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Shade in the desert, priceless
Our rainy season is about to start, but before it does, it gets warm, some might call it hot, I call it mildly uncomfortable. It…
- June 7, 2015 2:11 AM·
Filing cabinet smoker
I’ve seen some ingenious peeps on FaceBook and YouTube, this has to be in the top 10 of cool DIY, have you seen the…
- June 5, 2015 1:38 AM·
- Energy ·
S Korea testing energy independence
SEOUL JUNE 2ND – South Korea may have found an answer to its problems of energy shortages and an unstable power supply on an energy-independent…
- June 3, 2015 5:52 AM·
US Navy Renewables ahead of Schedule
REMARKS BY RAYMOND MABUS JR., SECRETARY OF THE NAVY, AT THE AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE ON THE FUTURE OF THE NAVY AND MARINE CORPS: WASH DC,…
- June 2, 2015 11:51 AM·
Living in small camper vans
I am learning more and more about people who live nomadic lives, driving and living in smaller camper vans rather than buying into the larger…
- May 30, 2015 2:38 AM·
Why be debt free?
Why is it so important to be debt free when you go off-grid? I can answer that because I’m living it and reaping the benefits…
- May 24, 2015 2:33 AM·
BBC series has a laugh at self-sufficient lifestyle
Former member of 1990s boy band 5ive, Abz Love, has swapped a life of singing for a farm in Wales in a new BBC2 series…
- May 21, 2015 9:25 PM·
Big guy, tiny home
When Joel Fleck moved home to after college, he wanted his own place, but he didn’t want to pay the steep Sonoma County rents, so…
- May 20, 2015 11:24 AM·
- Land ·
Record price for an off-grid mansion
346 Acre Texas ranch goes for around $20m
- May 14, 2015 12:32 PM·
Tiny home, big amenities
This tiny home on wheels packs real stairs, not a ladder, 2 lofts and a tub bath, things you don’t normally find in a tiny…
- May 10, 2015 1:43 AM·
Friends in small places
Welcome To “Bestie Row”: Lifelong Friends Build Row Of Tiny Houses In The Middle Of Nowhere. Some friendships last forever. You hear of lifelong friends…
- May 9, 2015 12:53 PM·
- Energy ·
Fort Knox Army base goes fully off the power grid
The First US Army base in the Continental USA to go completely off the grid has been announced, with huge cost savings. A ribbon-cutting ceremony…
- May 4, 2015 4:56 PM·
Do what you love, love what you do…
I love my life, it wasn’t always that way though, I used to live like most people in the middle-lower echelons of working and living,…
- May 3, 2015 11:28 PM·
- Energy ·
Electric Carmaker To Sell Cheap Batteries To Power Homes
Here’s an inconvenient truth – solar power only works during the daytime. People who use it need to store electricity, which means a lot of…
- May 2, 2015 8:40 AM·
Manual washing machines – pre-electricity
When going off-grid, things can tend to get a bit primitive, but you still need to get your laundry clean, there are many ways to…
- May 2, 2015 12:24 AM·
Apocalypse Then
* Hundreds of survivalists and ‘Preppers’ gathered in Salt Lake City last weekend to forestall the Apocalypse * Shown underground bunkers, tactical weapons and an…
- April 27, 2015 4:39 PM·
- Mobile ·
Win a Tiny Home ($100 purchase necessary)
Social Entrepreneurs at SustainaFest have announced the Tiny House Essay Contest, which will make one person’s dream of sustainable living come true. The winner of…
- April 27, 2015 4:30 PM·
Project green junk – Reflector oven
I have some truly ingenious friends on FaceBook, and Kent Lee Ivey is one of the best, he loves nothing more than to travel around,…
- April 25, 2015 11:30 PM·
Castle de-fence
Well, more like a gate, it is part of the defense, I don’t expect anyone to really charge the door, they would have to…
- April 24, 2015 12:30 AM·
I finally got it!
Actually got it last week, it was sent out a month ago from the UK, it arrived in Chicago and took a long rest, must…
- April 19, 2015 8:22 PM·
- Mobile ·
The Coming of Post-Industrial Society
In 1973, the American sociologist Daniel Bell, in his book, The Coming of the Post Industrial Society predicted that advanced societies would change from being…
- April 15, 2015 7:35 PM·
Japanese inspired tiny home in Ohio
When Alex Melamed and his wife moved to the traditional brick and mortar town of Yellow Springs, Ohio they built a home only as big…
- April 12, 2015 5:27 PM·
- People ·
Backwoods past of Movie Star
Actor Viggo Mortensen recalls his favourite filming locations are “the outdoors and natural landscapes, so there are places in New Zealand, particularly the South Island…
- April 11, 2015 3:51 PM·
The new shape in tiny homes, arched cabins
You have seen A-Frames, you have seen traditional box shaped cabins, but have you seen this? An arched cabin? It’s like an A-Frame but with…
- April 10, 2015 5:35 PM·
Magna Carta Village eviction threat
Residents of the Runnymede Eco-village, next to the site hosting the 800th anniversary celebrations this June, won a court battle yesterday to delay their eviction…
- April 9, 2015 11:58 PM·
Oogoo
As frugal and creative off-gridders, we are always on the lookout for good DIY projects, recently I “discovered” a product that can be made with…
- April 5, 2015 2:04 AM·
- Land ·
Stop Thief!
I’ve been robbed! I‘ve been robbed by the banksters and the police and the government. They conspired together to brush aside the compelling evidence of…
- April 4, 2015 10:14 AM·
Whose Land Is It Anyway?
As the West prepares to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta – the cornerstone of our civil liberties – a small eco-village is…
- April 1, 2015 12:08 PM·
Solar system balancing act
Life with a small solar system is a balancing act. We have lived 8+ years now with our small solar system, tweaking it, adding to…
- March 27, 2015 1:15 AM·
Mobile, stealthy, off-grid, vandweller
I think I got all the descriptive words covered there in the title, I am talking about Brian, also known as AdventureVanMan on YouTube. In…
- March 24, 2015 11:15 PM·
DIY as much as possible
…and truck update. A few weeks ago, I had a chance encounter with an elk, an animal of much height, girth and weight. After looking…
- March 21, 2015 11:24 PM·
- Events ·
Laura Ling Launches New Web Series
Laura Ling is producing and hosting a new series called ‘Going Off-Grid.’ It highlights people who have decided to disconnect from the everyday world. In…
- March 16, 2015 11:14 AM·
Snowboarder plus tiny home equals cool!
Each time I see a new tiny home, I think it’s the coolest one I’ve seen yet, and this is no exception, pro-snowboarder, Mike Basich,…
- March 16, 2015 11:13 AM·
- Energy ·
Microgrid trade fair, Barcelona
(PRWEB) – Microgrid technology developers and business leaders from around the world will gather in Barcelona, Spain, May 19-21, 2015, for the Microgrid World Congress…
- March 16, 2015 11:03 AM·
Keyhole garden
It’s so nearly spring, I am itching to get out and do some gardening, I’ve been getting seed catalogs, the siren song of the gardener.…
- March 11, 2015 7:35 PM·
Don’t try this at home
Last Sunday afternoon, I decided I would do some work in town to get ahead of my work week, it wasn’t a lot of work,…
- March 8, 2015 8:18 PM·
2015 – the year of antitech backlash
Government spying, corporate prying, virtual sex, so-called freinds you never met …no wonder we are sick of it. A London PR agency says this year…
- March 4, 2015 9:38 AM·
- Mobile ·
Free calls and wi-fi – forever
If you are not paying rent or a mortgage then your cellphone bill is your biggest expense, right? Wrong. Remember the early days of Internet…
- March 2, 2015 8:02 AM·
- People ·
Book Review – The Utopia Experiment
The Utopia Experiment by Dylan Evans – Picador, $15.99, UK version €15.99 LIFE wasn’t so bad for author Dylan Evans in 2006. He was about…
- February 28, 2015 11:50 AM·
A wonderful off-grid couple
There are many off the grid tutorial videos about nearly anything having to do with off-grid life, there are a precious few about the people…
- February 25, 2015 12:51 AM·
UK Green Leader Needs New Script. We Can Help Her.
Natalie Bennett, leader of the UK Green party, had a car-crash interview today as she attempted to explain the party’s housing policy to an unsympathetic…
- February 24, 2015 11:33 AM·
- Urban ·
Why Australians are getting off the grid
New South Wales, 22 Feb – Dr Kristin Alford, a futurist and founder of Adelaide-firm Bridge8 which consults to governments and the private sector, describes…
- February 22, 2015 7:16 PM·
looking to join or start a off-grid community
hi my is adam i am 26 yo i love to cook and hunt i am looking to join or create a off-grid community i…
- February 22, 2015 3:43 PM·
Mobile living
A few months ago, a long lost friend appeared back in my life, a friend I knew when I was an early teen but lost…
- February 18, 2015 1:57 AM·
On demand water heater
There are a few needs, requirements for life, food, water, shelter, once those basic requirements are met, after that come the things that make life…
- February 15, 2015 5:28 PM·
- People ·
Show the Love for Valentine’s Day
Stars including Stephen Fry, David Harewood, Dermot O’Leary, Jarvis Cocker and Emilia Fox are spearheading a new global environmental campaign. Together with over 100 organisations…
- February 12, 2015 4:08 PM·
- Food ·
49 Raw Food Recipes
50 Raw Food Recipes By Audrey & Matt You may: – already be following a raw food diet (100% or less) – know about raw…
- February 11, 2015 10:20 AM·
Memory foam in cold climates
Hikers and RV-ers talk of the horrors of memory foam in cold climates
- February 9, 2015 12:48 PM·
Fantasy castle on wheels
When I first saw this, I wondered how interesting this might be, then I watched the video, I’m blown away, so is PB, he was…
- February 4, 2015 12:55 AM·
Squeezing the photons
Squeezing those photons, that’s what I call it when we don’t have much power. Our solar system is small, and most of the time, it…
- February 1, 2015 11:37 PM·
How about a shed for a cabin?
There is a big movement, well maybe it’s a “small” movement :) using sheds for cabins or even your full on home, it’s a good…
- January 31, 2015 11:01 AM·
Snow on the Sky Castle
One of the things I enjoy about the area where we live is we get all kinds of weather, even some extremes, but none of…
- January 24, 2015 2:03 AM·
Vince’s not so tiny home
Vince took a page from LaMar Alexander’s book and videos and built his own semi-small house, by most standards this is a small home, measuring…
- January 20, 2015 10:39 PM·
- People ·
Off-Grid Undertaker
Anti-consumerist pioneer, Duke University grad, walks away from middle class life to live the simple life in a 12x12 cabin
- January 19, 2015 8:19 AM·
- Energy ·
Motley Fool says bet on off-grid energy
Investor’s tip sheet, The Motley Fool – advises readers to “Keep an eye on [the off-gird] space, you might be “cutting the cord” sooner than…
- January 18, 2015 4:28 PM·
Flower pot heater, does it work?
The last couple of winters have been very hard for those of us living in the USA, the so called “polar vortexes” have come down…
- January 18, 2015 10:02 AM·
- Energy ·
Mobile Nuclear inevitable
Mobile nuclear power generators could become a viable energy source in the future. Earlier this week Mississauga, Canada-based Terrestrial Energy signed a collaboration agreement with…
- January 18, 2015 9:04 AM·
- People ·
Campaigner moves to tiny home
* Rob Greenfield from San Diego purchases ‘house’ measuring 5ft by 10ft * The environmental activist will live in the 50sq foot box for the…
- January 18, 2015 8:38 AM·
500 square feet
500 square feet, for some, that’s a decent walk in closet, but not for this couple, Robert Cole and his partner Kelly Casthena, they live…
- January 17, 2015 12:09 AM·
Water and Energy shedding
We know all about load shedding and we’ve been warned about water shedding. So what do we do about it? According to rainwater harvesting specialist…
- January 16, 2015 1:02 AM·
Kicked my freezer-fridge conversion out
Not away, but outside, I’m still using it, but with the colder temps and the more overcast days, I decided to let nature work for…
- January 11, 2015 11:31 PM·
- Energy ·
BYD gets into V2G
The name tells you everything – Chinese vehicle company BYD – it stands for Build Your Dreams – has embraced V2G – Vehicle to Grid…
- January 9, 2015 5:31 PM·
Deep winter for the Sky Castle
This is our 8th year living out here, we have fallen into a comfortable routine, the summers have its advantages, longer days, warm weather (cool…
- January 7, 2015 11:34 PM·
Vandwelling
Modern technology, we have shunned much of it, but sometimes it’s a great thing to have around, the internet, FaceBook and the such, these things…
- January 4, 2015 11:17 PM·
- Land ·
Indian getaways
. Here’s some ideas about where you could holiday off the grid in India… MARITIME ADVENTURE Sunbathe on pristine-white sand beaches, hunt for seashells and…
- January 4, 2015 5:10 PM·
Alternative uses for Reflectix
I’ve been seeing this material called Reflectix, it’s basically bubblewrap encased in aluminized mylar on both sides, it has insulative properties. It was originally created…
- January 2, 2015 11:30 PM·
Wish list
Everyone has a wish list, right? Although one of the secrets to happiness is being contented with what you have, you can still wish for…
- December 28, 2014 11:15 PM·
New Slow City by William Powers
The Slow Movement is slowly becoming mainstream. Several years ago, William (Bill) Powers, after a decade in international aid work, embarked upon an experiment. He…
- December 28, 2014 9:02 PM·
Livin’ large by goin’ small
I am fascinated by the tiny home or tiny house movement, I have lived in fairly small spaces for a number of years, first living…
- December 27, 2014 11:16 PM·
Living in a shed? Why not?
Food, water and shelter are 3 of the main requirements to live, today we will talk about shelter, your home. Many of us don’t have…
- December 21, 2014 11:53 PM·
- Energy ·
12% of population will go off-grid: Accenture
Consulting company Accenture forecast that 12 per cent of American households will be off-grid by 2035, and 11% in Europe. Steady growth of distributed energy…
- December 21, 2014 7:24 PM·
It’s been 8 years now…
This week, we have many things to be thankful for, Christmas is fast approaching, we are healthy, there is food in the fridge and on…
- December 21, 2014 2:04 AM·
Should homeowners with solar panels pay to maintain electrical grid?
The costs of solar energy are plummeting, and now are about on par with the electricity generated at big power plants. This new reality intensifies…
- December 14, 2014 8:42 PM·
Roswell Bunker for sale
ROSWELL, N.M. (AP) — An underground missile silo is currently one of New Mexico’s hottest real estate properties. More than 40 people, some from out…
- December 14, 2014 2:14 PM·
Homesteading, the good, the bad and the ugly
Or, what could possibly go wrong? I found this posted on a homesteading FaceBook page, this is probably one of the most honest assessments of…
- December 13, 2014 5:53 AM·
Fugitive Family
The Irish Times reports on an American family being featured on Channel 4 TV tonight. They have spent the last 14 years living in isolation…
- December 10, 2014 10:23 AM·
Off-Grid in Terlingua TX
I remember, shortly after we moved to our off-grid life in far west Texas, one day we had the radio playing, we could only get…
- December 7, 2014 12:55 AM·
Small town politics
You have found the perfect piece of land, it’s out in a rural area, you don’t have many neighbors, as time goes by you get…
- December 6, 2014 10:43 PM·
- Energy ·
Kodiak Power pack
Going out and about for a few days or living full-time away from Utilities, the Kodiak box from Outdoor Technology is one of the better…
- December 5, 2014 7:50 PM·
Mixing different solar panels
Like many people starting out going off-grid, your pocketbook is being pulled in many different directions, so you buy a few solar panels to get…
- November 30, 2014 11:09 PM·
- Energy ·
Never a better time to unplug in South Africa
Soaring utility costs and power blackouts are pushing more and more South African homeowners to find new ways of living. Warnings earlier this month that…
- November 30, 2014 4:03 PM·
- Energy ·
In UK and US – fears of winter blackouts
PANAPRESS & D Tel: – What does New York City have in common with London? They are both threatened by ageing power plants and failing…
- November 24, 2014 10:08 PM·
In the beginning, the first night
Winter 2007 The wind was blowing a gale, harder than any wind I have even been in before. The walls were shaking and rattling, threatening…
- November 24, 2014 9:50 PM·
UK Surf Centre to go off-grid
A SURF centre in Easter Compton near Bristol is launching a £150,000 crowdfunding campaign that will help fund some of the site’s sustainability plans. The…
- November 24, 2014 9:41 PM·
- Solar ·
Competition for off-grid ideas
WWF South Africa is hoping for more entries into its annual Climate Solver Awards. The competition is a chance to show off innovative technologies geared…
- November 24, 2014 9:27 PM·
The beginning…
Spring 2007 “What do you think?” PB asked with a hopeful look on his face. “What about your job? Our families? Your kids were born…
- November 23, 2014 11:57 PM·
- Energy ·
Australian Micro-Grids challenge Utilities
The penetration of rooftop solar in Australia tells the story of just how keen consumers are to generate their own electricity. But some are going…
- November 23, 2014 4:16 PM·
A solar bus home
I have a great love for small homes and portable homes, many of the DIY bus conversion homes are pretty good, but this one is…
- November 22, 2014 1:01 AM·
- People ·
‘Risking it All’ TV series sees families downshift
TLC show has three families start a new life outside the system
- November 19, 2014 2:00 AM·
Waste oil heaters
Winter is here, all the way down here in far west Texas, tonight it will get down into the low 20s(F), definitely wood stove fire…
- November 16, 2014 11:25 PM·
How to grow a Sky Castle
Ever wonder how a sky castle grows? One room at a time :) In this case, this “room” was a semi enclosed deck between the…
- November 13, 2014 11:45 PM·
- People ·
America’s Fugitive Family star on UK TV
In another portrayal of off-gridders as Raving Monsters, British Channel 4 has secured access to controversial American family The Grays, who have spent the last…
- November 12, 2014 12:08 PM·
Off-Grid Gas in rip-off Britain
One in five households are without mains gas… and they need help say Welsh politicians. THE one in five Welsh homes without mains gas need…
- November 10, 2014 12:43 PM·
It’s not too soon…
October is gone, November is here, it’s getting dark earlier (for those of us in the Northern hemisphere), it’s getting cold…. it’s also getting closer…
- November 8, 2014 1:51 AM·
- Solar ·
Hawaii Electric takes control of Oahu solar panels
A Hawaiian Electricity Company is putting up huge obstacles to individuals who want solar panels on their roofs, driving many of them to go completely…
- November 5, 2014 7:22 PM·
Buying your own land
Buying land, it’s something you will be doing if you want to homestead or go off-grid on your own. Personally I wouldn’t want to “go…
- November 5, 2014 2:51 AM·
Off-Grid guests
Moving to and setting up your off-grid home, it’s most likely in an out of the way, rural, scenic spot, a place that is often…
- November 2, 2014 11:52 PM·
- People ·
Living in a Fire Truck
Forester Simon Danant started living in his 1980s Bedford truck last summer. Its a former Army fire engine. He moves it around Cambridgeshire, living behind…
- October 31, 2014 6:47 PM·
A DIY survival sling shot with big game capabilities
Could you survive in the wilderness with only a sling shot as your weapon? Lots would depend on your survivability. Having a means to…
- October 21, 2014 11:15 PM·