Keith aka Skeeter is living totally off the grid. Starting with a raw plot of land, he built his house from scratch, dug a well, created a solar power system and is completely responsible for all his waste. Keith is a good example of someone who got tired of paying utilities and mortgages to live on earth. He took matters into his own hands and decided to be as independent as possible. Deciding to live out in the wilderness is one way to go off the grid. We’ll be exploring other ways of being independent in urban environments in some of our next posts. Thanks Keith!
Runtime- 8:07
Technorati Tags: off the grid, new mexico, solar, composting toilet, skeeter, green, sustainable, sustainability, solar power, ryanishungry
PB&J, beer and a composting toilet! What more could a man need? That’s totally amazing!
From the Bronx… to off the grid. Very inspiring.
Amazing how he did all of this himself. I wonder– what happens if he gets ill… for people that live off the grid, are medical issues/availability a concern?
Good interview!
Wild.
What a guy.
Amazing what’s possible.
How did you find him?
Does he get lonely out there…? He kinda reminds me of Michael Madsen in Kill Bill
We met him through some friends. People into this stuff tend to have a community. I also love how he’ so chill with a cigarette and beer as he explains his set up. Nothing hippie about this guy.
He’s got several close neighbors who would probably notice if he got sick/hurt. Hell, i live in the city with no health care. How much better off am I!
You go, Keith! We have a 105 year-old house off-grid in the Cascade Mountains of Washington - a second house - but we do not have solar except for outdoor lights. It is our dream, however, to not be so reliant on a generator for electricity. Being in a rain forest makes it difficult to go all solar.
Damn fine job your doing Skeeter. Thermites all the way in New Mexico. off grid to boot. Shoots braddah.
I wonder if he would have more power he would get if he got one of those small windmill generators too. Great video. I really enjoyed this one. I think he’s living one of my dreams.
hey keith thanks for beiing a great example for use teen agers looking forward to being independent like you in the future…
your friend brillana
The drive that inspires a person to ‘go green’ is amazing. Good work Skeeter.
damn that is a tight piece, nice job skeeter on making your own dream- great video r+j!
Skeeter you continue to rock my teeny universe…
Someone there in that house was definitely ON the grid; I could here a cell phone signal several times during the recording.
michael…Keith isn’t amish. He definitely has a cell phone. “Off the grid” simply means that his home is not connected to any municipal power, sewage, and water. This means that he is completely self-sufficient.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Off-the-grid.
Hey I loved the video. I was wondering if somebody had Keith email or some way to contact him. I would like to ask him a few questions about his lifestyle. My email is
creaturenex@gmail.com. Thanks and Take care
Fascinating! Thanks for showing how to control your utilities.
Skeeter - lovely to see pictures of the center of the middle of nowhere after hearing about its evolution over the last few years. Rock on!
Where did you find this guy!? he’s so totally awesome. I particularly like that he came from New York to this lifestyle, and is sticking with it and teaching about it. The stereotypical idea would be that the city kid would run back to the city after a couple of years. Its great to see this story proving otherwise.
hey serra
we met keith through these two:
http://ryanishungry.com/2007/05/10/green-acre-lets-make-papercrete/
yeah his story is totally inspiring!
That was an amazing video. Every now and then I need a sign to let me know I’m not wasting my time trying to make the world a better place. Thanks r & J & Skeeter!
-Travell
Brilliant! I want to live with Keith!
Is the water supply adequate? I want to do something similar in Nevada but I’m concerned about having enough water to run a few acre homestead with some animals.
hi there
the best books i know about capturing water in dry areas and keeping it all year are these
http://www.harvestingrainwater.com/
by brad lancaster
who has set up a comprehensive system in arizona
he gets all his water for the whole year
from the few times it rains in Tuscon.
very inspirational!
i highly recommend his books and methods!
good luck!
You can supposedly get free PV panels from the companies that put up the PV powered roadside signs. Drunk drivers run into them all the time. The companies get reimbursement from the insurance co. and throw out the entire unit. Usually the panels are damaged but still functional tho not at full power rating. That tip from: http://www.knowledgepublications.com/promo/free_solar_panels_ov2.htm
hey skeet!
i saw this when it came out and it’s still great. you rock and it was great to see you at kevin’s last weekend…you high desert rat…