# VIDEO: Ten Things We Wish We'd Known Before We Went Off Grid



## Starcreek (Feb 4, 2015)

I ran across this short (10-minute) YouTube video this morning, called "10 things we wish we'd known before we went off grid." A couple living off-grid with their family give an entertaining run-down of things they wish they'd known before they started their off-grid adventure. Thought y'all might like it....
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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

Thank you for posting!

I enjoyed watching!


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

That video kept popping up in my feed, I finally watched it because you posted it. Pretty good and fair imo, though much of it replies to somewhat "primitive" off-grid (which is much of what I have done).

I only take issue with two things really, and they are very subjective. People have become incredibly distanced from physical labour these days I suppose but I have a hard time agreeing that hauling water is "back breaking" labour. 

I guess to some extent it depends on how much water you are carrying and how far. Still, I started watering animals around the farm as a kid, as did the girls in my family. Obviously we didn't start off with full 5 gallon pails, we typically used 2.5 gallon ones as full as we could carry, but that just meant more trips, the chickens (for example) needed so much water and that was that. It was not a big deal as a kid to carry 50 gallons of water in a day, though we rarely did because of the time involved, if you needed that much water there were other ways. On the opposite end of the spectrum there are a lot of old guys and gals that have no problem carrying water, my grandpa at 90 was still up for it, and some older. Again, it is about pacing oneself, and yes it can be tiresome. 

On the other hand, at the times in my life that I have carried potable water, I would carry two 5 gallon or larger containers as fast as I could walk, and that was much more than enough water for me on a daily average. Even carrying that rate for every person, even doubling it wouldn't take an hour out of the day if hauling a reasonable distance. Back in the day I often carried 5-12 gallons for several miles, to remote "cabins".

Backbreaking labour to me would be along the lines of a day stooking square bales, shoveling grain, or even shoveling snow. It is hard to even work up a sweat carrying water, assuming the containers are the right weight for the person.

Yes, firewood is a "ton" of work, but how much of that is done by you or a machine is up to you. Also, the way you burn it makes a huge difference. That super efficient little stove is great in terms of quantity of wood, but it takes a LOT more effort to turn logs into kindling than a big old stove that can turn round logs to ash.


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## mosquitomountainman (Jan 25, 2010)

Probably right about the weight of the water. IMO most commercial water jugs are much larger than is needed. Odd that the larger gasoline cans are five gallons while most manufacturers like to make water cans around 6-7 gallons and water is heavier than gasoline. I knew one single mom who used gallon jugs and just made more trips.

Also, you need to learn to conserve water. Most people are horrendous water wasters and those practices don't often stop when they move off grid. Something to think about if TSHTF.

Also, melting snow for water is tedious. We had one winter with a Belgian draft horse and melting the snow for the 7 to 10 gallons of water the horse drank per day was a never-ending task.

Good points on the firewood. That's one of the chores I love doing almost as much as working up the soil for the garden. I use a chainsaw for cutting and the pickup for hauling but I still split every piece with a splitting maul or ax and wedges (when needed). There's just something I enjoy about that even in my 60's.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

mosquitomountainman said:


> Probably right about the weight of the water. IMO most commercial water jugs are much larger than is needed. Odd that the larger gasoline cans are five gallons while most manufacturers like to make water cans around 6-7 gallons and water is heavier than gasoline. I knew one single mom who used gallon jugs and just made more trips.
> 
> Also, you need to learn to conserve water. Most people are horrendous water wasters and those practices don't often stop when they move off grid. Something to think about if TSHTF.
> 
> ...


That is a very good point, it is very much about the container shape and size too. Containers that are wide, like in the video, put more stress on the shoulders than necessary, and containers that are too tall can cause your to have to life with your shoulders, either of these could make it close to "back breaking". Narrow water cans with a good handle make the job much easier, the best size is one that you can just bend your knees to pick up, keeping your back straight. And a person should NEVER carry one pail for long distances, just split it between two.

This shape is pretty good for carrying, unless a person is too short. They carry 6 US gallons 23l. 
















For smaller people these might be better.









I love working with firewood, even more since I started bucking a lot with an electric saw. One of the most satisfying activities on the farm for me, but I consider it almost a luxury rather than a necessity these days and circumstances.


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## mosquitomountainman (Jan 25, 2010)

IME the light/blue (green?) jugs came in third. The plastic is too thin and wore through in places. We also had small rocks make holes in them. The good points were the fill spouts (simple yet efficient) and the vent holes (same thing, simple and efficient). We have a similar design jug that is white but has a spout that also functions as a vent. The plastic is thicker though and they've stood the test of time and use better than anything else. The ones with the spout that twists to use the water have the shortest life expectancy. The spouts are the weak point. We also like the Coleman five gallon size although their pour spouts are the worst for longevity. The plastic is thick enough to stand up to time and they come in five gallon size (best thing about them IMO). We have another blue jug that you can get in seven gallon and four gallon size. They are probably our second favorite in the four gallon size. Seven gallons is just too heavy when full. If I get a chance today I'll take some photos and post them later.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

I was mostly just meaning the shape, I see many of these shapes;
















And, while they are often sturdy and don't tip, they aren't an ideal shape for most people to carry. Neither are 5 gallon pails.

7 gallons is way too much for most people, two containers are almost 120lbs, and lifting and positioning one container could easily hurt many persons back if done wrong.


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## Dakine (Sep 4, 2012)

I would strongly frown on and as much as possible persuade people to pass on the walmart water containers. I tried those when I was just getting started on this trek, and I came out to my garage one day and found a small water spill. 

I don't have to go into the garage much... the "small" water spill was actually like 3 of 5 walmart turquoise water jugs had simply started leaking, nothing made it happen, they just suck that bad! 

@$6 per crappy container you're much better off buying food grade blue barrels. just accept that blue barrels are NOT man portable from the stream and back, so if that's what you're looking for, get a good yoke to put on your shoulders and carry 2,4,6 sturdy containers at a time, and use your time vs. energy as wisely as possible. 

Other alternatives are game carts, I spent I think $80 on a 2 wheeled cart that hauls 500 lbs and it uses large solid tires, so you don't have to worry about those. I've used it to haul 110# hay bails a LOT! the functionality of the cart is good so far, it lives outside and works just fine...

There are options. depending on budget, personal strength and mobility and needs, choose what works best and try to budget and buy for extra strength and mobility and capacity in the future now so that when you're older or have less time, you can incorporate it.

You can't get time back, but you might be able to spend time, earning or working or making things that let you keep important time to be spent on other needs. 

IMO time is the greatest important resource preppers have. You can't get it back and you must learn from having spent it poorly and fix that in any way that resources allow as fast as possible so that you can devote more time to other critical needs.

Think Amish/homesteader... it's gonna dump 2 feet of snow tomorrow, are the animals protected? did I waste time last week or last month neglecting making sure they were okay? because if they aren't okay how am I ok???


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## Starcreek (Feb 4, 2015)

Dakine said:


> did I waste time last week or last month neglecting making sure they were okay? because if they aren't okay how am I ok???


That's my mindset, too. I take care of the animals, so they can provide for me....

_Be you diligent to know the state of your flocks, and look well to your herds.__ For riches are not for ever: and does the crown endure to every generation?__ The hay appears, and the tender grass shows itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered.__ The lambs are for your clothing, and the goats are the price of the field.__ And you shall have goats' milk enough for your food, for the food of your household, and for the maintenance for your maidens._
(Proverbs 27)

We lived off the grid 2 or 3 times, although we're not right now. We were 3 years with no running water in the late nineties, although we got electricity in the 3rd year.

Our boys, who were 9 and 7 at the time, carried 5-gallon buckets of water from the creek 1,000 yards away several times a day, to water the goats, pigs, and chickens. When we needed water for baths, we loaded the buckets in the truck and filled them all at one time.

Carrying a 5-gallon bucket (or 2 buckets, one on each arm) _is,_ imo, back-breaking work, especially if you're hauling for livestock (7-8 buckets a day). Even now, I carry a 5 or 6-gallon bucket to water my goats. I'm 60 years old now, and I have to stop, shift the bucket to the other hand, etc., maybe 3 times before I get to the goat pen. Since I'm just watering the goats, and it's only a bucket a day, I prefer to do that rather than invest in another section or two of garden hose.

I guess the most irritating thing about using 5-gallon buckets is the plastic handle almost always ends up cracking or breaking, and then you're left with just the metal baling handle to carry by.

I guess the people in the video are just saying, they had not thought through how much work it is to carry water.

It is work. It's a lot easier to come up with some way to pipe the water to where you need it.


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## mosquitomountainman (Jan 25, 2010)

One of the biggest problems we've seen on homestead living is not being a self-starter. We've had people who worked fine alongside me but if I had to leave to do something else and left instructions for them to continue, when I came back they'd done nothing while I was gone. They were in a constant state of "need" because they just couldn't seem to live by the maxim, "make hay while the sun shines." When you depend on what you grow for a living then you'd best have a forward thinking mind. It's too late to plant potatoes when the storage bin is empty. You should have done that 3 to 4 months before! Same with cutting firewood and dozens of other self-sufficient tasks.


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

the whole "off the grid voluntarily is too much work" kind of makes the golden horde concept look like a bit of fantasy, most people will wait for "help" 
there I took a homesteading thread into scary survival land. vract:


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

Why not make a yolk to distribute the weight of the water across your shoulders?


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

TheLazyL said:


> Why not make a yolk to distribute the weight of the water across your shoulders?


I've done similar for heavier things, not much for water. The thing about water is that you only have to carry as much at a time as you want. Carrying with only one container on the other hand would get you in big trouble around our farm when I was a kid, it is terrible for the body. Possibly for someone lacking in upper body strength while still having strong legs, it would be very practical. Most of the time when I see people doing stuff like this, they are being lazy and making it more difficult and potentially harmful than it needs to be.

Like carrying fifteen grocery bags at once rather than make that daunting trek to the car for another trip. Then they go for a walk or jog.


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## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

I agree with everything they said.
I do think cutting wood is harder then hauling water.
Two thing I would change is #1 I would set up the water system before I moved in. A ditch, 4 inch pipe to a large holding tank.
#2 I would get a rocket stove in the "house" before I moved my babes out there.

And the garden"WOW" I can not count how many people on the grid that have no clue at how easy growing plants are if you follow the simple rules.
First is good soil & or good compost, the water supply(#1) & healthy plants.
If you had to carry water down hill, A plastic 55 gallon drum with a landing spot would be easy or ten gallon tank on a two wheel hand cart.
But I would put in the pipe & stove before I moved in.
Maybe a root cellar, too.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

crabapple said:


> I agree with everything they said.
> I do think cutting wood is harder then hauling water.
> Two thing I would change is #1 I would set up the water system before I moved in. A ditch, 4 inch pipe to a large holding tank.
> #2 I would get a rocket stove in the "house" before I moved my babes out there.
> ...


In our neck of the woods, properly protecting a waterline from frost (which we have most of the year) means digging around 8'  Running a garden hose in -20 to -40 is often just not worth the effort. This might explain why we did so much carrying when I was younger. We also carried small square bales, pails of grain, and even fertilizer came in bags (enough to make a difference on even a few hundred acres was a LOT). Now it's just salt, mineral, and fancy seed that still does.

We have done a lot with above ground "drain back" systems over the years and they work very well if done right, there are heated garden hoses now too, other than that it is hydrants and an excavator.

Heating with wood does take a significant amount of time and energy in our climate, no matter how you do it.

On the other hand, we don't have to water our crops or vegetables


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## Dakine (Sep 4, 2012)

Starcreek said:


> That's my mindset, too. I take care of the animals, so they can provide for me....
> 
> _Be you diligent to know the state of your flocks, and look well to your herds.__ For riches are not for ever: and does the crown endure to every generation?__ The hay appears, and the tender grass shows itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered.__ The lambs are for your clothing, and the goats are the price of the field.__ And you shall have goats' milk enough for your food, for the food of your household, and for the maintenance for your maidens._
> (Proverbs 27)
> ...


A quick thought about your water bucket handle problem. could you solve that with some simple tools which I suspect you already have?

buy a dowel, 3/4" x ???? I dunno how many buckets, get one or two or three that are 3' long.

cut the dowel into 1" pieces with a hacksaw and vice. 
use a drill or a brace and bit to drill a hole in the center the diameter of the bucket metal handle and use anything from a hacksaw to a small woodworking saw and cut a channel for the metal pail handle to fit through
soak the dowel bits in water, they expand and become pliable, force them onto the handle
let the dowel bits dry. use wood glue and glue them together,clamp them together and let cure, then wrap them with leather lace or maybe some twine? seal with some rubber cement or if using twine and you know braiding and knotting you could tie ends and seal them shut with a cig lighter?

boom! you have bucket handles that are much easier to carry and I bet you probably have everything already except the dowels, and maybe you have them too?

just a thought 

ETA: Show the kids what you want, with one piece, and then come back a couple hours later and see how they've done!


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

They make replacement grips for pail handles, available locally here, am sure they are everywhere.

They are all different but for example;


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## mosquitomountainman (Jan 25, 2010)

We just slap on a pair of leather gloves. Most are large enough to fold some of the leather to double thickness uner the wire bail.


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## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

If you keep the bucket out of the sun light when not in use, then the handles will last a long time.
I would whittle a hickory limb down to a handle for free, use a few wood screws to hold it on.
But I have time to whittle while I tell fish stories.


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