Offline survival computer: build your Project NOMAD (and power it off-grid)

By Daniel Vega · Updated: 2026-06-06 · Methodology

At EmergencyKitLab UK we test things before we recommend them, and an offline survival computer is one of the most useful things you can own for a long power cut or losing your broadband: all the information you need plus an AI that works offline. The best free option right now is Project NOMAD (by Crosstalk Solutions, Apache-2.0). This EmergencyKitLab UK guide covers what it is, the three builds by budget and — the bit almost nobody explains — how to power it when the grid is down.

What Project NOMAD is

NOMAD is not a gadget, it is software: a web-based "command centre" that uses Docker to orchestrate a set of tools that all run offline — a local AI chat (with Ollama) that can search across your own documents (RAG), knowledge bases, maps and more. You install it on an ordinary computer running Ubuntu (x86-64 architecture; not a Raspberry Pi) and use it from your browser. Because it is free, building it only costs you the hardware.

What a NOMAD includes (and why it is so useful with no internet)

From the dashboard you install, with one click, tools that work 100% offline. The ones that genuinely make a difference in an emergency:

• Kiwix — the whole of Wikipedia, medical references, survival guides and books, with no connection. This is the most valuable part: medicine and knowledge when the grid is down.
• Local AI chat (Ollama + RAG with Qdrant) — an assistant that answers and searches across your documents (PDFs, manuals) without sending anything to the internet.
• ProtoMaps — downloadable regional maps with offline search and navigation.
• Kolibri — Khan Academy courses with progress tracking, handy if there are children at home.
• CyberChef and FlatNotes — local data utilities and note-taking.
• Benchmark built in — scores your hardware and compares it with the community.

The AI is optional: the offline knowledge (Kiwix, maps) already justifies the build on its own, and it runs on modest hardware. The AI is the part that needs muscle.

What NOMAD looks like inside

Screenshots of the real Project NOMAD panel, running fully offline:

Screenshots: projectnomad.us (Crosstalk Solutions).

The 3 EmergencyKitLab UK builds for your budget

Which AI model fits each tier (rule of thumb: a Q4 quantised model takes ~0.6 GB per 1,000M parameters): with 16 GB you comfortably run 7-8B models; with 32 GB, 13-14B and you brush against 30B; for 70B you need plenty of VRAM/RAM (powerful build). Without a dedicated GPU the AI is slow but works; with a GPU, speed climbs to tens or hundreds of tokens per second (Crosstalk quotes 100-800+ t/s in its hardware guide, depending on the model).

Hardware moves fast, so we link to Amazon searches by specification (not to a specific model that will be out of stock tomorrow).

How to power it off-grid (what the official guide leaves out)

A survival computer is no use if it runs flat in a power cut. Quick rule from EmergencyKitLab UK: look at the draw and multiply it by the hours you want to last. A mini PC with integrated graphics pulls ~15-65 W; with a dedicated GPU, 150-300 W. So for the recommended build (~30 W) a 288 Wh power station gives ~8-9 hours; with a GPU you need 1,000 Wh or more. Work out your exact case in the energy calculator and top it back up with a solar panel.

Allow a margin: real runtime is ~15-20% lower than the theoretical figure (Wh ÷ W) because the station's inverter loses some energy converting to 230 V, and the usable battery capacity is not 100%. That is why we give conservative numbers and it pays to size with headroom. One tip: if the kit allows it, power it over USB-C PD or 12 V DC straight from the station rather than the 230 V socket — you skip the inverter loss.

• Compact portable station (short backup)

  Basic build (~30 W): 1-3 h of backup. Compact and cheap.

  see on Amazon

• Portable station ~300 Wh

  Recommended build: 288 Wh ≈ 8-9 h at 30 W. The sweet spot.

  see on Amazon

• Portable station ~1000 Wh

  Powerful GPU build: 1056 Wh to handle high loads.

  see on Amazon

• Portable solar panel 60 W

  Solar recharge: 60 W to top the station up during the day.

  see on Amazon

EmergencyKitLab UK takes part in the Amazon Associates Programme: if you buy through these links we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. Prices are indicative. Sources: gov.uk Prepare.

Prices are indicative and may vary on Amazon.

Quick install

The full official install is at projectnomad.us/install. Here is the 3-step summary:

1. Install Ubuntu on a mini PC. If you are not technical, use Ubuntu Desktop 24.04 LTS (it has a desktop like Windows/Mac). If the PC does not come with it: download it (free), write it to a USB stick with Rufus (Windows) or balenaEtcher (Mac), and boot the PC from that USB (when it powers on, press F12, Esc or Del to pick the USB). You only need internet during the install; after that it runs with no network. This is the most technical bit of all, and you only do it once. Heads-up: x86 bare-metal only — no Proxmox/virtual machines, no WSL2, no macOS.
2. Open a terminal and paste the command below (it will ask for your password). It downloads and runs the official installer, which sets everything up with Docker (Kiwix, Ollama, etc.). It takes a while; leave ~250 GB free if you want the AI and all the knowledge.
3. When it finishes, open http://localhost:8080 in the browser on the machine itself, or http://THE_DEVICE_IP:8080 from another device on your network (to find the IP: check your router or type ip a in the terminal). From the dashboard, download the packs you want (Wikipedia, maps, Khan Academy…) and the AI models.

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y curl && curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Crosstalk-Solutions/project-nomad/refs/heads/main/install/install_nomad.sh -o install_nomad.sh && sudo bash install_nomad.sh

Official step-by-step guide: projectnomad.us/install · recommended hardware: projectnomad.us/hardware · code: Crosstalk-Solutions/project-nomad · community: Discord. NOMAD includes no authentication: do not expose it to the internet.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly is Project NOMAD?

It is free software (Apache-2.0) that turns an ordinary computer into an offline survival "command centre": a dashboard that uses Docker to orchestrate a set of tools and information that work WITHOUT the internet — local AI chat (Ollama) with search across your documents (RAG), knowledge bases, maps and more. It is developed by Crosstalk Solutions.

Do I need a Raspberry Pi?

No. NOMAD is designed for x86-64 (a mini PC or desktop running Ubuntu), not officially for the Raspberry Pi (ARM support is on the roadmap). For the AI, the more power and video memory, the better.

How much battery do I need to use it in a power cut?

It depends on the draw: a mini PC with integrated graphics pulls ~15-65 W, so a 288 Wh station gives you ~8-9 hours at 30 W. With a dedicated GPU (150-300 W) you need a 1,000 Wh station or more. Work out your case with the EmergencyKitLab UK energy calculator and top it back up with a solar panel.

Is it worth building or should I buy a sealed kit?

If you already have a mini PC or desktop, building NOMAD is free (the software is open source) and far more capable than a sealed kit. Starting from scratch, the recommended build (~£430-690) is the sweet spot. What really makes the difference in an emergency is not the computer, but having tested it beforehand and being able to power it off-grid.