Moving into the high mountains ?

I wondered about the mechanics of a solar shower. Do you fill it on the ground then lug it up the tree, or do you hang it from the tree first, then fill it a cup-full at a time?

I'd just warm it up on the ground then take a sponge bath. Seems like it would be easier.

Being a born-and-bred New Yorker, the only outdoor shower I've ever taken was at Coney Island. :playful:
 

SifuPhil said:
I wondered about the mechanics of a solar shower. Do you fill it on the ground then lug it up the tree, or do you hang it from the tree first, then fill it a cup-full at a time?

I'd just warm it up on the ground then take a sponge bath. Seems like it would be easier.

Being a born-and-bred New Yorker, the only outdoor shower I've ever taken was at Coney Island. :playful:
Click to expand...

actually, just setting half gal milk or juice jugs in the sun a few hours is better
soap up
pour on
repeat

the puny 'showerhead' on the 'solar shower' is a complete, not so funny, joke

if one is given to water induced masochism, I highly recommend it
 
Even though what Traveler wants to do is definitely NOT what we’d do, I totally support him in what he wants.

As far as the dog goes, I’m a dog lover as well, but (again) totally understand what he is saying. Dog’s have very little-to-no choice at all on what happens to them. Although, if a dog doesn’t like how it’s being treated, it could run away from home.....but that’s about it.

Actually, wife and I have got quite a bit of criticism for wanting to move away from Florida. We listen, but don’t listen as well.
 

ClassicRockr said:
Even though what Traveler wants to do is definitely NOT what we’d do, I totally support him in what he wants.

As far as the dog goes, I’m a dog lover as well, but (again) totally understand what he is saying. Dog’s have very little-to-no choice at all on what happens to them. Although, if a dog doesn’t like how it’s being treated, it could run away from home.....but that’s about it.

Actually, wife and I have got quite a bit of criticism for wanting to move away from Florida. We listen, but don’t listen as well.
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I too agree with Traveler's thoughts, desires
Totally understand
Just don't like seeing the ol' boy go off half cocked

'tis a fun mental adventure, however

and that is oftentimes the beginning of things

and, hey, he seems to have enough dough to try it, go 'well, crap', travel back to town
 
I've used a sun shower quite a bit on fishing and hunting trips and I've taken one to the NWT several times when fishing at remote outposts.

I'd have a rope tied to the sun shower and the other end pre-thrown over a tree branch, fill the shower, hoist up and then tie off the rope to the tree.

Because of possible cloudy days I never depended on Mother Nature to warm the water......I'd always heat a large coffee pot or two of water on the fire and pour that in the bag on top of the cold water that I'd already put in the bag.

With the sun shower you quickly learn to conserve water and to not lollygag......get wet, turn off water flow.....soap up and then turn the water back on and quickly rinse.

There is nothing like a long hot shower at home but a sun shower works well enough to keep a person from becoming skunkish when outdoors.

04-solar-camp-shower-660.jpgSolar-Shower.jpg
 
IKE said:
There is nothing like a long hot shower at home but a sun shower works well enough to keep a person from becoming skunkish when outdoors.
Click to expand...

true enough

I can see where serious, hike in camping/fishing, it would come in handy.
And packing that wouldn’t be an issue.
It would be a luxury
I took collapsible water bags

Living here, in sun country, the thing was just too much procedure for the yield.
Half gallon jugs with hot, sun heated water proved quite worthy
It is incredibly amazing how hot water can get just being in the sun for a couple hours
 
Satellite phone works everywhere so placing an emergency call isn't a problem. You can buy a solar charger or a hand charger. However, cell phones work in most areas.

It won't be -30 many days if ever.

You will probably need to buy a minimum acreage to avoid being in a subdivision. It's 40 acres where I live. There may be a minimum building size. Few states allow outhouses so will need a septic system. You can drill a well or haul water. Hauling water is cheap if you have your own truck, very expensive if you have it delivered.

There are no building codes in my county except the septic system. That's a state code.

You may be able to find one acre that's grandfathered with or without a structure. If it's adjacent to BLM or forest service land it could be a good place to live. Most really remote land is government-owned. That's why Aspen, Jackson, and similar places are often very expensive. Figure one million per acre or more. There"s little private land in those areas.

There's no crime where I live because the area ranges from upper middle class up. Property size is from about twenty acres (grandfathered) up to several thousand deeded acres (rare). Median price for homes is about 800k. That excludes ranches. I have both electric service and telephone with DSL.

There's cheaper land on the flats which can be very remote. Much of it is isolated in winter.

Wyoming has no state income tax or business tax. Sales tax is at most 5%. Real estate tax averages about 1/2 of 1% of market value. You could buy land and build a house for under 100k in many areas. That excludes the cost of a well. Mountain property, as I said, costs more.
 
SifuPhil said:
I wondered about the mechanics of a solar shower. Do you fill it on the ground then lug it up the tree, or do you hang it from the tree first, then fill it a cup-full at a time?

I'd just warm it up on the ground then take a sponge bath. Seems like it would be easier.

Being a born-and-bred New Yorker, the only outdoor shower I've ever taken was at Coney Island. :playful:
Click to expand...

If you have a box of baking soda you can get cleaned up with about a 1/2 gallon of water.

https://www.motherearthnews.com/nature-and-environment/sponge-bath-zmaz81mazraw
 
Traveler said:
Lately I have been considering moving into the high mountains. I'm thinking about having a few acres of heavily timbered land and hopefully on a mountain stream.

I think I am still strong enough to build my own place IF I take it nice and slow. At my age, I don't need much space. 800 square feet should be enough.

I'd be living "off-the grid" so I'd need to be totally self sufficient. Maybe a big furry dog for company and a wood burning stove sounds like heaven to me.

I find that I have less and less tolerance for living in the inner-city. Too many people for one thing; I absolutely hate crowds and having to wait on line for every little thing is frustrating and stressful.

I know I'm pretty old to be doing this but there are definite advantages. I long for the quiet of the forest. And I surely do miss fishing. The thought of being miles away from the nearest human has a strong appeal.

To be sure there are also disadvantages. If I fell and hurt myself I'd be way out of cell phone range so getting any help would present a problem. But the same thing could happen to me in my apt.

Anyway at age 72, I have nothing to lose.

Have not yet made up my mind yet but one last challenge has an appeal. It would be like going back to the 1950's when things made sense.

God, how I hate the 21st century.
Click to expand...

That sounds terrific. I would love it.

Perhaps you can find a place already built which would help or a place you can remodel by yourself a little at a time.

Good Luck. Would it be possible to have cell phone or other means of communication in case of emergency?
 
Traveler said:
RVing ? Been there done that. In 1992 I purchased new 30 ft RV with all the trimmings. It was some fun, at first, but I found that getting a combined 50 feet of RV and tow vehicle into the deep woods, and up a fire trail, is extremely difficult. And THEN finding a place to turn around can be a hopeless situation. Mostly I ended up staying at over-priced RV parks $35/night where I was crammed up against my neighbors, cheek to jowl. Yuck !

My sense of joy comes from being totally immersed in nature, from being in a place where the closest human is 25 miles away. Just me, the animals, the tall trees gently swaying in the wind, and an ice cold mountain stream crashing down the mountain.

I don't know if this is going to make sense to anyone, but when I am deep in the dark green forest, I feel part of the natural world. It is humbling and I feel a very small part of something infinitely grander than human "society". It's not that I like people less, it's that love nature more.
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Traveler, we'd never buy one of those monsters, the places we've gone to over the years are too remote, accessed by dirt roads only, way back when tent camping we'd drive as far as we could and hike or take our aluminum boat with motor upriver till we found a good place we wanted to camp. These days we have the rig in the picture, it's not for winter camping, which is okay because we never had a desire to camp in the wilderness in winter snow and freezing temps. But we have 40g of propane and 40g of fresh water to use before we need to find a town for refills. We get away from people, we rarely if ever have used a campground and wouldn't set foot in an RV park.

I couldn't agree more, the point of getting out in the woods and away from people is appreciating the beauty of nature. We don't have TV, computers, cell service or even radio reception in some areas we camp in. It's refreshing to get away from the nonsense that surrounds us in everyday life, and gives a reminder of what peace is and what this beautiful earth and heavens are all about, in town sometimes you can't even see all the stars because of the artificial lighting.

As far as a dog, there is no way I wouldn't go camping or live in the woods, especially alone, without a dog, by the way, years back we did camp with our Malamute. Staying clean is easy if you're near a stream, river or lake. If the water's too cold you just heat it up before using it. I know you've traveled around the world and are quite capable of doing something like this if you really want to, but I'm glad you're giving it a lot of thought before doing anything. You're a smart man and not afraid of work, but as I've voiced my concern before, it all has to do with age for all of us at this time in our lives. Whether you decide to do it or abandon the plan, I'll be happy for you....just a bit more concerned if you choose the former. :)

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Camper6 said:
That sounds terrific. I would love it.

Perhaps you can find a place already built which would help or a place you can remodel by yourself a little at a time.

Good Luck. Would it be possible to have cell phone or other means of communication in case of emergency?
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I agree Camper, already built is better, that way you concentrate your efforts on other things. He'd have to get a satellite phone because cell phones generally don't get a signal in the woods away from town. We used to have an old analog satellite phone, but currently don't have one, may buy one in the future.
 
If the property has an access road a readymade cabin would be another option.

These Amish built structures have become popular with hunters and snowmobilers in this area. The builder prepares the site with a simple crushed stone foundation and the cabin is offloaded into place. In this area you can buy an unfinished shell or a completely finished cabin.

The-Camp-2.JPG
 
Gary O' said:
actually, just setting half gal milk or juice jugs in the sun a few hours is better
soap up
pour on
repeat

the puny 'showerhead' on the 'solar shower' is a complete, not so funny, joke

if one is given to water induced masochism, I highly recommend it
Click to expand...

One of those black rain barrels would do the trick and could work double duty catching rain water.

All you need is a siphon hose. To rinse yourself off. Showers waste water. A hose is better.
 
HI BIG HORN, THERE IS ANOTHER WAY TO GET/STORE WATER THAT I CAME UP WITH. MY TRUCK IS WIRED UP SO THAT I CAN HAVE 120 VOLT A/C. IF I AM RIGHT CLOSE TO A FRESH MOUNTAIN STREAM, ALL I NEED TO DO IS BUY A USED 200-300 GAL WATER TANK AND BURY IT ( so it doesn't freeze in the winter). IT IS THEN A SIMPLE MATTER OF USING A PORTABLE WATER PUMP. TOSS ONE HOSE INTO THE STREAM, CONNECT IT TO THE PUMP AND THEN A 2nd HOSE THAT RUNS TO THE WATER TANK. START THE TRUCK (to get the juice flowing) TURN ON THE PUMP AND VIOLA, FULL WATER TANK.

THEN, IT IS A SIMPLE MATTER OF USING A D/C WATER PUMP (like the kind used in RV's) TO PUMP WATER, ON DEMAND, INTO THE HOUSE. THAT PUMP IS POWERED BY A 12VOLT MARINE/RV, DEEP CYCLE BATTERY WHICH GETS CONSTANTLY RECHARGED BY A SOLAR PANEL.

FREE WATER, FREE ELECTRIC, NO LABOR ! THE OLD BOY IS NOT ENTIRLEY DAFT, JUST YET.
 
Traveler said:
HI BIG HORN, THERE IS ANOTHER WAY TO GET/STORE WATER THAT I CAME UP WITH. MY TRUCK IS WIRED UP SO THAT I CAN HAVE 120 VOLT A/C. IF I AM RIGHT CLOSE TO A FRESH MOUNTAIN STREAM, ALL I NEED TO DO IS BUY A USED 200-300 GAL WATER TANK AND BURY IT ( so it doesn't freeze in the winter). IT IS THEN A SIMPLE MATTER OF USING A PORTABLE WATER PUMP. TOSS ONE HOSE INTO THE STREAM, CONNECT IT TO THE PUMP AND THEN A 2nd HOSE THAT RUNS TO THE WATER TANK. START THE TRUCK (to get the juice flowing) TURN ON THE PUMP AND VIOLA, FULL WATER TANK.

THEN, IT IS A SIMPLE MATTER OF USING A D/C WATER PUMP (like the kind used in RV's) TO PUMP WATER, ON DEMAND, INTO THE HOUSE. THAT PUMP IS POWERED BY A 12VOLT MARINE/RV, DEEP CYCLE BATTERY WHICH GETS CONSTANTLY RECHARGED BY A SOLAR PANEL.

FREE WATER, FREE ELECTRIC, NO LABOR ! THE OLD BOY IS NOT ENTIRLEY DAFT, JUST YET.
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There are no riparian rights in the west. Someone owns that water. You can't take it nor can you impound rainwater. That's theft.
 
big horn said:
there are no riparian rights in the west. Someone owns that water. You can't take it nor can you impound rainwater. That's theft.
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Who owns it ? The federal govenment ? If someone tries to stop me from collecting rainwater they're going to have a fight on their hands. How dare they tell me that I can't have any water ?

I'm not into religion, but for a lack of better words, I have an absolute "god given right" to rainwater. The same as I do to breathe air.
 
Traveler said:
Who owns it ? The federal govenment ? If someone tries to stop me from collecting rainwater they're going to have a fight on their hands. How dare they tell me that I can't have any water ?

I'm not into religion, but for a lack of better words, I have an absolute "god given right" to rainwater. The same as I do to breathe air.
Click to expand...


Regarding rainwater, as I understand it?...it has to do with reservoir size. No one in certain areas is permitted to collect..Period....So the size of the reservoir doesn't matter . That stops any & all attempts [of] collecting...allowing the water to flow freely for everyone. Everyone is of course permitted then to go to the natural reservoir.... pond, lake,stream,river...etc & get their water there.

This stops damning on private property...and I believe it includes private man dug ponds as well?
 
rgp said:
Regarding rainwater, as I understand it?...it has to do with reservoir size. No one in certain areas is permitted to collect..Period....So the size of the reservoir doesn't matter . That stops any & all attempts [of] collecting...allowing the water to flow freely for everyone. Everyone is of course permitted then to go to the natural reservoir.... pond, lake,stream,river...etc & get their water there.

This stops damning on private property...and I believe it includes private man dug ponds as well?
Click to expand...

https://www.rt.com/usa/rain-water-harrington-oregon-439/
 

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