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Off-grid/sustainable/self-sufficient living?

V

vonforne

Hey guys not really sure where is the appropriate sub-forum to post this...

Anyway, I was thinking a lot of us here seem to like the sound of living off-grid and growing all of our own food and medicine and not being governed by anyone or their laws...

But how many of us really do it? Or atleast are making efforts to do it?

I am not necessarily talking Doomsday Prepper type shit just living off the land in peace...

Any who has done it/ currently doing it have any tips and/or pictures they would like to show off?

Any good sites for info?

Let's face it, indoor growers are not the most "environmentally friendly" group... as much as we would like to be... burning HID lamps is not efficient at all....

I am sure most living off-grid are using LED's or even CFL's like Dr. bud used to...

I remember him talking about his battery bank setup and everything... many doubted him but I don't think he was bullshitting...

Technology has definitely advanced since he set up his cabin though so what new renewable energy technology do we have available to us now?

Anyone?

Jaykush does........one of the original gurus in the Organic soil forum.........before the time of the cootz. lol He has been living off grid for a year or so now.
 

Stoner4Life

Medicinal Advocate
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Wow Stoner4Life, thanks for the informative post!

you're welcome soursmoker.

if folks don't want to click on the link to that generator dealer I like so much they can Google 'Central Maine Diesel generators' to link from their search engine instead, same with RV Parts America, Cobb America & Battery Stuff .com


all the links I provided are 100% safe but some prefer to link out from elsewhere anyway.

 

HempKat

Just A Simple Old Dirt Farmer
Veteran
I would say if one truly wanted to go off grid the thing to do wouldn't be to focus on just one source such as solar but a combination of as many sources as possible like Solar, plus hydo, plus wind, plus geothermal all combined in an earth ship type house. The only problem would be that to take advantage of all those sources would require a rather unique location with naturally running water on it for the hydro and in a place that gets both lots of sun and wind.
 

floralheart

Active member
Veteran
Your math is wrong DrBud. I don't know where you got the idea that Alabama only gets 5 hours of sunlight per day, but it's wrong. I don't think you really thought things through from a real world perspective before posting up that bullshit chart. Even on a cloudy day a solar panel will still be putting out a good deal of power. No way in hell do you need 80kW of solar panels to power a 20kW grow. 30-40kW will do the trick in most locales. Not all of us live in Seattle. Even here in northern Michigan there is plenty of sunlight most days in summer AND winter. The only trouble in winter is snow accumulation, but there are ways around that.

I agree on that too. There is more power available from those panels than 5 hours.
 
I would say if one truly wanted to go off grid the thing to do wouldn't be to focus on just one source such as solar but a combination of as many sources as possible like Solar, plus hydo, plus wind, plus geothermal all combined in an earth ship type house. The only problem would be that to take advantage of all those sources would require a rather unique location with naturally running water on it for the hydro and in a place that gets both lots of sun and wind.

I know the perfect spot,only I like the snow too.
 

DrBudGreengenes

Well-known member
Veteran
Your math is wrong DrBud. I don't know where you got the idea that Alabama only gets 5 hours of sunlight per day, but it's wrong. I don't think you really thought things through from a real world perspective before posting up that bullshit chart. Even on a cloudy day a solar panel will still be putting out a good deal of power. No way in hell do you need 80kW of solar panels to power a 20kW grow. 30-40kW will do the trick in most locales. Not all of us live in Seattle. Even here in northern Michigan there is plenty of sunlight most days in summer AND winter. The only trouble in winter is snow accumulation, but there are ways around that.
Im only here to Help.. I don't Mis-Inform Please check with the experts
http://www.bigfrogmountain.com/SunHoursPerDay.html
 

blastfrompast

Active member
Veteran
80 acre homestead in Rural Manitoba here.

Gravity fed septic, couple of wells, fish ponds, deer, gardens(75% left fallow this year as we did 2yrs worth of canning last yr). Woodlot, woodstoves, etc. etc. etc.
Also took a year off of chickens, and turkeys to work around the property fixing fencing for a cow calf pair and mebbe even a couple of dumb ass lawnmowers(goats)...

Genny's and fuel onsite but no self sustainable power YET.

Don't get me started on Rice and beans..lol I also have a DIY berm for plinking with ma boomsticks.

:)
 

#1cheesebuds

Well-known member
Veteran
I really really wanna try to become Off the grid/sustainable/self-sufficient living some day.
Im trying to learn everything I can about it.
 

exploziv

pure dynamite
Administrator
Veteran
I want it too, someday, right now I'm trying to cut energy usage where I can so I could then figure out how much power I really need. Solar power is still expensive in my home country, so I need to wait a bit anyway, but that means more time for learning and planning!

Great thread, thanks to all the contributors!
 

ronbo51

Member
Veteran
Goats are the perfect homesteader livestock. Milk is sweet and good. Lot's of people who have trouble with cow milk do great on goats milk. And the cheese is top notch. Mix it with your herbs...man that shit is good. Goats are devious as hell but they aren't mean. They almost always twin and sometimes triplet when they give birth. We had a hard time keeping weasels and minks out of the chickens when I lived in the woods in Maine. They stop laying when it gets real cold. I tell people now: water, garden, goats and chickens. That's the basics right there. And a good chain saw.
 

supermanlives

Active member
Veteran
I agree .^^^^^. solar is affordable in cali. have had a few reps come to the pad in sd. need to upgrade electric from tube and post and get a new breaker box first. going solar will save me like 75 to 100 $ a month there in da city. takin a year break tho in the mountains
 

purple_man

Well-known member
Veteran
to be honest, i feel as if it will start going into the direction of comunes/comunities...

since there is only as much as one person alone and his entourage can accomplish -> think about 10 - 20 similar mentalities and skill sets, including financial power get together and pursue the same goal -> much easier to build and maintain all aspects of "independence" (no matter if it's livestock, farming, energy production, ...), could also come in handy, if one gets ill and can't do the maintanance work....

blessss
ps.: i like the mixed energy portfolio best (solar, wind, water n methan or alcohol production/utilization)
 
I always better believe that its better to live in an off-the-grid commune with similar minded people than to try to do everything by yourself. I think of it sort of like a zombie armageddon scenario. Youre better off banding together with people that are specialists in their fields rather than trying to jack-of-all-trades it. That and if youre ever stuck in a situation, youve always got backup.
 

DarthFader1

Member
Veteran
I always better believe that its better to live in an off-the-grid commune with similar minded people than to try to do everything by yourself. I think of it sort of like a zombie armageddon scenario. Youre better off banding together with people that are specialists in their fields rather than trying to jack-of-all-trades it. That and if youre ever stuck in a situation, youve always got backup.

Careful now, these "off the grid commune's" also have another name there bro... Cults


Lol yeah im also very interested in these subjects and would like to learn more.. Ive got my :lurk: ready and waiting. It's great hearing from ppl with real experience like Ronbo, keep it up guys!
 

ronbo51

Member
Veteran
Communes don't and won't work. Hard workers resent lazy people. Lazy asses resent hard workers, same as the outside world. Off grid living requires abandoning everything but hard work. There is way too much to do. You can drum and sing around the fire at the end of the day but until then everyone has to produce. It is a hard fact that many have yet to come to terms with and is a major reason why our society is failing. Solar panels are cool and all but are but a small piece of the puzzle. You certainly don't need them. Once you stop and take stock of what it takes to be anywhere close to self sufficient most folks will turn and run. You have to have a killer work ethic, be stubborn as hell, have or be able to develop broad skills, and be willing to walk away from most of what you have known. I lived at a Zen monastary for a bit and in a private session with Roshi he said, " If you want a peaceful world, live peacefully".
 

Stoner4Life

Medicinal Advocate
ICMag Donor
Veteran
off grid just took on a whole new meaning.......

off grid just took on a whole new meaning.......





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