Tag Archives: off grid

The Off-Grid Sewing Machine

When preparing to go off-grid, one item that may be overlooked is the family sewing machine. Who gives this device a second thought until they need it to repair a rip in their pants or a tear in a shirt … Continue reading

Posted in Off Grid Living | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

The Modular Backyard Power Plant

Our new book The Modular Backyard Power Plant has launched. It is a combined book and video geared specifically for people on the grid worried about losing power for days, weeks or longer term. This system will bridge the gap … Continue reading

Posted in Off Grid Electrical | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

Self-Sufficiency Versus Off-Grid, Is There a Difference?

Although quite a few people view these terms as synonymous, in reality they are not. There is most definitely a difference between self-sufficiency and being off-grid. Often the terms off-grid and self-sufficient go hand in hand but the terms mean … Continue reading

Posted in Off Grid Living | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Those people aren’t off grid! How dare they claim that!

Those people aren’t off grid! How dare they claim that! The following was written by two off grid people, Ron and Johanna Melchiore, sent to you via satellite for distribution on social media. A couple of weeks ago, our publisher … Continue reading

Posted in Off Grid Living | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

12 Steps to Becoming More Self-Reliant

If you’ve been wanting to become self-reliant but are unsure how to proceed, consider these 12 steps to becoming more self-reliant to get you started. If you’re already on your path to self-reliance, there may be some items in this … Continue reading

Posted in Homesteading/Prepping | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Winter Activities on Our Homestead

We had a recent inquiry about our woodlot work as well as our winter activities on our homestead so here it goes. With gardens put to bed, preserved bounty socked away in the root cellar, pantry and freezers, life on … Continue reading

Posted in Off Grid Living | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

2023 Resolution – 100% Self-Reliant Vegetable Production

Is raising 100% of your own vegetables possible? Absolutely. We’ve done so for decades. Why not make 100% self-reliant vegetable production your 2023 resolution. We raise 100% of our vegetables which means we don’t rely on the grocery store for … Continue reading

Posted in Gardening | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Off-Grid Dream – the Realities

Going off-grid is your dream, but how do you proceed? Where do you begin? First you need to come to grips with the realities of going off-grid. We’ve lived the off-grid dream for 41 years beginning in northern Maine at … Continue reading

Posted in Off Grid Living, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

What Does It Mean to Live Off-Grid?

Bear with us for a minute and this will all make sense in the end. As kids, (only a few short years ago), we were entertained by some great TV. One of the many shows we watched was the dynamic … Continue reading

Posted in Off Grid Living | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Spring 2018 Update On Our Off Grid Homestead

It’s been quite some time since we gave everybody an update on our progress or lack thereof. Let me give you the spring 2018 update on our off grid homestead. We made it through the winter in the tent just … Continue reading

Posted in Homesteading/Prepping | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

Roof Trusses and Exterior Roofing on Our New Off-Grid ICF Home

We’ve worked hard to build our new home’s foundation, walls, and floor and we need to cap this all off with a roof to protect our investment of time and money. Our homesteads in Maine and Saskatchewan had a standard … Continue reading

Posted in Homestead Building | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

ICF Floor System

Floor systems is the topic of today’s post. It’s actually more complicated than it would appear. In a standard stick frame home, floor joists are laid down on a knee wall or a wall top plate, sheathing is put down … Continue reading

Posted in Homestead Building | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Off Grid Refrigeration

Update January 2019… We lugged the refrigerator to the local repairman who confirmed it is leaking refrigerant. He traced it to the refrigerator compartment that is inaccessible. It can’t be fixed and we were told to take our extremely expensive … Continue reading

Posted in Off Grid Living | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

Final Wrap Up on the Basics of ICF Construction

This is the final wrap up on the basics of ICF construction we used on our new off grid home. In my last post, I shared a ha ha sign “Somewhat Precise Home Builders” which is my tongue in cheek … Continue reading

Posted in Homestead Building | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Christmas Update on Our Nova Scotia Homestead

With the approach of Christmas and Holidays, I figured I’d give everybody a quick update and then resume normal posts after the first of the year. Here’s our Christmas update on our Nova Scotia homestead. We made a valiant effort … Continue reading

Posted in Homestead Building | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

Let’s Talk ICF For New Off-Grid Home- Part 2

In my last post “Let’s talk ICF For Our New Off-Grid Home- Part 1”, we discussed what this ICF material was about and how easy it was to build with. Although ICF is an easy, straight forward method of building, … Continue reading

Posted in Homestead Building | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Let’s Talk ICF For Our New Off-Grid Home – Part 1

There are any number of construction materials and methods a person can use to build their new home. The traditional method is stick frame using conventional framing lumber. That’s the method we chose for our last 2 off-grid homes. As … Continue reading

Posted in Homestead Building | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

Nova Scotia Fall Update

As expected, Nova Scotia weather is like the tropics compared to where we once lived. It’s all relative of course. We would generally have our first dusting of snow around this time of year back in northern Saskatchewan. (In fact, … Continue reading

Posted in Homestead Building | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Campfire Cooking

Living in a wall tent as a temporary residence presents many challenges, one of which is meal preparation. Yet anyone who thinks camp meals are limited to burgers and hot dogs is in for a surprise. The possibilities are endless, … Continue reading

Posted in Homestead Cooking | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Is a foundation really that important?

Is a foundation really that important? The answer to the question is yes! As far as I’m concerned, it’s the most important part of a building to ensure its long term survival. If the foundation crumbles, shifts or isn’t square … Continue reading

Posted in Homestead Building | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments