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!
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[tags]off the grid, new mexico, solar, composting toilet, skeeter, green, sustainable, sustainability, solar power, ryanishungry[/tags]
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…
Hey Guys
thanks for Keith’s story… we own land in New Mexico, just haven’t made it out there yet.. any idea what county Keith is in? just curious if we would be neighbors by chance!
- michael
Great video, so what has happened to Keith since then? My hubby and I live 100% off grid, since Dec 07, we are still living off grid, I would be interested in seeing what Keith has done with his place and himself.
In answer to Zadi who asked about medical care for those living off grid, it’s no different from anyone else, if we get sick, we go to the doctor, BUT most people who live off grid are independent types, so we don’t run to the doctor every time we have the sniffles, we tend to be healthier because of the life we live, only seeking out medical assistance for major problems, broken bones, high fevers and such.
For far too long, society (in general) has lived with such a large safety net that we have gotten weak, it’s ingrained in us from birth to run to the doctor every time we have a sniffle, run to the doctor, get a shot, get a prescription… we don’t give our immune systems a chance to be exercised against the small problems so that when a big problem comes along, well, you’re probably dead. Think about all the antibiotic resistant bugs that are out there now, why do you suppose that is? I know, and I refuse to participate in the system that made things that way. Get healthy, learn some things about what you can do to take care of yourself, learn when you need to seek professional care, take responsibility for yourself.
Didn’t mean for this to become a rant, so I’ll cut this off for now, I hope I answered your question Zadi, and I would really like to know what has happened to Keith, does anyone have any answers?
Wretha
Keith still lives in New Mexico the same way. We are meaning to do a follow-up interview with him next time we’re in his neighborhood. I’ve heard that he’s updated some of his setup.
Hey,
from a woman in Philly, I have been dreaming a/b this type of lifestyle for several years now. After living all my life in the city, I’ve had enough. First thought I would get solar panels on the top of my row home, but just want to get out of dodge here.
Can anyone give any ideas of any other states in the southwest where one could get raw land? If I can sell my house to do it, I would but don’t have any equity to rely on right now.
If anyone has any advice, hit me up at anjeelah00@yahoo.com
hello,
I was watching the video of Keith Thompson and was very excited to see someone offf the grid. I waswondering if there is a way to contact Keith for questions? Thanks for your time and keep up the hard work
Hi all
Thanks for posting the interview with Skeeter. He is doing what we all must do…or will have to do in the future.
I am looking to buy some raw land and build, but I am looking for helpers. I am single so I am willing to start a commune situation in southwest. Colorado is nice but they want to keep people “on-grid” for the most part with their “external water permit” laws (or so-called laws). N. Mex, Arizona and Nevada though dry are really wide open spaces with few restrictions on what you can build. Lots of air ships abound. I am serious about this, so if anyone else would like to do something like this (i.e. with strawbale etc), contact me haserbuen (at) gmail.com
People who live off the grid are amazing! It takes strength and resilience needed to tear yourself away from modern comforts. I hope to learn a lot from people like Keith about becoming more self-sufficient and going back to the old ways.
Very cool.Congrats, Skeeter. Are you self-taught or schooled in engineering and architecture? I know what you mean about being knocked out by the hot springs…I was, too, in the Sangre de Cristos (I think it was..long time ago)…Keep on truckin’…Are you still a Yankee fan??? Or an old Giants guy?? Best of luck in the fall season!