Off Grid Living News

Off Grid Shower Options

personal hygiene and sanitation Nov 10, 2020

In recent years the interest in living off the grid has grown. While many people express interest, few people actually take the big step of living off grid. Perhaps one of the reasons is that so few people know how to take care of life’s basic necessities while living off grid. One of the biggest necessities is of course staying clean. Consequently, the focus of this post is off grid shower options and how to stay clean.

I’ve lived off the grid for the last 20 years. Admittedly my initial attempts at staying clean were not very successful. But during that time, I experimented with various options for an off grid shower. Therefore, in this post, I go through all of those options and explain from personal experience the pros and cons of each method.

Off Grid Shower Option #1

A simple gravity fed off grid shower is by far the easiest and less expensive option. Besides, all you need is a container of water in an elevated position. A...

Off Grid Water Systems: Five Realistic Options

off grid living water supply Nov 10, 2020

When it comes to living off the grid, water should be one of your major priorities. In fact, much of your off grid lifestyle will be dictated by the availability of water. Additionally, you may find the perfect piece of property for the homestead except for access to water. Since water is such an important resource, the point of this post is to explore several options for off grid water systems.

City Water: Not really an off grid water system

There are numerous rural properties that I’ve seen that are perfect for a homestead and those properties include access to city water. Now I do understand that one of the biggest reasons that most of us homestead or live off the grid is that we value our personal freedom. Consequently, hooking up the local infrastructure may be the last thing on your mind. Besides, you may feel as if this is not even being off the grid at all.

However, if you choose to take advantage of this option, I strongly recommend having another...

Having an Off Grid Home: Five Realistic Options

off grid land and shelter off grid living Nov 10, 2020

Over the years that I’ve lived off grid, the general attitude about my lifestyle has changed from “Are you freakin’ crazy?” to “I really want to try that!” But, even though more people want to try the off grid life, most people are faced with not knowing exactly where to start. Additionally, people are intimidated about what type of off grid home to build. These concerns are typically centered around cost and functionality.

Speaking of functionality, an internet search for “alternative housing”, “mobile housing options”, or “temporary housing options” quickly brings up with some very interesting and unique options for an off grid home. I will admit that these “unique” options are interesting and fun to learn about. However, they are not very viable as far as a long-term living situation.

Consequently, in this post, I cover five realistic options for an off...

Living Off Grid: Four Realistic Options

off grid land and shelter off grid living Nov 10, 2020

It seems that in recent years there is an increased interest in living off grid. Although a lot of people think about this type of lifestyle, most never take the first step. Perhaps this is due to most people either not knowing where to start or what their options may be. In this article, I discuss four realistic options for living off grid. The possibilities are endless and it truly depends on how far you want to stretch your comfort level.

Four Realistic Options for Living Off Grid

Off-Grid Ready

What I have discovered is that there are many more people comfortable with what I call being “off-grid ready” as opposed to living off grid and being completely independent.

Being “off-grid ready” simply means being prepared for when the grid goes down for days to weeks. We have all heard numerous news accounts of when a major storm takes down the grid and many people are forced to live off grid without choice, albeit temporary.

...

Building an Off Grid Home. What are the Major Concerns?

off grid land and shelter off grid living Nov 10, 2020

More and more people these days are thinking about living off the grid. If you are one of those, you have do doubt spent some time day dreaming about having the perfect piece of property with a cabin in the middle of the forest. Other than finding land to purchase for the homestead, perhaps the next biggest decision is what type of off grid home to build. There are a number of things that will effect this decision. Consequently, before reaching for your tools or your wallet, consider the following factors before building your off grid home.

Important Considerations Before Building an Off Grid Home

AVAILABLE FINANCES

If you have plenty of money available, then perhaps your options for building an off grid home are limitless. Paying cash for something may not be a problem. This is of course the best way to make sure you have limited debt or you stay completely out of debt. However, the average person cannot pay cash for a home....

How to Maintain a Safe Water Supply

essential skills water supply Nov 10, 2020

Because water is a basic need you simply cannot live without, maintaining a safe water supply is essential. It is one of the most important elements for being self sufficient. Most healthy adults can survive about three to four weeks without food. However, you can only last 3 to 4 days without water.

Besides, in order to be properly prepared for an emergency situation, you must always have access to a safe water supply. For example, during a major flood event, well water, rivers, streams, lakes and ponds can become contaminated. That contamination can be in the form of chemicals, human sewage, livestock waste, as well as many other potential toxins. Consequently, best practice dictates being completely independent of any sort of infrastructure.

Furthermore, even if you are connected to the public infrastructure, this is no guarantee of a safe water supply. The reason is that during a natural disaster it is common for the public infrastructure to be...

How to Start Your Food Storage Plan

food storage self sufficiency survival Nov 10, 2020

It just makes sense to have extra groceries around the house. Those extra supplies will be useful in the event of a disaster or any other unexpected events that just seem to be a part of life. Consequently, it is important have a food storage plan. Besides, it is an easy first step toward self reliance and becomes especially valuable in an emergency situation.

I grew up with two working farms in the family. We always had a large walk-in closet that was well stocked with home canned goods, extra dry goods, and other basic supplies. This was a normal part of being self sufficient. In my opinion, it is similar to having an insurance policy.

In our modern age most people have either lost the desire or simply do not even see the need to have a food storage plan. However, such a plan is one of the most basic and easy steps toward self reliance. Simply consider what happens to millions of people every time there is a...

How to Improve Your Homestead Skills

essential skills Nov 10, 2020

Many people that I’ve met that live a self sufficient lifestyle are motivated, flexible, self-starters. They are hardy do-it-yourself types, critical thinkers, and problem solvers. This is because being able to manage your own resources and provide most of your daily needs actually requires a considerable amount of skill and knowledge. Perhaps this is one of the things that intimidates most people and holds them back from starting this type of lifestyle. Fortunately, there are several options to improve your homestead skills. That is the focus of this post.

What if you had to build you own house? Provide your own electricity? Repair your roof? Build a shed? Install your own water purification system? Grow your own vegetables? Provide your own source of meat? What if you had an important project to complete,hiring someone was not an option, and you had no idea where to start? Could you figure it out?

If you are not accustomed to this...

10 Ways to Test Drive the Off Grid Life Before You Commit

off grid living personal lifestyle Nov 10, 2020

Just like anything else, many people talk about the off grid life and being self sufficient but never actually do anything about it. Perhaps this is related to fearfulness or lack of knowledge. Most likely it is also related to not knowing where to start and the uncertainty of whether or not it is the right decision.

Growing up with two working farms in the family certainly taught me a lot about self sufficiency. I truly was not something we talked about. It was simply the way we lived. Despite my childhood experiences, nothing really prepared me for living completely off the grid. I committed to the idea and just did it without any forethought or planning. This is more that most people would do. So, if you are uncertain about this lifestyle then you should appreciate this discussion about ways to test drive the off grid life before you commit.

Living off the grid and being self sufficient is certainly a deviation from mainstream society....

The People Who Live Off the Grid

off grid living personal lifestyle Nov 10, 2020

In other posts I have talked briefly about finding other people that live off the grid and forming friendships with them. Interactions with these folks can be helpful in order to get an idea if off grid living is really for you and your family. But, you may be asking “Who are the people that live off the grid?”

I have also discussed looking at your personal relationships and making certain that your partner is in agreement about living off the grid. This type of lifestyle is not for everyone so you absolutely need to be in agreement concerning this matter. Make sure that everyone involved truly wants to live off the grid.

That being said, let’s take a look at the type of people who actually live off the grid.

The People Who Live Off the Grid

Many people who live off the grid tend to like their privacy. This of course makes it difficult to gather a lot of information concerning specific demographics. However, by doing...

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Patrick

Sustainable Living Expert

Author

Having grown up with 2 working farms in the family, I was active outside from a young age. I have lived off the grid for over 20 years and still going strong. I would love to teach you the skills of sustainable living and all else that is needed for you to be secure in managing your own resources.

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