/r/OffGridLiving

Photograph via snooOG

Off Grid Living serves as a gathering place and resource for individuals who share an interest in disconnecting from the grid, whether by choice or necessity.

Off the Grid or off-grid is a characteristic of buildings as well as a lifestyle designed in an independent manner without reliance on one or more public utilities such as the electrical grid, gas, city sewer, and so forth. Off grid living allows for varying levels of self-sufficiency, which is advantageous for multiple reasons such as geographical limitations and environmental impact. Generally, an off-grid property must be able to supply energy and potable water, and ideally would also manage food, waste and wastewater.


We welcome all how-to's!


Related and Useful Subreddits:

/r/OffGridLiving

47,870 Subscribers

1

Quick question

How much do you personally spend each month to live?

1 Comment
2025/01/30
22:50 UTC

5

Generator recommendations!

Looking for recommendations on back up generator. What brand and why do you love it! I’m in an 832 square foot space. Have solar that needs some bulking up. What are your thoughts?

6 Comments
2025/01/29
14:25 UTC

10

Future preparations

I'm 14 and looking to, as you guessed it, being living offgrid in some obscure location far from any sign of humanity as possible in future, whenever that begins. Right now my goal is to finish school and study up and practice on the many skills I'll presumably need out there. What I'm asking for right now is just advice in general, stuff I can write down in my little book and save for later when the time comes.

8 Comments
2025/01/24
23:32 UTC

167

An Important Update About Site Linking in This Subreddit

Hi everyone,

I want to take a moment to address an important change happening for users of r/OffGridLiving. Starting January 23, 2025, links to content hosted on X/Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook will no longer be allowed. There's not a lot of quality information brought to this sub from those sources and so I don't believe this will be much of an issue for most users of this space. Pre-existing posts containing links to these platforms will remain approved.

It's understood that this change might be frustrating to some, especially since these platforms can be home to a lot of engaging content that you may want to share here. Please know that this decision was not made lightly.

The primary reason for implementing this policy is to prevent the spread of misinformation, which these platforms have become significant vectors for. As a community committed to thoughtful and informed discussion, it’s essential to ensure that the content shared here aligns with those values. By disallowing links from these sites, we are refusing to contribute traffic to platforms whose practices and policies conflict with the principles we stand for as a community here on OffGridLiving.

As a community our focus here is on education and practical matters such as skill building, sharing experience, and fostering a supportive environment for those interested in this lifestyle. I believe that this change will only serve to foster such an endeavor, rather than hinder it.

We all want this subreddit to remain a safe, welcoming, and constructive space for everyone. While I know this change may require some adjustment, I'm confident that it will ultimately strengthen our community. If you come across content from these platforms that you feel should be discussed here, I encourage you to summarize or paraphrase it in your post instead of linking directly. Screenshots or alternative links to trusted sources can also be shared, as long as they follow our existing rules.

Thank you for your understanding and patience as we implement this change. If you have any questions, concerns, or feedback, please reach out to the mod team.

15 Comments
2025/01/23
15:25 UTC

1

Off grid

I’ve been working on planning alternative housing system and was looking for someone to discuss ideas with

0 Comments
2025/01/22
19:57 UTC

1

Vacuum sealing screw lid jars?

I would like to reuse jam jars etc. with a one piece screw lid (so not the mason jar type with two pieces). Do you know of any equipment to easily create a vacuum? I bought something online but it's not working properly on the jars I have. Might be a size thing or just not a solution that is very robust...

Thanks for feedback!

7 Comments
2025/01/21
09:33 UTC

4

Looking for a Homestead that needs help!

Looking for homesteads

Hey, me and my wife are looking for a homestead in Utah, Montana, or Colorado that needs extra hands/help. Here are some things about us and what we know and would like.

We are both in our early 20's and have 3 dogs.

We would love to live and work on a homestead, we wouldn't require any payment, just living space and essential needs for us and our dogs. We'd both like to work part time while living on a homestead, so 100% of our time wouldn't be at the homestead.

Our main goal is to learn to grow our own food, hunt, and sustain ourselves off of land before purchasing our first property, and would love to help someone else's homestead in the process.

I'll give more information if someone is interested, keeping it at a minimum on reddit, thanks everybody!

Edit: It seems I should've listed experience in the post. I have several years of landscaping work including transplanting, planting, and maintaining plants, general maintenance work, and general contracting on several farms, as well as a couple years of dog handling experience. My wife has several years of farm work experience as well, working with pigs, cows, horses, dogs, goats, sheep, chickens and more. She also road horses competitively while living as a farm hand on a competitive riding facility.

4 Comments
2025/01/21
00:54 UTC

5

Offgrid electricity to a 24x48 shop.

A little background to paint a picture of what Im trying to accomplish. I got a 24x48 shop. Im a Jack of all Trades General Contractor that lives in the foot hillish of North Western washington. Most my tools are battery operated. Basically, Im trying to figure out what would be a good starter kit, I can upgrade off of so I can run 8 LED shop lights, a 4 station battery charge, my phone/laptop charger, and every once and a while a table saw or electric painter spray for small projects.

Im asking for a starter kit because I know its not going to be cheap and its going to be a hell of a investment, but if its something worth it that I can invest money in here and there to make live up to what Im looking for, Im ok with that.

Thank you all.

2 Comments
2025/01/20
00:17 UTC

5

Research project: Stress, Mental Well-Being and Lifestyle Satisfaction: A Comparison of Modern Fast Paced and Off-Grid Living.

Hi everyone! 

I am currently in the final year of my psychology degree, and for my dissertation, I am exploring something close to my heart: how modern fast paced lifestyles compare with off grid self-sufficient living when it comes to stress, mental wellbeing, and life satisfaction. 

We live in a world that feels more overwhelming by the day, burnout is everywhere, metal health services are stretched, and so many of us feel like we are just surviving, not thriving. But off-grid living offers a glimmer of hope and a different way to live, one that seems more in tune with how humans are meant to exist. 

This is where i need your help! If you live off grid or lead a self-sufficient lifestyle, i would love for you to take part in my survey. It is short and easy to fill out and your insights will help shed light on the benefits of simpler living compared to the chaos of modern life. Your experiences are invaluable and can really help challenge the idea that modern life is “the norm.” Let's show that there is another way to thrive! 

I appreciate your time so much! If you would like to participate in the survey, please click the link below.

https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/salford/stress-mental-well-being-and-lifestyle-satisfaction-a-compariso 

4 Comments
2025/01/16
10:57 UTC

8

COMPACT MODULAR PLANS

Good day all, again. So, after feedback, I'm reverting to my original idea. I have a newly designed, 14 page PDF set of Canadian (BC) 2024 code compliant, net zero plans available for a compact modular. If you'd like them, you're welcome to them. This link is to me on youtube talking about them. Thanks for your time. https://youtu.be/Atafo_Qo3pw (new link)

0 Comments
2025/01/15
23:11 UTC

3

How many items of clothing needed

How many item of clothing is needed bare minimum per item? I'm downsizing to one duffle of clothes

8 Comments
2025/01/14
19:17 UTC

5

How do I prime this diesel heater? There is no fifth button in the top left corner

1 Comment
2025/01/14
02:55 UTC

190

So I have just about had it with society

Hello everyone, this is my first post here. I currently am paying my mortage on a home that I purchased in 2014 in St. Paul, Minnesota and like clockwork my taxes just keep going up and everything else is just getting more and more expensive. I have always sorta had a pretty self sufficient mindset and despite having a pretty small space I have numerous vegetable gardens and a greenhouse. I have previously built two tiny cabins on my parents land in northern MN and being a homeowner and being just consistently low-income I feel generally pretty confident that I can fix most things when they break if I can figure out the parts or tools I need.

I am seriously considering selling my home and just getting out to something simpler (and cheaper). I work 100% remotely in customer service and I am pretty secure having worked for the same company for more 12 years at this point. I have two daughter 50% custody and we have been homeschooling since the pandemic.

My question to the community is has anyone here been where I am?

I am not wealthy, I make like 40k a year and feel just completely broke all the time, I am working a lot to make ends meet and even then I am always seeming to fall behind when things don't go right for a variety of reasons. I have like 126k left on my mortgage and the current taxable value is like 255k, I refinanced before interest rates when crazy and I was put on leave due to the pandemic so while my payments are lower than most people the city just raised my taxes and I am paying like 1200 a month .... on top of everything else it's just becoming too much.

I have no idea how to sell my house or how much I might get for it or if I should take my savings (it's not much) and try to buy a property first and then sell my house or what ... I have been watching youtube videos of people that seem to be just scamming for clicks and not providing the info I really need.

Can anyone here just give me some solid advice on how you've managed to do what you've done and what steps to take here?

any info is appreciated.

37 Comments
2025/01/13
21:58 UTC

10

Looking for greywater disposal solutions

For context, i bought a piece of property to build on. The property has failed a perc test, meaning it wont allow for a septic system. We can feed the house freshwater with 330gal Ibc totes and we can build an outhouse for septic(have it pumped monthly by septic truck), but my only hiccup is greywater disposal. We are putting a 2br mobile home on it, and possibly converting it to solar/propane for heat. Does anyone have any suggestions for disposing of the grey water? Possibly another 330gal tote? Thank you

14 Comments
2025/01/12
21:18 UTC

0

Wildfire Preparedness 101: Practical Fire Strategies to Keep Your Home and Family Safe

2 Comments
2025/01/10
13:19 UTC

2

Using Micro Inverters Off Grid

Ive copied and pasted this from a previous post, I'm fairly enthusiastic about electrically being off the grid. I'm hitting some walls with general (I'd call it ignorance) when it comes to diversifying our solar inputs... Anyway, here is my conversation starter and some videos of it working... Be keen to get other peoples input

So more of an "if your interested" post rather than ... well, dont do what i did...
We have been going "off grid" for some time now, and i became reasonably interested in the idea of AC coupled solar. When we moved our van from 12v to a full charge voltage of 58v we hit an issue. The two 18v panels on our van would not suffice. While we could swap them for bigger panels. roof space was a premium.
The van uses a lot of power just idle. Its a rather large van and consumes upwards of 7Kwh a day just having it sit with the fridge on... normal people would swap the fridge... but no, we put a ridiculous amount of batteries under it instead... but then we struggled to charge it... - lets be clear we dont think anyone should do what we did unless you really know what you are doing , and check your local legislation cause it might not be lawful... But we used micro inverters to give us some flexibility in charging our van. a friend was camping with us, and had a sizeable system of his own which suffered a breakdown. To incorporate his lower voltage charge source in to our system we used some micro inverters we have been playing with as some supplemental power...
https://youtu.be/m9Kg-6bTtjg - Using the micro Inverters in the field
Swapping the van to a quattro 2, and adding micro inverters
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLioL2f_u0RrAP28Vux39p83JRl5AMxQmS

9 Comments
2025/01/05
09:11 UTC

4

Diesel heater control panel failure?

1 Comment
2024/12/31
21:02 UTC

0

Shows as Cabin Rivers Outdoors

Shows As Cabin River Outdoors?

I’m not offgrid, but enjoy watching these it’s really enjoyable. I prefer the people who got little viewers and are staying on the property. Talking outloud and being alone it’s entertaining. However a lot of these are quiet, or going for a lot views or moving around nonstop.

Shawn really go at it the right way any one who is kinda how I prefer it he’s on the property and making it great

4 Comments
2024/12/28
05:03 UTC

3,320

Best part about living in a cabin in the woods (OR, USA)? Not being subjected to Christmas Music and consumerist propaganda against my will for 8 weeks of the year ✌

115 Comments
2024/12/24
19:40 UTC

56

What is the best state in America to go off the grid?

Key points that I would want is:

Good weather Good wildlife Habitat Water/river/lakes Not too many people

56 Comments
2024/12/22
16:40 UTC

5

Cameras

A friend recently had her solar batteries robbed. She’s interested in a 12v security camera. Does anyone have any ideas what the best ones are?

5 Comments
2024/12/10
20:21 UTC

12

Curious to here your thoughts on my new DIY off grid solar system. I aimed to share an easy to follow, beginners guide overview video, on how I was able to setup my solar system for around $400. Hopefully it can offer some ideas. 🙏🏻

0 Comments
2024/12/10
11:10 UTC

4

Seeking Advice for Off-Grid Living: Land Buying Tips, Communities, and Resources Needed!

My partner and I have been living full-time in an RV for the past year, traveling and exploring the country. Over the next year, we plan to focus on exploring the western United States. Through this journey, we’ve discovered that we don’t need much to be happy. In fact, the less we consume and accumulate, the more content we feel.

After another year of traveling, we plan to settle down. Our goal is to purchase 5+ acres of land, become more self-reliant, live off-grid, and produce as much of our own food as possible. We understand this is a significant undertaking, which is why we want to take it step by step. Ideally, we’d like to be no more than half an hour from a hardware store and grocery store for access to essential supplies and food.

We love the idea of a permaculture setup, where we nurture the land, and in return, it sustains us. Life has taught us that nothing unfolds exactly as envisioned, and we expect challenges, frustrations, and trial-and-error moments. Still, this is a dream we are determined to pursue.

After visiting Maine this summer, we fell in love with the state, and it has risen to the top of our list of potential places to settle. That said, we are open to land anywhere in the U.S. that meets the following criteria:

Land Necessities:

  • Minimal regulations regarding RV living, off-grid setups, and building on the property.
  • Fertile land with trees, suitable for growing food.
  • Within a 30-minute drive of a grocery store and hardware store.
  • Public road access to ensure ease of entry and exit.
  • And obviously, price is a huge factor—the cheaper, the better.

Land Preferences:

  • A scenic view.
  • A water feature such as a creek, river, pond, or lake.
  • Proximity to like-minded people living similar lifestyles—ideally, a community where knowledge and resources can be shared.

Long-Term Plans for the Land In the future, we hope to:

  • Establish a permaculture garden to grow our own food and live as self-sufficiently as possible.
  • Set up a few RV spots on the property to generate income and connect with others who share our vision and lifestyle.
  • Build a tiny house or cabin once we have the time and resources.

Seeking Advice

We know this is a big undertaking, and any advice is greatly appreciated! If you have experience with off-grid living, land purchasing, or self-sufficient setups, we’d love to hear from you. Recommendations for websites, online communities, YouTube channels, or other resources would also be incredibly helpful as we plan and prepare for this journey.

19 Comments
2024/12/09
22:02 UTC

6

Best place to live?

I was thinking Alaska or Maine to live in the wilderness and build a house, which one would be the best because I know Alaska gets very cold?

19 Comments
2024/12/09
19:38 UTC

2

Insulating bottom with XPS, K-Flex foam and then Alu-Bubble foam. Good idea? or will moist get trapped inside and rot the wood?

Hi, below the bottom of the wooden tiny house I applied XPS 5mm as base layer for insulation, covered with 20mm k flex and now i think of adding this.

I was adviced to use this stuff for insulating/ making the bottom airtight. This seems like a great idea in one way (no moisture coming in, in theory), but could it cause condensation and moisture to remain there causing a pool of water to rot the bottom on the other hand? So which one is true in practice? how should I apply it, directly on the material, or can there be some space? wood also contains some moisture which may be trapped otherwise? the heated area will be above.. I will also add tarps as a skirt (the floor is 1m raised, around the wheels https://www.hornbach.cz/p/tepelna-izolace-dape-arktik-parotesna-10-m-role/8338305/

is there anything I should do with metal frame not touching the wood? or leave it as is? and what is the best to do with the metal frame touching the wood? cheap puffy plastic wrapping?

1 Comment
2024/12/09
18:43 UTC

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