How can I successfully go off the grid?

First off the meaning of “off the grid” means you are not connected to the grid; http://www.livingoffgrid.org/what-does-living-off-...

I had over 20 acres in the rocky mountains in Montana and raised my kids there. We were off the gird totally independent other than a few things we had to buy to repair things and the basic stock of dried goods and medicine.

Everything on our place worked in harmony with the whole homestead. Garden waste was mixed with animal manure and composted. We built a methane bio-gas generator that created methane gas from decomposing plant matter and animal wastes. This ran our generators, portable weilder and other combustion engines. We also has wind power and solar power with a huge battery bank for constant power. We also had a water generator in a nearby stream. So no matter the weather or break downs we had power.

We canned up hundreds of mason jars.

I could go on but the point is that living off the grid means a lot of work. You are replacing spending cash for labor to make your own.

So it not a kick back take it easy life its labor intensive. Is it worth it? Oh yes! But some cant handle getting up at 3 am to feed the animals and start the day and end the day late in the evening.

I have seen so many try this and give up. Both in Montana and here in Alaska.

You may just want to be energy independent and that’s a lot less work than growing huge gardens and raising livestock.

Mother Earth News, Backwoods Home magazine and other such sources can help you as well as the many web sites on this. But there is so much to learn that it’s comparable to trying to get 6 years of college education in a few months. So don’t expect to learn all thats involved in short order. You see you aren’t learning one skill or trade you have to be a jack of all; mechanic, wielder, farmer, electrician, food preservation, carpenter, butcher, animal husbandry, plumber, painter, roofer, etc etc. Or you will have to pay someone to do those things for you.

So before you jump into this or spend cash do your research first so don’t end up like people I met who lost a fortune in a futile investment.

You're obviously going to have to do this in more than one big step.

First, move to a small farming/ranching community. I live 10 minutes from a town of less than 1000 people and the next nearest town is 60 miles away (3 roads coming in from 3 directions, each lead to a small town, each town is 60 miles from here). The nearest large town, with stores like Walmart are at least a 2 1/2 hour drive. Move to a town like that first, learn about that life style first, or you will never survive!

You will HAVE to learn about gardening by doing it first. Gardening is a must. You will also have to learn how to can and perserve what you grow. Chickens are a good investment, but there's alot to know about that. A goat, for milk, is a good investment and way less expensive than a cow. Hunting is very important to survival in small towns.

Most people don't live completely off the grid. You could buy a remote cabin in the mountain west, say 20 or 30 minutes from a small town like mine. Alot of people here do that. You could have a job, and small stores and a clinic in that small town. Plus a few social aspects, which is important in the long winter.

I guarantee that living completely off the grid is no picnic.

If you had a couple hundred grand laying around, you could buy a nice boat and a small island.

But you would have to make occasional trips back and forth for supplies.

But many islands have near-by islands stocked with stores and supplies.

Unless you dropped 2 mil on a COMPLETELY isolated island in the middle of the ocean.

You better have connections or one BIG boat for that.

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As long as you could haul lumber, water, and food supplies to your island, technically you be fine.

Of course you're best bet would be to base MOST of you're diet off of fish.

Everything else you would HAVE to stock yourself.

(unless the island had running water/streams)

An island is the MOST EXTREME way to stay off the grid, of course, you would still be slightly dependent on society and stores for your supplies.

But you might be completely isolated, depending on if there are any neighboring islands or continents.

Plus you'd either be forced to run off of Boat power, Generators or alot of Solar Panels if you wanted some constant form of electricity....although there are other ways to channel power to an extent.

You also have to consider terrain and soil conditions for building.

And also consider the island erosion process.

Most islands change form or shape, sometimes in very very short time periods.

But usually not for a long time.

But then again, depending on where the island is located, you can pretty much do ANYTHING.....no yearly taxes or anything.

But the trade-off is, you are completely on your own!

off the grid... with grocery delivery?

If youre serious or think your serious find some back issues of "The Mother Earth News". You can make your own electricity, distill water, clothes, ride an ox cart... how far you want to go is up to you and your ingenuity.

You could become completely self provident. But you would need a cash income to pay property taxes even if you could provide all your other commodities.

Selling excess livestock or garden food could be part of that income. Most folks end up with a town job when they try this kind of thing

Asking the question that you asked is proof that you're not even remotely prepared to take on such an extreme lifestyle. "Off the gird" means total self-sufficiency and that's pretty extreme.

You're talking about a "little house in the country"... not a "cabin in the big woods".

Let's sum it up... off the grid means being to supply yourself with EVERYTHING you need. Yes, you could possibly trade with other people in your same situation but you surely can't plan or rely on that. Learning to garden would be a good START... a mandatory skill... among MANY others.

Your not off the grid with electricity or a internet cable to your house. Off the grid means away from all that and water and sewer lines too. Away from it all. Having your own animals and a big garden will help you eat. You will need massive solar and wind generators and battery systems and no big appliances. You might want to look into the southwest areas where there is lots of sun and its not to cold in the winter.

Satellite connection might be a option.

Ebay is a good one.

Too much info to give out here.

Google Ragnar Benson's books. Good place to start

If you're paying for the internet or relying on doctors and health care you're not even remotely off the grid

Well If you wouldn't need internet because you wouldn't need to work. As long as you had a good garden and you could shoot and cook your own food than you don't need anything else except a cabin and a fireplace so you can stay warm. Now that is what I call off the grid.

Have a look at the website of the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales. They have heaps of books and equipment for the sort of venture you have in mind.

if small word that even i can spell, take out the if and you be off the grid, agree with jeff ok ,, i think you would need a sat. dish ,,and a road to ups to drive on or a secure drop zone and a couple hundred k too make it in gold that is,, preping for 2012 are we ???????