to Appalachia. It is a place that calls people steeped in guerrilla warfare home.
Picrel is my horse grazing in a sunlit pasture next to an Appalachian mountain lake 900 feet from his barn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vrEljMfXYo

>>2835946
>How far off the beaten path do you guys live?
i live in central europe
there is no "off the beaten path"

the tram 2min from my house takes me directly to the mountains (alps) in about ~30min though
which is nice

~20min by bike and I'm in the forest
but again, it's visited by other people from the city as well

when I actually want to go /out/
i take the train (or car) to Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro or similar
takes a few hours, so it's not a normal weekend trip

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>>2835946
I have a similar situation.
Mowing sucks.

>>2836161
why even mow? just let it grow and lay down gravel or mulch if you need a path

>>2835975
>>2835993
I get this cause I was afraid to leave the city cause of my job.
>>2836142
That's a beautiful horse. I've been thinking about getting a couple. I used to ride a lot when I was younger.
>>2836155
I always found it hella cool you guys in europe can hope on a train to another country lol
>>2836161
I feel you man. Ive been thinking about getting one of those mowers that landscaping companies use just to get through the patches I want to seed. Idk if I'd be better off with a tractor with a plow, Ive never palaneted on a larger scale. Just simple stuff like lemons, oranges, spices and such.

>>2836023
>I live almost exactly between Chicago and Desmoines
Me too. I fucking hate it here. There’s some nice parks along the river. I live in an urban area with typical urban issues. We have a lot of /out/ers now though… every morning I see a couple dozen fitness nuts with huge backpacks on bikes but they’re always going slow and pointing at cars and houses.
I can’t wait to have acreage.

>>2836240
>I always found it hella cool you guys in europe can hope on a train to another country lol
it is
that's a major reason why enjoy living where i live
and the high speed trains are usually super /comfy/

the disadvantage is that it's kinda hard to get somewhere actual /out/
everything around the stations is build up
and european alps are very densely populated in general
takes 5-10h until I'm somewhere actually remote

also very few places here can compete with US national parks and wilderness
there are some, but they're rare and usually touristy

>>2836155
What's the /out/ing in Romania like?

>>2836289
>What's the /out/ing in Romania like?
awesome
want to know something specific?

wild camping is allowed on public land, camp fires as well I think (keep an eye on droughts in summer though)
plenty of (clean) water sources
some brown bears, but encounters are rare (I only ever saw one in the last 5y)

Fagaras and Apuseni Mountains are really cool (but higher probability of bears)
and latter one a bit more densely populated
many parts of the coast are uninhabited, which is super rare to find in Europe, loved camping near the beach
most national parks have designated camping areas (no wild camping) like Retezat Mountains National Park, typically empty when out of season
and it's often just a sign, no infrastructure there, so I would still consider it an /out/ing, just with higher probability of meeting other humans

generally the whole Carpathian mountains and Transylvania are cool

>>2836313
>want to know something specific?
Not really, I just read some news article about the national parks in Romania and they made it sound like a cool country to visit.

You said you take the train, is it easy enough to get to national parks or other nice areas without a car?

I'm planning a trip to the UK to see my grandparents but I also want to spend a couple of weeks doing something outdoors somewhere else in Europe while I'm there. I haven't seen much of Europe outside the cities.
The obvious choice is a hut-to-hut hike in Switzerland or the Dolomites since that'd save me from having to pack camping gear but I dunno, is the beauty and convenience worth the people? I assume those places would be pretty crowded.

>>2836331
>and they made it sound like a cool country to visit
is absolutely is

>is it easy enough to get to national parks or other nice areas without a car?
uh not really
it is easy to get to "remote" areas without a car
if you just want to bushcraft or hike around, that's fine
if you wan to see multiple national parks and hike specific routes that's gonna be tricky

some are easier to reach, like Piatra Craiului NP
but even there you might need to take a Taxi for the last stretch (not expensive, just annoying)
if you have multiple location you want to reach / see, highly recommend getting a rental car

>trip to the UK but I also want to spend a couple of weeks doing something outdoors somewhere else in Europe
wouldn't Scotland be the obvious /out/ choice here?
wild camping there is pretty cool as well

>hut-to-hut hike in Switzerland or the Dolomites
you could do the E5
the Austrian stretch
generally plenty options

>is the beauty and convenience worth the people?
yes
depends on when / where exactly you hike, but low season doesn't have many people
and the trails are not really crowded anyway, even in summer
usually meeting like a person/group every half hour would be much (except summits)

the majority of people do day tours or 2-3nights max
so everything around gondolas is crowded
avoid them

if you never done hut to hut, it's absolutely worth to try it once

>>2836023
What’s your favorite /out/ spot around here? I’m not a QC fag but I’m not not. >>2836251
There’s a little park by the water tower in east moline that no one goes to neat little pond and a couple trails in the woods tweakers use to get high. Not far from Black Hawk. It’s my sanctuary. Something there vibes right with me. Don’t work there anymore so haven’t been in a while.

>>2836238
If I dont mow:
1) becomes a massive fire hazard.
2) the forest reclaims it.

Those trees that bank each side off into the distance I planted about 12 years ago- this is about a 1/4 mile long "alley". They were foot tall saplings that came in bundles of 1,000. Now theyre 20 feet tall.
The smaller trees up close are volunteers that im strategically letting grow.
I also have about 20 black walnuts, 15 shingle oaks and half a dozen pecans in pots right now that I've dug up after they sprouted around the parent trees- ill plant aroumd the property this winter to restore a mixed forest instead of just having pines. (The property was clear cut before I bought it).

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>>2836240
>those mowers that landscaping companies use
I have a 54" zero turn that does well. There's a big price jump to the bigger models. I had a small tractor with a mow deck. It did great on the straightaways but absolutely sucked around trees and took more time overall.

When.i first started i didn't have any equipment. I borrowed a 100+ yearold harrow and dragged it behind my '85 Bronco for a couple months to landscape the property.
Pic isnt the actual harrow but thats what it looked like.

>>2836660
Sounds harrowing

>>2836672
But he ploughed through and it's all tine now.

>>2835946
>How far off the beaten path do you guys live?
Right on the edge of "civilization". Nearest towns are 2km east and 3km north, while to the west and south, there's 40 and 50km of forests with only tiny ~10 house villages, respectively.

>>2835946
Not really off the beaten path at all, but I'm right at the edge of a small city that's 3+ hours from pretty much anything else, and I'm less than a mile from a national forest.

>>2836657
Oh ya.
I dont want anyone to think im trying to build a mixed forest with thousands of pines and 2 dozen other trees in pots.

I plant about 2 dozen non-pine species a year. Thats about my personal limit to keep track of and maintain with watering and weeding the first year.
Some i buy, some I dig up from my property, some i dig up from friends properties. Most volunteer pines i cut down now while nurturing the maples and oaks that sprout naturally.
The massive amount of pine trees i started with is because they can grow 3-4 feet a year (and they were free from a forestry friend). They were a good jump start to get coverage and erosion control quickly

>>2835993
i live in a townless county, 750 people. there is no town or village here, just a place 10 min drive from me that holds a grocery store, gas station, county hall, school and elderly home. they are not in walking distance so no town or village feeling there. next county down the valley is much the same just 5000 people, it got a "sentrum" just like this just no town or village feel over it. its where i grew up and if i want anything more than diesel or bread i have to go there, 35min drive, they got hardware stores, lumberyards and an even a booze store. they dont have it all and i can find the neares town (ironicly with an international airport) 1h drive away. it serves the nearest city thats 1 1/2h drive away. going the other way i got a decent sized village also 1,5h drive away and i can on that way turn left and go into sweden and find much the same for just 10 min longer drive.
yet people live and work here, just a few hundred meters down the road in a wooden house is a factory that makes world class medical equipment.

>>2835946
I live in a suburb so I would say I'm right on the beaten path. There's lots of trees and parkland here and I'm at the edge of the city, close to farmland. Can't hunt on my land but I can fish in the neighborhood and drive to crown land in probably 30 minutes.

i live in a small town in a shitty apartment atm. currently grinding to get out to the country/outskirts and setting down with my fiance, start a family and have a few dogs. closer to /out/ with less cancer neighbours. we've both shared this dream for a while and don't want to have kids until we get out of this apartment.

time and patience friends <3

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>>2836238
This is an area i havent done much with.
This was 100% sand when I bought the property. The sweet gum trees and weeds are overtaking it.

When a forest burns or is clear cut there are stages to reforestation.
First its weeds and briars.
Then bushes and fast growing soft woods- most of which are species you've never heard of because they're crap.
Once the crap trees start to get a canopy they choke out the weeds. As they fight eachother for sunlight the smaller trees die off.
As they've been doing this the hard woods like oaks have slowly been getting a footing and sending down roots. A live oak can grow for a decade before it breaks the surface. Most oaks have 2x the root structure underground for whatever tree you see above ground.
Eventually it stabilizes and oaks climb. They take advantage of any break in the canopy and eventually out grow the smaller soft woods and take over the canopy.
And 50 years later you have a nice mixed forest.
Im trying to skip those first 40 years.

Remote mountain top in northern maine. About 50 minutes to the nearest "town" with a walmart. My place is about population 200 or so. Mile long gravel mountain washout to get to my cabin, followed by about 40 miles of paved logging road to town.

>>2835946
what if you had a natural disaster and the road closed and someone in your family had an emergency situation

>>2836759
>down the road in a wooden house is a factory that makes world class medical equipment
what do they make
i too intend to make stuff from the middle of nowhere

>>2836761
I know other people have probably told you this, but the longer you wait to have kids, the harder it gets to accommodate them and to have your life revolve around them. There will always be something in the way, anon. Career change, career progression, your career moves you, your house burns down, etc. Have kids asap.

>>2835946
I live inside the I-295 corridor of NJ, it's a hell of suburbs and urban blight. But it's an easy drive to anything /out/ that I'm interested in. I mostly stick to hiking, my longest ever being 12 miles, so the little "mountains" we have like Baldplate, Sourland, and Tammany are plenty for me.

>>2835946
I live half a mile from city limits and 6 miles from the summit of a 14000' peak (the trail to the top is much longer than that, of course).

>>2836680
These kind of borderlands are the best places to live IMO. You have all the conveniences of town in one direction, and vast wilderness areas in the other.

>>2840122
complete ultrasound machines for medical and hospital use.
it shouldnt be possible to compete internationally making such things in a high cost country like mine, but...
>they have no housing cost or rent
>very low taxes
>cheap electricity
>infrastructure is simple, not The main road but a commonly used alternative runs right outside
>airport 1h drive away
>rural areas always got fast internet years before cities because it was simpler to lay out here
>most people living here have far lower cost of living so wages can be reduced equally
>educated people from all over europe will kill to land a job in such place and live their rural dream among mountains and reindeers
they order much of the plastic parts and components and shiet from china but the engineering, design, electronics, assembly and quality control is all done here.

>>2840363
it's clearly some company keeping the operations there for monetary reasons you made it sound like a small business sigh now i'm dissapointed

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>>2835946
You have paved roads?

>>2836793
>>2836657
How many acres are you working with? It's nice to see someone taking an interest in actively creating mixed forest stands.
I'm working on something similar at the moment as well. I recently got some land that was very sloppily clearcut over several years by a previous owner and left to regen naturally. I actually just got home, but I was working this morning trying to clear out a bunch of sumac and hophornbeam around an old well house. There's a couple hilltops out there with a bunch of 6ish ft oaks including some Blackjack (which is my favorite). Going to burn the lowland parts in the next couple weeks and plant pine to fill in the areas that were just overrun with soft hardwoods. Wish I had pics to share, but I don't live on the property (yet).

>>2835946
>I have a wife
No need to make a whole thread about this shit.

>>2836023
>>2836251
>>2836417
I live in the general vicinity of where you are talking. The area has grown significantly since I moved 10 years ago, and I hate it. Too many people, but there are no good alternatives for medium communities like it.