While I would encourage almost everyone to try to become as independent from the system and as self-reliant as possible; ideally moving to a rural area and going off-grid with your own sources of power, water, and food, the reality is that this lifestyle isn’t “simple”, and I’m getting tired of it being advertised everywhere as if it were.
Last year we moved off-grid. Throughout the winter we’ve had to feed the wood stove we have several times a day, we’ve had to split wood to make kindling, we’ve had to carry wood from our outside wood racks to inside the house every 2-3 days, and take the excess ash out of the fireplace about once a day. Because our firewood wasn’t properly seasoned, it doesn’t last all night and we have to wake up and feed the fire, or our mornings are cold.
We use a composting toilet, and that’s great because it means we have no need for water (which worked out well when our pipes froze the other day), but it also means you have to manage a compost pile and manually take the compost out every couple of weeks.
We have solar panels and batteries and no grid connection. If the grid went down, we wouldn’t even notice. But in the winter months we’ve had to carefully manage our electricity usage on cloudy days, and when it snowed several inches and our solar panels were completely covered, we had to run a generator, which means storing gasoline, doing generator maintenance, etc.
I won’t bore you with all the details, but suffice it to say, living off-grid is hard. It isn’t simple, and it isn’t easy.
You know what’s easy? Living in a city apartment. Electricity and water are wired and piped into your home, and food is a 5 minute drive away neatly wrapped in plastic; but, you’re also completely at the mercy of a delicate and extremely complicated supply chain.
There’s an inverse relationship between convenience and self-reliance. You have to choose where you want to be on that line.
Most people choose convenience, and it works out fine for them… until it doesn’t.
Recall that just a couple of years ago utility companies were shutting down people’s homes for violating draconian Covid laws and hosting - gasp - parties in your home, and you’ll quickly realize that the abuse of power is not a matter of if, but rather of when. And of course there’s the looming threat of old infrastructure decay as the economy crumbles under a mountain of debt.
On the other hand, though not easy, it is extremely fulfilling knowing that you’re able to heat your home whether the local utility company likes you or not.
But if you’re going to embark on this journey, you should be realistic about your expectations. You’re going to have to adjust your lifestyle. There will be new chores. You’ll have less time for social media (that’s not a bad thing!), and you’ll be spending a lot more time outside in the sun.
Are you ready to move off-grid and take control of your life?
Some of my favorite memories of raising my sons in a cabin with no running water, or electricity; are reading to them buy the light of an oil lamp next to a hot wood stove, while the snow and wind blows outside. Also sitting outside with a cup of hot coffee, and watching the world awaken, while filled with a sense of peaceful accomplishment and wonder at the beauty of a new day dawning.
Yes it is hard work, but sharing a fall day cutting the winters supply of fire wood, and having children who understand the importance of caring for livestock, and being able to solve problems when the nearest hardware store is 30 miles away, is worth it.
They are in their late 30s now and I am confident that they can handle any challenges they may encounter.
Enjoy the quiet times living provides.