Setting Up an Off-Grid Retreat in Wild and Wonderful West Virginia
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 →
Okay, so this sabbatical has taken on a few forms ever since I got started on this. Initially, the plan was to get a travel trailer, and travel the country a bit and see people. While I still hope to do some traveling, the travel trailer is on hold until I get a tax issue... Continue Reading →
The rain over the last week has been pretty robust, so I have been back in the DC area trying to get other important life work done that I have put on hold for a bit. Because of the dirt road, which is now complete mud, I still haven't been able to check on the... Continue Reading →
One of the things that I will try and do from time to time is do a SMALL post on technology issues I run into while doing these posts. The first one, will be on picture size. The pictures I capture are mainly from my cell phone, and average a megabyte in size. However, if... Continue Reading →
Nature does not care about your plans, goals, or feelings.
Vantages From Vandalia 