Living in Port Protection, like the stars of Port Protection Alaska, is not always easy – but that does not mean that it is impossible.
National Geographic’s extreme survival show, Port Protection Alaska (sometime referred to as Lawless Island) has been documenting the lives, trials and tribulations of the residents of Port Protection – a small, census-designated place in the northern-most part of the Prince of Wales islands – for almost a decade.
How to move to Port Protection
And while space in this quaint community is rather limited, with only about 40 full-time residents – there are no official rules about who can and cannot live in Port Protection.
As many of the Port Protection Alaska cast members have shown us throughout the years, as long as you have the money to purchase a home in Port Protection, the means to get to there, and the grit to survive there – life in Port Protection should be right within your grasp.
Catching up on the Port Protection action
Until you make it out to the real-life Port Protection, you will have to live vicariously through the area’s residents.
The most recent season of Port Protection Alaska has just finished airing, but if you really want to get a glimpse of life off-the-grid, you may want to re-watch the show from the beginning.
All in all, Port Protection Alaska can be summarized as follows:
| Detail | Description |
| Series premiere | “Between Water and Wolves” |
| Most recent episode | “Don’t Look Back” |
| Episodes | Over 75 |
| Seasons | 9 |
| Availability | New episodes of Port Protection Alaska air live on National Geographic, but some episodes are also on Hulu, Disney+, Max, Vudu, Amazon Prime Video, iTunes, Apple TV and more |
Port Protection Alaska: Who is (and is not) still living in Port Protection
Is living in Port Protection just as the show portrays?
Finding the line between reality and reality television can be difficult, especially in a documentary-style show like Port Protection Alaska.
What you often do not see on the show is that this small community boasts its own trading post, an extensive boardwalk, and a school. Residents can even arrange Amazon deliveries for non-perishable goods.
However, real-life and full-time Port Protection resident, Gregg Dockweiler, confirmed in a 2016 interview with Craig Donofrio that the show portrays life in this quaint community fairly accurately.
According to what Dockweiler shared about his Port Protection experience, everything from the whales swimming near the docks, the tumultuous weather, and the unpredictable tides, to the community’s self-reliance for things like fish, firewood and even beer – is accurate to his real-life experience living off-the-grid in this area.
Also read: How the Port Protection Alaska stars earn a living
Living in Port Protection comes with its own set of challenges
Rowing next to the wales and sipping your own home-brewed beer certainly does not sound all that bad. But if you are an avid Port Protection Alaska viewer, you will already know that this life comes with its own set of unique challenges.
As the Port Protection Alaska stars have warned us in the past, living and surviving in Port Protection requires a great deal of physical strength and general endurance.
You will need to be an avid hunter or fisherman if you want to ensure that you always have something to eat when the weather gets colder in this region.
Not to mention that you will need to complete any and all maintenance work on your home, boat and equipment, yourself.
Port Protection’s remote location also poses a few unique challenges. For a start, Port Protection is only accessible by boat or plane (there is a logging road between Craig and Port Protection, but travelling this way can take about four hours).
This means that general groceries, materials and supplies are often in short supply – and can be quite expensive.
You will also need to carefully consider what life will be like away from friends and family, before you decide to move to Port Protection full time.
Visiting Port Protection
Moving to Port Protection is a big decision, and like all big life-changing decisions, it may be safest to take things one step at a time.
Before you (or anyone you love) decide to start shopping around for homes in Port Protection, you may want to visit this community and see how things go first. In fact, a ‘quick visit’ is how many of the current Port Protection residents ended up falling in love with this area.
A trip to Port Protection is always best-planned during the summer months when the air is less frigid and most of the area’s amenities are available to curious visitors.
There are several lodges and rentals available for in and near the Port Protection area. And visitors to the area can entertain themselves with fishing charters, a visit to the “Stairway to Heaven”, or a simple stroll around the beautiful landscape.
Want to live like the stars of Port Protection Alaska? – What you need to know
