We own five acres a half a mile away from our home and have thought about having the kids stay in our trailer when they bring their families to visit. But putting in power, septic and drilling would not only cost a lot, it would limit future siting on the land should someone want to build on it later. (Ground maintenance and theft are not isssues here.) Dry camping for a day or two would be more trouble than it's worth, as they could do that on the back of our home's five acres and have easy access to the house for food, toilet, etc.
We briefly considered letting hunters dry camp on it during seasons, but fear the troubles that might lead to would hardly be worth the rent. So all this leads me to the conclusion that I'd rather rent or lease a piece of ground on an annual basis for winter get-away, as we do, and avoid ownership hassles. This way we can have a shed for a fridge, w/d and storage, but not have futher ties should we want to try another area or just want out.
