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These are all books that we either personally own, use or support and if you purchase items through these links, you have our sincere thanks!

Going Off The Grid

Is city life fencing you in? Break free of the daily grind with off-the-grid solutions for a simpler, stress-free tomorrow.

Are you overworked and overcrowded? Do you dream of dropping off the radar? Do you crave the peace of mind that only nature can provide? Fitness and military intelligence expert Gary Collins has helped thousands of people roam free with firsthand advice shared on his popular website. And now he’s here to help you reclaim your independence.

Going Off the Grid: The How-To Book of Simple Living and Happiness contains step-by-step instructions for creating your self-sustaining refuge in the untamed wild or the blacktop jungle. Through Collins’ methods, you’ll identify and purge unnecessary stressors from your everyday life. You’ll also learn the basics of off-the-grid living from home construction to energy alternatives, from sewage disposal to internet access.

In Going Off the Grid, you’ll discover:
– How to downsize your current living conditions for a clutter-free future
– Techniques for simplifying your hectic schedule so you can enjoy life’s simple pleasures
– How to find the ideal off-the-grid property that will meet your every need
– Common types of building techniques and materials for high energy efficiency and insulation
– Fun and informative stories detailing Collins’ off-the-grid nomadic lifestyle and much, much more!

The Everything Guide To Living Off The Grid

Do you want to have electricity and hot water at any time, no matter what’s going on outside your property? Do you want to have more control over the things you eat and how they are processed? Do you want your family safe from the worries of a bad economy and crime?

If you answered “yes” to these questions, then living off the grid may be for you. Although living off the grid takes some hard work, the benefits make it all worthwhile. This practical guide gives you all the information you’ll need to move off the grid, including how to:

• Grow your own produce
• Raise, hunt, and process your meat
• Eliminate existing debt to cut off financial ties
• Build a sustainable home from scratch
• Harvest and reuse water
• Create your own sources of energy

Whether you want to live an eco-friendly life or just want to incorporate a few key aspects into your existing day-to-day, this guide is your comprehensive introduction to homestead sustainability.

The Encyclopedia Of Country Living

This is the classic door-stopper of a book covering topics from buying land to canning preserves. Carla Emery, the Author, was a born-and-bred farm girl. She began writing the book in the early 1970s in response to the growing back-to-the-land movement.

Many of the skills detailed in this have only ever been handed down by word of mouth. Now, they are captures and re-told in this must have read.

Despite its old-fashioned roots, this book is totally up-to-date: the newest editions come with web links for further information, handy in the ebook version.

Due to the sheer scope of the 900+ page book, some of the articles are less detailed than you might find on a specialist website, but most come with recommendations for further reading if you need more detail.

City dwellers might never need to skin a rabbit or deliver a calf (unless they practice urban self reliance), however the tips on food preparation, cooking and gardening will work just about anywhere.

For those of you considering an off-grid lifestyle, we feel this was a helpful look into the reality, the pleasures as well as the struggles of rural life. Emery’s friendly yet authoritative tone is apparent and appreciated given the topic. It’s not just an invaluable piece of off grid reference material but also a true treasure to read.

Pros:  Contains a wealth of information for anyone with the urge of going back to basics.

Cons: Because it offers such a wide variety of subjects you will have to read more specific sources to become a true expert.

Bushcraft The Ultimate Guide To Survival In the Wilderness

Many people have died from a  lack of simple and appropriate survival skills. Bushcraft covers all areas of survival including: making ropes and cords, building huts, camp craft, finding food and water, making maps, starting fires, tying knots, and fashioning hunting and trapping gear—virtually every technique required to stay alive in the woods. With over 400 black-and-white illustrations and photographs, this book explains how to make use of natural materials found locally in any area, conserving instead of destroying native flora and fauna. It describes many of the skills used by early man, adding to these the skills necessary for modern man’s survival, such as methods for determining time and direction.

The author, who popularized the term “bushcraft,” claims its practice has many unexpected results. By developing adaptability and honing the five senses, it will also improve your self-esteem and your ability to overcome difficulties in everyday tasks. The practice of bushcraft encourages self-confidence and counters the narrowing influence of modern living by broadening your horizons. Bushcraft is a clear, accurate, and reliable resource for anyone who wishes to face nature on its own terms with just a knife and this book.

 

Green From The Ground Up

The Homeowner’s Energy Handbook

Are you looking for creative ways to lower your energy costs, use renewable energy, generate more of your own power, or become less reliant on the grid? Energy expert Paul Scheckel offers practical advice for taking matters into your own hands. Understand the fundamentals of solar, wind, water, and biofuel energy production as you make your home ready for renewables.

Each chapter of Homeowner’s Energy Handbook provides a comprehensive discussion of renewable energy sources along with “green guides” for building your own energy-saving — and energy-producing — equipment. Step-by-step instructions show you how to build a bicycle-powered generator, a biodiesel processor, a thermosiphon solar hot-water collector, a biogas generator, a smokeless wood-gas camp stove, and more.

Whether you want to button up your house to be more energy-efficient, find deep energy savings, or take your home entirely off the grid, this guide has the knowledge and skills you need to reduce your use, then produce!

The Backyard Homestead

On just a quarter-acre of land, you can produce fresh, organic food for a family of four — year-round! This comprehensive guide to homesteading provides all the information you need to grow and preserve a sustainable harvest of grains and vegetables; raise animals for meat, eggs, and dairy; and keep honey bees for your sweeter days. With easy-to-follow instructions on canning, drying, and pickling, you’ll enjoy your backyard bounty all winter long.

Have you got a favorite Off The Grid book you’d like to recommend to our fellow readers?

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