OUR FAVORITE RESOURCES AND TIPS FOR
OFF GRID LIVING, HOMESTEADING
AND RV LIFE

Option #1: (CHEAPEST!) Set up a tote or a cistern, and haul water to the property. Totes: You can find 275 gallon totes (called IBC totes) for a few hundred dollars on Facebook Marketplace or Tractor Supply. Local RV parks often let you fill them up for a small fee. You can even plumb multiple totes together if you want a bigger tank so that you don't have to fill up as often. Here is a link to Tractor Supply's totes. Cisterns: This is really just a fancy word for large tank. Cisterns are a good option if you want thousands of gallons of water instead of just a few hundred gallons of water. They are also usually made out of more durable material and will last longer. Here's an example of different cistern sizes and costs.Option #2: Water delivery.If you don't have a big truck, you can hire someone local to fill up a water tote in the back of their truck and bring water to the property for you. (There are also water delivery companies that can bring huge truckload amounts of water, but this is going to cost a lot more.) The best way to find someone to hire for water delivery is to ask in local Facebook groups or local family-owned stores in the location where the property is located. Most people in rural areas have trucks, so it's not hard to find someone to hire that can bring water to you.Option #3: Rainwater catchment.This is an excellent option if rainwater catchment is allowed. Not all states allow it. New Mexico and Arizona do allow rainwater catchment. The idea is to set up a gutter system on any roof that you have on the property - this can be the main house, or just a shed, a carport, or even an RV roof. Here are two excellent rainwater catchment videos from two of our favorite homesteading YouTube channels: How to Harvest Rainwater From Your Roof (by Andrew Millison) Rainwater Harvesting Project How To (by Homesteadonomics)Option #4: Drilling a well. Well Drillers charge by the foot, so it can get very expensive in desert climates because they have to drill deep to hit water. However, if you have the budget available, it is the most convenient off grid water option.Wells typically costs many tens of thousands of dollars in the Southwest because of the high elevation and dry climate. The best way to proceed with well drilling is to get several quotes from local well drilling companies, so that you make sure nobody is overcharging you. Keep in mind that well drillers typically travel a 2-3 hour radius, so you can Google well drilling companies in other nearby counties.

Yes, absolutely.Contrary to popular belief, you can actually run anything off solar power. It all comes down to how many solar panels you have, and how many batteries. In the simplest terms: Solar panels catch sunlight during the day, and batteries store that energy. So you can catch, store, and use as much power as you want.The first step is measuring how much power you actually use. You can get a Kill A Watt Usage Meter on Amazon (and other places) and plug your electronic devices into it. This tells you how much power each device uses.From there, you will need to calculate the power that all of your devices are using. (Or you can talk to a Solar Company if you don't feel confident to do this on your own.) With the right amount of solar panels and batteries you can even run Air Conditioning, gaming computers, toasters, etc off of solar power with no problems.If you don't have experience with electrical work, there are Solar Companies that will plan, design, order all of the solar components for you, and even install it for you if you would like. Some solar companies even have payment plans available so you don't need to purchase it upfront. These are a few solar companies we know about (but there are many others):solenergynm.comoffgridlanddevelopment.comnmsolarpro.comocotillosolar.comwmsolaraz.comThe cost of a fully functional solar panel and battery setup depends a lot on your power usage, the size of your living space, and how many people live there. But you can expect anywhere between $5,000 - $15,000.

Staying cool in the desert during the summer is one of the biggest questions for anyone planning an off grid life style. Thankfully, there are many options to stay cool - you just have to think outside the box.The good thing about desert climates, whether you are in "low desert" or "high desert" climate, is that there is a huge temperature swing between night and day. Even when your daytime high temperatures reach 90 degrees, the desert still cools off to the 60's or 70's at night. This means that you really only need to find a solution to stay cool in the hottest part of the afternoon, but early mornings and nights in the desert are usually quite bearable with simply an open window and a fan.Of course, setting up a solar power that is capable of running an Air Conditioning unit is the most convenient option. (See our Solar Power info for details). But if you want a quicker or cheaper option for staying cool in the desert during the summer, many other options do exist!If you have a limited power supply, then we recommend Swamp Coolers (also called evaporative coolers) because they use much less electricity than ACs and you don't need as much solar power to run them. Swamp Coolers do require water to run, so you will need to factor that into your plans. But in most desert climates you will only need to run your Swamp Cooler during the hottest part of the day, and perhaps at night for an hour to cool the space off before you go to sleep. Shade Cloth is also a great option, because in the desert shade is almost as good as AC because there's very little humidity and the heat is really just from the sun itself, not the air. If you have shade in the desert, you can actually stay cool almost all of the day except for perhaps the very late afternoon hours between 4-6pm.A carport is an excellent option if your living space is an RV, camper, trailer, or even a tiny house. A complete carport, installed for you by a professional carport company, typically ranges from $8,000 - $15,000 depending on how big you need the carport to be. We recommend calling local shed and carport companies if you can find any on Google, because they will probably be cheaper and offer you better service. But if you can't find any local options, there are some national carport companies you can get quotes from:carport.comcarportcentral.comamericanmetalbuildings.com

Even in the desert, winter nights get cold. The desert sunshine does a good job of heating up your living space during the day, even in the winter! But you will definitely need a heat source for desert nights.We recommend diesel heaters, propane heaters, or wood stoves as the beset three options for off grid heat. Electric heaters take up too much power and are difficult to run off of solar power. (This is because at night, when you need heat the most, you will not be getting any sunlight on your solar panels.)Diesel heaters are the most fuel efficient off grid heater, and very safe. Vevor is the best diesel heater brand that we know of (currently!) but there are also other brands. Keep in mind that if the property is at a high elevation, you may need a specific type of diesel heater because they run differently based on altitude. You can contact Vevor to ask for their recommendations.Propane heaters are a good off grid heat option. They are a little bit less fuel efficient, but easier to use if you are not tech savvy. The two best brands that we know of (currently!) are Propex and Camco Olympian Wave. Make sure you read the instructions for properly venting the space that you are heating if you are using a propane heater, and make sure that the heater you chose is specifically safe to use indoors.Wood stoves are an excellent choice for self-sufficiency, which is why they're talked about in a lot in off grid communities. But they are an expensive investment upfront. In the long run, wood stoves are well worth it if you can afford the upfront cost. Cubic Mini is one of the most popular wood stove brands for small off grid spaces, and Blaze King is one of the most recommended wood stove brands for larger off grid spaces.

These days the best option for rural off grid internet is satellite internet. The most well known internet option is Starlink, and Starlink does have the best speeds but there are other companies that offer satellite internet for those living off grid. These are the top three most-used satellite internet companies:Starlink - Starting at $55 a monthViasat - Starting at $39.99 a monthHughesnet - Starting at $39.99 a month*All prices subject to change.Many phone companies now also offer rural internet options. You can contact your phone company to find out more.

There is no city trash pickup in most rural off grid areas. But there is always a local dump, sometimes called a Transfer Station, where you will be able to haul your trash.Simply Google "Refuse Transfer Stations in such-and-such county" to see what locations exist. Then call to ask about fees. They typically charge a set fee between $5-$20 for a load of household trash.The best option is to set up some trash cans on your property (with good lids to prevent wildlife from digging through the trash). Then bag up the trash and take it to your Transfer Station every few weeks, so you don't need to go as often.

Counties will issue what is called a "911 address" for properties that don't have a traditional house on them. Different counties have different processes for this, but once you purchase a property from us and the deed is in your name, you can call the county to request a 911 address.After the address has been assigned, you can use that address on your Driver's License if you want to switch your residency to that state.You can also take the 911 address to the local post office, and they will give you a P.O. Box where you can receive your mail. (Most rural areas do not have a USPS truck route, so you will need to go to the post office to get your mail.)

We (the owners of Tucker Land Company) live off grid ourselves and we have lived this way for many years. These are some of our personal favorite YouTube channels related to off grid life, homesteading, gardening, and more:My Little Homestead Alternative building and gardening.@mylittlehomesteadFrugal Off GridCheap ideas for off grid living.@frugaloffgridOur Self-Reliant LifeAlternative building and rainwater catchment.@ourselfreliantlifeHomesteadonomicsHomesteading and creative DIY solutions for desert living.@homesteadonomicsAndrew MillisonSelf-sufficiency, permaculture, and gardening.@amillisonThe Weedy GardenSelf-sufficiency and gardening.@theweedygardenGeoff LawtonSelf-sufficiency, permaculture, and gardening.@discoverpermaculture