Preparing for Off-Grid Survival: How to Live a Self-Sufficient, Modern-Day Life by Nicholas Hyde

Author:Nicholas Hyde
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: House & Home, Sustainable Living
ISBN: 9781477692202
Publisher: CreateSpace
Published: 2012-06-21T06:00:00+00:00

Transportation

Living off the grid can present transportation challenges. On one hand, you will often find yourself needing a hauling vehicle for getting supplies. This is especially true if your land is far away from supply sources. On the other hand, gasoline is expensive and being dependent upon gas-powered vehicles may be something you are trying to escape. Fortunately, there are alternatives. You might want to consider using more “traditional” methods of transportation the majority of the time.

If you have a plot of land that is relatively large, you will need to have a form of transportation just to get around on it. What type is going to depend on both the needs of your land as well as the availability of the fuel sources you need. If you are planting a bunch of trees, or if you need to haul soil around, you are probably going to need some sort of vehicle more powerful than a horse.

If you are facing a natural disaster situation, you will want to get all of the big moving out of the way first with your fuel guzzling machines (such as tractors, plows, or even cranes). Then when you run out of fuel, you can use the parts of the machines for other necessities around the land, or you can wait until you are generating reusable ethanol for your machinery, providing they can be modified to run off of alternative fuel.

Cars

Cars (especially Jeeps) are a great standby for basic transportation. Gas mileage considerations can be managed by the type and size of the automobile. Certain cars and SUVs have engines that are a pain to work on, however, and will make even the most experienced mechanic squirm. Be sure that your car has an accessible engine and uses standard replacement parts, in case you need to make repairs. You should stockpile a decent supply of basic replacement parts for your vehicles.

Trucks

If you choose to use a vehicle on your land (at least until you figure out what else to do), the most useful kind to have is a pickup truck with four wheel drive. A late model should not die on you for many years, and it will help you transport heavy loads. A truck will be a tremendous help in getting your orchards planted. During the building phase especially, there will be many trips hauling supplies and equipment to the land. Four-wheel drive vehicles with off-road tires have the advantage of not needing well-kept roads to traverse, which comes in handy in an emergency. Also, these types of vehicles typically come with large fuel tanks, and some have optional even-larger fuel tanks.

ATV’s

All-terrain vehicles are an excellent short-distance transportation option, primarily because they are so portable. They can take you over all manner of landscape, from muddy to dry, sandy to brambly, with no problems. Again, you are going to be confronted with the potential problem of fueling the ATV’s, but they do get great mileage. New developments are being made all the time to make them more fuel efficient.

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