[Clinging Bitterly]

Half the battle I think for anyone who wants a piece of heaven is a good water supply. At the old farm at Vida there was a year round spring uphill from the residence, so there was a tank just below the spring and a pipe from there down to the cabin. No pump, no power. A year round stream will do if you have access to the water far enough upstream, but more likely to need seasonal major repairs due to flooding. Passive solar heat will give you all the heat you want forever but you need to build in your thermal storage mass & design the rest of the house around it. Great if you have the right exposure. Supplement with whatever fuel is easiest to get. Our place at Isom Kentucky had coal in the hillside right out back, so that's what we burned there. Not many folks have their very own coal mine though. If you don't want to rely on society it'll probably be wood. If your actuary says you don't have enough of it you'll need to be growing some. Food is soil plus water, plus sweat times acres. It helps to really like chicken. It needs no refrigeration and it eats pesky bugs until you are ready to eat it. Electricity is usually not necessary to stay alive so you just decide what you can afford and build it. Use all you make or you spent too much. If you have more of something than you want, give it to your neighbors.

[Karliner]

We have a church program that helps dig fresh water wells in very bad areas....no wells= no life...one can start from there. I agree on your post.
Warmth in cold areas is the number 2 problem....have to cook and right along with it is the soil able to care for cattle, sheep, trees...any kind of fuel and food....trading is pretty much necessary and helpful.