Off Grid Alaska

[tx 3 putt 76862]

1. please tell me that's a heat toilet seat

2. how far to the nearest costco ?

[RPM 26315]

9 hours ago, mooseoutfront said:

I've never gotten a hold of any old school MTF. 

Speak to the guy I know in Ketch. That's who turned me on to it, but that was 40 years ago.

[AeroHorn 749]

He lives about 80 miles from Fairbanks. There is a Costco in Fairbanks.

[Guest]

11 hours ago, mooseoutfront said:

 

MTF = Matanuska Thunder Fuck for those playing at home.    

Washington football team should have rolled with a derivative thereof...

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4974]

17 hours ago, mooseoutfront said:

We have been very, very fortunate.  We keep an abundance of food and fuel on hand for the oh shit moment that hasn't come yet.  But we are prepared.

The closest I've ever come to getting bit in the ass was on a muzzle loader moose hunt with a buddy.  Muzzle loader season is late November early December.  We went 90 miles out the Rex Trail on snow machines (that's what they call snow mobiles up here for some reason).  It was 30 below when we left.  By the time we got to the Wood River, the thermometer my buddy had on his parka zipper had bottomed out at 70 below.  We knew it was cold, but we didn't realize it was that cold.  He looked at me and told me whatever I did to not let the snow machine die.  It took us 6 hours to get back.  It's the coldest I've ever been.  Danger cold, beyond shivering.  The only reason my fingers didn't freeze was because of the hot grips on the snow machine.  When we finally got in cell range I called my wife and she said she could hear it in my voice.  She had warmed blankets and towels ready for me when I got home.  It was 68 below when I pulled up to the cabin.  The last few hours of the ride home are basically a blur.  It was all I could do not to pass out.  I was on the verge of hallucinating.  It was other worldly.  My buddy thought he froze his feet.  It took him 4 hours to get the feeling back in them.  We were both very lucky and very stupid for not turning around sooner.

What kind of muzzleloader do you shoot? Are you one of those apostates who shoots an inline, or do you embrace the holy black?

[Lat22 4010]

What other firearms do you use? (assuming you aren’t a felon. 😆)

[Cheeseweasel 26438]

On 2/1/2022 at 5:51 PM, mooseoutfront said:

In the summer, the outhouse thaws and it sounds like a cow patty hitting the ground.  In the winter, it builds up into what we call the poop-cicle.  Think of a stalagmite of shit rising up from the bottom.  We have a dedicated stick we use to knock it down when it gets too close to the seat.

[Antidean 200]

Does Amazon deliver rolling papers or do you have a bong/pipe?

[burntorangebongos 10710]

14 hours ago, mooseoutfront said:

I haul gas in 55 gallon drums.  I keep 2 drums in reserve at all times.  

how do you do that? You mean you load the drums into the pickup and then go to a regular gas station pump? How do you get the drums off of the truck when they are full? Is that a two people job? Gas day doesn't sound like fun but having gas handy does. 

[Lat22 4010]

Roll it off onto a tire.

[Ben Tobin 374]

2 hours ago, burntorangebongos said:

how do you do that? You mean you load the drums into the pickup and then go to a regular gas station pump? How do you get the drums off of the truck when they are full? Is that a two people job? Gas day doesn't sound like fun but having gas handy does. 

[Johnny Sack 8397]

1 hour ago, Lat22 said:

Roll it off onto a tire.

They weigh what, over 400 pounds when full?  Sounds like a fuel truck delivering gas in the area could make some money.

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4974]

[TexasEd 8066]

I have not seen anything mentioned about chickens.  Is that a decision not to have them or are they just very hard/impossible to keep alive through the winter?

[Bevo 13559]

16 minutes ago, TexasEd said:

I have not seen anything mentioned about chickens.  Is that a decision not to have them or are they just very hard/impossible to keep alive through the winter?

Maybe they don't like chicken fried steak.

[Lurch 5922]

I want to thank you for putting my $300 electric/water bill this month into perspective

[mooseoutfront 3643]

On 2/2/2022 at 5:45 AM, RPM said:

What's the cost of living like now? My only experience up there is Kodiak, so island pricing, but milk was $7 a gallon in 1979.

It's expensive to live here.  It's why so many people hunt.  Getting a moose is a real big deal.  One moose feeds a lot of people.

$7 a gallon for milk is village or island price.  I think the last time I bought some milk it was in the $4 a gallon range.  Basically food costs about twice what you would pay in the lower 48.  We only go to Fairbanks about once every 6 weeks or so.  When we do we make poor eating decisions.  A McDonald's #1 combo runs $12.

[RPM 26315]

1 minute ago, mooseoutfront said:

It's expensive to live here.  It's why so many people hunt.  Getting a moose is a real big deal.  One moose feeds a lot of people.

$7 a gallon for milk is village or island price.  I think the last time I bought some milk it was in the $4 a gallon range.  Basically food costs about twice what you would pay in the lower 48.  We only go to Fairbanks about once every 6 weeks or so.  When we do we make poor eating decisions.  A McDonald's #1 combo runs $12.

Here a #1 Sonic is $8, so not bad. Surprised to hear Prime was cheaper that local. I assumed it would be higher. I watch a lot of the Alaska shows out of nostalgia, but assume most are complete BS network funded. Good to see someone actually doing the hard work for the eventual payoff.

[mooseoutfront 3643]

23 hours ago, orange dream said:

Where did you move from? Were you an Eagle Scout and lived to camp, etc.?

Did you move straight to this setup, or just something rustic and you moved gradually "off the grid"?

Is your work truck your office or do you actually commute to an office or field site on the regular?

Have there ever been kids involved in this living arrangement?

I think this looks awesome but I couldn't do it.  Loving the thread!!

 

We were living in Leander when we decided to go for it and move up here.  I couldn't stand the scouts...I lasted less than a month.

We lived "normal" for two years, then got the off the grid bug.  My friends back home in Texas say we went feral.

The work truck is a perk.  I use it as part of my job collecting water samples out in the field and the like, but I have an office and a lab.  

No kids.  Never wanted them.  It's the main reason I married my wife, she didn't want them either.  It's pure serendipity she took to this lifestyle the way she did.  She digs it more than I do.

Don't sell yourself short, you could.  It's all about adjusting your attitude and finding the system that works for you.

[mooseoutfront 3643]

21 hours ago, luke duke said:

Do you have a fuck tent for when you want to spice things up?

When we want to spice things up we head to Fairbanks and spend the night in a hotel with electricity and running water.  My wife usually takes at least 2 showers and soaks in the tub once.  Hot running water is the shit when you aren't used to it.

[mooseoutfront 3643]

20 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

Well, I imagine being high AF contributes to that.

And as for the lack of light, my daughter really leans on her UV sun lamp, but without power....I guess that's not an option for you?

The Lights have always fascinated me.  My Grandfather used to take me elk hunting.  He wanted to live up here so badly.  We would sit around the campfire and he would talk about Alaska and the Northern Lights.  It always stuck with me.  And being high af helps everything in my opinion.

The "Happy Lamps" as they are called up here aren't really an option for us, but lots of people use them to combat cabin fever.

[mooseoutfront 3643]

20 hours ago, strangulation! said:

what's a log sauna?

The cabin, garage, and sauna are constructed out of 3 sided logs.  They mill 3 edges of the log flat, leaving only one side rounded.  Makes for easier, quicker construction.

[mooseoutfront 3643]

20 hours ago, Kennythetiger said:

What’s the deal with those two aspen trees growing so crooked?  

The roots of the trees here are all within 10 inches of the surface because of the permafrost.  No such thing as tap roots here.  The ground gave way and they tipped over.  Aspen trees are notorious for tipping over because they are so top heavy.  The white spruce don't really tip over because their weight is more evenly distributed.

Those trees will become firewood this spring.

[dimyh 1874]

19 hours ago, mooseoutfront said:

Hard no

 

Sticking a rose between your butt cheeks still doesn't really help out with the outhouse situation.

What's the closest agtard to your location?

[TexasEd 8066]

29 minutes ago, mooseoutfront said:

When we want to spice things up we head to Fairbanks and spend the night in a hotel with electricity and running water.  My wife usually takes at least 2 showers and soaks in the tub once.  Hot running water is the shit when you aren't used to it.

So that hot water is the trick when it comes to seduction.  Got it.

[JMFP 1120]

2 hours ago, Johnny Sack said:

They weigh what, over 400 pounds when full?  Sounds like a fuel truck delivering gas in the area could make some money.

I dunno how Moose does it - but growing up on the farm we bought our tractor gas this way too. You can by gas cheaper at the COOP or a few other places that sell off-road (no road tax) gas. It doesn't really take much effort to "walk"/slide the barrel to the back of the tailgate. We had this old metal box that was just a bit shorter than the tailgate. You could tilt the barrel a little and roll it carefully onto that platform.

 

I mean, you kids that grew up in the city might have struggled but it wasn't much trouble...

Edited February 3, 2022 by JMFP
typo

[Johnny Sack 8397]

8 minutes ago, JMFP said:

I dunno how Moose does it - but growing up on the farm we bought our tractor gas this way too. You can by gas cheaper at the COOP or a few other places that sell off-road (no road tax) gas. It doesn't really take much effort to "walk"/slide the barrel to the back of the tailgate. We had this old metal box that was just a bit shorter than the tailgate. You could tilt the barrel a little and roll it carefully onto that platform.

 

I mean, you kids that grew up in the city might have struggled but it wasn't much trouble...

I have spent a lot of time on ranches in my 44 years.  But we were spoiled with large fuel tanks of gas and diesel.  Of course it was all ranch gas and diesel.

And used 5 gallon jugs for smaller engines.  Trying to drive 40 miles with a couple 55 gallon drums filled with gasoline in the back of a truck seems dangerous as shit to me.  Explosion risk.  And risk of losing a finger if you move it wrong.

[Don Johnson 4752]

Fascinating.

Did I miss how you bath normally?

Any pics from inside the cabin?

[jeevsie 3733]

Fascinating is right.  Might as well be on Mars for most of us creature-comfort-loving city folk.

[Blotto 23485]

Just now, jeevsie said:

Fascinating is right.  Might as well be on Mars for most of us creature-comfort-loving city folk.

finding a significant other that can also adapt to and enjoy that lifestyle seems like a huge hurdle. I imagine you really determine quickly how much you enjoy each others company. I know many couples that would attempt to kill each other in less than a month.

[mooseoutfront 3643]

21 hours ago, GhostOfTomJoad said:

So what happens in the dead of winter when it's -60 and dark as a miner's ass and you can't help but think that you would kill a moose with your bare hands to get a hot plate of enchiladas with a side of rice and borracho beans? Do you eat a potato, smoke a joint and just make believe?

 

21 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

Cheese enchiladas, rice, and beans, are actually easy cabin meals.

Tortillas, American cheese, chili gravy (made with moose!)

Rice - easy.

Pot of beans - easy.

Brisket could totally live this way

[mooseoutfront 3643]

20 hours ago, davidg said:

What’s the price up there?

$3.89 for gasoline

$4.09 for diesel 

[XYZ 2154]

Shit, that’s not much higher than here.

[burntorangebongos 10710]

47 minutes ago, JMFP said:

We had this old metal box that was just a bit shorter than the tailgate. You could tilt the barrel a little and roll it carefully onto that platform.

 

But then how to you get it off that platform, or does it have wheels? This seems hard, like fuck that shit hard. 

[Kennythetiger 9374]

Probably remains there, I’m guessing. 
As someone else mentioned, my $40 delivery fee for farm diesel doesn’t seem so bad now. 

[Underdog 28544]

On 2/1/2022 at 6:37 PM, mooseoutfront said:

 I wear a size 14.

 

[JMFP 1120]

57 minutes ago, burntorangebongos said:

But then how to you get it off that platform, or does it have wheels? This seems hard, like fuck that shit hard. 

You leave it on the platform and pump it out from the top of the barrel. When it's empty you can pick it up and put it back in the truck...

[Underdog 28544]

23 hours ago, GhostOfTomJoad said:

So what happens in the dead of winter when it's -60 and dark as a miner's ass and you can't help but think that you would kill a moose with your bare hands to get a hot plate of enchiladas with a side of rice and borracho beans? Do you eat a potato, smoke a joint and just make believe?

 

[Anastasis 23454]

Please share some moose recipes and prons, and maybe somethings for the hunting thread in hobbies.

 

[Underdog 28544]

Awesome thread, btw. 

[davidg 4036]

I have not seen anything mentioned about chickens.  Is that a decision not to have them or are they just very hard/impossible to keep alive through the winter?

I don’t think he has said anything about raising animals. That YouTube channel I posted on the first page or so has a bunch of videos on building their coop and raising chickens in attic conditions.

[davidg 4036]

When we want to spice things up we head to Fairbanks and spend the night in a hotel with electricity and running water.  My wife usually takes at least 2 showers and soaks in the tub once.  Hot running water is the shit when you aren't used to it.

Y’all’s water situation would be the roughest for me. I guess the sauna and a sponge rinse would be ok too but no hot showers (at least for your wife) would be the deal killer. Those small propane instant hot water heaters, a small rv water pump, and a shower head makes for an easy shower set up.

[mchookem 16318]

On 2/1/2022 at 2:56 PM, mooseoutfront said:

 

 

hey i know where you can get a cool giant crab to hang in there.

Edited February 4, 2022 by mchookem

[Buzzrock 14901]

More power to you moose, but fuck every bit of that. I can’t stand it when it drops below 30°.

[workswithseed 2087]

On 2/2/2022 at 1:52 PM, mooseoutfront said:

Cabin fever is real and dangerous.  Alaska has an incredibly high suicide rate per capita.  Alcoholism and drug abuse and domestic violence all skyrocket in the deep winter.  It's not really the cold either.  Everyone up here has the proper gear.  It's the lack of light that gets in people's heads.  The lack of light leads to Vitamin D deficiencies.  That's the root cause of it all.  Take your supplements, get properly dressed and get outdoors when the sun is out.  The deep cold is beautiful to me. Winter is my favorite season.  On January weekends when the temp is regularly 30 below or colder we'll get suited up, make a fire in the fire pit, smoke a joint and watch the Northern Lights until we get cold.  Go in the cabin to warm up and then do it all over again.  The Lights fascinate me.  

We call it the big SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) here in Portland.

[workswithseed 2087]

5 hours ago, mooseoutfront said:

$3.89 for gasoline

$4.09 for diesel 

Literally the price I saw down the street from me here.

[Aqua Buddha 14581]

51 minutes ago, Buzzrock said:

More power to you moose, but fuck every bit of that. I can’t stand it when it drops below 30°.

Hell, roughing it to me is a Hampton Inn or some shit.  I mean, they all have plastic cups now.  Can't a motherfucker get a glass with some ice?

[Gil Bang 25907]

Yeah, feel free to call me a pussy, or whatever you like.  There's no fucking way I could do that for a weekend, much less a year or 4. 

I've had fantasies about going off the grid, but it's always someplace warm and sunny, like Belize or Mexico.   Fuck the cold.    I also have fantasies about fucking hot chicks 1/3 of my age.  That's not happening either. 

[Hate 20106]

I couldn't go off grid.  I like modern conveniences too much.  I did go to Alaska once as a kid.  It was 1985 and I was 16. We went fishing way out on the mainland across from Kodiak Island.  It was a little place called Painter Creek and they were about 8 cabins and one main "lodge" all run on generator power.  We went salmon fishing for a week.  I absolutely loved it and I absolutely loved being so far from civilization, but we had hot water and electricity all the time.  Alaska is a magical place that I would absolutely recommend checking out...in the summer time.

Edited February 4, 2022 by Hate

[RamjetFDO 10575]

A Møøse once bit my sister... No realli! She was Karving her initials on the møøse with the sharpened end of an interspace tøøthbrush given her by Svenge - her brother-in-law - an Oslo dentist and star of many Norwegian møvies: "The Høt Hands of an Oslo Dentist", "Fillings of Passion", "The Huge Mølars of Horst Nordfink"...