| I write about people living off-grid and becoming | | | | love the classics, and that is mostly what you will |
| self-reliant. This is an experiment in my own life. I | | | | find on the Internet. My most favorite books in |
| put all my research online, and share the things I | | | | the whole world are classic and in this order of |
| know, or I share new facts as I learn them. | | | | preference: |
| What bothers most folks about wilderness living? | | | | 1) Walden by Henry David Thoreau, |
| What makes them throw in the towel? When you | | | | 2) The Swiss Family Robinson by J. Wyss, and |
| see people leave a pristine place in the country | | | | 3) The Coral Island by R.M. Ballyntine, and |
| and come skulking back to the city with their tail | | | | 4) Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe. |
| between their legs, what exactly made that | | | | Is it any wonder that I am in love with the idea |
| happen? | | | | of being self-reliant, off-grid, and in the wilderness? |
| One only needs think about their own life | | | | I am one of those guys that, were I stranded on |
| whenever they may have done something similar. | | | | a south Pacific island from a cruise shipwreck, and |
| When I was a kid, most often what made me | | | | I saw a rescue ship way off in the distance that |
| want to leave a campsite were the thoughts | | | | could take me back to civilization, I would go hide |
| about what I could be doing "back home." | | | | in the jungle until I was sure they were gone. |
| This is a great consideration. Wherever you are | | | | Suppose that you are not close enough to |
| has to feel like "back home." If you could be | | | | anything in order to have Internet access? Well |
| surfing the Internet back home, and that has a | | | | then, you need to make it to the public library in |
| huge enough appeal to you to leave and go back | | | | the nearest town around once a month. There, |
| to the city, then by all means, please make sure | | | | you will find free, wireless Internet access by |
| that the ability to surf the Internet is with you | | | | which you may download all the books you may |
| when you decide to go live off-grid in the country! | | | | desire. Usually, if you have the right software, you |
| Maybe you enjoy playing board games, playing | | | | can also record classic movies directly to your |
| cards, tossing horse shoes in the back yard, | | | | laptop or PC. |
| playing badminton, tennis, fishing, washers, etc., | | | | I prefer laptops because they are so portable, but |
| etc. | | | | I find that between my laptop and my blackberry, |
| Make where you live a FUN place! You are going | | | | I have more books to read than I will ever get |
| to be there a long time. | | | | around to reading. So often, the public library is |
| Some folks want to have passive entertainment. | | | | the answer because they provide free Internet |
| By passive entertainment, I mean the observation | | | | access, but now more and more restaurants and |
| entertainments, such as watching television, | | | | other establishments are providing free "Wi-Fi" for |
| listening to the radio, or possibly talking on a a | | | | anyone with a wireless laptop, or smartphone, or |
| Ham radio rig or a CB radio. | | | | PDA. |
| If it is a passion of yours, get good at it! Did you | | | | While you are enjoying the free books from the |
| know that you can go to an electronics store, and | | | | Internet, there are, of course, free games that |
| for a little bit of change you can buy the | | | | you can download and play on your computer, as |
| components to build a crystal radio set, just like | | | | well. |
| they listened to in the 1930's? These consist of a | | | | Do not forget Checkers, Chess, Monopoly, |
| diode, some wire, and high impedance earphones. | | | | Solitaire, Scrabble, and a host of other diversions |
| They do not run on electricity. One end goes in | | | | you can attend to, either. |
| the ground, and the other end goes in the air for | | | | Many of us like to hunt and fish, and that will be all |
| an antenna, and voila! You have AM (Amplitude | | | | the entertainment we will need. That is also good, |
| Modulated) radio. | | | | because it contributes to some other needs we |
| Talk radio anyone? | | | | have, such as food, possibly tanning hides, and |
| I am not much of a television watcher, but when | | | | whatnot. So, if you are able to hunt and fish and |
| I do feel like watching a movie or a television | | | | have all the fun you want, you will find the big job |
| episode, I have found that practically anything I | | | | of getting your grub to be an easy one. |
| want to watch is already online. So I do not really | | | | Entertainment is so subjective; each of us has a |
| need a television, I only need a connection to the | | | | different way that we enjoy life. |
| Internet. | | | | The off-grid and self-reliant life is a lot of work, as |
| A fairly famous book company will sell you a | | | | long as we remember that it is not ALL work. |
| device right now that you can pay for and | | | | We did come out here to enjoy life, after all. |
| download books to in under 30 seconds. What is | | | | I could write a book on how you can secure free |
| not in the ad copy about the device is that it will | | | | entertainment, really. I hope I have whetted your |
| also surf the internet (albeit in monochrome). The | | | | appetite and given you some ideas for how find |
| charge on this thing lasts for days. | | | | your games and fun. |
| What you may or may not know is that there | | | | Until next time, make a project out of finding |
| are millions of free books for the reading on the | | | | games and fun. You will be amazed at how easy |
| Internet. | | | | it is! |
| I am always reading 3 or 4 books at one time. I | | | | |