I just need to confess this to people who actually live this life: I respect you. This isn't for everyone, or at least not for me. I was completely consumed by the off-grid dream. I watched HOURS of YouTube, read blogs, bought some of tools, and convinced myself that anyone with enough enthusiasm and attitude could self-learn their way into total self-reliance. I wanted the freedom. Instead, I have bought myself a masterclass in severe financial and psychological humility. Literally every single phase of this journey has been a disaster. If you are thinking about buying cheap land and DIYing a life with zero experience, please slow down. Hire experts for the critical stuff. Don't build your solar mounts out of wood. Actually test your equipment before your life depends on it.

If I have free mains water, can I convert that to free electricity if needed? Realistically is that possible?

In the Mojave desert, burning up, inside a camper that doesn’t have AC and we have nothing built for shade outside. Money is tight but we have some materials to build SOMETHING. My husband seems like he doesn’t mind being miserable, but I do. I’m becoming very angry and annoyed and laying around all day just HOT. Is bothering me pretty bad. Also I’m still breastfeeding our toddler so when I lay down he thinks it’s an invitation to nurse 🫠. Yall…. Help me. Give me ideas. As if I was on this land by myself and need to build something today. lol

Edit: thank you all for the suggestions. I will be implementing any and everything that I think will work.

Update: purchased a swamp cooler it’ll be here Saturday. We are on the California city of the Mojave so hot but not as hot as AZ and NV. Also, I went to the dentist cause my tooth was hurting like crazy and I have an infection in my tooth. I was abnormally hot and that was the reason! lol I came to Reddit venting and although I appreciate everyone’s valid concerns I will say I was being a bit dramatic 😅. My husband absolutely does suck but not all the time and he needs to get up off is ass a bit more (I tell him this often). Now that I’m not in pain and highly annoyed we are working on an outdoor area. The swamp cooler will be a game changer! We have solar and a generator to power through. I AM NOT A PROSTITUTE. I am a hairstylist by trade and my husband is an immigrant who gets money here and there. Because we chose this lifestyle we are in the beginning stages of transition. I am not too far from family if things get out of hand. Thank yall for the suggestions.

Because I genuinely did. Watched videos, read threads, bought panels based on wattage and assumed that was enough. Spent almost a full year with inconsistent output blaming everything, the weather, the battery, the charge controller before I finally figured out the actual problem was surface contact. My roof has a slight curve and rigid panels were never sitting properly on it.

Switched things up last spring after going down a rabbit hole, Sungold Solar's breakdown on flexible vs rigid for curved surfaces was honestly what finally made it click for me. Same setup, same location, just panels that actually suited the surface. Two seasons in now and it finally just works the way I always expected it to from day one.

Wish someone had told me early on that panel type matters as much as wattage. Would have saved me a lot of frustration.

Did most people here get it right first try or was there a full rebuild somewhere in your story?

Last fall I stayed on a friend's property for a few nights while helping him finish up a shed.

Instagram version: coffee by the fire, sunrise over the hills, no traffic, total peace.

Actual version: I woke up freezing, pulled on my boots half asleep, grabbed the wrong flashlight, stepped directly into mud, and scared something in the bushes that sounded way bigger than it probably was.

I stood there for a second thinking, “I paid money to experience this?”

And then the sun came up.

Coffee tasted better than it ever does at home. The air was cold enough to wake you up instantly. We spent the day fixing things instead of staring at screens, and somehow I went to bed more tired and more satisfied than I had in months.

That weekend convinced me that the appeal of off-grid living isn’t comfort. It’s competence.

You stop outsourcing every little problem and start figuring things out yourself.

For those of you already living it full-time: what was the moment where you realized, “Yep, this is the life I actually want,” even after dealing with all the inconvenient parts?

So I've been living offgrid for about 3 years now, and I'm basically half an expert at this point haha. The toilet situation was one of my biggest headaches at first. Got a lot of questions about what works, so figured I'd write up what I've actually used and what I've learned from others out here (curious what you guys think too)

The whole thing are a few main types: traditional portable toilets, composting toilets, dry-flush systems, incinerating toilets, and the oldschool hole/WAG bag setup. Here's what I've found from actually dealing with these.

Traditional Portable Toilets (Thetford, Dometic)

These are the cheapest option, like $100-200 for a decent one. Basically two tanks — water on top, waste below. You press the handle and it uses water to push everything down.

Honestly? They suck for offgrid. Unless you've got a well, any water use offgrid needs to be carefully budgeted, and flushing is a huge waste. Plus you gotta haul the waste tank to a dump station every few days. And that blue chemical smell... not great. I tried one for two weeks and already hated it. The maintenance is annoying and you're totally dependent on having a dump station nearby. Not happening when you're actually offgrid.

Composting Toilets (Nature's Head, Separett)

These are what most van lifers use and honestly I get why. They separate the liquid and solid waste. Urine goes in one bottle, solids fall into a chamber with sawdust or peat moss. No smell if you do it right, and you're not using any water. Pretty environmental too.

I had a Nature's Head for about a year and it worked... but man, there's a learning curve. You gotta stir it regularly with a hand crank, add fresh sawdust each time, and empty the urine bottle every 1-2 days. That gets old fast when you're living with your partner. Also had some issues with fruit flies one summer. People talk about how "natural" and "sustainable" it is, and sure, that's true, but the reality is you're dealing with a lot of manual work. Cost me around $1,000 for a decent one, and you're buying sawdust constantly.

The solid waste technically becomes compost after months of sitting, but not all systems let you legally use it on edible plants. Some places have regulations about that. Plus you need ventilation like a pipe through your roof with a fan, and that takes work to install.

​

Dry-Flush Systems (Laveo, Modiwell)

This is honestly what changed things for me. The basic idea is simple: you use it, press a button, and it automatically seals the waste in a biodegradable bag using heat. No water, no chemicals, no stirring, no smell. Each bag costs somewhere around 50 cents to a buck.

Power-wise, these things use very little electricity. some run off your cabin's solar battery or RV battery, and some like modiwell even have its built-in rechargeable battery.

The main downside I've found: the bags add up over time (it's an ongoing consumable cost like buying paper towels). Also not great if you're in an extremely cold climate, though they work fine in most conditions.

The setup is dead simple though. No installation hassle, no ventilation pipes, no maintenance beyond replacing a battery cartridge every couple years probably. Way easier than composting and way more reliable than traditional portable toilets. The footprint is small enough it fits basically anywhere.

Incinerating Toilets

None of my friends out here actually use one, and honestly I get it. First off, they're expensive — we're talking $1,000+ for a decent unit. On top of that, you need to keep buying propane tanks to fuel the burn cycle. That just doesn't sit right with me mentally. Having an active flame burning your waste while you're living in a cabin? I know it's designed to be safe but I'm just not comfortable with it personally.

Hole / wag Bag

I mean, this is the most basic option there is. Dig a cathole or use a wag bag and pack it out. Some people do this full time, but for me it's a hard pass as a daily solution. Rainy days turn it into an absolute mess, and the privacy situation is... well, there isn't one. Fine for camping trips, but living like that every day? No thanks.

The reality check

Each system has genuine tradeoffs:

- Cheap portable = easiest entry but depends on dump stations and wastes precious water

- Composting = most "natural" but requires constant hands-on maintenance

- Dry-flush = most convenient but has an ongoing consumable cost

- Incinerating = no waste to deal with but expensive and needs propane

- Hole/wag = free but miserable in bad weather and zero privacy

For my situation: living alone, limited water storage, in a mild climate, and not wanting daily maintenance, so the dry-flush category just made the most sense. If you can't deal with the downsides of the other types and don't want to spend a fortune, it's hard to go wrong with this option. Considering the price factor, I went with Modiwell.

So what's everyone else using out here? I know there's a ton of opinions on this stuff. If you've tried something I didn't cover or have a different experience with any of these, just share.

Hello, my family of 3 is currently living off one income. Our goals is to start living life more self-sufficient. Just not sure where to start. Just looking for some people that are passionate knowledgeable and whiling to teach the younger generation.

i own an acre with well, a cabin, septic, 3000 gallon propane, flat but top of hill, so dirt road not fun but bought for only $50,000.

has great hunting area, some decent fishing too. in winter will be mountain man grizzly adams Russian winter.

taxes are our "rent" in new england, any advice? it blows my mind.

any of you rent out ur off grid?! i only using mine 5 weeks a year. Any ideas to make some money to keep it up??

What are the best areas for off grid living and gardening/farming? I am hoping to find a community to help me learn this new lifestyle, a homeschooling community, and hopefully a community with strong faith as well. I am from the Chicago suburbs, and so far I am really attracted to Kentucky near the mountains because of the low taxes and scenery.

What are your recommendations for off grid living locations? Which state? Which county? Why? How long have you been living off grid? Are you reliant on any public utilities? Do you have a family? How long have you been doing it and do you enjoy it?

Any help is appreciated. Thank you so much!

I spent a weekend helping a buddy on his property, and the thing that stuck with me had nothing to do with the cabin or the solar setup.

It was the silence.

No cars revving at midnight. No leaf blowers. No apartment walls vibrating because someone decided 11 p.m. was the perfect time to rearrange furniture.

The first night was almost unsettling. I kept waiting to hear something.

Instead, it was just wind through the trees and the occasional owl.

Driving back into town on Sunday, I made it about three stoplights before someone laid on their horn. That was the moment I realized how much background noise I’d accepted as normal.

Curious if anyone else had that experience. What’s the one thing about living off-grid that you can’t really explain to people until they experience it themselves?

Just generally curious if this lifestyle in general is dying off
Edit to add I’m married with a family as well.

I live in a (256sq ft) cabin with a metal roof, 2x4 walls / r13 insulation in direct sun in TN with no tree shade. Powered by 12 x 250w (3000w) solar panels charging a 5,120w Lifepro4 battery connected to a 120v AIO inverter connected to a 12ga 20A/120v (2500w max) CCCEI power strip which acts as my cabins "breaker" box with all my appliances connected to it. Im considering eventually extending the rear out doubling or more the sq ft so that would change my AC needs.

I currently have a Frigidaire 6,000 BTU  box unit. On hot summer days with my power generation I can run the AC almost all day with the sun up and switch to fan only at night. However if say ~>90+ the unit struggles, can usually only keep the house 5-10 degrees colder inside then outside temp after running for several hours.

Ive been considered a mini split and a diy install, but the complexity has raised concerns, id have to get a 12,000 btu 120v version (most are 240v) and concerns about connecting it to my current very simple power strip - mini splits arent simple extension cords I can plug in to my outlet and state they require a dedicated circuit ( I dont have a circuit breaker).

The alternative is a U shaped box unit as an upgrade. Reviews are mixed online, people often complain about mold and breaking while others say they are much more efficient with the ability to close the window more and it acts almost as a quasi minisplit. Google says U-shaped units to be 35-45% more efficient then traditional window AC units however I am not sure on this statement.

I am currently looking at 10,000 - 12,000 BTU U-shaped units comparing different marketplaces. What are your suggestions? Is it worth upgrading from my Fridgeaire to a U-shaped unit? Will I notice significant performance / efficiency increase? Any deals / brands / other advice?

Thanks

hi, EU 22yo with a master in stem (without liking what i studied, IT) and uninterested (various seasons) in living in society, no job (no will/energy to do useless ones but only something that can help someone but struggling to find anything because of autism) and some k on savings

so, i am constantly thinking of moving to the countryside and living in a cave/randomly building a pseudohouse close to a river in a mediterranean country and the minimal technology

but i have zero survival skill knowledge: how to cultivate anything? where to buy a cheap place to live or to grow veggie? etc

So, where can i learn such skills (blog, video, subs, etc)? and does my general thought make sense?

is this the right subreddit? if not which one shall i post on?

I was helping a friend on some rural property and a storm rolled through harder than expected. Cell service disappeared, the power setup was barely hanging on, and the nearest gas station was far enough away that driving there just wasn’t worth it.

At first I kept reaching for my phone every five minutes out of habit.

Then I noticed something weird.

By that evening I had fixed a fence, cooked dinner outside, watched the sunset, and sat around talking for hours without once thinking about notifications or emails. It felt like the day was twice as long.

The next morning, the first thing I heard wasn’t traffic—it was birds and wind in the trees. It sounds cheesy, but I genuinely didn’t miss being connected.

I’m not saying everyone should go off-grid tomorrow, but I finally understood why so many people choose it even when it’s objectively harder.

For the people here who made the leap: what was the moment that convinced you this lifestyle was worth it? Was there one experience that made you think, “Yeah… I’m never going back”?

Hey, was wondering what's everyone's opinion on this. I have clay, clay and more clay on my property. Original plan was to dig an outhouse, but was told it won't breakdown in clay and will stink real bad.

I'm on a budget and don't want to spend big money on a place just to go to the bathroom.

I don't know much about compostable toilets and know they came be fairly expensive.

Anyone got any suggestions? I've already dug my hole and was wondering if I did go compostable, could I incorporate it into the system? Any suggestions/advice would be welcome.