True self sufficiency is impossible-yet it is essential. In many ways self sufficiency is directly connected to sustainability. But again, true self sufficiency is also impossible to attain. So, how do we get around that?

When I was growing up in north Georgia and Tennessee, both of my grandparents had working farms. And I spent a lot of time on those farms when I was younger. We had horses, cattle, pigs, chickens, rabbits, a huge garden, and numerous fruit and nut trees. And for an added treat, we would often forage for berries, especially black berries, and go fishing for trout. I am sure that at some point in time in my childhood I actually ate store bought meat but is was so infrequent that I do not remember.

My point being is that self sufficiency was never anything we actually talked about. It was simply how we lived.

Now fast forward into our present time, when you mention self sufficiency in front of a group of people, I can almost guarantee that 10 different people will hav...

Perhaps the greatest challenge to any survival situation is dealing with the weather. Depending on your geographic location and altitude, the weather can be your best friend or your worst enemy.  This is why it is so important to have some basic knowledge about the weather.  Additionally, you can make some accurate weather predictions by reading the clouds. You can learn to read the clouds in less than one hour. 

You do not have to be a meteorologist to be able to make some basic predications concerning the weather.  You just need to be familiar with some basic types of clouds, why they form, and what that means as far as impending weather conditions. Understanding how clouds are named and correlating that with what you see can help you make reasonably accurate weather predictions. 

How Clouds are Formed

The most important thing to remember is that as air rises it cools. As the air cools, it can no longer hold as much moisture. When the air cools enough, the water vapor condenses...

Living on a homestead is a life centered around frugality and self reliance. Every person that chooses this lifestyle is typically a hardy do-it-yourselfer. Additionally, many homesteaders live in homes and cabins they’ve built themselves. If this sounds like a lot of work, you are right. However, the rewards are immeasurable. The other thing you must realize is that all of this work becomes a lot easier if you have the right tools for the job. There is enough work to do on a homestead already. Why not invest in quality homestead tools that will save you time, work, and money.

That said, acquiring those necessary homestead tools is something else all together. After looking at the following list it may seem as if you will have to invest a small fortune to acquire all the necessary tools. You may be right. In fact, I’ve accumulated all of my tools over years of working on the homestead. I have a combination woodshed/toolshed, as well as a storage shed for some of the more expensive ite...

With modern technology, we have become accustomed to convenient, instant, on-demand communication. We have instant access to more knowledge and information than ever before. We use our smart phones to instantly communicate with someone on the other side of the planet.  But what would you do if the communications network went down? Furthermore, what would you do if the grid went down? Is it possible to communicate without the grid? The short answer is yes. Therefore, the purpose of this post is to introduce different forms of off grid communication.  

Why off grid communication is important

There is example after example of local weather events or disasters when the entire local grid went down. (I’ve had personal experience with this more than once. ) Thousands, if not millions of people were without basic services. Additionally, they had no ability to communicate with anyone. These situations is what has spurred the development of some of the off grid communication devices introduced...

When it comes to living off the grid, water should be one of your major priorities. In fact, much of your off grid lifestyle will be dictated by the availability of water.  Additionally, you may find the perfect piece of property for the homestead except for access to water. Since water is such an important resource, the point of this post is to explore several options for off grid water systems.  

City Water: Not really an off grid water system

There are numerous rural properties that I’ve seen that are perfect for a homestead and those properties include access to city water.  Now I do understand that one of the biggest reasons that most of us homestead or live off the grid is that we value our personal freedom. Consequently, hooking up the local infrastructure may be the last thing on your mind. Besides, you may feel as if this is not even being off the grid at all.

However, if you choose to take advantage of this option, I strongly recommend having another off grid water syste...

Over the years that I’ve lived off grid,  the general attitude about my lifestyle has changed from “Are you freakin’ crazy?” to “I really want to try that!” But, even though more people want to try the off grid life, most people are faced with not knowing  exactly where to start. Additionally, people are intimidated about what type of off grid home to build.  These concerns are typically centered around cost and functionality.

Speaking of functionality, an internet search for “alternative housing”, “mobile housing options”, or “temporary housing options”  quickly brings up with some very interesting and unique options for an off grid home. I will admit that these “unique” options are interesting and fun to learn about. However, they are not very viable as far as a long-term living situation.  

Consequently, in this post, I cover five realistic options for an off grid home.  These options vary according to budget and the ability to use them as a long-term living situation. 

Roughing ...

It seems that in recent years there is an increased interest in living off grid. Although a lot of people think about this type of lifestyle, most never take the first step. Perhaps this is due to most people either not knowing where to start or what their options may be.  In this article, I discuss four realistic options for living off grid. The possibilities are endless and it truly depends on how far you want to stretch your comfort level. 

Four Realistic Options for Living Off Grid

Off-Grid Ready

What I have discovered is that there are many more people comfortable with what I call being “off-grid ready” as opposed to living off grid and being completely independent.  

Being “off-grid ready” simply means being prepared for when the grid goes down for days to weeks.  We have all heard numerous news accounts of when a major storm takes down the grid and many people are forced to live off grid without choice, albeit temporary.  

Hurricanes, snow storms, ice storms, or other nat...