Is Life Better Off the Grid?

Be careful what you ask for, you might get it. As the t-shirt reads, “Life is better off the grid.” Is it really? Many who think it might be, may just get the rudest awakening of their lives. Life off the grid is perhaps the most difficult existence one could imagine.

In its purest sense, living off the grid technically means living without any conveniences whatsoever. That means having none of the big items like electricity to run the lights, heat or air conditioning. It means no natural gas or propane to run a furnace, heat water, or cooking. Water? No water will come from a sink faucet. It might be available from a stream, lake, or hand pump well. “Off the grid” means no packaged or canned foods, nothing from the frozen food section either. No ice cream.

Without the grid there will be no modern medicines or access to health care in any form you cannot supply yourself. Critical medicines will not be available. No packaged health care items, over-the-counter meds, lotions, nor antibiotics. Sanitary supplies and comfort items will not be available. If you run out of hardware or ammo, it’s just gone. The list of what is not available off the grid goes on and on.

Your vehicle(s) will likely be idle. You won’t have access to gas and oil or parts to keep them running. That means the gasoline generator, too. Forget the chainsaw and the gasoline pump for the water well.

Of course, this is the worst-case scenario. Maybe there will be or could be modified versions. Live out in the country in a truly rural lifestyle. You might have access to a town or community where some essential goods, supplies and services could be bought or bartered for or traded for labor or skills. Life might be rough, but not impossible. Some hearty souls are doing this now.

But think these things through before you throw in the town towel and haul off for that log cabin, trailer, or tent in the woods. The grass may appear greener on that side of the fence, but it could be tougher to cut and chew, too.

There may be some satisfaction in living off the grid, but there is little glory in doing so. If that is your bug-out option or choice, try it out for a while first before committing 100 per cent. Some lessons learned are always the hardest.