There’s an ongoing argument that using technology to make life easier is not truly living off the grid, but the experience is really what you want to make it. If you want to use tech gadgets to make living a little more fluid, there are plenty of options to explore.
Living somewhere remote presents enough challenges all by itself. It’s best to face the wild with as much protection as possible. Take a moment to consider these few gifts of technology that will help make living off-grid more manageable.
A backup power source
If you’re planning on having an established home off the grid, then you’ll need a reliable power source to keep you warm in the winter, cool in the summer, and a long list of other living essentials.
Solar power is the most popular choice for living off-grid, but you also need a backup power source for hard times. Look into having a containerised diesel generator placed on your land, so you’ll never have trouble keeping power running to your home.
Clean drinking water is essential
Clean drinking water is essential to life. There’s no time when drinking water isn’t on the top of the list when you’re living off the beaten path. Having a rain catchment system or access to a free-running spring will keep you stocked with life’s most important element.
You could also consider carrying a LifeStraw around with you as you explore. The LifeStraw is a self-contained, lightweight unit that makes drinking water from almost anywhere safe for ingestion.
Fresh food makes life better
Growing your own food gives you the knowledge of where the food came from and what was used to grow it, so you know the food you are eating is wholesome and healthy. Growing food on your kitchen counter is just cool.
With a programmable countertop garden unit, you can grow fresh greens in any climate. Sometimes the weather outside is “frightful”, and you need an alternate way to grow. Today’s countertop gardens can do more than ever before to keep your crops on the right track to harvest.
Mobile signal boosters for communication
Living off-grid doesn’t mean you have to live offline, but living far away from mainstream civilization could present a problem with your mobile signal.
If you want your mobile device to work wherever you are, you can invest in mobile signal boosters. When you get a mobile signal booster, it has cables and antennas that are used to strengthen the signal to your devices.
More pleasant composting toilets
You might not want to fool with connecting to the sewer system or adding a septic tank to your land, and composting toilets will solve the struggle. You may think of a stinky situation when you think of composting toilets, but today’s technology has developed a much more manageable and odor-free design.