Anyone Actually Tried Living Off-Grid for a Month?

[PrepperLinda65]

Has anyone here actually tried living completely off-grid for an extended period, say a full month or more? I'm curious about real-world experiences—not just weekend getaways or camping trips, but actually running a household off solar, well water, maybe wood heat, and handling all your own waste.

What were the biggest day-to-day challenges you ran into? Did anyone have problems with power reliability, food storage (especially refrigeration), or medical emergencies? I've read plenty about composting toilets and rainwater catchment, but

 

[ChamomileCraze]

What were the biggest day-to-day challenges you ran into? Did anyone have problems with power reliability, food storage (especially refrigeration), or medical emergencies? I've read plenty about composting toilets and rainwater catchment, but

Power reliability was my biggest headache, honestly. Solar worked most days, but those cloudy stretches threw everything off—keeping things cold was a constant worry. I ended up using a root cellar for veggies and herbs, which helped a lot, but dairy and meat

 

[BlueHarborTea]

What were the biggest day-to-day challenges you ran into? Did anyone have problems with power reliability, food storage (especially refrigeration), or medical emergencies? I've read plenty about composting toilets and rainwater catchment, but
Power reliability was my biggest headache, honestly. Solar worked most days, but those cloudy stretches threw everything off—keeping things cold was a constant worry. I ended up using a root cellar for veggies and herbs, which helped a lot, but dairy and meat

That’s exactly what worried me—when the solar isn’t enough, you really feel it, especially with food. My root cellar kept most things decent, but I never figured out how to handle dairy either, unless I used it up right away. Did you ever try any alternatives like using ice blocks or just switching up your diet during those weeks? Curious if anyone’s made cheese or yogurt to stretch milk a bit during those low-power days. Emergencies are the part that keeps me up at night if I’m honest.

 

[BlueMarigold]

Had the same issue—solar can’t always keep up, and I started making hard cheeses to use up extra milk. Anyone tried fermenting for veggie storage instead?

 

[BlueMarigold]

Hard cheeses and fermenting both worked for me, especially sauerkraut and pickles—kept surprisingly well in the cellar. Ever tried rooting carrots in damp sand for storage?

 

[ChrysanthiDream]

Did anyone have problems with power reliability, food storage (especially refrigeration), or medical emergencies? I've read plenty about composting toilets and rainwater catchment, but

Power reliability definitely tripped me up too, especially those stretches of gloomy weather when the solar panels just couldn’t keep pace. Food storage, particularly refrigeration, turned into a daily puzzle. For veggies and fruits, a root cellar was a lifesaver—cool, dark, and surprisingly effective—but anything perishable like dairy was a race against the clock. I ended up switching my diet a bit, just relying less on foods that demanded constant chilling. Made a lot more pickles, sauerkraut, and even tried my hand at hard cheeses, which do keep longer than fresh milk.

As for medical emergencies, that was honestly what made me most uneasy. Had a neighbor about a mile out who was my “just in case” contact, but it never felt quite secure. PrepperLinda65, did you ever try a backup like a generator, or did you just ride out the cloudy spells? I’m always curious about how folks handle those long weeks