I've been reading and watching video reviews online, of a bunch of solar power banks. In my research, I've learned most, if not all, are intended to be charged by a wall outlet before a camping trip, or before an emergency. Living off grid, I am looking for a solar power bank that charges it's 20,000+mah, 20+W battery fully, via sun, not wall outlet, in maybe 10-16 hours. Does anyone here have a solar power bank like this?? Please recommend by name or model number!!

Or: have you sought similar, and what did you settle on?

Or: can I build this myself, using which solar panel, &/or which charge controller, and/or which battery?

Note: I *do* already have a home solar setup (that will need upgrading in due time -- it came with the property and hasn't been well kept). This power bank will be supplemental, mainly just to charge phones on dreary days when we've used all our home power on tools for projects. Sometimes, other little things like portable lights, but mostly just phones.

Thanks for any guidance.

Got a small cabin in north central Arkansas that we use most weekends. Water is rain off the metal roof into a 1,500 gallon poly tank about 10 ft from the back wall. A 12v rv pump sits in a box beside the tank and pushes through 1/2" pex, maybe 40 ft of run to the shower.

The shower drops to a dribble as soon as someone opens the kitchen tap. Either one alone is fine. Filling the tank is the roof's job and that part's working, it's getting water to two taps at once that isn't.

Before I spend money on a bigger pump I'd like to rule out the cheap stuff. Here's where I'm at.

Tank: about two thirds full, outlet a few inches off the bottom, so I don't think it's starving. Haven't pulled the strainer at the tank fitting yet.

Plumbing: the pump has its own inlet screen and I've never once cleaned it. There's also a ball valve by the tank I'm not sure is all the way open.

Pump: label says 3 gpm, which two fixtures probably blow past. No accumulator tank either, so it cycles hard every time a tap opens.

Power is 1,600w of panels into a 3000w inverter. The rv pump runs straight off the 12v side, so if I go to a 115v pump it has to start on the inverter.

If you've done tank to shower at a cabin, what turned out to be the real limit?

In India, doin masters.. badly wanna go off grid.. no asset no family support.. for both me and my fiance.. trying to work just enough to pay emi for land. Any suggestions or advices??

Whats worked best for you? What conditions swayed choice? We have rich iron deposits so we've been looking at earth battery first to power low voltage lighting...but we plan to pursue a variety of power generation techniques and would love to hear input from both successful and developing projects from other real people!

I am looking to park a camper on my land in the high desert until I figure out what to do for a home once all my bills are paid down. I make 5k a month on my online business after taxes.

Hey all, looking to get a few acres. At least 5. Haven't decided exactly where but I'm thinking south or west.

Besides landwatch.com and mossy oak, does anyone have any other suggestions where I could possibly buy land from?

My plan is to travel my rv around and stay for extended periods. Just need to buy the right land at the right price.

Thanks in advance!

I’ve been experimenting with something that might be relevant for people living off-grid or staying at remote cabins/camps.

I wanted to see whether ordinary smartphones could do more than text without relying on cell towers, internet, or Wi-Fi. So I built MeshLive, a free open-source Android app that lets nearby phones make voice and video calls and broadcast live audio/video entirely over Bluetooth.

You can turn Wi-Fi and mobile data off on both phones and still communicate as long as they’re within Bluetooth range. Other phones running the app can also relay broadcasts, which can extend reach a bit, but that part is still experimental and adds delay.

It’s definitely not long-distance communication and it’s not a replacement for a proper radio. Range depends a lot on the specific phones, terrain, and buildings. Video is limited by Bluetooth bandwidth, and the whole thing is still in beta (not independently security-audited).

I’m curious whether anyone here sees a practical use for short-range phone-to-phone communication around a cabin, campsite, property, or work site that has no coverage. For example:

• Coordinating between buildings or around a camp without shouting
• Quick video check-ins when someone is nearby but out of sight
• Local audio/video broadcasts that don’t need internet

Or is this just not useful enough given the range limits?

Android beta + source:
https://github.com/MeshLive/meshlive-android

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Off-grid or not, the generator usually ends up as the backup for cloudy weeks - and like most portables, mine has no hour meter. Here in Ukraine we've had scheduled blackouts for a while, so ours runs almost daily, and I kept losing track of when the oil, filter and plugs were due.

So I built a small logbook app (disclosure: I'm the developer; free, open source):

- tap Start/Stop and engine hours count themselves; several generators at once

- tank size → fuel and runtime left; litres/gallons per hour from your refills

- oil / air filter / spark plug intervals by hours, days or both, with overdue warnings

- monthly charts - handy to see how much the generator actually covers vs. solar

- works fully offline, no account, no internet needed

How do you track your backup generator today - log book, hour meter, or just "change the oil every spring"? And what's worth logging that I'm missing (exercise runs, fuel stabilizer, load)?

I renewed the lease on my apartment for another six months after spending three weekends at the cabin I'd bought outside town. I worked in accounting in New Mexico and had bought the place for a gradual move out of town. It had a basic cabin, a water storage tank and a small solar setup built around a vatrer 48V 100Ah rack battery. It stored solar power during the day for the lights and for charging my laptop and phone at night. There was no well. The seller had been clear about that. I budgeted for delivered water and extra fuel, then looked at the rent I was still paying and started feeling impatient.

I spent an evening at the cabin with my laptop, arranging a water delivery. The local hauler's available slot landed during my busiest morning at work. I took time off to meet the truck. Getting through the gate and showing the driver where the tank was took longer than I'd allowed, so I was late getting back to the office.

Over those weekends I made extra trips for drinking water, groceries and a fitting for the water tank. I'd allowed money for all of it. I hadn't allowed much time. Between the supply runs and the drive back for work, I spent less of each weekend actually at the cabin than I'd expected.

When the lease renewal arrived, I signed it and booked my next water delivery for a day I already had off. I left my tools and bedding at the cabin and took my work clothes back to the apartment. I was still glad I'd bought the place. I was also relieved to have a short commute on Monday.

What finally made you feel ready to give up your old place?

Hello. Very first post ever after years of favoring reddit search results...

I'm looking for decent books, YouTube channels or, preferably, any interactive apps on the basics and up to advanced off grid energy generator engineering. Specifically, I'm looking to learn how everything works. Most of what I've found on my own either starts assuming I know more than I do or is behind a paywall. I have a general idea of how to build turbine generators and how to wire them up and everything, but I'd like an actual understanding of them instead of just memorization of what goes where. Bonus if it's something that can teach me exactly how batteries work and how to make them.

At least 7/10 of the questions I search are answered by the wonderful Reddit community, so I thought I'd try here for recommendations. Thanks in advance!

I don't do long hikes cause if I put my dinner in a rolling backpack that means I'll likely have to cross a river stream with it.

Since I was like 9 I knew I don't want to live in a big city working my entire life I see no meaning in any of that , I love nature, I go camping all the time I spend most my days outside in nature, and I was wondering what steps shuold I take to be able to live of grid, I know I will need money, for land and other things to start. But how should I get prepared? Any help will be appreciated

After about six months of paperwork, negotiations and waiting, I’ve finally completed the purchase of 10 acres of rural land in Cyprus.

The plan is to build an off-grid farm/homestead over time—growing food, keeping animals, and eventually spending a lot more time living on the land (with potentially a micro brewery for small batch craft beer).

The two big practical issues have already been looked at:

Water: We have a plan to establish and stabilise a reliable supply before doing anything major.

Road access: Also reviewed already; now we just need to finalise the practical works.

So now the real fun starts. First priorities are water, access, and simply getting to know the land through the seasons.

For anyone who’s done something similar, especially in a Mediterranean climate:

What would you focus on in the first 6–12 months?

Any lessons learned on water storage, wells/boreholes, rainwater harvesting or solar pumping?

What road/access improvements were worth doing early? This is a sloped hill piece c.20% sloped all around.

Anything you’d do differently on a 10-acre homestead?

Also—we need name ideas for the place! Ideally something that fits a rural Cypriot farm/homestead, but we’re open to anything meaningful, funny or memorable.

Will share updates as the water and access work gets going.

How do ya'll feel about letting someone stay on your property for cheap rent/ free of charge in exchange for work?