Off-Grid 101

Copenhagen’s off-grid tree

With international climate change talks less than a week away, the host city has taken its Christmas tree off-grid with a rack of bicycles powering LED lights.

The traditional Christmas tree in Copenhagen’s City Hall Square will be powered by people, rather than a distant power plant. The square has been equipped with 15 bicycles which, when pedalled, light up the 700 LED bulbs on the tree.

During the summit, organisers say the city hall square will be take on the name “Hopenhagen Live” and become a hub for environmental and cultural activity.

Project manager Stephen Risguard said that a number of bikes are connected to a different section of the tree and if no-one used the cycles, then there would be no power to turn the lights on.…

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Community

Off-Grid questions

Every now and again, I get an email with some great questions, this evening I received such an email from a new ‘net friend, Marcy. She has recently taken the plunge to live completely off-grid. She is starting out in a rather primitive way, much like we did. I found her questions very good and decided I would post the email exchange here. Thanks Marcy, enjoy!…

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Off-Grid 101

Foreclosed? Move to Rio Rancho

Architecturally, the dwellings run the gamut — railroad cars, travel trailers, plywood shacks, doublewides and two-story ranch-style homes.

Here in Rio Rancho outside Albuquerque, residents are beyond the reach of power lines and piped water. A few have solar panels or small wind turbines. For others, like a shanty built by Liz Owens, 57, the cost of renewable power sources and drilling a water well is prohibitive. Generators and plastic water tanks are common yard features.

The local County is concerned about the proliferation of informal development. Sandoval County’s long-term planner said home styles in the area range from railroad cars to travel trailers, plywood shacks and ranch-type homes.…

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Don’t get frustrated – be inspired

We are honored to welcome a serving member of the US Armed forces as our newest regular contributer.

Laurie Tamminen is currently in a theater of war that is featured in the media every day.  Her dream over the next two years is to build herself a new home off the grid.  Here is her first dispatch from the frontline of the off-grid learning curve:

Thinking about building your new home off the grid?

Anyone will tell you that the first time you try something new, it can be frustrating or a flat out failure.  This doesn’t have to be the case when decided to build your new home off-grid.  The first correct decision you made was deciding to build a home that is energy efficient and environmentally friendly.…

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Community

Possum Living-How To Live Well With (Almost) No Money

possum-livingI wish I could say that I had read this book way back when, and that was what inspired me to live my off-grid life… but my earliest inspiration was the Grizzly Adams series. If I had come across Possum Living before now, I know it would have also been a great inspiration for me. It  was written in the 70s by a very smart young lady, Dolly Freed. She and her father lived in a regular house, on a large lot by today’s standard, though small compared to homesteading standards. Neither one worked a regular job, yet they lived a full and enjoyable life.

Dolly wrote the book to document their lives and teach other people how to live a more simple life, unfettered by a 9-5 work week. I was re-inspired and excited to find this video about their life on YouTube. It’s a 3 part video, the second and third should play right after the first.

The book and video are dated, it was written and filmed in the late 70s, but I’m here to tell you that this type of life CAN still be achieved, I’m living proof of that. I was thrilled to find out that a revised version of her book is coming out, it apparently has updated info about Dolly, she is still alive and well. I will say that if you look hard enough, you can find a digital version of her original book to download (it’s out of print) , I have read this, but I look forward to getting the new and improved version coming out this January.

Even if you don’t want to go all the way and live like she did (and like I do now), it’s still good information to have, with today’s uncertainty,  unemployment and underemployment, these are good skills to have to help get you through lean times.

Here is her original book, it’s a bit pricey Possum living: How to live well without a job and with almost no money

Here is a  link for the new revised book, at a much better price Possum Living: How to Live Well Without a Job and with (Almost) No Money




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David de Rothschild loves life off the grid

David de Rothschild has revealed he prefers life off-grid and can’t stand carbon off-setting.  “There is just something more satisfying about living off-grid,” he told me at the launch of the NatGeo control room in London which will be the land HQ for his next great adventure.  “You are much more aware of your resources, managing them …. making decisions about what I can use and when I can use it.

“Especially on an expedition you are really aware that you only have limited resources  – I prefer living off-grid, “ he said.

The aristo-adventurer, and rumored  former boyfriend of Cameron Diaz, is about to set sail on his vessel made from plastic bottles. The Plastiki is a 60-foot catamaran which will be home to David and his crew for an  11,000-mile voyage due to kick off next month, out the Golden Gate and across the Pacific to Sydney Harbor.…

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Community

Getting canned

Canning JarsNo, I’m not talking about your last job… I’m talking about canning. It’s all but becoming a lost art. But it doesn’t have to be a mystery. I read a great article all about canning, this is about the basics, what you will need to get started, how to determine how many canning jars, rings and lids you will need. This is the part that most canning manuals don’t tell you about. Enjoy.…

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How We Went Off-Grid

Order Here How We Went Off-Grid

20 x 8 Ft. Outdoor Storage Shed, Desert Sand

Order Here 20 x 8 Ft. Outdoor Storage Shed, Desert Sand