You two are a breath of fresh air. A young couple willing to work hard and learn as you go is something you just don't see much these days. I particularly like the fact that you have your eye on the long term goals and are willing to wait for the pay off. As you work through the problems and learn from your mistakes you are truly living life. I remember facing many of the same problems when I first moved to the country as a young man. I had little money but I had the strength of youth and a dream to build a homestead. You will get there and the lessons learned will last a lifetime.
After 18 years of me suggesting this my wife has come to finally realize what I've have been talking about all of these years. We are buying a lot near Kenia, AK ;) and soon after school is out next month heading that way. We have a nine year old boy and a 4 year Golden Retriever so I will have some help!
I have used rocket stoves on many occasions to keep warm when out camping. It is an excellent tool to allow you to fully realize the thermal energy in the feed stock and reduce soot .produced. When combined with heat sinks to store the energy the heat can be used for log periods of time. Easy to make, easy to use.
All great ideas, and helpful hints. BUT when we were in our RV we used chemicals for certain things in our black tank that eventually ruined our valves and toilet mechanism. It was more than six months before we realized we had a problem. Which manifested after it started to warm up outside. I hope you don't have the same problem with the anti-freeze. Best advice you've given to everyone is 'getting off the ground'. Foundations pillars and posts will save so much on heating, cooling, and wear and tear on your buildings.
what this couple did shows to prove , anything you put your mind into you can make it reality. whether it is building a homestead , studying for a career or something like can you can pull it off.
You're through the first winter there which is the hardest. Now things will be changing rapidly as the weather improves. Stick to your plans and don't rush it to bad. Stop and so some fishing along the way or a nice walk in the woods. Proud of what you both have accomplished and really want to see what you can build by fall. Get the BBQ grill out and grill something special! :)
A few thoughts after watching your video. Try to get some bales of straw/hay to use around the tent/cabin on the ground to insulate...you could even use them along the septic line area. Might eliminate the freeze issue. Get a solar powered fan. With all the light in the plastic window and a high mounted fan to circulate the air you would probably use even less firewood. Good job and enjoy watching your journey.
I like what you did , built a house around your RV, and a shed off the back and installed a wood stove inside it.. Sounds like some of it was feel your way through some of the issues.. but you did it..
awesome we are in West Yellowstone and definitely could us a shelter logic cover and i like you idea with the blocks and wood and side skirting. You two rock
Very informative... Love your channel, I'm positive you guys are going to do great (I think you already are)! Still 18 and in college here... it's fun and helpful to follow you, because videos like this really help showing the entire journey (a lot of homesteaders off grid on youtube already have their home etc.) Thank you for the tips and great video! :)
Great Series guys! I recently moved from temperate SoCal to the Tahoe National Forest and have been enjoying many of your tips and insights. Since moving into the cold snowy mountains, I've been trying to figure out better ways to stay warm during the winter months. During my research I stumbled across a term that I'm now experimenting with "Thermal Mass". I noticed in this video that you place your water jugs near the stove to keep them from thawing, but did you know that they were also secretly acting as a very good "thermal mass" which was contributing towards keeping your place cozier!? Turns out that water has a decent thermal mass that captures the heat from the stove and later radiates it out, much like charging and discharging a battery... You're both probably aware of this, but I didn't see or read anything about it... Thank you again, and keep up the good work!
The change to more 'clickbaitish' titles - has it helped? Your content is very good, keep up the amazing, life-changing, mega, gonzo, 'number 14 will blow your mind' work!!
Sadly, views are up, but is that "helping"? Hard to say. I guess if we're winning against clickbait using clickbait maybe that's like fighting fire with fire? Hmm....
Yes the whole point of going off grid is to have an appreciation of how many natural resources we waste and do not appreciate. If I go off grid I think I will do it in a mild climate.
Hi ; good tips ! about insulation : it has to be instal well and kept very dry to be efficient ; so , a plastic sheet or film has to be fixed inside so the damp cannot condense into the insulation , be careful to put adhésive tape on the joints ( a very thin passage for damp-air and it is a big area out of efficiency ) . How much insulation ? that depends of how much you want to save in heating . The first layer makes a big difference compare to no insulation at all ; then the difference decrease , following calculation -> 1/X -> I mean : 1/2 is 0.5 : 1/4 is 0.25 ; 1/8 is 0.125 ....etc....so you save less and less . But do not make a sealed box ; let some air comes inside - just enough ( when it freeze the air outside is almost dry ) and the same amount of air getting out ( with the damp ) . About the septic tank ; get a check on it after winter , to see if it works normally . Begin to think about the garden plants and small animals you need . Hello to your cat !
Have you thought of a Jewel Thief, It's a electronic device that take DC power and make electricity at a much lower rate at a better use of wattage?, and you can get ultra super capacitors for backup for your battery's. Just a thought! O I almost forgot, the capacitors have more then 500,000 cycles. Most battery's have less then 600 cycles, I think that's what it is! Have a good day and stay safe!
hey guys great job on the videos Iam currently remodeling a effort off grid set up its been fun but hard work too . I look forward to seeing more videos.
How do you guys make a living while homesteading? Did you happen to just save a lot of money to fulfill a dream such as this, because it seems to me at least that you guys are pretty much up-keeping and improving your property constantly. Either way, truly impressed with the work you guys have done and the resources you guys are able to pull to make most things you invest in cost-efficient. Good luck!
Hi Jesse & Alissa, quick inquiry I lived in a prowler aristrocrat 24' for 2.5 years while I built my house. (The trailer black water vent) I didn't see any vent pipe exiting the methane from your trailer tent.. just inquisitive about how you did a work around on that one. Ed
watch out for fire hazard, have an action plan in case of small fire. who does what, also priorities. exercise plan monthly, on same date or on full moon etc...
hi Jesse. Just want to share my idea on heating the cabin. You could heat up some rocks nearby and distribute it at cold spots in the cabin. It could help further reducing the freezing effect from outside & maybe warm up the cabin slightly better
This is probably a stupid question... but how does running a wood heater pull the moisture out of the air? Growing up my house we had a wood furnace in the basement (return ducts from all 3 floors and a blower on the top of the furnace), but we still had to run a dehumidifier during the winter.
Thanks, some great ideas! One main tip is MONEY, MONEY, MONEY! You just cant live like this without cash or credit! Without a good wood stove, I just don't believe you could have made it. Great job of living thru the winter, it's really a challenge to live in the cold for any extended length time. With MONEY, you can do all this, so my advice to anyone, don't try this without some capital. Smart move on the septic, I believe it really saved you guy's tons of issues! Don't forget to smell the flowers! Oh; that's right, its cold outside!
ethylene glycol antifreeze isn't that bad for your septic system, and if your septic system is properly installed, there's no risk to groundwater. if you can get propylene glycol, you'll get the same results with no toxicity.
+ririshow Obviously we have no data to back this up, but according to our research based on the quantity of antifreeze to water any negative effects are negligible. We are using about 1 qt per tank which is 15 gallons. We are also only using it on really cold snaps, so we ended up using just 2 gallons total all winter. According to the data from our local health department you could in theory use as much as 2 cups of chlorine bleach per day and not damage the tank cultures with normal daily household water usage.
you might want to consider a thermo electric generator to place on your wood stove to help charge your coach batteries goto tegmart.com and check them out.
Has your wife become camera shy over the winter? Other than the brief shot in the chainsaw mill video, we haven't seem much of her in your recent videos.
WHEN I WAS A KID AT GRANDPA'S HOUDE HE HAD AN OUT HOUSE, NO PLUNBING NO CHEMICLES.... AID YOUR BUILDING A TINY HOUSE WHY WOULD YOU NEED SUCH A SOPHISTICATED SET UP FOR YOU AND YOUR WIFE. .. ..?????
Please watch this video back from the start! You are not in an Australian soap opera! Please stop upspeaking!! "This one time at band camp" ! One of the most annoying things in life! You don't do it in the middle part and beyond so why at the start?
