Living off-grid may seem like fun in theory. The idea of living off the land and saving the earth sounds fine and dandy until you’re living the life. Many people who have tried off-grid living usually quit and return to the urban lifestyle because they just couldn’t get used to some of the disadvantages of living off-grid.
As a survivalist, your reasons for living off grid may be very different from someone who is doing it for ecological reasons. While they may be trying to reduce their carbon footprint, you may be more concerned with avoiding people or minimizing your contact with them.
So, it’s two different mindsets. The survivalists may not need to take off-grid living to extremes and they may not experience some of the disadvantages that the person trying to ‘go green’ experiences.
Let’s look at some of the common disadvantages of off-grid living.
- Isolated
This is probably one of the biggest disadvantages most people face. Living in a remote place far away from society can be lonely. If there’s a town nearby, you’ll be able to socialize a little but that will be it.
There’s not going to be huge malls, amusement parks and other attractions around. You’ll be alone in your house most times. If you have a family, they’re the ones you’ll spend most of your time with.
Most people get bored and miss the socializing. Preppers who want to get away from it all may enjoy the quiet and embrace the solitary lifestyle.
- High initial costs
If you’re trying to live off-grid, you’ll need to set up alternative energy systems to power your house, etc. These systems can have high upfront costs. Over and above that, living far away from society will mean that you can’t work in urban areas. The commute will be very long.
So, you’ll need to have other means to supplement your income. This can be a challenge too. Furthermore, people who live off-grid, often don’t qualify for tax cuts, etc. due to certain laws. That’s extra expenses for you.
- Inconvenience and hassle
There’s no denying it. It can be inconvenient to live a lifestyle where you barely watch TV or use your mobile phone. You’ll probably not be on the internet either. Forget about ordering stuff from Amazon.
There’ll also be a lot more manual labor. Since you’re growing your own food, etc. there’s going to be much more work for you to do. You’ll be living the life of a farmer.
- Far away from hospitals
Usually, if you live in a remote area, getting to a hospital or getting emergency treatment is going to take longer because of the commute. Falling ill or getting injured can be a huge problem if you live alone and don’t have any means of contacting anyone.
- Storing energy
If you’re powering your house with wind or water energy, you’ll need to store the energy for times where there isn’t enough wind to get any power. You’ll need batteries to store the energy. With that will come extra maintenance… and that brings us back to the earlier point about the hassle.
As you can see, living off-grid while effective for survival situations also has its downsides. It would be a good idea to try camping out for prolonged periods and see if you can develop the mindset necessary to cope with not having the conveniences that you’re accustomed to.
If you can handle it, off-grid living may be for you. If you hate it, you’re going to hate living off-grid even more. Make your decision wisely.