There are a lot of homesteaders out there. I can see why dudes like it, they're trying to hide their puss from Chad and Tyrone in the city. Preppers and survivalist channels exploded in popularity, and now they're selling knives and snap frozen food.
I once chatted with someone who claimed to be off the grid. He was bragging how he had $30K of solar panels, and when I pointed out the cost, he said he made $200/hour. So he was plugged into the matrix more than an average pleb.
Its one thing doing the homesteading thing when stores and infrastructure still exist. Its another when one really is on their own. Some things a person, or even a group of people, just arent going to be able to make. While not a life or death thing, I find being able to purchase toilet paper a nice feature.
It takes a generation to become self sufficient. Too slow for most but many will try. There will be shops even in the event of absolute collapse.
Crypto has more flexibility. Better way to escape government reach IMO. Most governments are not trying too hard. People show resilience but only when the situation is really bad.
