i would tend to agree with hank. and though i don't have as many land outs as him,the way i've been flying lately im hard on his heels

A few comments about that. i think you are only anxious about off field landings because you haven't done one before. once you've done one (or a few) they become a non issue if you plan ahead properly. they can also be the most fun and interesting landings you make. i'll also concur with hank that you meet some nice folks and get to go for what usually amounts to a pretty drive, with a dinner out thrown in to sweeten the deal.

Lastly--and i don't mean this adversarially-- i would caution you in your attitude towards land-outs. you have to embrace them in order to deal with them. having an engine and not worrying about it until the offhand occurance the engine doesn't start will often mean that you are completely freaked-out, and underprepared for the moment both mentally, and as far as your landing set-up is concerned. again, that was not meant to be adeversarial or condescending.

no offense taken. i don't fear landouts in terms of my ability to execute them safely. however, i don't think anyone would argue that there isn't at least a small increase in risk compared to airport landings. this sport is risky enough, and risk is what keeps some people out of it, i reckon.

i also don't doubt that there are upsides to landouts (camaraderie, etc), but the amount of time that a ground retrieve can take (some are shorter, some are very long) is the main downside. i'm a busy person, and don't look forward to spending long hours dealing with a retrieve and getting home late at night.

i'm a new pilot, so i realize i may have some mis-perceptions about landouts. however, those who are concerned with attracting more pilots to the sport should be aware of how the uninitiated perceive the sport, so hopefully my perspective is helpful in that regard.