There is no point in living off the grid if you do not feel safe, yet a lot of people do not even consider how safe or dangerous living off the grid can be. For the most part, people living off the grid will avoid talking about how safe it is mostly because they are already used to living off the grid but for a newcomer living off the grid can be terrifying and what most off gridders consider safe might be considered as dangerous by others.
For the most part, it is safe to live off the grid as long as you know what you are doing and you have everything that you need especially for the wintertime. On the other hand, there are some dangerous areas of the country where living off the grid can be dangerous due to predators, harsh winters, and criminals. If you live off the grid in the middle of nowhere then make sure that you have some way of calling for help, and to have at least some kind of self-defense weapon.
No matter how safe the area where you want to live off the grid you should still have an emergency kit, my personal recommendation is to use an emergency kit that comes with 152 pieces of survival gear Click here to check it out on Amazon.com
Living off the grid is not all sunshine and rainbows, in some areas it can be extremely dangerous. Living in the middle of nowhere can be a massive safety hazard if you do not know what you are doing or if the “neighborhood” is unsafe. There are two kinds of people who live off the grid, the ones that want to be self reliant in terms of power, water, and food. The second type is people who want to live off the grid and to avoid society as best as they can, some do it because they think society is dragging them down while others have legal reasons to drop off the grid.
I have lived most of my life in Alaska’s remote wilderness, and I wouldn’t want to move anywhere else, it is simply perfect for me. With that being said, I have seen a lot of strange people in the woods, and trust me there is nothing more terrifying than hearing somebody in the middle of the night searching for things to steal. Especially if you do not have any way of contacting the outside world, which only makes living off the grid more dangerous.
In my area of the woods there are people who we call the wild men, these are people who set up camp in a place, live off the land then move from time to time. Generally speaking, they are friendly although you will come across some people who have serious mental health issues, and your best option is to try and avoid them as best as possible. If you want to know how is living off the grid in Alaska is then check out my recent article Off grid living in Alaska ( The Last Frontier ).
Self-reliance off the grid can be dangerous
Living off the grid is all about self reliance, which is a good thing, but your self reliance can be your biggest weakness. We as humans are social creatures, and we are not able to do everything ourselves, if we would be able to do so civilization would have never started. What drives humans to rely on each other is because we can achieve a lot more things together than alone. If you live off the grid in the middle of the wilderness, you can only rely on yourself.
Small cuts and bruises can be a serious health issue if you do not know how to take care of them properly. If you do not have any way of contacting other people for asking for help your situation might deteriorate to a point where you can no longer travel back to civilization. If you want to live in an off grid homestead then check out my recent article How to start an off grid homestead ( In 6 Easy Steps ).
Foraging off the grid can be dangerous
Most people who live off the grid will grow their own food, but in case they are able to forage they will do so. In our forests and grasslands a lot of edible plants, fruits and vegetables grow, just make sure to pick them at the right time. The problem with foraging is that it can be dangerous, even if you know what fruits and plants you can eat. There are a lot of wild animals that do carry parasites and diseases, and the droppings of these animals can be a serious health risk.
Foraging for mushrooms can also be fairly dangerous, as there is a fine line between how a good mushroom looks and a poisonous one does. Sometimes mushrooms change coloration, ever so slightly and people can eat a poisonous mushroom on accident.
Winters are the most dangerous period for off grid living
In the northern parts of the country, the winters can be fairly brutal, and if you are not familiar with the local climate you will be in for a big surprise. Most people who live off the grid prepare during the summer for the winter, by harvesting firewood, and by storing as much food as they can. Generally speaking, if you have everything you need for the wintertime and you know what to expect then you should be safe living off the grid even during the winter.
On the other hand, things will go wrong, the days during the winter tend to be fairly short, and you will not be able to do a lot of work outside once it starts to get dark. In addition to this if you are generating power with solar panels you might find that the solar panels no longer work properly, mostly the sun shines only for a couple of hours a day. In case water got inside the solar panel then once the water freezes it will simply destroy the solar panel.
The biggest problem with living off the grid in the wintertime will be firewood, mostly the lack of it or if the firewood is rotten. Even if you cover your firewood you might still find the firewood is rotten, and it will be almost impossible to use it for heating, and at that point, you are in the middle of nowhere without being able to what your home. I have done my fair share of looking for firewood during the winter in pitch darkness, and trust me it is not fun. If you want to know how to store firewood correctly during the winter thence check out my recent article How to store firewood outside in winter ( In 6 Easy Steps ).
Living off the grid next to wild animals can be dangerous
In some areas of the country, wild animals can pose a serious safety hazard. Now you might think that the biggest threat comes from bears, although you should be extra careful if you live in bear country and do whatever it needs to be done in order to keep it off your property. For the most part, bears will avoid humans and they are more afraid of us than we are of them. As long as you do not surprise a bear you should be fine.
On the other hand, small rodents can pose an even more serious safety hazard. Sooner or later small rodents will find their way to your off grid home, anything from mice to rats. At first, you will not be alarmed, but in the long run, these rodents will start attracting their predators where you might start having some problems. In addition to this, a lot of rodents carry diseases and the last thing you want is to have rodents running across your property.
You will find out how bad your rodents problem is once the winter is coming, as every rodent in the area will look for shelter at your off grid house. These rodents will do some serious damage to your house if you do not take care of them, and trust me there is nothing more annoying than hearing mice in the attic scratching the walls during the night time.
Dangerous people living off the grid
When it comes to off grid safety your main goal is to have personal safety and then the safety of your stuff. With that being said living off the grid is not for everybody, although how safe the “neighborhood” is will depend on the area where you live off the grid. The most dangerous place to live off the grid is in the middle of nowhere, especially if you live alone. This is why most people who live off the grid tend to have at least some kind of self defense weapon.
For the most part, the biggest threat comes is from thieves, and from people who just want to destroy everything they can. In my area of the woods there have been a couple of break-ins, and sometimes when the thieves do not find anything worth stealing will simply vandalize the place. Usually, this mostly tends to happen to seasonal cabins which are only used a couple of months during a year.
On the other hand, there are the people who are hiding from civilization or the law, and they might be dangerous, you never know who you come across in the middle of the wilderness.
In conclusion
As you can see living off the grid is relatively safe, as long as you know what you are doing. Far too many people jump on the bandwagon of living off the grid and they have never spent a day working outdoors or have done any kind of manual labor. For these people living off the grid can be dangerous, small problems in the middle of nowhere can become serious extremely fast.
