Off grid living means being disconnected from the electric grid, or in some circumstances, disconnection from all public utilities altogether. You don’t have to live primitively like a caveman to live off the grid. That’s not what it’s about. That’s not how it works. It’s simply their own personal preference.
Some folks, (we’ll call them purists), believe that their way is the best way and the right and correct way and no amount of facts and evidence will convince them otherwise. Some folks believe that you must remove yourself from “the grid” completely to be a truly off-grid. They believe that you must live primitively using your bushcraft and survival skills to “live off the grid”.
They look at other folks using the internet (while on the internet themselves; the irony of which they seem to miss) and they judge others by saying things like “You’re not off grid if you’re on the internet!”. Completely missing the point and seemingly oblivious to the fact that they themselves are using the very technology that they claim makes you not a real homesteader.
It’s an irony that seems lost on them. They seem to confuse their beliefs with the facts, and they seem to believe that everyone should think like them abd believe the things they believe. Every niche group has these kinds of people. The purists. And while they’re annoying and sometimes a little scary, they’re right, in their own mind. If their way is good for them, then more power to them. I support their right to define what off grid living means to them; but I don’t support them pushing that belief on others and being judgmental about it, or worse, condescending rude and disrespectful to others who are trying to move off grid.
Primitive Living, Bushcraft & Survival Are Essential Off-Grid Skills!
Let me be clear. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with having the bushcraft and survival skills needed to live primitively. Especially in a SHTF survival scenario, like war (look at the current Russian invasion of Ukraine), or natural disaster survival scenarios like earthquakes, storms, tsunamis, floods, landslides, heatwaves, polar vortexes that bring in extreme cold, lost in the wilderness, getting injured in a remote area. It could happen anytime and anywhere.
Having the proper survival skills is essential for survival. Knowing how to start a friction fire can save your life in a cold front weather change scenario if you’re caught out on the trail with no proper gear. But if you’re prepared, if you’re a prepper and survivalist, then you know the skills needed to survive and you will be prepared. Hopefully.
Off grid living isn’t about living primitively. You don’t need to live like a caveman to live off the grid “properly”.
What does Off Grid Living Mean?
Off grid living means being disconnected from the electrical grid. Beyond that, it’s all personal preference and opinion. Just like this article.
This is my personal opinion. I’m not saying anyone is right or wrong. I’m telling you my opinion; and when I state a fact I back it up with definitions and links to reputable sources like the dictionary and Wikipedia and other reliable information sources. Like what Off-Grid means.
It Takes A Village, We’re All In A Village Called Earth
We’re all human, we’re all imperfect, but one thing we have going for us I think that matters most is our ability to communicate ideas and share knowledge. It helps us grow together and learn from each other. This is how we used to do things. Everyone worked together for the greater good of the community.
It’s what I write on this blog. It’s why I write about off grid living because I have a great passion for this lifestyle and on day my dream is to build my own off grid cabin on my own land, grow my own food, produce my own power and water and live off the grid in tune with nature.
But I like my amenities and what most purists would consider luxuries. I like my internet and computers and Netflix and chill. I like Amazon Prime and being able to order just about anything I need for the homestead with the click of a button online.
The internet has made the world a much smaller place.
Technology Improves The Quality Of Our Lives
Technology is important to quality of life. Sanitation for example is technology. It’s a technology we take for granted now. But just a few hundred years ago we dumped our waste into the streets out our windows and onto the bare ground where we worked ate and slept. We found out later how unsanitary and unhealthy that is.
Agriculture is Technology
People don’t think of agriculture as technology but a few tens of thousands of years ago humans were hunter gatherers and nomads. Sure there were a few cities, but most humans at that time were nomadic. It wasn’t until about 10k-15k years ago that we invented agriculture and started growing wheat and grains in a controlled environment.
Agriculture made it possible to stop being nomadic. (in my opinion was not entirely a good thing). We used to follow the weather and the food, chase herds of wild animals for meat, and to be able to grow food in mild climates. Once we figured out how to grow our own food on a massive scale, and control where and how and the volume of food we grew, then the human population exploded. Look at the figures. It is staggering how fast the human population grew after the invention of modern agriculture; and there is a direct correlation between the growth of the human population and the invention of agriculture.
Electricity is Necessary To Run Our Devices That Make Our Lives Easier
We have electricity now, and can now harness the power of the sun and wind and geothermal energy to power our homes and businesses. We can run our entire homestead on renewable energy, forever sustainable and working in tune with nature instead of exploiting it for its natural resources. We have a deep and profound respect for nature and we can find a balance between the old ways and the new. Our ancestors provided the knowledge of how to live primitively and survive.
Technology has allowed us to thrive as a species!
It would be silly to ignore that technology and refuse to use it because “You’re not truly off grid unless you live primitively!”
We’re not primitive anymore. We have the technology to make our lives better, easier, and communicate globally with anyone, anywhere, at anytime. This is unprecedented in human history. I understand why people want to live primitively. And that’s ok. For them. But not everyone wants or needs to live that way.
There’s no wrong or right answer here. If you want to live primitively in the woods with no technology, go for it! As long as you’re not hurting anyone and minding your own business, more power to you. But people don’t get to force their beliefs on others or judge others for their lifestyle choices.
The Internet is Global Communication In The Palm of Your Hand
Think about that power. You have in your cell phone, tablet, laptop, more computing power than all of NASA when we landed humans on the Moon. We launch rockets today daily that will enable global communication through a network of high speed internet satellites that will change the world.
Then it will no longer matter where you live in the world. If you want to disconnect, then disconnect. If you want to be connected, then enjoy communicating with people of different cultures and lifestyles all over the world. Share knowledge and information instantly. Work remotely from anywhere in the world!
The possibilities are endless. You can have your cake and eat it too. You can have your off grid land, off grid cabin, grow your own food, drill your own well, produce your own power, and communicate globally with anyone, anywhere, at any time. This is an amazing time to live and watch how this unfolds. You can have everything you need to live off grid now.
Living off the grid is all about freedom and independence.
Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Isn’t that what we’re taught? Isn’t that what we all seek for ourselves and our families. Peace and happiness. Safety and security. Self reliance and 100% self sufficiency.
That’s what off grid living means. It doesn’t matter if you do that with or without technology. If you feel free, if you’re free to live your life as you see fit, then are you not FREE?
If you’re free to live your life how you want and you’re not harming anyone in the process, then isn’t that freedom? Isn’t that independence?
Isn’t that what off grid living is really all about?
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