Roll With the Punches
This post is meant to be a snapshot, or update of how we are currently living. I will briefly describe some of the systems we’re using but I may do some more in-depth posts later. In my last post, we were preparing to move our trailer to a new spot. We’ve done a lot since then and did move. However, it was more of a process than I had hoped. First of all, remember the nice spot we picked out that I got up and cleared by hand? Well, we still didn’t have phone service there although we would be closer to the place where we did. We decided we needed to be a little further up. What’s more, we discovered that there is a lot of Poison Ivy growing right next to it. In fact, our boys got into it while they were helping clear it. It’s been quite a hard learning process for those two because they seem to keep finding it, and yet, despite the pain it has caused them, they still aren’t very careful around it.
As we looked around, we found that there was another good spot just up the road a little further that has phone service, and required a little less labor to clear. I cleared a good portion of it by hand, but I also put some work into our tractor and got it back up and running so I fired up the mower and mowed. While I was at it, I mowed our trails and made a decent sized “yard” space where our trailer would be. I had our tractor up for sale for quite some time but nobody was very interested. However, the very next day I got it going, someone wanted to come look at it. They ended up buying it and it was bitter sweet to let that old thing go but we needed the cash and we have the skid steer. Unfortunately, even with all the work I’ve put into that, it still doesn’t run. It’s a sore spot for me right now. Another sore spot was how much we lost in the tractor. I probably paid too much for it and didn’t negotiate enough when I sold it. I’m terrible at this buying and selling game. I actually really hate it! It’s another hard lesson learned.
With the new spot ready and cleared, we began to prepare to move camp. I had hoped that we could get it all done in one day. It wasn’t like we were moving from one home to another. We haven’t “unpacked” because almost all our things are either in the shed, the enclosed trailer, or the camp trailer. So all we need to do is hook on and move right? Well… not exactly. We did have a camp site set up but that isn’t a big deal. The more labor intensive thing is moving the animals, their fencing, water, shelter, etc. We had purchased a chicken coop on marketplace because we knew I’d be busy with a lot of other things and wouldn’t have time to build a coop. It isn’t the design I would have chosen and eventually I’d like to make a better one but it works for what it is for. The issue was moving it from where we had originally dropped it off the trailer. The tractor was gone and the skid steer was still not working so we had to get creative to move this thing. It’s about 7’x7’ wood framed and covered in metal sheeting so it isn’t something that a few people can just lift and move. We ended up getting our appliance dolly in the back, then I lifted from the inside and we very carefully and slowly towed it into place by hand. It was a funny sight to see! It was also very difficult. I wish we had gotten a picture or video of us moving it.
We have the chicken run and the goat fence next to each other so I just created a small shelter for the goats that continues the pitch of the chicken coop. We have electric netting that we use to move the goats occasionally to allow them to eat fresh food. There is certainly plenty of it!
Once we got moved over and got systems in place for our animals, we set up a little outdoor kitchen and bathroom area. In case you’re curious, we are using a composting (often called humanure) toilet system. It’s similar to an out house but you add some kind of carbon material each time you use it. We have been using wood shavings from a bag but that was running low so I just visited the local Amish sawmill and picked up some sawdust. It’s also possible to use things like dry grass clippings, chopped straw, or leaves but those things tend to harbor bugs and they also take up more space. Saw dust seems to be the best option. Each time the toilet gets full, we dump it in a pile that is out of the way and isn’t in a drainage line. We cover it with grass/weed clippings from the areas that we’ve cleared and that really helps to keep smell down. If it stinks, it needs more dry material. Once the pile is large enough then you cover it and let it sit to compost for at least one year. Once it is fully broken down then it can be used to fertilize trees or shrubs. It isn’t recommended to use in a vegetable garden although some people have successfully done that with some extra compost time and care.
The dog ruined the grass in front of the toilet so I got a large flagstone with a natural curve in it to place in front of the toilet.
Our kitchen area currently is a canopy with lifetime table with a water jug and a large metal basin for a “sink”. We have a gas cooktop set up there and a metal bookshelf to store some basic cookware. Under the table we have totes that store some basic sealed pantry items that won’t attract rodents. We have a plastic picnic table that we brought with us and that is what we eat at as long as it isn’t rainy. The canopy is great but is older and well used so it leaks quite a bit. We have plans to set up a larger, more permanent covered space for our kitchen and an outside living area. We also built a nice little fire pit and have been cooking over the fire with dutch ovens fairly frequently. I really enjoy cooking on an open fire and find that it isn’t terribly difficult with a little bit of experience. The struggle is getting the right kind of fire and setting it up early enough to use for cooking. It isn’t for last minute meals.
I love cooking in a dutch oven over an open fire!!!
We have a shower set up in the trailer. The water heater for the trailer wasn’t working the last time we used it. I haven’t had the chance to check it out but we have an off grid shower system that we built that uses a metal pressure sprayer that is hooked up to a shower head. So we heat water in a kettle, pour it into the sprayer, then add cold water. The ratio depends on how hot you want your shower. We found that if you add hot water last, then it doesn’t mix well and you get a cold shower that is piping hot at the end. My son and I built this when we were here working last summer and we mostly didn’t heat the water because our water had been sitting in jugs all day in the sun and we were always hot anyway so the temperature was plenty warm. Once you get the water ready then you pump it up by hand, then squeeze a lever and lock it and you’ve got a shower. You do usually have to pause part way through and pump it up again. I know it’s a lot of work for a shower, but out here living this way, it’s totally worth it! That being said, we actually don’t use the shower all that often. We mostly bathe in the creek. Don’t worry, we use bio-compatible soap! We tend to go to the creek just about every day. We go down there when we have a large amount of dishes, or larger more difficult dishes. It’s really nice to spend an hour or so down there in the middle of the day to cool down on hot days and it REALLY helps to reset the mind and soul!
We are working on getting a better system in place for our water but for now we take an IBC tote in the back of the truck with the Bluetti, hose, extension cord, and submersible pump. We pump water from the creek into the tote and bring it back to camp. The struggle with that is that then we have to leave the tote in the truck and can’t use the truck for other things. We are going to get another tank that we can use to get the water and then empty it into a tank that is raised up which we’ll also use to collect rainwater. Our creek has clear water but it certainly isn’t potable. We use this as wash water. We do have some springs and a wet weather creek that has spring water in it most of the time. We were gathering water by hand from that to filter for drinking and cooking. We bought some discount gravity water filters and when the water flows, they work well, but don’t filter enough water for a family of 7. I might look into some other options but they seemed to clog up rather quickly. It was getting to be too much of a struggle and we just were not getting enough clean water. We’ve had several neighbors offer water, including our next door neighbors whose well is not that far from us so we’ve decided to take their offer and go fill up there as needed. That will help us a lot until we can figure out our own system. I am interested in developing our upper spring and piping the water to a tank but that is going to have to be a later project.
I forgot to mention that we just got this cool little washing machine. We had put off laundry for too long and we had several rain days in a row so once we got some sun it was time for some serious laundry!
The downside to our location is that we only get sun on our panels in the mornings. They could be getting sun all day but the cord that connects the panels to the Bluetti is only a few feet long. I’ve ordered an extension and will get them moved somewhere more open, or maybe on the roof of the RV to get better exposure. The panels for the trailer lights/fans are on the roof now and generate plenty of power for our needs. Again, that’s a different system that just runs DC power for lights, fans, and phone charging.
The exciting thing is that with our solar panels, Bluetti, and a better view of the sky in this location I was able to get our Starlink internet up and running! That has been a game changer because we’ve been able to look things up, and generally feel more connected to our families. In some ways I do miss not having the internet but it sure does help one live in the modern world. I should be able to post more regularly now that we have an internet connection as well!
Lastly, we got the trampoline set up so it feels a little bit more like home. So slowly and surely, we’re building up a more efficient and comfortable life here. Ideally, I’d love to be working on our winter shelter but we have to wait for our home in Utah to close. There were some unfortunate and unforeseen delays in the closing so we’re kind of waiting for that to happen before we can invest in any real progress on that. Also, the skid steer isn’t working and that is needed to get the ground ready for a foundation. While I certainly don’t want to live in a camper longer than I need to, there are several people in our neighborhood who have done it successfully for several years now and have been giving us some helpful tips that they’ve learned. I think the thing I’m learning is to just be adaptable. Things will change and we have to roll with the punches.
