Off-grid, to me, means not depending on the power grid for light, heat, cooking, electricity, or anything else.
I love setting up extended basecamps in places where I depend on my own power, providing all I need to run my lighting, a water pump, keep my food refrigerated, and charge up all my mobile and communication devices and batteries for flashlights, camera gear, and ebike. All while being able to venture out when I want in my van, canoe, or on my bike, knowing everything back at camp is taken care of as far as being powered.
I’ve experimented extensively with a variety of solar solutions, controllers, deep cycle batteries, and charging devices. I’ve worked it out to where as long as I have reliable sources for fresh water and food, whether close to camp or within several miles, I can stay off-grid for about as long as I want.
I don’t mean going without or living in hardscrabble conditions. To be certain, there are adjustments in lifestyle, like being more conscious and conservative in water consumption, for example. I’ll be writing about those adjustments and what I’ve learned along the way.
There are important lessons in living that one can learn when going off-grid. Learning to depend more on renewable energy and less on fossil fuels can be an eye opener. You just have to pay attention to what’s around you while you’re out here.
I’ll be posting about and reviewing the gear I use, lessons learned, and posting how-to pieces on how it all gets put together. As articles and reviews are written on the topics below, they will become active links:
Housekeeping
- Keeping Clean
- Simple Composting Toilet – How To Make Your Own
- Cooking and Washing
- Water Tanks, Water Pumps, Water Heaters and Water Consumption
Alternative Energy
- Adding Solar Power To Your Vehicle Or Off-Grid Set-up
- Solar Panels: To Move Or Not To Move?
- Honda Inverter Generator – product link with reviews
- Deep Cycle Batteries (for solar power storage)
- Solar Powered Charging Blocks/Power Cells
- Solar Powered Lighting
- Inverters
- Charging Mobile Devices
General
- how much lifestyle change is there?
- Ebike: My Sondors X Rescue Bike, Scout, and Pack Mule
- and more. . .
Believe in what I’m doing, want me to keep doing it, and would like to see me expand to publishing and prints? You can help by buying me a couple cups of coffee!
