Pitfalls of living off-grid

Let’s say you fit your house with solar panels and rainwater harvesting systems.  Then you start growing your own vegetables and fruit and keep enough animals to provide all of your food needs.  Most people consider this as living off-grid, and it is, but there is an even deeper level to off-grid living where you will literally drop off the radar.  Is it wise to go so far in the quest for a quiet, non-governmental intrusive lifestyle? If you truly want to live off-grid you will be giving up all official licensing, tax status and anything that ties you to society.  You could potentially lose the legal rights to:

• Driving
• Health insurance
• Public services (electric / gas / etc.)
• The ability to get a loan from a bank
• Legal employment

Living off-grid is also now illegal in certain countries with crackdowns in certain American states just for growing your own food or collecting your own water.  You could also suffer from social exclusion due to the loss of friends and regular contact with family members. Living off-grid is also now illegal in certain countries with crackdowns in certain American states. Share on X  

Dying off-grid

If you abandon everything and live in a cabin in the woods it is very easy to die.  You could freeze to death some night or be attacked by a wild animal or even die from a basic, yet highly treatable, disease. The most well-known case of dying from off-grid living is the case of Christopher McCandless who died in isolation in 1992 in Alaska.  After graduating from college in 1990 Mr McCandless began traveling all over the United States before eventually settling on the wilds of Alaska.  He managed to find an abandoned bus and decided to make this his home. Approximately four months after settling in the area his body was discovered by some hunters.  It is believed that Mr McCandless died of starvation.  This incident was made famous by the fact that a roll of undeveloped film was discovered in his camera which was later developed and showed the slow progression of starvation suffered during these short few months.  Notes were also found at the site which suggested that Mr McCandless was unable to grow, forage or hunt a sufficient amount of food.  This story was later made into a book by Jon Krakauer called “Into the Wild” and a movie of the same name. At one point he decided that it may be better if he returned to civilization but his way was blocked by a now swollen river so he had to turn back.  If he had made that decision earlier he may have survived.