5 Rural Lifestyle Dangers

America is a vast country, and people in various regions have entirely different lifestyles. For instance, someone living in Appalachia will have an altogether contrary existence to someone who lives in a New York City apartment.

Neither sort of existence is inherently superior to the other. Each has its positives and negatives. While a particular type of person might love the city lifestyle, another might crave the wide-open spaces or the calm that the deep woods provide.

One undeniable thing, though, is that there are dangers you might encounter with each lifestyle. The city dweller might fear adrenaline-fueled taxi drivers and muggers. A rural lifestyle brings with it entirely different threats.

Let’s talk about a few rural lifestyle dangers. If you’re thinking of abandoning the city and moving to a remote location, you should probably have these in mind.

Hunting Accidents

Many individuals who live in the country like owning firearms. They might go hunting for sport, or they may do it to supplement their diet. In many states, hunting is legal, provided you have a permit to do it. It’s a way to keep certain species under control, such as deer populations.

Hunting accidents can be an issue, though. If you are in the woods, and you don’t know that another hunter is there, you two might fire on each other before you realize you’re aiming at a human rather than a deer or turkey. Also, some irresponsible individuals consume alcohol before or during a hunting trip, which makes an accident more likely.

If someone shoots you in a hunting accident, you might decide to bring a lawsuit against them. You can get more info here, but the point is that hunting accidents can be deadly, and if you do move to the country, you should be aware of how often they occur. You can always guard against them by wearing bright clothing when you go hunting, and also, you can stick to your land if you go out after wild game.

Contaminated Water

Some rural communities also have contaminated water issues. In some instances, you might find lead in your drinking water, or copper, chromium, barium, ammonia, aluminum, and many more.

Think about the Flint, Michigan water crisis from a few years ago. That was a smaller city and not a completely rural area, but it seems that contaminated drinking water is something that occurs in many less inhabited regions. It’s something else you should consider if you’re thinking about moving.

You can always add water filters to your home, and you might also buy bottled water. Still, it helps to research an area’s water quality before you decide to go there.

Lack of Nearby Medical Resources

If you live in the country or the woods, there aren’t as many people around. That is precisely why some individuals like it. You can definitely get your peace and quiet if your nearest neighbor is half a mile down the road.

This can work against you, though, if you hurt yourself or if you find that you’re seriously ill. You might need urgent medical attention, but the nearest hospital may be forty-five minutes away.

If this happens, the best you can hope for is to contact the authorities via 911 and hope that they can get to you in time. If your smartphone reception is spotty at best, then you will be in even more danger.

Lack of a Nearby Fire Department

You might also face the same problem if your house catches on fire. You have your solitude, but the nearest fire station could be many miles away.

Realistically, if you have a serious fire on your hands, your house might burn to the ground before they can ever get to it. Your best chance might be to have several fire extinguishers on hand, but if the flames spread quickly before you can fight them, help might not arrive in time. In the city, a fire department is sure to be nearer to you, and their response time will be quicker.

Isolation

Many people move the country because they want to be alone. If you move to a distinctly rural community, that’s precisely what you’ll get.

The ironic thing is that the isolation that some people crave can become their worst enemy. You might enjoy living apart from others for a time, but eventually, you might find yourself going stir crazy. You might even crave some human company so much that your sanity starts to slip.