FIRST LOOK In the Alaska Off Grid Cabin (rougher than expected)
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- Опубліковано 21 вер 2024
- Welcome back to the Alaska Off-Grid Challenge! In episode 2, we take you on our journey as we arrive at our remote off-grid cabin deep in the wilderness of Alaska. Follow our adventure as we share our first impressions, the challenges we face, and the preparations we make before K and the kids arrive. From setting up a hot water system to installing electric fencing, we're getting ready for a summer of off-grid living.
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Stay tuned for the next episode, where Kay and the kids arrive at the cabin for the first time, and we share their reactions to our off-grid cabin!
Joolca System - www.joolca.com...
Kencove Fencing Supplies - kencove.com/
Oupes Solar System - oupes.com/
The goal of the Off-Grid Challenge: To live in an off-grid cabin for the summer, learn about off-grid systems, interview neighbors and others who have designed their own off-grid cabins.
How will you survive there in the winter because the road, etc.?-- We only stayed for the summer, because it's not our homestead.
What you're doing is so dangerous!!--There wasn't any inherent danger in this trip. We scouted the area and property earlier in the spring, knew where all emergency services were and how to access them, and spent months preparing for our summer. Alaska is home to some really remote places, but much of it is much like a normal state. We were directly off the road system so within an hour or so we could access totally "normal" stores and services. And (spoiler alert) we all survived!
What will happen to your farm in PA? We manage a family farm, so the family members were able to take over for the summer.
What about your property you are building on? We learned so much from our off-grid summer in Alaska, and now we're starting on our new off-grid homestead plans.
I lived in Alaska 14 years. Lived in the bush, no power (gas generator for an hour at night in the winter), no water (dipped it up in 5 gallon buckets from a creek), no internet and barely a phone (landline/satelite), no school, no cops, no fire dept. Definitely no electric fences or warm showers. I froze my bottom to an outhouse seat at -60. I had a single cassette tape with a radio station recorded on it that i could listen to on a walkman. We used woodstoves for heat as well as cooking. Bathing was a w*ores bath from a pot of warm water on the wood stove and we tended the fire 24/7 once it got cooler. My clothing has frozen to the floor and walls and....
...sometimes i miss it.
Awesome! Our whole goal of this trip was to explore a lot of off grid setups. There are so many cabins in AK that are dry and off grid. It was a great chance to talk to others who built their off grid cabins and see what they loved and what they would change.
Some people are insane.
As lifelong Alaskans, I’d like to say, we are impressed and proud of you guys! Plenty of channels post moving to offgrid Alaska videos and install a $50k solar system so they can live like they did in the subdivision. You guys are the real deal. You have some lifetime subscribers here. It takes a lot to live like you did. You are amazing people on and off camera. I deem you honorary Alaskans. Us bucket poopers have to stick together. 🤪 Be blessed friends.
-Reeve and Chrystal
Brotherhood of the bucket ;) Thanks guys
@@Homesteadyshow ha! Love it!
They make great videos but I wouldn't call them the "real deal" in an off grid sense. And I don't imagine many of my neighbors here would either. A very nice road to their already existing cabin with solar and a well? They said this place is for a soft landing into the off grid world and that's what they're doing, but unless you're trying to do some kind of marketing for them, you know that renting an existing cabin on a road with water and electrical already is not "the real deal."
What they're doing is very cool and they make a great video product. It's super cool. But I'm not sure Reality TV Show marketing is going to be useful to people who may make a decision to live here based on such things. Reality is tough here, we should be honest about it to help our future neighbors.
@@gf3803 Hey friend, not in marketing cahoots. Ha! We were able to spend some time them while they were here in Alaska. Appreciated their gumption, solar panels and all. I won’t lie though, was a little jealous of their well. Ha! Hoping to get one around here in the next 5 years or so. Be blessed and have a great weekend. 😊
Remember, the goal of this series isn't about building an off grid homestead. The homestead we stayed in in AK was already built. The goal was to live in an off grid cabin, interview others in AK who have built and designed their off grid cabins, and then learn what we liked and didn't so we could take that knowledge back to our PA homestead. Then we'll start our own off grid homestead.
We're not claiming to be anything other than what we are. Normal people spending a summer in an off grid cabin to learn as much as we could. It was awesome, with the bonus of meeting some really incredible people (Like Chrystal and Reeve) along the way.
It's so precious that your parents helped get everything all settled and are so supportive of u! And im so moved at how tender hearted u are to want to make the cabin clean, cozy, and welcoming for your wife and children. I hope my daughters are blessed to have such thoughtful husbands some day, too.
Wonderful editing, and what a fun idea to try out living in alaska off grid, and then to weave the story together into a series-- Amazing job all around!
Your parents are amazing!
At least you’re honest about it I think other people are not as honest as you are. I respect that.
Enjoyed watching you and your parents spend precious time together during this trip. To have parents alive and healthy enough to do a trip like this is such a gift! I’m sure all of you appreciate how special this is.
It truly was a wonderful thing to be able to do.
Here we go!! So excited for this. Ya'll are doing a great job with these edits too, very professional!
Hey Matt! Thanks man, we’re excited to finally be able to release some of the adventures!
I absolutely love when you have your parents on. Your dad has such classic dad energy he is just adorable.
Also digging your shots this episode! Like an indie film or pro documentary. 😊
Thanks Roughntumble, I tried to up the footage in this series 😁
A pool noodle cut to fit the rim on your new toilet works amazingly. Best wishes on your new journey new life new experiences blessings wished
Your parents are awesome!! You guys did a great job on the cabin.
They are!
It's so exciting to see every step of the adventure your family is undertaking. What a blessing to have your family there to help you get setup and for you to adjust to it all before K and the kids all show up. This is so awesome!
Cant wait to see more. I give ya'll lots of credit for doing this. I just got back from Alaska and have a whole new respect for those living there. True wilderness.
Awesome, where were you in AK?
@@Homesteadyshow we took a cruise in the inner passage. Juneau, glacier Bay, Skagway, Ketchikan...all very small mountain towns. Absolutely beautiful.
I'm officially addicted to your channel. My dream is to live off grid in Alaska. My kids are very younger so it's unrealistic right now. This gives me that " living in Alaska" feeling that I wanted with a reasonable amount of reality. I'm thankful for the information and your true content
I admire you guys so much. I hope your experience with all this is exactly what you need and that it turns out to be a huge blessing for your family for generations. Your family is amazing and I'm so excited to see how much more you bond with your kids. I think it's gonna be great for everyone. I pray for safety and a deeply rewarding experience for all of you. ❤❤❤
Too many people stay comfortable within their comfort zones. We commend you and your family for pushing yourselves in order to learn and grow.
Looking forward to the next one. :)
So proud of you guys and it’s also really smart and adventurous of you guys to take and do a trial run before committing seeing if it’s a good fit for your family is a great idea❤
Love ur dad ur so lucky
Hey ,sorry I'm late to the Party🎉.
I am so Pleased to see that your parents are there to help and support you ❤.
JO JO
❤
Thanks, Jo Jo!
Line the lid of the bucket with a pool noddle or pipe insulation it will be more comfy
Great job telling your story. You all have a great attitude. It's been really fun to watch your channel over the years!
We honeymooned in Alaska and loved it. We eventually moved to northern Maine, which is basically the Alaska of the lower 48 😂. One thing that surprised us was how many mosquitoes (and bugs in general )there are. We thought the cold winters would decrease their numbers, but that is definitely not the case. I think it’s because they know they have such a short time before they all freeze and they come out in full force. 🤷🏽♀️ Missed seeing your content!
Yes those mosquitoes do seem to live a Yolo lifestyle 😂
Great videos, on your roadtrip , Banff is in Alberta Canada not B.C. ,,,, you travelled at a very bad time, our wild fires, so glad you made it through,,, I am binge watching ,,,,God Bless, from Sherwood Park AB
Hey homesteady, I wanted to say great choice checking out alaska, even if you don't choose to move here eventually. I am sure it was a grand experience that you and your family will never forget! It really is wild, beautiful, and free here. I am disappointed with some of the comments from other alaskans and veiwers. It's almost as if some people are trying to deter you from following your passion or discredit that you were living offgrid this summer. For some reason, a lot of people think if your dream does not look the same as theirs, it is wrong, and I just don't get it. I have never seen your videos prior to this. The way you do your editing makes a nice story. Great work, keep it up, and ignore the haters 😂
A very warm welcome to you @jawajava! So glad you stumbled across our channel and I hope you stay for the series, and leave some solid sourdough advice for us in each of the comments. I never mind constructive criticism or critiques but yeah, the haters do get old fast. However people like you make up for them and keep us going. This comment made my day. Thanks and look forward to hearing more from you.
to bad I didn't know about your adventures before coming up, you could have stayed at my off-grid cabin in Petersville. Thanks for sharing Aust!
Next time!
Good luck
Ok u got me this old woman subscribed..
So cool, can’t wait to see this unfold.
You guys are very brave it’s a great adventure
Hello my name is Joel Hetland I just turned 66 this year we my wife & I decided to live off grid in north eastern Washington all I can say is you really find out what you need and don’t need, enjoy
Born and raised in Alaska. I'm not sure there's an easy way to adjust coming from the East Coast or even just the lower-48 and vice versa. The comments may seem harsh but it's just wisdom from people who've also learned the hard way. I haven't been following the story so didn't initially realize this was just a summer trip and immediately cringed when I saw the road in and thought about winter. It's just a different world that can't really be explainedd to people who haven't lived it.
One of the 2 big reasons we went to Alaska… to interview people with “wisdom… learned the hard way” to help ourselves and other path be a bit easier.
Your mom is beautiful and very positive
What a great adventure for you and your family. Blessings for a safe journey. Just a tip mosquitoes don’t like citrus smells. So lemon essential oils in alcohol will help with them. Or take the skin of lemons and put them in alcohol for a few weeks and it will work the same.
Off-Grid is being used pretty loosely now-a-days. Glamping seems accurate.
Should be a fun experience. I look forward to the rest of the show.
Glad you're looking forward to it! Curious, how do you define Off-Grid? In this series, we use the definition of "not being attached to public utilities".
Our goal was to explore different off-grid setups (solar, propane, hauling water, etc.) to learn as much as we could so we can design our own off-grid homestead in the future.
But your personal definition may be different.
If you're not living in a bushcraft shelter , eating a squirrel every day and drinking from a creek, it's not really offgrid, I guess 😅
The dog is like ……..for real ..?.😂😂😂😂
Love it! Can't wait for more! -Dusty
Hopefully you have a tractor/snow blower to clear that road. They get a lot of snow!
Some years they do. Other years it’s just mud, which is even worse than when it freezes.
Bearsteady!🐻
Looks like quite the adventure! 😅
I'm wondering why didn't the owner have repairs done before leasing it out?
Cheap?
We got a very very cheap price to lease the property, and he was very clear in the beginning that the cabin was very rustic and may need some repairs.
Awesome support network you have there!
Very true!
think its rough now just wait till winter
Sounds like your dad doesn’t want to leave !!
Good family! Good luck 👍
Wow with the kids it must have been tuff
It was different but awesome!! They loved it
@@Homesteadyshow awww happy family
I don't understand why you just didn't camp out on Sunny Mountain for the summer, off grid to figure this out? Would have saved you a ton of money. I'm still watching.
For views I guess but this is a life you have to really want not just a life to have only to have views , That's why the challenge thing doesn't seem like his heart is into it .
We didn’t want to learn what it was like to go camping. We wanted to learn what it was like to live truly Off the Grid, remote, in a cabin, using solar power, propane, outhouses, and get to learn from and interview people who are pros in this lifestyle. This idea that we could have camped the summer on our bare property, and that it would have helped us design our off grid life going forward, it’s not the same thing. Life is about more than money, some people spend thousands to go to college, or take specialized courses, this was our semester deep dive into off grid life.
James, I see this comment from time to time, and I understand why some people might think this, but I can assure you it’s not the motivation for our travel to Alaska. there is one thing I learned a long time ago about making videos. I’ve been at the UA-cam business for 9 years now. You NEVER make a lifestyle change for views. Audiences are complex and algorithms change, if you go changing your life for views you may end up frustrated AND broke very quickly. Take a look at my channel, if I want lots of views all I have to do is make a video about choosing the best or worst livestock for some goal. Best pigs for pasture. Best family milk cow. What’s best livestock for a beginner. Etc. There is no reason to believe this series will get us some special view numbers or attention. We have discussed openly on our channel what we earn per video, you can watch and do the math, we’re not making that much of these individual videos. Sure, not gonna lie, I’d love if they go viral, and more people join the Homesteady audience, but to say the only reason we went to Alaska for the off grid challenge was for views - that kind of comment suggests that you are not understanding how things work on our end.
Also… have you ever wanted to go to Alaska? I sure did!
@@Homesteadyshow I admire your grit and it's something many people dream about doing but never do . Bear fear is real but you will get use to seeing them . Only thing I would change other than just bear spray is a sidearm to keep handy .
Was wondering why you picked Alaska, why not something closer to home? Have a great time though, once in a life time thing. Nancy from nebraska
Part of our goal with the off grid challenge was to interview experts in off grid life. Alaska by necessity has more people living off grid then your average state. It’s a way of life for many there. It was the perfect place for us to experience it ourselves AND find many others who we could talk to and learn from.
Wow I think y'all are way out your element there that is way back into nothing, I think this is going to be a rough ride for you and your family. But other than that it's beautiful out there, good luck with everything
Nita, yes, that’s the whole idea, we are getting WAY WAY out of our element here. That’s the “Challenge”, can we really do this? Live off grid as a family AND enjoy it? Stay tuned!
@@Homesteadyshow I will
Maybe a dumb question but if this property is owned by someone else and is renting it out, shouldn't the repairs be on him?
A small toilet set will fir right on top of the poop bucket. It will make life a bit easier...lol...hopefully
I live off grid but would never do it in Alaska 😬😬😬😬😬
I can’t wait for the next episode!! I dream of going off grid, but I don’t think we’d even survive a weekend without power 😂
You guys could do it a weekend. I promise ;)
Ok im not watching your videos before bed, last week's video about ALL THE BEARS,,well i dreamed about bears,mamma bear snd cubs snd it was scary lol
Oh no! Sorry for the nightmare 🐻
Has the well water been tested if you're using it for drinking water? We had double water filters, both of which failed, and I ended up getting manganese poisoning. Which literally drives you crazy and makes you only able to sleep 3 hours a night and lose your sense of balance. Test your water and test it regularly. It's not worth the health complications you'll face if you don't.
Wow!! That sounds awful. We did not drink the well water. We got potable and used that for the summer.
@@Homesteadyshow It was. I've become a bit of an evangelist after going through it. 😅 Glad you guys had good water.
Nice for an adventure. But living like that ? What if one of the kids gets hurt or you, where is the nearest hospital or anything? Hope it works out for you
That’s the main reason we went in the summer. We had scouted previously and knew where and how to reach all emergency services. We had a wonderful summer!
They are 747's that bite.
Even if it’s 40 degrees out!
Oh boy. I knew yall would be way shocked at the living conditions. I laughed for 5 good minutes when you first mentioned off grid Alaska. Like, these rich folks don't have a clue what they're getting into. I was right. Can't wait to see how this unfolds.
God bless em but I agree. Hot showers are the least of your worries (but admittedly nice to have after the hard work you put in every day)
And I laughed for 5 good minutes when you described us as “rich folks” 😂. So do you live off grid?
@@Homesteadyshow Hearing your wife say How are we not going to hate this the entire time.... screams spoiled rich kid. I've seen your homestead. Heard the story. Yall come from a lot more money than I did, that's for sure. I know the real struggle. Not the mommy and daddy got my back type of struggle.
People who judge a book by its cover rarely guess the story correctly.
@@Homesteadyshow my track record is pretty stellar. But we shall see.
What no outhouse? That’s unusual..😮. I have one but I ordered the seat for it and poo powder😂😂😂.
You are going to have to dump the poop bucket on the ground....why not just dig a hole in the ground? Use the location for a few days and bury it....go dig a new hole
Also not sure about the toilet paper out there , it's going to be soaked with dew and rain. Bring it out with you when you need it 😊
@@jameskostaras4778coffee can with a lid will keep the TP dry. A metal bucket for TP waste so you can burn it right in the bucket.
We used a used merengue cookie container. Worked like a charm!
Wonder how far up Alaska you are... looks kinda southern alaska
@@lluchadden4040 thanks. I've only been in Fairbanks and Anchorage. Did not see much around Anchorage
What is happening with the place we all got invested in? Damn whammy. What's up with the place we left behind? Do you have people there?
Rand, are you referring to our farm in PA? We explained in a past video we live on a family farm, family is caring for it in our absence
@Aust
I would love ❤ to do something like rhis with my dad, its his dream to go to Alaska. My question is about what did this cabin cost to stay at ? If i may ask ? My dad is getting older almost 70 and this would be amazing to
Gift him.
It was a really affordable way to stay in Alaska. So I would just google cabins for the summer in Alaska and see what you can find!
@@Homesteadyshow
Thank you...
Alaska mosquitos are next level bad. And huge.
😂 truth!
Having Good support is everything! I hope dumb luck is on your side! Too bad you didn’t take some one that has outdoor experience. 🤦♀️
Farm pup is very insulted that you said we didn’t take someone with outdoor experience 🐕 he lives outside! (Ok jokes aside I have been a fisherman my whole life and a hunter for 14 years, I’ve been in the woods with bears on multiple occasions, so I do have some outdoor experience 🏕️)
@@Homesteadyshow Little things like not putting your toilet paper in a coffee can to keep it dry and believing that an electric fence would keep grizzlies out is amusing but thinking that you will have enough solar power for the fence and everything else really makes me wonder.
Curious LAstars, Have you ever worked with electric fence?
@LAStars-sratS i personally run electric fence on solar all year without issue. I'm not sure what you are trying to tell him? We also use portable electric fenceing around hunting camp in bear country it works great.
@@Homesteadyshow grew up with them on a pony farm and have had neighbours, friends have them (for cattle) in later years. If a grizzly wants something, pretty much nothing stops them. I’ve seen their destruction out in the bush. (I also organized and helped build a Strawbale house in 1997)
I have beers in my yard all the time, but i dont have children or animals .. wecome to the last frontier...
Thank you! Alaska was beautiful. So happy we got to spend the summer there.
Use 4" pink insulation board for your outhouse seat. If it's -60 below it wont feel cold at all.
Not many mice in Alaska, but a lot of shrews.
A lot of spiders, many not identified.
Put tarps over vehicles and seal aroynd the edges.
Slide stovepipe under the engine or trany, and use propane weed burner inserted into stovepipe to force warm air under the vehicle.
Or you can use coals on sheet metal but you'll need the tarp secured all along the ground.
Bring your battery from your vehicles inside when you're not going anywhere.
Make sure you're stocked up on headlamps, facemasks, bunny boots, arctic coveralls or bibs. Blacklined, not red lined.
In winter, round -40 and colder, tree sap pops really loud. Freaks some people out till they learn to recognize the sound.
If you have a black bear that wont leave, hanging round, just kill it be done, keep your mouth shut.
If you take dogs, get ones born and acclimated to Alaska. Don't bring southern breeds in. Once they freeze their pads off, they're no use in winter.
In winter, you can melt snow for water.
Cover your windows inside and out with plastic.
Make sure you have an arctic entrance.
Use boot warmers and always keep multiple felt liners.
When it's cold, even with tranny heaters, oilpan heaters, engine block heaters, it'll be difficult clutching, putting gear until everything warms up.
Your tires will be flattened on the bottom, frozen, so don't freak. Just move real slow till they round out.
Always have tire chains. And always have survival gear in your vehicle at all times.
Always have come-a longs, chains, straps, and bottle jacks and bumper jacks and at least one jack stand.
Winches are so awesome. Get a good winch mounted.
Buy lots heat for gas.
And bug spray for summer.
Leave moose a lone.
Always look around before walking outside. Look around before leaving outhouse.
Keep candles or lantern in outhouse and a shotgun or rifle.
Keep toilet paper in coffee cans with lids or chipmunks or shrews will have a field day.
Yellowjackets and hornets can be pretty bad in summer.
Always keep eye out for their nests.
You'll learn all this and more.
Good luck. Be safe.
Thanks for all the great advice, we won’t be in Alaska for the winter, but this comment can certainly help others!
you will need a snow plow or some sort of snow removal Cheers form BC Canada
Just here for the summer! We were told by the neighbor that the road is impassable certain times of the year. Especially during break up
Seems dreamy. When I got out here 6 years ago there were no structures, no water, no power, and no vegetation. It had been clear cut and scraped to the ground. And with no income or savings, it was a lot of hurry up and wait and just trying to accumulate biomass from whatever sparing weeds successful sprouted... mostly thistles and poison oak. I would take that over doing this again. 😂
I hope you won’t have to travel on that long driveway during the middle of winter!
Nope!! One of the reasons we did this in the summer. The road is impassable especially during break up when it’s all mud.
Please tell me someone has a revolver on them!
Nope. A semi auto
It's not how I do off grid. Starting with a roof that isn't nice clean galvanised steel so you wouldn't want to drink the water off it. And this whole outdoor washhouse and no flush toilet. You don't have to go primitive to be running your house on your own electricity and water!
With your family you are taking an awful risk. There are a LOT of safer off grid locations to try out. Austin we pray for your safety.
There really was minimal risk involved, other than the normal risk of every day life. We planned extensively, scouted the location, learned all about local hospitals etc. and had everything we needed to stay safe. We had a wonderful off grid summer. Thank you for your prayers.
Why you want your family to end up like Chris McCandless?
Chris McCandless went into the wilderness lacking the necessary knowledge, skill, preparation, support, and backup to be successful. the comparison is just wrong.
No animals?
😳😦
They're not moving out there. It's just a summer learning experience.
Not yet 😏
Dude you so far out of your element I hope it works out for you and your family .
Lol they survived, this was filmed months ago.
You should get a pop-up shelter for your outhouse.
🕵🏻♂️ elementary Watson
Wonder if your parents secretly think you are nuts, but love you too much not to help you anyway.
😂 probably something like this,
Better put that toilet paper in plastic, even the dew will get in it
Need a firearm handy for those bears
Yep!
LISTEN TO YOUR PARENTS,
The aliens will come for you in the remote areas of the north, lol.
Promises promises 😂