Best 5 Tips for Living Off Grid

Living off grid

Guest blogger post: This post was written by Helen over at Simple Homesteading. She has lived off the grid for 9 years and I am thrilled she shares her experience with us!

Let’s start by defining what off grid living is. It is defined differently by different people.

Google returns many different definitions and this could be the subject of a long discussion or
debate. I am a realist, so I am taking a pragmatic approach to its definition.

Realistically I don’t think many people are going to move out beyond any form of civilization and
retire to the woods or wilderness forever. Some will, but others will want to stay connected in
some way.

At some stage, most people will need to make contact with civilization, either going to town to buy supplies or attending a medical appointment, or even a hospital for life-saving treatment.

Personally, I think the notion of moving out beyond society permanently is a bit of a pipe dream for the extreme introverts amongst us (believe me I am an introvert and some days I’d like to just go to the forest and stay there for a good while).

I believe that off-grid living can incorporate many practices and skills that reduce your carbon footprint, and your impact on the planet and reduce your reliance on mainstream culture, social systems, and the regulatory bodies of your place and situation. Being more self-reliant and less addicted to the “system” can provide a level of freedom not afforded otherwise.

So here are my top tips for realistically and practically living off the grid and getting away from the need for the system, even if just in some small ways. Start with one that you think is achievable and when you have that mastered, try another one. This is not an exhaustive list, but it does include some easy-to-adopt practices with skills that can be learned from YouTube.

This post may contain affiliate links at no cost to you. Read my very boring disclosure for more information.

This is a pinnable post. Tap or hover over any image in this post to pin to your Pinterest Boards.

1. Use Passive Heating and Cooling Wherever Possible

If you are fortunate enough to be able to design and potentially build your own home make sure you have plenty of access to the sun – your windows should face the equator, so if you are in the northern hemisphere, your living areas and large windows should face south, and if you are in the southern hemisphere, they should face north.

Use wide eaves to stop the mid-summer sun beating on your windows and then in winter the sun, which will be lower in the sky, will stream in through your windows, passively heating your living areas. Tiles or other masonry-type products (e.g. bricks or stone walls) will absorb the heat and radiate it back out at night when the sun goes down, providing more warmth to the room.

Those big windows can be shaded with deciduous trees, which will protect the windows in summer from heat and direct sun and will allow access to sunlight in winter.

Use heavy curtains to block out summer heat and help retain winter heat from indoor fires.
Site some smaller windows facing away from the equator so you can catch cooling breezes in
summer and try to avoid having any western-facing windows – that way the house will be protected from the hottest afternoon sun.

2. Grow Your Own Food

Growing your own food is key to living off grid. The more you can grow the less reliance you will
have on supermarkets and other external food growers. Start with one type of vegetable or fruit, grow that then add to your skills during the next season by growing something else. Think carefully about which types of food you and your family like to eat and grow those things if you possibly can.

You will eat with the seasons, using what is in abundance at any time to create meals for yourself. Or you may learn to preserve food, whether by canning, fermenting, pickling, dehydrating, or freezing to lengthen its useful life. These are all skills that can be learned and the internet is full of recipes and how-tos for each of these preserving techniques.

You may also find that if you have a glut of something you can use it to barter in exchange for something else. Got loads of zucchinis? Why not make some delicious pickles and offer them in exchange for some help with something else around the place? Or sell them to friends and
neighbors for a little cash.

3. Use Solar-Powered Energy

Use solar-powered energy and run electrical appliances during the day while the sun is shining
Installing solar panels with batteries is a definite yes if you are serious about living off grid. It allows you to reduce your reliance on electricity companies and it has the added benefit of reducing your cost of living. Learning to live with off-grid solar can take some time and changes. No longer will you run the dishwasher (if you have one) overnight, you’ll do it during the day when the sun is shining.

You’ll get used to noticing if it is overcast, rainy, or sunny too, and learn to adjust your behavior
accordingly.

On overcast days, boil the kettle on the wood stove, rather than putting on the electric kettle. It might be slower but it can become a part of your daily ritual or you can use the time waiting for the kettle to boil to wash the dishes, or write in your garden planner.

After nightfall, you can enjoy reading a book, writing, journaling, drawing, or doing other activities, which don’t require much electricity. Try installing LED lights to light your house as these are low-energy
solutions.

4. Live In Sync with the Seasons

Living with the seasons and the weather can be extraordinarily wonderful, taking your cue from
nature and allowing it to dictate how you spend your day is quite relaxing.

A rainy day can be fully enjoyed with “inside” jobs, perhaps sewing or crafting, practicing music or yoga, catching up on your reading, or writing letters.

A sunny day calls you outside to the garden, to grow food, talk to the chooks, or simply wander
through nature and recharge your vitamin D.

Put on a jumper before you light the fire and adjust your activity on really hot days in order to stay cool. Perhaps these are the days for those quiet indoor jobs. On cold days go outside and do
something physical, like chopping wood, gathering kindling, digging over garden beds, or digging up potatoes.

5. Buy Low or No-Energy Appliances

When purchasing new appliances or equipment look for those which have low energy consumption. They are out there, but you often need to ask.

For example, most toasters use around 2000W to cook 2 pieces of toast – when you are off grid that is a lot of energy and can seem like an indulgence. I recently found a toaster that only draws 750W to cook toast and I only use it on sunny days when our solar panels are generating good amounts of energy. And it is such a treat when you can’t have it all the time!

Consider manual appliances too – try making a solar dehydrator, a manual toothbrush, not using a microwave (I don’t even own one), a stovetop coffee percolator, rather than a waste-generating, energy-demanding pod machine or hanging your clothes outside on a clothesline to dry on sunny days.

Try using a fan before you turn on the air-conditioner – it will cool you down nicely most days and some ceiling fans can be reversed so that they push hot air down in winter, keeping you warmer with less fuel or energy consumption for heating.

There are lots of alternatives out there – the trick is not to accept the standard appliance or
approach, but to use some creative thinking, look further, and find new ways of achieving the same
outcomes.

There are lots of ways you can start small and make an impact on the way you live, even if you are still connected to the mainstream energy providers and part of general society. Choosing to live off grid is a big commitment.

Why not start learning and practicing some of these things before you need them? That way if and when you do move to a fully off grid lifestyle you will be prepared and the transition will be
smoother and easier. And in the meantime, you will most likely save on your energy bills, and have fun learning new skills and sharing your food and abilities with others.