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cabingal3
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# Posted: 16 Apr 2015 10:25
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do u come across any nay-sayers about your cabin building and maybe moving in to live full time there and also about living off the grid?
what is your response?or is it mostly positive?
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hattie
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# Posted: 16 Apr 2015 11:29 - Edited by: hattie
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Our family thought we were crazy to move out here. When Bob had his cardiac arrest in 2011 they instantly asked me when we were going to move. I told them I never want to move and that if we had been living in a big city, no one would have helped save Bob's life that day. Small town folk tend to band together when help is needed.
Today (almost 8 years later from the day we moved here full time) our family finds it to be a very peaceful place to visit and they enjoy the quiet and nature. They still don't understand how we can live in such a small place away from cell phones, Starbucks and Tim Horton's. I think they have learned to appreciate the simplicity of our lives (growing a lot of our own food, having our own small home business, etc.) but they all say they could never live here (even though secretly I think some of them wish they could).
They are amazed at how community minded we have become. We have more time for that because we don't worry about keeping up with the Jones' and travelling to work every day.
I know they have concerns for what will happen to us if we get too old to look after ourselves here, but we try to focus on living today and not worry about tomorrow.
They have definitely come around (in a positive way) with their thoughts on our living choices and, if nothing else, it gives the family something to talk about. *LOL*
To the naysayers, we try to put a comical spin on things and refer to ourselves as a couple of crazy hillbillies.
We're not off grid so I can't speak to that.
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Steve_S
Member
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# Posted: 16 Apr 2015 11:33
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I ran into "Nay-Sayers" while I was in the City (1 million+) but did not pay attention as I realized the majority of those were the "Ewww a bug landed on me" types with no experience beyond their sofa's and nukelated meals. These are also the folks who cannot see beyond their consumptive lifestyles and suffer from the "Instant Rice Syndrome", where they want everything immediately and have to compete with their fellow crows for all the latest shiny, blingy material junk that they can't afford.
I have run across a few hesitant types out here in the country BUT the vast majority are quite Pro ! The area I am in is fairly removed from Big City influences and there is a lot of Cabin folks, off-gridders, homesteaders around here, even the Amish are moving into this area on scale. Generally folk around here are quite receptive & open to it, many are curious & interested as well... I would say, certainly on the positive side.
Geez... did I just expose how I feel about irresponsible, materialistic, superficial city folks... I guess so... LOL.
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Wilbour
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# Posted: 16 Apr 2015 11:37
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My cabin is without power of any sort. That's just how we like it. Everyone keeps asking if we plan on getting a genny any time soon. When I tell them how we look forward to spending time without power they just look at us with a blank stare.
To be honest, we are wired up the ying yang at home but when I want to get away from it all, I want to get away from it all.
Most people I meet just shake their heads 
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Steve_S
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# Posted: 16 Apr 2015 11:54
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@Wilbour, I'd wager $20 that the Head Shakers you encounter are all attached to their techno junk and constantly checking their Dumb Phones for messages, texts and could not survive crossing the street without their GPS'. One big EMP from SOL... 
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cabingal3
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# Posted: 16 Apr 2015 17:40 - Edited by: cabingal3
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well we have gotten alot of negative from people.
my old boss use to ask "what do u do out there ?" and "wont u be bored?".
But we have a vision.
we want to build a homestead in the wilderness.we want to build us a house eventually but people act like we are yahoos with straws in our teeth.
one person got us a fancy coffee maker and said that how we could make coffee.i am like are u kidding me?
i said we make coffee all the time.how says she! well we do have a coffee pot.i put it on my kitchen stove and we let it perk and we have coffee.
we were all talking with these same ones...talking of tv shows.i said we watch alaskan bush people.
they laughed and said "someone worse off than u!"they just snickered and snickered. i am not offended cause these same ones talking and laughing...
have one piece of land they can not build on,another piece of land they cant not find out in Bly and they wanted us to build them a cabin but we are double their ages.
this is how i see it...they think we are gonna stay the same and not improve the place.we are putting in orchards.
we are building us a big work shop.
we are progressive.
they are coming to visit us in august.
i cant wait for them to see our orchard planted.our gardens in and the place looking snappy.
i dont really care what people think cause i am loving no mortgage payment,free water,free food growing and all the free heat we could muster...and lots of land to roam on and free meat for the picking.
love it.
i guess people are just ignorant.not stupid just not knowing what they dont know and talking alot of bull...lol.
hattie so glad u have stayed there .u and your fella.
your place is so precious.
Wilbour-i truly did want a place with even not a generator but it does help the mister with building.and it is sort of handy but i sure do like it that way too.
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 16 Apr 2015 19:18 - Edited by: MtnDon
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But aren't you glad there are so many people who don't understand why anyone would want to live in the boonies? If everyone had the same turn of mind, loving the country, loving living away from large urban centers, there would be more of a rush to get away. There would be less country as you know it. There already is less country as it was 30 years ago.
But that said, I like my electricity and I like my electrical devices; appliances, tools, entertainment. But I dislike generators very much. I guess that is why we have a PV system at the cabin.
As I've said before.... "different strokes for different folks. And thank goodness! And who cares what the Jones's think?
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Steve_S
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# Posted: 16 Apr 2015 19:40
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Two Thumbs UP MtnDon & Cabingal.
Using the genny suck but when a building one must use it. Just getting in the final Solar Estimates and that will be setup in due course and will supply everything I need and then some... I am quite "Power Frugal" lol.
Goodness, those "Real Life tv shows" are such a pile of edited & scripted hoo-haw... While they can be entertaining for many different reasons, I think the genre generally presents things to folks in a manner they won't find appealing or desirable for themselves... All the better for us to get out & do our own thing.
Quoting: cabingal3 "what do u do out there ?" and "wont u be bored?".
I lost count how many times I've heard that... Too Funny ! There is far more "todo" than time to do it in BUT one thing at a time and doing it on the easy (no external pressure from some fool) is so rewarding, I couldn't and wouldn't trade it for anything.
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pizzadude
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# Posted: 16 Apr 2015 20:29
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Only my friends at small cabin forum know about my place in the woods. I am still in the prepping stages. Not yet moved in. And no one but me has seen my place.
Eventually people will know, when I'm ready to let them.
I expect flack, just as you folks received. How do you do this? And that? Isn't it boring?
Ha!
There are reasons why we do the things we do. Yep. Different strokes..
I can't wait to experience the serenity and being surrounded by solitude.
Sure there will be frustrations and times when things won't go as planned. But that happens to city folk too.
We'll be just fine out in the boondocks.
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rockies
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# Posted: 16 Apr 2015 21:36
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I suppose I have the reputation as a nay-sayer because I bring up all kinds of questions and point out things that won't work when people discuss their plans with me (but that has more to do with their cabin designs than actually moving out onto raw land).
One thing I have noticed is a lot of times people will post drawings or plans for their cabin (that they've been working on for years) and everyone else will say "OH, it looks wonderful" or "It's perfect, send us pics when it's finished", and then I look at it and say "Your bathroom is poorly laid out, you don't have enough clearance over the staircase landing, your door openings aren't to code, etc".
I suppose it makes me look like I have a negative outlook I guess, but I hate to see people spending their time and money taking their one shot at having their own dream cabin and it turns into a nightmare because of poor design, or bad building practices.
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Gary O
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# Posted: 16 Apr 2015 22:07
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Quoting: rockies I suppose it makes me look like I have a negative outlook I guess
No way, man.
You and Mtn Don, and bldginsp, and a few others are in the know.
Yer just sharing that knowledge with the rest of us.
Y'all's contributions are HUGE.
Heh, I'm self taught (know very little actually), but have tinkered with tiny huts since 10, and come close to getting things plumb, and over build in places, and disregard certain codes in other places.
My 'foundations' (skids on blocks) are laughable, and yes, there's a bit of angst from time to time.
But
Even I, when seeing what some folks are putting up, tend to cringe.
Naw, you guys in the know have shown yerselves as gentle sorts, pointing things out with poise and tact, and when all is said and done, I'm sure you've saved many a folk a bundle of money, and energy.
And when I get real serious with building an actual place (in about a year or so), you guys will get tired of telling me the same thing more than a few times.
Keep it coming, rockies.
You guys are gods here.
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Jim in NB
Member
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# Posted: 17 Apr 2015 06:07
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"to each, their own"
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Wilbour
Member
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# Posted: 17 Apr 2015 09:51
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Quoting: cabingal3 Wilbour-i truly did want a place with even not a generator but it does help the mister with building.and it is sort of handy but i sure do like it that way too.
I purchased a drill, circular saw that use the same 18v battery. I have 5 batteries in total from other items. I charge them during the week at home and take them to camp for the weekend. I admit they are handy but most of my work is done using hand tools. It takes a lot longer but it empowers me to work like the original homesteaders did.
I don't get board and started reading lots. I also get lots of sleep at camp. The best of both worlds is having company during the day but when they look at the prospect of pooping outdoors and living by candlelight they go back to civilization and leave me in peace.
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creeky
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# Posted: 17 Apr 2015 14:09 - Edited by: creeky
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my whole family thought it was fairly dubious when I moved to the farm.
My mom grew up on a Saskatchewan Mennonite farm with an outhouse and a winter bucket, and all she could talk about is how I was going back to those times of water frozen in the sink in the morning. It was funny.
But the doubters start coming around as the years go by and things keep growing.
you know. i've been five years with solar power. 4 years with a battery pack a relative told me wouldn't last two years. He knew this because his golf cart went through a battery pack a season. Lead acid packs are still horrible. But I've done a bit better than two years.
so let 'em doubt. half of it just friendly teasing, half is envy and the other half ain't helping 'em at the gates.
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FishHog
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# Posted: 17 Apr 2015 15:16
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many people think I'm nuts, but I don't tend to care what others think. I care that Mrs Fishie and I are happy, healthy and safe. Sitting with a cold beer looking at the lake and not hearing anything makes me all of those things.
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cabingal3
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# Posted: 17 Apr 2015 16:35
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great stories here.
really have been enjoying this.
we can do it!
and we belong to a special group of self motivated people.
we get so much more out of town and in the woods.
in our area-u can barely afford a lot.a small lot.
our move has given us so much more in so many ways!
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creeky
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# Posted: 17 Apr 2015 18:51
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Quoting: cabingal3 we belong to a special group of self motivated people
I was outside splashing through the spring puddles and pondering how to fix yet another problem. and thought back to my earlier post.
this cabin life. it really is about having an imagination isn't it. you can't rely on someone else to imagine it for you. you get to go out and build it yourself.
i bring this up. because I was heading into town shopping and the radio had a conversation on about the new "for adults colouring books." (note: the topics aren't adult. well. as far as I know.)
apparently it's a big thing now to go home at night after a hard days work and do colouring. simple. enjoyable. repeatable.
same as in kindergarten.
driving in the truck I laughed. we're the kids drawing our own pictures over the lines. and filling those in.
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cabingal3
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# Posted: 17 Apr 2015 19:09
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Quoting: creeky we're the kids drawing our own pictures over the lines. and filling those in.
creeky.i think u are right about this one! thats for this great thought! its deeper than we know.
i been trying to get back to cabin life since i was a small kid.
finally.its happening!
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Wilbour
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# Posted: 17 Apr 2015 19:41
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Basically if you get it, you get it. If you don't, you don't!
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cabingal3
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# Posted: 17 Apr 2015 21:23
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SandyR
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# Posted: 17 Apr 2015 21:46
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If you get it, and other people don't, there is no way into making those people get it either. You can explain until you are blue in the face, and those nay Sayers will never feel it.
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turkeyhunter
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# Posted: 17 Apr 2015 23:12 - Edited by: turkeyhunter
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after I retired I wanted a simpler life....
~~~BUT I do love my electricity /running water/hot water/indoor plumping and bathroom/satellite TV /Wi-Fi/cell service.......
but it is simpler with out a J.O.B.........lol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRfH28xQHzg
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Jason Markin
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# Posted: 18 Apr 2015 00:41
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Amazing people, extra ordinary stories... I just loved the response of all of you. I am thinking to build an off grid cabin house of my own and it is something that made my family believe that I need a psychiatrist
The feeling of living in peace and close to nature is really wonderful. Hope to reach at that point soon. 
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cabingal3
Member
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# Posted: 18 Apr 2015 02:10
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u can do it Jason Markin! good for u.
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Steve_S
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# Posted: 18 Apr 2015 09:46
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I was told a long time ago, as a young man, by an old friend of the family who was very wise and had seen much in his very long life, "Some people are as equally afraid of Living as they are of Dying".
I never forgot that and it took a few years to really understand what he meant.
There are so many Good Folks here like MtnDon, BldgInsp, Creeky (or Creaky lol ?) and willing to "share their experience & wisdom", all people that are unafraid of living ! If only the world was made up of more of these good folks, wish it was catchy !
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thetick
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# Posted: 18 Apr 2015 23:19
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My fellow off-grid neighbor's fiance may be breaking it off with him. She didn't understand what he meant by living off-grid.
My awesome wife said she must have thought it was all "tin stars and rocking chairs..."
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old243
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# Posted: 19 Apr 2015 09:43
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I am heading to camp mid week , for a few days. The snow is just about gone from the bush. An excellent time to look for deer horn sheds. Collect some fiddle head fern, if they are ready yet. and just enjoy the peace and quiet. We have a couch on our covered porch , nothing like a good nap after lunch , in the spring sunshine. The part that I enjoy the most is, the heaviest thing on my mind , is my hat. old 243
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cabingal3
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# Posted: 19 Apr 2015 13:27
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old234! hee hee.this is a great post.it says it all! a re-newing of the soul.
a rest for the mind and bosy.sounds like a joyous time!
some just dont know what they are missing.
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rayyy
Member
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# Posted: 19 Apr 2015 18:05
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Everybody said to me,you are out of your mind for doing this.They invision me living in a corner of the horse barn but one by one they all stop in here to check it out and see for themselves and all leave saying to themselves,I can't believe it.I can't see a single thing that shows he is off the grid except maybe the softly purring generator and the sawdust toilet.Life is good for me.
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Smawgunner
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# Posted: 19 Apr 2015 18:48
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Cost of a homemade interior composting toilet=$54.00.
The look on people's faces when you tell them your toilet is a composter = priceless
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