Living off grid, in nature

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Permalink Reply by Manuel Lugo on February 5, 2009 at 11:37pm

Yeah I definitely want to do that very exact thing. I've been thinking about it also for a long time and haven't mustered up enough guts to leave everything behind and take off! I moved to the Dominican Republic, which I guess is a step in the right direction. If you ever want to try it out for a few days or weeks and want some company let me know. I'd be interested definitely.

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Permalink Reply by Brooke on February 5, 2009 at 11:59pm

Yes we are dreaming and preparing to.

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Permalink Reply by chasmyn on February 12, 2009 at 11:44pm

Us too!

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Permalink Reply by FarmSchooler on February 6, 2009 at 12:00am

Our family lived in a tent for two months. Does that count? You really learn whats important QUICK. It was an incredible experience. We didnt grow our own food, but we did shop from locals most of the time. Husband was still employed away from home though. I homeschooled the 5 that were still at home right at our campsite and still gathered with other homeschoolers occasionally. Kept a blog online from the library. So wasnt REALLY unplugged....just partially unplugged.

I can even equate it to my 28 day Master Cleanse in a way. You really learn whats important. Its an incredible experience. I grew new coping mechanisms with what I had at hand.. And husband was still employed elsewhere - lol. My daughter (age 16) cleansed right along with me,,,homeschool health & nutrition. I blog regularly and keep contact with others of like mind. So not really completely unplugged, but significantly unplugged from conventional thought surrounding food that its made a HUGE impression on my life perspectives.

Maybe you just need to set up a short term trial so you can connect with others of like mind. Full timers are great. Live out of a van and a tent for a couple of months on a skeletal budget. As for finding a girl....you would be AMAZED at the people you meet when youre at a campgrounds. No better place to find an "outdoor girl". We still keep contact with several friends we made back then (2002). We inspired many to re-evaluate their own priorities as we defined our own. It was and is a really cool way to live. We joined a church and ultimately bought our land (owner financed) from the pastor of the church.,,,,no bank financing needed. We continued to camp for a while on our own land....used a campers port-a-potty and heated bathwater over a campfire to fill a kiddie wading pool for baths every night I had 5 kids that played barefoot all day. Eventually another church body came along and built our conventional wood frame house out of nothing but loving neighborhood donations. Very cool story.

Go for it!

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Permalink Reply by Brooke on February 6, 2009 at 12:43am

Thats supper cool:))

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Permalink Reply by Brent Hatcher on February 6, 2009 at 12:18am

I still think about our shared dream on a regular basis. I chickened out when I was in Kauai 9 years ago but came close to eating the wild bananas off Secret Beach and bathing there in the natural tidal pools. But I did swim in my birthday suit with wild dolphins there. I now know what noni is and I don't even mind the taste anymore for some reason. Maybe I'll buy 10 acres there someday where a group of us can go when we need regeneration in nature.

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Permalink Reply by Aimee Loves You on February 6, 2009 at 12:59am

I want to do this too. Not sure when and where though. But I have been thinking of it quite a bit.

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Permalink Reply by Uti on February 6, 2009 at 1:10am

I currently live off the grid in Humboldt County California. I'm 4.2 miles of private dirt road from a paved county road and 20 miles from town to the east and 12 road miles to the ocean to the west. This is California's "Lost Coast", the wildest stretch of roadless coastline in the lower 48 states. The land I live on is owned by a client who I am doing building for and there is a small 16x16 cabin separate from the house under construction. I have solar power charging a battery bank with an inverter that produces 120 volt household electricity. There's a small generator to charge the system when the sun doesn't shine for several days. My water comes from a spring on the land and is pumped by solar power to a storage tank on the ridge top, so we have gravity flow water pressure. I have a satellite dish for my internet service and I am high enough up on the ridge to get a cell phone signal. My heat comes from wood that is salvaged from naturally storm downed timber on this 160 acre parcel. I have a small fenced area for gardening, but haven't had time to do much with it so far.
Water storage and solar panels:

Right now the only plumbing I have is cold running water to the sink in my galley. Next summer I will add on the small bathroom and pantry so I'll have hot water, shower, and indoor toilet. The house I've been working on has all the comforts of a regular house: fancier solar power system, gas appliances and laundry.

I'm at the 40th. parallel so a cooked vegan can conceivably produce or buy locally most all of their food here.

The best part of my place is the view of the King Range mountains and surrounding wilderness. I can not see one work of human origin from here except for an occasional car light at night on one of the rural roads.

I'm not sure what you can do without money. For me, it simply represents energy and a medium of exchanging it. There are things I need to make my living with: tools and building materials. To do my work I need transportation around this rural area.

For people dreaming of doing this the best advice I can share from my own experience is to stop trying to figure everything out in your head before you make a move. As the Tao says: The journey of a thousand miles begins beneath your feet. It's a process and you cannot begin to grasp all the variables the future will bring you, but you can enjoy all the things you will learn each and every day.

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Permalink Reply by Brent Hatcher on February 6, 2009 at 10:11am

Uti is the man.

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Permalink Reply by Charles on February 13, 2009 at 1:53am

You the man, Uti.

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Permalink Reply by Uti on February 13, 2009 at 12:59pm

pretty ordinary actually, but I do keep showing up

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Permalink Reply by Uti on February 13, 2009 at 12:46pm

My rusty friends are Dubow and Veronica, created by my friend Judie Bomberger. Right now they're having a snow shower. Dubow always reminds us to smell the flowers and share the love.

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