Offgrid Living

Off grid living- Resources for learning more about it.

To be a genuine off-gridder your home is not connected to electricity from the powergrid and your home does not have access a town or regional water supply. You are without access to community utilities including waste disposal. In the days before the invention of mobile /cell phones, living off grid represented significant social isolation. Traditionally, living off grid meant no connection to power, water or telephone so life off-grid was very tough.
In the 21stCentury, however, living off the grid is a lifestyle choice that can be remarkably comfortable and incredibly rewarding. You can access solar, wind and/or hydro power (and store it in batteries for later use.), Water storage tanks are larger, lighter and easier to install than the concrete or metal tanks of old, Composting toilets are much less trouble than old-fashioned septics. Satellite and wireless technology allows us to communicate with the world.
A better understanding of insulation and home design can reduce our need for heating and cooling.
As an increasing number of people choose to pursue off-grid lifestyles, it is interesting to note that even homes connected to community power and water supplies are beginning to embrace off-grid technology including passive solar home design, solarhot water and solar cooking.Do you live off the grid?

Your home will have more grass and better space area around it to provide your solar panel with sun and also a greater fire break if the bush catvhes alight during summer fire season. Also no shortage of wood in winter. So what are the things you need to move off the grid? Over the years, living off the grid has become more self sufficient with vegetable gardens and orchards. Many families and individuals seeking a mkre sustainable and independent lifestyle have wondered how many individuals do live this kind of lifestyle, there are some important things to know before making the move to live off grid. Well, here are points to live this type of lifetyle and also make the best out of it.

• Start With The Basics:
  Less is more (in the beginning). If you are embarking on a life off the grid start small.Take only what you need to live and then move on to learning tips, tricks and processes suited specifically to what you encounter.You may find only one tip below suits your definition of the basics. Develop according to your needs.Brainstorm a basics list then subtract. Brainstorm more.Subtract more.Repeat until you have an easily attainable minimized list to start a new life.Build your first bug out bag.

• Manual Laundry:
  There are many ways to wash your clothes off the grid. Some hook up regular washers and dryers to their solar power.Others prefer to escape industrial age clothes washing all together and utilize hand crank methods as well as old fashioned scrubbing with a washboard.Hand crank methods can range from a bucket with a hole and a plunger to well crafted authentic designs.There is also the method of simply boiling a giant vat of water over a fire and soaking dirty clothing. For drying clothes nothing beats a clothesline and sun.In winter months, many set up retractable clotheslines or folding devices indoors.

• Storing Solar Power:
  Newcomers to solar power often have no idea how to store power collected from the sun.People tend to assume it is not possible to effectively store up the sun’s energy from the day.Solar power pioneers know the answer can be as simple as a car battery.Running alternate currents from direct solar power and solar power stored on a car battery is the cost effective and reliable way to power a small residence without depending on the grid.Learn more aboutSolar Power here.

*Rocking Out Off The Grid:
.For undiscovered rockstars and environmentally conscious world famous rockstars, as well as musicians of all kinds, creating a dedicated solar power system for musical equipment such as amplifiers is the smart way to go.Rock out off the grid with a stack of car batteries, solar panels and equipment wired for the current.Make some noise in the wild with a rig that doesn’t rely on the status quo for power.

*Rainwater Collection:
Do you know aboutcollecting rainwater?A rainwater collection funnels this valuable resource into environmentally sustainable water use around the home and yard.Landscaping is an excellent way to use rainwater while avoiding the grid’s water supply.Rainwater is also commonly used to supply livestock if you expand intosmall scale livestock farming.A clever and beautiful use for rainwater takes its form as a rain garden which are becoming popular off the grid.Here are two more tips before you get off the grid.