Living off the grid means sacrificing some of the conveniences that most people have in order to ensure a simpler, more pure lifestyle. The following are some of the ways to live off-grid:
1. Recreational Vehicles – Wine-seeing tours are booming in popularity across the western United States, and for good reason—the beauty of this country cannot be matched. With a recreational vehicle, you can take your house on the road with you. If you have enough money saved up to afford an RV, then chances are that it should be pretty easy to set up solar panels on top of your vehicle. Most RV’s are equipped with water tanks that already hold some amount of fresh water, meaning you don’t have to worry about finding a place for extra storage.
2. Truck or Travel Trailer – If you want something cheaper than an RV but still big enough to house all the comforts of home, then consider a travel trailer. The tires and size will be roughly the same as an RV but they are much less expensive to purchase. As with most things related to living off-grid, you can also outfit your vehicle with solar panels.
3. Tiny House – Out in the Pacific Northwest, tiny houses are becoming a popular way to live off-grid. Although the size is limited, they do have some of the same amenities as larger homes—they just take some creativity and ingenuity to make happen. For example, instead of having a full-sized refrigerator, you might opt for one with a top-mounted freezer and bottom fridge compartment. You can also invest in a composting toilet, which will help save on water.
4. Yurt – These have become increasingly popular as a more modern alternative to the teepee or cabin-style homes that many people imagine when they think of a rustic off-grid dwelling. Besides being comfortable and sturdy, yurts are easy to heat and can be built on top of an existing cabin or platform.
5. Cabin – If you don’t mind only having outhouses for bathrooms, then consider building a cabin-style home in the middle of nowhere. Because this is one of the least expensive options, it’s also one of the easiest to do yourself—you just have to have someone nearby that can sell you the building supplies. While not as glamorous as a house with central heating, cabin-style homes are easy to heat and give a person a strong sense of privacy.
6. Dome – Dome-style homes may look a little unusual from the outside but they are actually very comfortable on the inside, and they are sturdy and able to withstand a lot of wear and tear. These homes also have easy access points and many dome-style houses even come with an overhang so that you can step out into nature without actually having to leave home.
7. Shipping Container – Because shipping containers are now being used as cheap dorm rooms, this may not seem like a traditional choice for living off-grid, but they can be pretty inexpensive and you can outfit them however you want to.
8. Container home – The idea behind these homes is the same as with shipping containers—except instead of having walls, they just stack one on top of another in order to form a multi-story living space. Some people actually choose to do this on their own by buying used containers, sandblasting the rust off of them, then stacking them on top of each other.
9. Glass igloo – These are also gaining in popularity as a cheap way to live off-grid, but it is more complicated than just putting up walls. Because they are made of glass, these igloos need to be placed in a safe spot where no one can get hit with flying rocks.
10. DIY – As long as there are plans available for free on the internet, then people can build their own homes without having to hire contractors or spend too much money. One downside is that it can take a lot of time and patience to make building a home from scratch something that you’re happy about doing.
So this is how to Live off the Grid.