Can you live rural without a vehicle?

Phil Swindler wrote:For years my uncle gave neighbors rides to work.
They all lived in a community about 30 miles from Wichita and worked in Wichita.
The passengers covered enough of his expenses to make it worth his time to pick them and drop them off.
So, I know it can be done.  Just don't be a parasite.  Make it a symbiotic relationship.

It really does make sense to carpool instead of all driving to the same location. When I did not have my car I tried to coordinate my trips with when other people were doing the same thing. I would always pitch in for gas unless they said not to. If we were going somewhere for the day or a weekend camping etc, I would try to bring surplus food and offer to cook for others as well. I find food makes most people happy during minor inconveniences (like a little extra driving, a crowded car, that kid that pukes out the window, etc.).

Annie Lochte wrote:I used to read a lot of local history and up till the 1950-60's everybody who wasn't well off walked. It was nothing for folks who lived in my area... 50ish miles from either coast... To walk to the coast for some seafood or shell fish. It would be a 2-3 day trip but with just a machete and some dried food they would make the trip once a month or so in the cooler months.... An one elder lady told me she would walk 14 miles to go to church. Passing a couple church's on the way to go to the one of her family's faith. She lived to 96 and was healthy till the end.
So I'd say sure... It can be done. But we've gotten so used to modern conveniences that it sounds outlandish. I do ponder the same question. Id like to ditch my job. Living so far out it costs me quite a bit to keep the job.... But I like having electric, Internet, the ability to pay property taxes and a few extra spending dollars...
A younger me could walk 10 miles in 2-1/2 hours no problem.... And for a while averaged 14 miles a day. But now days I have old injurys that plague my feet, knees.... Makes walks far woman stay closer to home!!! Lol!

I loved hearing of the 96 year old woman being healthy as a horse and walking to her church most of her life!

In grade school one of my classmates lived in the country and didn't have electricity.  All the times I visited him it never really seemed like that big a deal.  They had lanterns, cooked on a wood stove in cool weather, they cooked on a brick fireplace outside in warm weather.  We played outside and had loads of fun.  I'm not sure my life was that much richer having electricity.

As the current posts indicate, it is possible, but there are many variables.  How near are you to a town? Are you talking about being without a vehicle or without a car?  What is your physical condition?  How well developed is your homestead?  What is the potential to have supplies delivered?

So this post is not helpful but...

I married a mechanic...problem solved! ;)



In all seriousness though, like John just mentioned, the variables are numerous and specific to each situation as to whether or not it's a realistic possibility.
I think it comes down to how it effects your quality of life, which is a very personal metric.
People of the past for instance were not somehow hardier or better because they they could live a good life in a rural area without a vehicle; if the social structure around you lends itself to a vehicle-less lifestyle then it makes it so much more feasible to do so. The same applies today.

(I've had a couple jobs, one living rurally and one in the city where I biked about 15km (9 miles) to work, but it was something I was able to do at the time and not something I did during the winter.)