The End We Start From – New Movie Starring Jodie Comer
A new movie starring Jodie Comer explores what could happen if a flood takes the UK off-grid. Directed by rising star Mahalia Bello the film
Simple 5kWh Microhydro System: A Budget-Friendly Guide
A 5 kWh microhydro system offers an affordable and simple way to meet the essential energy needs of a small household. In places with little
Water Coma Is a Real Thing
Also known as water poisoning, water coma results from intoxication due to a disruption of brain function caused by drinking too much water. Doing so
Off-Grid farm to double in size – if it can raise money by 26 April
Plotgate Farm in Somerset UK is becoming a remarkable success story for its pioneering, community agro-ecological style of farming. It was designed from the get-go
No Directors Prosecuted for Deliberate Sewage Dumping by Southern Water
One of Britain’s biggest water companies was fined £90m ($126m) today for deliberate dumping of “billions of litres” of sewage into the North Sea over
All 16 Quarterfinalists in $9 Million Solar Desalination Prize – listed
The lineup for a Solar Desalination Prize has been announced by the US Energy Dept. Our pick is the Solar Aqua Flex: Off-Grid Solar Still from
5 Ways To Purify Water in 2 Minutes or Less
By Richard Douglas Water helps everything grow and thrive – including bacteria, viruses, and parasites! Water-related illness is a huge concern, especially for the young
Should I live on a boat?
WHATis it really like living on a canal boat or on the river? So many of us have wondered if it would be a way
Gadget produces solar power and clean water
Multi-membrane solar panel uses waste heat to warm water and thereby purify it – Saudi researchers hope to ready it for commercial rollout soon
Raw Water – big money – but should we take it?
It’s called water consciousness – a movement of people who drink unfiltered, unsterilised spring water and even rain water. Why? Well, for the supposed health
Zero Mass Water
A regular supply of drinking water is the holy grail for off-grid living. If you can get a bare minimum of water and heating of
Great Barrier Reef – Coral Spawning
The world’s biggest living organism, the Great Barrier Reef, has held its annual Coral Spawning event, with trillions of eggs and sperm simultaneously releasing into
Empty shelves
What is the first thing to disappear off the shelves in an emergency? Water, that is the main thing I heard people on the news
Showering felt so good today!
When one lives off-grid, you are generally your own fix it person, not always, but often. That is certainly true for us, we designed, built
Agua y lo que viene
¿Qué es lo primero que desaparecerá de los estantes en una emergencia? El agua, eso es lo principal que escuché decir a las personas en
Water from thin air
Scientists have created a device that can literally extract water from the air using solar power. Solar Water could revolutionise off-grid living which currently requires
DIY Desalination
Earth isn’t called the “Blue Planet” for nothing, but the majority is saltwater and therefore not immediately drinkable. Hence we need the desalination process which
How to properly (and safely) dehydrate water for long term storage
For those of us who live off-grid, and others who camp or are just interested in prepping for whatever may come, having a source of
6 Hot Springs you must visit
Hot springs offer much-needed peace, quiet and relaxation. The naturally occurring, geothermally heated bliss provided in beautiful surroundings is second to none. Plus, if you
Gutterguard helps harvest rainwater
There are many simple ways to ease your off-grid life and Gutter guards are one of the simplest. Its hard managing your own power plant,
Floating off the grid
Rachel Johnson loves it when people ask her where she lives ”and I say, ‘well…today its Broadway Market but next week its Victoria Park’”. Rachel
Why your water supply may cost more in future
A New York Times investigation into rapidly rising water and sewage bills highlit the involvement of Wall Street finance in upgrading century old waterworks. The paper
How to “go” when you are on the go
Food goes in and it must come out, that goes for you, me and even folk who live on the road. It’s one of the
Sea Bubbles: Off-Grid Travel in the City
Ever wanted to book a flying water taxi to take you to your destination? If you’re in Paris during the summer you could do just
Power from Tap Water
PBS News Hour just ran this report on an inventor who wants to extract the power from H20: HARI SREENIVASAN: Imagine a mini power supply
Dump your camper in the lake?
Would you drive your camper into the lake or river? You would if you owned an amphibious RV! I’ve seen “redneck” versions where they put
Flushed with Pride – toilet that recycles
Toilets are a key piece of off-grid technology that receive less attention than they deserve. EAWAG, the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology,
How safe is your drinking water?
Reports of polluted drinking water contaminating whole communities have flooded in recently. As if we didn’t need another reason to unplug, various
Doomsday retailer
Meet Scott Hunt, also known as Engineer775 on his Youtube channel where he gives expert reviews for National Geographic’s reality TV show, Doomsday Preppers.
Floating paradise
If I weren’t living where I do now and loving it, this is how I would want to live, on a homemade island home. These
Could you live on a narrow boat?
When I think of living on a boat, I think of being on the ocean, or on a lake, but there are other waterways, called
Hugelkultur
Hugelkultur, pronounced hugle (like bugle but with a “h”) culture, it’s really simple, combining raised beds with lots of organic material under and on top
Taxing rainwater in the dry west US
What will they think of next? Western water law means collecting rainwater was legal only a few years ago in some states. Now Colorado is
What’s your backup plan?
It used to be that big storms caught us by surprise, now it seems that more and more we have several days up to a
Rainwater Harvesting: Global Storming – Bring it on
Installing a Rainwater Harvesting System (RHS) could be a major step in achieving your ideal, eco-friendly home. You could be collecting your own water through
National Grid fined $3m for allowing boy’s death
UK Utility company National Grid has been fined $3m (£2m) after safety failings caused a young boy’s canal death. National Grid owns a huge swathe
Replacing our 12 volt water pump
Most of the time, items are replaced when they fail, break or quit working. We decided to get a jump on replacing a critical piece
“I paid Sydney Water $800 a year — now I get it for free”
Living in a city it can seem hard to kick free from the grid, but in Sydney Australia, Newtown resident Kylie Ahern will soon become
Rainwater harvesting, and a teaser!
Shelter, food and water are the trinity of life, actually that should be in the reverse order, water absolutely comes first, without it, there would
A Shower in a box
If you need a portable shower, or a way of cleaning food or dishes – or even dogs – on the move, RinseKit is a portable,
Water issues
Living in our little rural community in the mountains, we don’t have many choices for over the air radio stations, the mountains block most if
Summer is (almost) officially here
I say almost because it doesn’t officially begin until the 21st of this month, and the fact that I am sitting here with thermal pants
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
Tree house vacation
Book a tree house on the Edisto River. These tree houses have no electricity or running water, but are considered one of the South Carolina
Trout Pout – off-gridders ticked off with obscure fish
ORANGE COUNTY, Aug 24th – Mike Milligan trudges up the canyon, gesturing at bone-dry trees, streams that have turned to trickles and thick carpets of
How to build your own water cistern system
What Is A Water Cistern System? Those living in a municipality often take for granted utility services that many rural property dwellers are not privileged
100 things to do on British Waterways
The Canal & River Trust (formerly British Waterways) is publishing details of 100 readymade waterway days out (canalrivertrust.org.uk/places-to-visit) to give individuals, couples and families a
Not prepped at all….
During this last major cold snap, I heard a story on NPR (National Public Radio), it’s the only radio station we can pick up out
Save Money on Gas/Electricity
Time for a selection of Christmas Gifts for our ON-Grid friends and family. Here’s how to help others save money on energy bills during these
Rainwater politics
You can drink the rainwater in Atlanta, Georgia, but that is one of the few places in the US that provides for the use of
Solar powered irrigation
Irrigation pumps powered by clean renewable energy, such as solar pumps, could solve both the economic and environmental dilemma: they don’t emit greenhouse gases, and
Introducing Aquatecture
A new architectural movement is leading to fresh opportunities for off-grid living – close to the rivers and seas that carry so much of our
Solar Thermal System for Heated Swimming Pool
Imagine taking a dip in your outdoor swimming pool in late October, even November as the ground hardens and the frost thickens. The steam is
Tips for harvesting rainwater
Many cities and states encourage rainwater harvesting, yet few homes and commercial buildings have implemented it. Excuses range from the cost of construction to lack
Six things you should know about rainwater harvesting in the desert
TUCSON AZ – New techniques and revival of old skills can make a little water go a long way, even here in the Catalina foothills.
Food storage ideas…
Preppers are always trying to get everyone else to at least begin stocking up on some short and long term food storage, honestly the biggest
Patent Application submitted for off-grid Water Condenser
Canadian firm Freedom Water Company Ltd. combine caqre for humanity with technical skill in this patent application submitted for Approval. Here is an exerpt from
Price of harvesting rain in South Africa
The price of water is rising sharply in the ritzy yet dangerous countryside around East London. Even the rich, old, white landowners are going into
Thatcher’s Legacy – time to Nationalize the Utilities
Margaret Thatcher privatised Britain’s power, water and rail network, handing huge profits to the private sector, at the expense of ordinary homeowners. Perhaps the best
RAM pumps move water without fuel
RAM pumps can move water from a lower point to a higher point by using the energy from a water sources like a stream or
Best way to cut Glass Bottles.
Glass bottles are a great building material – strong, long-lasting and beautiful if handled correctly. They can be used for hundreds of things, from decoration
Unplugged
As millions live without power or sanitation, or even gasoline, in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, it seems the North-East of America is getting its
Water off-grid
Water. It’s necessary for life, and it’s pretty handy to have around. Drinking, cooking and cleaning, you need water. This will be a 2 part
Prepping on a budget, part 3 – food storage and security
Now that you have decided to start putting aside some food, you might be thinking “Where am I going to keep all of
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.
Dig a borehole for free water
Thames Water and six other water companies in southern and eastern England have imposed hosepipe bans – but keen gardener Alison Brown can carry on
Five tips for preppers
From food to money to to water sources – things to consider when preparing for the worst
Installing a Rainwater Harvesting System
Detailed description of the steps you will need to take
Houses that put money in your pocket
These days, with so many builders touting themselves as green, the whole idea of a green home can seem like a marketing ploy. Instead of
Seed catalogs
It’s the middle of winter, cold, dreary, but something I start receiving in my mailbox makes me long for the warm days of spring, the
Tucson shows the way on water management
Incentive program develops, while in Texas, techniques for for sharing scarce water
An overview of the last 4 years living off-grid
This December will be 4 years for us living 100% off-grid, I can tell you it’s been quite the adventure, my only regret is that
Siphoning your clean water through a filter
Siphons are a low-tech, low-cost way to more than double the flow rates of water filters
Homesteading-book review
Homesteading, it’s a buzzword that means different things to different people, back in the day, it meant getting land for free as long as you
Global Storming
2010 was the wettest year since records began. And it was not just the amount of rain and snow, but the intensity which increased
Solar powered clothes dryer
It’s funny how your perspectives change as you grow. When I was a kid, I used to be embarrassed because my mom hung our laundry
Off-Grid power, water tech breakthrough
Water for about $1 per gallon, and electricity for about 35 cents per kilowatt hour
Solar powered rainwater pump
Pumps up to 100 gallons on a single charge and runs off of a solar rechargeable NiMH battery. Adaptable to most style rain barrels
Can this bucket save the world?
Pieter Hoff’s Groais is an off-grid tree incubator that could help reforest an area the size of Canada wiping out our carbon emissions in the process.
Low-tech Biomimetics – wag the dog
How a clothing company invented a better moutaineering jacket by learning from a damp dog.
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
Earth Balls
A low-cost, off-the-grid, dome-like housing option, adapted for living on water.
Wow, what a rain!
Living in the high desert means having to deal with long periods of dry weather punctuated by periods of mega-rains. We got one of those
Living on a canal in the Great Loop
There are only 24 canal boats in America – this trip around the system of waterways circling eastern North America plans to change all that.
Water price gouging in Queensland
Water and sewerage in Brisbane averages AU$2.59 a day. Off the grid its $2.30 a day.
DIY washing machine and homemade laundry soap
What do you get when you combine a 5 gallon bucket and a toilet plunger? An off-grid washing machine. Well, maybe not a machine in
Green home loans
SAN FRANCISCO — Locals will use home loans to finance green improvements now San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has unveiled a new financing program, Green
Off the Grid and the prepared
So, just what does that mean? I can tell you from personal experience and from the responses I have received from people over the years
Reedbeds, not sewers
Reedbed Filtration is a natural approach to human waste water treatment. International environmental scientist, MELVYN RUTTER is a born-again reed-bed enthusiast. Here he describes his
Humanure – sawdust toilets
Sit, flush and forget, that’s what most of us do, multiple times a day. Composting toilets are the answer. We use perfectly good, drinkable water
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.
Wish we thought of that!
The rainbeers are coming! An Atlanta Brewery which was making beer from rainwater has been told to stop gathering the water by city officials. Probably
Shoestring Survivalism – book review
This is the third book I received from Paladin Press to review. I appreciate the chance to read and review these books, I have enjoyed
Solar farms spark water wars
Solar thermal farms facing opposition from locals appalled by their greedy water use