I have been living off the grid in Arizona for exactly four years at the time of writing this, so I thought it would be a good time to talk about my experience, since I now have a lot of it. How Difficult Is it to Live Off the Grid in Arizona? This is sort…
Off-Grid Living
Guide to Buying Solar: MPPT, APP, MC4… What’s It All Mean?
My wife, who also happens to be my editor – I don’t exactly have a payroll for this blog – was reviewing an article I wrote the other day, and had no choice but to admit she didn’t have a clue what I was talking about. It’s kind of hard to edit something when everything…
Best Portable Solar Generators 2022
Portable solar generators have come a long way since I first started writing about them more than four years ago. They’ve advanced so much, no longer are they just an emergency backup power supply for small appliances; the models I am going to share with you in this post could power a small house, if…
How to Install a Wood Stove Through a Window (And Why You Shouldn’t)
Properly installing a wood stove through a roof or wall assembly is not exactly an easy job. You have to cut a big hole through your ceiling/roof/wall, you’ll need tools and parts you probably don’t have, and if you don’t do it perfectly, you’re setting yourself up for future problems. Going through the roof is…
Super Cheap and Easy Rainwater Catchment
I’m surprised that so many people don’t collect rainwater – very few do. Even if you don’t live off the grid, why not put some barrels around your eves and catch some extra water for watering plants, washing dirty tools, etc… I think it might just be that lots of people are simply cheap and…
11 Ways to Make Money From Your Off-Grid Homestead
Let’s not waste any time on motivational speeches and wishful thinking… Making money from home is difficult. Period. No matter where you live. Very few people are fortunate to be employed from home. When you live off the grid, way out in the country, and you’re trying to make money from your homestead, earning a…
Axe vs. Maul vs. Splitting Axe: What’s the Difference?
Last month I broke my chopping axe while splitting some wood in the yard. Instead of re-handling right away, I decided to just go ahead and buy a new splitting axe. Why? Because I don’t actually chop wood very often. You see, there aren’t many large trees where we live – let alone dead ones…
Cold Steel Trail Boss Review: Broke After One Year!
It’s funny, just last week I was thinking about writing a review for this axe, and I was planning on touting it as one of the best budget axes; then… it broke. I’ll admit, I mainly use this axe for chopping mesquite wood, which is a very hard wood, and I use it almost every…
Oil Lamps: An Underrated Off-Grid Survival Tool
Why Oil Lamps Are Perfect for Off-Grid Living Throughout the early half of October, we were hit with some unexpectedly bad weather. For several days, the sky was overcast, it rained perpetually, and frigid gusts of misty wind made being outside intolerable. Uncertain how long this would last, we were feeling somewhat hopeless, as we…
28 Foods That Have a Really Long Shelf Life
These 28 Foods Can Last for Many Months to Several Years Without Refrigeration When Stored Properly When you’re living off the grid, it’s essential to have a pantry stocked with foods that can last a long time. All of the foods on this list have incredibly long shelf lives. Some of them can even last…
