It consists of significantly reducing dependence on municipal resources while increasing self-sufficiency.įor example, let’s say the aforementioned family of four lives in a semi-rural location. This is the type of off-grid living that’s the most attainable and most comfortable for the majority of people. That said, around 940 million people (that’s 13% of the global population) don’t have access to electricity, so “roughing it” – whether by choice or circumstance – is far more common than most folks realize. This is the cheapest way to live off-grid, but as you can imagine, it’s also the most challenging. Lighting comes primarily from oil lamps and candles, and cooking is usually done in and around the hearth, wood stove, or fire pit.
If they decide to have electricity, then they’ll likely have a generator or solar panels, and only use a bit of power when absolutely necessary. There’s usually a clean water source nearby, like a potable river or lake (though you’d likely still have to filter the water) and a means of keeping warm, like a fireplace or woodstove. “Roughing it” consists of living in a shelter without running water or a standard electricity hookup. So they sell or pack up whatever they have and head for the hills. Of course, other people decide that they’ve had quite enough of frenetic modern living and would rather go back to a much simpler lifestyle. For example, people whose homes were destroyed after the California wildfires suddenly found themselves living off-grid - not by choice, but because there were no other options available. This is an extreme form of off-grid living that often comes about after dire circumstances. There are a few different ways of living off-grid. Your options for off-grid living depend on where you live, how much time, energy, and money you can put into alternate lifestyle options, and how much your individual creature comforts mean to you. Others only live partially off-grid, using alternative electricity sources or growing a fair bit of their own food and medicine. They grow their own crops, raise livestock, spin and weave fiber to make their own clothing, and basically live like their pioneer ancestors did a couple of centuries ago. Some people who live off-grid are completely self-sustaining.
Either way, the resources you require for everyday life are supplied by your own efforts and equipment, rather than anything offered by the local government.