I bought an Airstream in 2014 and boondocked all over the western United States. I have been in the high desert in New Mexico, and I have fallen in love with night sky. I take pictures with my telescopes and love the peace and quiet of living here. I admire the way you and Curt live, and I look forward to your weekly missives...
One never has to justify their way of life or what they call it.
The main description of off grid is being self sufficient without relying on public utilities. So there! Anyone who doesn’t know what off grid means. The Alexa goddess has spoken. lol! Sorry, couldn’t help myself.
You guys are definitely off grid and when I do get up to stay with you I thoroughly enjoy having a chance to live that life, although washing my hair in the bush with a pail of cold water on a cold day sometimes is a little hard. After a shake and a shiver all is good.
The peace one gets from walking in the forest without anyone around for miles is exhilarating and well worth living that life style.
Hey amy, AG here. There are indeed different levels of off-gridness I have solar panels and a satellite dish to communicate with civilization if I want to drive into town once a month for groceries, try to avoid the mountain lions and the Bears wherever possible, been here for almost 10 years and have no plans on going back. Enjoy reading what you're writing.
I spent many a summer living out my backpack wandering the cascades. To me that was living off the grid. Now I have a few acres and my utility hooked up. But I still strive to be sustainable. I’m just more comfortable! Lolol
I've noticed that for the last 10-15-ish years many people have become obsessed with labeling things and labeling themselves. All so they can belong or fit into something. Be it a "homesteader", a "prepper", an "off-gridder", whatever. I've always hated labels ....no single term classifies who I am and what I do. If they want to do that, fine.
I've also come to the conclusion that many of those who say I'm not off-grid because I post things on the internet are usually those that are living in a city and wouldn't survive 2 days in the wilderness.
I just don't understand what the need is to label and classify people and things. Just live your life, enjoy it, do whatever makes you happy ...regardless of what it might be called.
Your adventures and lifestyle will be different than mine but they are all awesome.
This is a great article Amy. It's funny that after a financially successful career, some of my family thought we lost it all and were destitute when we announced plans to live off grid. Lol. They were concerned that we were about to be homeless. We did it all ourselves. We trenched and ran 1500 ft of Pex for the waterline, installed 21kw of solar panels, a 48 volt system with 12 lifepo4 batteries and a 15kw inverter. Not destitute. Not homeless. Living Off Grid! ...and loving it. Thanks for your continued effort to help us all feel connected.
I'm just about to complete my off the grid tropical bungalow on a 40 acre farm/rainforest, and am fully engaged. In fact my bungalow is really designed as a share space for the community, - half open deck, a largish kitchen. So when the water (rain water) is plumbed and the electricity (solar batteries) are fixtured, then I'll be inviting people to consider sharing the food growing, have meetings, hold arts workshops, become members so they can enjoy the environment. I pay rates (local government land taxes) but have now paid the electricity and water and sewerage bill for ever. Oh about sewerage, it has a compostable toilet. It wasn't the cheapest build so there's got to be some sort of recovery income for the outlay. I'm growing tropical fruits and community usage may provide for some maintainence costs. I'm really at what most people consider retirement age so I've put a lot of my savings into the project. Will it work? I've given myself 10 years self funded low income to find out by which time I need to have worked out the successorship of the property anyhow.
Reminds me of our latest attempt to build a campfire (we’re still sort of new to this). It was a long day for us and we just wanted to sit down and relax in front of a campfire. I was so focused on the idea though that I forgot all the work that goes into it, gathering tinder, building the fire etc. being off-grid is so idealized, but the reality is it’s a list of chores at the end of the day 😂
I bought an Airstream in 2014 and boondocked all over the western United States. I have been in the high desert in New Mexico, and I have fallen in love with night sky. I take pictures with my telescopes and love the peace and quiet of living here. I admire the way you and Curt live, and I look forward to your weekly missives...
Dance naked under the moon, howl with the wolves, make things work that are broken, maintain, look, see, be free…and, please, don’t forget to write.
And post an image or two. 😊
You and Curt are wonderful Spirits…
✨☘️
Totally agree..(but NO pics of yaz dancing naked)..might gimme a stroke!!)..🤣 🤠
Bahahaha 🤣 🐺 🌕
And get spares for almost everything
Even Thoreau went to town occasionally
Rumour has it his mum washed his clothes!
😂
Beautifully articulated. My off-grid journey begins in September, and I am chomping at the bit. 💜
Ooo I’m excited for you! Where’s your journey beginning?
Deep in the Appalachians, on a south-facing mountain cove!
One never has to justify their way of life or what they call it.
The main description of off grid is being self sufficient without relying on public utilities. So there! Anyone who doesn’t know what off grid means. The Alexa goddess has spoken. lol! Sorry, couldn’t help myself.
You guys are definitely off grid and when I do get up to stay with you I thoroughly enjoy having a chance to live that life, although washing my hair in the bush with a pail of cold water on a cold day sometimes is a little hard. After a shake and a shiver all is good.
The peace one gets from walking in the forest without anyone around for miles is exhilarating and well worth living that life style.
Enjoy and be safe. The bears are out and about.
I’m looking forward to your next visit, hopefully we’ll have a better shower setup by then!
Funny how people who are “connected” judge other people’s versions of “disconnected”.
Hey amy, AG here. There are indeed different levels of off-gridness I have solar panels and a satellite dish to communicate with civilization if I want to drive into town once a month for groceries, try to avoid the mountain lions and the Bears wherever possible, been here for almost 10 years and have no plans on going back. Enjoy reading what you're writing.
I spent many a summer living out my backpack wandering the cascades. To me that was living off the grid. Now I have a few acres and my utility hooked up. But I still strive to be sustainable. I’m just more comfortable! Lolol
I've noticed that for the last 10-15-ish years many people have become obsessed with labeling things and labeling themselves. All so they can belong or fit into something. Be it a "homesteader", a "prepper", an "off-gridder", whatever. I've always hated labels ....no single term classifies who I am and what I do. If they want to do that, fine.
I've also come to the conclusion that many of those who say I'm not off-grid because I post things on the internet are usually those that are living in a city and wouldn't survive 2 days in the wilderness.
I just don't understand what the need is to label and classify people and things. Just live your life, enjoy it, do whatever makes you happy ...regardless of what it might be called.
Your adventures and lifestyle will be different than mine but they are all awesome.
This is a great article Amy. It's funny that after a financially successful career, some of my family thought we lost it all and were destitute when we announced plans to live off grid. Lol. They were concerned that we were about to be homeless. We did it all ourselves. We trenched and ran 1500 ft of Pex for the waterline, installed 21kw of solar panels, a 48 volt system with 12 lifepo4 batteries and a 15kw inverter. Not destitute. Not homeless. Living Off Grid! ...and loving it. Thanks for your continued effort to help us all feel connected.
I should be going to BC soon. Glad to see u r doing well.
I'm just about to complete my off the grid tropical bungalow on a 40 acre farm/rainforest, and am fully engaged. In fact my bungalow is really designed as a share space for the community, - half open deck, a largish kitchen. So when the water (rain water) is plumbed and the electricity (solar batteries) are fixtured, then I'll be inviting people to consider sharing the food growing, have meetings, hold arts workshops, become members so they can enjoy the environment. I pay rates (local government land taxes) but have now paid the electricity and water and sewerage bill for ever. Oh about sewerage, it has a compostable toilet. It wasn't the cheapest build so there's got to be some sort of recovery income for the outlay. I'm growing tropical fruits and community usage may provide for some maintainence costs. I'm really at what most people consider retirement age so I've put a lot of my savings into the project. Will it work? I've given myself 10 years self funded low income to find out by which time I need to have worked out the successorship of the property anyhow.
Reminds me of our latest attempt to build a campfire (we’re still sort of new to this). It was a long day for us and we just wanted to sit down and relax in front of a campfire. I was so focused on the idea though that I forgot all the work that goes into it, gathering tinder, building the fire etc. being off-grid is so idealized, but the reality is it’s a list of chores at the end of the day 😂