Off Grid Alaska

[Homercles 10205]

So you’ve been off the grid for 12 years and use your absolutely limited power/bandwidth to stay a part of this crazy group of assholes?  

[mulletpelini 5211]

I could do Colorado cold, but that's way too fucking cold.  I could do all/have done all the off grid except for the skinning.  Pretty sure I couldn't do that.  Cool thread mang.

On 2/2/2022 at 12:51 PM, mooseoutfront said:

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.

I too have experienced this while dealing with food poisoning in St. Louis while sitting on the toilet.  Only time in my life I really thought to myself, "I'm gonna die tonight".

It was in a heated bathroom.  Exactly the same though.

[Not a cat 5657]

As a Minnesota resident for the last 16+ years (and next 16 months), all I can say is fuck the cold and fuck Seasonal Affective Disorder.  

I think I could do the off grid life in a warm place, but damn if I could handle what you do.  Maybe I'll buy a cabin in Alaska for the summer and one in Costa Rica for the winter, but after I leave here the only ice I want to see is in my tea.

[fattyflattie 4639]

Yeah I’m trying to figure out how to get to a place that doesn’t get to 29* one day a year.  

[Doze 1322]

I guess you could order some Whataburger spicy ketchup from Amazon to take off the edge. 

 

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

On 2/1/2022 at 4:51 PM, SimonBolivar said:

I always thought that large portions of Siberia and Alaska were mosquito shitholes in the summer.

Oh yeah worst mo-skee- toes in the world apparently. They suck big bull moose dry, vampire style.

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

On 2/1/2022 at 9:05 PM, Neonmoon said:

What’s the typical meal situation like on a weekday? What’s on the menu?

The hardest part is pairing the correct cab, meritage or old vine zins with marmot mash or bear surprise.

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

On 2/2/2022 at 9:17 AM, Wally Fairway said:

I remember when we'd just ask for pictures 

Of wives DOING anal of course.

[CooterBrown 18012]

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. 

Yep, my off grid fantasy includes a huge solar array, multiple Tesla walls, a cistern, and a septic system.

[Pescado_Rojo 19416]

1 hour ago, Onboard 2.0 said:

The hardest part is pairing the correct cab, meritage or old vine zins with marmot mash or bear surprise.

That's what my Sommelier is for, peasant.  

[hornmpa96 2618]

That's awesome that your wife wants to live that lifestyle with you. I can barely get my wife to spend one weekend per year at our ranch which has a doublewide with satellite tv and internet. She's decided she can't live unless its within 50 miles of a grocery store.

[TexasEd 8067]

14 hours ago, Gil Bang said:

  I also have fantasies about fucking hot chicks 1/3 of my age.  That's not happening either. 

Dude, I hope you're over 60

[AUS-97HORN 11761]

3 minutes ago, TexasEd said:

Dude, I hope you're over 60

we just gonna ignore the 54-59 range? lawdawg aint got no problem with that range....   society might, but lawdog dont.

 

[AUS-97HORN 11761]

On 2/2/2022 at 12:51 PM, 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.

I can image it looked a lot like this:

 

 

[Armybrat 40844]

12 hours ago, mulletpelini said:

I could do Colorado cold, but that's way too fucking cold.  I could do all/have done all the off grid except for the skinning.  Pretty sure I couldn't do that.  Cool thread mang.

I too have experienced this while dealing with food poisoning in St. Louis while sitting on the toilet.  Only time in my life I really thought to myself, "I'm gonna die tonight".

It was in a heated bathroom.  Exactly the same though.

Living in St.Louis in the 1950s was like sitting on the toilet for 3 years.

[Armybrat 40844]

The farthest north Mrs, Brat has ever lived is Taylor, Texas.

she gets cold and piles on the sweatshirt & sweater in the house when the central heat is set on 70.

[Johnny Sack 8397]

19 hours ago, davidg said:

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.

I have a buddy who has one of those over-the-water cabins on the intracoastal.  His is right near the land cut in the laguna madre.  He has a generator, solar and batteries.  But at night he heats up water in a big kettle over the fire and pours it into one of those igloo coolers then mixes in more freshwater from the cistern.  Has a pump and a sprayer.  It's a great feeling to clean all the salt water off you after a day of a blast and cast.  It's enough for about three showers.

[Quagmire 2147]

I have a buddy who has one of those over-the-water cabins on the intracoastal.  His is right near the land cut in the laguna madre.  He has a generator, solar and batteries.  But at night he heats up water in a big kettle over the fire and pours it into one of those igloo coolers then mixes in more freshwater from the cistern.  Has a pump and a sprayer.  It's a great feeling to clean all the salt water off you after a day of a blast and cast.  It's enough for about three showers.

Uncle has a cabin at the land cut, we use those shower bags you hang up , one side is black so the sun warms it . Even though we are showering with collected rain water it beats feeling all nasty and sticky

[crash_davis 23113]

can you see Russia from your house or do you not have the eyesight of Sarah Palin? 

what do you pay for internet access? and is it fast enough to stream porn?

what do about water? is there plumbing? asking because i'm contemplating remote cabin in colorado. water is one of the biggest issues i can think of.

[shadow_operative2.0 15982]

Did you skip the entire first page? He doesn’t have plumbing. 

[Foosters 17856]

So when outside temps hit -70, what temperature are you able to maintain in the cabin?

[mooseoutfront 3643]

I'll get back to the questions later.

Here's a typical example of this winter.  It's been a tough one.

Wife called me at work yesterday about noon to let me know we had a wind storm out of the Northeast.  We rarely have wind in our area.  Northeast is a bad direction for us because it drifts the road over.  Wind was sustained at 40 mph.  Gusts up to 70 and 80.  Wind chills in the 90 to 100 below range.  I went home and tried to keep the road open with the plow truck until about 10 pm.  Couldn't keep up with all the snow, so we are now drifted in until Monday when I can get a piece of equipment out there to dig us out.  Third time this has happened in the last calendar year.  Number one summer project is to build a drift fence along the trouble spots.  Only way in and out is by snow machine.

[mooseoutfront 3643]

That wind was fucking cold.  This is about the most bundled up I get.

[mooseoutfront 3643]

Here's the road

[mooseoutfront 3643]

Only mode of transportation right now

[mooseoutfront 3643]

Yesterday started off so nice.  The Lights were out on my way to work.

[Foosters 17856]

Is there a point at which the human eyeball will actually freeze?

[fattyflattie 4639]

3 hours ago, Johnny Sack said:

I have a buddy who has one of those over-the-water cabins on the intracoastal.  His is right near the land cut in the laguna madre.  He has a generator, solar and batteries.  But at night he heats up water in a big kettle over the fire and pours it into one of those igloo coolers then mixes in more freshwater from the cistern.  Has a pump and a sprayer.  It's a great feeling to clean all the salt water off you after a day of a blast and cast.  It's enough for about three showers.

 

2 hours ago, Quagmire said:

Uncle has a cabin at the land cut, we use those shower bags you hang up , one side is black so the sun warms it . Even though we are showering with collected rain water it beats feeling all nasty and sticky

Just stopping by to remember the time I passed on one for 35k about 5 years ago.  Now people’s empty permitted spots are selling for 2x that.  Buddy of mine has one and lost it in storm a few years ago. They rebuilt an epic one from ground up that I haven’t been able to get to yet. Carry on. 

[mooseoutfront 3643]

On 2/2/2022 at 2:40 PM, GhostOfTomJoad said:

Since you're living in an extreme cold, what are the products/manufacturers that you swear by? Your life literally depends on what you wear, what starts, what just fucking works. Give us your top 5 "Alaska proven" items.

It's more about knowing how to layer than it is who you buy your gear from.  I'm a Carhartt guy out of necessity.  I'm 6'5" 260 pounds.  Carhartt makes shit that fits me and is available in Fairbanks.  The most common brands I see people wearing up here are Patagonia, Columbia, and North Face.  The one brand I will endorse is Baffin boots.  They make the best cold weather boots I've worn.  Sorel boots are a pretty solid choice too.  I'm also more of a natural fiber fan, cotton and wool for my outer layers...Filson and Woolrich for wool.  The most important layer is your base layer.  You need something that wicks moisture, like Underarmor.  The one thing you don't want to do is start sweating.  Once you cool down, the moisture on your skin will make you cold in a hurry.  

[mooseoutfront 3643]

On 2/2/2022 at 3:46 PM, GhostOfTomJoad said:

You've got a special woman.

Yes sir

[mooseoutfront 3643]

On 2/2/2022 at 5:57 PM, Pescado_Rojo said:

When skinning out and processing an animal like that, does one person stand guard to watch for bears at all times? 

It's on your mind, but we don't watch for them at all times.  If a grizzly wants the kill bad enough to risk interaction with humans, then something is wrong with it.  It's sick, or injured, old and starving.  They really want nothing to do with us.  And if it wants it that badly, it can have it.  One of my main goals is to never shoot a bear.  I will if I have to, but I'm always going to try to run it off first.  They're just being bears.  We're in their territory.  I'll help just about anyone when it comes to hunting food, but I won't go on predator hunts.  Leave the wolves and the bears and the lynx and the coyotes alone.  If you're not going to eat it, why shoot it?  Go do something else to make your penis feel bigger.

[mooseoutfront 3643]

On 2/2/2022 at 9:33 PM, Updawg said:

No shit. Especially with that big ass grizzly bear in your neighborhood. I assume you do that away from your house but it still must attract attention

We skin, gut, and quarter it up out in the field.  Depending on temps, we try to leave the meat hanging in our storage shed for a week to 10 days to age and mellow out a little bit.  Then we cut it up, grind, wrap, and make sausage at the cabin.  We do that outside, so the shotgun is always within easy reach if something weird happens.  A 12 gauge shotgun loaded with Black Magic 3 inch magnum slugs is the best close range bear gun. 

[gsoda3 3261]

How old are you and your wife?

[ztejas 43448]

16 minutes ago, mooseoutfront said:

It's on your mind, but we don't watch for them at all times.  If a grizzly wants the kill bad enough to risk interaction with humans, then something is wrong with it.  It's sick, or injured, old and starving.  They really want nothing to do with us.  And if it wants it that badly, it can have it.  One of my main goals is to never shoot a bear.  I will if I have to, but I'm always going to try to run it off first.  They're just being bears.  We're in their territory.  I'll help just about anyone when it comes to hunting food, but I won't go on predator hunts.  Leave the wolves and the bears and the lynx and the coyotes alone.  If you're not going to eat it, why shoot it?  Go do something else to make your penis feel bigger.

What are the populations like for all of the wildlife? i.e. are there animals that are overpopulated vs. ones that are endangered? Are you allowed to shoot anything and are there limits or seasons? Do game wardens keep track of you? 

[mooseoutfront 3643]

On 2/2/2022 at 10:05 PM, Updawg said:

Yeah I find that amazing as well. I assume he picks it up in town or somewhere No way they drop it it off at his porch. If so we just need to give up to the Amazon overlord

It gets delivered to my office.  C&D is a delivery service out of Fairbanks that ferries things down to my area every weekday.  The company I work for has a contract with them, so they stop at our place every day.  The company is extremely generous and lets employees use the service for free since they are stopping by anyway.  

[Johnny Sack 8397]

This is a fascinating thread.  Thank you.

[SimonBolivar 10958]

5 hours ago, Johnny Sack said:

I have a buddy who has one of those over-the-water cabins on the intracoastal.  His is right near the land cut in the laguna madre.  He has a generator, solar and batteries.  But at night he heats up water in a big kettle over the fire and pours it into one of those igloo coolers then mixes in more freshwater from the cistern.  Has a pump and a sprayer.  It's a great feeling to clean all the salt water off you after a day of a blast and cast.  It's enough for about three showers.

Its amazing how good a simple Navy shower can feel when you are in a situation like that. 

[mooseoutfront 3643]

On 2/3/2022 at 3:36 AM, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

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

I am not a muzzle loader guy, so I have no idea to what you are referring.  I do know his muzzle loader looks like something Daniel Boone would have used.  It's a modern version of that I suppose.  Don't know if that helps you or not?

My hunting buddy likes the big booms.  His normal moose hunting rifle is a .338/.378 Weatherby Magnum.  It costs him $9 every time he pulls the trigger.  Fucking Howitzer.

[mooseoutfront 3643]

On 2/3/2022 at 3:48 AM, Lat22 said:

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

I use a .270 Win for moose.  I'm not taking a shot over 300 yards and the .270 kills them if you can place your shot.  As mentioned above, we have a Winchester Defender 12 gauge for bear.  I have a Ruger Blackhawk .44 mag when carrying the shotgun isn't feasible.  I carry that in a chest holster.  My wife carries a S&W .357 mag in the woods.  A Ruger 10/22 for squirrel control.  And a Wyndham Weaponry AR 5.56 for anything else.

[TexasEd 8067]

I think you wrote that you are no 5 acres.  Do you have neighbors near? Are you the only one using your driveway road?

Have you thought of going with a solar/wind turbine and battery option for power?  Still off grid but not relying on gas generators.

[mooseoutfront 3643]

On 2/3/2022 at 5:12 AM, Antidean said:

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

I've never bought papers from Amazon.  I'll have to check that out.  I'm a joint guy.  It's my preferred method.  I'll hit a pipe too.  I've given up on everything except flower.  I don't do the concentrates or edibles.  Fucks me up too much.  My wife loves her bong.  I'm getting old, bong rips put me to sleep.

[mooseoutfront 3643]

On 2/3/2022 at 5:32 AM, 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. 

I have 4 total drums.  Three of them are frozen to the ground right now because you know, winter.  The fourth is loaded into the truck and filled at a gas station.  There used to be a bulk plant in Fairbanks where you could get gas for generator use without the road tax, but a major snowstorm collapsed the roof and they've yet to rebuild.  Anyway I use a hand cranked transfer pump to pump the fuel out of the drum in the truck to the empty one on the ground.  The same transfer pump in used to fill up 5 gallon cans for use in the generator or to fill up the wheeler or snow machine or our personal rig directly.  I replaced the hose that came with it, about 8 feet I think, with a 25 foot arctic grade hose. I rotate which drum I'm pulling from so the gas doesn't go bad, but when one is empty I immediately fill it. 

[VirginiaLonghorn 4771]

7 hours ago, hornmpa96 said:

That's awesome that your wife wants to live that lifestyle with you. I can barely get my wife to spend one weekend per year at our ranch which has a doublewide with satellite tv and internet. She's decided she can't live unless its within 50 miles of a grocery store.

Some might take that as a win …

[shadow_operative2.0 15982]

This tweet made me laugh after reading the thread. 

 

[XYZ 2154]

1 minute ago, shadow_operative2.0 said:

This tweet made me laugh after reading the thread. 

 

Shit, you throw in a few pegging sessions and NowThis would do it for free.

[Gil Bang 25957]

When I was a young man, I ran heavy equipment.  i had a company truck with a mounted fuel tank, and IIRC, it held 80 gallons or so, with an electric pump. 

one of these: https://www.zoro.com/crescent-jobox-jobox-88-gal-whtlow-profile-l-shaped-stl-liq-trans-tank-for-trucks-487000/i/G7508733/feature-product?utm_source=google&utm_medium=surfaces&utm_campaign=shopping feed&utm_content=free google shopping clicks&gclid=Cj0KCQiAuvOPBhDXARIsAKzLQ8EILKT0IPYSI79VbVx2mmTe0ZFkwX31AcuOsCXyWTiNjV27og7zESUaAuMZEALw_wcB

I would think that this would be better than a drum rolling around, but hey, I'm a city-slicker. 

[Gil Bang 25957]

1 hour ago, SimonBolivar said:

Its amazing how good a simple Navy shower can feel when you are in a situation like that. 

I thought a "Navy shower" meant that there was another dude in the shower with you. 

[retread 2951]

1 hour ago, mooseoutfront said:

I have 4 total drums.  Three of them are frozen to the ground right now because you know, winter.  The fourth is loaded into the truck and filled at a gas station.  There used to be a bulk plant in Fairbanks where you could get gas for generator use without the road tax, but a major snowstorm collapsed the roof and they've yet to rebuild.  Anyway I use a hand cranked transfer pump to pump the fuel out of the drum in the truck to the empty one on the ground.  The same transfer pump in used to fill up 5 gallon cans for use in the generator or to fill up the wheeler or snow machine or our personal rig directly.  I replaced the hose that came with it, about 8 feet I think, with a 25 foot arctic grade hose. I rotate which drum I'm pulling from so the gas doesn't go bad, but when one is empty I immediately fill it. 

How much gas do you go through in a heavy month where you running snow machine, generators, etc.?

 

[Wally Fairway 5549]

26 minutes ago, retread said:

How much gas do you go through in a heavy month where you running snow machine, generators, etc.?

bout tree fiddy

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

Best thread on the Surly right now with the Russian warmongering thread.