Most Misunderstood Aspect of Simple Living 

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That's what my husband always says: "If you have your own house, you will always have something to do". Its really true.

I completely understand just within the first 30 seconds of the video when you say there’s no such thing as free time. Just having land where we grow our food let alone living in the mountains like you are, the work is never ending. There’s a never ending to do list.

Heres an explanation for the old cabin with the short entry way: at least here in America old homesteads and cabins all have very short entrance ways. The main reason for this was self defense. If you have to stoop over to enter a building its really easy to club an intruder over the head. It puts you at a massive defensive advantage if they have to unevenly stumble through the doorway. Another reason for this is economics. Doorways are harder to make and use more materials. Especially when talking log cabins. Final reason yes people were a bit shorter. Absolutely wonderful video btw friend!

One of the greatest things I miss from living on the farm is chopping and stacking wood, it taught me so much.

Credit to you for being honest about buying firewood!

I vote for cast iron rods. Also, you should not feel guilty about buying wood because you are going to have to stack it all which is no easy chore!!

Use guttering to catch and collect rainwater on all of the standing structures you have in that little area(looks like 3 structures). Filter and store the water in one or two potable water storage container(s). Save up the rain water over about 3-6 months up the the dry season and only use it during the dry season.

I’d go for the cast iron bars. Feels more ”alive” and in tune with the rest of the cabin 👍🏼. Another great video! Thanks for the inspiration! 🙏🧡🍁🌄

I'd stay away from glass, if I were you. With two pups you'll be washing the glass constantly! Metal piping would be a lovely contrast with all that wood, too!

Am I a weird person if the reason I would like to live in a cabin like you, is BECAUSE there are so much things to do on the house and land. Of course I would like to contemplate the view and have fun with my animals etc but the main reason would be to work hard and to be proud of myself accomplishing a lot of things. Great videos. Always a pleasure to watch!!

As a owner of two dogs. We have glass doors everywhere and the cleaning to keep fur, slobber and everything else dog off them is constant. The cast-iron plumbing rods look amazing.

My partner and I live off grid in the Cascade Mountains. Just built an outdoor shower and am planning to convert to a sauna combo this winter. We buy most of our firewood too :) Cheers!

My grandmother said to me when I was little it takes a lot to live in the country! Between stacking wood and canning, milking cows it is a lot of hard work! I admire you and your honesty in this video!

I like the cast iron idea. Glass is a pain in the bud to clean on the side of the stairs. The iron bars look cool and you can hang dry towels over them, or attach Christmas lights or other decorations to it if you want to. Make the bars close enough to not have the heads of the dogs (or a baby 😳) get stuck between them when they want to look down who's coming through the front door. 😉 Much love and good luck with all the projects and decision making process! 💜💙💚💛🧡❤️

I really appreciated what you said about sometimes needing to buy your way out of a problem that has arisen when you can do that. It makes total sense, and to allow oneself that freedom is very wise.

Hi Kalle, instead of drilling a well, what about a large rainwater tank that catches/harvests the water off your house. Numerous styles, colours and sizes that could blend into your environment. It might be more cost effective.

Cast iron bars. Good luck with all your projects!

I've realized it makes me so happy to be able to show support for people like you who have made this kind of life change, because right now I'm only dreaming of the day when I go all in too - so I'm living vicariously through you 😊 the way you've pulled all of this off is incredibly inspiring. I really loved this one, I got giddy and excited hearing about your future plans and seeing some of the work you've done on the cabin! That feeling of having projects to do, and doing a lot of it with your bare hands, is so intoxicating!

I highly recommend You to get a sauna with a water tank and tap. That way you can heat up water while taking a sauna and then mix it with cold water and use it to wash yourself inside the sauna. Or you could use it as dish water or laudry water. Very practical.

I haven’t even gotten to the end of the video and already it’s my favorite one yet. I appreciate how unabashedly honest you are, and transparent you are about simple living. It’s something my husband and I speak of often, but we have no idea what it would take. I love learning from your videos! Thank you!!

"Time is free but it is priceless..." it moves so slowly but passes by like it was never there. You've come so far and keep looking forward and each project will happen..in it's own time. Another beautiful story 🌲 ❤ P.s metal bars for railing

I'd go with the cast iron. The glass gives a modern sterile type of look that wouldn't really fit in the decor. Also, that short door (in the guest cabin) might have been to conserve winter heat, as the majority of the heat would be at ceiling level. Most trapper cabins I've visited in British Columbia Canada have short doors as well.

Kalle, I recommend the iron pipe railing. A big part of your cabin's charm is its historic nature. Glass panels wouldn't fit the cabin's period (plus, they'd be hard to keep clean). Pipe would be more rustic and blend-in better. You could also try a variation on that theme. Here in the US, we have what's called EMT, or Electrical Metallic Tubing, which is essentially metal pipe, serving as a protective conduit through which electrical cable is run. EMT is rigid, but relatively thin-walled, and available in various diameters. For a more airy feel, you could run horizontal lengths of half-inch or 3/4" EMT through wooden posts. Metal flanges wouldn't be involved; the pipe would mount within slightly larger diameter holes, bored into the wood posts. Once cleaned with turpentine or mineral spirits, EMT can be painted any color you like. This is one railing option being considered for the cabin I'm building.

Right on, great video, enjoyed watching. I will say though that "Simple living" can be done on any countryside or even in town. (It's all about lifestyle choices) When I stack firewood, I start the bottom row out a bit and lean the entire stack against the stack behind it to prevent it from falling.

Du är tveklöst den bästa youtuber'n just nu. Fullkomligt älskar din "stil" när det kommer till klippning, val av musik, övergångarna och, så klart, innehållet! Never stop creating brother! För övrigt så röstar jag för att installera räcke med metallstänger. Tror det kan bli en snygg brytpunkt mot allt timmer i huset.

I would not recommend glass for your railings… having dogs you will always have dirty glass with smudges from dog noses. Additionally, having the iron bars will allow the heat from the wood stove downstairs to more easily circulate upstairs. Iron also adds a nice textural variation to all the wood that feels more congruent and natural than glass (imo).

The cast iron bar railing would be our vote, more fitting in the cabin, maybe find a blacksmith and see what rod iron would be for a railing too.

Leave the hole open. It's a good way to get the heat from downstairs to go upstairs, as well as helping the space feel more open and roomy. For safety, surround the opening with the cast iron pipe railing. It would be cool if you could start the railing upstairs at the open space and bring it all the way down the stairs as a railing. Not sure how expensive that kind of piping is though. Still, it would be a cool little bit of industrial chic to go with your rustic cabin. You've got great ideas!

I just drove all the way back to Germany today and this makes me miss Sweden so much. 😭

Lovely video, and can't wait to see your sauna when it happens. Saunas are great, and in Canada, all our public swimming pools usually have saunas too. For your stair railing I really love the cast iron pipe idea, it looks more rustic for your cabin, and will not be as vulnerable to accidents or damage as the glass. A lot cheaper also. Safety glass can be expensive. Love all your videos!

SAUNA 💙 I've always wondered how people survive without saunas in other cold countries! In Finland almost everyone goes to sauna! People might even have access to many saunas (my family owns three saunas nowadays 🌿) So, good luck with the sauna project! 😄

I’d vote for a log railing to go with the whole log cabin style😍, but I’m sure whatever you decide to go with will be beautiful! And that is so true! Free time? What is that? 😅 Just things like getting water and making firewood 🪵 is really time consuming, but that’s exactly what we love about this lifestyle 💚 Slowing down and appreciating that things take t i m e is so good for both mind and body 💚🌲🏡 I wouldn’t go back to living in a house in a million years!! Would love a sauna though 😍👌🏻 Thank you for another beautiful video Kalle! Klem til deg og Christine ❤️🙋🏼‍♀️🐺

You are so RIGHT about SAUNAS! It is an Exponential Kinda CLEAN 💦 Especially if there is a snow or ice dip during 🤗☃️❤ Would love cooking myself in the heat then running out & jumping in 6 foot deep piles of snow, melting & sinking down onto it😍 Vote for the Iron railings & leaving it open like that👍 The shot from above was way cool ✌🏽❤🇨🇦🙏

When someone justifies himself for expending money without anyone asking, you know is because he could just do it himself, but instead got lazy and can afford it...

I vote for the cast iron bars as well. I think it go’s really good with the flow of your cabin. It is nice to have a little more space when you put a floor down, but if you d not need it leave it open :). It will be beautiful I’d doesn’t matter how you do decide. Thanks for a beautiful video and the insight of a simple living. I enjoy your videos a lot. Hugs from South Carolina USA

I vote cast iron pipes and leaving it open unless you really need the extra space.

I love the idea of the glass Kalle, but if it was me (who hates housework), I think the iron rods would be easier to maintain. Thank you for another lovely video. I will check out the extended later when I'm home from work.

Hahah I love it. The beginning is so true. It should be called the “never ending project life” I can relate to this so much. We have been off grid for one year in upstate NY

I like the glass look and also like the tension wire look. I've been a glazier "glass guy" for a while. From what I see in professional builds (those with insurance, lawyers, architects, and engineers) when glass is used as a barrier it's always 9/16 laminated impact which can be pricey. It's also used in banks and hurricane defense. It's serious glass, but can be broken from 1 side.

100% keep the space open and although glass is lovely, it would still give me the fear standing next to it so I would say use cast iron pipes. Good luck with everything, I really can't wait to see what you do with the place :)

When Kalle just casually walked over the beams, my heart burst my chest. Don't do that again * nervous laughter * By the way, I'm for the iron bars. I think It'd look really fancy :)

Use 5/8 rebar painted black for the spindles on the banister! I have built multiple railings with rebar spindles… And they turn out beautiful every time. Rebar is quite inexpensive, very durable, and give a beautiful modern rustic look.

Love the main cabin. . Like the open feel of front door to upstairs. Cast iron rail would be ideal for the open feel from stairs to bedroom without closing off space too much. Best of luck!

I absolutely loved this video, such great quality! Thank you so much Kalle! If I had to vote, I would choose the cast iron 😊 Much love from northern Germany 🍂

I would go with the cast iron railing. Wouldn’t collecting rainwater with gutters from the roof be much cheaper than digging a proper well with a pump? I don’t know how many dry spells you have in summer

A Professiönäl Finn pronotes regarding sauna: - The "stove" in sauna is called Kiuas [Like "k you" in "thank you" + _as_ like in "rasta"] - The "benches" are called Laude in singular, or Lauteet in plural [like "loud" + _e_ like in "net" / same "lou-" + _teet_ with flat _t_ and _e_ like in "test" ] - The "different kind of clean" surely refers to the fact that in standard shower one scrubs the skin from the exterior, but in sauna one cleanses from the interior via heat, by outflowing pores throughout the body and purifying the skin tissue at a deep level. Additionally the steep temperature changes (Cold shower/lake/etc. is a must!), which highly stimulates the surface circulation of body, will also supplement increased metabolic waste processing among other health benefits.

I vote floor over the entry way, and the iron rods for a small railing! It is nice to have the tall entry way, but if you put flooring over that, you could make a small reading nook or a study desk space with some pillows for your seats. 😊❤️

Please, keep the floor open and NOT glass ... The other solution with pipes was absolutely better and fits the character of the cottage😃👍🏼💪🏼

The glass railing to me would give a clear view but does the glass fit the aesthetics of your home? The pipes might be too busy in appearance and take away more than show but they would be super secure. What about cable railing? I’m considering that for a stairway project I’m doing. I’ve been liking the Cable Bullet company and their system although there are many.

you could instal gutters on all the roofs and place rainbarrels to collect the rainwater. You can use it in de garden, wash cloth and dishes with it and when you filter/clean it you can drink it.

Over the door where there's no railing, personally I would floor it and install a storage cupboard above for like linen or whatever... I love this little property you have...

The whole city-western mentality of fast and anxious living has made me think that a living like that is impossible. How would i keep up with my job and the rest of my responsibilities?

I guess simple living isn’t necessarily simple. It’s just more connected to aspects immediately pertaining to your own life.

This reminds of the stories my parents used to tell me of their childhood, they grew up in Kazakhstan and kept telling me how much work they always had to do, taking care of the farm, house, crops, yadda yadda yadda.

Nice tip on using long sticks to stabilize wood piles, I have definitely had my share of wood pile disasters.

Definitely not my definition of 'Simple' living, more like 'extreme' living! 👍😅 I think it's amazing what you do!

another video! thank you for making my day :)

Your video reminded me of growing up in the mountains of Colorado. One of my choirs was chopping wood for our stove and fireplaces. We all looked after our neighbors and that was such a great feeling. I had so much to do as a kid and I am so greatful for childhood I had.

Wonderful video! As someone who hopes to leave the city one day for a cabin in the woods, seeing an honest portrayal of simple living is so helpful!

Iron.

Now I can’t go to bed yet anyway!! 😅

Smart way to get fully stocked up on fire wood. Allows you to focus on other preparedness and just cut more firewood as you use it.

Watching this channel reduces my anxiety and makes me happy... thank you for sharing!

Cast iron bars look really good.

You have a very interesting life, so that everyone has the commitment and life they want✌

I would vote for the pipe railing, as it would lend more of a rustic charm than glass. That's great you're now ordering your firewood to save time and your back. Interesting idea about inserting sticks into the firewood stacks so that if it topples it won't be a mess! Sometimes Dads know best! Your future sauna and bathroom with a bath sounds like just the ticket for your cabin in the woods. Jenny from Seattle, WA

Thank you for this video. You are 100% right...you never run out of projects living this way. There is always more to be done. Thank you for sharing.

Why don’t you cover it with strong, tempered glass. The kind you can walk on safely.

Cast iron bars definitely!

I vote for flooring over the door and shorter section of wood/pipe railing! Or birch bark live edge railings. This leaves room for a desk or reading area above the door, or something of that nature. A more efficient use of space. Cheers from New York!!

It's really nice to surrender and let things be "easy" sometimes, so I'm glad you decided to buy wood! I also vote for log railing, but if you want a break from the log look, then I'd say cast iron! And I'm sure it must be really tempting to finish the sauna instead of drilling the well 😅 I watched the extended version on Nebula and it was really nice to hear all of the advice and recommendations. Thank you for sharing your experience! 😁🌲💚

i vote Iron bars :)

My husband and I both agree on cast iron bars for the railing. Great video as always! Hugs from Northern California!!!

I was just out cutting firewood, preparing for the coming winter. Fortunately, our winters are not so long and cold as yours. Probably 90% of our heating comes from a cast iron wood stove, and we're dependent on it during the coldest parts of winter.

Iron bars bro

Tip n.1. iron bars With a glass "inner balcony" dogs can hurt themselves while running or playing and can brake or damage it. Tip n.2 water tank I know it's not beautiful like a well, but a big tank with a system of pump and tubes that collect water from the pond to the tank itself during the "good seasons" when the pond is full, can help you to save some water for the dry season

Well Kalie with Winter almost upon us or in your case before us in Scotland, my idea for water conservancy would be to make an area and when snow falls catch it and store it, that way when the pond dries up you have a back-up for ice cold water on tap. Maybe this sounds too far fetched but others I've watched off grid have managed it , so why not you guys? Save Christine or you lugging a bucket to the pond, filling it and lugging it back to the cabin. Could be an old water container put to good use?

Man im so glad i found this channel! Everything feels so relaxing. Love it.

I live in a tiny house on the property my parents bought two, three years ago. My plumbing is constantly freezing in the winter due to being exposed (I cannot empty my sewage tanks into the underground system) I have no hot water except what I boil or warm on the wood stove, and I have no outbuildings in which to store tools or wood for the winter. But even with all these troubles, I love my house and it’s strange quirks. I want to take out a lot of the electricity my father put in, to further insulate the very thin walls with an outside layer of cedar planking, to properly skirt the bottom of the house for winter, to build a bathing room off the side for my bathing needs (right now I shower at my parents) and build a wood house and a studio that will also serve as a guest house. Each year I live here I find myself going simpler and simpler, finding ways to make solid, plain structures and work with the quirks of my situation instead of fight against them. I know that after my wood house, I will want to build a goat shed and eventually I have to actually find dirt for the gigantic garden plot I cleared. I know my studio, which I have been planning and researching carefully, will take many skills and finances that I do not currently have. I know eventually I will have to figure out my storage properly, so that my clothes are not stuck in the suitcase I brought them here in. But for now, I have a wood stove. I have my little propane stove with the half-broken oven, that makes me tea and food. I have a shelf under my kitchen counter full of foodstuffs, a fridge I painted designs on with paint markers. I have a bed surrounded on all sides by walls. One thing about this lifestyle is accepting that you will never be done all the projects, but also accepting what you have now, that right now you have beautiful things. That the next project is not going to magically solve all your problems, and that although it is important to continue forging ahead to learn and do what you have set out for yourself, it is just as important to accept where you are now, or else you will drive yourself mad. There is no ending to this kind of life, no perfect goal to shoot for. Just things to do, dishes to wash, and a good warm house to keep. People confuse rest with a static state. For many off-griders or homesteaders, I feel like rest is that continual state of both contentment here and contentment going forward with the work that will never be done.

Thank your dad from me too, I have never heard about putting long sticks in the wood stack but its so obvious when you first said it.

1.I love when I get the notification from your new videos🥳 yay! 2.cast iron railing 3.can you share your tips with your beard pls?😄 My husband would appriciate it. And also me of course👌🏼

My grandparents live simply. They always have things to do,from feeding the chicken and cows to gathering wood for the fire. Also the whole cleaning and cooking aspect (because they cooked on an old stove).

I love the cabin! All that wood is so cozy and nice. 😊

Mycket intressant och informativ vide Kalle. Ska bli kul och se hur allting utvecklas!

baking soda can give some people a rash. other options: -ethyl alcohol/vodka spray (%65-75) -magnesium chloride (called magnesium oil) spray -taking chlorophyll orally (wheat grass juice powder), acts as an internal deodorant, people report success as far as body odor. -clay mask on the armpits (leave for 20-30 minutes then wash). resets the bacteria there and gives a chance for non-odor-causing bacteria to be dominant.

Estonian 🇪🇪 here! Sauna is part of every private house here, some even build saunas in to apartments. Currently in the process of finishing mine in my house.

My dad is a countryside homeowner type of guy. There is NEVER nothing to do! After 15 years, something in the house or on the property area breaks all the time. I actually do not want to have this now knowing how much time he spends just reparing evrything by himself.

Regarding the voting for floor/railings... how about instead of a floor you add netting to create mini hammocks of the open areas? Strong rope and bolts should easily take the weight of a falling person, the space still feels open and with a few pillows it can become an interesting space to do something like read, especially if you have kids visiting.

I like the pipes one, and I think you should put glass on the floor, so you can keep looking up and seeing everything. About the bathtub, I could feel the peace of a bath with the stone outside, lovely project

It was so nice to hear about your plans and projects! It will be such a dream house when you're finished. I also vote cast iron bars because the glass would seem oddly contemporary and out of place.

Hi suggestion. put a grate over the opening. you can still see up and it allows light down. Then go with the pipe railing. It fits the cabin look and do you really wont to try to keep glass clean. Dust will stick to the glass.

I vote half floor, half open with metal pipe railing. Regarding water, you could buy a water storage tank and save water during the wet season and live from the tank during dry months. Raise the tank up a bit and you could even have some water pressure for an indoor sink.

I'm so happy you have plenty of firewood for the winter months xxx

Hi Kalle- I vote for putting in a floor and using the space as a tiny office or meditation space and iron pipe railing. The pipes would look nice and you could hang stuff on them during the holidays (or even wet clothes in the winter).

I hope Christine has a change of heart about keeping the old door. It is usable and very beautiful wood!

When I was a teen, my mom bought a cottage from the 1800's. A cobbler had built it for himself and his family (we found some half made shoes under the floor boards). It had been used as a summer house since the 1970`s and it had electricity and plumbing with water from an old well. No toilet or shower though. First winter, no toilet because there just were none. Then we built one and it was all good until next winter; we though the well had frozen but it was empty. Turns out, going from the capacity of a summer home of two, to a full on home of a family of three (with showers and flushing a toilet this time) was to much strain on that old well. It just couldn't keep up. So we drilled a new, deeper one. Never had a problem again, but it was frickin expensive. Hope you get the water situation sorted 😊

I have a water well. When you do it, make sure you put the well on the highest elevation point of your land so that it gravity feeds water pressure, and get a storage tank (to offset dry seasons and good for emergency use).

I love the idea of glass walls for your railing. That way you would still be able to see right up there when coming in the door and it would allow more light through. The drawback to that would be continuous cleaning, especially with the dogs touching their noses against the glass all of the time as dogs do. Thank you for the tour. It's great to have future projects and dreams to look forward to. No shame in purchasing your firewood this year. It's okay to give yourself a break from time to time to re-energize and focus your energy on more important things. Love your videos.

I like the plumbing pipes idea and to keep the area open. 🌲💖