Anyone else lives off grid alone?

Discussion in 'Off Grid Living' started by Cabin Lady, Dec 28, 2016.


  1. Cabin Lady

    Cabin Lady Monkey

    Just curious if there are any other off gridders living alone?
     
  2. Cruisin Sloth

    Cruisin Sloth Special & Slow

    I met a older Gent Yesterday . I delivered a Angus Bull to his ranch .
    Used a genset & a few tractors around.
     
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  3. Cabin Lady

    Cabin Lady Monkey

    So this man is living off grid by himself? And what is a Genset?
    But actually i mean here on the monkey site. :)
     
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  4. techsar

    techsar Monkey+++

    A "genset" is short for "generator set"...

    Sorry, I don't fall into your category...only partially energy self-sufficient and not alone ;)

    But if you have questions, feel free to ask. If I can't answer it, someone else likely can!
     
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  5. Cabin Lady

    Cabin Lady Monkey

    Thank you:)
     
  6. Cruisin Sloth

    Cruisin Sloth Special & Slow

    He had a Genset (China generator Should have had a Honda or such ) & was dreaming of solar & heard quotes etc. We the Farmers who dropped off the young bull to a old homestead that is a nightmare in my eyes . Money spent in the wrong areas & letting machinery go to rust . Would of been cheaper to hire a 6-8 week sire , get a better power & live like a real monkey .. Got me , BUT I KNOW HE's SINGLE .

    Why ?

    Sloth
     
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  7. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    BTW, when you see terms that aren't obvious, hover your cursor over them, and a definition sometimes shows up. We don't have everything under the sun linked up that way, but LOT of them are. (Including genset.)
     
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  8. Cabin Lady

    Cabin Lady Monkey

    It would be nice to hear about the experience of people who live off grid by themselves. It is different than when you live with a partner and have someone to fall back on.

    I tried it but I'm on my phone and unfortunately it won't work. Oh I noticed that when I hold my finger on the word it does show the definition. Great! :)
     
    Last edited: Dec 29, 2016
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  9. duane

    duane Monkey+++

    Never lived off grid alone, but was raised off grid for about 12 years, lived off grid for about 10 years with my family in the 1970's and try to limit my dependency on it now. Lost power in the "ice storm" for 13 days and had heat, water, light,etc, but after 10 days a major failure, the ice cream in the freezer was soft. Off grid requires a life style change that many americans will not make. Bigest problem is it requires everyone in the family unit to wish for that life style and growing children, teens, and such can put a real strain on that lifestyle. Been there, done that, got the T shirt. Heat with wood, solar light LEDs, solar water pumps, composting toilets, etc are all available and affordable, real problem for us was laundry, social interactions for children , their feeling that was reinforced by the local PTB that it was not "normal". We can't all live in Alaska I guess. Found it easiest to do when others in the area also did it, but then you are viewed as part of that group and our lifestyle was not the same as many in the group. Only way I know to do it, is to jump in, just be sure you have your eyes open, and hope the water isn't to deep. Really helps to have a life jacket of friends, neighbors, family, who support the idea and help. A hot bath, washer and dryer, a good meal, and a few hours of good conversation at on grid house can totally change how you feel about living off grid for days when you first leave the grid. Good luck and don't give up. Never look at what you have lost, look at what you have achieved this week. New panel, now computer, phone, solar LEDs at night, can have music at any time, Caesar would be envious, he ruled Rome and had none of those things.
     
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  10. Cabin Lady

    Cabin Lady Monkey

    Oh dear, soft ice cream is not good. But makes nice milkshakes though! :)
    With kids off grid , I don't think I could have done that. It is so much more difficult for laundry and social contacts for the kids.
    I'm fortunate to have wonderful friends and a great son who support and help me. Neighbors are great too. One family with 2 kids live off grid too. They are 1.5 km north of my place. They have a big house and all solar and wind power. I just have a tiny cabin and still in setting up phase.
    When I visit friends I use their shower and do a laundry. It's nice. But wouldn't trade it with my way of living though. It does make me appreciate running water more. Lol.
    But when I do my laundry by hand I see it as getting down to earth. Taking my time with it.
    Each day I'm grateful for what I have here.

    Thank you for your supportive words and sharing your story. Very interesting! :)
     
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  11. Thunder5Ranch

    Thunder5Ranch Monkey+++

    I have lived off grid and alone most recently 2008-2010 and then met my next x wife.

    Appearances can be deceiving :) A lot of folks make the same assumptions about me. They see a 1976 mobile home, my newest tractor is 42 years old, hay rake turned 75 years old this year, truck is 16 years old, baler is a 45 year old NH Hayliner 77. And people make the assumption based on seeing those things that I am dirt floor poor. On the backside of things that people don't see on the surface is the Homestead generates $175,000-$225,000 in low overhead sales per year at 45%-80% profit margins before taxes. I can afford to build a big fancy house and buy new trucks and could have state of the art equipment. The farm visitor won't see the rebar and concrete encased 42' shipping container 8' under ground with and adjacent 24' encased container connected via a 48" hatch that holds the big generator and twenty 55 gallon drums of diesel fuel and thirty 100# propane cylinders. They won't see the underground electric grid that runs from there to every barn and building on the farm. If they go beating the bushes they might find the air intake and exhaust ports. They might even stumble on the manhole or the or the 4x6 top hatch used for lowering fuel and supplies into the "Mole Hole" No one will see the septic tank and leech field down hill from the hole. People by nature will see what is on the surface, make a judgment based on that and not probe much deeper if at all. A few will see hints that there is more than meets the eye, like a $60,000 non grid connected solar system, that just looks totally out of place among the old equipment. What can I say it is hard to hide a big array of solar panels. When I fly over the farm they are like a big beacon approaching from any Southern angle.

    Why would I spend good money on nice barns that hogs and cattle will just tear up? Why drop $60,000 on a new truck when I can spend $5000-$9000 every 5-6 years on major parts rebuilds or replacements rebuilt the entire front end, replaced the fuel injectors, injector pump, and turbo this year. I keep a spare tranny and 5.9 Long Block, head, and spare sensors, gaskets, and well basically enough spare new parts to put a new engine and drive train together is need be. Around $25,000 worth of parts but also about 1/3 the cost of a new shiny truck I also keep two rebuilt kits for every major engine here, trucks, tractors, and Goliath (The big Generator). Why spend $80,000 - $100,000 on a new 90-100hp tractor that is full of computer chips and sensors when the old Olivers run like champs and can do anything the new junk can? Why spend $200,000 building a big fancy house when a $10,000 14x46 portable building gives me all the space I need and more? (The old mobile home is going to get a refurbish or ripped apart and salvaged :( )

    When I was a kid Grandpa decided he wanted a new truck. At the first lot a GMC Dealer none of the salesmen would give Grandpa the time of day. Why would they? I mean here is a grubby old man wearing grease stained overalls, barefoot and wearing a straw hat, looking at the newest trucks on the lot. After about a hour of being ignored he went inside and started asking questions and one of the salesmen told him that the used lot down the road would probably have something more in his price range. Grandpa just smiled and said "Well then I see how it is, I will just head on down the road." So we went to the Chysler/Dodge dodge dealer on the other side of town. As soon as Grandpa stepped out of the 1971 international pick up, one of the salesmen came burning out of the office door falling all over himself (We was also a salesman at the tractor dealership) Grandpa told him what size truck he wanted, a D350 (It was 1983) Since he was not a Chevy man anymore. After about 20 minutes Grandpa came back reached under the seat and grabbed his shoe box and said come on. We went in and Granpa signed some papers counted 95 $100 bills out of the shoe box, tossed me the keys to the '71 international and said happy early birthday and went out to his big brand new shiny truck that he drove till the day he died. One salesman figured Grandpa for a piss pot and the other one had sold him both of his Oliver tractors brand new and knew Grandpa carried cash and paid right then and there with cash. I Still have the old international truck and both of the Olivers :) Point is Grandpa pretty much looked like a Hobo, he hated shoes and socks unless it was winter and did not put much stock in appearances. No one would have pegged him for a guy that was worth several million dollars, owned 5000+ acres and ran 1500 head of cattle. and 20,000 head of hogs. You pulled into his driveway and you would think he lived in a shack and drove the old rusted out Chevy parked in front. Damn shame my worthless ass dad inherited it all and pissed it all away in about 10 years years time after Grandpa died. But hey he looked really cool, had money to burn and had the newest and best of everything to go from multi millionaire in 1991 to living in a trailerhood and being a burned out old blow junky, that calls me about once per year wanting to borrow $10,000 just to get by and then raging at me that I am as stingy as the old prick was and just like him! I take that as a compliment :) Point is appearances are not always a reflection of the reality and it very often best that the appearance does not match the reality.

    Now I did find it funny as I was selling off cattle this fall, that one guy offered me $300 per head more than the $1500 per head I was asking. " It will help you get into a little better living conditions." Just smiled at him and told him my living conditions are fine and the cows were $1500 per head because they are only worth $1500 per head. Yep I am turning into Grandpa.

    That Old guy might just be like Grandpa to :)
     
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  12. Cabin Lady

    Cabin Lady Monkey

    That's a great example of how narrow minded some people can be. You had an awesome granddad. :) thanks for sharing this story.
     
  13. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Grandpaw was a greyman, and good on him.
     
  14. Thunder5Ranch

    Thunder5Ranch Monkey+++

    I should be more grey in the eyes of the Government and what I post online but figure if they want me they are going to get me either way. As far as the general public knows it is difficult to have a direct marketing local and regional business and be a greyman. So you build the facade and basically live two lives both honest but very different.
     
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  15. Ganado

    Ganado Monkey+++

    @Thunder5Ranch loved your grandpa story. Growing up one of our neighbors was this wonderful man who never married but always managed to run into our family when we went to town and he always insisted on buying dinner. overalls clean but held up with nails. Always had a wad of $100 bills in his pocket.

    Turns out he was very wealthy and liked my parents and enjoyed hanging out with us kids. He was a very nice man. Very unassuming. Always came for Christmas and thanksgiving dinner. Never lost at cards or domino's =)

    In thinking back on this memory...... I think he left a nice legacy with good memories for me growing up. I never did beat him at cards or domino's lol
     
  16. Thunder5Ranch

    Thunder5Ranch Monkey+++

    Well I have nowhere even close to the wealth my Grandpa had accumulated over his 96 years. Don't care to in this day in time, the way the laws are set up and everything is tracked. I got in more than enough trouble explaining how I had $300,000 in Cash when I bought the farm, and could not close the deal until I converted the cash to a certified check. Actually had to pay a lawyer and have a hearing and provide witnesses that basically boiled down to confirming I was a cheap ass and saved every dime I earned as cash over a 15 year period of time, before my money would be unfrozen in the bank that agreed to open the checking account with it. 1 year and 8 months and $20,000 later in court cost and lawyer cost I finally got to use my legitimate money for the closing on a different piece of property. Basically had to prove I did not obtain the money from illegal activity. Grandpa would not have like this at all! And OMG were those old timers masters at dominoes and the various card games, come to think of it I do believe the only time I won a game of dominoes or Rummy was when he let me win :)
     
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  17. Thunder5Ranch

    Thunder5Ranch Monkey+++

    The Genset I dropped in the Mole Hole picked up for $300 on Ebay and put a couple hundred bucks of parts in to it to get it purring like new. Not very portable but in a crisis it makes a lot of power. powerpoint.
     
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  18. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    When AlaskaChick heads to NYC for her MDs w/o Boarders Meetings, I am alone out here, for 6-8 Weeks at a time.... I have neighbors, maybe 4 to 9 depending who is out and who is home, that live within 100 SQ Miles.... Is that considered alone?

    and if you need info on the Diesel Engine for your New Toy, @Thunder5Ranch That is an Onan DJF with the .MIL Mods... and I have all the Manuals, for it, in my Archive...
     
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  19. Bandit99

    Bandit99 Monkey+++ Site Supporter+

    @Thunder5Ranch Wow! Great stories! All I can say is that 'I want to be like you when I grow up' - seriously. I also practice the art of being frugal and carefully analyze what I 'want' as oppose what I 'need.' My admiration and respect definitely goes out to you, sir. Thanks for sharing about your grandfather. Really interesting guy and I wish I had had one like him. I wish we all did.
     
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  20. oil pan 4

    oil pan 4 Monkey+++

    Yeah us proletariat are allowed to have such sizeable amounts of currency.
    Earn it legitimately and still expect to have to explain your self or possibly even have to launder it.
     
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