The off grid/minimalist/homesteading lifestyle

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I can not remember any old-timers refusing the easy way when they could afford it. I never had running water and a inside bathroom until I was drafted into the Army in 1968.

You are all welcome to my ''good old days'' if you want them. It is easy to remember the good parts and gloss over the other because we were young and did not understand the surviving part. :nod:
 
I'm not necessarily talking about living like a pioneer. Solar lights, 12 volt pump for water, propane where applicable.
 
solar is very affordable and with the new flexible panels they can "stick" right onto a roof without fasteners.
 
I just recently completed an off grid cabin at my farm, heat and hot water is propane, I have both 12 volt and 120 lighting, I have the entire cabin on solar, but am not able to run everything at once, must fire up the generator if I wanna run ac, microwave, coffee pot, etc all at one time, which isn't very often. If I get several rainy days in a row (which is all the time lately) I have to run generator to charge my battery bank occasionally. I am hooked up to water via well and county. Power Co wanted 17K to run power to my cabin, I told em to pound sand.
 
I have a buddy who built a cabin in the hills. Power is about 20 miles away. The cabin is surrounded by big trees so solar is not an option. He has a year round creek with a lot of drop. So he went up the hill and put in a water line that runs down the hill. It starts out a 4 inch line and necks down several times. It has a ton of pressure at the bottom of the line. The water runs a pelting wheel which turns a 12 volt alternator. Everything in the cabin is run by 12 volt. Most of it was salvaged out of an old motor home.
 
Dave said:
I have a buddy who built a cabin in the hills. Power is about 20 miles away. The cabin is surrounded by big trees so solar is not an option. He has a year round creek with a lot of drop. So he went up the hill and put in a water line that runs down the hill. It starts out a 4 inch line and necks down several times. It has a ton of pressure at the bottom of the line. The water runs a pelting wheel which turns a 12 volt alternator. Everything in the cabin is run by 12 volt. Most of it was salvaged out of an old motor home.
Click to expand...

That's pretty neat.
 
This guy...

There's several different people on that show. One lives in a cave, a couple that live in a treehouse, a loner that lives in a teepee in Idaho, one that lives on an island on one of the Great Lakes...
I think the name of that show was The Boonies, but it has changed I think to Living on the Edge.

There's another show similar to it on another network.
 
Bigfoot said:
I will never break down and join that movement. Number one, my home is smack in the middle of my farm. I'd hate to sell it, and build something small. Number two, my wife would never go along with it. Number three not sure how simple the simple life would be as I age.

It does appeal to me though. I've got it down, to just over a year and I can retire. My kids are in their early teens. Hate to see them go, but I do see the day coming when they move out. Just being totally sufficient, and living off the land. Solar lights, wood heat, eating out of the garden. Living expenses of almost nothing. Minimal trips to town (it's pretty rough here). The whole thing just seems to draw me in. I used to think it was silly, and the people doing it were just trying to get out work (still feel that way about many). It wouldn't be that way for me. It'd be a reason to work with my hands, and provide in a way that's different than I do now. Thoughts?????
Click to expand...

There are definitely hard core folks out there living in the middle of nowhere, spending most of the day working to survive through the next day. That is not my situation. However, "Homesteading" if you will is not black and white, a person can make individual changes to move farther away from the modernized world we live in. My example would be how I try to be more self sufficient. Myself, my wife and our 6 month old boy live outside of Wichita, where it was 12 degrees over night. We live in a modern house, but with a twist. I installed a wood stove in the basement, and that's how we heat the house, at least when we are home. There is a forced air furnace, that is set on 63, and should it get that cold, it will kick on. But 95% of the days during the winter we are heated with wood. It is one of those small steps a person can make to rely less on others. We lost power a few weeks ago overnight, and guess what....house stayed a balmy 68-70.
We also fill our freezers with a very broad mix of food. Right now you'd find, beef (home grown), deer, wild hog, goose, duck, catfish, wiper, and chicken (home grown). Along with probably 100 packages of vac packed vegetables from our summer garden.
I also installed a clothes line in the back yard which gets used all seasons except winter.
Do I live "off the grid" or "minimalist"? Heck no, those folks are way tougher than me. And the fact that my wife stays at home sure helps our self sufficiency. And, to be honest, I could send my wife out to work a money paying job, and we would probably have more money at the end of the day, than what we have with our lifestyle, but that isn't why I do it. I really enjoy being able to actually do things myself.
That's just my rambling about how you don't have to have a woodsman beard, and have a dog sled team to cut a little off from the modern mess we live in, try some little things first. Plus, when the propane man comes to your house and scratches his head because your tank is still full after the month of December...well...I also enjoy that.
 
Bcompton53 said:
Bigfoot said:
I will never break down and join that movement. Number one, my home is smack in the middle of my farm. I'd hate to sell it, and build something small. Number two, my wife would never go along with it. Number three not sure how simple the simple life would be as I age.

It does appeal to me though. I've got it down, to just over a year and I can retire. My kids are in their early teens. Hate to see them go, but I do see the day coming when they move out. Just being totally sufficient, and living off the land. Solar lights, wood heat, eating out of the garden. Living expenses of almost nothing. Minimal trips to town (it's pretty rough here). The whole thing just seems to draw me in. I used to think it was silly, and the people doing it were just trying to get out work (still feel that way about many). It wouldn't be that way for me. It'd be a reason to work with my hands, and provide in a way that's different than I do now. Thoughts?????
Click to expand...

There are definitely hard core folks out there living in the middle of nowhere, spending most of the day working to survive through the next day. That is not my situation. However, "Homesteading" if you will is not black and white, a person can make individual changes to move farther away from the modernized world we live in. My example would be how I try to be more self sufficient. Myself, my wife and our 6 month old boy live outside of Wichita, where it was 12 degrees over night. We live in a modern house, but with a twist. I installed a wood stove in the basement, and that's how we heat the house, at least when we are home. There is a forced air furnace, that is set on 63, and should it get that cold, it will kick on. But 95% of the days during the winter we are heated with wood. It is one of those small steps a person can make to rely less on others. We lost power a few weeks ago overnight, and guess what....house stayed a balmy 68-70.
We also fill our freezers with a very broad mix of food. Right now you'd find, beef (home grown), deer, wild hog, goose, duck, catfish, wiper, and chicken (home grown). Along with probably 100 packages of vac packed vegetables from our summer garden.
I also installed a clothes line in the back yard which gets used all seasons except winter.
Do I live "off the grid" or "minimalist"? Heck no, those folks are way tougher than me. And the fact that my wife stays at home sure helps our self sufficiency. And, to be honest, I could send my wife out to work a money paying job, and we would probably have more money at the end of the day, than what we have with our lifestyle, but that isn't why I do it. I really enjoy being able to actually do things myself.
That's just my rambling about how you don't have to have a woodsman beard, and have a dog sled team to cut a little off from the modern mess we live in, try some little things first. Plus, when the propane man comes to your house and scratches his head because your tank is still full after the month of December...well...I also enjoy that.
Click to expand...

Good post
 
My brother says there are several guys at works that are all in to that. They make really good money but live in small apartments or build small wood frame homes. They make as much as they can or trade with people at farmers markets and stuff.

West Texas is kind of growing on me because of the openness and seclusion. When I went to Big Bend and saw those basic homes with barns at the base of the hills it was really peaking my interest. I have been looking at places in New Mexico like that also. I do believe in certain technology like enet, medications, etc. I would like to definitely rearrange priorities over time. I have never under stood the big, extravagant houses. Some of my best memories are in the old farm houses that my great grandparents lived in. Those houses are so simple, and basic, but yet serve every function you need. Keep a good coat of paint on them, keep them level, and you are good. I would love to have a secluded cabin to start sneaking away to more and more.
 
Brute 23 said:
My brother says there are several guys at works that are all in to that. They make really good money but live in small apartments or build small wood frame homes. They make as much as they can or trade with people at farmers markets and stuff.

West Texas is kind of growing on me because of the openness and seclusion. When I went to Big Bend and saw those basic homes with barns at the base of the hills it was really peaking my interest. I have been looking at places in New Mexico like that also. I do believe in certain technology like enet, medications, etc. I would like to definitely rearrange priorities over time. I have never under stood the big, extravagant houses. Some of my best memories are in the old farm houses that my great grandparents lived in. Those houses are so simple, and basic, but yet serve every function you need. Keep a good coat of paint on them, keep them level, and you are good. I would love to have a secluded cabin to start sneaking away to more and more.
Click to expand...
Land in the town of Mentone/Loving County is supposedly pretty cheap......population is around 20 and it's the county seat. County population is around 80 I think. 1 cow/100 acres if you supplement?
:lol: :lol:
https://www.landsoftexas.com/property/5.1-acres-in-Loving-County-Texas/864053
 
greybeard said:
Brute 23 said:
My brother says there are several guys at works that are all in to that. They make really good money but live in small apartments or build small wood frame homes. They make as much as they can or trade with people at farmers markets and stuff.

West Texas is kind of growing on me because of the openness and seclusion. When I went to Big Bend and saw those basic homes with barns at the base of the hills it was really peaking my interest. I have been looking at places in New Mexico like that also. I do believe in certain technology like enet, medications, etc. I would like to definitely rearrange priorities over time. I have never under stood the big, extravagant houses. Some of my best memories are in the old farm houses that my great grandparents lived in. Those houses are so simple, and basic, but yet serve every function you need. Keep a good coat of paint on them, keep them level, and you are good. I would love to have a secluded cabin to start sneaking away to more and more.
Click to expand...
Land in the town of Mentone/Loving County is supposedly pretty cheap......population is around 20 and it's the county seat. County population is around 80 I think. 1 cow/100 acres if you supplement?
:lol: :lol:
https://www.landsoftexas.com/property/5.1-acres-in-Loving-County-Texas/864053
Click to expand...

That is too much for that land. :) We are not far from there. 285 from Pecos to Mentone is a death trap. You have better odds playing Russian Roulette.

There are some areas around there that have pretty decent grass cover and that small brush as far as the eye can see. Its amazing to see the Mule deer living in that and if there is any kind of grass it is full of quail. It goes from rock to sand dunes out there. Its really a neat landscape.
 
If you have power lines by your place, I'd say by all means connect to the grid, but that said I'm also looking at off-grid systems.. I should be able to generate a couple KW without any trouble, in the summer we really don't use much power, so we could be totally self sufficient during that time.. If we do need more power we can always flip a switch.. or start a genset for an hour.. I now have a gas powered welder and a couple diesel gennys..
 
I don't want to go so far "backwards" to be totally disconnected. Especially from plain human contact and interaction. But I am fairly self-sufficient and independent. Food in the freezer, big garden and vegs in the freezer, canned goods, fruits, on the shelf. Have a dehydrator that I use. I would like to have solar/wind/water power. Water would be my first choice as it is constant as opposed to the sun shining or the wind blowing. I used to have wood heat, backed by oil, but not right now. Could split my own and all, but would not be able to at this stage. There are enough around selling it that it still would be a better alternative as there is nothing like coming into a warm wood heated room, you can back right up to it and "get warm" all the way through. Grew up with that. I would like to be able to generate my own power due to the frequent outages we have especially in the winter. It's not alot of fun to do it all alone anymore though.
 
Brute 23 said:
That is too much for that land. :) We are not far from there. 285 from Pecos to Mentone is a death trap. You have better odds playing Russian Roulette.

There are some areas around there that have pretty decent grass cover and that small brush as far as the eye can see. Its amazing to see the Mule deer living in that and if there is any kind of grass it is full of quail. It goes from rock to sand dunes out there. Its really a neat landscape.
Click to expand...
My wife done told me."You go there, you're going by youself".
?? :( :frowns: :cry: She 'said" she loved me..... ??
 

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