Off-grid living may look easy on Instagram but this family’s tragic ending tells a different story

Earlier this month, a solo hiker near the Gold Creek Campground made the grim discovery of the bodies of Rebecca Vance, 42; her 14-year-old son; and her sister, Christine Vance, 41, all residents of Colorado Springs.

The mummified remains of a family who attempted to live off-grid were discovered in July in Colorado's Gunnison National Forest. According to NBC News, the family reportedly relied only on YouTube videos.

It's a sad lesson in the dangers of unprepared wilderness living.

According to her stepsister, Trevala Jara, Rebecca Vance got worried about the state of the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. So decided to take her son and live in nature.

The family relied solely on online research and YouTube videos to prepare for their new life, despite family members trying to stop them and pointing out their lack of survival experience.

Believing her presence might help them stay alive, Rebecca's sister Christine decided to join her sister and nephew. 

Jara offered to let the group test their preparedness in the mountain property she and her husband owned, but the sisters insisted they would be fine.

A text message near the end of 2020 was the last time anyone communicated with the group before the aforementioned hiker stumbled across one body outside a zipped-up tent, with two more inside.

Investigators say the family had apparently begun constructing a "lean-to" type shelter but had not completed it before the onset of winter. It seems clear that the tent was their only form of shelter during one of Colorado's harshest winters.

While the Internet often glamorises the idea of off-grid survivalism, the reality is starkly different. Experts in off-grid living suggest securing stable lodging, a generator, and a propane tank.