Off-Grid Utilities - How We Do Heat, Water, Electricity And Sewer

#offgrid
#offgridpower
#woodheat

[fredbear]

Well done, that was the simplest way someone explained how to run power out to camp, that I have seen in any video. Thanks and good luck for the rest of the deer season!

[Growmap]

When I hauled water (for years), I had a 100 gallon tank on 2 wheels. It was easily pulled by any vehicle. There was a rural water supply overhead you could drive under and fill it for free. That is way easier than carrying 5 gallon containers by hand. And it came in handy one year after I ran my own water line from a neighbors (having given up on the local co-ops promise I would have water "any time now when we drill a new well).

One winter the pump froze that fed the house (and cracked the housing). Fortunately, there was a local guy who could successfully weld cast iron. Never did leak, but I did put a heat lamp in the pump house after that.

So I drove that tank on wheels over to a rich neighbor's house. They had an outside water faucet that was insulated and didn't freeze. And they gave me a full water tank so I could water 70 horses out of a bucket a few at a time.

I don't like being cold which is why I have never lived north of I-40.

[brucelee]

I live off grid. I keep a bucket of “hydrated lime” in my out house. I Place a scoop in it.
Every time someone uses the toilet, they pour a scoop of lime over their leavings.
It keeps down the oder and dries every thing out.

The ashes are a great idea, obviously, in the winter time.

[TentFever]

Shorten all your wire to the exact lengths so that they just reach your connections. Increase the gauge size on the wire used. And again on the extension cords should be shortened to where they can just reach to wire in your peripheral’s . Do that to the power system and it will operate much more efficient.

[capturehishonor]

Some great ideas. The water seems like the weak link. It will be difficult to haul all that water when you get old or disabled. Six things you can do fairly easily and inexpensively:

(1) Collect rainwater off your roof into plastic 50 gallons drums (you can usually get used ones for free). You may need to add gutters, pipes and metal/vinyl roof (if shingled). If drinking water, have it tested or filtered.

(2) Dig a shallow well with a pipe and handpump away and uphill from your outhouse. If drinking water, have it tested or filtered.

(3) In the driest time of year, search your land and adjacent land (with permission) for wet areas near a hill. Follow it uphill until it's dry. Move debris below this until you find it wet again. Dig uphill until you find where the water comes directly out of the ground. Dig a small hole. It will likely fill quickly. Give it a half hour for sediment to settle to the bottom. Scoop a jar of water off the top and bring to the nearest lab for testing. If it tests good, come back and dig your hole deeper. You will have all the water you need. You can carry it to your cabin, or dam the bottom, and run an insulted pipe to your cabin (remember, you are uphill). Covering with forest litter will work and look better. It may freeze in the winter if you're in the north. If drinking unfiltered, I would get it tested once after flooding and then once a year.

A few more tips:

(4) Outhouse: I would add a vent pipe that goes below the seat and well above the roof. The wind will pull the smell away. I would not use ash. It will fill too quickly. I would have a bag of lime with a scoop on the top.

(5) I would purchase an inexpensive camping folding toilet seat for using inside if it's too cold outside or if the snow is too deep. You can purchase environmentally safe disposable bags that you can dump into your outhouse at a later time. You can have a partition around your toilet for privacy if you wish. Or better yet, keep it in our sauna to use. It's warm and you have privacy.

(6) I would add a heat reclaimer (with thermostat) to your stovepipe a foot above the top of your stove. You can set it so it will only come on in when it gets the coldest in the early morning when only hot coals remain. Instead of having to get up out of your warm bed and try to start a fire in the chilling cold, your cabin will be the hottest when it is the coldest, and you will use far less firewood. As hard as this is to believe, it really works! Coals give off more heat at the bottom of the stove than roaring flames going up your chimney and wasting energy. An ironsmith puts his metal into the hot coals, rather than at the top of the flame.

[WogChilli]

Nice little setup. When connecting your alligator clamps from the inverter to the batteries; connect the positive lead to the first battery, and the negative lead to the last batter, this ensures even discharge between all of the batteries.

[deanharbord]

I use to haul my water 325 gallon tank on my truck put in a 1000 gallon tank in the ground with a electric pump to furnish the home with water had a septic tank for waste water but finally got a sand point well and converted electric pump to pull well water so I don't have to haul it anymore but you did a nice job thanks for the video Dave I live on the river so I can fish anytime except for winter

[robbyoutdoors]

I had to rewind for a bit in the beginning of the video. I was "half watching" when suddenly I thought I had seen "a major award" in the window....damned if it wasn't so! BEAUTIFUL "FRAGILE'" TOUCH!!! I will have one in my cabin for sure!

[lauriewheeler]

Loved the battery bank explication…

I’ve always felt that it was so complicated, I’d never be able to figure it out when others would talk about it or try and explain it.

Thank You!

[DJGive]

Great video glad I found this channel. I've always found it beneficial to have a kettle on a wood burning stove to help make up for the this displaced moisture that burning the wood causes. Creates more of an equilibrium in the environment in the sense of moisture and general humidity. 👍👍👍

[ravenlorans]

1:39 Love the Harbor Freight Solar Charger. Simple and Works. I use mine for Simple Lighting.
Why not collect Rain Water? Even just getting a few 32 Gallon Garbage Cans from Walfart for like $10. Use that for the "Gray Water" use and or get some Good Water Filters and can use it for Drinking also. Hook a couple together at the bottom with a shutoff and drainage Valve for more storage and use a 12v RV Water Pump for things you need water pressure for. It's what I am doing. Tho I do live in Florida and don't really have to worry about Freezing... I type this at 1030pm Jan 17th and just below 40* outside :D :D

[iclite]

This is so gr8. Ty. Now, if the gov would get rid of property tax, that would complete the picture.

[mikeletorus]

Awesome camp. I have some similar set ups, and a cheap solar system (i went with a 3 panel system from Grape Solar) for lights, extra fan, tv, radio etc. is a game changer. Also something we do for showers is heat the water and mix to the temp we want and put it in a 3 gal. hand pump weed sprayer (clean of course). Our camp is an old 5th wheel, so we just shower in the old shower using the weed sprayer for water pressure. Plan to add a 40 gal sprayer with a 12v pump hooked to the solar system as a means to get water pressure for dishes, shower, etc. All around awesome video though, way to make it simple for everyone.

[BAMFWOODS]

Run the water line through the fire for hot water Also I have used a solar powered pump for shower

[kathleenshannon]

The best explanation of how to do heat, water and electricity and sewer. Thank you very much!

[Hogger]

Sears used to sell a wood stove nearly identical to this one. We heated our home (in Los Altos Hills CA) from 1961 to 1977 with one. It had cast iron grates which allowed the ash (from wood or coal ) to fall into the large pullout pan in the smaller lower door.

[ernie]

Great camp! We have pretty much same kind of camp, but we stay in a school bus.We hunt in Central Texas! We use batteries also, and haul in water also!

[sanpablos]

This is by far the most useful information that I have ever received from any off grid video! These guys know what their doing! Lol I feel like I would survive at this camp! Lol lol this is YouTube and I feel safe! This was awesome!😂

[markpro]

Great video, thanks for showing us around! Love your humor!! Best of luck to your camp this season!

[silvesterjordan]

This is how we all need to be living for 6 months of the year. Fun, Fun, then work a little bit. Fun again! Great!!!