easy explanation :) the pos is the place where you can store stuff, where you can switch ships and where you can do things (production, chain reactions, invention, etc...).

Now how many of these things you can do without a POS behing more or less safe?

1 - store stuff Yes you can. You can always create a safe spot, anchor a container and voilà. Indeed the big difference is that the containers you can find in the market don't have enough space but nothing can stop you to anchor more than one.

2 - switch ships You can take them in a safe spot, leave them there and fly in your secret place... and when you need you switch your brand new anathema for your Tengu. Indeed you can but it's not a good idea. When you're not online the ships are there, they can be probed and people can simply steal them. The other solution (better in my opinion) is train an alt for the other things you want to do (an alt that can probe the signatures and find exits... an alt to clean the npc... an alt to salvage, open magneto and radar sites and so on...).

3 - do stuff You can't.

I've been in a wh for 2 months in this way and soloed it with nothing but my main and my alt, i cleaned the anonalies with one (and the rats in gravitometric, ladars, etc)... and salvage the wrecks with the other. Can it be done? Yes. Was it easy? No it wasn't and it was quite stressful too :)