Setting Up an Off-Grid Retreat in Wild and Wonderful West Virginia
So one of the things that West Virginia has is mountains and stone; no real surprise to anyone who has been there. However, I have a lot of extra fieldstone lying about in piles from the pasture field, and I am looking for something to do with it. First, fieldstone is the stone that is... Continue Reading →
One of the things I don't like about my truck is that it has terrible tires. Just terrible tires. I have been in a few situations where I was sitting there thinking "I shouldn't be stuck right now." After my last experience of trying to haul wood out by hand, I thought I would bring... Continue Reading →
So, there isn't much cell coverage out in my parts of WV, so improving cell coverage where possible has been a priority. Unfortunately, there is a lot of straight up fraudulent products out there. However, I did find a number that could help other people. Before we hit that, lets get into a simple explanation... Continue Reading →
So, I went back up to the mountain with a few things in mind. I needed to get some more wood cut, brought up, cut to usable size, stacked. I also needed to get some more grass seed down wherever it was patchy. I also wanted to focus on getting the place a little more... Continue Reading →
It's time to talk about getting a toilet. No one wants to dig a hole in the forest and go poop in it, especially when there are bugs around. So its time to setup something where you can poop with confidence, and dignity. But eh, yea, you are still pooping in the forest. So, where... Continue Reading →
After discovering that the national park service was charging USD$7 for a bundle of wood while camping this weekend, I may have partially puked in my mouth at the cost. Those rates are pretty absurd. While yes its kiln dried, and likely means that there is no insects being transported, I am still pretty shocked... Continue Reading →
Looks like some of the recently planted grass is taking hold! In addition, the hay fields are getting really really tall. It is getting harder to keep track of Tyr in the grass; its easily a foot taller than him in spots.
It's been raining pretty heavily in West Virginia over the last few weeks, and I haven't been able to get out to the mountain lately. Mainly, I don't want to damage the dirt road while the ground is soft, but hanging out in the rain isn't much fun either. So I have been spending time... Continue Reading →
In the last post, I covered the parts that are required to build a micro-grid solar system. In this post, the focus is on my first attempts at assembly and generating the first kilowatt hour of power. Of note: this is still in an experimentation phase and not permanently setup. I still need to learn... Continue Reading →
Despite being off-grid, there are certain luxuries that only come with fossil fuels or electric power. Consider the time required to chop a tree down vs using a chain saw, or building a fire to cook versus an electric kettle. Lamp oil versus bright LED bulbs; the list goes on. For me, the off-grid retreat... Continue Reading →
Vantages From Vandalia 