9 Things No One Tells You About Off Grid Living

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

There's a version of off-grid living that exists in people's heads, and then there's the real thing. The version in people's heads looks like a sun-drenched homestead, a crackling fire, home-cooked meals from the garden, and a life finally free from the noise and stress of modern society.

You've probably seen it on TV. I'm talking about those spotless tiny homes, those perfectly organized root cellars, those couples laughing while they harvest vegetables. It almost looks too good to be true. And that's because it is.

The reality of off-grid living is messier, harder, more expensive, and more complicated than any feed or blog will ever show you. Projects take years instead of weekends. Things break at the worst possible time. Nature doesn't care about your schedule. And the sense of total freedom people expect only comes after a lot of sacrifice.

Savannah and Casey from the YouTube channel, Hey Wanderer, do an incredible job of explaining this. In one of their recent videos, they go over nine things people almost never talk about when it comes to off-grid life, and also show examples of the kinds of projects they're working on.

You can watch their video below, but I also typed up a brief summary of each point.

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1. It's Not Necessarily Cheap — But It's Not Necessarily Expensive Either

Most people fall into one of two camps: they think off-grid living requires a ton of money, or they think they can do it on almost nothing. Neither is quite right. The truth is that off-grid living can cost less than a regular lifestyle, but how comfortable you are depends on how much you're willing to sacrifice.

More money means hiring help, building faster, and enjoying more conveniences right away. Less money means roughing it, possibly in a tent on a cheap piece of land with very basic amenities.

For Savannah and Casey, it took somewhere between two and a half to three years just to feel really comfortable, and they expect it'll be closer to five years before they feel fully settled in.

2. The Plan Is Just a Suggestion

If you're someone who likes schedules and timelines, off-grid living will humble you fast. What should take an afternoon can stretch into days or even weeks. In the video, they mention a set of kitchen lights that sat wired but uninstalled behind their drywall for three years. And not because they forgot, but because something more urgent always came up first.

3. Regular Life Problems Don't Go Away

One of the biggest misconceptions about off-grid living is that you somehow escape the headaches of normal life. You don't. You still deal with car trouble, house maintenance, equipment failures, and all the other things that come with owning stuff and living somewhere.

The difference is that when something breaks out in the middle of nowhere, you usually have to fix it yourself. Getting a vehicle towed to a mechanic might cost a fortune, so you learn to troubleshoot and repair things you never expected to. The problems don't disappear, they just change.

4. The Weather Runs Your Life

When you're off-grid, extreme weather isn't just an inconvenience. It can mess up your whole routine. You could spend weeks in something close to survival mode during a heat dome, unable to do outdoor projects, stick to routines, or make much progress on anything.

When you're not connected to infrastructure that insulates you from the elements, the weather becomes the boss. You work when it lets you, and you wait when it doesn't.

5. You Will Have More Stuff, Not Less

A lot of people picture off-grid living as this naturally minimalist lifestyle. They imagine a clutter-free, simple, pared back. In practice, it tends to be the opposite. Living off-grid, especially if you're also homesteading, requires an enormous amount of tools, equipment, and supplies.

If you're trying to reduce waste and reuse things, you start saving every scrap of wood and every glass jar. You want backups for critical systems and tools. Add any hobbies on top of that, and before long you have a serious storage problem on your hands.

6. You're Not Actually Hiding From Society

When most people hear “off grid,” they picture someone living in a tent on an abandoned piece of land, completely cut off from the outside world. In reality, most off-grid homesteaders just mean they're not connected to public utilities like the electrical grid, municipal water, and so on.

They still have mailing addresses. They still get packages delivered. They still have internet. Off grid doesn't have to be an extreme or all-or-nothing lifestyle. You don't have to vanish from society to do it.

7. You Can Still Have Modern Luxuries

Closely related to the last point: off-grid does not mean going back to pioneer times. You don't have to light your house with oil lamps or wash your laundry by hand in a creek. As long as you have the power generation to support it, you can have as many modern conveniences as you want.

Savannah and Casey have solar panels and battery storage that power their refrigerator, mini-split AC, microwave, and eveb a dishwasher. The lifestyle is defined by how you generate power, not by how much you're willing to suffer without it.

8. It Can Still Be Chaotic and Stressful

People imagine off-grid life as this endless stretch of calm mornings and quiet evenings. And sure, those moments exist. But so does chaos. Things break, projects pile up, animals get into places they shouldn't, pests invade the garden, raccoons let the cats out of the enclosure.

Sometimes it feels like you're just putting out one fire after another. The landscape might be beautiful, but peace of mind isn't guaranteed. You just trade one set of stressors for another.

9. True Self-Sufficiency Is a Myth

Many people are drawn to off-grid living by the dream of total independence. Think imagine growing all their own food, never needing a doctor, never buying fuel, relying on no one. It's a compelling idea, but in reality, off-grid people still rely on their communities, still make trips to town, still depend on modern resources and infrastructure in various ways.

Real independence isn't about doing everything alone. It's about knowing what you can handle yourself and knowing when it makes sense to ask for help.

For a more detailed discussion of these points, be sure to watch the video on Youtube.

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11 Things Every Pantry Needs To Cook From Scratch

Here is my list of 11 things every pantry needs to cook from scratch. If you start with this list, the sky is the limit for making just about every baked item we’d like to bake. Now we can add more foods to our pantry to make even more meals. But today I am just going to talk about what you can make any time with the baking items below. Yep, you can do it! You don’t even need an electric mixer. If you have a large bowl, that would really help, depending on what you decide to make.

I’ve been telling my readers for years that they need to get back to the basics when it comes to food preparation. This really holds true when it comes to having things on hand if and when a disaster or other emergency occurs. Once you get your act together, please be sure to spend time with your kids and grandkids and explain the whys and hows of food prep and a quality pantry inventory. You’ll be glad you did, and so will they. These items are in the pantry and/or the freezer.

What Every Pantry Needs:

1. Honey

The great thing about honey is that it lasts forever. It might crystallize over time, but it’s still great to use. You might need a chisel, but it tastes great, soft or hard. One thing about honey, you can drizzle it on homemade biscuits, bread, or pancakes. Yummy! My baking items have to include honey!

I recommend Cox’s Honey: https://coxshoney. They have true raw honey you’ll love. 

Be careful with honey and babies. Please do your research. I cringe when I have people tell me they just bought several 5-gallon buckets of honey to store.

Please put the honey in quart glass jars, or you may be sorry, just so you know. It’ll last forever, but you’ll need a way to soften it before you can use it. I know because I’ve had to put my half-gallon plastic containers of honey outside in the heat of the summer and keep my fingers crossed that it would go back to its original consistency.

2. Real Salt

Everyone usually has some salt in the cupboard. Here’s the deal with salt: our bodies need salt to survive. I’m not talking about excessive amounts, but salt makes some foods taste better as well. Plus, I need to bake certain items as listed below, and I need salt to make it all work right. This is my favorite: Redmond Real Salt, Fine Ground

3. Olive Oil

We can use olive oil for so many baked items, which I list below. Remember, olive oil doesn’t have a long shelf life. I never store mine for more than 1 year. Six months is even better. But I’ve been invited to eat at homes where the olive oil on side dishes or salads tastes rancid. Some people have had it for years. Oh, man, it’s bad, in my opinion. When in doubt…throw it out.

4. SAF Yeast

I realize you can make a lot of things without this commercial yeast. My very good friend, Melissa Richardson, who wrote the book “The Art of Baking with Natural Yeast,” never uses commercial yeast. I’m not anxious to try a bunch of new things when I know my recipe works great and I still love my no-fail, freshly ground, whole-wheat bread. Saf Instant Yeast

One thing I want to stress is the need for fresh ingredients, especially yeast. If a reader mentions they didn’t like the results of their homemade bread, I always ask if they used fresh yeast. I do keep some yeast in my fridge, but the bulk of it is in my freezer.

5. Baking Soda

This is a “must-have” for some homemade food items. This is a very important baking item to keep in the pantry. It’s a leavening agent to help baked goods rise. I quote Medical News Today: “People tend to use baking soda in recipes with acidic ingredients, such as cocoa powder or buttermilk. When added to a mixture, baking soda reacts with an acid to produce carbon dioxide. Baking in a hot oven causes the batter to expand and rise, giving the finished product a soft, fluffy texture. Baking soda also helps baked goods to brown. That means people tend to use it to make things such as cookies.”

6. Baking Powder

This is also a “must-have” for some homemade items. It’s a leavening agent to help baking goods rise. I quote Medical News Today: “Baking powder already contains acid. People use baking powder when a recipe doesn’t include an acidic ingredient. In most cases, manufacturers label baking powder as double-acting. That means it’ll activate and start producing carbon dioxide when a person mixes it with a liquid. It will activate again when they heat up or cook the mixture.”

7.  Coconut Oil

Let me count the ways we can use coconut oil! Not just for the pantry… plus, this has a longer shelf life than most oils. The temperature where it’s stored is critical. I try to store many of my “pantry” items in a cool, dark place, not in a hot garage. I want to get the best shelf life I can out of my food storage items, so proper storage conditions are important.

8. Powdered Butter

Well, we do need some powdered butter in the pantry. Do you remember me telling you I opened a can of powdered butter, mixed the portions on the can, and started stirring? I start gagging just thinking of the smell. The website said it tasted just like “Land O’Lakes” butter. NO WAY! I still laugh about that. Powdered butter for baking is a great emergency food storage item. Red Feather Butter is yummy, and you can store it for emergencies. It’s a little pricey, but it tastes good. Please don’t “can” butter, it isn’t safe to eat, trust me on this one. Here’s the Red Feather butter that rocks, Red Feather Creamery Butter. It’s NOW too expensive for me. Here are some substitutes: Egg Substitutes by Linda

9. Instant or Powdered Milk

This one is a “must-have” baking item, but it’s also perfect for those days when you’re out of milk and the roads are iced over. You can make milk to drink, cook with, put on cereal, etc.! Love it! The taste of instant milk has improved over the years. I like the flavor of many brands now; in years past, I couldn’t say that. Keep in mind that some may say to add 1 tablespoon of powder to so much water; it’s not enough. Add more, and it’ll taste so much better. Experiment and see what amount works best for you. Obviously, it tastes better if it’s cold! LOL!

10. Powdered Eggs (OvaEasy is my favorite)

These are my favorite #10-can eggs (they have packages inside the cans). They are 100% eggs. Of course, if you have chickens or quail, you’re set for any meal with tasty, fresh eggs. OvaEasy Eggs. Please keep in mind that they have a very short shelf life, in my opinion. Their website states that once opened, it remains valid for 1 year, and if unopened, for up to 7 years. OvaEasy Website. They are the only real eggs that taste great, from my personal experience. Here’s a post I wrote about a few different powdered eggs products. How To Use Powdered Eggs.

11. Wheat (I prefer Hard White), White Bread Flour, Gluten-Free Flour

If you have wheat, you’ll need a wheat grinder. You can sprout wheat as well. Be sure to check the shelf life for white flour (12 months at the most). Please don’t go out and buy it and then try to store large bags of flour. They’ll go rancid in a year or two, so purchase them in moderation. When in doubt, throw it out. I believe in waste not, want not, too, but I don’t want to get the “flu” as in food poisoning.

Related: 13 Surprising Uses for Flour

Meals You Can Make With 11 Basic Baking Items:

Bread is a real staple in our house, but with wheat and related flour, you can make pancakes, muffins, pasta, cracked wheat, sprouted wheat, and tortillas. You can also make crackers, mayonnaise, English muffins, Swedish Hotcakes, Popeye Pancakes, cookies, and crepes. The list also includes custards, puddings, cakes, waffles, and biscuits. Is your mouth watering now? I decided to make some crepes for Father’s Day Breakfast, and they were delicious!

Here’s the deal: look at all these items you can make in a disaster situation with just these 11 items. If you have some fruit, vegetables, and cheese, you’ll rock when preparing meals, in an emergency, or just every day! These are just a few of the things every pantry needs.

These bread and hamburger buns can be made by hand, but my hands hurt these days, so I invested in a Zojirushi Breadmaker

PRINTABLE recipes: Whole-Wheat-Bread-For-Two Recipe, White-Bread-For-Two Recipe, and The Best Hamburger Buns by Linda.

Let’s be ready for those winter storms. Please fill your pantry with these basic baking items. Remember, if you can afford to get that $30.00 butane stove, you can cook inside (just crack a window)! Stock up on a few cans of butane and be ready when the power goes out. Butane Stove and Butane Fuel.

What other food items should I consider when putting together my emergency food plan?

If you’re just getting started with your pantry food storage stash, these 11 items are must-haves. To expand on the theme of pantry staples and build a more robust inventory, consider investing in some or all of the following items. You don’t need to purchase things all at once. I’ve always suggested “one can at a time” to make the most of your food budget dollars.

Canned Goods

Canned Goods: Even when you’re cooking from scratch, you can add things that come in cans when making that soup, stew, or casserole. Canned goods come in all varieties and have a longer shelf life. Consider having some beans like black beans, kidney beans, and pinto beans, along with other veggies like squash, green beans, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, spinach, and onions. Plan to add canned fruits such as peaches, pears, plums, and cherries.

Also have some quality canned meats like tuna, chicken, beef, and pork. Yes, we can get lots of protein from beans, but meat is a critical source of quick protein, particularly in stressful situations.

Herbs and Spices

Herbs and Spices: to add the desired flavors we’re used to having with our meals, we need to store a variety of herbs and spices. Some of the more common ones you might want are garlic, pepper, cumin, oregano, thyme, basil, curry, parsley, lime, and turmeric. Many come in powder form, like garlic, chili, and onion, but they also come in a more coarse-ground version. Also, peppers come in a wide variety of names and flavors, too.

Don’t forget to add some extracts, like vanilla extract, to enhance flavors, especially in homemade desserts.

Rice

Rice: A staple that pairs well with many other foods to make a meal. There are many different options when it comes to rice, and some have longer shelf lives than others. Brown rice tends to spoil sooner, so I’ve gone with jasmine and basmati. The basmati is a special long-grain rice that chefs seem to like. Rice is popular worldwide and is known for making you feel full.

Condiments

Condiments: Most condiments are pretty shelf-stable and should last at least a year. That would include ketchup, mustard, and mayo. You might also want to store some bottled pickles of various types along with some relishes and sauces like spaghetti sauce.

Treats and Sandwich Fixings

Treats and Sandwich Fixings: We like to fix some quick lunches during the week. Our go-to meal is peanut butter and jam or jelly. Of course, nut butter comes in all sorts of flavors besides peanuts, so if you want to switch things up, look at almond butter, cashew butter, hazelnut butter, and Brazil nut butter as starters. We also like to eat a variety of nuts as treats. Costco has some great options that come singularly or as a mixture. Chocolate of any variety would be number one for me. Yep, it sure would be #1

Final Word

If you have a pantry or a closet stocked with just a few things, like I listed today, just think of all the things you can make even if the power goes out. Stay safe, and watch your surroundings when you go out in this unsettled world. May God bless this world, Linda

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Emergency Evacuation Plan: How to Leave Home Quickly and Safely

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