Tag Archives: off-grid

A Reader Writes About Going Off-grid

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I got a note this afternoon about an old article, “Getting off  the grid”:

Ms. Rajiva,
Your article Getting Off the Grid was excellent. I like your suggestion to
start letting go of things you can do without first. It is how I’ve
progressed and seems like a more natural path to getting off the grid.
Thank you for sharing your insight.
A.B

Thank you, A.B.   I’m replying here, because I’ve decided it’s not wise to reply to people I don’t know a bit, on my email.

Letting go of anything always sounds difficult when it’s proposed to you theoretically. When you run up against it in the course of living, it’s not that hard.

How many people worry about trivial blemishes in their appearance. And then cancer strikes and suddenly they don’t care about anything but getting the pain to stop.

People throw tantrums about a rearrangement of their office furniture, and then they’re fired and have to get used to a trailer or a basement apartment.

Instead of waiting for fate to take something away from you, just figure out what you can release on your own.  It hurts less when you do it yourself.

A Question for Off-Gridders

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A reader asks a question about off-grid living:

“I read with abiding interest your article, “Getting off the Grid.” It
was a very nice piece. Presently, I am living in Madison, WI with my kids but I would like to lead my retired life in or near Abbottabad, Pakistan. In fact there is a nice village about 8 kilometers from there which at the end of the mountain (where it is located) it has water, electricity, and
gas. So can I rely on the city for providing me with these utilities on a continued basis or should I dig my own well and use UPS for power supplemental power supply, or maybe a gas generator or both? By the way, how much does a wind turbine cost?”
Khalid.

My Comment:

I’ll post any answers I come across, but meanwhile, feel free to chip in with any advice for reader Khalid..

Getting Off the Grid

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My latest piece, on living off the grid:

“Hundreds of thousands of people in this country live “off the grid.” If the power fails, food runs short or drought hits, their families won’t be hurt. Their houses have solar panels and electric generators; their shelves are stocked with canned food and seeds. They have wells in their back yard so they’ll never go thirsty. Some are retreating into farms. Others are bringing the countryside into their homes…..”

Some excerpts:

Predicting and panicking won’t help you now.

You have to prepare.

Fortunately, it’s easier and there are fewer people doing it.

Your preparation consists essentially of one thing – becoming more independent……..

Another excerpt:

Reducing water usage is not only thrifty it’s good ecological practice and has a direct impact on energy consumption. A large chunk of energy is spent pumping and heating water.

Start storing things. Use solar panels to store natural energy from the sun. Store water in tanks so you don’t run short in a drought. Store organic seeds. Store computer parts and electronic goods. Store anything you think you need which might go up drastically in price.

A quick recap now:

* Store

* Live healthily
* Grow your own food
* Drive less
* Make your job portable
* Barter
* Exchange services
* Recycle/reuse “

Read the rest at Lew Rockwell.
And here’s some advice on something I mention in the piece – square-foot gardening