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I'm trying to figure out how so many people can claim to shun "the grid" but can still post regularly on C-D. If anything absolutely represents "the grid" and being tied to modern society, it's people using the Internet.
I guarantee you that Old Order Amish, who do indeed, shun "the grid" and its connections with modern society, do not post on internet forums.
You can make it as simple or as complex as you wish.
To me, all of that is simple and doesn't require half the effort you make it sound like. We don't do anything to be "green". We are not of that political persuasion. Self-reliance is a factor - a big one. But I would say that overwhelmingly, it is a matter of trust. We feel that the gubmint and corporate interests have let us down. All the junk in the foods, the fluoride in the water, the radiation coming from these new 'smart meters', the hormones in the meat...it's just chemicals everywhere, chemicals and radiation, most of which has not been tested for safety, but was instituted to enhance some corporate bottom line.
IMO, "living off the grid" is valuable just for the experience. For example, I raised a vegetable garden in my backyard, not because I needed the food, but because I thought the experience of raising my own food to be valuable. We have lost many of the basic survival skills that were once passed down from generation to generation. If the power grid was completely disabled, millions would die in the cities through pure ignorance of how waste is managed and food/water distributed.
We have developed agricultural methods through thousands of years of trial and error. Upon my first attempt, I raised corn, watermelons, carrots, peppers, and tomatoes.
Only the peppers and tomatoes were viable. I lost the corn to ants, which hollowed out the kernels for the sugar content. I had protected it from birds, thinking they were the primary antagonist.
Upon noticing that the watermelons were no longer growing larger, I decided to harvest them, only to find them hollow as well. I suspect grackles had eaten them based upon the holes near the bottoms. I had protected them from insects.
The carrot tops wilted after a few weeks, upon pulling several I discovered that the root had been devoured. I still don't know what the hell got them.
My point is, without this experience, if I ever had the need to raise food for subsistence, I would have lost these crops at a crucial time, when I needed them, instead of when they were expendable.
The same for hunting and fishing. It's a useful skill, and better learned when unneeded than figured out by trial and error.
The knowledge in and of itself has intrinsic value, but experience is invaluable.
The road to tyranny and enslavement is paved with convenience....
Quote:
Originally Posted by Linda_d
I'm trying to figure out how so many people can claim to shun "the grid" but can still post regularly on C-D. If anything absolutely represents "the grid" and being tied to modern society, it's people using the Internet.
I guarantee you that Old Order Amish, who do indeed, shun "the grid" and its connections with modern society, do not post on internet forums.
After all, who has more value to a society without electricity-an electrical engineer with 10 years experience, or a housewife who knows how to make ice cream with a hand churn?
It's fine if someone doesn't want to raise their own food and live off the grid. It's also fine if some people do. Everyone has a different opinion about what kind of life they want to live. What is simple or fun to one person won't be that way to everyone.
IMO, "living off the grid" is valuable just for the experience. For example, I raised a vegetable garden in my backyard, not because I needed the food, but because I thought the experience of raising my own food to be valuable. We have lost many of the basic survival skills that were once passed down from generation to generation. If the power grid was completely disabled, millions would die in the cities through pure ignorance of how waste is managed and food/water distributed.
We have developed agricultural methods through thousands of years of trial and error. Upon my first attempt, I raised corn, watermelons, carrots, peppers, and tomatoes.
Only the peppers and tomatoes were viable. I lost the corn to ants, which hollowed out the kernels for the sugar content. I had protected it from birds, thinking they were the primary antagonist.
Upon noticing that the watermelons were no longer growing larger, I decided to harvest them, only to find them hollow as well. I suspect grackles had eaten them based upon the holes near the bottoms. I had protected them from insects.
The carrot tops wilted after a few weeks, upon pulling several I discovered that the root had been devoured. I still don't know what the hell got them.
My point is, without this experience, if I ever had the need to raise food for subsistence, I would have lost these crops at a crucial time, when I needed them, instead of when they were expendable.
The same for hunting and fishing. It's a useful skill, and better learned when unneeded than figured out by trial and error.
The knowledge in and of itself has intrinsic value, but experience is invaluable.
I'm not sure where you tried to garden but I grew up on a farm where my family raised fruits and vegetables, including sweet corn for sale to local super markets and at the farm stand, and I have grown vegetables and flowers for years in rural, suburban, and urban areas without losing entire "crops" to some pest or another. You may lose some, but not all. Sweet corn can be attacked by a variety of worms, borers, and beetles but not ants. (Corn Pests) Moreover, I have known lots of neophyte veggie gardeners who have had success from the get-go. It's not nearly as hard as you make it seem, especially since there are plenty of resources available to help you learn.
I'm trying to figure out how so many people can claim to shun "the grid" but can still post regularly on C-D. If anything absolutely represents "the grid" and being tied to modern society, it's people using the Internet.
In our case (I'm 67, wife is 65), we bought 33 acres of remote land that was too far from electrical poles to connect affordably. So we set up a solar powered system. When I say "off the grid" I mean not connected to grid electricity, not the whole Amish thing. But like many people, we also grow a garden, and in our case, raise chickens-ducks-geese-turkeys. We actually have hot and cold running water, and flush toilets!
I need to stay in touch with my son-in-law, who markets our poultry to restaurants in his metro area. So, we have cell phones, too. Wife has a laptop (which is 12 volts) and I have a tablet, which charges via USB. Both are on a Verizon plan. I never said I didn't want to be tied to "modern society"; I just said I didn't want to enrich corporate profits any more than I have to, or be a slave to their adulterated foods.
But for 3 weeks, we are down here in Tennessee (imagine...we have automobiles, too!) where we are most definitely connected to the electrical grid! However, I'm gulping bottled water, not the vile stuff from the faucets. Barbeque and grits down here are first-rate, though!
Going off the grid is what only a few preppers do. I'm a prepper and I live a normal on the grid life the same as any non prepper would. I enjoy the conveniences of modern life. However, I have made changes to my home. I have 2 emergency generators, 2 wells, a fabrication shop that can manufacturer almost any part, metal, wood, plastic, etc., a garden that can produce enough food for the year. The most important thing I do is to maintain my skills to do all these things.
I have multiple ways to heat and cool my house. Electric, propane, wood, and solar heat. Whole house AC and 2 smaller AC units for individual rooms. One is built-in to the master bedroom and has it's own separate utility room. This allows me to use less power when using emergency power.
Solar power collectors are very expensive and only have a useful life of 10-15 years and where I live would produce very little power. Lucky to see the sun all day maybe 200 days a year, plus hail is pretty common here and no solar collector would have survived last years baseball size hail. Wind charger make more sense here, the wind is always blowing.
I made the decision long ago to live in a rural area. The people that live in suburban areas can do what I have done except in an emergency personal safety will be a problem. The urban dwellers will have insurmountable problems and the only choice they have is to leave and become refugees.
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