Mobile off-grid living – urban guide

[Lord Beria3]

For mobile renting, urbanites the challenge of going ‘off-grid’ is complicated by the difficulties of not having a permanent home or a farm in the country. I am welcome to your comments regarding my guide to self-sufficiency for the urban survivalist. The following list is designed to be portable (and hidden) but at the same time practible for people on a limited budget.

Daily routine:

As you get up in the morning, (if you are a man) you go and shave using a wind-up shaver (http://www.nigelsecostore.com/acatalog/ ... haver.html). After you have done your shave, you than arrange for a hot shower. Using your solar shower you heated up (outside your window) you take into the shower (http://store.sundancesolar.com/sosh5ga.html).

As you go into the kitchen for your tea/coffee, you get out your pedal-powered generator. This generator powers any electrical device with a 12 volt (http://www.ccrane.com/more-categories/a ... ource.aspx). With your kettle (http://www.sailgb.com/p/12_v_travel_kettle_18095/) your tea/coffee is made.

If you decide to go for a heated breakfast, you can connect your power-generator to your 12-volt stove (http://www.sailgb.com/p/12v_portable_stove/) and heat your breakfast.

Whilst you are at that, you can listen to the radio using a wind-up/solar powered radio which you leave next to the window every day (http://store.sundancesolar.com/freyamsowira.html)

Alternatively, if you fancy listening to your own music, using a micro amplifier, which you can connect to your wind-up music player (http://www.ethicalsuperstore.com/produc ... ia-player/) and listen to your music.

In the evening, if you want to use the laptop you can connect using the human generator and watch television online. If you need to wash your clothes you can use the portable washing machine for smaller items (socks etc) (http://www.cleanairgardening.com/portab ... chine.html). If your phone runs out, arrange for it to be charged (next to a window exposed to the sun) using a solar charger (http://store.solio.com/s.nl/it.A/id.80/ ... tegory=109)

For lighting, one possibility is using your media player as a light in travelling around. Or you could you wind-up lanterns for general lighting and for reading (http://www.naturalcollection.com/natura ... ntern.aspx).

In the summer you could try solar cooking, if it is hot enough (http://cgi.ebay.com/Simple-Solar-Stove- ... 7C294%3A50) you can cook simple dishes or if you have access to wood/twigs you could cook using a wood-powered portable cooker. (http://www.english.ecofogao.com.br/modelos.html)

In regard to food preservation, there are a number of possibilities available for the urban survivalist. One possibility is the simple pot-to-pot refrigerator which preserves vegetables and meats for nearly a month. Although not available to buy at the moment, there is a guide making one (http://practicalaction.org/docs/region_ ... erator.pdf) Alternative there are highly energy efficient refrigerators designed for power by solar (http://www.affordable-solar.com/sundanz ... erator.htm). A portable solar power can be found online (http://www.affordable-solar.com/gse-p3- ... -black.htm).

This is just a rough guide but I would be interested in hearing any criticisms/suggestions…

[sam_uk]

As you get up in the morning, (if you are a man) you go and shave using a wind-up shaver (http://www.nigelsecostore.com/acatalog/ ... haver.html).

Looks good.

After you have done your shave, you than arrange for a hot shower. Using your solar shower you heated up (outside your window) you take into the shower (http://store.sundancesolar.com/sosh5ga.html).

You don't shower from September to April?

I would use one of these in combination with the stove mentioned below
http://www.camptech.co.uk/zodihotstovetopshower.html

As you go into the kitchen for your tea/coffee, you get out your pedal-powered generator. This generator powers any electrical device with a 12 volt (http://www.ccrane.com/more-categories/a ... ource.aspx).

Looks like a useful bit of kit, however it produces about 40watts. It has a 7 Amp hour battery.

With your kettle (http://www.sailgb.com/p/12_v_travel_kettle_18095/) your tea/coffee is made. I doubt you would get a cup of tea out of it.
If you decide to go for a heated breakfast, you can connect your power-generator to your 12-volt stove (http://www.sailgb.com/p/12v_portable_stove/) and heat your breakfast.

I would expect these devices to be fairly ineficient, and not the best way to heat food.

I would use a stove like this in a well ventilated area
http://www.woodgas-stove.com/

But replace the battery with a thermocouple like in the phillips stove.
http://www.research.philips.com/newscen ... stove.html

The rest of your suggetion look good.

(http://www.affordable-solar.com/sundanz ... erator.htm).

Interesting fridge..

I would stay away from expensive folding panels. Bear in mind when designing a PV system for the UK it needs to be sized around a two hour sunshine period for each winter day.

[adam2]

Some good ideas, but very optimistic as regards the electricity that can be produced by human effort.
An avergely fit person is lucky to produce 10 amps into a 12 volt battery by means of a cycle generator.

A 12 volt electric kettle requires at least 15 amps and takes a long while to boil much less water than a mains one.
I would estimate at least half an hours vigourous pedalling in order to boil a cup of water, an hour for two cups.
Entirely possible, but practicable ?

Powering any type of 12 volt electric cooking appliance will require many hours of hard work for doubtfull return.
A much larger battery than 7 A/H will be required.
Gathering firewood, or a single hours paid employment and resultant purchase of 5L of parrafin, or 50 KWH of grid power would be more viable.

Human generated electricity is very expensive indeed, if compared to the amount that can be purchased for an hours wages.

Certainly useful in emergencies or in remote locations, for very low power applications, but totally unsuited for cooking or heating.

[JohnB]

As you get up in the morning, (if you are a man) you go and shave using a wind-up shaver

Grow a beard. It's what I did to save energy. It gets trimmed with my dog's hair clippers occasionally. When I'm off grid and running it off my PV, it's the only electrical device I normally need an inverter for.

If you must shave regularly, what's wrong with a good old fashioned wet razor. It's far simpler and more reliable than winding a handle to create electricity to charge a battery to drive an electric motor to do the same job. Of course the modern wet razors are full of oil based plastics, but it's not necessary, and I can't imagine that someone couldn't come up with a decent blade that can be resharpened.

[emordnilap]

Of course the modern wet razors are full of oil based plastics, but it's not necessary, and I can't imagine that someone couldn't come up with a decent blade that can be resharpened.

I use a (new bought) all-metal safety razor. Beautiful and heavy with adjustable tension and the best option for those not wishing to go the whole hog to a cutthroat.

The problem is the blade - how to sharpen them? Is it possible? I mean ordinary Wilkinson Sword type blades. Or is there a sharpenable replacement that I haven't come across yet?

Some people might find such a quest tight-fisted in the extreme but seriously, there should be a sharpenable safety blade.

I have tried sharpening ordinary safety razor blades on whetstones (I can sharpen good chisels perfectly) but they are too flimsy; I tried a pre-war sharpener (one where the blade is agitated against small whetstones contained in a box) but I'm unsure whether the device is simply worn out or never worked at all.

[JohnB]

My Dad had a Rolls Razor, although I never saw him use it. I suppose it's one of many products that died because it didn't hook consumers on needing to come back for spare parts.

[Lord Beria3]

Thanks for the replies. This is still a work in progress as I have been thinking and researching about it for a few months.

I agree that the pedal-powered machine, while useful, cannot be expanded to food production for anything other than absolute emergency use.

Thanks for the links provided for wood-stoves.

Regarding the shaver, I have just acqured the wind-up and it only takes less than a minute to wind up and it is as good as my electric one. Very happy.

My biggest challenges are the following in terms of off-grid:

hot showers (a luxury but something I would miss hugely)
cooking meals
heating water
preserving food/water over time

[sam_uk]

Beria3
I agree that hot showers are great.. One of my preoccupations too.

I think it is best thinking about the water heating and pumping separately. At it's most basic you can get a big pot and heat it on three of the efficient stoves i mentioned earlier (£41.00 x 3) . A fairly small (approx £150) Solar panel should keep a battery (£100) charged with a solar controller (£25)

I reckon this would be enough to pump a shower every couple of days.

The shower unit could be as cheap as (£15)
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?Mod ... doy=Search

I would spend a few more pounds and get a better pump personally.

[adam2]

Beria3
I agree that hot showers are great.. One of my preoccupations too.

I think it is best thinking about the water heating and pumping separately. At it's most basic you can get a big pot and heat it on three of the efficient stoves i mentioned earlier (£41.00 x 3) . A fairly small (approx £150) Solar panel should keep a battery (£100) charged with a solar controller (£25)

I reckon this would be enough to pump a shower every couple of days.

The shower unit could be as cheap as (£15)
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?Mod ... doy=Search

I would spend a few more pounds and get a better pump personally.

In a tradditional house, but off grid, heating water for a bath or shower is easy, solar thermal in the summer and a wood stove in the winter.
However for a mobile off grid existance, its more of a challenge, and bottled gas is often used, which of course is a FF.
In a camper van etc water can sometimes be heated from the engine exhaust or coolant, but thats only much use if the vehicle is regularly driven, not static.

Pv is well worth it for efficient lighting, small water pumps,high efficiency refrigeration, laptop computers and the like.
Larger loads such as microwave ovens, kettles, washing machines and the like can be PV powered but would require a large and expensive installation, definatly not portable/moveable.

[JohnB]

Larger loads such as microwave ovens, kettles, washing machines and the like can be PV powered but would require a large and expensive installation, definatly not portable/moveable.

I don't have a microwave, use a kettle on my gas hob (although I have a storm kettle in my trailer for when needed) and have a hand operated washing machine. I have 60 watts of PV and a 110 amp leisure battery, although the engine charges the battery when I'm travelling too. The biggest summer power use is my laptop and stereo. I need mains electricity in winter for heating, so it's available for other power requirements too. But much of my winter power requirements are due to the design of my van.

I think the idea of trying to find gadgets and equipment that allow BAU to continue is the wrong way to look at it. It's better to look at the outcome you want, and then find a way to provide for that need - eg have hair on your face - grow a beard!

[Lord Beria3]

In terms of generating power, do you think this may be useful?

Multi-Purpose 12V, 700mA, Portable Briefcase Solar Generator (13 Watts)

http://store.advancedmart.com/mu12vbrsoge1.html

http://www.mysolarbackup.com/index.html

[zigspider]

Of course the modern wet razors are full of oil based plastics, but it's not necessary, and I can't imagine that someone couldn't come up with a decent blade that can be resharpened.

I use a (new bought) all-metal safety razor. Beautiful and heavy with adjustable tension and the best option for those not wishing to go the whole hog to a cutthroat.

The problem is the blade - how to sharpen them? Is it possible? I mean ordinary Wilkinson Sword type blades. Or is there a sharpenable replacement that I haven't come across yet?

Some people might find such a quest tight-fisted in the extreme but seriously, there should be a sharpenable safety blade.

I have tried sharpening ordinary safety razor blades on whetstones (I can sharpen good chisels perfectly) but they are too flimsy; I tried a pre-war sharpener (one where the blade is agitated against small whetstones contained in a box) but I'm unsure whether the device is simply worn out or never worked at all.

You could try this from Lehmans
http://www.lehmans.com/shopping/product ... =sharpener

Jerry

[Kentucky Fried Panda]

Relax, gadgets will save us.
I doubt that rampant consumerism is the way forward, live with less, not buy more crap to keep factories making more plastic rubbish with inbuilt obsolescence.

[sam_uk]

Haggis I do kind of agree with you.

However do you really think that all renewable systems are 'plastic crap'? Do you really use no electricity in your own life?

Is it better to burn your wood in a inefficient way to avoid using the latest technology?

Personally I am not against technology per say. Are you?

[biffvernon]

per se

[/latin pedant]