The grid is everywhere, sending power to the light switch on the wall and water to the faucet in the kitchen. But is it essential? Should we depend on it and the giant corporate structure behind it? With energy prices soaring, the housing market in shambles, financial institutions collapsing, and unemployment hovering at devastating highs, up to a million Americans have already freed themselves from dependence on the Utility companies. More are joining the movement every day.
In Off the Grid: Inside the Movement for More Space, Less Government, and True Independence in Modern America, award-winning documentary filmmaker and part-time off-gridder, Nick Rosen, takes readers on a fascinating and complex journey through a seemingly simple lifestyle. Nick, who is Editor of this web site, traverses the US, encountering both luxury hideaways and harsh environs, to investigate the growing trend for off-the-grid living. His adventures take him from one overlooked part of the country to another, in rented cars that often double as hotels and on public transit when his subjects demand it. He spends time with all sorts of individuals and families striving to live the lives they want— bathing in hot springs, forgoing municipal power and amenities—in the ultimate search for freedom from government and its far-reaching grasp. (more…)
Whenever Dutch John goes into town, which is as seldom as possible, he tends to walk or take the bike.
He describes himself as a “low profile anarchist and an off-gridder in the broadest senses of the word”. But it’s not just his environmental beliefs that prevent him from taking the car.
Every time he uses his twenty year old Volvo 240, first he has to clean up the cyclone bin, dump the char dust on the compost, fill the fuel bin with sixty pounds of wood, stacking a few sacks on the back seat for extra mileage, spark up the gasifier with a diesel glow plug, wait four minutes for it to heat up, flare off the surplus carbon monoxide and hydrogen. And then he’s off. (more…)
It could be a guided tour of your smallholding. It might even be a glimpse of the tasks your household performs during a typical day, from chopping wood to pumping water to relaxing quietly on the back porch (more…)
As the Banksters continue to draw their massive paychecks, the rest of us are hunkering down for what looks increasingly like the end of economic growth in large parts of the country.
Everybody knows that the wealthy have in fact been bailed out. Sales of luxury goods continue to soar. At the same time, Jeff Weniger from Harris Private Bank estimates that over 9m Americans without jobs are receiving no support.
Jim Juczak is located at the Woodhenge Sustainable Community: “The Center for the Study of Things Practical and Not So Practical.” Jim looks 40 but is in fact about 50. He is quite simply the best scrounger in upstate New York. He is one of the stars of Off the Grid
Jim scrounges building materials, clothes, food, junk, guns – just about anything. He lives to scrounge. Or rather he lives for free – his life is dedicated to not paying the market price for anything, and he loves to share his knowledge with others. (more…)
Hugging the foothills of Mt Field, the tiny hamlet of Ellendale epitomises the bewitching peace of Tasmanian farming towns. Life centres around a main road, the church, the shop and the Town Hall. It’s hard to believe on one of Ellendale’s story book farms a quiet revolution is taking place.
Across Australia, the cost of electricity is a big issue. Tasmania is no different with anger over soaring power costs and conflict between the state’s energy companies. More and more people are searching for alternatives and an ex-engineer has come up with a bright idea that’s now powering his entire town. (more…)
If you can manage to camp away from the water sources, and from the established campsites, then the many wonderful advantages of stealth camping will be yours. Stealth camping (also known as “wild camping”) is a cleaner, warmer and quieter way to camp, and it offers a much better connection with nature. In all likelihood no one has camped at your impromptu stealth-site before, and the ground will be pristine. (more…)
In California go north to this sulphur-rich spring famed for its healing properties. The Wilbur Hot Springs hotel is off the grid and totally solar-powered – there are no TVs, no mobile reception and, apart from on ‘chef weekends’, guests have to prepare their own food in the communal kitchen. Add to that the fact that clothing is optional around the baths and you can rest assured you’ll be getting away from it all. There are free yoga sessions, a sauna and outstanding stargazing while coyotes howl.
We rather like the Subaru Robin range of inverter generators. They are not too pricey and feature the latest in inverter generator technology. Models in the line, include the R1700i which kicks out 1,650 watts; the RG3200iS
at 3,200 watts (click here for the RG3200iS California Compliant), and the RG4300iS — the first-ever 4,300-watt inverter generator.
Generator noise is one of the main problems – especially on quiet summer nights. Subaru’s inverter technology reduces the sound level. (more…)
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Off-Grid.net is investigating the Utility companies --power, water and waste.
Do the water companies conceal their knowledge of the pollution of the water supply? Do the power companies conceal the wasted energy inside the system, and their excessive profits?
We need help to find the smoking guns: memos, SEC filings,confidential legal advice internal emails..... send to news@off-grid.net. Anonymity guaranteed
Do you rely on your own healing powers when you are ill? Or is there an unqualified nurse in your local community?
We want to hear from people who do their own doctoring - using their own herbs and remedies, setting their own broken bones, dealing with their own bodies.
Why do you do it? How do you do it? Contact news@off-grid.net
We are preparing a TV series for possible broadcast next year. Can you write up your experiences ? Or handle a video camera?
We are looking for people who currently live off-grid anywhere in the world, and for people who want to live off-grid but do not yet do so. This might be in a community or an individual situation. Please send us your videos and photos - or feel free to write about yourself for the web site. Contact nick@off-grid.net
An interactive map showing who wants to go off-grid , and where they are, and who has land on offer.
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