Cole Bennett
April 7, 2026
Permaculture is a design approach for gardens and small farms that works with natural ecosystem patterns rather than against them, aiming for a system that becomes more self-sustaining over time instead of requiring constant intervention. 1. Zone Planning Placing elements by how often they need attention …
Cole Bennett
August 24, 2025
Homesteading — producing a meaningful share of a household’s own food and other needs — overlaps with off-grid living but isn’t identical to it; a homestead can be grid-connected, and an off-grid property doesn’t automatically produce food. This guide focuses specifically on the food-production and land-use …
Cole Bennett
August 22, 2025
Simple Living Alaska is a YouTube channel following Eric and Arielle’s off-grid homestead in Alaska, documenting the realities of building and maintaining a self-sufficient life in one of the more physically demanding climates for off-grid living in the United States. Who’s Behind It, and How Big …
Cole Bennett
August 22, 2025
The cost-reduction tactics used during a build (used equipment, phased scope, DIY) are separate from the larger question of how to structure the financial approach to going off-grid in the first place — land acquisition strategy, income during the transition, and how much capital is genuinely …
Cole Bennett
August 20, 2025
Installing an off-grid solar system follows a fairly fixed sequence: calculate actual load, size each component to that load, then wire and install in the correct order. Skipping the load calculation and sizing components by guess or by budget alone is the most common cause of …
Cole Bennett
August 18, 2025
This site’s focus is off-grid living rather than recipes, but salmon patties are worth an exception: they’re a genuine dietary staple in parts of Alaska and other salmon-abundant regions, the same regions covered in building a fish wheel for a subsistence catch, where fresh or canned …
Cole Bennett
August 18, 2025
A pit privy is one of the oldest off-grid sanitation solutions, and remains a practical option where a septic system isn’t feasible or affordable. Building one that lasts and stays sanitary depends more on placement and ventilation than on any specific building style. Site Selection Most …
Cole Bennett
August 18, 2025
Egg-laying chickens can be sourced as day-old chicks, started pullets, or point-of-lay hens, and the right choice depends mostly on how soon eggs are needed and how much brooding infrastructure is already in place. See the meat-bird-vs-egg-layer breed comparison first if the breed itself hasn’t been …
Cole Bennett
July 31, 2025
Off-grid living is achievable, but the transition is where most costly mistakes happen — not after years of living the lifestyle. The seven mistakes below account for the majority of budget overruns, failed transitions, and abandoned properties reported across the off-grid community. 1. Underestimating Costs A …
Cole Bennett
July 31, 2025
Off-grid living depends less on location than on preparedness — the ability to handle fire, water, food, shelter, navigation, and injury without relying on modern infrastructure. Each of the following skills can be learned incrementally, in a backyard or on a weekend trip, well before a …
