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Dec 28 2011
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Building, Off-Grid Tech, Video

OFF the GRID – Mike Basich – Episode 2 – [video]

Watch professional snowboarder and off-grid engineering genius Mike Basich, build his famous Area 241 in the Tahoe Backcountry.


More Snowboarding Videos

In this follow up episode Mike dives right in with custom fabrication on the motor he must mount to his new rope tow transmission. Watch Mike grind, weld and work his way through difficulties as he creates the power plant for Area 241′s newest transporter. Using spare parts and old junk is his favorite approach, “… a lot of times you’d be surprised what is just laying around or even in the gutter of someone’s house.” Enjoy Mike’s creative ingenuity in episode 2, The Mothership!

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Dec 17 2011
2 Comments
Off-Grid Tech, Video

THIS MUST BE THE PLACE – Video

COFFER from thismustbetheplace on Vimeo.

Produced and directed by Ben Wu and David Usui,
of Lost & Found Films (lostfoundfilms.com).

THIS MUST BE THE PLACE

There’s no place like home. It’s where we live, work and dream. It’s our sanctuary and our refuge. We can love them or hate them. It can be just for the night or for the rest of our lives. But whoever we may be, we all have a place we call home.

THIS MUST BE THE PLACE is a series of short films that explore the idea of home; what makes them, how they represent us, why we need them.

We’re always on the lookout for dwellings of all sorts. If you’ve come across any curious or eccentric homes, feel free to send them along.

thismustbetheplace.tv
mail@thismustbetheplace.tv

Nov 17 2011
3 Comments
Building, Off-Grid Tech, Video

Mike Basich – Living Off The Grid – Episode 1 – Building Rope Tow


More Snowboarding Videos

This is episode 1 of a new series called Off The Grid following Professional snowboarder, Mike Basich as lives in his hand made stone house at 7000 feet. Here he is making a rope tow out of a truck axle and transmission. Lloyd Kahn also features Mike’s house in his brand new soon to be released book Tiny Homes, Simple Shelters. I just pre-ordered it!

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Oct 03 2011
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Alternative Energy, Off-Grid Tech, Security, Video

Special Features for your Remote Off Grid Cabin VIDEO

[Video Below]
I posted a log cabin building video from this guy last year. He’s taking us back and showing off some cool cabin features he made. He’s got a creek above the cabin that provides water pressure and powers his micro hydro system powering a single florescent lamp, no battery in between which I thought was cool and interesting. He also talks about how his cabin is weathering having been built like they did 150 years ago with site gathered materials. The cedar roof is keeping the cabin in good shape and no critters have gotten into this one that happens to be perched on the side of a cliff.

I was especially impressed with his security system that uses a FRS radio and a magnetic door switch to alert another radio if the door was opened with in the 25 mile broadcast range. Apparently he lives within 20 miles line of site from the cabin. Not that he has much to steal but I think he just does it to see if anyone ever checks out the cabin which is built in a very remote location on what may be public land.

One thing that I plan on adding to our cabin eventually is the copper coil he put in the stove pipe to heat water for his shower behind the cabin. Hot water heated from the waste heat from a wood stove sounds like a cool and useful way to get clean. Flipping through Lloyd Khan’s Shelter book series I’ve been inspired to build a rustic wood fired sauna in the woods on our property and I think I want to incorporate the shower in the sauna so that you can take an indoor shower/sauna in the winter or and outdoor hot shower in the summer.

Hand Made Hot Water Systems

Hand Made Hot Water Systems

A few years ago I found this gem of a book on Amazon. It’s called Hand Made Hot Water System’s and it’s got to be out of print but the ideas and drawings in it are priceless.

I think it’s 30 years old but it’s got great ideas in there that could save you lots of money on heating your pool, pre-heating your hot water heater or heating your shower directly.

Sep 07 2011
1 Comment
Camping, Video

John Gierach – Fishing Writer

John Gierach - Fishing Writer

 Video Below


John Gierach is an American author and freelance writer living and working in Larimer County, Colorado. He has to date written over 20 books on fly-fishing, and is a regular contributor to Field & Stream, as well as having a monthly column in the NY Times. Watch that video above and chew on it for a bit.

This is a great life we live.

I stole this post from a cool new blog I found called Cold Splinters. Check it out.

Aug 30 2011
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Building, Off-Grid Tech, Random Coolness, Video

Open Source Construction Project

http://blog.opensourceecology.org/2010/10/global-village-construction-set-gvcs-in-2-minutes/

 

This idea is very cool. I wish I had a shop to build crazy tractors, oh and the know how… Someday!

Jul 28 2011
5 Comments
Off-Grid Tech, Solar, Video

Solar powered water resistant iPod Stereo Video

[View the post on the Solar Burrito Blog to watch video below]
VIDEO BELOW:

I made this cooler stereo about a year ago but it wasn’t really Solar Burrito Blog related until it got the solar panel recently. So here’s a quick run down on this fun project as requested. I wanted tunes on my little boat but I knew it had to be tough and take a few splashes while protecting my expensive ipod or iPhone.

I looked around for battery powered iPod stereos but most were:

  • Not loud enough
  • Not water resistant or water proof
  • Used expensive batteries that had a short life (D rechargeables)
  • Didn’t protect my ipod or iphone from moisture
  • Cost too much

So I thought I could make my own out of plentiful car stereo components. Amps and speakers are all over Craigslist and the internet. I found an JBL amp for $20 on Craigslist to put in my boat the other day.

I made it to be a water resistant portable ipod stereo that was durable and really loud on my 12′ aluminum boat. But with the solar panel it also works great in an off grid or remote camping situations. When we go camping on islands in the San Juans and other boat it only sites with no power. The solar panel allows it to be used indefinitely as long as it gets enough sun and charge time. I set the cooler out on the beach or on another place to catch some good morning sun before I go to bed and as I sleep in the sun rises and gives the cooler some charge during the morning. Around noon I turn it on and try to keep it in the sun as best as possible to extend the battery. It lasts 4-6 hours, depending on how loud it’s turned up and how sunny it is.

It could use a bigger solar panel but this one was free and fits nicely on the handle.

Parts you’ll need to build a cooler stereo / How to build a cooler stereo
- Cooler big or small depending on your goals. Want drinks in it too?
- 18 Amp Hour Battery 12 volt sealed gel cell
- Car Stereo amplifier 2-channel (mine was a Rockford Fosgate Punch 40)
-
- Mini-mic to RCA cable to connect ipod to amp
- Waterproof box – (snapware from Target)

Jul 14 2011
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Building, Video

VIDEO – Dan Phillips: Creative houses from reclaimed stuff

Dan Phillips: Creative houses from reclaimed stuff

http://www.ted.com In this funny and insightful talk from TEDxHouston, builder Dan Phillips tours us through a dozen homes he’s built in Texas using recycled and reclaimed materials in wildly creative ways. Brilliant, low-tech design details will refresh your own creative drive.

TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on climate change, Philippe Starck on design, Jill Bolte Taylor on observing her own stroke, Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child, Jane Goodall on chimpanzees, Bill Gates on malaria and mosquitoes, Pattie Maes on the “Sixth Sense” wearable tech, and “Lost” producer JJ Abrams on the allure of mystery. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Closed captions and translated subtitles in a variety of languages are now available on TED.com, at http://www.ted.com/translate. Watch a highlight reel of the Top 10 TEDTalks at http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/top10

Jun 28 2011
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3D Models, Building, Our Cabin Posts, Video

Building Cabin Deck

Nate and I went up to the cabin aka Camp Taint to build a deck last weekend. I had a rough plan in mind, I drew it with Google Sketchup. I suck at drawing and find it’s much easier for me to transfer my thoughts to a usable plan in 3d with Sketchup. It’s also great for getting an exact materials list. I draw the framing members at the correct size and spacing, every part is to scale and it’s great way to discuss the plan with others.

porch and deck plan

porch and deck plan

We wanted to incorporate some log posts from our property for the porch roof supports and Nate came up with the idea of using the logs to support a section of the front of the deck. We had built one free standing log structure before this using rebar and pier blocks, we learned a few things from it.

Video Below – View blog post to watch deck building video!

We had cut down 12 trees the year before but our property is so sloped that getting them out is hard. And it didn’t help we forgot a rope… Well we went down to the little town 7 miles away and bought the only rope they had, lead line for a crab pot… Let’s give it a try pulling the logs out with the truck. If you have ever handled green wood you know it’s HEAVY. These 9″ 14′ long logs weighed about 200 lbs each. Anyway they pulled out fine and I peeled them with my vintage draw knife I got off ebay.

draw knife

draw knife

The plan was too just frame the deck but we got so much done and were going back to the lumber store to get one more board anyway so we decided to buy the decking too. Earlier I had planned on using my dads’ old cedar decking but it hadn’t been taken off yet and it would have meant 120 extra miles of hauling alot of wood. We worked until midnight on Saturday and got it done. It turned out great and it very strong, no wobbles at all.

Jun 09 2011
5 Comments
Building, Off-Grid Tech, Our Cabin Posts, Solar, Video

Let there be light – 12 volt lights in cabin

On Memorial Day weekend we went up with a 2nd load of 2nd hand fir boards that used to panel a garage here in Seattle. Also loaded in the truck was a generator, a bunch of tools and a lot of electrical parts including our original deep cycle battery we used to keep in the shed.

We got a lot of work done, cleaned out the shed, installed the battery, put in some more wires, touched up the insulation downstairs then we started putting the paneling up. Oh we did have to take out the nails then rip off the tongues with a table saw. Tons of labor involved with getting 2nd hand wood but its worth it for us.

Please comment, let me know if anyone is reading this! haha

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