Living off the grid is something that many of us aspire to.
And for good reasons.Â
Not only does it leads to self-sufficiency and sustainability living, but it allows us to live a more self-sustaining life. Â
The most popular first step to off-grid living people take is to produce their own electric power.
Related Post: How To Go Off-Grid Step-By-Step
This allows the vast majority of people to  power most of their needs, and to greatly reduce their energy bill.
And best of all to reduce their dependency to big monopolists.
With that as a basis, energy efficiency is an important factor.
That’s why it would be unrealistic to think that you could power up big appliances 24/7 with only a couple solar panels.Â
Based on that, there are a number of great tools that will help you reduce your needs of electricity.
Here are 20 Tools For Off-Grid Living.
Off-Grid Living Must-Haves
Off-Grid Electricity
You’re obviously going to need solar panels, a wind turbine and a battery backup.Â
Wood Cook Stove
Probably the most important tool for any kitchen, as well as the most expensive, is the stove. They’re an expensive investment, but if you want to eat well, that’s probably an investment worth making.
Root Cellar
Unless you’re powering your refrigerator off of solar panels, your best bet if probably to dig a root cellar.
Related post:Â How To Easily Build A Root Cellar With $400
Brick Oven
I would have to say a brick  oven is an indispensable part of any off-grid kitchen.
You can even build one during the weekend and then celebrate by making yourself some brick oven pizza.
Here’s a cool video showing you how to build a pizza oven!
Hand-crank Mixer
The  electric mixer is very useful for those who like to bake. But as a motorized tool, mixers use a lot of power. So I’d try to replace that mixer with an old-fashioned hand crank one.
Manual Kicthen Tools
While I’m sure that you could use at least some of them in an off-grid lifestyle, I’m also sure that you would be better off having manual versions, so that you have that power available for other things.
Grater
The modern food processor is really just a motorized grater. Granted, it’s a lot faster and easier to work with, but it does the same job.Â
Washing Machine
Running a clothing washer and especially a dryer uses a lot of energy.
Therefore, it only makes sense to have an alternative method. If we don’t want to use an old-fashioned washboard, then probably the best bet is one of the ​portable compact  washing machines that are being made.Â
Making Coffee
Coffee can be the one staple that adds a sense of normalcy in hard times.
In any case, you’ll need a way to feed your caffeine addiction without having to eat coffee grounds.
Here are five ways to make a delicious cup of coffee when the power is out.
Heating Your Home
Heating your home is a real challenge in an off-grid lifestyle.
Especially during winter… (ask me how I know!)
Your best bet is to heat with wood, which means you need to have some place to  keep your wood pile stocked up and ready to go. It also means doing something to take that heat to other parts of your home.
Wood-burning Stove
The first and most obvious tool you’ll need for heating your home is a wood-burning stove.Â
Hot Water HeaterÂ
Taking a cold shower just isn’t the same, right?
But, there is a way to have a hot shower without using gas or electricity to heat the water, and in fact, in the end, the process creates the beautiful gift of rich and fertile compost.
Here’s How To Get All Your Hot Water Needs From A Compost Mound…
Axe
Fallen tree limbs and dead trees can both be converted to firewood, if you’ve got the means to cut it.
Bucking Saw
Depending on whether or not you have a chain saw, as well as how much confidence you have in that saw to keep running, you might want to have a bucking saw. T
Bed Warmer
Rocks are put in the warmer, which are then placed on the fire to warm it. A good bed warmer, filled with hot rocks, can warm up several beds.
Tip: Don’t use coal. It will make your sheets dirty.
Soapstones
A soapstone under a table, sofa or desk radiates heat.Â
Smoker
Of all the means of preserving meats, the only thing that’s simpler than smoking it is to turn it into jerky. But smoked meat is much more easily used in preparing meals than jerky is.
Dehydrator
Dehydrating is one of the more efficient means of food preservation and one that can be used for just about any food.Â
In order to stick with the off-grid lifestyle, it would probably make more sense to have a solar dehydrator, rather than an electric one.Â
Multimeter
If anything happens to your off-grid power system, you’re going to have to have a multimeter, otherwise known as a volt-ohm meter to troubleshoot it.Â
Wrenches & Ratchets
Just about anything mechanical that you’re going to have to repair is going to need nuts and bolts removed. Having a good set of ratchets, sockets and wrenches just makes sense.
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