23 Off-Grid TV Shows Worth Watching
The off-grid lifestyle is not a part of mainstream America, but people are still interested in tuning in to see what off-grid homesteaders are up to. It can be entertaining to watch, but more importantly, it can be educational.
I’ve watched my fair share of off-grid TV shows, along with survival and prepping TV shows. Many of them prioritize the importance of skills over resources, which can be refreshing to anybody in this material world.
Take a spin through our comprehensive list and let us know your favorites in the comments.
Contents (Jump to a Section)
- Off-Grid TV Shows
- Building Off the Grid
- Building Off The Grid: Big Sky Ranch
- Homestead Rescue
- Homestead Rescue: Raney Ranch
- Mountain Men
- Pioneer Quest
- Sarah Off the Grid
- Building Alaska
- Beyond the Grid
- Unplugged Nation
- Off The Grid On The Beach
- Win the Wilderness
- Alaska: The Last Frontier
- Life Below Zero
- Life Below Zero: Next Generation
- Life Below Zero: First Alaskans
- Life Below Zero: Port Protection
- Port Protection
- Ice Lake Rebels
- Love Off The Grid
- Live Free or Die
- Alaskan Bush People
- The Boonies
- The Final Word
This is an updated post on Off-Grid TV Shows. Our first post was published several years ago, and we will continue to update where you can stream and watch them. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Disclosure»
Off-Grid TV Shows
This genre of television is great for preppers, homesteaders, survivalists, or anyone who enjoys watching and learning about off-grid lifestyles. It’s a popular format because it is unfamiliar to most modern people. The simplicity and self-reliance can be romantic, in a way, and the different shows use that to bring in audiences.
We’ve watched a slew of these shows, and out of all of the options, here are the ones worth watching:
Building Off the Grid
We start off our list with a solid television show: Building Off the Grid. Each episode features a different person, family, or group that is literally building off the grid. The show goes into why everyone has their various motivations for doing this and covers a wide variety of structures. A few people complain that the people featured in the show cut corners with safety to favor speed, but the series is rated TV-G, making it easy to watch with your family.
The first season aired in 2014 and continues to be renewed. There are over eight seasons, but the seasons are short with fewer than 10 episodes each. The shows are 40 minutes apiece, so there is plenty of off-grid building to catch up on.
Where to Watch Building Off the Grid
Building Off The Grid: Big Sky Ranch
A spinoff of Building Off the Grid, Big Sky Ranch mixes it up a bit by following a single interesting family. Jon and Etta Smith head to Montana to build a ranch. As if that isn’t hard enough, they have an 18-month-old daughter at the start of the show. The people are much more of the focus of this spinoff- there is less time spent on how they do stuff and more time spent focusing on who they are.
Six episodes aired in 2016 with 20-minute run times each. This makes it one of the easiest on our list to watch since the whole series combines to be just two hours long.
Where to Watch Building Off The Grid: Big Sky Ranch
Homestead Rescue
What happens when people who have no idea about homesteading give it a go? Some ridiculous stuff that makes for a good TV show. That’s what Homestead Rescue is all about: capturing inexperienced homesteaders bungling everything up and helping them out with their problems. It makes for an entertaining show and can teach you a lot about what not to do.
The show aired in 2016 and has been renewed for three seasons since. The episodes are 45 minutes long, but the seasons are over 10 episodes long, so there are many, many examples of what not to do (and how to fix it).
Where to Watch Homestead Rescue
Homestead Rescue: Raney Ranch
Raney Ranch has had some tough times, as shown in the few seasons that have been filmed. Stockpiling food for the long winter should be their main concern, but they have to deal with bigger emergencies (not to spoil too much).
There are two seasons and 12 episodes in total. The show is about 40 minutes long for each episode.
Where to Watch Homestead Rescue: Raney Ranch
Mountain Men
Mountain Men follows three men who survive and thrive in separate mountain ranges. Eustace Conway, Tom Oar, and Marty Meierotto call the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Yaak River in Montana, and the northern range in Alaska home. They spend a good amount of time combating what nature throws at them and preparing for the unforgiving winter (at all locations). The men are all characters in their own right and are very entertaining to watch.
The show itself has over 120 episodes and has been on air since 2012. Episodes run about 42 minutes long, so this series can keep you busy for quite a long time.
Where to Watch Mountain Men
Pioneer Quest
Pioneer Quest is about two couples headed out west to live a period-accurate lifestyle: building their own homes, growing crops, and raising livestock just as early settlers did. Pioneer Quest aired in the year 2000, so the show has some age on it. That doesn’t mean you should pass it up, though. The Logies and the Treadway clan rough it, cut off from the rest of the world for a year, only with technology and supplies from the 1870 period.
The show ran for one season with 9 total episodes that are one hour each. This makes it a pretty quick watch and great for people interested in the off-grid life in a historical context.
Where to Watch Pioneer Quest
Sarah Off the Grid
Sarah Robinson is a designer who took her husband and two kids off the grid to build a home, had it filmed, and called the show Sarah Off the Grid. Sarah is an exuberant personality and makes the show interesting with her feminine touch. They don’t just set out to build a home off the grid- they go for their dream home, which ends up being very nice.
Sarah Off the Grid ran for two seasons starting in 2017. There are 12 total episodes that are one hour each. The format and the lighthearted delivery make it a breeze to watch.
Where to Watch Sarah Off the Grid
Building Alaska
If you want to watch a DIY show where they build amazing remote cabins in the remote parts of Alaska, then Building Alaska is for you. Do keep in mind that these guys are amateurs and not professional builders. This keeps it interesting, but some of the construction methods used are a little sketchy.
The documentary series has been running since 2012 and has amassed 68 episodes over 11 seasons. The show runs for 30 minutes for each episode, so you can get a quick show here and there.
Where to Watch Building Alaska
Beyond the Grid
Beyond the Grid focuses on bow and rifle hunts brought to us by Eastman. It is chock full of hunting tips and is a great off-grid series for hunters. It is not focused on living off the grid, but on the various animals hunted off-grid in each episode. If you like hunting and off-grid TV shows, this one is a solid combination.
The show has 22 episodes across three seasons. Beyond the Grid first aired in 2017, and the shows run about 20 minutes each.
Where to Watch Beyond the Grid
Unplugged Nation
Have you ever wanted to just pick up your life and go off the grid? Unplugged Nation follows a different family in each episode and documents their journey of ‘unplugging’. The various locations and families make the show a great choice- especially if you are considering being among them.
Unplugged Nation has three seasons with a total of 19 episodes. The episodes run about 40 minutes each- just long enough to document how each family goes off the grid without getting into too much detail.
Where to Watch Unplugged Nation
Off The Grid On The Beach
Off the Grid On The Beach is one of those house-hunting shows where couples try to find their dream home. The twist is that the homes are in remote areas on the beach. Some of the homes are self-sustaining, but some are not. If you are going into this show expecting all of the homes to be ‘off the grid,’ you will come away disappointed. Nonetheless, the remote locations and the motivations driving these couples make the show interesting to watch.
Off The Grid On The Beach first aired in 2020 and has one season so far of 10 episodes. The episodes are a fast 20-minute watch, which makes it easy to pick up at any time.
Where to Watch Off The Grid On The Beach
Win the Wilderness
Couples compete in this reality challenge to win an off-grid homestead in Alaska.
The show aired in 2020 on Netflix and is only 6 episodes at 45 minutes each.
Where to watch Win the Wilderness
Alaska: The Last Frontier
Alaska: The Last Frontier follows the adventures of the Kilcher family as they live off the land and prepare for the extremely harsh Alaskan winters. The large family is tenacious and proud of their ability to live without running water and electricity.
The show has been airing for a long time: since 2012, with nine seasons. They have over 160 episodes that run about 40 minutes each. It is a lot of material to watch, but it is worth it with the interesting and smart people who make up the Kilcher family.
Where to Watch Alaska: The Last Frontier
Life Below Zero
Life Below Zero follows people who live in remote parts of Alaska, where it is literally below freezing most of the time. They have to contend with predators, scarce resources, and, of course, the cold. The documented families and people are interesting, which makes you even more invested as you follow along.
The show has been airing for a while: 12 seasons since 2013, and it’s still putting out new seasons. There are 152 episodes to watch at 45 minutes each.
Where to Watch Life Below Zero
Life Below Zero: Next Generation
The next generation continues the story of Alaskan frontier survivalists as they adopt their own modern-day rules to their success and detriment. Resource gathering and the harsh environment make living off the land as tough as ever.
There are four seasons now, with 8 episodes per season running 44 minutes long.
Where to Watch Life Below Zero: Next Generation
Life Below Zero: First Alaskans
Another LBZ spinoff focuses on Native Alaskans who face challenges living off their historic lands like those before them have for centuries. Brutal winters and unstable weather bring food insecurity and other new problems they have to face to survive.
It has three seasons released between 2022 and 2023.
Where to Watch Life Below Zero: First Alaskans
Life Below Zero: Port Protection
This LBZ centers on the isolated town of Port Protection, but unfortunately, another show does it better: Port Protection. It still might be worth a watch to you if you really want to dig into the town, but it only has one short season that aired in 2020.
Where to Watch Life Below Zero: Port Protection
Port Protection
Without infrastructure, the town of Port Protection in Alaska is a very interesting place where residents have to be resourceful to survive. There are several seasons, but you’ll need to hunt down the later seasons as the name was changed to “Port Protection Alaska”, to clarify that the show is about a place and not protecting a port.
Where to Watch Port Protection
Ice Lake Rebels
Similar to Life Below Zero, Ice Lake Rebels follows people in an extremely cold area, but this time at Great Slave Lake in Canada. They are also part of the same community, instead of in separate areas, which adds some drama as you would expect. They are outside of the reach of taxes and the law and encounter issues working together (or not) pretty frequently.
Where to Watch Ice Lake Rebels
Love Off The Grid
A reality dating show with a twist, Love Off the Grid pairs couples where one has the off-grid experience and the other is used to city life. Seeing whether they can overcome their different backgrounds and expectations is always entertaining.
The show first aired in 2022, so it is a relative newcomer to our list. It’s weird to see a combination of dating and off-grid TV shows, but they combine dating shows with almost anything these days, so we’re not surprised.
Where to Watch Love Off The Grid
Live Free or Die
Live Free or Die is a deep dive into five individuals who take a more primitive approach to living off the grid. They only use natural materials or traded materials to get themselves situated. They call this ‘rewilding,’ and the show occasionally focuses on the mental aspects of going against the societal grain.
The show first aired in 2014 for three seasons. There are 28 episodes at around 40 minutes each.
Where to Watch Live Free or Die
Alaskan Bush People
Follow the Brown family as Billy, Ami, and their seven grown children live in isolation where temperatures get down to 60 below zero.
The show first aired in 2014 for fourteen seasons. There are 114 episodes at around 40 minutes each.
Where to Watch Alaskan Bush People
The Boonies
Follow along with some ‘unique individuals’ that live in caves, trees, and other odd off-grid places where nobody thinks to look.
The show first aired in 2016 for one season. There are 8 episodes at around 45 minutes each.
Where to Watch The Boonies
The Final Word
Off-grid TV shows are a great way to learn about homesteading, off-grid strategies and practices, and survival. Regardless of whether you are off-grid or planning to go off-grid, there is still plenty to take away. As a prepper not planning to go off the grid any time soon, I find many of the shows expose me to problems and challenges I may not typically think of or encounter connected to ‘the grid’. Along with prepping and survival TV shows, this can make my time in front of the TV a little productive.
Do not let all the off-grid TV shows keep you planted on the couch! Be sure to get out there and try new things you learn. Preparedness skills and survival gear are not worth a damn without some practice.
Here are a few other reads our followers have found helpful:
- 50 Survival Movies Preppers Should Watch
- 9 Survival Skills You Can Learn Sitting on Your Couch
- Home Survival Kit Guide, Gear List, and Checklist
Keep exploring, stay prepared, and be safe.
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Wow, Alone Season 8 didn’t even qualify but Homestead Rescue and all their hyped up drama places 2nd.
Alone is actually one of my favorite series. Since it’s not an off grid lifestyle show, it shows up on our prepper/survival TV show list.
“Port Protection” needs to be included – not well known serial reality show but it had a 3-4 season run >>> small AK community based around a port inlet – plenty of variety from crafty DIY inventions to scavaging from nature ….
Court protection ran for five seasons it is a awesome show you can stream it on Hulu and catch older seasons on ABC National Geographic Channel enjoy everyone
“The Woodsmen” was a one season run about people living in the trees of Washington State and Idaho- some good survival information and interesting stuff there.
Does anyone remember a reality series about a Christian family living off grid I think in Canada they had 3 sons and the 2 oldest sons went out on their trap line together without their father and were gone awhile until a family friend passed away. They were a very religious family they father had a pretty long red beard. They communicated with their parents by radio.