USER GUIDE · CORE & MAP EDITION

From your first question
to a library of your own.

Start using the knowledge already included with your ToolKit. Get answers, explore a photo, and save useful guidance. Map Edition adds a local U.S. atlas alongside the same AI.

01 / GET STARTED

Connect the right drive to the right computer.

Use the Windows or Mac build you purchased. They are separate applications. Check the computer recommendations and keep your drive's supplied instructions nearby.

Windows

  1. Connect and open the drive.

    Use File Explorer to open the USB drive, then open Launch OffGrid AI ToolKit.

  2. Complete the welcome screen.

    Enter the four-digit Access PIN supplied with your drive, review the terms, and choose START USING OFFGRID AI when prompted.

  3. Approve the expected Windows components.

    The Windows ToolKit application uses DigiCert code signing. During first launch, Windows may show separate permission prompts for the following components:

    • OffGrid AI ToolKit: the main application.
    • Ollama: the AI engine that runs the models locally on your computer.
    • Caddy: the local web server that powers the Dashboard interface.

    When these prompts appear as you launch the ToolKit from your supplied drive, check the component name and choose Yes to allow it to run. If Windows shows a firewall prompt with network choices, use Private networks on a trusted network and leave Public networks unchecked.

    These are local components; the offline AI does not need internet. Prompts may appear again on another computer or after a software or security change. If a prompt is unexpected or does not match the supplied instructions, contact support. Keep Windows Firewall and antivirus protection enabled.

  4. Wait for the AI to be ready.

    Leave the drive connected while the selected model loads. Begin with Optimized, then send a short first question once it is ready.

Mac

  1. Check your Mac.

    The current Mac 2.2.2 release requires an Apple M-series chip (M1 or newer) and macOS Tahoe 26.0 or later. Intel Macs are not supported. Optimized is supported with 16GB unified memory.

  2. Open the supplied folder in Finder.

    For Core, open OffGrid AI Mac, then OffGrid AI.app. For Map Edition, open OffGrid AI Mac with Map, then OffGrid AI Maps.app.

  3. Complete first-run setup.

    Review the terms and enter the PIN supplied with your drive. Wait for Optimized Ready before sending your first question.

  4. Keep the complete folder together.

    Leave the drive connected and writable while using it. The app depends on adjacent files, so do not move the .app by itself.

The Mac applications are Developer ID signed and notarized by INSPIRED MARKETING & DESIGN, LLC. First launch can take longer while macOS completes its trust checks.

Advanced on Mac requires at least 32GB total memory and about 18GB available when selected; 48GB total is recommended. Start with Optimized.

The Windows demonstrations on this site show the same core tasks, but labels and first-run steps can differ on Mac.

You do not need to add knowledge first. The included AI already has learned knowledge it can use to answer. Your Knowledge Base is a separate, optional collection of the answers and references you choose to keep.

02 / GET AN ANSWER

Give it your situation.
Then ask what you need.

  1. Add useful context.

    Describe the task, equipment, location or conditions, available resources, and anything you have already tried.

  2. Choose the kind of help.

    Ask for steps, a comparison, an explanation, or a checklist. Follow up if something is unclear.

  3. Review before you rely on it.

    Check names, numbers, assumptions, and instructions against your actual situation and trusted sources.

The Intelligence Layer encourages practical priorities and uncertainty checks. The AI can still be wrong, even when an answer sounds confident.

Offline intelligenceRecorded offline. No internet connection.
Windows demonstration.

Choose an AI mode

Optimized: the default place to start. Windows: 16GB RAM recommended. Current Mac 2.2.2: 16GB unified memory supported.

Advanced: another included mode for deeper exploration. Windows: 32GB RAM recommended. Mac: 32GB required, about 18GB available when selected, and 48GB total recommended.

Switching modes loads a different model. Allow it to finish before sending your next prompt. Your edition choice does not limit you to just one mode.

Add a photo

Use the image attachment or upload control to add a supported photo. Ask about visible features and provide any details the picture cannot show.

Local photo analysis works without internet. It is different from creating a new image in the online Image Studio.

Do not rely on an image identification alone for decisions such as whether something is edible, safe to use, or medically significant.

03 / KEEP WHAT HELPS

Your Knowledge Base.
Built at your own pace.

  1. Review an answer you want to keep.

    Correct anything that needs checking and ask for a clearer format if helpful.

  2. Use Save to KB.

    Give the entry a useful title and category when prompted. Reopen the saved entry to confirm it contains what you intended.

  3. Add your own trusted references.

    Keep relevant files, notes, and useful material in the drive's Knowledge Base. Preserve related image files with their articles.

  4. Keep a separate backup of your personal files.

    A portable library still depends on its storage device. Save your important original notes and reference files somewhere else as well.

An unsaved conversation or local session recovery is not the same as an entry saved to the drive.

OVER 2,000 INCLUDED STARTING QUESTIONS

Use the ready-made prompts to explore.

Open Ready-Made Prompts, select a relevant example, and copy or place it into your chat. Add your circumstances before sending.

The prompts show what you can ask and help you learn useful skills. They are starting questions, not a requirement to use the AI and not a prewritten answer to every possible situation.

When an answer is useful, review it and save it. That is one way to grow a field library around the places, projects, and equipment that matter to you.

Actual Windows ToolKit prompt library showing navigation and emergency-preparation starter questions.

04 / MAP EDITION

Move from a question to a place.

  1. Open Maps.

    Let the installed map load. Use local search for a place, point of interest, or coordinates supported by your version.

  2. Check the result.

    Choose the matching location and compare its name, region, and coordinates. Similar place names can exist in different areas.

  3. Save a useful spot.

    Use Camp or a custom pin, give it a clear name, and select the saved pin to return to that location later.

  4. Add map context to a question.

    Use the available map AI controls, or include the location in chat. You can also copy a place name from chat into map search.

Coverage is the United States. Layer detail varies. Mac map distances are straight-line estimates, not driving distances. Maps do not provide live conditions or turn-by-turn navigation; a displayed water feature is not evidence of safe drinking water or current access.

Save and revisit your placesRecorded offline. No internet connection.
Windows demonstration.

05 / PREPARE WHILE CONNECTED

Add a useful visual.
Keep the complete guide.

  1. Create or choose the article.

    You can generate the answer with your offline ToolKit. Review the instructions before turning them into a guide.

  2. Create the image online.

    Open Image Studio while connected. Request a diagram, infographic, or visual that supports the article.

  3. Review and save both.

    Check labels and instructions, then save the article and its image to your Knowledge Base. Keep the linked image file with the saved guide.

  4. Reopen the result offline.

    Confirm both the article and image are available from the drive. An online image URL alone is not an offline copy.

From answer to illustrated field guideAnswer generated offline. Image generated online. Complete guide saved to the drive for offline use.
Windows demonstration.

06 / ON YOUR PHONE

Open the mobile companion
from your dashboard.

Scan the Mobile Access QR code at the bottom left of the ToolKit dashboard, or open offgridtoolkit.ai/mobile on your phone.

OffGrid AI FieldGuide provides online answers, photo and short-video analysis, and illustrated guides you can save as PDFs. New AI answers and image creation require internet; completed PDFs saved to your phone can be opened offline.

This opens the online companion. It does not connect your phone to the USB drive's local AI or automatically synchronize your Knowledge Base.

Explore the mobile version ↗Open FieldGuide ↗

Prepare online. Keep it with you.

  1. Ask or show the situation.

    Use a question, photo, or short video while connected.

  2. Make a Field Guide.

    Add a useful visual and review the complete result.

  3. Save the PDF locally.

    Reopen the file on your phone before relying on it away from internet.

WHEN SOMETHING NEEDS ATTENTION

A few checks before you contact us.

The model is still loading or replies slowly.

Keep the drive connected and give the first load time to finish. Close other memory-heavy applications and start with Optimized. Loading another model takes additional time. Speed varies with the computer and question.

If it appears stuck, capture the status or exact error and contact support. Do not repeatedly launch additional copies of the application.

Advanced mode will not load.

Check available memory and try Optimized. Advanced on Mac requires at least 32GB total and about 18GB available memory. Close memory-heavy applications and retry. Send support your computer model, memory, operating-system version, and the message shown on screen.

A security or permissions message appears.

Windows may ask separately about OffGrid AI ToolKit, Ollama (the local AI engine), and Caddy (the local Dashboard server). Follow the Windows first-launch instructions above. If you previously declined a prompt and the ToolKit will not start, contact support with its exact wording. Do not disable your antivirus or firewall as a general troubleshooting step.

A saved guide is missing an image.

Check that the image was saved as a local file and remains with the article. A moved, renamed, or online-only image may not display. Reopen the saved guide from the Knowledge Base after checking the files.

The map result seems to be the wrong place.

Check the region and coordinates, try a more specific search, and compare the result with a trusted reference. Both AI place suggestions and similarly named map results need review. Installed map data may not contain every feature or reflect recent changes.

Can I unplug the drive when I am finished?

Save the entries you want to keep, close the ToolKit, and wait for file activity to finish. Use your operating system's safe-eject control before removing the drive.

Get help with your ToolKit ↗Review computer recommendations ↗

For support, include your edition, Windows or Mac, computer model, RAM, app version if shown, and the exact error. Remove private information from screenshots and never send passwords or your payment-card details.