The virus is spreading, and it’s impossible to avoid.
Everywhere you go, you see people coughing and sneezing - do they have the common cold,
or something much worse?
You don’t know what’s more dangerous - the virus, or the hordes of panicked people ransacking
every supermarket for supplies.
And then there’s the news.
You turn on the news, and you see more terrible news every day.
The virus is out of control, the market is crashing, and the leaders aren’t inspiring
much confidence.
It’s enough to make you wish you could escape it all.
It’s enough to make you wish you could go completely off the grid.
And then you remember - you can!
When you were a kid, your parents would occasionally send you to stay with your great-uncle in
his cabin in the woods.
He was a tough old man, and he taught you a lot of things while you stayed there.
How to survive in the wild, how to hunt, how to forage, and how to prepare for a long time
isolated from society.
You hope you remember most of it - you were more concerned with not being able to get
a cell phone signal out there when you were young.
When he passed away two years ago, he left the cabin to you.
You didn’t expect to spend much time there, until now.
So you’re ready to make your great escape for society.
In order to go off the grid successfully, you’ll need to have the right supplies.
Everyone else is busy buying supplies for staying at home during an outbreak, but you
have a different list in mind.
You want supplies that will make it easier to be completely self-sufficient.
Your great-uncle’s cabin is off the electrical and water grid and is surrounded by a forest
with lots of resources.
You want to have what you need to survive independently, and to get resources from nature.
It’s time to start shopping!
Having electric power is possible while living off the grid, so your first big purchase should
be a portable generator.
While most generators can be up to two hundred and fifty pounds, if you want a small generator
that can run a single appliance like lights or a hot plate for cooking, these are available
as light as fifty pounds.
You’ll be able to carry it easily to and from your cabin, and having a generator is
a critical safety tool if some of your other plans fall due to natural events.
Having backup for your supplies and tools is one of the most important parts of living
off the grid.
You should also have a number of portable flashlights if you need to head out into the
woods at night.
Next up, it’s time to take care of health needs to ensure you don’t have to make your
way back to civilization until everything is safe.
A toothache or skin infection could bring your off the grid adventure to an uncomfortable
end.
That’s why it’s critical to have daily supplies for cleanliness and taking care of
minor injuries.
You’ll need a healthy supply of toothbrushes - we suggest a multi-pack of manual brushes,
so you can switch them out when they start to get worn.
Sealed, shelf-stable toothpaste tubes and some mouthwash is also a good idea.
You’ll want some pain medication to control minor aches and pains to make sure you can
stay focused on your tasks.
Aspirin, oral anesthetics, and pain-numbing cream are a good starter kit.
Next up, cleaning supplies!
If you’re living off the grid, you’ll need to conserve electricity.
So get ready to get your hands dirty and use some old-fashioned techniques.
One of the oldest and most fool-proof techniques for cleaning is baking soda.
This sodium bicarbonate formula is a perfect way to clean hard-to-remove stains and stubborn
growths.
Combining it with unscented bleach is an ideal way to eliminate bacteria from clothes and
dishes.
Decontaminating your eating supplies is critical to staying healthy when isolated from society
for extended periods.
You should also have a good supply of hand sanitizer to use after working in the woods.
There is no more important element to life off the grid than fire.
Did your great-uncle have an old-fashioned wood or gas stove?
It’s been so long that you can’t quite remember, but either way you’ll need a consistent
and safe way to light a flame.
Luckily, there are a number of cheap and easy lighter options.
First, you’ll want a supply of Bic lighters, the kind smokers use for a quick light.
Each one can burn for up to an hour constantly lit, which adds up to hundreds of uses per
lighter.
But if you’re planning on an extended stay off the grid, you should have backups.
That’s where a simple box of matches can be a lifesaver - each one gives you hundreds
of fires at one light per match.
Get as many as you can safely carry, because in the winter, fire is life.
Time to think about other supplies, like basic utensils and carrying devices.
You’ll want a good supply of utensils, plates, cups, and buckets - both for eating and drinking,
and for hauling things from the woods to your cabin.
You’ll want a good-quality bucket that can be decontaminated easily and will last a long
time, but for the other items you have two options.
Plastic, metal, and glass items are available for a reasonable price at low-cost houseware
stores, but if you’re planning on a shorter stay off-the-grid, you may want to consider
paper plates and cups and plastic utensils.
Less cleaning, but more garbage to think about.
Now it’s time for the fun part - food!
If you’re serious about off-the-grid living, you should have the supplies to hunt and forage
for food.
You’ll need a guidebook to the local flora, so you can avoid eating anything poisonous
or picking the wrong leaves.
A survival guide that teaches you how to make basic snares and animal traps is a good idea
if you’re looking for small game.
You should also have a knife ideal for skinning and prepping an animal for cooking.
Have a big appetite and are looking for something bigger?
You’ll need a hunting rifle, ideally with a scope, and enough ammunition to take down
a deer or defend yourself if a larger animal comes looking for your food supply.
Food supply?
Yes, it’s time to go grocery shopping.
You won’t have appliances constantly running off the grid, so you’ll need foods that
are shelf-stable and non-perishable.
You want items that are nutrient-dense, keep a long time, and most of all - taste good!
And you want a good variety, so you won’t get bored and be tempted to head back to civilization.
Burger and fries with a side of pandemic?
Canned fish is one of the best sources of protein for living in the wild.
Not only is it packed with good oils and protein, but it comes in individual portion sizes,
perfect for a meal without leftovers that need to be refrigerated.
You’ll want some dried grains that can be stored in large airtight containers and cooked
as needed, ideally whole-grain ones like brown rice or buckwheat that provide more nutrients
than white grains.
Dried beans should be stored the same way and make a great emergency supply of protein.
These can be found in the bulk section of your local grocery, along with unsalted bulk
nuts that make a fantastic source of protein and essential fatty acids.
Want some snacks to give you a bit of energy as you work off the land?
Some of your old favorites are perfect for living off the grid.
Jars of sealed peanut butter will keep for a long time, as long as you’re careful of
cross-contamination.
Don’t use the same spoon twice before cleaning it if you want your jars to last.
Trail mix is an energy-packed mix of nuts, dried fruit, and other treats.
Energy bars and chocolate bars are great for a pick-me-up that can be eaten on the go.
But what about meat, you ask?
You need some red meat, but you don’t want to go hunting?
The answer is simple - beef jerky.
Smoked and dried strips of meat are perfect for protein and come in sealed pouches to
ensure they’ll last a long time.
Finally, do you need a pick-me-up in the morning and can’t think about going without your
morning Joe?
Get a good supply of instant coffee before heading out there.
But it can get old eating canned fish, dried fruit, and boiled rice and beans.
Your nutritional needs are met, but you miss those home-cooked meals.
To keep your strength up for those long nights off the grid, buy a little comfort before
you go in the form of dehydrated meals.
These shelf-stable pouches are all the things you love in dishes like mac and cheese, beef
stew, chicken and rice, or apple cobbler, but drained of all moisture.
All you need is some boiling water, poured right in the pouch, and you’ll have a hot
meal that tastes just like what mom used to make.
You’re almost ready to go!
One more important thing you'll need is a good supply of garbage bags for anything non-disposable.
You don’t want to leave any garbage lying around for the bears to find, after all.
Any biodegradable items should be buried or composted, while any that don’t belong in
the environment should be sealed up tight and kept in storage to be disposed of when
you head back to civilization.
Ideally, you should have relatively little trash so you don’t look like a garbage truck
driver heading back into town.
You won’t have wifi or cell service out there at the cabin, so you won’t be able
to keep up on the news.
No more scanning the newsfeed daily and getting terrified!
But you want to know when it’s safe to head back, so you should have some way to know
when the threat has passed.
A portable radio will pick up local news stations and should give you enough information, but
make sure you have a way to keep it powered.
Emergency radios can come with solar panels to charge in the sun, a hand crank for manual
powering, or a slot for batteries.
Make sure you have a healthy supply of any batteries you need for small instruments like
your radio or flashlights.
Time to head out there!
It’s scary, but you’re ready to get away from the chaos.
You check out of the grocery store with three people coughing behind you in line and drive
out to your great-uncle’s cabin.
Who knows - maybe you’ll like it out there.
Maybe you’ll even decide you want to stay off-the-grid long term.
If so, there are many ways to make that lifestyle easy and sustainable.
You decide to make a quick stop at the hardware store to pick up the last few things you’ll
need to be completely self-sufficient.
It’s easy to get by with a generator and fire at first, but if you want more consistent
power, the best long-term solution is solar panels.
They can be installed on the top and side of your house, facing the most common sun
exposure areas, and power small devices easily.
If you’re living off the grid long-term, you’ll want some fresh fruit and vegetables
to supplement your diet.
The best way to keep a regular supply is to grow your own, so you’ll want to pick up
a supply of packaged seeds of your favorites.
If you’re composting your garbage, this makes a good fertilizer to boost the growth
of everything you plant.
Soon you’ll be living in your own personal garden in the woods.
Did your Great-Uncle’s cabin have a well?
You think so, but you’re not sure if it’s still functioning.
If it is, all you have to do is pump water daily and carry it back to the house.
If you’re worried about the water being drinkable, that’s an easy fix - boil your
water before drinking it, and let it cool naturally.
If you don’t have easy access to a well, the simplest way to ensure a supply of drinking
water is to set up cisterns around your property.
These above-ground tanks can collect rainwater and use it as your supply.
For a short stay, you can carry the water back to your home as needed, but for a longer
stay it may be worth looking over some home plumbing how-tos to get everything flowing
smoothly.
For when nature calls in the wild with no indoor plumbing, it’s outhouse time.
Your great-uncle had one built, and if it’s still standing you’re set.
If not, it’s a relatively simple do it yourself project with some wooden walls surrounding
a pit latrine.
Dig a pit and keep a bucket there, and it’ll be easy to clean out - if not especially pleasant.
The good news is, human waste is great for composting, so every time you’re using the
bathroom, you’re helping to grow your future crops.
Yum.
Phew!
You may have been a city kid, but your great-uncle’s lessons are coming in handy now.
You’re fully stocked and ready to leave the city behind you until this virus and the
ensuing panic dies down.
Even if going off-the-grid means you’ll have to wait a while to watch the next episode
of The Infographics Show.
Well, maybe you can check out one more before you go.
Check out “Russian Family Who Had Never Seen Another Human” for the ultimate off-the-grid
story, or check out this video instead!
Thanks for watching, and as always, don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe.
See you next time!