Check out the latest issue of Backwoods Home Magazine!

Friends,  I've been writing for Backwoods Home Magazine for, well, since they and I were a lot younger!  They've been kind enough to publish dozens and dozens of my articles over the years.  That writing was the impetus for compiling, editing, expanding, and adding to create the book "The Self-Reliant Homestead".

In their latest issue, they have printed an article I recently submitted on the building of our off-grid cabin!  I am also working on an additional installment or two on  completing the cabin interior, and on the electrical / heating / water set up that is underway.  I hope you will check out that great magazine.  It's been around for a long time, with good reason.

Find them at www.backwoodshome.com . Of course, I encourage you to subscribe!

More Work On the Cabin!

Well, it seems like I've done it again.  Another long, dry spell without posting.  Like a lot of the country, we've been in the icy grip of winter and we're way past wishing Spring would arrive.  We've had a rough February, as it seems that most of the winter has been saved for these past few weeks. As weather permits, we've been continuing to work on the cabin, and I've been designing the modest off-grid electrical system for it.

Below are a few pictures of progress on the cabin.  As spring arrives, We'll be finishing up the cabin itself and I'll be adding a water system, a privy, and an outdoor shower.  Please stay tuned!

The cabin is coming along.  Here, the house wrap, windows, and doors are installed.

With no electricity on-site, we've relied on our generator and a gas powered air compressor to run the tools.

We got a good deal on three of these brand new windows.

Here you can see the LP Smart Side (R) siding installed.
The small square high on the wall is where the stove pipe will exit.

In addition to warming us up, we used the kerosene heater to heat our tea and soup.
The small piece of flashing was hung over the grill to direct the heat upwards
towards the soup and tea kettle.

The walls have been insulated;
 here I staple in the thick batts of insulation in the ceiling.