Living Off the Grid
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- GeorgesIV0
is going sometime to the bathroom without my cell phone considered living off the grid??
- HijoDMaite0
this thread makes me think of Lars Monsen, I may have to do another binge watch of his stuff.
- I watched every episode, such a joy. Proper stuff.set
- dope. watching now. full movie: https://www.youtube.…scarabin
- scarabin i think that link is low res compared to the separate clipsHijoDMaite
- and scarabin dont miss his walk from alaska to canada ALSO ON YOUTUBEHijoDMaite
- Gnash0
Grabbed this from the Reddit thread the Georges posted above:
"there's not enough space and resources for everyone to do what you're doing. It's great you can do that, but it's only possible for some people to live like that.
The problem is, if 7 billion people wanted solar panels like you, that would require huge amounts of energy and material, and we would trash the earth in the process.
Making compost is easy; pile shit up until it decomposes. nothing fancy needed. I've planted a garden, but this is no substitute for farming.
Not everyone can walk away. Off-grid living is for people who are relatively rich and do not have debt. My net worth is about -$10k, so I can't go anywhere."- That's a bit defeatist statement; there is not enough paints in the world for all of us to be painters - so what, so not everyone is a painter.pr2
- everyone is a painter.pr2
- In a status quo situation you're right. but in a SHTF scenario, there isn't enough space for all to do thisGnash
- "That's your fucking problem then."cannonball1978
- benfal990
Have you heard of them : http://www.theminimalists.com/
- -
ABOUT THE MINIMALISTSIt all started with a lingering discontent. A few years ago, while approaching age 30, we had achieved everything that was supposed to make us happy: great six-figure jobs, nice cars, big houses with more bedrooms than inhabitants, pointless masses of toys, and scads of superfluous stuff.
And yet with all that stuff, we weren’t satisfied with our lives. We weren’t happy. There was a gaping void. And working 70-80 hours a week for a corporation and buying even more stuff didn’t fill the void. In fact, it only brought more debt and stress and anxiety and fear and loneliness and guilt and overwhelm and depression.
What’s worse, we didn’t have control of our time and thus didn’t control our own lives. So in 2010 we took back control using the principles of minimalism to focus on what’s important. (Read about our 21-day journey into minimalism.)
In 2011 we left our corporate careers age 30 to become full-time authors and speakers. After publishing our bestselling book, Minimalism: Live a Meaningful Life, we embarked on an international book tour and eventually began contributing to people through our online writing classes and private mentoring sessions. The topics about which we write and speak cover a wide array, from simple living and pursuing your passion, to writing, publishing, entrepreneurship health, relationships, personal growth, and contribution.
We’ve been fortunate enough to establish an online audience of more than 2 million annual readers and have been featured all over the media. We have spoken at Harvard Business School and several large conferences (SXSW, TEDx, World Domination Summit), as well as many smaller venues, including churches, colleges, corporate groups, libraries, soup kitchens, and various non-profit organizations.
Toward the end of 2012 we moved from our hometown, Dayton, Ohio, to a cabin in Montana as a four-month experiment, followed by a move to beautiful Missoula in 2013, where we cofounded Asymmetrical Press, a publishing house for the indie at heart.
In 2014 we published a new book, Everything That Remains, and are currently on a 100-city Everything That Remains Tour 2014.
In 2015 we will release our first feature-length film, Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things, directed by Matt D’Avella, in association with Catalyst Media, Asymmetrical, and SPYR Media.
- "while approaching 30" says it all.nb
- can't trust anyone with an "n" like that in their logo: http://www.theminima…Krassy
- nb0
- chukkaphob0
soundtrack to all this:
Stereo MC's - "Goin' Back to the Wild" - http://www.kuwo.cn/yinyue/248598…
- yurimon0
This is an excellent show also... some ideas.
sorry has an annoying logo but you can find other ways to see the series.- shows processes of doing some things from scratchyurimon
- I watch this show -- it's full of great information.Gnash
- could use a babe , or two, though.Gnash
- one of my faves. also "edwardian farm" and "tales from the green valley"scarabin
- < thanks will check it out.. the old manual equipment, you can put a motor on it..yurimon
- scarabin0
i've enjoyed this book series since i was a kid. there's tons of how-to knowledge in there on every aspect of living
- GeorgesIV0
Just posting to provide some encouragment to people starting/scheming on off-grid style.
I started out living in a tent with tarps, propane stove, and oil lamps. I had to weed whack my kitchen weekly! Then I built a 16x16 cabin, and got a tiny solar system that would power lights and a little boom box. Since expanded the cabin to almost 600 sq ft, building slowly over time with recycled materials. Still got tarps hanging off the cabin for additional dry space - it rains A LOT here. 200+ inches per year.
The best thing about off-grid in my mind is learning how to do things for myself. I can now build a house, wire electricity, design and install solar PV, plumbing, grow a bunch of food, and live cheaply, working (for money) only a day or two per week. Still plenty of work on the homestead though!
The worst thing about off grid living, in my case at least, is that I have to be around. I can't take off on a voyage without stressing about finding someone who is capable of managing my homestead. And not many are...luckily I have good friends who are into it. My house is almost like a living being - it requires knowledgable care to stay functional. And animals are a blessing and a curse.
A very valuable lesson I've learned is that infrastructure is expensive, and very nessecary. I spent 4 years slogging through mud to reach my house from the road before I wised up and spent the money to bring in gravel for a driveway. I got a propane fridge two years back, and have since saved much more than the value of the fridge on spoiled food and ice blocks for the cooler...my whole neighborhood is off-grid and we all agree, cooler-patrol is lame.
Next on the list is plumbing an indoor toilet. That'll entail buying a keg of beer, making a bunch of pizzas, and invitiing all my friends over to dig a cesspool...which leads me to another point. Friends with skills have absolutely crucial to my off-grid experience. I'll trade work with my friends who live off-grid, and we all benefit, in money saved, skills learned, and good times had by all.
Any Hawaii Island off-grid folks can contact me, and maybe we can work together to make it easier.
- so you chop yourself off from the world to come back to the world - fantasizing that it's on your terms...pr2
- benfal990
- That guy died ate wrong plant, sad movieyurimon
- http://www.themovieb…HijoDMaite
- great flickmoldero
- pr20
In recent years there was a huge growth in the "away from society" movement - kind of a comeback to "fuck the system" of the 60s and early 70s with communes. The commune system doesn't work - noone is truly equal - there is always one that's more powerful than another, so people are searching for ways to "fuck the system" but in private, Thus you have the tiny house movement (shelter), grow your garden movement (food that doesn't kill you), on less extreme end the community-first movement ("you can't change the world but at least can do something locally"). Some sociologist would say that it's a direct result of people's uncertainty about the future and their lack of understanding of the societal movements and history. People don't have the safety net (financial or otherwise) and they search for the basics: food, shelter, community. I subscribe to that analysis, so before you go into middle of nowhere and "start a new life" make sure you are not doing it became you don't know how the same feelings of "loss" were prevalent through centuries - and though the centuries, despite all those fears, the shit generally speaking, never hit the fan.
- yeah. and i think in our microculture we're just all in advertising and want our souls backscarabin
- there is also the "quotation" movementcannonball1978
- yurimon0
Check out the father of permaculture. He could grow lemons in Alps by setting up a micro climate using water, rocks etc...
Sepp Holzer
- pinkfloyd0
I thought of a mobile home, but then you have to pay lot rent everymonth. If you buy a house, you have to pay property tax. Is there a third way where I just pay a one time fee, and not deal with bills?
- exador10
any of the old-timers here (like me) remember bio-freak?
i think he did something like this a while back..
here's his site, which i think chronicles some of his experiences...
http://lifeinsepia.com/