Stories from living off the grid: Staying connected while overlanding

Disconnecting from the internet and social media is one of the main benefits of going off grid, camping in remote locations and national parks. You don’t have to worry about a thousand notifications while you breathe in fresh air and enjoy spectacular vistas.

There are times when a connection is important though. While you can’t rely on a cellular connection and good Wi-Fi can be hard to find, Starlink makes it easy to stay connected when you’re living off the grid.

No connection doesn’t mean no problems

“Having connection is the main reason I got a Starlink,” said Kevin Gomez, a content creator who makes videos about overlanding in remote areas with his Rivian R1T on his channel Amp’d Adventures. “I have to go off-road to get to these places I go and there’s no cell service.”

Gomez told Ooma it’s important to stay “connected when there’s an ‘oh crap’ moment.” For example, with a Starlink he can look up a video on how to fix something should he need to or take care of something that arises while off grid.

“Some people are finding wild blueberries, I wouldn’t know what a wild blueberry looks like so using ChatGPT or something I can figure it out,” he said. The research can extend to hiking trails, too.

Many people rely on apps like AllTrails for their hikes in remote areas, but if you happen to forget to download an offline version of the trail, you risk getting lost. And if you’re camping in the middle of nowhere with no connection you’re out of luck entirely. Starlink can allow you to quickly download what you need and get hiking. But that’s not all you can look up.

“I feel like people turn into more of a chef while camping,” he said. Looking up cooking videos and new recipes while out and about can be a big help, even if it’s something simple. You never know when you get tired of what you’ve been eating for the past couple of days and want to change it up a little bit.

Gomez said setting up the Starlink is easy. It took him about 10 minutes to set up an account, and it usually takes him around 3 minutes to set it up when he’s out camping. He says it’s important to find a wide-open area without trees obstructing the sky. The app also makes it easy to find a connection since it advises you on where to place it and how to turn it.

He usually plugs it into a large 2,000-watt Anker power bank that he has, although he can also plug it directly into his truck if he needs to. However, he avoids doing that because it can drain his truck’s range as it’s an electric vehicle. The device itself is pretty small and light so it’s simple to take it around. In his latest video, Gomez just places the device on the ground in an open area.

Speed hasn’t been an issue for Gomez, as he said he’s gotten up to 300Mbps while remote. In a live test he was able to get 137Mbps by a remote lake outside of Lake Tahoe. He was able to watch YouTube, stream music and even FaceTime his wife and son.

Family connections

Connecting with family is another important aspect of using a Starlink for Gomez. He can check in on his wife and son whenever he needs, and he can even show them where he is. When he’s camping with them, his son has access to his favorite videos and shows while they’re out in the middle of nowhere. He’s still a little too young to do the full camping experience so being able to watch something is a good alternative.

Of course, traveling with or without his family means staying connected is even more important for safety reasons. In case anything happens he’s able to easily make a call or send a text message. Whether that’s emergency services or family members, everyone is connected and alerted to any possible situation.

Because Starlink works as a router, it’s easy to connect to many devices. That includes smartphones, tablets, computers and even game consoles, but it also includes regular phones if you want to avoid screen time. You can do so with StarDial for Starlink internet.

Gomez’s ultimate dream for using the Starlink though? Watching movies under the stars. He hopes to use it to connect his phone to a projector and stream movies on a screen in the true darkness of nature, with nothing but the stars overhead and the fresh air around him and his family.