I spent two weeks living in Slab City - an off-grid community with no laws, which is populated by squatters and ex-felons - here's what REALLY goes on in the notorious desert society

A man who spent two weeks living in Slab City - an off-grid community with no laws, which is populated by homeless and jobless squatters, and former felons - has lifted a lid on what really goes on in the notorious society.

Ranger Rick, a filmmaker from Louisiana, has visited a slew of 'abandoned places' across the globe and documented each one for his YouTube channel, where he has racked up more than 137,000 subscribers.

Last month, he headed to a remote area in the Californian desert known as Slab City, which has earned a fierce reputation due to its allegedly dangerous tenants and lack of police force.

But Rick was surprised to find that the area was filled with 'individuals from all walks of life' who, despite most of them having a criminal past, had 'come together to form a tight-knit community that values independence, self-expression, and the pursuit of simple pleasures.'

He described the residents as 'unconventional souls' who bonded over wanting 'an alternative way of life' free from 'societal conventions.'

'Nestled away in the California desert, Slab City is a vibrant and eclectic community where unconventional souls find solace and freedom from societal conventions,' he began in his video.

'Here, individuals from all walks of life come together to form a tight-knit community that values independence, self-expression, and the pursuit of simple pleasures.'

Rick explained that amid the lack of rules and regulations, the residents have learned to 'take matters into their own hands' if someone misbehaves - by setting their trailers ablaze.

'Slab City is definitely not for the faint of heart,' he said. 'You have to earn your stripes around here to stay and live in peace.

'Police rarely come out this way so residents usually take matters into their own hands. If [you do something to anger the community], they'll burn your house down.' 

During his time there, Rick talked to a slew of people who call Slab City their home. One resident, named Kevin, told him, 'There's no police driving around, there's nobody checking on us, but it's a lot safer than you'd think.

'One of the challenges out here is, if you make an enemy, they might come burn your camp down.

'If you're doing something you shouldn't be doing and people want to get rid of you, they burn your camp.' 

Another Slab City tenant, who goes by Agent K, explained, 'We're all mentally wounded, we all have mental problems.

'That's why most people are here. Or some people are here because they can't afford an apartment. Or some are here because they cannot live out there.'

Agent K said he had lived in Slab City for nine years and felt 'totally safe.' 

'Like everywhere else, if you don't keep your things safe and somebody needs or wants something, they're going to take it. But that's everywhere,' he added.

'It's not a bad place. If you have nothing, if you been beaten or abused, if you're a felon, this is the place 'cause we are all felons here. If you cannot live in society, here, we don't give a s**t if you're a felon.'

Rick added that no one 'gives a damn' about your past, 'what you look like,' or your 'social status' - and that all that matters is you 'treat others with respect.' 

'If you pull your own weight around here by helping people out, you become an elder, which means you gain seniority and respect,' he continued. 

'In other words, word gets around very quickly at The Slabs so people stick up for you and watch out for you.' 

Another person who lives in Slab City, named Charlie, revealed, 'If you're a man and want to come here and be a woman, ain't nobody going to give you no hard time about it. 

'You can come here and wear women's clothes, we don't care. We don't care about color, you never hear the n-word here ever. Everybody's welcome to come here, we don't care.'

Located in an abandoned World War II Marine Corps base, about 200 miles from Los Angeles, only about 150 people call Slab City their home year round due to the blazing temperatures (during the summer months, it can get as hot as 120F), severe living conditions and lack of structure.

What does draw people in is the immensely low living cost, as well as the 'freedom' to do what you want. 

'Slab City is known to be the last free place on Earth,' Rick said. 'You are free to do whatever you want [there].'

Another guy, called Dr. Spencer, said he moved to Slab City seven years ago after he retired from his job as an acupuncturist.

'I was tired of the bureaucracy out there - all the rules and regulations and permits,' he shared.

'I got overwhelmed by all of that and I said I want to live in a place where it's as free as you could possibly be. 

'There's no rent, no mortgage, no property taxes, and no building restrictions. It's about the freest place and I've been.' 

According to Rick, people who want to move in simply pick an area that appeals to them, set up their home, and 'define their border with whatever they can find.' 

But the lack of government involvement also means the area doesn't have many vital services.

There's no running water, electricity, or sewages in the community and unfortunately, that means there's also no 'trash pickup' - so mounds of garbage have piled up around the area. 

Rick explained that the people have 'adapted' by becoming completely 'self-sufficient.' 

'It really does remind you of something out of a post-apocalyptic world where you literally have to start from scratch,' he reflected of Slab City.

'This lifestyle isn't for everyone. Most modern-day people would be lost out here because most people wouldn't even know what to do first.

'It's all about adapting, being self-sufficient, how good you are with your skills to start over and survive.'

He said most of the people of Slab City live in old and run-down trailers and use anything they can find as furniture - turning old tires into chairs and transforming a beer keg into a cooking pot.

Money is pretty much non-existent there and most people survive off 'donations.' 

One guy in town, who refers to himself as Water Boy, runs a soup kitchen out of an RV, which is where the residents get most of their meals.

Water Boy told Rick that he received the ingredients from nearby food pantries, cooks dishes on a propane gas stove, and hands them out to others in town.

'You can think of Water Boy as being the caretaker for everyone here at The Slabs, or I guess you can call him the town chef,' Rick explained. 

'He does it out of the good of his own heart, because it makes him feel good to take care of everyone else.' 

Water Boy revealed that he had an extremely rough childhood, and recalled living on the 'streets' from a young age. 

He said he went through periods where he was starving, which is why he now makes sure that everyone in town gets fed.

'I've been hungry. I was a kid on the streets, I was in group homes, foster care. I've been really, really hungry,' he said.

Most Slab City residents don't have cars, cell phones, internet, or cable. So what do they do for fun? 

Many are fiercely passionate about art, using other people's trash as their tools.

'A lot of people here are involved in art, they go through the trash and collect things that can potentially be reused in their art,' Kevin explained. 

'A lot of the camps are made out of everything you can find, you know, bad pieces and bicycles. Everything kind of gets repurposed.'

In the town, there's also a library with donated books and magazines, a bar that usually has live performances from the tenants, and a skate part.

There's one internet café where residents can go to use Wi-Fi if they need it, but many are uninterested in the web.

One resident named Dot, a former computer programmer, explained that she moved to the area after growing 'sick and tired of all the hustle and bustle' that came with 'living the city life.'

Dot explained that she loves to collect 'road kill animal carcasses,' which she turns into 'immersion style art pieces.'

And what she loves about living in Slab City is that she doesn't face any judgement over her 'weird' obsession with the dead animals. 

'I look at things a little bit differently from other people,' she admitted to Rick. 'And [here], people are starting to appreciate it.

'I think that's probably my favorite thing, like, getting this voice that I didn't even think anyone wanted to listen to.' 

When asked about the downsides to residing in Slab City, she said she hated the 'judgment' that the residents faced from the outside world. 

'People think the people that live here are less. Everyone who lives here is looked down on,' she said. 

'No one who lives here is looked at from the outside as a fine upstanding citizen and a lot of us actually are. 

'I would just like people to stop being so judgmental about everybody else and realize that everyone is a human being, every single one of us has our own little things that we to deal with.'

Dot's best friend Magda hasn't officially moved to Slab City but she comes to visit almost every weekend.

'I felt like I was suffocating in LA. I heard about Slab City so I showed up here in 2017 and I felt energy and excitement on a [new] level, it's so much fun,' she explained, when asked why she loved to spend time there.

'Nobody gives a f**k what you drive, who you know, how many followers you have. You're stripped away of everything.

'It's so good, you're stripped free of any f**king anxiety or any [pressure] of like what you're supposed to act like or be like. Nobody gives a f**k, that's what I love.'

Tourists can take a trip to Slab City if they want, as some residents own extra trailers that they list on Airbnb. Costs range from about $18 a night to $40 a night.

The accommodations offered include a 'single bed open to the sky, walled in with stacked hay bales,' 'primitive campsites' where you can either 'bring your own tent or borrow one of theirs,' or RVs.

One listing promises: 'There is a solar powered shower and two [Porta Potty] toilets available on the property as well as a community kitchen for cooking.'

'I came to Slab City because I was curious, and I ended up making lots of friends,' Rick concluded in his video.

'Hidden away from the prying eyes of society, this quirky community is a refuge for those seeking an alternative way of life. 

'Among its inhabitants were people with stories as diverse and misunderstood as the land they call home. 

'With colorful murals adoring the walls, Slab City is a place where I can truly be myself and live life on my own terms surrounded by a community of like-minded people who embrace all people and celebrate the beauty of simplicity. 

'It fosters a sense of belonging and acceptance, making it truly feel like I'm home.'