How to Size Your Off-Grid Solar System
The complete method for calculating your power needs and choosing the right solar array, battery bank, charge controller, and inverter.
Off-Grid How-To Guides
Step-by-step guides for building, maintaining, and thriving in an off-grid lifestyle. Start with the essentials below.
New? Start Here
If you’re new to off-grid living, start with The Complete Beginner’s Guide and then the Power Audit Guide. These two will save you from the most common expensive mistakes.
Solar Power
How to Do a Power Audit
Step one before buying anything. Learn exactly how much power your essential appliances consume so you don’t over- or under-size your system.
LiFePO4 vs Lead-Acid: Which Battery for Off-Grid?
A full cost-per-cycle analysis over 10 years. Spoiler: lithium usually wins despite the higher upfront cost.
Water Systems
Rainwater Harvesting 101
Everything from a basic 55-gallon barrel to a 10,000+ gallon cistern system. Includes state-by-state legality overview.
Water Filtration for Off-Grid Drinking Water
Comparing gravity filters, UV purifiers, reverse osmosis, and whole-house systems for making collected water safe to drink.
Building a Gravity-Fed Water System
No pump, no electricity. Collect water uphill and deliver it by gravity alone using simple plumbing any DIYer can install.
Food & Farming
Best Crops for an Off-Grid Garden
The 15 most calorie-dense, easy-to-preserve, and drought-tolerant crops for food independence. Ranked and compared.
Off-Grid Food Preservation: Canning, Fermenting & Dehydrating
Three methods for making your harvest last through winter without electricity. What works, what doesn’t, and what’s safest.
Backyard Chickens: Your First Flock
A realistic guide to keeping 4–12 chickens for eggs and meat. Housing requirements, feed costs, predator protection, and what beginners get wrong.
Building & Shelter
Building a Tiny Off-Grid Cabin: Where to Start
From site selection and permits to foundation, framing, and weatherproofing. A practical overview for first-time builders.
Earthbag Construction: Pros, Cons & Getting Started
Earthbag homes can be built with almost no construction experience using locally sourced soil. Here’s an honest assessment of the method.
Complete Beginner’s Guide to Off-Grid Living
The full picture: costs, challenges, systems, and a realistic timeline for making the transition to off-grid life.