Living off the grid

[MOMMA]

`So.. I think my family and I are in for an adventure and a half this winter.. we're moving to a new place..

So.. How many of you live off the grid.. such as alternative sources for power, and what kind of advice do you have.

This place has 2 sources of power right now. there is a very reliable water generation source, and a humungous Diesel Generator if need be.

Hot water on demand, Wood heat.

on 100 acres of secluded awesomeness...

Anyone have info on wood fired hot tubs?

 

[GYMBRAT]

Wood Fired Hot Tubs & Wood Hot tub, including Cedar Hot Tubs, Wooden hot tub, wood burning hot tubs, Outdoor Hot Tub, 2 Person

VERY COOL, opps I mean HOT

 

[john s]

`So.. I think my family and I are in for an adventure and a half this winter.. we're moving to a new place..

So.. How many of you live off the grid.. such as alternative sources for power, and what kind of advice do you have.

This place has 2 sources of power right now. there is a very reliable water generation source, and a humungous Diesel Generator if need be.

Hot water on demand, Wood heat.

on 100 acres of secluded awesomeness...

Anyone have info on wood fired hot tubs?

Sounds awesome i would be intrested to know the long term savings.

 

[ferniesnow]

`So.. I think my family and I are in for an adventure and a half this winter.. we're moving to a new place..

So.. How many of you live off the grid.. such as alternative sources for power, and what kind of advice do you have.

This place has 2 sources of power right now. there is a very reliable water generation source, and a humungous Diesel Generator if need be.

Hot water on demand, Wood heat.

on 100 acres of secluded awesomeness...

Anyone have info on wood fired hot tubs?

You got a lot more to think about than a wood fired hot tub young lady!

Wood heat and water jackets to pre-heat the water. I heat about 4500 sq.ft. with 7-8 cords of mixed wood and rely on electric heat when I am away for more than 24 hours. I cut my wood in May and June (standing dead or deadfall) and store it under cover for the summer. Fall cutting, IMHO, doesn't cut it for very efficient heating. The July/August heat really takes the moisture out of the wood and that is a good thing 'cause otherwise you need heat energy to take out the moisture.

I know absolutely nothing about alternative electricity and I'm just fine with my hydro. I doo have a 5500w gen-set for back-up that plugs into a sub-panel so I can have my coffee, TV, computer, fridge and deep freeze, micro-wave, and a few lights. Always have 4-6 jerry cans of gas around to keep it fed in case of emergency as well as a propane tiger torch to start it in the really cold weather if need be.

If we were 20 years younger, it would be a nice adventure! Have fun and remember the CPR (choices, priorities, and responsibilities) for this big up-coming adventure!

 

[Stompin Tom]

i live with out power for 3 years and no hot running water for 5 years , lets just say yer average joe cant handle it ! as for the wood fired hot tub, it will hurt yer back more then help it lol lots of work getting all that fire wood ... remember u have to get wood for yer home too . do u have to sled into the house ??? cuz thats even more fun lol

There is a difference between living off the gird and having your power and water cut off because you didnt pay your bill.

 

[Stompin Tom]

If it means no Tim Hortons steeped tea in the morning, Im out.

 

[MOMMA]

You got a lot more to think about than a wood fired hot tub young lady!

Wood heat and water jackets to pre-heat the water. I heat about 4500 sq.ft. with 7-8 cords of mixed wood and rely on electric heat when I am away for more than 24 hours. I cut my wood in May and June (standing dead or deadfall) and store it under cover for the summer. Fall cutting, IMHO, doesn't cut it for very efficient heating. The July/August heat really takes the moisture out of the wood and that is a good thing 'cause otherwise you need heat energy to take out the moisture.

I know absolutely nothing about alternative electricity and I'm just fine with my hydro. I doo have a 5500w gen-set for back-up that plugs into a sub-panel so I can have my coffee, TV, computer, fridge and deep freeze, micro-wave, and a few lights. Always have 4-6 jerry cans of gas around to keep it fed in case of emergency as well as a propane tiger torch to start it in the really cold weather if need be.

If we were 20 years younger, it would be a nice adventure! Have fun and remember the CPR (choices, priorities, and responsibilities) for this big up-coming adventure!

Yup I agree. We heated our home with only wood last year. The home we're moving into has more efficient stoves and the over all place is insulated far better. For me, the one thing I enjoy most during my day is my unwind bath.. for those who know me.. without fail, at 8:00pm I'm in the tub. I've been that way all my life. I was researching chofu heaters, the only thing I worry about is it freezing up and the extra work to maintain it.. I think the easiest thing to do would be to do an outside tub like i had in my place in Creston. I can heat the water on a fire. I used one of those big old fashioned tubs.. have a cold water line, but the warmth and ambience of the fire beside makes it kind of nice. I know it seems like a lot of work, and it'll already be an adventure.... but a girl sometimes just needs to be a girl.. lol...
Yup willy we'll sled in and out in the winter. I'll be logging our expenses to get a complete picture of the financial savings. I do like the idea of being self sufficient.

 

[sumx54]

No Internet would kill you...wouldn't it?
I think it's a sweet idea. Have any pics?

 

[MOMMA]

No Internet would kill you...wouldn't it?
I think it's a sweet idea. Have any pics?

Haa haa... I know eh... actually it's set up with Internet. Sat TV if we want it, I dunno if we really need TV.. we only watch Nat Geo Wild and discovery lol. As soon as we're in I'll keep a thread rolling.. the good the bad and the ugly side of living off the grid.... !

 

[scotts]

This will be an interesting read over the winter to see how it goes for you guys, my family came to Alberta in 1904 and apparently the first year, they brought the milk cow into a 12x12 sod shack through January and feb to stop from freezing to death. Hopefully it doesn't come to that for ya. Lol

 

[MOMMA]

This will be an interesting read over the winter to see how it goes for you guys, my family came to Alberta in 1904 and apparently the first year, they brought the milk cow into a 12x12 sod shack through January and feb to stop from freezing to death. Hopefully it doesn't come to that for ya. Lol

it will teach u what u actully do need and dont need in life ! and just think ! when the world falls apart "like it is" u will have a better chance of surviving, unlike most ppl that live in the citys lol they pull their hair out when the power is off for 2 hours 0.o and explor net is nice and slow lol and u only get so many mega bits a day so u might wanna upload yer pics in town

This place is actually in a snow belt. It can get minus 20 ish. The plusses, we have already been quite self reliant when it comes to sources of heat. The kids are already in the habit of helping to maintain the fire each day. Their daily chores include splitting wood, kindling and conserving wood. They understand the properties of how wood burns, and they've already learned how to get the longest burn out of the wood we have.. it's not just for fun.. it's life. We went without tv for years.. so the kids are cool with that. Right now we have satellite, but it looks like the voting for tv has been to not have it. We are musical, and spend a lot of time jamming together for fun. It'll be interesting

 

[lloydguy]

Momma,you sound like a cool family.Good for you.

 

[scotts]

Momma, I'm interested in knowing the reasoning behind this lifestyle choice.

 

[whoDEANie]

Momma,you sound like a cool family.Good for you.

x2. I'm both impressed and shamed.

 

[MOMMA]

Momma, I'm interested in knowing the reasoning behind this lifestyle choice.

In all honesty, you basically work with what you have... I absolutely LOVE the area we live in.. the thought of moving closer to Nelson actually upset our entire family. We prefer to be away from it all, rather than amidst people, and traffic etc. For recreation, it's sleds, horses, bikes, fishing, etc.. We had often talked about being off the grid.. independance, and our love for remote living.. wouldn't it be cool if we could still work but have that lifestyle.
The place we were in was going to sell, and we had choices to make as a family. Do we go for a mortgage and live restricted in "town" probably have to give up a few pets, board horses, have neighbors, couldn't be spur of the moment, swimming, hunting, fishing etc... The kids have never lived in "town" so it was pretty stressful even thinking about it.

I guess everything happens for a reason.. so now we get to put our theory into action. We'll take this winter and see if we can hack it. If so we'll be in the position to go more long term.... The kids were devastated when we thought we had to move from Ymir, so they are excited and happy to be maintaining our little bit of redneck hippie living. They know it'll be harder, but we'll see what we can do.

The good thing is the man who was on this property has been living like this for 14 years.. he has the power and water situation down to a Tee.

 

[Stompin Tom]

i bought raw land lol and put my own power in but now im working on getting off the grid again with solar ,wind and a mini hydro plant ever heard of those ??? tom stomp

Willy, I go to work, make good money and pay my power bill. I enjoy the luxuries of life, no need or desire to "live off the grid"

Makes me wonder how you are saving money setting all those things up, my average power bill is $59.00 per month, cant buy to many "mini hydro plants" with that unless you mean a 2kva Champion generator from Costco, them your spending more than that on fuel every month.

 

[Pinner]

Across the lake from the city but farther west? In the 70's there were some interesting Americans living over there, they didn't like visitors. Draft dodgers.

 

[Stompin Tom]

Across the lake from the city but farther west? In the 70's there were some interesting Americans living over there, they didn't like visitors. Draft dodgers.

we still have a few of them living up hear to the east between Prince George and McBride. A pretty colorful bunch I must say.

 

[moyiesledhead]

Anyone have info on wood fired hot tubs?

Spotted this one up Glacier Creek a couple years ago. Fire pit underneath,and a chimney to the side.

 

[MOMMA]

Spotted this one up Glacier Creek a couple years ago. Fire pit underneath,and a chimney to the side.

View attachment 134233

OMGOSH YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA that's EXACTLY It!! I'm going to insulate it well too!!!!!! The man who owns this place also builds saunas and has been stockpiling sauna wood. Maybe I'll start with a sweat lodge first then if we decide to do it long term build a nice wood fired sauna...
When I was telling him my bathtub plans yesterday he took me for a walk up one path... under a pile of tin and stuff was a BIG HONKIN wood boiler just waiting to be used!!!!!
I'm so excited. The Ymir community is so supportive of us, word has got around and everyone is offering help and networking to make sure our family has tonnes of support. From help getting the kids back up after school, to pitching in for wood etc... One man was laughing.. he said if any family could do it, it would be ours, so they are very stoked it's us going up there not someone else.