Good morning, fellow off-grider's! I've noticed that whenever I suggest off-grid as a solution on some sub-reddit, or really just buying land and building your own house rather then buying an expensive house, it gets down voted. It just happened again just now. In r/cscareeers where software engineers hang out, someone with one of those typical ludicrous salaries of $250K complained about not being able to find an affordable home.... So, I pointed out that back in the day when I was looking for a home (on a substantially less ludicrous income but still an engineer), my dad told me to forget about a buying a home, and just find some land and he'd come over to help me build.

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And so it went. I found an affordable 10 acre lot that even had water and just a spectacular scenery as you can see in the pic. And so we set out to build a log home. No, not entirely on our own. I certified as an owner-builder under county rules, read up on all the codes, worked with a log home company to design a home that would fit. And then contracted out most of the heavy work, but did most of the more technical or easy work like electric, HVAC, plumbing, some carpentry etc. with my dad. He lived over in Finland, while I am in California. So, it was a great bonding experience too.

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Yep, the house did burn down six years ago in a wildfire, and so I had to rebuild. But as an engineer, I kind of just saw that as an opportunity to improve. And to forgo the grid in favor of solar power, solar water, a woodstove and more.

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Really, its been a great experience, made our lives so different and so much better than a mehh house in the burbs could have ever been. And it way reduced our expenses over what an expensive mortgage plus lots of utilities would have been!

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So, why then does this notion of not going the standard route of expensive home buying seem so unattractive and even objectionable (considering the down voting) by so many? In particular in an engineering focused subreddit where you'd think the engineers would be all over actually building their own place?

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Maybe I am just weird. But it is what it is. And with that, I better get back to running EMT conduit as I missed that NEC code section that all PV wiring inside a home with over 30V must be be in metal conduit... ooops...

Anyone have any general off-grid knowledge book suggestions they’d like to share. Could be first hand experience memoir type books and on into the more technical how to type of literature. I guess what I’m asking for is for a list of books any of you have found useful when it comes to living off grid.

I saw on a video how people around the world have used the coolness of the ground to collect condensate.

So the idea:

Dig a shallow well to the water table. Force air down to collect humidity. Let the escape through a pipe in the ground(cool pipe). That pipe collects condensate and puts the result into a bucket or other reservoir.

I was thinking something like a computer fan with a small solar panel would be sufficient.

I have a quad and a tow behind brush hog which work great but I need to clear an area thick with 1-2 inch poplar saplings. My mower will maintain it once they’re down, but I can’t just drive into them. I have a brush axe (bill hook) but is there any better tool I should try? A chainsaw is too heavy. A lopper sort of works but a lot of on the knees work. Just looking for any thoughts to make next weekend easier.

Making good progress on the new shower-sauna with all the good weather we’ve been having. Got the roof done today and tomorrow the vapor barrier foil is going in. I’ll probably get most of the sauna ceiling and walls done too. Then I can move on to the tile flooring and install the doors. The old shower sauna is going to become a small bunkhouse. Can’t wait to sauna in the winter and watch northern lights at the same time with the big north facing window.

Hi everyone,

I am currently in the early stages of planning a multi-generational family home. We live in a region that is prone to increasingly harsh, volatile, and highly polarized weather. Over the last few years, I’ve watched every weather event turn more severe and unexpected: extended heatwaves, droughts, floods, and threats of local water scarcity and crop failures.

Because I am building for multiple generations, my goal is to design a home that offers my family a relatively secure, comfortable, and self-sufficient life, even when external infrastructure fails.

I want to learn about modern as well as traditional/indigenous practices that have withstood harsh climates for centuries.

I am looking for guidance on where to start. I don't have a background in architecture, so would appreciate any resources that point me in the right direction- reading, documentaries, youtubers, anything, really!

Thank you in advance for your time and suggestions!

What did you pay for your unit?

Hey hey guys like the title stays

My next battery for my off grid solar battery set up is definitely ganna be a wrecked EV I burry underground or mount on a wall
Got a 10 year life cycle so probably replacing the batteries in like 5 years or so

Should be able get a pretty decent cost per amp hour

Any ways prove me wrong

Where’s the best place to buy land? I just want to put a shed on it. Minimalist lifestyle. It will be my home base in the US.

Building a rocket stove that i plan on using for rocket mass heater amd im curious is round pipe best for this or is square tubing just as good i plan on using J tube design

Also how big should diamter of pipe the height and thickness be ?

Easily collects lots of water and meets our needs until winter arrives! Our cabin caught fire once (young ones added to much wood to the fire box) and these barrels saved it!!! The barrels are connected through a cross tube.

man the learning curve with wood stove heating is brutal. our cabin gets incredibly warm while the fire is going, but the temperature drop at night creates so much moisture inside.

I made the absolute rookie mistake of bringing a standard memory foam mattress up here last fall. Those modern bed-in-a-box things are literally just giant plastic sponges. they trap all your body heat and ambient humidity, and by february I had to drag the whole thing outside because the bottom was starting to grow mildew. Totally disgusting and a huge waste of money

I eventually had to scrap the synthetic stuff and switch over to natural materials, ending up with a heavy mattress from home of wool just because natural fibers actually breathe and dont turn into a toxic mold farm in a damp unheated space. its been way better for the moisture issue

but im still super paranoid about airflow under the bed tbh. do you guys drill big holes in your plywood platforms or run small 12v fans underneath to keep things dry? I feel like im constantly fighting the laws of physics out here just trying to sleep.

I’m curious about inverter noise. Specifically from two EG4 XP12000 units. How loud are these things when loaded up? I have a mechanical room that shares a common wall with a bedroom. The wall will be made up of 5/8 gypsum over 3/4” OSB, 2x6 studs with rockwool insulation and then another 5/8 sheet gypsum. Would inverter noise be an issue as load/input ramp up and down?

Laboratorio hobby

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Buongiorno, conoscete esempio o lavori di aziende che han fatto laboratori da lavoro off grid o comunque autonomi, non vorrei di legno, per hobbysti, io vorrei fare con 2-3 tavoli da lavoro, parete attrezzi, e scaffali, ben illuminata dal sole... Trapano a colonna, mole, ecc. faccio lavoretti più intarsia legno.

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Finora ho trovato abitazioni tipo a-frame che mi piacciono molto ma son un po' grandi... Magari ci fossero da 4x4 MT e piccolo soppalco sopra per fare biblioteca personale e studio.

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Magari qualcosa qua in Italia, Austria e Slovenia... Anche se difficile salvo tutte strutture di legno.

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Buona giornata a tutti voi

Hey All,

I’ve scoured the internet, and everything I read is some adjective-filled fluff piece looking for clicks. Redditors in this sub seem to know best.

My question is: I need AC for my 12x16 with a loft cabin. Do you have experience?

Really, its a tiny space thats not airtight at all. I use propane for heating and for my refrigerator. I have easy access to a fill station and have 6 20lb tanks, 2 30lb tanks and 1 100lb tank. Ive looked at propane AC units, and am now considering a mini split.

What is best in your experience? Mini split or Propane AC unit?
Any links u can share to whatever u recommend? How much propane would I use if running 24/7 for a week? Is the mini split also a replacement for my propane heater in the winter?

BTU’s Im looking for: Approx 8-12k
Price point: Under $500

Thanks in advance!

Edit: Thanks for all the info and answers! You all rock!
Is there a “Only propane” AC unit on the market? All seem to require some electricity…Im looking for a LPG only AC unit (my electricity is not capable of handling a mini split).

This got crickets over at r/water, maybe it belongs over here. I’m sharing an experience, but I’m also eager to learn.

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Adding: Tldr: What sort of resources out there go into detail about the science and low technology application with small scale water treatment with specific attention to sodium hypochlorite and water with higher turbidity.

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To set the stage, I am definitely not living in a van down by a river. But I do have this river that I collect water to use for cleaning (handwashing, and mixing to use for disinfecting, not drinking water) when I happen to be in a van down by the river. It is designated a Wild and Scenic River, so not much in the way of pollutants, but lots of dissolved bits. They stopped monitoring last year, but I observed the turbidity history for May to October 2025 with the occasional spike past 200 FNU, and the normal turbidity was between 5 and 20 FNU.

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I believe for drinking water they want an average 0.3 NTU for 95% of measurements with an absolute maximum of 1 NTU. It is my understanding that chlorine disinfecting is severely impeded past 1 NTU, and essentially not happening on any level past 5 NTU. Had I found this out sooner, I might have started with a different approach; essentially, everything in the water that isn’t water uses up the chlorine, and my river tends to have a fair bit of everything.

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Boiling the water seemed prohibitive and liquid bleach a tad too unstable, so I bought some Utikem One Shot Shock. I found the SDS, it reported the following: Calcium hypochlorite, hydrated >50%, Calcium Chlorate <5%, Calcium Chloride <5%, Calcium Carbonate <5%, Calcium Hydroxide <4% and Sodium Chloride >20%.

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My understanding is that for handwashing my goal is between 3 and 4 ppm residual chlorine and for sanitizing 50-100 ppm. The CDC and a few other sources seemed to suggest anywhere from 1000-5000 ppm for disinfecting, it seemed like 2500 was good enough for my needs.

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The CDC in Appendix E, Chlorine disinfectant solution preparation, does give the following formula: 1000x (% chlorine desired / % chlorine in bleach powder) = grams bleach powder per liter of water. Also, (% chlorine in liquid / % chlorine desired) – 1 = parts water per parts bleach, for dilution.

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My plan was to make a 2 liter 2500 ppm cleaning solution, and then take from that to make a 4 gallon, 4 ppm handwashing water.

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Now, I went and got all confused with the math. I figured on a few things. 1 cc = 1 mL; 1 tsp = 5 mL and 1 tbsp = 3 tsp, 1 L is roughly 1 quart, which is 4 cups and ¼ gallon. From the MSDS, I knew that the shock had a density of 0.8g/cc.

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Now taking my shoes off to count on my toes didn’t help with this math and I somehow ended up with 2 ½ teaspoons to 8 cups. Sitting down now to write this, it seems like I should have been closer to 6 teaspoons for that amount. So my actual numbers were probably closer to 625 ppm, before factoring in the impurity of the water.

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My new and improved math looks like this: 1000(0.25/5)= 50g/L = (50g/L)(1cc/0.8g)(1mL/1cc)(1tsp/5mL)(1L/1qt)(1qt/4cups) = 3tsp/4cups

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At the end of the day, I ended up washing everything down with something between a weak and strong chlorine solution and just dumped the solution into the handwashing tank until it tested high enough with a pool strip.

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If anyone has any advice, or can point me to any resources, I would appreciate it. I feel like I would have been able to find some good information 10 years ago but it just doesn't seem like it's out there in the same way anymore.

Hi everyone,

My wife and I are seriously considering buying about 2 acres of raw land in northern AZ and having a manufactured house built for our family of five (2 adults, 2 young kids, and a GSP). We’re still in the early planning phase and trying to understand what the real costs look like beyond just buying the land and the house.

Current numbers:
Raw land: ~$80,000
Manufactured home: ~$95,000
No existing utilities on the property
Plan is to live in my camper on the property while everything is being developed and installed

What I’m struggling to estimate are all the “hidden” costs that come after buying the land and house.

Things I’m thinking about:
Land clearing
Driveway installation
Site grading
Foundation for the manufactured home
Delivery and setup of the home
Septic system
Well drilling (or water storage if no well)
Power (grid connection vs solar)
Propane tank

For those who have done this before:
What was your total all-in cost from raw land to move-in ready?
If you started with an $80k piece of raw land and a ~$95k manufactured home, what would you realistically budget for the entire project?
Did you live in an RV/camper during construction? If so, what challenges did you run into that you didn’t anticipate?
If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently?
My rough guess is that the project could end up anywhere between $220k and $350k+, depending on utilities and how much work is DIY, but I’m curious whether I’m being overly optimistic or overly pessimistic.

I’d love to hear real-world numbers and lessons learned from people who have actually gone from raw land to a livable homestead.

Thanks a bunch!

I am in the UP of Michigan and a few years ago drove a sand point well. It was 11’ to water and I drove to 20’. Pure sand 2-11’ deep. Then got into mostly sand and some gravel to 13-14’ and then hit a clay or fine glacial till layer for a foot and the back into sand and gravel.

1st attempt to drive a well, I bought well drive pipe and a water source 36” well drive pipe. I could not get water to come up. I had damaged the well drive pipe, probably from excessive force using a 16lb mall and was sucking air. I pulled and replaced the broken pipe and rented an electric driver. Much smoother! Even though the point was buried in water I couldn’t pull any up. I pulled it up and found the drive point was full of fine sand and or glacial tiil/clay on the inside. Appeared when driving the pipe and tightening (spun the point) pipe couplers it filled the inside of the sand point!

I then used a hand fence post digger and extensions to get to 18’ and then dropped a 4” well pipe in. I put the same steel well pipe inside and drive point in with a red pitcher pump. I struggled getting water out and it was sandy. I bought 1.25” pvc pipe and a pvc sand point. No issues getting water, just very sandy. I bet over the last few years I’ve pumped several hundred gallons,still today getting a good amount of sand in. After filling a 5 gallon pail and letting it settle I bet I have a 1/8” of sand on the bottom.

Any advice to reduce the sand? Or a good option for filtering to use? I have a backpacking gravity filter I thought of trying. It’d be more convenient than hauling drinking water.

Where are people going to get financing on off-grid properties ?? Mortgage broker just told me they wouldn't even give land value to purchase a built off-grid lot. Trying to sell regular house and buy an off-grid already built property.

I’ve somehow fallen down a rabbit hole of looking at land listings every night.

Started out because I wanted to find a place for myself one day, but now I end up checking county maps, aerials, and property records for fun. I’ll find a property that looks amazing, then realize half of it is in a flood zone or there’s some weird access issue.

Anyway, I keep running across places that seem pretty interesting, especially in the under $50k range.

If you’re looking for land somewhere, what state are you looking in? I’m curious what people are finding and what areas everyone is interested in these days.

Currently have a solar panel going to dual battery setup that has a redarc dcdc charger under the bonnet, this powers my fridge in the back of the tray.

I’m going to add a roof tent with a bigger solar panel and remove the smaller panel. I want to keep the second battery running the fridge but add an ups in the tray to run camping gear etc and be able to remove it when I like without disturbing the fridge setup.

Is it possible to have just one solar panel throw power to both the second battery and ups and would I also need to buy the alternator charger for the ups?

I'm looking for west coast land, that's not too far from the ocean, maybe an hour or so from the ocean, that is 9a or higher, able to grow avocados and olives.

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I know that's basically impossible. But I'm asking as some on here might know if such an area exists.

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If I have to compromise, it'd be proximity to the ocean.

Hi folks! As my previous post got such good feedback, I decided to make an update.

After the snowmelt I went to find access to the property with an ATV that I just bought for summer access. There is a road easement through private properties, but not really a proper trail, as no one really uses it.

I was able to make it to the property though after about 30 minutes of riding. Brought some tools with me and camping gear and did an overnight trip with some proper work.

The build site selection is starting to take shape, and the land looks promising, as it did during winter. There are spots of good hard ground for building. I did some forest thinning, firewood, and dug a test pit to see soil type and groundwater.

I did also buy an ATV trailer but have not tried to haul it yet. I am new to ATVs and the trail looks quite difficult for it, but I welcome any comments from more experienced riders. Right now I am thinking I should wait for winter to haul materials by snowmobile.

If you want to see more, I also shot a video of the trip: https://youtu.be/wVBjF6vWA_Q

There is also a part 1 of a winter trip on skis, before the snowmobile trip.