One or many?

Are you a lone ranger type of person or do you want to be with other like minded people in a group setting? There are different directions you can go when going off-grid. I listen to different people discussing the pros and cons of going off-grid all by your self, as a couple, as a family unit, with extended family, and in group or colony settings.

My hubby and I chose to be in the couple situation, we do live in a area with other people nearby, neighbors, but it’s not an intentional community, I find it to be the best for us, we are independent and have our privacy yet we still have access to other people for friendships and help as needed.

Some, actually very few are truly lone rangers, living by themselves in an off-grid setting, completely isolated from everyone. The advantages is there is almost 0 risk of people finding out much about you, your privacy is at the top of the chart. The disadvantage would be the lack of help if you needed it, sometimes just an extra set of hands is helpful. You have no backup in the event that something goes wrong, if you hurt yourself or got very sick and were not able to get to help, you could die before anyone figured out something was wrong. Even Grizzly Adams had a couple of friends who dropped in every now and again.

I think there are a lot more off-gridders who are couples, people who have been married or together for a long time, empty nesters, getting closer to retirement age, have some money to spend and wish to make the best of the active time they have left. I have even heard of younger couples, with children who are looking to leave the city behind with all the trappings of “civilization” and the associated stress, crime and pollution. Mainly they are looking to create a better life and environment for their children. What they have to be careful of are nosy but (usually) well intentioned people who would turn them in to CPS for perceived problems with their children. There are those who think if you aren’t providing flush toilets, TV, unlimited internet and every toy & gadget for your children, or even *gasp!* homeschooling, then you must be abusing or neglecting your children. It’s too bad that these well intentioned but ill-informed do-gooders can’t see past the nose on their face, they should realize that these children are growing up in a safer and saner environment than they would be if they were living in town.

The other people I run across are those looking for other off-gridders to join up with, perhaps an established or newly started intentional community, there are all sorts of those and one should do their homework before jumping in. Some are loosely organized, with few rules, some are religious based, some want no religion brought in, others are based on the diet, from hunters to vegetarian to strict vegan. There are primitive settings, and there are more techy setups with all the latest gadgets and goodies to make your off-grid life easier. You have to research to figure out what you are looking for. You also need to find out what they expect, do they want someone with money? Are they looking for a person with specific skills? Will you have to sign a contract? How are things governed? Who is in charge? What legal rights do you have?

The good part to living in a group setting is many hands make light work, that is very true. The group will be able to create and finish bigger projects, and security is easier if you have many eyes watching out for things. The drawbacks are many as well, with many people come many personalities and the possibility of clashes and disagreements are there. If you do have a problem with the group, or someone in the group, how do you take care of it? Who ultimately decides what happens? Personally I wouldn’t be happy in a true communal situation, but that is my preference. What about you? What are you looking for?