A Country Boy Can Survive: Living Off the Grid

[Bort]

Given the recent cold snap, I'm pretty fed up with depending on others for power, water, and food. I'm curious if anyone has any experience going off the grid or at least depending on it as little as possible?

I figure this could be a forum to discuss generators, solar, wind, water collection, wood burning ovens, stoves, fireplaces, etc.

Being a bowhunting site, I'd be disappointed if we also didn't discuss hunting game year round (exotics), gardening, canning, jarring, etc.

Anybody care to share their knowledge or experiences?

[Bort]

Some good info on rainwater harvesting

https://www.twdb.texas.gov/publications/brochures/conservation/doc/RainwaterHarvestingManual_3rdedition.pdf

[Johnny44]

Yes, and it’s doable more now than ever. And, when Elon Musk’s sat internet finishes beta testing and becomes available I’ll be jumping on that too.

First thing to remember is everything has a price but independence is the goal. You aren’t gonna set up a kick butt solar system for free, it has a life span, and requires maintenance.
In other words, you’ll still have a “power bill”, but not to “they”

Second thing to remember is live smaller unless you are ready to dump a BUNCH or money.

https://www.cnet.com/how-to/starlink-explained-what-to-know-about-elon-musk-satellite-internet-venture/

I also have been moving to Delta1300’s and well am well pleased. I wish it had double the capacity but the recharge times are no joke.

https://ecoflow.com/collections/portable-power-station/products/ecoflow-delta-power-station

Third World Nation.

My goal has always been to walk out of step with the “world”, I was taught this from the Word of God. For some reason God has put me in some of the worst natural disasters and wars worldwide, and all I can do is chuckle at this point.

[db@100]

I have a friend with a large home in N.M. Off grid except for propane to cook, heat water, and a back-up generator. He uses solar.

[KactusKiller]

If it wasn't for wife and kids I'd be 80-90% off grid. My wife ain't about that lifestyle tho so I keep it on the back burner for emergencies.

[PlanoDano]

When I was young we were semi-offline when we stayed on the ranch. Propane was hauled and kept in a large tank behind the house. We caught water but had to have water delivered and stored in the cistern where we drew it from a bucket. REA put electricity to ranch in the early 60s but house was not completely wired so coal oil lanterns were used. Cook stove was propane. We had a heating stove that was kept in the living room that ran off of propane. We did not run the heating stove at night. I always had the job of getting up and lighting the stove. That was the old way.

but

I visited the Earthship between Taos and Tres Piedras. It looks like they have much improved methods of living with little support.

[Monark]

If you have a propane tank, a backup generator, ability to haul water in, quit fooling yourself thinking you are off "grid".

[jds247]

I'm never gonna be off grid but I do try to plan for 2 or 3 weeks without utilities. I'm going back to a well and septic this year because the mud Co op is so unreliable. I have a back up generator for my big generator.

[Johnny44]

There are different levels of “off the grid” thats why I prefer to say “out of step”.

I’m not really into making my own candles or soap when 50 bucks of big jugs of dish washing liquid will last me the rest of my days. I wash everything with that stuff.

“Hauling water” is a whole nuther zample. You can use galvanized pales or a truck with a tank.

[txhunt7]

If it wasn't for wife and kids I'd be 80-90% off grid. My wife ain't about that lifestyle tho so I keep it on the back burner for emergencies.

Every time something happens my wifes moves a little more closer to my way of thinking. After this event, she's pointing me to the generators

[Johnny44]

Every time something happens my wifes moves a little more closer to my way of thinking. After this event, she's pointing me to the generators

You gotta do things from a different angle. I can spend tens of thousands $$$ as long as it keeps her Keurig working.

[PlanoDano]

If you have a propane tank, a backup generator, ability to haul water in, quit fooling yourself thinking you are off "grid".

You are right of course which is the reason I said semi off-line. There were old houses in that area which were completely off line complete with a wood cook stove but I do not know of anyone who lived in these houses since the early 50s. Water was still hauled, no real way around it in West Texas in fact I know sometimes water was hauled via horse drawn wagon but was before my time.

Besides water it would still be easier to live there than some of the less fortunate metropolitan areas I have been in. You would be very surprised how much of the world where plumbing is not common. Don't step in the ditch/

[Draco]

I have always had a wood burning stove. I put one in my house the week before we got married. The second house we built was built around that same stove as will the one we are about to build. I built an oven that sits on top of it to cook in. I've had a 24,000 gallon rain water collection system for 30 years. The pantry in the new house will be twice as big as the huge one we had in the last house, this one big enough for a years supply of food.

We are living in quarters I built in one end of what will be my shop. I have had no lines freeze and being with out electricity for days really didn't bother us at all.

I just like being prepared.

[Bowanta]

Times like what we recently went through proves to me that I could do it. No Power and very limited water. Luckily I have Roughed It enough for weeks at a time that it is all good. Cowboy Coffee in the morning and worse case scenario I could have cooked over the fireplace.
It comforts my wife knowing that I can cook and take care of her with limited resources available. As long as I have some meat available We WILL have something to eat. It is really mind over matter and you realize that modern day comforts are kinda over rated. Sometimes LESS really IS MORE..

[chicken fried]

We didn’t have many problems this freeze but for the past couple of years I’ve been putting a list together for my next house. Big rain catch, some solar, barndo, water utilities on the south side with access to the sun(less freezing), not very high ceilings and nothing over 2200 ft of living space.
Back up generator.

I’m getting more ideas from y’all’s post.