The Best Off-Grid and Wilderness Living Books
Living off-grid or developing a homestead while living in a tiny house takes special skills. While “living off the land” is doable and can be quite fulfilling, understanding the scope of the your project before you take the leap is critical. With proper preparation and knowledge, you can enjoy a rewarding lifestyle tailored to your specific needs.
How far off the grid can you go, and what will it take to get there?
Here are the Best Off-Grid and Wilderness Living Books that can help you on your way.
FoxFire
America’s earliest settlers lived off the land, truly off-grid. FoxFire started as one book written in 1966 about homesteading in the Appalachian mountains and became an instant bestseller. The series now contains nine volumes. My collection is a treasure to me.
You’ll find detailed how-to skills like milling lumber, building a home, gathering edibles, outdoor cooking, raising livestock, and hunting and dressing out a kill.
Learn more about FoxFire on this page of Tiny Life Consulting: Homesteading: Wishful Thinking or Possibility
You can find this collectors series on Amazon, Etsy, and EBay.
Alone In The Wilderness
Dick Proenneke retired at age 50 in 1967 and decided to build his own cabin on the shore of Twin Lakes, Alaska. The first summer he scouted for the best cabin site, and cut and peeled the logs he would need for his cabin. Proenneke returned the following summer to finish the cabin where he lived over the next thirty years.
His only neighbors were the wolves and grizzly bears, and his only transportation was his canoe and a good set of legs.
He documented his life with his 16mm wind-up Bolex camera, capturing his own amazing craftsmanship, the stunning Alaskan wildlife, and scenery.
There are several books, DVDs, and documentaries. I could watch them over and over. I guarantee you’ll be inspired to take your shot at living off-grid.
The Frozen North is Dick’s own filmed account of his life alone in this “One Man’s Wilderness“, produced from original footage not included in “Alone in the Wilderness” or “Alaska Silence & Solitude“.
Calvin Rutstrum: Another Epic Writer of Life In The Wilderness
Calvin Rustrum was one of the first wilderness genre writers for the 1940’s thru the 70’s. He wrote 10 books about his life camping in the Minnesota and Ontario wilderness. You will love his recounting of experiences wandering the Canadian Shield in his canoe, sled, and hiking.
From the back cover: “If you long to escape from the city to the simple life -for a weekend, a summer, or forever- here is just the book you need to ease you into the right state of mind.”
The Backyard Homestead Series of Books
The Backyard Homestead series will help you get the most of the property you already have. Five books so far. Here are three:
