OffGridSkills

Field guides

Deep, cited, genuinely useful

No recycled listicles. Each guide is written to be the last one you need on its topic — with real numbers, real formulas, honest safety guidance and sources you can check.

A hand-drawn style map and compass on a wooden table Getting Started

Off-Grid Living: Benefits, Challenges and a Practical Reality Check

A clear-eyed way to decide whether off-grid living fits your site, budget, skills and support network, with a practical first-month plan before you commit.

10 min read Updated Aug 2026
A pantry shelf stocked with preserved food in jars Food

Growing and Preserving Food Off Grid: A Practical Starting Plan

Plan a resilient food system around your climate, water and time, then grow, preserve and store food without trying to do everything in the first season.

11 min read Updated Aug 2026
A hand-drawn style map and compass on a wooden table Getting Started

The Off-Grid Skills Roadmap: What to Learn First

A practical, ordered path from complete beginner to capable off-grid practitioner — the skills that matter most, in the order they pay off.

12 min read Updated Aug 2026
Solar panels and a battery bank wired on a cabin wall Power

How to Size an Off-Grid Solar System: The Complete Guide

Step-by-step from a real load audit to panel array, battery bank, charge controller and inverter — with the actual formulas and worked examples.

15 min read Updated Aug 2026
Lithium batteries connected in a battery bank with cables Power

Batteries for Off-Grid: Lead-Acid vs Lithium, and How to Size a Bank

Understand depth of discharge, cycle life, temperature and cost, then size a battery bank that actually matches your loads — with runtime math you can check.

13 min read Updated Aug 2026
Rainwater tank with gutters and a first-flush diverter Water

Rainwater Harvesting: Collection, Storage and the Law

Catchment math, first-flush diverters, tank sizing for dry seasons, filtration for potable use — and what's legal where you live.

14 min read Updated Aug 2026
Clear water pouring from a filter into a glass Water

Off-Grid Water: How Much You Need and How to Make It Safe

Real daily water figures for drinking through to homesteading, plus a practical guide to filtration, purification and safe storage.

13 min read Updated Aug 2026
A pantry shelf stocked with preserved food in jars Food

How Much Food to Store (and How to Preserve It)

Calorie targets, per-person quantities of each staple, shelf life and rotation, and the preservation methods that actually work off-grid.

12 min read Updated Aug 2026