Self-Sufficiency

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Auroville, the Utopia next door

 

Imagine a place free from politics, religion and money. People from every background, of all ages, living in unity and self-sufficiency. The food that you all eat you grew together from scratch on organic farms. Utopia?

Auroville.

A small universal township, located in south India – on the border of Tamil Nadu state. The concept was birthed from an idea of a township devoted to an experiment in human unity in the 1930s.

It gets better- you can visit it. Yes, this isn’t just a place people may hear whispers about but never actually get to see — you can travel there quite easily, let us show you how.

It was set up officially on the 28th February 1968. 5,000 new occupants assembled at the centre of the township for a ceremony. They brought with them soil from their individual homelands to be mixed in with the new soil of Auroville and there is an urn in the middle containing all the mixed samples of Earth. It is said that the purpose of Auroville is “to realise human unity.”

There is the most beautiful Peace Area located in the middle of the town called the ‘Soul Of The City’ or the Matrimandir at the centre of the township. It helps to create an “atmosphere of calm and serenity” and serves as a groundwater recharge area. Many gather here at sundown.

 

The population is now 2,400 but it can hold up to 50,000 people. The inhabitants live sustained lives side by side in harmony, without money and politics (even though it is backed by the Govt. of India). It is self-sufficient with over 160 hectares of organic farms, cornfields and orchards. The city area was actually built with a radius of a 1.25km ‘Green Belt’ comprised of forests, dairies, wildlife areas. All of which provide habitats for wildlife and serve as sources of food, timber, medicine and so on.

 

They have stated on their website that they have planned a further extension of their Green Belt to transform ‘wasteland into a vibrant eco-system’. They say they are working towards adding an impressive 800 more hectares. Find out more on their website.

The nearest international and domestic airport is Chennai International Airport. If you are already in India and would prefer travelling leisurely by rail, Chennai Central Railway Station connects to all the major cities in India with its reliable express trains such as Tamil Nadu
Express and Rajdhani Express (fully air-conditioned).

 

You can watch someone’s personal experience of entering Auroville as the track how exactly they got there via a travel vlog they uploaded on YouTube. If you have liked what you’ve read, you can support the cause and donate to Auroville here.

It was backed by the Indian Government in 1960 and taken to the General Assembly of UNESCO. Six …

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Self-Sufficiency

Doomsday retailer

 

Meet Scott Hunt, also known as Engineer775 on his Youtube channel where he gives expert reviews for National Geographic’s reality TV show, Doomsday Preppers.

His religious stance has made him plan accordingly to doomsday, plans which include his and his families 55-acre farm near Pickens being totally sustainable if, oh let’s say out our nation’s electrical grid, shut down its water supply or render its computers useless.
But don’t think of him as gloomy, the creative genius is actually very energetic and he has made a “booming business” out of helping others get prepared for whatever may come.

On the farm, they grow their own food, generate their own electricity, maintain their own water supply and powers their machinery with fuel made from their own wood.

It has elevation change, which can be used to provide a gravity-powered water system. He pumps water from a well low in his topography to a high point on his property and sends it flowing downhill from there to his house with the twist of a faucet.
The tract has ample trees, which he looks on as “solar batteries.” He uses them to fire a 500,000 BTU boiler that provides hot water to his house, and a wood stove for heat and cooking, and for gasification, using a process developed by the Germans during World War II.

With the success of their own off-grid living arrangements, Scott is a consultant and installer of solar-powered water systems and other devices for others who like the idea of being unplugged.
“I feel like that’s what my calling is right now – to help many people as possible,” said Hunt, a former pastor, former Michelin engineer, and upstate New York native.
Tinkering is in Hunt’s genes. He comes from a family of tradesmen. His father was an auto body man. His grandfather was a carpenter and operated a lumber yard. He also went to university to study engineering which is where he found God.

“Some people just want to go off the grid. Some people want something sustainable. Some people are into preparedness big time,” he said. “I just provide solutions that make sense.”
His homestead was ideally suited to become his laboratory for developing self-sufficiency solutions.
If you’re interested in learning some of his tricks, most of his business comes from the Internet. He has a store on his website, www.practicalpreppers.com, from which he sells and drop ships items such as solar water pumps, and his book, “The Practical Preppers Complete Guide to Disaster Preparedness.”

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Tiny turf houses in Iceland

beautiful-tiny-turf-houses-in-iceland

I love seeing how people used to live, “back in the day” as we like to say. It’s interesting and educational to see how people used the natural materials available to them to build their homes, more than mere shelters, these were places where families lived together, I like how they made individual places for each part of living, one building for living/sleeping, one building for cooking, another building for storage and so on. They kept each building small so it could easily be heated in the winter, and also so that it could easily be torn down and rebuilt without disrupting the entire household.

They didn’t have access to wood (trees) so much of what they used was volcanic rock and turf. They also tore down and rebuilt the spaces about once a generation, reusing the rock and anything else they could reuse, digging out new turf to chink between the rock. They also built partially into the ground, using the earth to insulate and protect their living spaces. They built in small narrow hallways, or tunnels between the living spaces so they didn’t have to go outside to get from one living space to another, a real heat saving move in the winter.

I don’t know how their summers were, but I suspect being dug into a hill also helped to keep the living spaces cooler. It seems they didn’t have much privacy, everyone slept in the same room, fortunately it seems everyone had separate beds, at least only a couple or a few people slept together per bed, there were slight partitions between the beds, but nothing like how we live today. I suppose if that’s all you know, then you would be used to it and live accordingly.

I also understand that since they had very little wood, they actually used their own body heat to keep the living spaces warm, another good reason for everyone to reside and sleep in the same room.

This video was quite interesting and eye opening, apparently that way of life has just come to an end, merely one generation ago, there are still people alive who grew up living that way.



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Floating paradise

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If I weren’t living where I do now and loving it, this is how I would want to live, on a homemade island home. These two artists are truly living the dream, I can’t imagine how it must be living on the water like that, but they sure have made it work. Listening to them talking, Catherine King and Wayne Adams, I can hear PB and myself in them, especially the part about him knowing every board and nail in the place as he put each one there himself.

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Seeing it from the sky is the best way to get a sense of the place, it’s bigger than it seems. I love the way it seemed to have grown in an organic manner, not seeming to have a plan, but just being added on to bit by bit as it was needed or wanted. It has taken them 24 years to get it to this point. One last thing I’ll mention before moving on to the video, they have 2 chihuahuas, anyone with chihuahuas are alright in my book. :)

I hope you enjoy watching this video as much as I did.

https://youtu.be/z9WWzbzevTA



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Handmade home off the grid

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Meet Jesse, he lives in a tiny house in Maine, he built this himself and is quite ambitious – to live simply. I can appreciate how he lives, he is obviously a packrat (like I am), his little cabin is filled, stuffed to the rafters with stuff, but it’s not too much IMHO, though it if you are more of a minimalist, it might set your teeth on edge.

 

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I like that he even builds some of his own tools, that’s the best way to learn, just jump in and try thing, if it works, great, if it doesn’t work, then you have the challenge of doing something different that does work. I love his pizza oven, I’d love to learn more about how he built it, it looks small and simple, something a person could do on a small scale.

https://youtu.be/D2yzondJyB8



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Off-Grid tent living

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This is interesting and unexpected, it’s a 4 season tent,  the video shows it in winter with a blanket of snow.  Unlike a yurt, this really looks like an old style tent,  it reminds me of being in Girl Scouts.

The tent is divided into 4 sections, a sleeping area,  living, kitchen and dining.  It can sleep up to 4 people, though you’d best be good friends or family, there is no privacy to speak of.

The toilet is an outhouse down the trail, one nice thing about an outhouse in winter is less to no odor and no bugs.

https://youtu.be/yq_nJ0T4HV0

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Kids and off-grid can work

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Got kids and want to live off-grid? Think it’s not possible? Maybe you should check out this family in Canada,  they are doing it very much on the cheap.  One suggestion I would make is to ditch the upright fridge and replace it with a chest freezer to fridge conversion (https://off-grid.net/kicked-freezer-fridge-conversion/) it is so incredibly efficient, they could cut down tremendously on their power outlay.

Other than that,  I think they are doing a fantastic job!
https://youtu.be/v8Pe_u_4q5M

 …

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Community

Superglue for scalp wounds

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I will give you a warning here, the following is going to show injuries and wounds, if you are weak of stomach or vomit easily you may want to skip this one.

In a SHTF situation, or you just don’t have the money to go to the doctor,  there are ways you can take care of yourself in a medical situation. Superglue is used in hospitals and Dr offices in place of sutures (stitches),  the idea is to keep the skin together long enough to heal.

This video is specifically for head wounds involving just the skin, obviously if you cracked your skull,  or are missing a chunk of scalp, I don’t think superglue will be much help.

Before we get to the video,  a quick disclaimer, we aren’t doctors or medical professionals, no one here on this site are responsible for anything you do or try yourself as a result of seeing or reading anything here,  if you are injured,  it is best to go see a doctor,  call 911, or seek out reputable medical help.

 

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Community

Go away mosquito!

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Is Zika a real problem, is it a man made disease, or is it just a smokescreen to deflect our attention somewhere else? I don’t know, what I do know is mosquitoes are a problem, even where I live in the high (and dry) desert. I don’t like using chemicals if I don’t have to, recently I ran across a recipe on Facebook that claims to keep mosquitoes away for up to 80 days, and of course we all know that if it’s found on Facebook that is must be true, right? I shared the recipe to keep it on my timeline, a friend of mine tried it and said it worked for her, so with high hopes I struck out to town today with a short list.

The ingredients are :
3 cans of stale beer
3 cups Epsom salt
1 large bottle of cheap blue mouthwash

Mix all ingredients together until Epsom salt is dissolved, put in a spray bottle and spray the area where you don’t want the mosquitoes, it’s not supposed to hurt plants, it’s not toxic.

OK, I got a 24 ounce can of beer, since I don’t drink beer I didn’t want a 6 pack, and it wasn’t going to be stale, I didn’t think the mosquitoes would mind… I used 2 cups of Epsom salt because of the smaller amount of beer going into the recipe, I mixed the salt & beer together in a saucepan over heat just to quicken the process. Once I couldn’t detect the salt granules, I split the mixture between 2 large spray bottles, then I topped it off with cheap green mouthwash, again I didn’t think the mosquitoes would care if it was spearmint or peppermint.

I took this outside and liberally sprayed the trees and grass in little tree nook where I sit outside. In the past few evenings, sitting outside has been a trial, my arms and legs have lots of itchy mosquito bites. This evening, I have seen exactly 1 mosquito, just 1, I am pretty impressed. I have doubts as to whether or not one spraying will last for 70 or 80 days, but if it lasts for even a few days or a week, I’ll be happy with it. I’ll keep a spray bottle down by the road, that’s where we hang with friends, and the other in my tree nook.

Now for a second DIY product that uses cheap mouthwash. Remember my
https://off-grid.net/keeping-it-clean/? Well I have a better formula, this will be Pit Spray II, the original used half witch hazel and half water with just a few drops of liquid soap. You use this on your stinky parts to clean without having to rinse. I decided to replace the witch hazel & soap with original flavored cheap mouthwash, I did cut it with half water, I chose the original …

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It’s not illegal to DIY

diy not1
When I was a kid, electronics and appliances came ready for the end user to repair when necessary, radios and TVs had vacuum tube that you could replace, warranties weren’t voided as a result of breaking the seal on the case. Now days, most electronics are made to be disposable, or you are forced to send it or take it to a licensed, authorized professional to get something repaired.

Being an independent lady, when I’m told there is something I can’t do, that makes me try even harder. Last summer I got a tablet,the idea was to use less power than my laptop, this was a https://amzn.to/214uoqL, it was refurbished and worked well. But lately the battery hadn’t been holding a charge, it got your the point where energy plugged in with a full charge, it would lose power quickly, I could forget about trying to use it off the charger. Since it was refurbished and I’d had it for a while, I decided to change out the battery myself.

They are not supposed to have an end user changeable battery, but a quick search on Amazon let me know I could purchase a new https://amzn.to/1tdzA0R inexpensively, and a quick check on YouTube showed me how to do it. I ordered this battery, I didn’t need the one with a video included so that saved me some money. A few days later I had the package. It came with tools, they were cheap, but they did the job.

I had trouble getting the case cracked open, PB helped get it started, once apart it was just a matter of a few tiny screws and a few ribbon cables to remove the battery, reverse the process to install the new battery and I was in business. I did make one mistake, I didn’t have the battery cable completely seated, it booted up but immediately shut off, I took it apart and checked everything, once I fully seated the battery connection, it worked just fine.

I had a 50% charge, so I fully charged it and after rigorous testing, it works great, I am happy with it. I will be doing this for my smaller https://amzn.to/1tdApa8 soon, I am noticing that battery is holding less of a charge. What about you? Have you replaced something that you weren’t supposed to be able to do?…

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Root cellars

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With spring in the air, summer right around the corner, many of our gardens are booming with lots of produce, much of it we eat right away, but it’s nice to be able to save some for later in the year, that’s where root cellars come in handy, they keep the temperatures moderated (not too hot, not too cold) and keep the humidity consistent so our fruits and veg stay fresh longer.

Root cellars, as the name indicates are dug into the ground, if you have a hill or slope you can incorporate that into your design making it unnecessary to dig a hole but rather tunnel into the hill. You can also place a structure on top of the ground and pile dirt around the sides, even over the top if it’s strong enough.

There are many ways to create a root cellar, from creating a large walk in space to burying an old fridge or freezer in the ground. Here are a couple of ways to do it. Do you have a root cellar? If so, how do you use it and how do you like it?

https://youtu.be/C32MqyE26w4

https://youtu.be/9FElJ1PLzoQ

https://youtu.be/aLM6rWmQxic




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Cheap wood burning stove kit

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I know it’s spring going into summer for most of us, but winter is coming, I am always on the lookout for other ways to keep warm, this is a standard 55 gallon drum wood burning stove conversion, actually this one is a a double 55 gallon kit, using two 55 gallon drums stacked one upon another. Of course this isn’t anything new, but in this video, there are some interesting tweaks added to the system to improve how it works.

Don’t forget, winter will roll back around before you know it, and if you are looking for a way to keep your space warm, consider trying this method. If you have one of these type setups now, let me know how it works for you.

https://youtu.be/poH2GE-of6I




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