I'm Moving Off-Grid, Here's What I'm Bringing With Me

I'm off to build my dream!

For decades I've craved living in peace on my own land, far from neighbors, noise, traffic, and most of humanity.

I've never lived off-grid before.

This is all new to me.
​I'm moving to a patch of dirt with nothing on it. I'll need to build garages to store my things and a small shed to make into a tiny home. I'm creating this little off-grid compound in order to have a home base while I build my dream.
​Which I'll post about at a different time (hopefully).

​For now, here's what I'm bringing with me:

Weapons

Guns | LINK 
I also have ammo. I plan on open-carrying my guns at all times. ​I am not taking chances with my safety. Weirdos can go get weird with someone else.

Knives | LINK
Great for cutting things with but also good to have to protect against various predators.

Solar Gear

Solar can be pricey.
​I sank some serious cash into some of these items in hopes they will bring a bit more comfort to my new lifestyle.

GoSun Solar Cooler | LINK
This cooler will serve as my freezer. It came with its own solar panel table. So, it can be charged by its own solar panel. I will be creating "refrigerators" in the ground when I build my shed home.

GoSun Passive Solar Oven | LINK
This little oven can cook your food in 40 minutes, even on a cloudy day. I bought the one that can plug into my car too, just in case.

Solar Powered Fan | LINK
I'll be using this to create ventilation in my composting outhouse. There are a lot of these fans on the market. I kept trying to figure out which was best and after awhile, I realized I couldn't tell if any one fan was better than another so I just bought this one. I bought this carbon pad to create a filter for the ventilation system.

Delta Max Solar Generator | LINK
This will be my sole power source to charge all my battery powered tools and devices. Eventually, I want to buy a gas powered generator to have as back up, but, they're pricey. So, for now, this it is. I bought a solar stand for the panels here. I need to keep them off the ground otherwise the wild cows will trample them and my heart will shatter.

Solar Motion Detector Lights | LINK
These were recommended by Girl in the Woods. Her and her husband own a lot of off-grid and remote properties. If something's moving outside my home or garages, I want to know about it.

Solar Path Lights | LINK
Nothing special here. Just regular old path lights to light the path to my bathroom. I don't want to have to remember my headlamp every time.

Battery Powered Everything (Mostly Rechargeable)

Battery Powered LED Candles | LINK
Most candles just pollute the air. And, beeswax candles are expensive. So, for now, I'm going to use these small battery powered candles. I'm not wild about LEDs but I'm making do. And, I'm hoping to find a good beeswax candle source eventually.

Battery Powered Fan | LINK
Ads for this fan kept popping up on Instagram, so I bought one. Hopefully on those 100+ degree summer days this lil guy can help me stay cool.

Battery Powered Radio | LINK
I love this little cutie. Fits in the palm of my hand and is super light weight. It's nice to have some kind of news/music option that isn't from my phone.

Battery Powered Tools | LINK
What do they say? Buy lime green if you have no self respect or no money. I'm in the latter camp. I can't break the bank on tools right now. So these will do. I didn't buy this kit. I bought most of my tools used from smaller tool stores that sell at a discount compared to most hardware stores. I really like Extra Mile Tool if you're in the Charlotte, NC area.

Battery Powered Reading Light | LINK
I love that this light is a red light. So, I can read at night without throwing off my circadian rhythm. I also own glasses from them and I LOVE them!

Headlamp and Flashlights | LINK
My headlamp is old as dirt, I can't remember where I bought it from. But you can find them all over and for cheap.

Wood Burning Items

Tiny Wood Burning Tent Stove | LINK
This guy is little but I'll be living in a small space.

Kindling Cracker | LINK
My wood burning stove is pretty tiny, so I need to keep it fed with kindling instead of the usual size logs. I'm hoping this chopper helps reduce the amount of work that entails.

Wood Stove Fan | LINK
Gotta spread that heat around.

Fire Pit Ring | LINK
This guy is larger and cheaper than all the fancy fire pit rings. I'm planning on using a step drill bit to drill holes in it to make it a smokeless fire pit. I'll need to burn most of my trash so I'm thankful to have this.

Fire Starters | LINK
Hopefully I won't have to use these all the time, but I'm thankful to have them in a pinch. These are waterproof.

Fencing

Look, I know this little fence set up will not keep out the wild cows, aggressive rattlesnakes, or any other critter that roams the land, but I'm hoping the cows will be too lazy most of the time to knock it down. Eventually, I'm building a tall and thick hyperadobe wall around my entire compound. Until then, this will give me the illusion of safety. I'm hoping to add a solar electric fence to it down the line.

4' Tall Fence Stakes | LINK

Zip Ties | LINK
These aren't just for the fence but they'll be used a ton to help keep my fence in place.

Plastic Mesh Fence | LINK

Homemade First Aid Kit

I have a regular first aid kit in my car at all times but for my land and every day life, I wanted something better. So, I spent the last two years sourcing items for this kit, it's nowhere near finished but here are some of the items I have in it.

Manuka Honey Ointment | LINK
Aint no Neosporin in my first aid kit.

Ozone Oil | LINK

Helios Homeopathy Kit | LINK

Quercetin | LINK

Wild Wood Apothecary | LINK
I have a bunch of April's offerings. I would link them individually but her shop tends to completely sell out. Follow her on Instagram to find out when she has her next shop update. Her products are AMAZING. I have her toothache oil, Cramp Balm, & Pain Relief Salve. Those are just the products of hers I have for my first aid kit. I have other oils, creams, and tinctures from her for everyday life. And, I plan on buying a lot more from her.

Homemade Blood Stop | LINK
I followed April's tutorial to make this homemade blood stop because I will be living pretty far from a hospital. Having this on hand can be a game changer if I'm ever hurt badly.

Wound Closure Device | LINK

Elastic Bandage Wrap | LINK

Hypoallergenic Bandages | LINK

Organic Cotton Pads | LINK

Ginger Chews | LINK

Aspirin | LINK
I'm not a fan of NSAIDs. I can't remember when I took a pain reliever last. I've been team "tough it out" for years, but I know there may be a day I need this and I'll be thankful to have it.

Shallow Well Gear

I know the water table is about 40' below the surface of my land. Way too deep for a shallow well. But, there are less deep water sources here and there so, if I get bored one day, I can try to reach one. It will probably be salt water, but I'm still curious. Besides, I bought these before I knew I would end up in the desert, so I already have them on hand.

Drive Point | LINK
According to reviews, the one from Home Depot breaks after a couple of smacks so I bought this one instead.

Hand Pump | LINK

Hyperadobe Build Supplies

Hyper Adobe Tube Netting | LINK

Handtruck | LINK
This will be for moving boxes and then I'll adapt it to hold my hyper adobe netting.

Extras

Hello LX Travel Shower | LINK
​I chose this shower because it has a foot pump and I won't need to lift a heavy bag of water up before each shower. I can fill it up and leave it in the sun on the ground. There's a smaller and less expensive version offered by Helio but, I bought this more expensive one because they made some really good improvements that I knew would be nicer to have in the long run.

Oven Gloves | LINK
For all those hot moments.

Tall Leather Boots | LINK
If a rattlesnake snaps at me, I'd rather have it nip leather boots than me. I bought tall ones in hopes of having more protection.

Boot Stand | LINK
I'm not a fan of leaving my boots laying on the ground for creepy crawlies to sneak into.

Car Sun Shade | LINK

Car Window Screens | LINK
Windows down, bugs out.

Car Awning | LINK
​Basically a sun shade to rest under until I have some structures up.

Ozone Spray Bottle | LINK
I LOVE this spray bottle. It's worth every penny. I already use it every day and it's an important part of my off-grid plan too. It does need to be charged but charges quickly and the battery lasts a long time. The ozone water it emits kills bacteria and viruses faster than any product on the market and all it is is WATER. I gave my parents the laundry system and I MISS IT SO MUCH. My clothes do not feel clean using detergent anymore. As soon as I have a washing machine and running water again, I'm buying the laundry system again. These products are life changing.

Steering Wheel Lock | LINK
Just another attempt to keep people from stealing my shit :) 

Ladder | LINK

Tape Measure Reel | LINK

Marking Flags | LINK

Potting Bench | LINK
​I'm hoping this will be a helpful lil work bench until I start gardening next spring.

I have a lot more random little things, various tools, clamps, etc.
​But, this is everything I can think of off the top of my head right now that seems more important.

I'm buying more gear when I get there too.

Like totes for my water supply and portable garage kits that I'm going to use the frames from and ditch the rest.
​Going off-grid is not cheap.