Buildings and Renovations, Heat and Cooling, Relaxing
The Cowboy Hot Tub Project – Part 2
Lots of changes to the project, but the end results was a hot bath in an off-grid situation. The first was to move the tub to a better location for my family. The old tub was located down at the lake, which can be tiresome walking up and down the hill to use the washroom, […]
cowboy hot tub, firewood, generator, heat water, hot bath, hot tub, hot water, McCleary woodstove, wood stove
Splitting Big Cedar Logs with a Ryobi 7-Ton Electric Splitter
The solar firewood dryer project needed more wood before it was to be closed up. Had a few hours on the weekend to split some of the large logs. The large pile of Western Red Cedar logs under our deck was an eyesore and getting in the way. Since it was raining like crazy, had […]
big logs, cedar, cedar logs, firewood, gather firewood, Ryobi, splitting
Buildings and Renovations, Firewood
Solar Firewood Dryer/Kiln Project- Part 1
The first part of this project takes place at our full-time home in the suburbs. We are located on the west coast of Canada, just above Seattle, WA. It’s the only part of Canada that receives very little snow in the winter. The downside, rain, lots of cold rain and high humidity. Anything that is […]
budget build, dry firewood, firewood, solar dryer, solar kiln
Hauling, digging, etc, Heat and Cooling
Using a Winch-in-a-Bag to Move Large Logs
[huge_it_slider id=”2″] This portable winch is a must have for an off-grid dweller or off-road explorer. It’s set up to work off a trailer hitch, 12 volt car battery and has a pulling rate of 2000lbs. Picked up last year, on sale, for only $79 dollars (regular $129.99). The project I needed it for was […]
cut trees, fell, firewood, haul logs, logs, lumber, move log, off grid, spring, timbers, trailer hiitch, winch
End Cuts, Heat and Cooling, Power Tools, Relaxing
The Manly Man Weekend
The long weekends have always been the cottage or cabin season opener. That’s when the ice has finally melted and moved off the lake. Most of the snow is gone and the recreational home is prepared for the summer. Lucky for me, a bunch of pals offered to give a hand and make this transition […]
chainsaws, firewood, fishing, long weekend project, rockets, weekeend with the guys
The Joys of Moving Firewood Logs when it’s Super Cold Outside!
The project for the weekend was to build an outside fire to warm some pieces of wood splitting equipment. The equipment runs off of hydraulics and the fluid needed to be thawed out. The logs could be split by hand, but they are over 24″ in diameter and the wood splitter would make the task […]
cold, firewood, moving firewood, Pelican sleds, warmth, wood splitter
Heat and Cooling, Transportation
The Quest to Stay Warm- Hauling Firewood with a Snowmobile
When living off the grid, the main source of heat is a wood stove. Having an ample supply of firewood is a must. Whenever I’m out on my travels, I keep a look out for a trees that would make ideal firewood. The other day, we passed a grove of pine trees that were damaged […]
How to Charge a Generator Battery with a DIY Solar Panel, MPPT Charge Controller and the Sun
The project for the day was to do some firewood splitting. Off camera, there was a pile of 18 – 24 inch tree rounds. They were a freebie given to us by a city dwelling neighbour (it cost $$ to dispose of trees in the city, most people are more than happy to give it […]
charge battery, charge controller, firewood, generator, mppt, project, solar power, wood splitter