Living off the Grid

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Hey, are there any other aspies around who have a weird obsession with the ability to live in the woods to have space to get away from people and work on your own projects? I made extensive planning for this up until a week ago when I realized that I still have some need for human interaction. Curse you Maslow Tier III! I'm just wondering if anyone else has odd thoughts like this.

I hate my apartment building's "culture" so much that I dream and long to be that person who just finds a place in the wilderness and lives alone, free and off the grid. But it's not human interaction I'd miss, it would be things like electricity, internet and staying warm! I'd be too much of a wimp to live in the woods. But the isolation and "Eff YOU!" idea of it appeals to me.

Hey, thanks, you honestly made my day
I'm still not done trying. Wish me luck!
I'll make my own aspie-inhabitable planet for all to enjoy

I wish you every bit of good luck in your goal, PhoenixKing6931 -- and I envy you! Done the right way, it will be great!

I have been seriously considering going off-grid for years, and the available technology keeps getting better. If I were younger, I would have more energy to invest and time to enjoy the results. My best friend is nearly there, and it is very calming to visit him. I would not want to live alone out there, though, having to deal with surprise visitors with no backup.

I like the idealized version of it in my head, it's not something I can pursue at this time and the place I live is basically the complete opposite.

Just a couple of thoughts as I've had many years to think this over.

If I did this now I'd not choose an area that has overwhelming winters. In this type of environment you have to spend the entire time keeping warm (OK not 100% of your time..but I just can't stand being cold anymore) which doesn't leave much time for food and other necessities.

Also warmer climates are easier to grow your own food in. Not too desert-like because you'll want/need lots of water.

It works better if you have several people involved (you don't have to go the "rugged" route and can pool your money). With a little effort...and a few dollars...you can have a satellite internet connection. Sky's the limit. But not for old me now. Good luck to anyone who can get up the "required" to do this...please let us know how you're doing.

I live where six months of snow is not remarkable, and even here it is hard to find land where the millionaires will let you live as you wish. Keeping warm is not close to full-time work, though. Passive solar has been done, and wood heat is just hard enough to provide a healthy amount of exercise. In a mild climate, people I know try to dress for the cold even indoors, but here, getting really comfy indoors is just a small increment more on the heater.

I think with how far society has moved away from self sufficiency, living off grid would be a full time job just like being a vegan or a bodybuilder. I don't have the time or energy. It's too far to bike too. One or two of my friends are thinking of this though. Micro homesteading on a small plot of land with a tiny house is more up my alley.

The hand tools that built everything for our ancestors still work and are easier to afford now. Perhaps it is your notion of how much time things should take that has changed. Also, a hundred years ago, a just-married couple who had everything they could use owned about 3,000 objects. Now, it is 30,000.
I don't see any time penalty to a vegan diet; it is using ingredients instead of packages that takes some time either way, but certainly not "full" time.
Ivan Illich did a study of how long it takes to commute by car, including time to park and walk the last bit, and then work long enough to pay for the ride. He got 4 MPH. Of course, that makes a bicycle the high-speed champion, because bike couriers regularly beat all challengers in downtown races. Using the bike also keeps you out of the doctor's office later, and tunes you up for the physical effort of off-grid life.

Yes, I did it successfully, for four months. With virtually, no human contact, apart from a few, unintended, but positive encounters. You can plan it in a way where you are able to engage with humans, as much, or as little as desired, depending on your location of choice, obviously. I have some background in outdoor adventure and strong camping skills, which played a significant part in my initial comfort level, however, if you do not, you can learn everything you need to know to prepare, from literature and speaking with people with experience. You could do it for a short duration just for the experience and acquire knowledge of how to prepare for longer stretches.

On hand tools:

You can make a coffee table in 30 minutes with power tools. It could take six hours with hand planes and such, not to mention you may to need mill and kiln dry your own wood if you're truly off grid. Quality hand planes require maintenance and fine tuning. They can also costs upwards of $300 each. Add to that you need a workshop bench instead of just clamps and horses.

On Material Items:

They are necessary for socializing and work. I can hardly keep up with all my govmt benefits and biking without a smartphone of some sort.

On Biking:

When you have to bike 20 miles to the doctor in 30 mins in 35mph headwinds and crosswinds, in 30 degree weather you wish for a car lol. I'm pretty sure my eyelashes froze to my glasses the other day when it was 20 degrees out and I lost feeling in my left thumb for 30 minutes. I don't know what you need to live happily on the spectrum, but I need a lot of food, phone calendars, medications, bike parts etc. etc. Living off grid is best for people with no hobbies or medical needs. I burn so many calories biking that my food budget and intake has doubled.

On Veganism:

As a pescetarian I spend twice as much time shopping and planning my diet than a typical meat eater. Veganism takes even more work. You can't even eat Rice Krispies because the marshmallows have gelatin in them, gelatin is made from animal collagen. Veganism takes a lot of careful planning to monitor your dietary needs, a lot of money to buy specific foods and a lot of time since more than likely you'll have to cook every meal yourself. At least as a Pescetarian I can get a fish sandwich when I deplete my calories on bike commutes.

Truly living off grid takes an immense amount of work for people that are at a disadvantage like me. That's what I was saying.

My Stanley jack plane still has the brand-new price tag on it under $10. I got it from the estate of a guy who never used it. You can get an awful lot of tools for $100 if you are willing to remove some rust and sharpen them, and you'll have to sharpen them many times anyway. We are very lucky now to be able to use electric wire brushes, etc, to get a kit together and haul it by truck. Cordless tools and a solar panel work fine off-grid. As for coffee tables, they can take minutes or weeks with power or without.
I agree that living away from the grid with only a bicycle can be tough, although an ambulance or neighbor can usually be summoned. Living off the grid but near roads is also entirely feasible. I know one woman who does it in house in a small town, another a short hike from a road, millions do it in vehicles, and I did it for a long bike tour. There are even tree houses in major city parks.

That's a sweet deal. I need to network more. I've been trying to find planes online and such. Just an FYI for anyone thinking about the ambulance bit, have insurance that covers it. I needed an ambulance once with no insurance and it cost me 900.00. I'm curious about that bike tour though . Not meaning to threadjack but I'm obsessed with cycling right now.

A lot of my favourite tools were found at garage sales or just abandoned. Somebody is going to inherit my whole hoard in a decade or so. One other point on "off grid"- most guys take a chain saw, and often a gas powered generator for the transition.
For the bike tour, I first did a couple of one-day runs to move up from just commuting. Then a one-week tour, and then a 2 month one. I read a lot about bikes and camping, but was still ignorant about the people I encountered, and somewhat lucky to have no trouble there. I had no firm itinerary in mind, and changed plans radically when I found I had planned to ride into the prevailing winds up the US west coast. Instead, I headed for the mountains and back. I found a cold-weather hat I needed beside the road as I ascended past 6,000 ft. One third of the days I was in a nice place, and stayed over two nights. Another third I just moved to the next nice spot I saw, averaging 30 miles. The other days I mostly wanted to make miles, and averaged 60, with a peak of 140 on a rolling descent. (Take a wide range of gears.

Wow! Congrats. That's pretty damn cool. I'm trying to see if I handle a few criterium races myself. We're the opposite in fortune though, I found a bunch of bikes in the trash and you found tools lol. I really want to get into hand based woodworking so I'll start looking around to see if can get my hands on some quality Stanley planes. If I can find a 200 year old sewing machine on the street I should be able to find some hand tools if I look around.

I think everyone could benefit from researching off the grid lifestyles a bit. I know I learned a lot as far as growing vegetables and keeping root cellars and what not. I plan to implement some factors into on grid life in my tiny house.