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February 2016

Community

Gravel vac Bobbage

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I seriously considered using a title that said something like “my hubby sucks”, but honestly I don’t need to hype what he does, he is a Macgyver’s Macgyver! I quit doubting the things he says he is going to do, I just listen, put aside my skepticism and wait for the magic to happen. We like to call it Bobbage :)

As you may or may not know, PB uses concrete (soilcrete) for building around here, Portland cement is inexpensive, read cheap, all he has to add is the gravel and water, we have an abundant supply of gravel that restocks itself each time we get a good rain, the problem is the location of this gravel is at the bottom of the creek bed, down at the front part of the property, and “down” is the key word here.

In the past, he has used 5 gallon buckets to haul the gravel, on occasion we have bartered with neighbors and friends to get the use of earth moving equipment, but that doesn’t happen very often, and since he’s put in the bridge, it’s near impossible to drive down into the creek to load up on gravel.

PB began working out a way he could vacuum the gravel to the upper part of the property, he used an old shop vac, a metal 55 gallon drum, the sidewall of a tire and a long piece of 3 inch black poly pipe along with some duct tape to seal things up. It’s quiet, it’s efficient, it’s quick and it works great. Here is a video, actually 4 quick videos showing the gravel vac in action, along with some pictures.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnjG-ZmtxGQgGH4sFFDxoxKuXUh6XRiEX

 

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off-grid living is good for your skin

Pollution is waging war on your complexion, new research shows.

While our bodies are getting younger from careful eating and better exercise, our skin is getting older – thanks to pollution particles which are much smaller than our pores, making our skin easy to invade.

You can’t usually see it and you probably don’t feel it, but there’s a lot of junk floating In the air. As we’re now learning, It’s hitting our skin hard. In just the last few years, scientists have been studying the dermal effects of particulate matter, gases, and other stealthy airborne attackers wafting around our cities, and it’s pretty clear these pollutants are ageing us.
One of the most convincing studies, conducted at the Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine in Germany, looked at how some 2,000 women had faired healthwise after 30 years of living with extra-grimy air in their polluted region. “We found a strong association between pigmentation spots on their cheeks and high pollution levels,” says Jean Krutmann, M.D., the institute’s director. Specifically, the women who were exposed to high levels of particulate matter, like soot and traffic pollution, had 20 percent more age spots and more pronounced wrinkles than those living in rural areas. Since the publication of these findings in 2010, experts have learned more about how pollution causes us to age. And what they’ve uncovered may motivate you to step up your skin care.

THE POLLUTION-AGING CONNECTION

Scientists from Olay, L’Oreal, and other major beauty companies have also begun exploring the link between pollution and skin problems. OneEstee Lauder study, published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, showed that particulate matter causes oxidative stress in the skin, the result of damaging molecules like free radicals overwhelming your defense mechanisms and inducing DNA destruction, both of which can lead to premature signs of aging.

As its name suggests, particulate matter (PM) is minuscule dust or soot particles of metals, carbons, and other compounds; its sources include car exhaust and garbage incinerator smoke.

“We know that oxidative stress due to this pollutant directly damages skin’s underlying structure,” says Yevgeniy Krol, the scientific director for SkinCeuticals. That’s mostly because the microscopic size of PMs enables them to easily penetrate skin. It gets worse: “Your body responds to pollution by increasing the inflammatory response. Inflammation helps destroy the bad guys but also everything around it, including the collagen and elastin that support your skin,” Krol says. “So it’s a double whammy.”

THE FILTHY FIVE

Particulate matter is just one of the five types of air pollutants that trigger oxidative stress and age us. Another, surface ozone–a.k.a. smog–is highly toxic, Krol says. Surface ozone forms when two of the other five key pollutants, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxide, mix with another skin nemesis, ultraviolet (UV) rays. VOCs are chemicals released from car exhaust, paint, and emissions from industrial plants; nitrogen oxide gas …

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Humor, off-grid

Living off-grid, much of our entertainment is self generated, in other words, we crack ourselves up :) A couple of days ago, this conversation could be heard at the SkyCastle

PB: What is the stuff they make down pillows and blankets from?
Me:… uhhh, down?
PB: No, the material?
Me: Ohhh, I think it’s called ticking…
PB: Yes, I need some clothes made from ticking…
Me: Hahaha, your clothes are ticking…
PB:… but then I couldn’t fly on an airplane…
LOLOLOLOLOLOL

Guess you had to have been there… :)

So today I did a search for “off-grid hacks” on YouTube, this video was in the first few that showed up, it’s quite amusing as well as informative. It’s “10 things we wished we had known before going off-grid”, they are quite cute with their deadpan faces explaining what some might think of as obvious, though honestly I think these would be “mistakes” many of us would make. My short list of “what I wish we had done differently” will be listed below the video, below…
https://youtu.be/-9JF7Zifc-M

I agree about carrying water is the worst, maybe not the complete worst, not having water would be worse, it’s what we did the first few months (carrying water) so I can completely understand where they are coming from. Another thing I wish we had known before is how we were going to ultimately use the space inside the SkyCastle. Of course when we first started, we had one room, 16’X16′, it was our everything room, we made the best of the space we had, but I would have liked to better plan the layout instead of it growing so organically.

I wish we could have planned on the storage of our future building materials, we got things here and there, mostly things people were throwing away, over the years it has grown like a weed, we have stacks of this and that here and there, it could be neater.

I also wish we could have planned on the out buildings better, things that were suppose to be temporary end up being more permanent that first planned, this is mentioned in the video about temporary things becoming permanent, that is so true, so don’t build something in a place where you might wish it wasn’t…

I think of the things we brought with us when we first moved out here, we tried to anticipate what things we might not be able to get out here, it’s funny to look back on that, what goes through my mind is “what were we thinking?”, things like empty jars and bottles (with lids), plastic grocery bags, yes grocery bags, we weren’t planning on buying much from the store and figured we could use those extra bags for other things…

Well, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it :) I certainly don’t regret anything about our life, …

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Solar Power Co Scoops $1.5M Zayed Future Energy Prize

A solar company has won the prestigious Zayed Future Energy Prize for its work in bringing electricity to power-starved areas of Tanzania which currently rely on kerosene, a fuel which is both obscenely expensive and damages the eyes of users, especially children.

Off-Grid Electric was founded in 2011 by three college friends, who realised they could take the money currently being spent every week on kerosene lighting and cooking, and deliver a simple solar kit, which they rent to households, and still make a fortune for themselves.

Armed with the information that 85% of Tanzania’s 50 million population have no access to power, they managed to get funding from nuclear power company EDF which liked their business model and saw it could become hugely profitable in the long-term – and not just in poor countries.

With OGE, the African customers pre-pay for electricity via mobile phone at the beginning of each month and in return receive a solar panel, LED lights, and a Li-ion battery, which connects to the panel via a DC cable to allow night-time use.

But is solar power worth it? See this story?

In most regions where Off-Grid Electric operates, it is not cost-effective for utilities companies to serve customers and many customers who have been disconnected cannot often afford the high fees for reconnection. Off-Grid Electric kits offering stand-along systems to a range of “last-mile customers” at costs lower than those of traditional kerosene lighting. OGE delivers varying levels of services using breakthroughs in mobile technology and builds its systems from scratch to incorporate every aspect of product design, distribution, sales, financing and service.

To deliver the energy needed at the right price, Off-Grid Electric brings together lithium-ion batteries, solar panels and LEDs and appliances. “We are relentless in our search for efficient appliances to pair with our state-of-the-art solar and storage systems,” says Off-Grid Electric co-Founder and CEO Xavier Helgesen. “Our real intention is to light considerable parts of countries here. We want to provide an electrification solution that is different and much more cost-effective [than the grid]. We are really excited to explore potential options to partner with leaders in the energy landscape like Electranova and EDF.”

Matthieu Bonamy from EDF offshoot Electranova says: “Africa is already experiencing a technological “leapfrog” in the energy sector very similar to what has happened in the telecom sector. The market has passed a tipping point and is expanding quickly but, as of today, 1.5 billion people do not have access to grid electricity. We are very interested to explore potential valuable synergies between EDF and OGE”

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Community

Spring is near

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Spring is just around the corner, I am noticing the oak trees, which keep their leaves all winter long, are beginning to turn, they fall off and are replaced in very short order. Most other locations, the leaves turn in fall/autumn, but not our oak trees. I am also noticing the other trees, which have lost their leaves are starting to bud, just little bumps on the branches right now, but will soon bust out into a riot of bright green leaves.

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Another sign of spring is the days are getting longer, something I appreciate, I find I can get more done during the daylight, when it gets dark, I just want to crawl in bed and relax.

I am looking forward to the green grass and spring flowers, I love taking pictures as I drive all over west Texas doing merchandising, I get to see some very pretty country, much of it is harsh and hard, but there is a beauty if you are willing to look. I am building up a portfolio of pictures I can use for making cards, (greeting and post cards), mainly to sell to the tourists who pass through on vacation, also to sell to the locals who wish to see something pretty all year long.

The SkyCastle is growing, slowly, but still moving along. PB has been working on the room under the house, we are built on a hillside, so the front of the ground floor room is tall, but as it goes back, the “floor” slopes up, so PB has been digging out the floor, one section at a time, then pouring concrete walls to support the back of the house. Once it’s complete, it will be our bedroom, it will be partially underground with thick concrete walls, there will be two doors but no windows. The idea is to have a protected space that is easy to heat in winter, and stays cool in summer. It will also free up the room we use as a bedroom now, we can use it as a dining room or perhaps even another bedroom when we have overnight guests.

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The other project around here is the lawn tractor, PB is working on making it a half track vehicle, it will be better able to get up and down the steep and rocky terrain, and to help preserve the land. Regular tires tend to dig ruts in the dirt, smoother tires can’t get a good hold, and aggressive tires tear up what they go over. You can see the teaser article about this here: https://off-grid.net/56795-2/.

A couple of weeks ago, PB hurt his knee on a ladder, the hardest part about this injury was keeping him off that leg, he wants to work, he needs to do chores, but every time he used that leg, it hurt, a lot. It is healing now, …

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Community

Is it too late?

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What are your skills? Everyone has something they can do and do well, something that you enjoy doing, hopefully you are making your living doing it.

If TEOTWAWKI were to happen, assuming you have your food, water, shelter and other necessities taken care of, (you do, don’t you?), if we were to go back to a life like yesteryear, what could you contribute to your society? Unfortunately, all too many are skilled in spending money, or using technologic gadgets, that just will not get it if the power were to go out for an extended amount of time.

For me, I know how to cook from scratch, I can cook on a woodstove, I am familiar with our local plantlife for medicinal purposes. I can also cut hair, it’s funny that in the olden days, barbers were also the local medicine folk, you went to the barber to get minor, and sometimes major medical help.

I am well practiced at living in more primitive ways, choosing to live this way on purpose. PB is well versed at taking junk and turning it into useful things, he has a knowledge of electricity, gas (propane and other cooking & heating gas), engine repair, welding, building, he is an all around handy man.

Between the two of us, we have the skills to survive and the things we don’t have or can’t do, we can barter our skills with other people who have skills we don’t have. You don’t have to know how to do everything, but the more skills you do have, the better off you will be, both in this life, and in a potentially radically different world.

A neighbor and friend up the street is versed in leathercraft, another friend is a plumber, yet another is an EMT so can take care of medical issues, our small community is far ahead of many other towns because of the diverse knowledge and we all know each other.

As I asked in the title, is it too late? If you are reading this and you are still upright & breathing, it’s not too late, figure out what you are good at, what you enjoy doing, and learn more about it, get some practical experience, figure out what sorts of things that might be handy to know and do it.




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Half track, full genius

The last couple of weeks, PB has been watching lots of track wheel vehicle videos on YouTube, I just thought he was on another rabbit trail, he travels those quite often, and sometimes something really interesting comes of it.

Let me backtrack just a bit, about 3 years ago, we were gifted an old (but still working) Craftsman lawn tractor, a very small tractor with 4 wheels, it has been sitting in our shed waiting to become useful.

PB wants to turn it into a half-track to make it easier to get up and down the hill and do as little damage to the land as possible. Here is a mock up of what he plans to do. More to come :)
half track

 

Here is a video showing what someone else did
https://youtu.be/jQs25GH-hTw




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High end tiny house

Most of the tiny homes I have seen are built on a tight budget, this one was built with more high end features in mind, it looks fantastic, coming in at around $77,000, it certainly doesn’t disappoint.

I love the stairs in this one, and the loft, it just looks very comfortable and well built. Jeff Hobbs has taken his skills a cabinet maker and boat builder to make this tiny home a masterpiece of beauty and efficiency.

https://youtu.be/CELFsKLkKbI




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People

Floating fortress suffers solar burnout

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This huge floating fortress of sustainable living, off the coast of Vancouver Island British Columbia has inspired many to follow a sustainable life. Wayne Adams, 66, and Catherine King, 59, built their home together in 1992, and have been growing and fishing for their own food ever since.
The home, named “Freedom Cove,” consists of 12 floating platforms that include a dance floor, an art gallery, a guest lighthouse, a studio for Adams and King, and 5 greenhouses. The settlement is next to half an acre of land for growing edible crops. The couple gets water from a nearby waterfall during the summer and from rainwater during the winter. The settlement had been powered by an array of 14 solar panels, but recently switched to a generator after these broke down.
Perhaps inspired by the Floating Cove – a new design is being proposed in Germany, although still in the planning stages.The Lusation Autartec prototype will be built on Lake Geierswalde in the Lusatian Lake District.
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The two-story floating home will be built on a steel pontoon measuring 43 x 43 ft (13 x 13 m). The ground floor is planned 807 sq ft (75 sq m), and the first floor just 365 sq ft (34 sq m). There will also be a deck running around the perimeter of the building.

Heating via a fireplace, will feature a supersaturated solution of salt hydrates to soak up heat from the flames. The designers claim that after this solution is heated in a special tub, which is placed over the fire, and liquefies, it is capable of holding in the heat practically indefinitely. The system works similarly to a chemical hand warmer, since the solution can be made to crystallize via a radio-based technology, which releases the heat on command. There is also a back up zeolith thermal storage unit, which is located inside the pontoon. During the summer, the zeolith minerals dry out, while in winter, by circulating moist air through the pontoons an exothermic reaction occurs which releases further heat.

The home will also feature a so-called adiabatic cooling system, which doesn’t require any energy and is based on the principle of evaporative cooling. Basically, moistening a side of the house will work to draw heat out as this moisture evaporates. All the needed power will be provided by solar panels built into the actual structure of the home. The energy produced will be stored in lithium polymer batteries hidden away inside the stairs.

The home will also be off-the-grid in terms of water needs. This will be achieved by means of a closed loop system. The biological reprocessing system will be based on ceramics, photocatalysis, electrochemistry, and filtration. The entire system will be small enough to fit into the pontoon, but robust enough to handle all the water purifying needs.
When they aren’t working on their sustainable lifestyle, they …

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Community

Would you live in a yurt?

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In the next town over from where I live, quite close, nearly in town, there is a yurt on a hillside, I don’t know who owns it or if anyone even lives there, but it looks interesting, if nothing else because it’s different.

A yurt is a semi-permanent tent structure, round, with a slightly cone shaped dome top. They are usually made of canvas, are roomy but there is only one room inside, unless you add some sort of walls inside to divide up the spaces like they did in the second video below. They are usually insulated so you can live in them year round. I wonder how long the canvas holds up though, and the plastic sheeting windows, I suspect at some point the covering would need to be replaced.

Never the less, they look quite interesting and would make a fun living place. Have you even stayed in a yurt? If so, let me know what you think of them below.

Here are 3 videos showcasing yurt life, enjoy.
https://youtu.be/CKG2LKYCb6g

https://youtu.be/RmlcxdGgK9A

https://youtu.be/5BMJQeaXHtM




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Jean’s Yurt

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Another in our series of photos by Beth Bicknell.

Jean’s yurt was possible one of the most cosy, exquisite structures Beth visited. A yurt she’s had made for her, with her own additional features – she’s put in a hard wooden flooring, dug out ground to create a flat surface from an awkward hill, placed numerous quilts inside the yurt to form insulation, and plastic sheeting used as windows in cut out holes.

Jean also added solar panels, however unfortunately in winter months these apparently do not produce a lot of energy for her. She said the day before was the worst ever, giving her only 20 minutes of her favourite show on TV.

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