Setting up an off-grid home

How much water does a family of four need?

------------------------------------------------- Revised 03/31/2021
(C) Copyright 2012-2021 by HappyPreppers.com. All rights reserved. The site happily targets concerned
citizens who are self-reliant survivalists, preppers and homesteaders with original content on survival following
societal collapse. You may link to our site, but you may NOT reproduce any part of our content, or store our
content in any retrieval system to represent it as your own. Further, you may not transmit content in any other
form or by any means, including (but not limited to) electronic, photocopy, mechanical, or recording without
written consent. HappyPreppers.com makes no warranties.

HappyPreppers.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising
program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com,
amazonsupply.com, or myhabit.com. Amazon is a great place to buy emergency supplies. In other words, we
recommend prepping gear sold on Amazon. It's a great place to shop.

Get prepared! Read more e mergency preparedness information on our home page.

This prepping article on the top ten off-grid tools has been archived by waybackmachine.org and saved as many
as 12 times between July 6, 2016 and March 31, 2021 This helps protect our copyright.

Do NOT copy. Linking is okay.

sitemap
privacy policy

Big Berkey Filtration System

260 Gallon Water Storage Tank

Happy Preppers site for survivalists + preppers

Rain Barrel (50 Gallon)

Treadle Powered Sewing Machine

9 Tray Deluxe Dehydrator

DuroMax Elite MX4500

Nature's Head Composting Toilet

Wonderwash

Luggable Loo

Top ten off-grid tools for setting up an off grid home

Prepper Deal Alerts Check
our daily deals for prepping
gear and food storage.

Thinking of prepping off grid in Alaska?

Clothes Wringer

Hand Wringer for clothes - off grid laundry

galvanized twin washtub for
wringer

How to set up an off-grid home
Homestead basic equipment list to outfit an off-grid cabin

Set up an off-grid home, even before you have the land!
It's important for preppers to set up an off-grid camp to be
prepared for emergencies, but it can be overwhelming to figure
out where to begin. As daunting as it is, thankfully it's also a
fun way to start dreaming about having an off-grid homestead.

Going off grid is the ultimate prepper goal for self reliance. It
means you'll have full independence from utilities ~ the
electrical grid, the municipal water supply and sanitation. Going
off grid also means you don't have to pay any of those bills.

Get started outfitting an off-grid home while you look for the
land so that you're ready from day one! Here's how to set up
your off-grid home to get your homestead going...

How to Set up an Off-grid Home
Get started setting up your off-grid camp with our top ten list of
basic tools.

#1 Off-grid tool: Big Berkey Water Filter.
Setting up your off-grid camp begins with the water, because
you can only live three days without water. Hopefully you've
sourced a water supply on your homestead ~ a well, a river or a
lake where you can access water. If so, you'll need a way to
ensure the water is potable and a water filter provides the
answer.

Among the best of water filters is the Big Berkey water filter. A
prepper favorite, the Big Berkey is something you can enjoy
immediately for your health. It filters chlorine and other
chemicals from your municipal water supply so you can enjoy
really great tasting water. This powerful system purifies both
treated water and untreated raw water from such sources as
remote lakes, streams, and stagnant ponds. It's also handy to
filter water supplies in foreign countries, where regulations may
be substandard at best! Big Berkey is made of quality stainless
steel and built to last.

Alternatively, you can get yourself a Lifestraw water filter.
LifeStraw has several water filters to suit your exact
individual needs. Lifestraw Family, pictured below puririfes
4755 gallons of water. That's enough to provide lean
drinking water for a family of four for 3 years ~ all without
iodine, chlorine, or other chemicals.

#2 Off grid tool: Composting toilet.
Another way to outfit your off-grid cabin is to set up a toilet or
outhouse. If you want the modern comforts of your current
lifestyle then, the best kind of toilet for your homestead is a
co mposting toil et. A composting toilet is any toilet that helps
you take care of your sanitation needs as it simultaneously
helps you in the garden. If you're on a budget, you can make a
simple bucket composting toilet, but again if you want to set up
your homestead properly, you'll get a manufactured composting
toilet.

Nature's Head Composting Toilet, pictured right, is a reliable
choice for portable, self contained, urine separating dry toilets
~ on the water, on the land, or on the road. While designed to
withstand the harsh marine environment, it can be used
anywhere you need a toilet, especially anywhere that plumbing
or electricity is difficult or non-existent , like on RVs or campers,
in vacation cabins, workshops, barns, yurts, even trucks. Most
importantly, this toilet doesn't have the foul odors associated
with all other holding tank systems. The low volume air
circulation built in fan provides the added benefit of recycling
the air which helps make your whole environment smell better.
Because it was originally designed for marine use, its rugged
design and materials (all stainless hardware) it has been proven
to be extremely durable no matter what your environment.

Alternatively, if you're on a budget, you can get a Luggable Loo
honey bucket, and you can use it with peat moss.

Here's how to set up a composting toilet.

#3 Off-grid tool: Hand powered washing machine.
Another way to outfit your off-grid cabin is to think about your
off-grid laundry system. For starters you'll need a galvanized
washtub and a wringer, both pictured right, to do the laundry
the way your great grandmother did. If you're the crafty type,
you can create an off-grid laundry station using a wringer, and
some ingenuity!

Rancher Cast Iron Stove

Solar Food Dehydrator

Solar Refrigerator

Above, Starry Hilder Off-Grid Homestead shows you how to use the All
American Canner.

#7: Off-grid tool: Dehydrator.
An important part of setting up your off-grid home is your off-
grid kitchen. A dehydrator will play a vital role in your off-grid
live, so that you can extend the fruits and vegetables from your
gardens to last you through winter. It's another way to preserve
your crops.

Any dehydrator will dry food, but an Excalibur dries safer,
better, and faster, thanks to Excalibur's patented Hyperwave
Fluctuation technology. Ordinary dehydrators produce constant,
unchanging heat, which can cause"case hardening." Ordinary
dehydrators create a dry surface with moisture trapped inside –
the perfect environment for yeast, mold and bacteria growth.
With the Excalibur Hyperwave Fluctuation technology, the
temperature fluctuates up and down to prevent this from
happening. When the air temperature fluctuates up, the food's
surface moisture evaporates; then, when the air temperature
fluctuates down, the inner moisture moves to the drier surface.
This keeps the food temperature low enough to keep the
enzymes active, but the air temperature gets high enough to
dry food and overcome yeast, mold, and spoilage.

#8 Off-grid tool: Solar Refrigerator.
A solar refrigerator is not only a modern convenience that you'll
be thankful to have in your homestead, but it could very well be
a live-saving item.

It's hard to process the thought of a solar refrigerator. How can
the sun keep your food cold? That's an interesting topic of
discussion with your kids about the homesteading life. More and
more we're relying on solar products and a solar refrigerator is
essential, especially to pr eppers who have diabetes or preppers
who have someone in the household who is diabetic. It's the
only real way to store your insulin.

Prices of solar powered products have come down quite a bit. It
seems almost ridiculous to say "solar" and "refrigerator" in the
same sentence, but someone invented it. The technology is
here that you can make your food cold with the power of the
sun. It's not as expensive as you might think!

#9: Tankless water Heater for off grid shower.
Whether you’re on the family camping trip, having a day at the
lake, or swimming in the pool, sometimes you just need a hot
shower. Simply attach a garden hose and you have all the hot
water you need. The Triton Tankless Water Heaters produce
more hot water per minute than any other unit in its class.
Capable of producing 1.5 gallons of hot water per minute, this
heater is great for anything from filling up a portable pool to
washing your pets or showering off at the beach.

#10: Treadle-powered sewing machine.
On the homestead you might be sewing cloth napkins or diapers
using a treadle-powered sewing machine.Now you can sew
without electrical power. The Janome 712T treadle -powered
sewing machine is super easy to thread and there's no electrical
power needed! A treadle is a lever that you work by the foot ~
it imparts motion to the sewing machine. You'd be surprised
that this sewing machine is much quieter than an electric kind.

It has 10 utility stitches, plus a built-in buttonhole stitch. The
top-loading bobbin system and the handy threading guide make
changing top and bottom thread easy.

Be sure to set up a power source: generator
and solar power.
Solar panels are usually one of the first off-grid projects
homesteaders start, but realistically, preppers need some basic
power sources and a variety of them:

Generator. A power source is essential If you live in the
East Coast, you likely have a generator, but for preppers
on the West Coast away from the snow, a generator is a
foreign object.

Solar power: Solar power panels need not be elaborate
when you're just starting out. 600 watts of solar power is
about what you'll need for an ever popular "tiny home."
With solar power you can set up an air condition unit,
which would be extremely important in arid parts of the
country.

Turbine Windpower. Turbine energy is becoming
increasingly interesting to preppers. When the sun isn't
shining, you've got to have alternate power source and
wind is one such option.

List of Homesteading Tools
While some of the tools listed below require electricity, they are
invaluable at setting up your off grid location. Use electrical
power while you've still got some!

Allen wrench
All Terrain Vehicle (ATV)
Axe
Barrels for rain, grain and feed
Combination square
Combination wrench
Composting toilet (it can be as simple as a bucket and
peat moss)
Chain saw to clear brush and trees
Chisel
Circular saw
Crowbar
Dolly, Hand Cart or Wagon
Drill
Firearms and ammunition, plus ear protection
Hammer and nails
Hoe (tool used mostly for weeding and breaking up soil)
Hose (garden and one free of lead for drinking water)
Kni v es
Ladder
Level
LumberJack
Machete
Oil lamps
Palm Sander - a luxury, but great time saver
Pliers
Pipe Wrench
Post hole digger
Rake
Rope
Saw, table saw, Sawmill
Screwdriver and screws
Shovel
Spade (tool used mostly for digging)
Staple Gun
Solar panels
Safety Glasses
Socket wrench set
Tape Ruler
Tiller
Tool box (organize your stuff!)
Tractor
Treadle powered sewing machine
Utility trailer
Wheel barrow (in addition to the handcart or wagon
mentioned)
Wind generator

Other important equipment for preppers
List of equipment you'll need at home:

#1: Food Saver.
A Food saver can help you set up your prepper's pantry, save
you money on your family's everyday groceries and even help
you pack a better bugout bag. Below is a food saver created for
Created with hunters, fishermen and outdoor enthusiasts in
mind.

The FoodSaver GameSaver Outdoorsman Vacuum Sealing
System, pictured above, combines a new consumer preferred
design with easy operation. With up to 40 consecutive seals,
you can continually process up to 120 pounds of game. Bring it
with you to the woods and on the water to quickly process your
fish and game! Preserve your harvested fish and game in the
great outdoors, and prevent freezer burn. Preserve your hard-
earned game for up to 3 years.

#2: SureWater Water Storage Tank.
Manufactured in the USA, the Surewater storage tank can store
water for a family of four for three month supply ~ that's 260
gallons of water. A family of four needs 270 gallons for a three-
month supply, according to Utah State University.

The Surewater tank gives you the security in knowing you have
enough drinking water during catastrophic events and national
emergencies. The tank is well designed, sturdy, and holds
enough water to last through the outages you might expect
after a hurricane. It ships withing 6-10 days, and in case you're
wondering it fits through standard door frames 28"!

Happy endings...
Congratulations! You're the sharpest tool in the shed for getting
started in homestead. Setting up your off-grid camp is a fun
project. Good luck on your home sweet homestead!

You may enjoy these prepping articles...

Prepare to live happily ever after with us. happypreppers.com ~ the emergency
preparedness Web site of prepping, survival, homesteading, and self-reliance.

Above is a tutorial for how build a stand for a clothes wringer with an off
grid hand laundry stand. It is a bench that holds both a wash and a rinse
tub as well as the wringer!

Think about this for your off grid laundry...
Eventually you'll want to go "Amish style" and get yourself a
heavy duty handwasher that attaches to a generator so you can
lighten your chores. The idea is that you'll run out of propane
for the generator, so the washtub and wringer are essential to
your off-grid living.

Alternatively, if you're on a budget, you can get yourself a
Wonderwash. This non-electric, hand-crank washing
machine that washes a 5-lb load super clean in just a
couple of minutes. This is a good start for your off-grid
laundry. Eventually, you'll want to set up something more
heavy duty, but getting things laundered in small batches
is the way to go until you're settled. Pair the Wonderwash
with a portable spin dyer, like the one immediately below,
and you're good to go. The portable dryer is more of a
spinner, so you'll still need to hang your laundry Amish
style.

Learn more about doing the laundry without electricity.

#4: Off Grid Tool: Oil lamp or Other Off-grid Lighting.
When the world goes dark, you'll be ready with off-grid lighting
if you have both an oil lamp and solar lamps.

An off-grid oil lamp will provide everyday ambiance and reliable
lighting during times of emergency, but there's always the
potential for fire. On the other hand, solar lighting is safer, but
it isn't as reliable as the tried an true old fashioned oil lamp.

Feuerhand hurricane lantern. Made of sturdy galvanized
steel the charming Feuerhand hurricane lantern, by
Vermont Lanterns, pictured right, is made in Germany. This
hurricane lantern works in all weather conditions, and burns
two times brighter compared to standard table lamp of
equal wick size.

afe for indoors and

outdoors

the galvanized steel resists

rust and corrosion.

pecial developed burner element there

no flickering and sooting from the flame. A special seal

inside the tank ensures there is no risk of leakage.

hermal

heat-resistant globes won't

crack when exposed to

rain or

snow.

Ships

ecurely

ubble

rapped too. If

craftsmanship

what you're looking for in an oil lamp, then

choose the

Vermont Lantern's Feuerhand Hurricane Lantern.

#5 Off-grid tool: Cast Iron Stove and Heater.
A cast iron stove provides both heat for your homestead and
the ability to cook and boil water. This will be a nice and cozy
addition to your homestead, but if you live in freezing winter
zones, it's an absolute must have.

Vogelzang's Rancher, pictured right, is an all cast iron cooking
range that burns bituminous coal. With a large flare-top this
cast iron cook stove has four 8" lift-out cook lids that will
facilitate several pots and pans at one time and also allow for
easy top loading. It also includes a convenient ash door and
tray for easy clean out and disposal of ash. As well it has a
lower spin-draft to control air intake, and uses a standard round
6" stove pipe. BTU rating: 60,000.

Alternatively, you can get the Volcano C o llapsible Grill and
stove. With Volcano, you get one stove that works with
three fuel sources (propane, charcoal or wood). Use it to
grill, wok, bake, or roast, or pair it with a cast-iron dutch
oven.

#6 Off-grid tool: Pressure canner.
Living off grid you will need a method of food preservation, so
you'll eventually need to learn the art of canning. A pressure
canner is a staple of self sufficiency and the best all around
pressure canner is the All American.

All American Pressure Canner Cooker. The quality and
heavy-duty All American P r essure Canner C ooker, is a large
capacity canner. You need a pressure cooker when canning
vegetables and nonacid fruit, since the high heat that can
be generated will kill more bacteria than a regular hot
water bath. Made in Wisconsin, this is an American classic
pressure cooker that requires no rubber or plastic gaskets
or rings. Its 21-1/2-quart capacity holds 19 pint jars or 7
quart jars. A three-setting pressure regulator valve is
included, and the pressure gauge gives a clear reading.

All American Pressure
Canner Cooker

Triton tankless water heater

Waterstraaws suck, but here's why to get one

Emergency heat sources that don't require electricity

Testing water ~ 25 reasons to test water

Mountain House Diced Chicken

Feuerhand Hurricane Lantern