10 Lessons from Living Off-Grid

Living in a self-built campervan for the first half of winter has taught us many lessons and energy saving skills! Though due to electrical teething problems, we intermittently plugged into the grid to recharge ourselves in between stints of wild camping.

Image description: in the bottom left-hand corner of the photograph is a battered white Ford Transit van which has been turned into a cosy tiny home on the inside. The rest of the photograph shows the van is parked in-front of some mountainous hills on the Isle of Skye. The landscape is a patchwork of oranges from wintering ferns, greys from frost-kissed rocks, and dark greens of the evergreen trees.

How to Save Water

Using an average of 10 litres a day, which is just 2 flushes of a new, water-saving toilet, we’ve learned the following tricks to reduce our water consumption while still living a comfortable life:

• Use a wet flannel to wash your face instead of running the tap;

• You really, really don’t need to shower and wash your hair every day (though we use campsite showers when we do get fresh);

• Use leftover water in the kettle to wash some dishes while it’s still warm;

• Water can sit in a bottle for a couple of days and still be clean- you do not need to refresh your water glass/bottle every day before drinking;

• If one person gets up before the other, the later riser can reuse the cereal bowl.

You Need Very Little Electricity to Thrive and Live Comfortably

But really, though. We’ve been taught by a consumerist society that overconsumption and constant added luxuries equal happiness. Really, it results in the need to keep busy, always consuming energy and being overwhelmed. Living simply has given us more freedom of mind and easy energy usage without a scarcity mindset. Here are our tips for reducing energy consumption:

• Use natural light for as long as you can, it’s actually better for you;

• Use dimmable lights, even LED fairy lights with warm colours;

• Read more, scroll screens less;

• Turn Wi-Fi off, brightness down, location off, sound down etc. on phones to save battery;

• Turn navigation systems onto stand-by if you’re on one road for miles.

These really simple lessons have not, even in the slightest, compromised our comfort or happiness when wild camping and travelling! Which of these lessons could you adopt, or maybe you have other suggestions? Let us know below or reach out to us on Instagram @rewilding_our_lives.

It is so easy to live a more planet-conscious or eco-friendly life, so… what are you waiting for?