Category — OFF-GRID 101

As the housing crisis continues to inflict havoc on families across the USA and Europe, the option of living in a vehicle is sometimes the only one available.

For a good, reliable intro, check out Roll Your Own: The Complete Guide to Living in a Truck, Bus, Van, or Camper.

Matt Howe’s web guide to Van living is refreshingly practical.

His key advice: stay organized. “Nothing is more frustrating than trying to find something you desperately need and not being able to because your van is a mess.”

A YouTube film features a guy who lives in a Walmart parking lot going over the details of his van conversion, from carpets to extra lights.

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LaMar's off grid cabin

I just love learning how other people live off grid, especially when they are doing it in a very similar way to how I live. LaMar Alexander has done all of this and more, we may be in different places, but we both started out with small and simple systems, cobbling together this and that, building an independent life one piece at a time.
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Hidden away in UK woodland, a new subculture

Until now the idea of preparing for the coming collapse in the UK was seen as faintly crazy, a bit like  believing the Mayan prophecy of doom in December 2012.

But sites like post-apocalypse.co.uk, and companies like Emergency Food Storage in Leeds  and B Prep in London are reporting sales increasing 10-fold in a year,  as Brits get ready for the collapse of the Euro and an almighty recession.

Ordinary families are storing cash, fuel, food and household products  in anticipation of a calamitous disruption to everyday life. (more…)

First of all I would like to apologize for such a long time between posts. About ten months have gone by with a huge learning curve. Many of my original plans had to be updated or changed.
As far as the original plans for the building everything went well. We built a single room that was almost 500 square feet. We purchased a carport and closed it in with sheet metal. We have almost six inches of ridged insulation.
I have attached a few pictures of the progress. The best addition is the front porch. We can sit for hours and just look at the river and the area around us. (more…)

Keep talking, texting tweeting in the boonies

The much-maligned Blackberry has emerged as the best phone for off-grid users.

Although Blackberry customers were left without a service for days earlier this year, the phone is way ahead of current competitors when it comes to battery life, the key factor for those generating their own power.

The longer battery life comes about because the phone draws less power than Android or iPhone models. Although that does not solve the problem of getting a signal in remote locations. (more…)

Free heat if you scavenge wood

As we worry about the cost of heating our homes this winter, a wood burning stove is an increasingly attractive option.  Be prepared to spend money on a high quality product.

Avoid cheap Chinese imports. And householders should know the dangers of trying to install a wood burning stove themselves

As energy companies announce another hike in fuel prices, many will be thinking about cost effective ways to keep warm. Chinese imports combined with DIY installation could prove a lethal combination.

Tristan Johnston, product development engineer at Broseley Fires, said: “it is not worth putting lives at risk by skimping on the cost of installation or buying a stove on an internet auction site that doesn’t meet stringent safety standards.” The company has seen an increasing number of cheap stoves with false safety markings. More alarmingly, many people think they can install the stove themselves or with the help of a friend.”

Why are stoves so popular? There are four main reasons: (more…)

USF prof. making the off-grid world a better place

University of San Francisco professor Sami Rollins thinks better tools could be developed to help people living in off-grid homes — and she’s on a course to create those tools.

It’s one thing for a homeowner to be interested in knowing how much power their solar panels are producing when their home is tied to the grid — because whenever the solar power runs out, there’s electricity for the grid to pick up the slack. But if solar panels are the only means a homeowner has of turning on lamps or a television or running a dishwasher, knowing how much power is being produced is imperative. (more…)

Better than bank finance

Great article by Merlyn Seeley on Examiner.com about the wide range of ways you can make money if you are lucky enough to have a patch of good quality land. Especially off-grid land.

He points out that just buying the land is he hardest part – everything else is the reward.  Also that the more land you own the easier it is to make money from it.

One thing he does not mention is renting it out.  In normal circumstances, its probably the last thing to consider, but if you are desperate for money now, then perhaps its the first thing to consider.  You could even rent it to a solar power company which could place its panels there and harvest electricity.  If you have some cash yourself you could generate your own power and sell it to neighbors – undercutting the Utilities.

Anyway, here are some of Merlyn’s suggestions: (more…)

In the right location, street light can be cost effective

Looking for ways to lower your utility bills or maybe just reduce your electricity consumption if your power is from sun or wind?

Lowering the amount of power you use to light your home is one place to start.

About 20 per cent of your monthly energy usage goes toward illuminating your home. Slashing that bill takes a little more effort than simply turning off the lights.

Here are seven tips to help you cut your lighting costs and make instant savings.

1 Pick the best bulb: There are more energy efficient light bulbs to choose from than ever. Start by migrating to more efficient bulbs as your old ones burn out. Newer bulbs can outlast traditional ones by up to 10 times and can save you up to 75 per cent in lighting costs. (more…)