Freezing pipes are the classic disaster
At elevation, winter is real. The first thing it attacks is your water, and a burst line off-grid is a genuine emergency.
- Insulate and heat-tape any exposed lines and your pump.
- Be able to drain the system if you'll be away during a hard freeze.
- Keep stored water tanks from freezing solid — insulate or shelter them.
Set it before the cold sets in
You don't want to discover a heat problem at 15 degrees. Get the system ready in fall.
- A wood stove is the reliable workhorse — stack dry firewood under cover now.
- Top off propane before winter; a low tank in deep cold underperforms.
- Have a backup heat source so one failure isn't a crisis.
Short days, cold batteries
Winter is the worst stretch for solar: low sun, short days, and cold that saps your battery bank.
- Expect less solar harvest and lean harder on your battery and generator.
- Insulate the battery bank — cold cuts capacity and you can't charge a frozen battery.
- Make sure your generator starts and your fuel is stocked before the first storm.
Stop the heat from leaking out
Whatever you live in, sealing and insulating it pays for itself in fuel all winter.
- Skirt and insulate trailers and cabins so the floor and walls don't bleed heat.
- Seal drafts around doors, windows, and penetrations.
- Insulate where you can — it beats burning more fuel to chase the loss.
Get snowed in gracefully
Out here, the plan isn't to avoid getting snowed in — it's to not care when you do.
- Stock extra water, food, and fuel before each storm system.
- Keep your access road and vehicle ready, and know who plows what.
- Have lights and a way to charge a phone that don't depend on a sunny day.
Out near Concho or St. Johns? We'll bring it to your land.
Water, propane, groceries, gas cans, lumber, a forgotten part from town — Concho Dash runs errands and deliveries straight out to off-grid parcels in the area. No app, no membership. Text what you need.
See what Concho Dash hauls → Text or call · 480-201-7275Want the full winter plan?
The High Desert Survival Guide covers winter prep alongside year-round water, power, and emergency planning for life at elevation.
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