All you need to go off-grid

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Vehicle living
Vehicle living

Delivery Van to RV for £6000

RV conversionThe ordinary-looking blue van has a chimney protruding from the roof.
This leads down to a wood burner in the former window-glazing truck, which a pair of university graduates have converted into an RV.

Stuart Humphreys, 24, and Claire Bragg, 25, from Leeds spent just over £6,000 and two years transforming their second-hand van into what will be their home while they travel around Europe.

FROM TRANSIT VAN TO RV – COST…

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July 22, 2014 1 Comment
Vehicle living

Off the Grid and On the Cloud

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Why do we have the slogan “off the grid and on the cloud?”

Because we advocate combining ancient wisdom with the latest technology.

It’s great to be on your mountain hauling your own water to your homestead and chopping logs. Its also good to be able to earn a living on the net to support your eco-lifestyle.…

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July 16, 2014 No Comments

Gear you need in your bug-out location

Imagine the collapse of society because there is an extreme weather event or the Chinese economy implodes bringing down the global system

No reason for you to suffer a moment’s discomfort with this list of handy gadgets to keep in your bug-out bag.

Fend for Yourself Related

1. Medical Kit

What: Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight/WaterTight 7 Medical Kit

Features: It’s super lightweight and has enough supplies for four people for up to four days. Bandages, dressing, tape, and more are included. The DryFlex waterproof liners help the bag stay waterproof.

How Much: About $27…

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July 16, 2014 No Comments

off the grid but on the cloud

Cloud computing may seem incompatible with being off-grid, but there are ways to live in the cloud even when you don’t have an Internet connection. The most common situation occurs when you are actually in the clouds — stuck on a remote mountainside with no Wi-Fi, or, more likely, Wi-Fi so slow it might as well be nonexistent.

The key to using your cloud services without a connection is preparation: You must set up offline access before you head off the grid, either to individual files or to an entire collection. Here are instructions for some of the popular options.…

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June 13, 2014 1 Comment

Satellite Panic Buttons – Boon or Bane?

Spot satellite emergency signalling devices have saved 3000 lives to date – but are they an essential piece of kit for the outward bound, or a darned nuisance that is unleashing a bunch of idiots into the most unspoiled and peaceful places on the planet, especially in Canada.

The company that makes them proudly announces that SPOT products have been used to initiate 3,000 rescues around the world since the technology’s launch in 2007. “With over 200,000 units in service, SPOT is now averaging a rescue a day; approximately one-third (829) of all worldwide rescues to date have taken place in Canada,” the company announced.

SPOT says it delivers affordable and reliable satellite-based connectivity and real-time GPS tracking, completely independent of cellular coverage. But its prices are absurdly high.…

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May 19, 2014 1 Comment

The wearable revolution

By Rachel Botsman – a global thought leader on the power of collaboration.

What if you could draw a dollar sign in mid-air, followed by any amount, and that would be all you needed to instantly pay your grocery bill?

A silver ring, only slightly bigger than your average wedding band, is about to hit the market and it promises to do just that, and more. Simply named Ring, the device is filled with motion sensors that detect hand gestures and can wirelessly sync with other smart devices. If you drew a musical note, it would activate your music player, while drawing a light bulb would control your lights. You will also be able to write texts by drawing letters in the air.…

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May 10, 2014 2 Comments

Charge your phone with this foldaway windmill

Forget plugs – you can now charge your mobile with a portable WIND TURBINE:the Trinity propeller harnesses breezes to power up a phone and other USB devices.
Created by American electricians Einar Agustsson and Agust Agustsson, the power station folds into a 12-inch cylinder when not in use.…

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April 14, 2014 2 Comments
peer to peer messaging
Vehicle living

FireChat app

SAN FRANCISCO AP –A new mobile messaging application called FireChat is empowering nearby smartphone users to stay in touch even when there’s no cellular service or Internet connection. Think of it as peer-to-peer messaging.

In just two weeks since its release on the iPhone, FireChat already has provided a flicker of hope for people pining for more effective, secure and affordable ways to communicate. That’s because the free messaging app harnesses a technology called wireless mesh networking, which might someday allow a myriad of devices to connect like links in a chain, without a facilitating company needing to get involved.…

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April 5, 2014 2 Comments

App uses social media data to make avoiding people easier

A new iPhone app allows users to harness the power of social media to become as anti-social as possible.

Cloak lets users view a map with location data taken from their friends’ Foursquare and Instagram posts in order to avoid contact.

Users can flag specific friends — or all of them — and will receive an alert if they’re nearby. The warning distance ranges between within one block and 2 miles.…

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March 23, 2014 No Comments
Field tests of computers and laptops
Off-Grid 101

Bye-bye the smartphone:Tablets rated and reviewed

Out in the boonies, your net-connected phone or computer can be your best work-mate.
But phones are too small, and computers too power-hungry. The new generation of tablets could be the ideal productivity tool for many off-gridders.
With the right tech choices, you’ll be able to do all the usual – send emails, stream video, run multiple programs, but also edit video, run spreadsheets, work from home AND have a family asset that will let kids do homework while granny searches the family tree and Dad watches Netflix.

So here is what we tested:…

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March 3, 2014 1 Comment
need a degree in electronics to operate
Vehicle living

New secure cellphone is hard to use

Barcelona – Telecommunications Weekly reports the launch of a new secure phone for those who do not want the NSA or anyone else spying on their communications. However Silent Circle, the secure communications firm that launched the phone- later said its not immune to NSA-level break-in

And although the aptly-named Blackphone says it “is not just for the tinfoil hat crowd” in fact it is exactly for the technically minded since it requires complicated software to use, which must be operated, and paid for, separately from the phone itself. It relies heavily on a peer to peer sharing network which was founded by Phil Zimmerman, the author of the PGP encryption protocol.…

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February 28, 2014 No Comments
Vans, tents, tunnels, sheds - no need to live in a house
Self-Sufficiency

Woodlands better than Baltimore shelters

Baltimore photographer Ben Marcin’s captures makeshift settlements near railway lines, gas stations, Walmarts and bridges. Amongst his eerie tableaux of tents, vans and other non-permanent dwellings, our favourite is the tunnel-home pictured.

* He said many of Baltimore’s homeless feel safer in the woods than in shelters…

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February 23, 2014 No Comments