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Decentralised power in Syria
An obscure American Anarchist inspires a new way of government in Syria…
October 27, 2015
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An obscure American Anarchist inspires a new way of government in Syria…
How do you start when you are wanting to go off-grid? How do you decide where to live? There are many different directions you can go in when you are in the planning stages. I found this video with a true off-gridder talking about how to pick a place to go off-grid. This isn’t about how HE did it, it’s more a set of guidelines as to how to get into the best possible location for how you wish to live.
I think one of the things that might be difficult for people is moving away from where they live now, people tend to want to stay close to family and familiar places. It might necessary to move, possibly far away to find a spot of land that would suit how you wish to live.
Considering these questions before buying, you will have a better chance of succeeding.
Enjoy
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Each autumn as the weather turns cool and the days get shorter, I think back on our first year living off-grid, eight years ago this month, PB and I had a final trailer full of the last of our possessions sitting in the driveway, we had closed down the last of our life in the city (Irving Texas), PB had shut down his one man business, I had quit both of my jobs, the house was nearly empty. PB had brought several loads of our stuff out to the property some 500 miles to the west, most of it was sitting under tarps to keep the weather and (hopefully) the critters from ruining it.
We were waiting for a break in the weather, that fall into winter seemed more wet and icy than usual. As it got closer to Thanksgiving, we chose to stay in town to spend one final holiday with our families. Again we waited for the weather to clear so we could leave. In the middle of the trailer of our belongings we had a large wire container with food, I worried about the can goods freezing so we placed a small space heater under the tarp, it worked well enough, our food made it just fine.
We finally got a break in the weather on December 21, the sun was shining, it was above freezing, the roads were dry, so we decided to make a run for it. As we were walking through the house one final time to make sure we hadn’t forgotten anything, we heard a loud crash, turned out it was PB’s son coming home for lunch. He made a left turn in front of a car that was going way too fast down that road, but since he had pulled in front of her, it was technically his fault.
Fortunately no one was injured, the vehicles however were not so lucky. As a result, our start time went from morning until after 3pm, we couldn’t risk staying another night, the weather could turn on us again and we wanted to get to our new off-grid home. PB drove a truck pulling the trailer, I drove his service van pulling the VW bug, everything was loaded down to the max.
It took us 12 hours to drive the 500 miles, stopping only for fuel, bathroom breaks and to adjust the loads as needed. When we arrived at the property, it was COLD, I found out the temps that night got down to 14 degrees F, and it was blowing a gale all night long. We hiked up to the box PB had build that would become our SkyCastle, climbed the ladder into the house and hung on while the wind threatened to knock the place down.
Well, I didn’t wait, I was too tired, I crawled into the tent that was inside the …
Working almost non-stop as young professionals, they knew something was missing.
“We were both working a lot of hours – 80 hours per week — eating out three meals a day, coming home to a dark house,” says Cody, one of the stars of the Wranglerstar You Tube channel. “Everyone you meet says, ‘Oh, you guys have it made. You’re making so much money. You’re building these careers.’ But we didn’t really like it. We didn’t get to spend any time together.”
That’s when his wife, Jessica, learned through a Bible study about a couple who had moved to Montana, dropped off the electrical grid and created a new life.
“It was just happen-chance they were speaking in town,” Cody says. “We met them and they invited us to spend a weekend with them in Montana. On the drive home, we decided to do this. We put our house up for sale when we got home.”
What has followed is the creation of the You Tube channel where the couple and their son, Jack, share their story about modern homesteading. Despite putting a part of their lives out on the Internet, the couple prefers to maintain their privacy and asked that their last name not be used in this story.
Jessica also has written a book. They’ll hold a book signing from 4-6 p.m. Friday at Yankee Peddler West in downtown Fremont.
The You Tube channel started out as a hobby. But it’s grown into much more. It now has nearly 271,000 subscribers and the videos have been several million times.
And it has become a way to help support their lives.
“When we made that decision, no one was making money on You Tube. It was done as a hobby,” Cody says. “I remember when we got our first check from You Tube. It was $100 or something. I thought, ‘This isn’t real. This is never going to cash.’ … That really changed my way to thinking.
“I think she was really annoyed from my You Tube videos. I think probably she thought it was taking away from a real job. But I really started to realize we could do this, we could make a living at this.”
It is more than they anticipated, Jessica says.
“The subscribers want to watch daily,” she says. “It’s definitely more work than we anticipated.”
Still, they are able to keep some privacy.
“When we do apple pressing (the subject of recent video), that’s half an hour of our life,” says Jessica, who grew up in Fremont – a fact not mentioned in the videos. “The rest of our life is not shown on camera.”
All those videos – and the connection to their subscribers – led to the new book.
“There’s this publishers and his wife is a viewer of ours,” Jessica says. “She went to him and said, ‘I think you …
We are back on track now, after last week’s rain deluge, our little community really pulled together to help all of us. This is one of the good things about living in a small community, when there is a need, we all jump in and help, no matter what differences we may have.
We typically have 2 people working on the roads out here, but after the 4 days of heavy rains, our roads were decimated beyond use, there were about 30 volunteers in the following days working on the 2 worst roads, mine was one of them. Folk came out with heavy and light equipment, some had hand tools, shovels, chainsaws and the such.
Living in a small community has its ups and downs, right now we are going through some political issues, not national subjects, but much closer to home, we have a POA and have a board of trustees who are voted in to represent the people out here. Some would like to do away with the POA but something I learned is if we didn’t govern ourselves, then we would be governed by the powers that be in the county. I prefer governing ourselves.
In the past couple of years, there have been a change of the guard, the old guard was voted out and a new bunch was voted in, for the better or worse, we are working through changes and growing pains. As will happen with groups, there is a division in the community and some smaller divisions as well, there are a few, vocal folk who have been creating more problems than they are solving and lately the noise level has gotten pretty loud.
Honestly I believe this storm was exactly what this community needed, it caused everyone to take a step back, to reassess what is real, what is important, and we all came together, neighbor to neighbor, neighbor for neighbor, we put our differences aside and worked together to fix the roads, and hopefully heal our community.
This is life in a small community, and I love it.
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There is so much unused space, especially in the USA, space that was created for one purpose but with fresh eyes, can be used for living space. In many large cities, you will find parking garages, multilevel, covered enclosures meant for parking cars, how about taking the parking garages that are not being used and turn them into homes for people? That’s what this experiment is all about.
Combining tiny homes with a parking garage gives a wonderful space a new life, it lends protection from most of the weather, but it allows light and air to come in. There is space for the tiny homes as well as communal spaces for gardening, gathering, eating and the such.
Think of it as high rise apartments without the apartments, it’s much more people friendly, I think it’s a great concept, one that I hope takes off. Enjoy the 3 videos below.
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Earlier this week, I only worked Monday and Tuesday, I had an unexpected “vacation” after that. On my way home Tuesday, I passed through a storm, a heavy storm with lots of lightning, hail and rain. I was able to get ahead of the storm and got home safely. About an hour later, the skies opened up, it poured in buckets, the hail, some as big as golf balls bashed everything in sight. I went out on the covered porch and moved the solar panels, I tilted them away from the prevailing wind, it’s not 100% guarantee of protection, but it’s better than nothing. The other bank of solar panels that are fixed in place, we have placed heavy concrete wire over the top and weaved 2 layers of bird netting through the concrete wire. It does create the tiniest bit of shade over the panels, but it has also protected them from damage from hail on more than one occasion.
The creek at the bottom of the property was flowing at flood stage, the water was coming over my neighbor’s bridge by a good foot and a half. We had wave after wave of heavy rain fronts passing through at half hour intervals. We had already had 4 days of good rain so the ground was saturated and the water had no where to soak in.
The rain eventually stopped during the night, we mopped up as best we could and went to bed. The following morning was really eye opening, it was clear that we weren’t going anywhere, and neither was anyone else out here. The roads were devastated, gone in some areas. We have over 70 miles of unpaved roads in mountainous terrain in the neighborhood, we have many many low water crossings. The creek, which is dry much of the year, meanders across the road as you go out. Most of the time when it rains, you might have to drive through a few inches of water, this time, the roads were washed out, large basketball sized rocks (some larger) were left in the way, there were places where you couldn’t see what was below the water, whether it was more rocks or a hole that might bury your vehicle.
We were stuck in for 3 days, some of our neighbor’s farther down the road from us were stuck in 4 days. Other neighbors were stuck out, they had gone out and couldn’t get back in. Fortunately my little community pulls together in a crisis and 30+ volunteers came out to work on the roads, some with heavy equipment, others with hand tools. My road was hit the worst so they worked our road first.
Fortunately most of the folk living out here are aware of the possibility of being stuck in (or out) for days or even weeks at a time, it doesn’t happen often, …
Just how much can you divulge? How much should you divulge? You want to be more prepared, you have become more prepared, you have a good amount of food and supplies put up for emergencies, you may hear one of your co-workers or neighbors talking about prepping, you might be tempted to let them know just how ready you are… I say that isn’t a good idea. What you have just done is give other people a roadmap to your precious preps, right now they might even laugh at what you are doing, but I promise you, if things get bad, they will remember and they will show up on your doorstep looking for a handout, or to take what is yours.
Hopefully you are able to put up enough to take care of yourself, your family and those in your circle of friends for the duration, but chances are, you probably don’t have enough to share out. Even if you can take care of a small circle of friends and co-workers, how many have they told about your stash? It’s amazing how good a memory can work when you are hungry.
Next question is how far are you willing to go to protect what is yours? Are you willing to injure someone? Are you willing to take another life? This may sound extreme, and hopefully this never happens. But to keep things secure, for you, for your family, for your circle, the fewer people who know what you have and where you keep it, the better off you will be.
Yes, this is harsh, it is reality, and nothing is more real than an empty cupboard, whether it is yours or someone else. What are you doing (or not doing) to ensure your OPSEC? (look it up if you aren’t familiar)
1. Don’t tell what you have or where it is.
2. Don’t allow your family members to do #1.
3. Don’t show pictures online of your preps, I see this on a regular basis, whether it’s food, or ways to protect what is yours, keep it off the internet.
4. If all else fails, refer to #1.
You want to blend in with the other people, the ones who haven’t a clue, you can gently educate them, but not at your (or your family’s) expense or risk.
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The hottest shows on cable TV these days are about people who have no TV.
As the TV industry wakes up to this, expect plenty more shows about off-grid living.
Take Discovery Channel’s Alaskan Bush People, in which a character shows how to properly prepare grasshoppers by pulling their heads off and allowing the guts to leak out before laying them out in the sun to dry. Add a little salt and pepper, and dinner is served.
Not hungry? Viewers are lapping up the year-old show, as well as other off–grid reality series that have become very appetizing.
Shows like Alaskan Bush People, History Channel’s Mountain Men Home page, FYI’s Unplugged Nation and Animal Planet’s The Last Alaskans — as well as rugged competition reality shows, such as Discovery Channel’s Naked and Afraid and History Channel’s series Alone — are providing viewers with an aspirational look at an alternative lifestyle that eschews modern technology for life off the beaten path.
Some of the characters in these reality shows are hardcore naturalists who have no need for civilization; others are average people who are seeking the simple life. Some are new at it; others have been doing it for generations.
On these shows, hunting knives are more valuable than smartphones, and cable-network programmers say it’s the fantasy of unplugging from civilization that draws viewers in droves.
Off–the–grid shows comprised nearly half of the 10 most-watched reality shows during the third quarter of 2015, according to Nielsen. Alaskan Bush People, which profiles a family born and raised in the Alaskan wilderness, was the most popular reality show of the period, averaging 3.6 million viewers.
TAKEAWAY
Reality-show aficionados are finding a refuge from modern living in the programs.
“There’s an aspirational element to the show that really communicates with people — we’ve always had that as a backbone to the program,” Russ McCarroll, senior vice president of development and programming for History Channel, said. “These ideas of managing to live and doing hard work in places that are beautiful are what appeal to viewers.”
WILDERNESS ESCAPISM
During times frought with threats of cyber-terrorism, economic difficulties and military conflicts, History’s Mountain Men — which follows the real-life challenges of six guys who use their survival skills to live in desolate mountain areas across the country — attracts both male and female viewers with escapist content that focuses on a simpler life where people control where and how they live, McCarroll said.
Mountain Men averaged more than 3 million viewers during its fourth and most recent season, which concluded last week.
“There’s a lot of doom and gloom stories out there, whether it’s the breakdown of the economy or the environment changing, so there’s a great appeal as to whether to sustain one’s self and to fi nd out, if everything really did go the wrong way,
Winter is just around the corner, I’m sitting here tonight, with drops of rain falling on the roof, it’s a chilly 55 degrees F outside, not much warmer inside, it’s not cold enough for the woodstove yet, though we have been enjoying the fireplace PB is building on the semi-enclosed deck.
This yet again stirred my interest in thermal mass rocket stove heaters, you know the one I’m talking about I’m sure, the one built into the cob bench, the idea is using a rocket stove for efficient burning, using less wood, heating a thermal mass (the cob bench)… I have little hope of having one in our current living space, mainly because of the weight, we “live” on the second floor of the SkyCastle. BUT there is a ground floor level that will someday be finished, becoming a bedroom, that space is perfect for a thermal mass rocket stove heater, I’m just biding my time until PB begins to finish that part of the house.
Rocket Mass Heaters
Lessons from Our Rocket Mass Heater: This book is bursting with photos, tips and resources all from our own build! A companion guide to the experts manuals you’ll get a personal look at a real build.
Meanwhile, I will watch and learn from other folk who build and use these, I REALLY appreciate the ones who post follow up videos or blogs showing their experiences over the years, the good and the bad. While looking for such a video, I found the most adorable homesteading family, a mom, dad and 4 kids. They moved from the city to the country, jumping in with both feet, I have enjoyed watching their videos, especially the ones from the kids, they are truly learning here and sharing this experience with the rest of us.
Here are the videos about cob building and thermal mass rocket heaters. Links to their YouTube and webpage to follow.
This first video shows a really interesting floor treatment as well as a thermal mass rocket stove heater
https://youtu.be/Yei0a6OeRbo
This shows the thermal mass rocket stove heater with cob bench.
https://youtu.be/NYJyxptclos
This shows the thermal mass rocket stove heater some 3 years later, an improvement they made and how well it is doing.
https://youtu.be/nG9-hyg7r4k
MyLittleHomestead YouTube page
MyLittleHomestead webpage
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Artist and carpenter Julienne Dolphin Wilding has recently sold her flat in Kings Cross and bought land in Crete. She shipped out all her possessions in a 20 foot container – including all her tools, her bed, a small caravan she had lovingly restored and her favourite pieces of furniture.
You would think that being independent, being more self sufficient, being able to take care of yourself, especially in this day and age, would be considered a good thing. You would think that relying less on the government for help would be considered a good thing.
It would seem that more and more states and counties are making that impossible for families and individuals to live their dream, to own private land and to be able to live on their land in the way they see fit. But with codes and zoning, the powers that be are making it illegal to live without being hooked up to the grid, electricity, water, gas and the such.
There are some places that are apparently making it illegal to CAMP on your own property, some areas “allow” you to camp for a certain number of days per year, other places will not allow it at all. I’m not talking about deep in the city, or in a bustling suburb, I’m talking about rural areas, places with acreage, places where you might not even see your neighbors, yet it’s still illegal to live in the manner you wish.
Some states made it illegal to capture RAIN WATER, that one really irritates me, how can anyone regulate what falls from the sky? Just do a Google search about illegal living off-grid and you will find many examples.
Of course, here in the USA, we still have many more freedoms about property ownership and what you can do with and on your property as compared to other countries, it is getting more and more difficult (to impossible) to find areas with few codes and zoning laws, even where I live, there are some laws, mainly having to do with water (wells and septic systems), I find that reasonable, I don’t want the neighbor up the road mucking up our underground water source.
What prompted this rant was an article I read earlier today, https://www.activistpost.com/2015/10/camping-on-your-own-land-is-now-illegal.html, I’m sure much of what is written has been hyped up, or maybe not so much. At any rate, go read it for yourself, honestly I think it was a case of too many people moving there to live off-grid, it got the attention of the local powers that be, perhaps they considered the taxes and income they weren’t receiving from those living this way, I don’t know, I do know that it is a sad thing for those who are trying to get started living off-grid, especially families, they seem to be especially persecuted.
What say you?
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