Resources

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Blogroll

Off-Grid.net

Off-grid brings you news, knowledge, discussion, and classifieds from the off-grid world. What seems like a tiny niche is growing in popularity as people seek a life outside of the city. Off-gridders must find ways to produce their own energy, food, water, shelter, and other necessities. Connect with people who live off the beaten path or begin the search for your own property on this site.

Build It Solar

Dedicated to do-it-yourself renewable energy projects, Build It Solar provides hundreds of ideas and plans for any kind of home energy endeavor. New to renewable energy? Start with the "Half Plan" that uses a variety of energy saving projects to cut your energy usage in half. New to solar? Look for the do-it-yourself site survey to understand your property's solar potential. Not limited to solar, Build It Solar also includes tons of projects for wind power and biofuels.

Earth2Tech

Energy self reliance is a big topic for environmental, political, and individual reasons. Earth2Tech posts news about technological developments that can affect us on personal and societal levels. Stay on top of the news about electric cars, the smart grid, the bloom box fuel cell, solar power applications, and LED lightbulbs.

Wisebread

Wisebread is well-known for its advice on real personal finance. It's a community of bloggers who write about frugal living, lifehacks, careers, and other financial wisdom. Being smart with your money isn't supposed to inhibit you: rather, Wisebread's advice helps people worry less about money, allowing you to focus on the really important things in life. They also feature an active forum where you can ask questions and interact with other people who are trying to live within their means.

Instructables

Do you want to know how to build a vertical garden? How about your own solar panel array? Maybe you're looking for ways to reuse a linen closet full of old pillowcases. Instructables is a community based site that allows anyone to post a how-to project complete with photos and instructions. The result: a lifetime's supply of projects that can help you save money, recycle, or simply satisfy your appetite for making stuff.

Survival Spot

Disasters are a reality that shouldn't be ignored. That's the reason Survival Spot was created - to share information about a variety of survival and preparedness topics. Topics cover many aspects of survival, including gardening, food storage, health, and self defense. Also read about getting by in the wilderness and reviews of essential gadgets and gear. Like any other type of self reliance, preparedness is something to get into gradually and this blog can give you ideas on where to start.

Self-Reliance-Exchange

Written by a group of self reliant people, Self Reliance Exchange is quickly building an enormous database that covers a huge range of categories on self reliant practices and philosophies. Anyone interested in self reliance will find something useful to take away from this blog - recipes from scratch, emergency preparedness, and personal finance are great categories to start looking into here.

Simple Self Reliance

This writer explores the concept of self reliance and how self reliance fits in this modern society. How far can you realistically go down the path of self reliance? How can you stay on track with your priorities? He also writes on the grandaddy of self reliance, Henry David Thoreau. We can't wait to see how this blog unfolds!

American Preppers Network

For information and news from the world of emergency preparation, American Preppers Network is a great resource. Learn about food storage, what to expect during a natural disaster, and about other survival techniques. You can also connect with other preppers in your region and all over the world in the forum and through the numerous links to other prepping blogs on the web.

Location

City or country, North or South, mountain or valley, house or apartment - your location impacts your goals toward self reliance.

For example, growing a garden is a nice idea, but living in apartment or up high in the mountains makes this a tad difficult. If you want to install solar panels and you live in Alaska, well...

On the other hand, every location has its upsides as well. If you're a suburban dweller, you can transform your big lawn into a garden. If you're living in the country, you can raise all kinds of livestock that you can't in the city limits.

Below look for resources on how space and place can affect your plans to become more self reliant.

Classifications

 

Latest Additions

Renewable Energy Pioneers Live Off Grid - BND.com
After ten years of planning and building, Bill Cirone and his family have achieved their dream of an energy self reliant house in rural Illinois. Unlike many off-grid homes, Cirone's home is large and features modern comfortable amenities. The home is powered by a 120-foot wind turbine, a bank of 36 solar panels, and a 48 volt battery storage system. This is a great story about how a determined and persistent attitude can manifest in real self reliance.
WRAL: Frugal Duke Grad Student from NY Living in a Van
Read this interesting WRAL article describing how one Duke grad student not wanting to wrack up huge student loans, chooses to retrofit his 1994 Ford Econoline van and live in it rent free.
Country Survival: Is Self-Sufficient Living For You?
Sure, every one dreams of living the self-sufficient lifestyle, but is this way of life really what you want? Here are a list of things to consider before making the switch from the city to the country.
Off-Grid: The Accidental Environmentalists
Learn how two retirees built an economical, energy conserving house in the UK and how it resulted in an accidental off-grid setup.
Off-Grid: Foreclosed? Move to Rio Rancho
Experience the challenges of Liz Owens. Desiring independence from the electrical grid she moved to Rio Rancho, New Mexico where many people find freedom.
Off-Grid: Don't Get Frustrated - Be Inspired
Take a journey with Private Laurie Grayson as she investigates the requirements of off the grid living.
Walk Score
This unique site calculates the walkability of your area. My area got a terrible score and is apparently car dependent. What's your town's walkability score?
Backwoods Home Magazine: The Art of Living in Small Spaces
Living in a small space takes more than just clever interior design. The right mental attitude is essential, and some of these space-saving tricks will certainly make your life easier so you can still be livin' large (metaphorically speaking, of course).
Backwoods Home Magazine: Tips For Finding Your Affordable Home
Planning a move to the country? Figure out how to get the most (and best) land for your buck out West.
Backwoods Home: Buying a Used Mobile Home
Discusses the attributes you should look for and avoid when buying a used mobile home to use as a rural residence.
Weekend Gardener: Worldwide Climate Zone Maps
Here's one more climate zone map, necessary for seed planting times. This page shows zones for all of North America, plus zones for our friends in the UK, Australia, and South Africa. Find out your zone to know when to begin planting.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory: Wind Energy Resource Atlas of the United States
This online book (in html format) gives region and time-based information on wind speed across the United States. It also takes into consideration areal distributions and other factors affecting wind speed in different regions.
Natural Papa: Our Tiny House Experiment
Two adults, a four year old, and two cats in a 120 square foot camper. Got your attention? Read on to see how this family made the transition from a house to a one room trailer.
Build It Solar: What is an Earthship?
An Earthship is a self-sufficient home that uses solar heating and electricity, rainwater collection, and greywater and blackwater processing. This isn't science fiction: Earthships have been around for 30 years.
Popular Mechanics: Off the Grid and Self Reliant
Off-gridders, urban homesteaders, DIYers - they're just regular people with a lot of prudence, foresight, and willing to work hard. This article profiles four families who live radically different self reliant lives.
 
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