A short note on this video - There have been many mixed feelings about it. Some really enjoyed it, they loved the recap of the last year, the context it provided to our story moving forward, and the "janky water catchmet" system I shared😂 but others felt disappointed that we didn't share what has been happening on Sunny Mt yet, felt it was stuck in the past, and they were tired of seeing the old Alaska Footage. I initially pulled the video to reshoot it, to add more about Sunny Mt. When I did that, many who had watched it commented on our Post announcing the change... th-cam.com/channels/v2Li-PxOya3XCL-St_4DkA.htmlcommunity?lb=UgkxGR7WgGrom-T0_pDyaOdieqEX1PKlTAvZ that this video provided a lot of good context and explanation and recap of the last year. So for context sake, here it is, back again. Just know, a Sunny Mt Update video is next (PART 2), and we will focus on moving forward. It has been a year since I shot YT vids, please grant me a little grace as I find my rhythm again 😅
Aus, I'm going to just say, it feels like you guys can never make up your minds. I've watched for a long time and it always feels like let's do something else and how can we jank it. I appreciate understanding the thought process, but it feels like you can't move forward
Hi Family! Yins have been SO inspirational and influential to my husband and I. Your videos show us that homesteading is worth the hard work and the challenges we face are shared with all who take on the challenge. Why? Because we owe it to future generations. We live "off-grid" in "Pennsyltucky" and I'm so glad we left the city/suburbia. It has its challenges but i can't think of a better way to use our time and energy. God bless and keep rocking it!
If you like country music, I wrote a humdinger of a cute love tune, so redneck, you might have to eat a bowl of cornflakes in order to readjust your metabolism. Here's the title: Lisa Moo Moo Marie. You have my permission to use it on your videos.
I was the person who said “my parents built in Alaska and totally got divorced.” My husband and I just finished moving into our forever home. With the pandemic, it took six years and we scrapped a completely engineered-and-ready-to-build smaller house to build a house for a lifetime. Still married. Super happy. Minimal high-stress moments, though there have been a few. Stepson unscathed and loving the extra space. You’ll be glad you took the slow road and put your kids first.
Good to hear. We close soon on our 40 acre dream property and we have 4 young kids. I want the slow building forever home, husband wants to build in stages 😮 it’ll be an adventure for sure
Thank you 😊 I thought it was great. I didn’t think it was all looking back. And you did talk about what you will be doing. I don’t know what others expect, but I learned from it, enjoyed it, and appreciate it. I was so relieved when you announced you were going to Alaska to try living off grid. I had been worrying about the timeline and that you were going to go too tiny and too rustic and the kids would keep growing and you’d run into issues with not enough space and privacy and quiet etc etc. Sounds to me like I don’t need to worry about any of that anymore. I’m so glad you had the courage to change your plans and be sure.
You did what you needed to do. You have ro figure out what works dor tour family and lifestyle. Life is a learning process. Keep learning! Enjoy your family and grow your life! Thanks for sharing. I learn a lot.
I moved to Mexico with my husband to his hometown. We have electric, but our water for the bathroom and kitchen is rain catchment, our water outside for the laundry and the animals comes from the creek that runs through town right next to our property. As we are downhill from most of the town I won't drink the water from the creek. A lot different than the United States, but I won't move back.
I am happy you are back. Looking forward to new videos!! Honestly, I would never want to live in a place I had to wear netting to keep the bugs away. Haha! Congrats on the new baby!! ❤🎉
Doesn't have to be an off-grid cabin either, we went all in on building a horse ranch...but, we didn't quite do it the way we should have. Over this last year we nearly went bankrupt, twice. Thanks to family we made it through and, hopefully, things are back on track. Still, it did break us in other ways, mostly with our health, so now we have to figure out exactly how to keep moving forward without potentially ending up in wheelchairs at a fairly young age. Try before you buy! ;)
Looking forward to hearing what your plans are. The problem is, when you make a home on virgin land you need to set up all the elements from the beginning. Even if you have a transportable home to stay in while building, you still need to set up power/water/septic etc. Still, that’s a good way to enable the house to be built in stages. It’s not easy though, if you’re still farming on another property some distance away while at the same time creating a new farm! I’m glad you took the time to really look into it. I have faith in you guys and I’m excited to see what you do next! ❤
No comments on your videos Austin. You had a nice vacation in Alaska and a good dose of reality. Don't worry what we think, you are back in the 48 and time moves on. Use it wisely to fulfill your plans for Sunny Mountain homestead. God be with you, Kay and your family in all your ventures!
FOR ME, this was a totally useful video. Affirmed our slow journey. I think it was TOTALLY WISE to trial by fire. I live colder than parts of Alaska- some think we are nuts. My daughter lives where everything tries to sting, bite, or otherwise kill you. Another lives where it is so hot it challenges human life. I think they are nuts. A friend lives dry cabin and tells me clean clothes are over rated..... For her, without kids. Not for Kay. Or me!
....been six years fully off grid in remote Rockies....we considered Alaska but knew that it was too far...to stressful...we found that there are still plenty of lower 48 properties for remote living....we bought 10 fully wooded mountain acres with a 80% complete house....and are very happy
Off grid living is not for everyone. It’s more often then not a much more physically demanding lifestyle. A lot of it will depend on what level of off grid you build to. My wife and I and our four kids live a simple off grid life, but we have adapted how we live to accommodate what we can afford to do.As a builder in north Idaho, I have also built off grid homes that have every luxury you can imagine, but you pay a lot of money for it. I think the first step is identifying what you can/cannot live without and then reconciling that with what you can afford to do. The faster you try to accomplish it, the more it will cost. We live in a couple of simple cabins, we heat with wood and supplement with propane when needed. My wife’s pride and joy is her wood cook stove that she uses pretty much everyday. We have a simple solar system as we don’t require a lot of electricity for our lifestyle. Other families will have other needs, and prioritize differently. And some won’t be able to handle the off grid life at all. And no matter what route you choose, you have to do what is best for your family and your situation. Don’t ever let anyone shame you for the choices you make. I look forward to see what you guys decide to do. Regards, Chris
Chris where at in North Idaho?? I'm just North of Spokane, looking for a guy to do some piers for our shop build. We were gonna do it ourselves but winter is close and we haven't even got a well dug yet. Still manually hauling water every week! Lol we moved off grid this year, and love every second of it!
@@medicinemom3620 I am north of Sandpoint. I built homes the Seattle area for many years before I moved to Idaho. I don’t work in Washington anymore. Sorry.
@@walkyourdog6584that’s more of a case by case basis with what the parents choose to feed them and what activities are allowed. The actual major concern that effects all kids is the severing of social ties and social isolation. It’s not healthy for a kid to only talk to their parents and hardly anyone else bc their parents were selfish moving off the grid with no plan to properly raise their child with necessary socialization. Gotta figure out some way to meet other people so they don’t grow up friendless which ain’t right
I really really loved this video. My husband and I bought some property just for a little vacation cabin and we are still working on it 2 1/2 years later and we’re only about halfway done. I feel if we had the pressure of this actually being a place to live, it would not do well for our marriage. so in a very teeny tiny small way, I can see how the pressure of trying to finish and off grid cabin that you want to live in in a year can be very detrimental to your physical emotional and marital well-being. Great video I love how it was put together.
You went to the farthest extreme conditions to get an "off grid" experience. Unless you plan on moving there, I wouldn't give up just yet. Give yourselves credit. You tried the Alaskan off grid experience but now is the time to get the lower 48 off grid experience. We have a neighbor (well they live about 5 miles away), they adopted a camel, zebra, ostrich and a few other that I haven't seen yet. I live in Michigan, about an hour south of Traverse City, so our climate can be in the 90s+ in the summer to -20° below in the winter. So exotic animals are a sight to see. I remember you having camels at one time. Keep building your homestead. Don't put a time limit on it for it will cause duress and separation.
Great Advice, it’s so good that you guys are taking it slow, especially with an ever growing family. A modern off grid system is better for everyone. Washer/Dryer, Indoor Toilet 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
As much as I wanted to see you crack on with the build on Sunny mountain, I’m so happy you got rid of that arbitrary timeline and are planning for more space and modern comforts. Like many I dream of ‘the simple life’ - spending my time raising animals, growing veg, being more self-sufficient and connected to the land. Living off-grid seems like the way to do that, but if you add laundry by hand into the mix for such a large family… there won’t be time to do the more fun homesteading activities and the lifestyle that you’ve built for the last 15 years. By all means go off-grid, but please put the infrastructure in for some home comforts like an indoor toilet, hot bath and washing machine.
We have found that building an off grid homestead, particularly in Alaska, isn’t for the faint of heart. If you are in it for the journey and not the destination, and you accept that it will be hard and that it will take time, then it is a wonderful opportunity to learn something about who you are
Back in the seventies my husband and I moved to the interior of British Columbia from suburban Ontario. 'Off Grid' wasnt a common term back then but that is literally what we were. I said at the time that all I required was running water and a flush toilet, soooo ... we purchased a 26 foot travel trailer and off we went. The fridge, stove and furnace were propane so that was covered. We dropped a pipe up the mountain stream and had gravity fed water. There was no such thing as solar panels then, so we had kerosene lamps for light. We eventually created our own hydro electric power with a pelton wheel, (like a small water mill with cups) hit with gravity flow water and a 1000 feet of pipe running up the mountain. The power was stored in large truck batteries originally and then a bank of 1 cell batteries recycled from the local power grid when they were upgrading. After a couple of years we added an A frame extension to the trailer that was probably about 3 times the size of the trailer. This was our livingroom and bedroom while the trailer remained the kitchen and bathroom. We built a septic bed and added an amazing Valley Comfort wood stove that worked on a bi-metal coil to open and close the draft, regulated by a dial that could be adjusted from 1 to 5. Since our power was limited to 12 volt we had a car radio and CeeBee headlights from a car to light the house. We lived there for 8 years and only left to come back to Ontario because of business opportunities that were offered by my husband's family. Otherwise I would still be there today. I guess what I'm saying is we started slow and gradually built on what we had. Yes there were only 2 of us and I can't imagine how difficult it would be with a large family like yours. I wanted to commend you on the route you are taking. You did a test run and found out what you absolutely need and what you don't need. You learned a lot from others. Before stepping off into the deep water you now have knowledge that is priceless. Nothing says you have to get it all done in 1 year. You are doing this slowly and thoughtfully. Good job.
I think your first issue was you went cold turkey all at once, you had the convenience one day then just everything gone the next. Start making small adjustments weekly.
Decisions are hard, even just as a couple. Every opinion added, only makes the choosing harder, for those who care. Your hearts are big & factoring in your immediate & extended family are valuable. But, many media viewers are filled with their own motivations. DON’T let that noise weigh in or impact your decisions. We watch because we can ride on your wind for a little while. Thank you. But don’t let the weight of others pull you down. Soar in your own direction.
You can run those gates the other direction, then when you unhook them the gates themselves will no longer be hot. Of course the rest of the fence past the gates isn't hot while it is unhooked either, but I find for a short period of time that isn't a big issue. Easier to move the gates when they are unhooked then and not get shocked. Ask me how I know. 🙃
We lived in a 25×25 sq ft cabin for abour 4 months with a family of four, a dog 3 cats, and all our belongings from our 1400 sq ft house in town... Some of it we store ourside under a giant 30Ft tarp we got for free. It was quite rhe change, and i really disliked the cots lol we are so blessed and were gifted a 40ft fidth wheel to stay in while we build a real(mud house in a hill) house. Took a few months to get solar power set up, and rhe trailer in the correct location. Much clearing had to be done. Slowly but surely things are coming together. We also realized we were gonna run out of time to be ready for winter (we live close ro the Canadian boarder). So we pulled out my husbands retirement to get more solar panels & batteries for winter, pay someone to put up our shop so we can get a well dug. It's working well for us, but another family on the mountain couldn't swing it. I watched one spouse put lots of effort into building their off grid property, and onw spouse didn't. He couldnt swing it on his own, so he had to let go of the dream and move to town.... What works for one, does not for the other. We were so excited to have hot showers again! Ans hope someday soon, we have a real toilet!! I would give up toilets forever if i had to though 😂 I couldnt go back to town and be happy about it.
Twenty four years ago I moved to Alaska to build a log cabin and trap with my dog team. Figured it wouldn't take long... 6 years later I had kinda manged a little bit of all that.... But I also got cold and hungry and divorced.... Easily done. I loved Alaska
Don’t you think that part of the ‘slower pace of life’ that you got to experience in Alaska was due to having less of your usual farm responsibilities? Wondering how the farm aspect will change in your future, be come pruned and honed
Still stuck on why you went to Alaska when thats not where Sunny Mountain is. Sure, a tougher climate, different logistics and possibly easier to rent the trial off grid cabins but the reality of alaska versus the most of the lower 48 is quite different. Alaska broke your dream... Would ohio break the dream the same way?
Yeah, but they've been living off-grid their entire existence. It isn't a massive change for them when they get married, build their own place and get started.
Not everyone is cut out to be a homesteader in Alaska. No crime in that. One of those Alaska homes that you stayed in was little more than a hovel. Your children deserve more.
Did you guys get a chance to talk with the people from Simple Living Alaska? Or from Wild, Wonderful, Off Grid.....two very successful youtube channels.
Thanks for sharing it. Very worthwhile. Just a thought, would you consider doing a video with all the 'janky' 'make-do' things around the homestead. We are about to purchase land and as much as we would love to be able to afford everything, that will not be the case. Anyway, it's just a thought, that might benefit many others. Would love to sit and chat over a cuppa with you guys, love how down to earth you are and a truly beautiful family. Sonya from South Australia 🇦🇺 🤍
Why not on the farm build supplemental water catchment systems in the pastures. Options would be build a lean to with a metal roof and attache totes to catch the rain water. Would also provide shelter for your livestock. I've seen TH-cam videos where Homesteaders built frames on the ground that held metal roofing material and the rain runoff ran into water storage. There are options that wouldn't be that expensive to build.
Modern day homesteading is very much a continuous failing forward. We are relearning what has been lost and figuring out what works for OUR families, OUR homesteads. We try stuff, and sometimes it sticks. Sometimes we change our minds. We learn from each experience and we build upon that. I think some people are being overly critical about the choices made by another family when the truth is, this is how it goes. Let’s also remember that this learning experience was an incredible adventure of a lifetime for a family that they’ll never forget. They’re gracious enough to invite us into their lives to watch how they process through all of it. Maybe sit back and say “thank you” instead of the harsh criticism.
I love this. We're finding there are endeavors we have tried on our homestead that we need to let go. We need to be flexible and forgive ourselves for not always doing things perfectly, and not worry others will revoke our homestead card haha
I've lived in Alaska for >44 years. It sure as hell isn't for everyone. It's hard up here. If you can't handle isolation, hard work, and deferring gratification you won't make it. The winters here can break the strongest man. Alaska does break up marriages. I had property on the highway. It took me two years to finish a 12' x 12' dry cabin. If you are educated in the reality up here, have skills, are prepared, and lived here through at least one winter, THEN consider what you want from Alaska. Oh, and bring $$$. Lots of it.
@@Homesteadyshowours was a half-buried school bus with propane appliances, one single solar panel to charge our phones, and hand pumped water. You don't HAVE to have all the fancy stuff, necessarily... Though it does take low expectations and some creativity 😆👌
The smart thing you did going to Alaska you didnt buy a plot in the middle and start chopping down trees ! You went to see if you would like it . Found out it wasnt for you and went back home! That was smart!
They never intended on moving to Alaska. The intention was always Sunny Mountain. Alaska was just the place to go to try it out, because it has more off-grid people and cabins than anywhere in the US.
Ok, so i know I've criticized you guys a lot the last few videos, but I'm going to tell you why. You were the first homesteading channel i watched. EVERYTHING about my cabin is the way it is because of what i learned from YOU. The on demand water heaters, IBC totes for water, solar lights.... all of it. So my hurdle was "how are my teachers failing?".
I’ve had other moments like that with people who have significantly influenced something in my life. I think that’s the moment when we have to remember that we’re the hero in our own story and someone else’s change of course doesn’t lessen what we have accomplished or the choices we’ve made. Cheers.
I guess part of me SO BADLY wishes I had a way to contact you and let you know what you could do to make it all so much easier. Not to toot my own horn too much, but there were so many small things that I could tell were making it really hard for you, and they were fixable! Easily solved. It wasn't easy to watch. The guides you spoke with that "helped" you, really didn't try to help you. If they had, you would've been successful, but they scared you away. Plus you picked the worst place to try it out. Alaska? Really?! It's so much easier than you made it. I wish I could've helped.
@@sterlingeisenhower5947 Well, first of all, they DO have an email and have always been pretty good at answering it in the past 🤷🏻♀️ But second, every family's lifestyle has to be different because every situation is different, different animals, different number and ages of humans, different land types with different access points for water etc... it's unfair to say they are failures just because SOME parts made it not work for them. We lived off grid in a partially buried school bus in North Idaho with 4 kids very successfully. Until it wasn't successful anymore and we had to change what we were doing. That's okay. Just because something doesn't work in one place or season doesn't mean it won't work for someone else in the right place and season. All I'm saying is, don't be disappointed in them just because things didn't work out how they thought it would in this time, place, season of their life. Just hang in there and see how they come up with solutions.
I think they experimented through trial and error so viewers could see what that experience was, its up to people to decide for themselves what they choose to do and there was still a lot of interesting information in this channel, but I didn't view it as "oh I should do that to," nor did I feel they ever came across as a teacher, they merely posted their experiences and you got to come along on their journey to show the ups and down through their eyes. Im glad people post these journeys as we get to sit back and learn the easier way avoiding the pain and heartaches these poor people learn the gutsy way. Some of us have to not screw up cause our resources are few and without seeing videos like this we could slide down a very slippery slope.
Very low population density, very high infant mortality, and they were tough as nails, survival experts from the age of six. Because they were raised in it and didn't have a choice.
Don't take this the wrong way, but I just don't trust you guys any more. It's almost the end of this summer and you still haven't gotten to a conclusion of your Alaska trip. But you've mastered the long-form clickbait video format. "Now what?" ... 39 minutes later ... Well, "we're going to cover that in an upcoming video."
They did get to the conclusion of the Alaska trip, a good while ago. Now they're catching up on the last year. And a lot of us like hearing the long-format not-so-inner-monologues about planning off-grid life, instead of a brief 5 minute rundown of everything that happened and the plan.
Maybe its just not the off grid dream you were really after! So, pull upthe boot straps and move on! To a new life! New baby new life for everyone! Great name for baby would be Hope!
Did you see other TH-camrs live off the Grid, and have you tried to get your family to do the same for content? It's not as easy as you think. :( 😞 I think you saw Alaska Simple Life as a success. They are skillful at building things. Plus, they Didn't have kids, so it would have been easier for them..
Are you having trouble finding content? Because this constant rehashing of the past, isn't achieving anything. Get on with Homesteading. When TSHTF you are going to HAVE to go off grid in a far harder way (or take the mark) and having those skill sets and preps in place will be essential. Is there an issue with your staying and managing the family farm? Families are going to have to rely on each other, multi-generationally, to survive what is coming. Of course, that always assuming the ones you are living with won't Take the mark and turn on you.
Pennsylvania allows water catchment??? Is that a very blue state? Oregon is a blue state and no way can you use a water catchment system. Off grid is coming folks..ready or not. It is coming and we all are facing a huge change with the grid and with the food!!!
Google says you can catch rain water in Oregon as long as it is coming off your roof. You just can't make a pond or large body to catch rain water without a permit. Most states allow rain water catchment in some form.
I don't think you guys got to experience comfortable off grid living, Not trying to promote anyone but look up "girl in the woods best off-grid cabin". this old couple have full indoor plumbing though wells, plenty of heating and cooling along with all the power they need. It is always good to learn from those that come before you instead of trying to figure everything out on your own. It's the one thing humans do best is try to move knowledge forward.
A lot of video's on youtube are about: 'We want to do..', we are gonna do..' and layer: 'we were gonna do' and 'we wanted to do..' and then the 'why it didn't go the way we wanted'. I say: just do something, film it, I'll watch it, with pleasure. Just stop being a talking head please.. 😊.. ..and don't set a deadline, just start.. Some people are suffering from explainitis.. and please: move on.. 😊 Sorry, I'm Dutch, we don't beat around the bush.. 🤭
And ah.. don't loose yourself in metaphores please.. I don't wanna know about bones and inflamation 😢. And ah.. don't teach me 😂, I'll learn when I watch you..
A short note on this video - There have been many mixed feelings about it. Some really enjoyed it, they loved the recap of the last year, the context it provided to our story moving forward, and the "janky water catchmet" system I shared😂 but others felt disappointed that we didn't share what has been happening on Sunny Mt yet, felt it was stuck in the past, and they were tired of seeing the old Alaska Footage. I initially pulled the video to reshoot it, to add more about Sunny Mt. When I did that, many who had watched it commented on our Post announcing the change...
th-cam.com/channels/v2Li-PxOya3XCL-St_4DkA.htmlcommunity?lb=UgkxGR7WgGrom-T0_pDyaOdieqEX1PKlTAvZ
that this video provided a lot of good context and explanation and recap of the last year. So for context sake, here it is, back again. Just know, a Sunny Mt Update video is next (PART 2), and we will focus on moving forward.
It has been a year since I shot YT vids, please grant me a little grace as I find my rhythm again 😅
Aus, I'm going to just say, it feels like you guys can never make up your minds. I've watched for a long time and it always feels like let's do something else and how can we jank it. I appreciate understanding the thought process, but it feels like you can't move forward
Keep your head up, you guys are doing great!!
@@Homesteadyshow sounds great!
Hi Family! Yins have been SO inspirational and influential to my husband and I. Your videos show us that homesteading is worth the hard work and the challenges we face are shared with all who take on the challenge. Why? Because we owe it to future generations. We live "off-grid" in "Pennsyltucky" and I'm so glad we left the city/suburbia. It has its challenges but i can't think of a better way to use our time and energy. God bless and keep rocking it!
If you like country music, I wrote a humdinger of a cute love tune, so redneck, you might have to eat a bowl of cornflakes in order to readjust your metabolism. Here's the title: Lisa Moo Moo Marie. You have my permission to use it on your videos.
I was the person who said “my parents built in Alaska and totally got divorced.” My husband and I just finished moving into our forever home. With the pandemic, it took six years and we scrapped a completely engineered-and-ready-to-build smaller house to build a house for a lifetime. Still married. Super happy. Minimal high-stress moments, though there have been a few. Stepson unscathed and loving the extra space. You’ll be glad you took the slow road and put your kids first.
Thank you, those words of wisdom in the comments were read by us many times and thought about a lot!
Good to hear. We close soon on our 40 acre dream property and we have 4 young kids. I want the slow building forever home, husband wants to build in stages 😮 it’ll be an adventure for sure
Thank you 😊
I thought it was great. I didn’t think it was all looking back. And you did talk about what you will be doing. I don’t know what others expect, but I learned from it, enjoyed it, and appreciate it.
I was so relieved when you announced you were going to Alaska to try living off grid. I had been worrying about the timeline and that you were going to go too tiny and too rustic and the kids would keep growing and you’d run into issues with not enough space and privacy and quiet etc etc. Sounds to me like I don’t need to worry about any of that anymore. I’m so glad you had the courage to change your plans and be sure.
You will build your off-grid home in 1 year, 365 days just not in a row. 🤣Much love.
😂 THIS… is great! Yes
Exactly. They were correct about how much time it would take to make, sprinkled with interruptions.
You did what you needed to do. You have ro figure out what works dor tour family and lifestyle. Life is a learning process. Keep learning! Enjoy your family and grow your life! Thanks for sharing. I learn a lot.
I moved to Mexico with my husband to his hometown. We have electric, but our water for the bathroom and kitchen is rain catchment, our water outside for the laundry and the animals comes from the creek that runs through town right next to our property. As we are downhill from most of the town I won't drink the water from the creek. A lot different than the United States, but I won't move back.
That sounds cool 😍
Its so great you all did this as a family to learn and grow to see exactly where you want to be!.. BRAVO!
I am happy you are back. Looking forward to new videos!! Honestly, I would never want to live in a place I had to wear netting to keep the bugs away. Haha! Congrats on the new baby!! ❤🎉
Doesn't have to be an off-grid cabin either, we went all in on building a horse ranch...but, we didn't quite do it the way we should have. Over this last year we nearly went bankrupt, twice. Thanks to family we made it through and, hopefully, things are back on track. Still, it did break us in other ways, mostly with our health, so now we have to figure out exactly how to keep moving forward without potentially ending up in wheelchairs at a fairly young age. Try before you buy! ;)
Looking forward to hearing what your plans are. The problem is, when you make a home on virgin land you need to set up all the elements from the beginning. Even if you have a transportable home to stay in while building, you still need to set up power/water/septic etc. Still, that’s a good way to enable the house to be built in stages. It’s not easy though, if you’re still farming on another property some distance away while at the same time creating a new farm! I’m glad you took the time to really look into it. I have faith in you guys and I’m excited to see what you do next! ❤
Thanks SC, yeah, a lot of our long term plans do take that into account, the whole farming AND building mix! It’s a tough juggle!
Whooohooo! I finally had you on my feed close to when you posted! Glad to see another vlog 😊 Hope Kay and baby are well
I'm so glad you reposted this video ❤ It's a good one.
You guys should write a book about your experience!
Thank you for reposting this video. Love the content. Keep it up.
I think there is a nice balance. The ability to have no electricity but still have the fundamentals for off grid.
No comments on your videos Austin. You had a nice vacation in Alaska and a good dose of reality. Don't worry what we think, you are back in the 48 and time moves on. Use it wisely to fulfill your plans for Sunny Mountain homestead. God be with you, Kay and your family in all your ventures!
FOR ME, this was a totally useful video. Affirmed our slow journey. I think it was TOTALLY WISE to trial by fire.
I live colder than parts of Alaska- some think we are nuts. My daughter lives where everything tries to sting, bite, or otherwise kill you. Another lives where it is so hot it challenges human life. I think they are nuts.
A friend lives dry cabin and tells me clean clothes are over rated..... For her, without kids. Not for Kay. Or me!
Cant wait to see what you guys have decided!!
Always a good day when homesteady pops up!..
i love your story telling style
....been six years fully off grid in remote Rockies....we considered Alaska but knew that it was too far...to stressful...we found that there are still plenty of lower 48 properties for remote living....we bought 10 fully wooded mountain acres with a 80% complete house....and are very happy
The “Darth A-frame” was epic..😂😂
Off grid living is not for everyone. It’s more often then not a much more physically demanding lifestyle. A lot of it will depend on what level of off grid you build to. My wife and I and our four kids live a simple off grid life, but we have adapted how we live to accommodate what we can afford to do.As a builder in north Idaho, I have also built off grid homes that have every luxury you can imagine, but you pay a lot of money for it.
I think the first step is identifying what you can/cannot live without and then reconciling that with what you can afford to do. The faster you try to accomplish it, the more it will cost. We live in a couple of simple cabins, we heat with wood and supplement with propane when needed. My wife’s pride and joy is her wood cook stove that she uses pretty much everyday. We have a simple solar system as we don’t require a lot of electricity for our lifestyle.
Other families will have other needs, and prioritize differently. And some won’t be able to handle the off grid life at all. And no matter what route you choose, you have to do what is best for your family and your situation. Don’t ever let anyone shame you for the choices you make. I look forward to see what you guys decide to do.
Regards,
Chris
Most kids growing up in the modern computer age, fast food lifestyle, will have difficulty adjusting.
Chris where at in North Idaho?? I'm just North of Spokane, looking for a guy to do some piers for our shop build. We were gonna do it ourselves but winter is close and we haven't even got a well dug yet. Still manually hauling water every week! Lol we moved off grid this year, and love every second of it!
@@medicinemom3620 I am north of Sandpoint. I built homes the Seattle area for many years before I moved to Idaho. I don’t work in Washington anymore. Sorry.
@@walkyourdog6584that’s more of a case by case basis with what the parents choose to feed them and what activities are allowed. The actual major concern that effects all kids is the severing of social ties and social isolation. It’s not healthy for a kid to only talk to their parents and hardly anyone else bc their parents were selfish moving off the grid with no plan to properly raise their child with necessary socialization. Gotta figure out some way to meet other people so they don’t grow up friendless which ain’t right
@badart3204 they have 6 kids and are a very social family with grandparents involved too. So that would probably not be a limiting factor.
You have been missed around here. I am so happy that you are still going through with the off grid life just in a better for you way.
I really really loved this video. My husband and I bought some property just for a little vacation cabin and we are still working on it 2 1/2 years later and we’re only about halfway done. I feel if we had the pressure of this actually being a place to live, it would not do well for our marriage. so in a very teeny tiny small way, I can see how the pressure of trying to finish and off grid cabin that you want to live in in a year can be very detrimental to your physical emotional and marital well-being. Great video I love how it was put together.
You went to the farthest extreme conditions to get an "off grid" experience. Unless you plan on moving there, I wouldn't give up just yet. Give yourselves credit. You tried the Alaskan off grid experience but now is the time to get the lower 48 off grid experience. We have a neighbor (well they live about 5 miles away), they adopted a camel, zebra, ostrich and a few other that I haven't seen yet. I live in Michigan, about an hour south of Traverse City, so our climate can be in the 90s+ in the summer to -20° below in the winter. So exotic animals are a sight to see. I remember you having camels at one time. Keep building your homestead. Don't put a time limit on it for it will cause duress and separation.
Great Advice, it’s so good that you guys are taking it slow, especially with an ever growing family. A modern off grid system is better for everyone. Washer/Dryer, Indoor Toilet 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
As much as I wanted to see you crack on with the build on Sunny mountain, I’m so happy you got rid of that arbitrary timeline and are planning for more space and modern comforts. Like many I dream of ‘the simple life’ - spending my time raising animals, growing veg, being more self-sufficient and connected to the land. Living off-grid seems like the way to do that, but if you add laundry by hand into the mix for such a large family… there won’t be time to do the more fun homesteading activities and the lifestyle that you’ve built for the last 15 years. By all means go off-grid, but please put the infrastructure in for some home comforts like an indoor toilet, hot bath and washing machine.
We have found that building an off grid homestead, particularly in Alaska, isn’t for the faint of heart. If you are in it for the journey and not the destination, and you accept that it will be hard and that it will take time, then it is a wonderful opportunity to learn something about who you are
Great job Jason
Back in the seventies my husband and I moved to the interior of British Columbia from suburban Ontario. 'Off Grid' wasnt a common term back then but that is literally what we were. I said at the time that all I required was running water and a flush toilet, soooo ... we purchased a 26 foot travel trailer and off we went. The fridge, stove and furnace were propane so that was covered. We dropped a pipe up the mountain stream and had gravity fed water. There was no such thing as solar panels then, so we had kerosene lamps for light. We eventually created our own hydro electric power with a pelton wheel, (like a small water mill with cups) hit with gravity flow water and a 1000 feet of pipe running up the mountain. The power was stored in large truck batteries originally and then a bank of 1 cell batteries recycled from the local power grid when they were upgrading. After a couple of years we added an A frame extension to the trailer that was probably about 3 times the size of the trailer. This was our livingroom and bedroom while the trailer remained the kitchen and bathroom. We built a septic bed and added an amazing Valley Comfort wood stove that worked on a bi-metal coil to open and close the draft, regulated by a dial that could be adjusted from 1 to 5. Since our power was limited to 12 volt we had a car radio and CeeBee headlights from a car to light the house. We lived there for 8 years and only left to come back to Ontario because of business opportunities that were offered by my husband's family. Otherwise I would still be there today.
I guess what I'm saying is we started slow and gradually built on what we had. Yes there were only 2 of us and I can't imagine how difficult it would be with a large family like yours. I wanted to commend you on the route you are taking. You did a test run and found out what you absolutely need and what you don't need. You learned a lot from others. Before stepping off into the deep water you now have knowledge that is priceless. Nothing says you have to get it all done in 1 year. You are doing this slowly and thoughtfully. Good job.
I think your first issue was you went cold turkey all at once, you had the convenience one day then just everything gone the next. Start making small adjustments weekly.
Great video!
Decisions are hard, even just as a couple. Every opinion added, only makes the choosing harder, for those who care.
Your hearts are big & factoring in your immediate & extended family are valuable.
But, many media viewers are filled with their own motivations.
DON’T let that noise weigh in or impact your decisions.
We watch because we can ride on your wind for a little while. Thank you.
But don’t let the weight of others pull you down.
Soar in your own direction.
Those darn Alaskan Crocodiles, damn near impossible to keep them out of outhouses
recommendation for folks who want to go off the grid. Stress test with back country camping first so you get familiar with outdoor cooking and such.
Gotta watch out for that Alaska out house croc.
You can run those gates the other direction, then when you unhook them the gates themselves will no longer be hot. Of course the rest of the fence past the gates isn't hot while it is unhooked either, but I find for a short period of time that isn't a big issue. Easier to move the gates when they are unhooked then and not get shocked. Ask me how I know. 🙃
We lived in a 25×25 sq ft cabin for abour 4 months with a family of four, a dog 3 cats, and all our belongings from our 1400 sq ft house in town... Some of it we store ourside under a giant 30Ft tarp we got for free. It was quite rhe change, and i really disliked the cots lol we are so blessed and were gifted a 40ft fidth wheel to stay in while we build a real(mud house in a hill) house. Took a few months to get solar power set up, and rhe trailer in the correct location. Much clearing had to be done. Slowly but surely things are coming together. We also realized we were gonna run out of time to be ready for winter (we live close ro the Canadian boarder). So we pulled out my husbands retirement to get more solar panels & batteries for winter, pay someone to put up our shop so we can get a well dug. It's working well for us, but another family on the mountain couldn't swing it. I watched one spouse put lots of effort into building their off grid property, and onw spouse didn't. He couldnt swing it on his own, so he had to let go of the dream and move to town.... What works for one, does not for the other. We were so excited to have hot showers again! Ans hope someday soon, we have a real toilet!! I would give up toilets forever if i had to though 😂 I couldnt go back to town and be happy about it.
Twenty four years ago I moved to Alaska to build a log cabin and trap with my dog team. Figured it wouldn't take long... 6 years later I had kinda manged a little bit of all that.... But I also got cold and hungry and divorced.... Easily done. I loved Alaska
Don’t you think that part of the ‘slower pace of life’ that you got to experience in Alaska was due to having less of your usual farm responsibilities? Wondering how the farm aspect will change in your future, be come pruned and honed
Still stuck on why you went to Alaska when thats not where Sunny Mountain is.
Sure, a tougher climate, different logistics and possibly easier to rent the trial off grid cabins but the reality of alaska versus the most of the lower 48 is quite different.
Alaska broke your dream... Would ohio break the dream the same way?
When I say I want off grid, I want lots of solar power, water well and creature comforts
You need to go visit some Amish. Our Amish friends build shop houses in less then a week move in and start life and thrive.
Itsthe hole community's pitching in with the Amish including money!
Yeah, but they've been living off-grid their entire existence. It isn't a massive change for them when they get married, build their own place and get started.
Not everyone is cut out to be a homesteader in Alaska. No crime in that. One of those Alaska homes that you stayed in was little more than a hovel. Your children deserve more.
Did you guys get a chance to talk with the people from Simple Living Alaska? Or from Wild, Wonderful, Off Grid.....two very successful youtube channels.
A quick question about the sheep. I've never seen sheep with long tails. What kind of sheep do you have? I'm a newbie 😊
Thanks for sharing it. Very worthwhile.
Just a thought, would you consider doing a video with all the 'janky' 'make-do' things around the homestead. We are about to purchase land and as much as we would love to be able to afford everything, that will not be the case. Anyway, it's just a thought, that might benefit many others.
Would love to sit and chat over a cuppa with you guys, love how down to earth you are and a truly beautiful family.
Sonya from South Australia 🇦🇺 🤍
I love a Janky video idea 😁and if I am ever in Australia... I'll take that Cuppa!
Why not on the farm build supplemental water catchment systems in the pastures. Options would be build a lean to with a metal roof and attache totes to catch the rain water. Would also provide shelter for your livestock. I've seen TH-cam videos where Homesteaders built frames on the ground that held metal roofing material and the rain runoff ran into water storage. There are options that wouldn't be that expensive to build.
when you get a chance write a book about this.
Modern day homesteading is very much a continuous failing forward. We are relearning what has been lost and figuring out what works for OUR families, OUR homesteads. We try stuff, and sometimes it sticks. Sometimes we change our minds. We learn from each experience and we build upon that.
I think some people are being overly critical about the choices made by another family when the truth is, this is how it goes. Let’s also remember that this learning experience was an incredible adventure of a lifetime for a family that they’ll never forget. They’re gracious enough to invite us into their lives to watch how they process through all of it. Maybe sit back and say “thank you” instead of the harsh criticism.
I love this. We're finding there are endeavors we have tried on our homestead that we need to let go. We need to be flexible and forgive ourselves for not always doing things perfectly, and not worry others will revoke our homestead card haha
First hehehe
thanks for the video
love from the country side of Chile
Your puppy’s gorgeous! Love from the city in Australia : )
I've lived in Alaska for >44 years. It sure as hell isn't for everyone. It's hard up here. If you can't handle isolation, hard work, and deferring gratification you won't make it. The winters here can break the strongest man. Alaska does break up marriages. I had property on the highway. It took me two years to finish a 12' x 12' dry cabin. If you are educated in the reality up here, have skills, are prepared, and lived here through at least one winter, THEN consider what you want from Alaska. Oh, and bring $$$. Lots of it.
The main reason to go off grid and live a simple life is to not be a slave to debt.
Living off grid and working a farm makes you realize that wearing dirty clothes is just going to be a reality.😊
💗💗💗
So are you and your family still living on your parents land? How long have you lived there?
"Off grid" is a mindset, and a philosophy. I don't think that you have to live totally off grid, to offer certain lessons and values to your family.
Honestly, I would never look at people who have fancy houses or farms, and all the latest equipment, to make it off grid. 🤷♀️
Don't forget, lots of off grid homes are fancy, and have the latest equipment like battery banks and solar arrays 😄
True
@@Homesteadyshowours was a half-buried school bus with propane appliances, one single solar panel to charge our phones, and hand pumped water. You don't HAVE to have all the fancy stuff, necessarily... Though it does take low expectations and some creativity 😆👌
The smart thing you did going to Alaska you didnt buy a plot in the middle and start chopping down trees ! You went to see if you would like it . Found out it wasnt for you and went back home! That was smart!
They never intended on moving to Alaska. The intention was always Sunny Mountain. Alaska was just the place to go to try it out, because it has more off-grid people and cabins than anywhere in the US.
Why did you choose the harshest climate in Alaska to do your off-grid research? Like living off-grid is a punishment ... ?
Ok, so i know I've criticized you guys a lot the last few videos, but I'm going to tell you why.
You were the first homesteading channel i watched. EVERYTHING about my cabin is the way it is because of what i learned from YOU. The on demand water heaters, IBC totes for water, solar lights.... all of it. So my hurdle was "how are my teachers failing?".
I’ve had other moments like that with people who have significantly influenced something in my life. I think that’s the moment when we have to remember that we’re the hero in our own story and someone else’s change of course doesn’t lessen what we have accomplished or the choices we’ve made. Cheers.
I guess part of me SO BADLY wishes I had a way to contact you and let you know what you could do to make it all so much easier. Not to toot my own horn too much, but there were so many small things that I could tell were making it really hard for you, and they were fixable! Easily solved. It wasn't easy to watch.
The guides you spoke with that "helped" you, really didn't try to help you. If they had, you would've been successful, but they scared you away. Plus you picked the worst place to try it out. Alaska? Really?! It's so much easier than you made it.
I wish I could've helped.
@@sterlingeisenhower5947 Well, first of all, they DO have an email and have always been pretty good at answering it in the past 🤷🏻♀️
But second, every family's lifestyle has to be different because every situation is different, different animals, different number and ages of humans, different land types with different access points for water etc... it's unfair to say they are failures just because SOME parts made it not work for them. We lived off grid in a partially buried school bus in North Idaho with 4 kids very successfully. Until it wasn't successful anymore and we had to change what we were doing. That's okay. Just because something doesn't work in one place or season doesn't mean it won't work for someone else in the right place and season. All I'm saying is, don't be disappointed in them just because things didn't work out how they thought it would in this time, place, season of their life. Just hang in there and see how they come up with solutions.
I think they experimented through trial and error so viewers could see what that experience was, its up to people to decide for themselves what they choose to do and there was still a lot of interesting information in this channel, but I didn't view it as "oh I should do that to," nor did I feel they ever came across as a teacher, they merely posted their experiences and you got to come along on their journey to show the ups and down through their eyes. Im glad people post these journeys as we get to sit back and learn the easier way avoiding the pain and heartaches these poor people learn the gutsy way. Some of us have to not screw up cause our resources are few and without seeing videos like this we could slide down a very slippery slope.
Failing is learning and moving forward.
I wonder what the first humans that lived there did!?
Very low population density, very high infant mortality, and they were tough as nails, survival experts from the age of six. Because they were raised in it and didn't have a choice.
I see behind where you had the tote that you suffer from the curse of knottweed
Don't take this the wrong way, but I just don't trust you guys any more. It's almost the end of this summer and you still haven't gotten to a conclusion of your Alaska trip. But you've mastered the long-form clickbait video format. "Now what?" ... 39 minutes later ... Well, "we're going to cover that in an upcoming video."
They did get to the conclusion of the Alaska trip, a good while ago. Now they're catching up on the last year.
And a lot of us like hearing the long-format not-so-inner-monologues about planning off-grid life, instead of a brief 5 minute rundown of everything that happened and the plan.
Did you even watch the video or just skip through to the end? 😂 Straight up he explained all of it and showed us some homesteading at the same time.
Please don’t make them use an outhouse I grew up that way it was horrible. Now I think I would be ok with a composting toilet but inside.
Maybe its just not the off grid dream you were really after! So, pull upthe boot straps and move on! To a new life! New baby new life for everyone! Great name for baby would be Hope!
Did you see other TH-camrs live off the Grid, and have you tried to get your family to do the same for content? It's not as easy as you think. :( 😞
I think you saw Alaska Simple Life as a success. They are skillful at building things. Plus, they Didn't have kids, so it would have been easier for them..
But its better to break a bone then to tear mustle!
Are you having trouble finding content? Because this constant rehashing of the past, isn't achieving anything.
Get on with Homesteading. When TSHTF you are going to HAVE to go off grid in a far harder way (or take the mark) and having those skill sets and preps in place will be essential. Is there an issue with your staying and managing the family farm? Families are going to have to rely on each other, multi-generationally, to survive what is coming. Of course, that always assuming the ones you are living with won't Take the mark and turn on you.
Pennsylvania allows water catchment??? Is that a very blue state? Oregon is a blue state and no way can you use a water catchment system. Off grid is coming folks..ready or not. It is coming and we all are facing a huge change with the grid and with the food!!!
Google says you can catch rain water in Oregon as long as it is coming off your roof. You just can't make a pond or large body to catch rain water without a permit. Most states allow rain water catchment in some form.
I don't think you guys got to experience comfortable off grid living, Not trying to promote anyone but look up "girl in the woods best off-grid cabin". this old couple have full indoor plumbing though wells, plenty of heating and cooling along with all the power they need. It is always good to learn from those that come before you instead of trying to figure everything out on your own. It's the one thing humans do best is try to move knowledge forward.
Im out this bounces around too much. Back to finding another channel
A lot of video's on youtube are about:
'We want to do..', we are gonna do..' and layer: 'we were gonna do' and 'we wanted to do..' and then the 'why it didn't go the way we wanted'.
I say: just do something, film it, I'll watch it, with pleasure. Just stop being a talking head please.. 😊..
..and don't set a deadline, just start..
Some people are suffering from explainitis.. and please: move on.. 😊
Sorry, I'm Dutch, we don't beat around the bush.. 🤭
And ah.. don't loose yourself in metaphores please.. I don't wanna know about bones and inflamation 😢.
And ah.. don't teach me 😂, I'll learn when I watch you..
Crying in my Hagelslag over the explainitis diagnosis
9 videos of basically the same thing…. NEXT!