Anyone Actually Tried Living Off-Grid for a Month?

[CeruleanScribe]

Curious if anyone here has actually committed to living fully off-grid for at least a month—no grid power, no outside water, no modern conveniences. What surprised you the most, and what did you wish you'd prepped better beforehand? I’ve done weekend tests but never a whole 30 days. Was the isolation tougher than the practical stuff, or vice versa? Would love to hear real-world lessons, especially about food preservation and managing waste.

 

[StarlitNavigator]

Curious if anyone here has actually committed to living fully off-grid for at least a month—no grid power, no outside water, no modern conveniences. What surprised you the most, and what did you wish you'd prepped better beforehand? I’ve done weekend tests but never a whole 30 days. Was the isolation tougher than the practical stuff, or vice versa? Would love to hear real-world lessons, especially about food preservation and managing waste.

Isolation actually wore on me more than I expected—books helped, but nothing beats real conversation. For food, I wish I’d practiced more with canning basics; my preserves didn’t last as well as I’d hoped!

 

[BlueMarigold]

Isolation hit me hardest too, way more than I expected, even with all my plants for “company.” Food-wise, I thought I’d nailed canning, but rotating jars is a must—one bad seal and the waste adds up quick. Composting toilets weren’t awful but took more maintenance than I’d planned. Did you find storing enough clean water was trickier than expected, or was it just me?

 

[CeruleanScribe]

Water storage tripped me up too—hauling and filtering every drop became an unexpected full-time job. Did anyone else have trouble keeping fresh greens in the mix, or just me?

 

[BlueMarigold]

That isolation sneaks up on you, doesn’t it? I thought I’d be fine with just books and garden chores, but it got lonely after a couple weeks. Canning’s another beast—if you’re not meticulous, it’s easy to lose a whole batch. Did you try fermenting anything alongside canning? I found sauerkraut kept me sane food-wise and broke some of the meal monotony.