More tiny homes, on wheels!
With the cost of living going up and up and our wages going down and down, one of the ways to cut back on living
US shutdown hits thousands of off-grid homes
The National Park Service(NPS) issued a warning last week to all people residing in its parks and campgrounds, in RVs in the backcountry, or on
How to go off-grid with little money…
How to get off-grid with not a lot of money… that is the holy grail, right? I see many people posting messages here and on
Wierdest holiday destinations
Travel site TripAdvisor announced 10 quirky accommodations in the U.S., as chosen by its editors. According to a release, travelers seeking a unique lodging experience
What we can learn from Glamping
Its easy to forget when you live off the grid that life is meant to be fun. Its hard work running your own power station
On their way….anti-Google glasses
Once you have seen them you might almost prefer to stay ON the digital map, but a Japanese tech group has invented the first pair
Off-grid float cabin: retirement tiny home in BC wilderness
This is a unique cabin system, it’s not a houseboat, but a floating cabin, I found this while on YouTube and thought it very interesting.
Must off-grid include Internet as well?
SYDNEY, June 20 (Xinhua) — As CIA whistle-blower Edward Snowden hides out in Hong Kong over his expose of U.S. government data mining, we must
Student saves thousands boat-dwelling
When Joe Pearce broke up from his girlfriend he couldn’t afford rent and he was ready to broaden his horizons. So he saved himself £5,600
Renzo Piano designs tiny, off-grid home
Renzo piano has designed some of the world’s most iconic buildings from the giant glass shard in London to the Los Angeles Motion Picture Academy.
Satphone for under $500
Satellite telephones were the stuff of off-gridders’ fantasies – until now. The new SPOT Global Phone is a portable sat phone that will retail for
Trailersteading – book review
How many of you would like (love?) to to have your own place and live for just what you’d pay in taxes? Assuming you already
Cell phone dead zones
Once you depend on your cellphone or Smartphone, finding yourself in a phone dead zone can be pretty traumatic. The first thing you need to
Apple products are wrong choice for energy-savers
Thinking of buying a new Apple laptop? Treat yourself to a ThinkPad instead. And save hundreds on energy as well as up to $1500 on
Gridless Gizmos at CES
Solar chargers, speakers, weather radios, wireless accessories, medical devices, toys and other trinkets were on display at the Consumer Electronics Show 2013 at the Mandalay
Microsoft off-grid cloud computing system
The giant software company has worked out a way to deliver cheap high-speed Internet to remote locations where there are no power or phone lines.
Living on a school bus
With a $12,000 budget, a San Fransisco couple decided to turn a 39-foot school bus into a dream home – that sleeps ten people. To
Stops Along the Way: Part 2
Five o’clock quickly arrived at my desk on my first night as a full-time RVer. I left my office and walked into the dark parking
Best way to get Internet off the grid
What do you have do to get Internet access when you don’t have a fixed phone line? Which service do you use and why? –
Stops Along the Way: Part 1
Time goes by fast and even faster when you have much to do by a deadline, writes Mochagypsy. My energies have been scattered between organizing
Home Sweet Home in an RV
……I have bought my new home… and her name is Eunice. Here she is! This beauty is a 1994 Ford Coachman, a fully self-contained camper
Rocket stove for outdoor cooking on the move
Solo stove uses waste wood, twigs, anything small to fire up and cook with
Vandwelling
There are many ways of living off the grid, for some it means buying up some land, putting up a small cabin with solar panels
Solar powered bicycle? Beware scam artists
A group of scam artists have launched a web site selling a solar powered bicycle. But the only thing it will end up powering is
The world’s best travel trailer
The Prolite Suite is a travel trailer small enough to be towed by a Smart car but large enough to sleep two< With their ability
Canada series – downsizing in Calgary
National Post profiled a couple from Calgary who are quitting their lives in the city and building a tiny house on a trailer. They told the
As hurricane brews, how to stay connected
Anyone living off the grid develops much better-than-average skills at surviving during power outages and natural disasters. Here are a few words of advice on
Factory built autonomous home
IT looks like somebody in the construction industry has been listening to all this talk about off-grid homes. At last. Quest is a 400-square-foot, off-grid
12-volt fridges
It’s the ultimate off-grid luxury – the sun is baking, dust is caking the back of your throat….. you reach into the DC Cooler for
Three Network is best for mobile broadband in UK
For mobile broadband in the UK, Three is the best network. That is the result of a 250-mile comparison test from Broadband Genie – a
Dr No-ah and his $1m ark
Johan Huibers, a carpenter, has built a full-size replica of Noah’s Ark in Dordrecht, in the west of the Netherlands. The vessel will be opened
Home for less than $20,000
An electrician from England built himself and his girlfriend alarge comfy home for less than $20,000, (£12,000). Daniel Bond turned a double-decker bus into his
While you are off the grid who will monitor your messages?
Huffington Post responds to the new trend for cabin porn. And it suggests a new business idea. The online mag runs with a series of
Pledge to our film on kickstarter.com
We have just launched a Crowdsourced project on Kickstarter.com. OFF THE GRID AND ON THE CLOUD is a documentary about how Off-Grid living combines ancient
Candle powered generator seeks kickstarter funding
A tiny tech startup called Tellurex is launching its new candle-powered electric light via kickstarter.com, the crowd-funding web site. Although we at www.off-grid.net have not
Solar Kindle
Keep reading on the move, when hiking, or a long sea journey. This winner of a Consumer Electronics Show innovation award for 2012 is a
Samsung solar computers imminent
A decision by Samsung to sell solar powered laptops in Bangladesh at low prices could be the first of a new generation. For mobile users
EPA $1m to Colleges for off-grid research
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded more than $1 million in grants to 15 university and college teams for innovative off-grid solutions.
Car is my home, FedEx is my office
By Mooch, owner of Inspired Design & Development – an international Website & Branding company. I’ve been living out of my car since September 2010;
Powering your cell phone
I know, I know – how do you call yourself off the grid when you have a cell phone so rooted to your ear that
NPR on Electric cars
How would an electric car work out for an off-grid household? Remarkably well assuming it could be charged up during visits to the grid. And
Space Travellers offered new options
The cheapest land, unspoilt environment, cheap energy,but the gas bills are huge
Museum showcases tiny house designs
Looking for a cheap home – this mobile house will fit on a scrap of land – urban infill or rural
Ten low-tech gadgets
The yearlyInternational Consumer Electronics Show (CES), has seen off another round of headlines about lust-inducing gadgets soon to be on store shelves. Some survival gadgets
Live in a Van with no Hassle from The Man
As thousands lose their homes to foreclosure or eviction, living in a vehicle is the only alternative
Mobile wireless hotspots
$100 plus a monthly charge of about $50,you delete all other internet charges, and run four gadgets simultaneously, almost anywhere
Nissan will power off-grid homes “from next year”
Nissan’s electric car, The Leaf is being repositioned as a mobile charger for off-grid homes in Japan. Even grid-tied homes will be able to reduce
Blackberry best smartphone for battery life
RIM machines are several times less power-hungry than nearest Android competitor. Apple lags behind
For Sale: the Van that started a Movement
How to find the right camper van by scouring London for sale small ads
A day in the life of snoops and corporate marketers
Your every move is diced and dissected, repackaged and resold by electronic spies embedded in all our lives
Off-Grid power, water tech breakthrough
Water for about $1 per gallon, and electricity for about 35 cents per kilowatt hour
Top ten reasons HTC is better than iPhone
better than the overpriced and under-powered iPhone
Grounded: traveling the world without taking a flight
Excerpt from a new book about life sans airplane
World’s first pedal-powered Sub
Step.hane Rousson madce the world’s first pedal powered air ship. Now he’s made the world’s first pedal powered sub marine
Stealth camping
A cleaner, warmer and quieter way to camp. Here’s the how-top and the where-to
Best Inverter Generators
We recommend the best buys in inverter generators – preferring the latest, quietest technology
Cargotecture – shipping containers find new life
Old shipping containers find new life as commercial space or as durable homes
Let’s go Boondock
If you are in an RV, Boondocking is the only way to go—it’s cheap, eco-friendly, and adventurous. And remember, an RV does not have to
Vodafone/Verizon lead 3G and MiFi deals
For mobile broadband, Verizon has the best deal in the US, and Vodafone in the UK
V2G will sustain microgrid
Micro-grids could operate reliably without the need for a national grid backup if they tapped the vast amounts of power stored in the batteries of
Portable battery chargers
Battery charging is an important part of off-grid life. Some of the devices I rely on when I’m on the road are ones that basically
And so farewell G-Wiz
The G-Wiz car was the first green icon. Now it is being withdrawn from the market.
Clinton:do as we say,not as we do
Clinton accepts US share of responsibility for global warming in encouraging 3rd world to cut carbon emissions
Our 4th of July Weekend
Moving to energy Independence. Starting to build our off-grid home.
Anonymise your mobile phone
How to take your cell phone number of the public directory that is about to be published
Why I won’t fly to America
Academic planning an off-grid village a media hero after taking a stand against eco-campaigners who jet round world to save the planet.
How to evade pursuit vehicles
The eight key tips for evasive driving – this could save your life
We are air-heads
After a decade of false starts the air-powered car is finally a reality
Eco-hotels in Canada
Siwash – generator backup The Siwash Lake Ranch is truly off-grid. Its a luxury dude ranch outside Kamloops, B.C where Allyson Rogers, the ranch’s co-owner,
How to fit a skylight on an RV
Step by step guide to fitting a skylight in your RV that will reduce damp and increase ventilation
The weakest link: batteries
The world’s $71 billion battery market is being updated. Battery power grows at 8% a year, but our need for better batteries is growing much faster
NY Times features Eco-RVers
NY Times salivates over big ticket “eco” vehicles. Been there,done that…..
On yer bike
Listing of some of the crucial bike web sites in the UK plus tips on the best new bikes.
Calculating Possible Energy From A Stream
A Typical MH set-up on a river. If you have a stream, you have a renewable, natural source of energy that, if done right, can
Pump my ride!
The first commercial air-powered car will hit the streets August 2008. Its not particularly environmental, but it will shaft the oil companies and that’s a good thing.
Cool ride of the month
A new personal helicopter still in prototype points the way for off-grid personal transport. You colsd not take your kids along, but its perfect for a pop down to the shops.
I live in my car
Jassen Bowman lives in his car out of choice – here’s a unique glimpse into the thought process of a car-dweller
4x4s
4x4s get a bad press, but they are not responsible for global warming, they will go anywhere, and you can sleep in them .
12-volt guide book
Tips on running a domestic setup with car batteries, or how to add extra power outlets to your car
Invention Nation A Show To Catch
Christmas Eve the Science Channel ran an all nighter on their new show Invention Nation. With only six episodes so far it is definitely a
Kill A Watt good, Solio bad
Solio is a miserable product that barely works, but the Kill-a-watt is a great idea.
Bus around the world
The Ozbus will take you from London to Australia with only one short flight at East Timor. But it takes three months and costs around $7,500 US.
My other house is off-grid
Five rules for evaluating the eco-credentials of a resort or housing development from Arkansas to Acapulco