What’s piqued our interest is the sudden panic by some Americans searching ‘live off grid’ on the internet, hitting the highest level in five years. The driving force behind finding a rural piece of land for dirt cheap, buying or building a tiny home, installing solar panels, and sourcing your own food and water might have to do with the worst inflation storm in a generation while Democrat cities implode under the weight of soaring violent crime.
We’re not going to speculate on the exact cause, but we’ll give readers an understanding that a combination of the worst housing affordability crisis in decades plus out-of-control crime in progressive-run cities could be some of the largest drivers pushing people to explore living in the ‘sticks.’
With the introduction of SpaceX’s Starlink in 2019, remote workers no longer have to live in crowded, dirty, and dangerous metro areas — many found this out during the exodus of major cities during Covid.
Capitalizing on off-the-grid living is Home Depot, which now sells tiny homes called “Getaway Pad.”
We’ve also seen the RV Industry Association report multiple times this year that parked mobile home shipments are surging on a monthly basis versus the same months last year — yet another indication of housing affordability issues.
Living off the grid can have many benefits, including financial independence, self-sufficiency, preparedness, and security, as well as promoting an active lifestyle, better sleep, and a healthier diet (no need for a Peloton bike or Eli Lilly’s fat drug “Ozempic”).
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Solar panels………what a fraud.
You must be a troll with no actual experience with solar panels.
As someone who has been off the grid for the last 3 yrs I can attest they work
Agreed. I hate solar panels for the use of trying to power a whole grid (and litter rural landscapes). But for a small off the grid place they are great. We have 2000w of panels, charge controller, 110v inverter, and bank of 6CRV220 batteries. We only use it for powering lights, charging stuff, and sometimes watch TV.
It isn’t that they work, it’s what it requires to build, utilize and maintain them.
The whole solar array is as fragile and system dependent as any product on Earth, not to mention they require either grid tie or batteries, both of which are not only undependable but costly.
And that’s from someone with 16 years of solar usage.
I’m over 1 year into my 5Kwh off grid type system (Sol-Ark) with 8-365watt panels and a 7.5Kwh battery. While it was expensive-$10K-ish I’m very happy with the results…so far.
It has been running our fridge, 2 freezers, microwave, coffee pot, toaster oven, a few lights and I ran an extension cord that’s centralized so it can be used for various things like running food dehydrators x4, de-humidifier, vacuum cleaner, TV, etc…. when sufficient power is available (almost always). I can usually charge the battery to full capacity by 2pm even with all the goodies running. So, I have a desirable problem of excess power availability that’s going unused.
The security it offers should the grid go down is comforting. I haven’t heard of any significant problems with the Li-ion batteries or the panels and can expect a 20 year service life at a minimum, as told by many different sources.
Again, so far…. I’m impressed.
Your panels will not even last 20 years, much less your batteries. Both panels and batteries degrade a little with every single charge / discharge cycle.
Solar panels begin to degrade from the first day they are put in operation, and batteries only have a limited number of cycles. Most solar systems would not be functional for more that a decade without component replacement.
In the event of societal collapse, you are looking at a return to the dark ages in a very few years.
After the collapse of the Roman Empire, the technology of their time which included indoor plumbing, toilets, concrete construction, advanced medicine and surgery, and many other innovation’s, were lost, and mankind did not redevelop those technologies again until the 1800’s.
And your alternative is what?
If you are preparing for the long term, I would not do it depending on electricity…..
I know there are many conservative areas there, but I’m not sure Oregon would be my first choice. Bunch of neo marxist maniacs run the place. If you need to go off grid at least look for a place friendly towards independent minded people.
Wrong. You’re describing Portland and it’s surrounding suburbs, the Willamette Valley and hippie central, Ashland, in southern Oregon. Geographically, 70% of the state is conservative and the more rural you get it is even more conservative AND heavily armed. Yes, the state is run by socialists but large swaths are good people. I live in Brookings and I will die here.
We have a family camp that is true off the grid (on dirt road with no power lines for miles). Solar w/battery banks, backup inverter generator, spring fed well with manual pump, outhouse, cook/wood stove, 40 acres of wooded serene land backed up to thousands of acres of state forest…. Starting bid is 1 million!
The American nightmare alive and well in 2023.
Nice more folks are waking up,even if only partially self sufficient every bit helps.
The average person would have about as much chance living off grid in a real TEOWAWKI situation as they would flapping their arms and flying to Brazil. Back in the 1400’s, people had 100 times the survival skills they have today, and yet when the pilgrims arrived in America, the only reason they did not starve was because the Native American took pity on them and helped them to survive. Even then many did not.
Surviving off grid requires decades of knowledge on how to do it, and extremely low population density, that ensures the maximum resource availability.
If the grid goes down for a month or two or more, the majority of the population will be dead.
Because I have a complete off grid capable system, everything, freezer, refrigerators, lights, air conditioners, security system, well, everything will still be working. That doesn’t mean there won’t be plenty of other problems to deal with, it’s just that electric power and water will not be one of them.
Living in a van works well as long as only a few do it. As more people do it, it will become noticeable. It will be just another tax dodge , that the local community will snuf out.
Living off the grid by definition, is living in expense desirable locations that pay higher wages.
But since Mexicans can live 4 to a room or 1 per every 100 square foot. Turn about is fair play.
While most people are LOOKING most people can’t afford this. Initial set up can be quite expensive. Increasingly people won’t be able to afford to move at all. I’m not off grid but I do have backups. A solar oven. Propane burner. Grill. Porta toilet. Water filter.
Two weeks ago we moved from New Jersey to rural Kansas. Good move. We live in the middle of nowhere now and it is really great. Everyone we meet is really nice – not all stressed out. There is zero traffic on the roads. We are close enough to a city that if need be we can access city things but far enough out that city people do not come here. Even if they wanted to they could not find us.
There is what’s loosely called a Homesteading movement, and I listen to and read some of their blogs. Joel Salatin is involved too. It’s a lot of younger people and they range from off grid to small commercial farms etc.
They seem like really great people, I learn a lot too. Really is great.
Most do not talk about real political, ‘divisive’ topics which I understand because they are afraid to ‘offend’ people and lose subscribers. Some are climate changer/covidian types but everyone uses the lingo, and many of the women seem pretty fearful (title: Don’t Be Afraid To Have A Garden-seriously?)
None will let the word prepper pass their lips but you should be prepared.
I didn’t hear one in three years let anything about the plandemic pass their lips either (except to a few references to ‘the weirdness ‘). They should get an award for….something.
I thought what self control (interest)!
However the more someone goes down the farmer etc. route the more aware they get. Even though they maybe naive, programmed or just silent it’s a good thing.
As in, tiny houses can be useful but they can also lead to: you will own nothing and be happy.
It’s a pretty big under the radar movement of smart young people and I wondered if they will be targeted soon. Is this the start?
There is so much more to living off grid than people realize. I watch a show called Homestead Rescue and you can see what happens to people who have no clue about living off the land.