Q&A for How to Live off the Grid

Think about where you're going to get supplies when you need them, like fuel or electricity. For instance, think about what you'd need to do if you have solar panels and they break down—what will you do for backup power? I would also think about having a backup of food, like heavy-duty freezers that can keep your food cold for several days if the power goes out.

Gas gets old and is no good after a period. Propane can be kept almost indefinitely.

You could either collect rainwater using barrels and heat it using a wood stove, or store rain barrels on the roof and allow the sunlight to warm it. You can use that water to bathe yourself.

You should be able to find one or both at almost any hardware or home improvement store. If they don't have one, look in the paper or on sites such as Craigslist and eBay for generators.

You're way ahead with shelter and amenities. Start a garden. Rent a tiller or hire a neighbor with a tractor, then plant seeds or seedlings (you may have to haul water). Next, build an outhouse (since you can dump your holding tanks periodically, you may skip that). Dig or drill a well, hand-pump or electric. Get a chicken coop and laying hens. Build a shed or workshop to store your tools and building supplies, which can also be used as temporary shelter in case you're without the RV. Start picking up free or cheap salvaged materials to use. Buy or build solar panels and a power controller. Install gray water or septic. Work toward a house, barn and livestock.

Some times people living off grid have enough electricity to power a small washing machine, but most just wash by hand using soap and whatever water sources are available. Clothes will be washed much less frequently than they are when living on the grid.

Solar is better, unless you get almost no sun. Wind produces in more locations, but has a much worse carbon footprint because of the large amounts of processed metals used to make them, making them only slightly better than natural gas and still expensive. The carbon footprint of solar panels is much lower, and the technology is much more efficient and produced cheaper.

Water is your most essential need; don't homestead where water is lacking. You can have water delivered to your property and stored in barrels or 250-gallon water totes (plastic cubes with steel wire cages). Check Craigslist under Farm & Garden.

You don't -- you learn to live without it. Living off the grid means being self-sufficient and not relying on public utilities, of which WiFi is one. You'll have to travel to a place that offers free WiFi when you need to use the internet.

Yes, of course. (As long as you are not living in it and using it by its appropriate use, as a toilet.)

Many people who live off the grid still use traditional plumbing pipes. But you can also build an outhouse that uses chemicals to break down the waste. Just be sure not to dig a latrine, a.k.a. outdoor bathroom, too close to your home or any sources of fresh water.

It depends on the local laws and property taxes. If you own the land and you don't have to pay any property taxes, then no, you wouldn't have to pay anything. But if the area requires property taxes, then you'd have to pay them to avoid getting into any trouble.

It can be. Many forests require you to pay a camping fee if you're going to stay there for a time. So if you try to do it without notifying the park rangers or paying any sort of fee, you could be trespassing, which could get you into trouble.

Yes, it would be incredibly helpful on the homestead to have chickens and goats. They would provide a lot: milk and butter, meat, eggs, and they would eat weeds. What a lovely idea!