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Off Grid Alaska


mooseoutfront

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On 2/3/2022 at 10:53 AM, Don Johnson said:

Fascinating.

Did I miss how you bath normally?

Any pics from inside the cabin?

Where I work has shower and laundry facilities available to me, so I shower and do our laundry at work.  There are lots of businesses who have those types of perks for their employees because while most people have indoor plumbing, everyone has their water/septic systems freeze up from time to time.  It's just how it is with as cold as it gets.  My wife usually bathes at the cabin out of a wash basin.  She's got her system down.  She can wash her hair and bathe in less than 3 gallons of water.  She probably only gets a shower once a month or so.

None from the inside, that's my private space.  But I'll take some more of the outside and post them when I do.

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6 minutes ago, mooseoutfront said:

Where I work has shower and laundry facilities available to me, so I shower and do our laundry at work.  There are lots of businesses who have those types of perks for their employees because while most people have indoor plumbing, everyone has their water/septic systems freeze up from time to time.  It's just how it is with as cold as it gets.  My wife usually bathes at the cabin out of a wash basin.  She's got her system down.  She can wash her hair and bathe in less than 3 gallons of water.  She probably only gets a shower once a month or so.

None from the inside, that's my private space.  But I'll take some more of the outside and post them when I do.

I assume you also do video doctor visits ?

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On 2/3/2022 at 1:21 PM, davidg said:


Y’all’s water situation would be the roughest for me. I guess the sauna and a sponge rinse would be ok too but no hot showers (at least for your wife) would be the deal killer. Those small propane instant hot water heaters, a small rv water pump, and a shower head makes for an easy shower set up.

The problem we have is getting rid of the water from inside the cabin.  We have the most primitive set up.  We've just decided to live with it and not spend money on upgrades.  Our kitchen sink drains into two 5 gallon buckets that I take outside and dump at our gray water dump site.

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1 hour ago, mooseoutfront said:

I've been keeping up with this particular group of assholes since the Horn Fans days.  The Austin 3:16 board was my jam.  Durkee and his shit detector used to work for a friend of mine.  They would frequent a bar where I worked.  Then came Shaggy, and now Surly.

Damn... you are one of THOSE PEOPLE.   at least you werent on LFZ....

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2 hours ago, mooseoutfront said:

If you are referring to aggy, the receptionist where I work has a son that went to eaTme for some reason.  I try not to delve into the mindset of anyone who chooses to attend that shithole.  She has embraced all things aggy.  Not long ago I was wearing a Texas hoodie at work and she actually hissed at me as I walked by her desk.  I stopped and told her to google 76-37-5.  She was not amused.  I told her they would always be little brother and she should just accept it and to stop it with their weird traditions around me.  I've been talking shit to aggy my entire life and she would have nothing new to offer.

 

Well that's shitty, I was thinking one of the big perks would be living a million miles away from Gomerville. You might be cursed...did you happen to build your cabin on an old Indian burial ground?

 

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Very interesting read.  I knew a lot of this as my wife has cousins up in Alaska (Girdwood area).  They're a little more on the grid as they run a nursery business in Seward but prior to them having kids, they were up in the middle of nowhere like OP is.

My wife told me about roadkill harvesting where if an animal is hit by a train, troopers/officals would go to a list of people in the surrounding area and inform them of the kill and they could go out and harvest the meat.  Is that true or does that not really occur in REMOTE areas?

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43 minutes ago, pearlandhorn said:

Very interesting read.  I knew a lot of this as my wife has cousins up in Alaska (Girdwood area).  They're a little more on the grid as they run a nursery business in Seward but prior to them having kids, they were up in the middle of nowhere like OP is.

My wife told me about roadkill harvesting where if an animal is hit by a train, troopers/officals would go to a list of people in the surrounding area and inform them of the kill and they could go out and harvest the meat.  Is that true or does that not really occur in REMOTE areas?

That youtube channel I posted upthread have some video's on them doing exactly this.  They got one that was hit and wounded by a train and the DNR guys dispatched it and called them to come get it.  Seem's like an easy way to get a lot of protein if you can drop everything and head out as soon as you get a call.  

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On 2/4/2022 at 1:59 PM, TexasEd said:

I think you wrote that you are no 5 acres.  Do you have neighbors near? Are you the only one using your driveway road?

Have you thought of going with a solar/wind turbine and battery option for power?  Still off grid but not relying on gas generators.

Our closest year round neighbor is about 800 yards through the woods, or about a mile by road.  He's an absolute prick, so we avoid him.  We have summer neighbors that skip the winter.  They usually show up in late April early May.  We are the only ones using the road that is prone to drifting.  It's about 3.5 miles long.  Only a quarter mile of it drifts over, but that's enough to shut us down.  

We've thought about battery systems, but we've decided to just keep on doing what has been working for us for 12 years.  We have our system down.  It works for us.

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On 2/4/2022 at 3:47 PM, retread said:

How much gas do you go through in a heavy month where you running snow machine, generators, etc.?

 

The generators and snow machine don't really use that much gas.  It's more about how much snow plowing I have to do with the plow rig.  It's a 1985 F250 with a 460 engine.  It drinks the gas, but it will push or pull damn near anything.  I don't think I've ever used more than 1 drum of gas in a month.  Usually around half a drum, or 25 to 30 gallons.

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8 minutes ago, mooseoutfront said:

Our closest year round neighbor is about 800 yards through the woods, or about a mile by road.  He's an absolute prick, so we avoid him.  We have summer neighbors that skip the winter.  They usually show up in late April early May.  We are the only ones using the road that is prone to drifting.  It's about 3.5 miles long.  Only a quarter mile of it drifts over, but that's enough to shut us down.  

We've thought about battery systems, but we've decided to just keep on doing what has been working for us for 12 years.  We have our system down.  It works for us.

Decent exercise cutting and hauling all that wood as well, I'd guess?

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20 minutes ago, mooseoutfront said:

Everything has a season.  You don't want to get caught doing anything illegal when it comes to hunting or trapping because the penalties are so severe.  If you are caught, not only do you lose your hunting/trapping license for 5 years they fine the shit out of you.  They also confiscate everything you used to kill that illegal animal.  I mean everything.  Your wheeler or snow machine, the trailer and vehicle you used to get your off road equipment to the drop off spot, all your firearms with you, all your gear, everything.  And depending on how badly you fucked up, they go for jail time in egregious situations.

How do they define in weight left on the carcass "edible meat" - heard they try and measure on pounds, so you can't leave more than XYZ pounds of meat on the carcass?

Quote

Failing to take all the edible meat of the big game animals 

 

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On 2/5/2022 at 2:42 PM, jeevsie said:

Do they only sell an arctic grade diesel up there? I thought diesel turned to gel when it got that cold?

Number 1 Diesel is also called heating oil or kerosene.  It's what most people heat their homes with here.  It doesn't gel.  The newer low sulfur diesel engines won't run on it.  They sell low sulfur diesel with anti gel additives at the pump.  If you have an older diesel you can run number 1 or the low sulfur stuff.  They sell Number 2 diesel in the summertime, but you have to be careful to have all of that out of your tank or add additives (like Diesel 911) to your tank before it gets too cold and it gels up on you.

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On 2/6/2022 at 12:35 PM, XYZ said:

How did you learn all of this know-how? Did you move there and figured it out on your own? Did you have somebody teach you?

Trial and error.  Most of it is common sense.  My hunting buddy, who has lived up here for close to 30 years has taken us under his wing gives us advice from time to time.  He is a wealth of information.

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On 2/6/2022 at 1:09 PM, Updawg said:

Do you boil your water?

We get our drinking water from a trusted source, so no need to boil it.  We melt snow for humidity and dish washing water.  We've never run out of drinking water and had to melt snow for that.  If we did we'd boil it and filter it before we drank it.

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On 2/6/2022 at 4:19 PM, Immaculate Vibes said:

Do you ever go into town for nice night out with your wife? If so what's the go to place in Fairbanks?

We splurge every once in a while.  Fairbanks is not known for its food.  There are a few good Thai places there.  The Thai House or Lemon Grass are probably the best.  Pho House is a pretty fucking good Vietnamese place.  The Turtle Club has a decent prime rib and it's a place to get king crab legs (my wife's favorite thing on the planet).  Bobby's Downtown is good Greek food and pizza.  There's a Mexican joint that everyone around here loves, Gallo's, but it's extremely average for us Texans.  If we want Mexican I can make better at home.  And Irashai is a surprisingly good sushi place.  

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On 2/7/2022 at 4:29 AM, Dontshootrude said:

Do you process your own firewood?  Where do you source your wood, and how big is your log splitter?  How long does it take to accumulate 10 cords of wood?

We cut all of our own firewood.  We are slowly clearing the trouble trees from around the cabin and cutting a fire break.  Forest fire is my biggest fear, but we don't want to clear cut so we only take 5 or 6 of those trees every Spring and then assess the view/situation.  Beyond that we make a right turn out of our driveway and cut wood with impunity.  We literally live at the end of the road.  Exactly 1 mile from my front door is a ridge that when you drop on the other side of you are on your own.  No cell service, no roads, nothing but trails and wilderness.  You are likely to see anything out there...bears, wolves, moose, caribou.  It's an amazing place that we hike, wheel, and snow machine often.

We have a 35 ton log splitter but I try to split everything I can by hand with an 8 pound maul.  It's my gym membership.  My wife mainly uses the splitter.  She is horrible at splitting wood by hand.  It takes the two of us all spring and summer to bring in 10 cords.  We split it once, stack and cover it.  It then sits for 2 years to cure.  We try to have it all brought in and stacked before September 1 (the first day of the general rifle season for moose).  At that time we have 3 stacks of 10 cords each.  The one that is used for the upcoming winter, cured 2 years.  A stack that has cured 1 year and will be used next winter.  And the green stack that will cure and be used in 2 winters.

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On 2/7/2022 at 6:34 AM, smuggs said:

Seconded. I'd also like to see a pic of your stove setup. How big is it and are you up in the middle of the night to load it?

The cabin stays pretty toasty at 60 to 75 degrees or so.  We have a Blaze King Princess model stove.  It works great as long as the wood is properly cured.  It doesn't burn green wood for shit.

A fully loaded stove will burn for about 10 hours, so we rarely have to load it at night.  Only when it gets to 50 below or colder.

Looks like this:  

pic30.jpg

Edited by mooseoutfront
forgot burn length question
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32 minutes ago, mooseoutfront said:

We have a 35 ton log splitter but I try to split everything I can by hand with an 8 pound maul.  It's my gym membership.  My wife mainly uses the splitter.  She is horrible at splitting wood by hand.  It takes the two of us all spring and summer to bring in 10 cords.  We split it once, stack and cover it.  It then sits for 2 years to cure.  We try to have it all brought in and stacked before September 1 (the first day of the general rifle season for moose).  At that time we have 3 stacks of 10 cords each.  The one that is used for the upcoming winter, cured 2 years.  A stack that has cured 1 year and will be used next winter.  And the green stack that will cure and be used in 2 winters.

If she wants to get a wood chipper, watch your back.....

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On 2/7/2022 at 8:04 AM, davidg said:

This popped on one of my FB groups:    15acre offgrid homestead with a 400 sqft cabin and everything you need to live this life for $125K.  Only catch is that is  the 20minute UTV or snow mobile ride to get to the cabin.

 

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/294280969394278/

 

15 Acre Alaskan Homestead

A true fully functional Homestead off the road system and off-grid. About a 20-minute groomed trail ride by snowmobile or quad depending on weather and trail conditions. Private area to park vehicles off the road. 45 Minute trip to Fairbanks.

We haul our water in. We have thought about drilling. No septic (Out House) Electricity is not far down the road from the homestead. This property will increase in value considerably when the electricity comes through.

Aurora Borealis showings nightly during the winter months.

Insulated Wilderness Cabin. Comfortable Livable Cabin Wood and Propane Heat back up. The cabin has electricity from solar and generators but is not wired. Propane Fridge, Freezer Chest, Range Oven (Appliances run very efficiently and were expensive when purchased). Propane Hot water Shower. Queen Bed, 3 5 drawer dressers for clothes and storage, 65 Inch TV, DVD player, 2 Recliner Chairs, all kitchen utensils- pots pans, mugs, plates, etc...

Back addition has two desks for online workspace or school. The bathroom area of the cabin has a Toilet for Number 1 only during cold winter months that drains through plumbing down the hill into a hole. a shower tub with propane water heater, and a vanity with a mirror

Internet Satellite Service through Hughs Net: Works Great except when it rains really hard or an exceptionally hard snowstorm. Have not had any issues with it thus far. We also have our home telephone hooked up through the internet service.

Propane Tanks: 2 60 lb, 2 50 lb, 1 40 lb, 1 20 lb

18X18 Workshop with Wood Stove Complete with all the tools you will need. Everything stays with the Homestead Many cordless Dewalt Tools, Welder, Plazma Cutter, Air Compressor, Table Saw, etc...

Trapping Equipment: Many different types of traps and snares, stretchers, fleshers, and knives. Everything you will need to start your trapping experience. Another good way to supplement your income on the homestead.

Generators: Generators (Honda 2200i 2 Generac Generators (3500, 6500) 1 Firman electric start 9500, craftsman 3500 really fuel efficient All in working order

16X16 Guest Cabin on Western 5 Acre Lot Wood Stove/ Propane Heat back up. Walls and door need work. Possible rental for hunters or for those that just want to get out of the city for a weekend getaway. Another good way to make some money on the Homestead.

Solar Power Shed: Completly insulated 8X8 building, $6,000 Inverter, 3 solar panels, 4 6 volt batteries for a 24 Volt system. Cord hook up for the back up generator. 12X12 Chicken Coupe with feeding boxes, waterers, and nesting boxes built-in. Our chickens are extremely good layers. We sell our extra eggs to a local dealer in Fairbanks. Another good way to pay for feed and make a little extra money on the Homestead. 10X8 Duck Coupe Many ducks that are prolific layers. Can sell eggs to local dealer.

Dog House with Pup with great bear detecting abilities. I believe we have not any problems with critters coming for our animals is due to having her outside.

Silver Fox Rabbits: 3 separate bunny hutches for breeding meat rabbits. There are 3 does and 1 buck for breeding. Great Producers. Can sell bunnies on craigslist to make extra money.

2005 Polaris Snowmobile 2019 4 Wheeler 2021 6 Seater Side by Side (Wheels and Tracks) Tracks work great in the winter for the trails and are able to haul all your supplies and equipment into the homestead with ease and comfort. Large Heavy-duty trailer for hauling just about anything anywhere All the vehicles are in working order and run great. Two place sno-go trailer (unregistered)

This is a fully functioning Homestead. If you are looking to get out of the city and live the life of your dreams this is a turn-key opportunity with everything staying in place.

271715960_4803951223051936_3464650572176

271580598_4723994071051867_6715746548442

271546366_5116488588361909_3638953978076

I wonder where that is?

That is super upscale compared to how I live.  The shop would be bad ass though.

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What's even worse is there are a couple of Sooners in the area.  The first time I saw someone wearing a Sooner tshirt I looked at my wife and told her that I just couldn't catch a break.
I represent Texas.  I wear Longhorn hoodies and tshirts everywhere.  During the tourist season there is always a group of dipshit Sooner fans or aggy that have to say something or give me the horns down.  My typical response to the horns down is to throw an upside down bird their way.  I'm sure they go back home and tell everyone how they fucked with a sip in Alaska.  Whatever.  I know a dozen places where their bodies would never be found.

Now we’re talkin’….
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