Survivor Man Les Stroud on Science Channel now

[iCe]

He and his family are working on a new place that will be completely off the grid. Pretty cool...

[andyz]

I saw some of that. His family enjoys getting out their skis and pulling a sled a few miles to get to their truck, in order to get supplies and even water. This is during the winter when his truck couldn't get in to his home. My kids hate walking a half mile to the convenience store when they want something from there.

Quite a difference. But living off the grid would have some advantages.

[iCe]

I would love to do that. Probably wouldn't like the north woods of Canada that much but I would like to get off of the grid.

[Daniel Bates]

I've lived 'off the grid' before (read: field problems). It's overrated in my opinion. But then I'm addicted to the Internet, so my position is a bit skewed...

[Dobick]

One of my photography professors lived "off the grid" for six years or so. He said that he would only load up and head in about once a month when he needed supplies. He was a professional coyote hunter.

Sounds like fun for a week or two, but as I age, I continue to get soft...

[iCe]

Originally Posted by Dobick

One of my photography professors lived "off the grid" for six years or so. He said that he would only load up and head in about once a month when he needed supplies. He was a professional coyote hunter.

Sounds like fun for a week or two, but as I age, I continue to get soft...

Off the grid is more about using wind / solar energy to be self sufficient rather than roughing it. What kills us "down here" is the climate. Heat is easy... just use a little wood or solar hot water. Cooling is not so easy. Most houses require about 2,000 - 3,000 kWh to cook, light, and cool in the summer. Mine runs about 2,500 kwH but I use setback thermostats and they are set high in the summer. If I am home then I move them down to 78 degrees. Otherwise they are set up around 82 degrees. 2500 kWh is about 3,470 watts of 'lectricity per day and that doesn't account for the peaks that occur when the AC comes on. I'm not sure what to "guess" about what that really means in terms of demand but storing 3,500 watts of electricity in batteries means that there has (A) a shtuff load of batteries and (B) your source has to be redundant (wind and solar), available, reliable, and pretty cheap. Which is why we all pay electric bills. We like our things (TV's, AC, power tools, computers, et al)...