When you go off-grid these two items will make your life tons easier and reduce your carbon foot print.
Biogas made from food scraps has never been more simple and a Clothes washer you power with your foot.
Living in the wilderness is a great option for being off-grid; though your life will not be as easy, every step will be more rewarding and you can take control of your freedom.
For those new to my posts about off-grid life and sustainability I am aiming to buy large piece of "unorganized land" (land no permits or permission is needed to build) in Northern Ontario, Canada. The goal is to build a small off-grid community of like minded people who just want an escape from the city once in a while or permanently. Hence why many of posts are on this theme. There are still some patches of land in Canada that are untapped and uncontrolled. Cheap and huge waiting to be explored and be a part of.
Please see links at the end of this post for my previous articles about sustainability and off-grid possibilities.
Cooking and Power
First, nothing beats cooking on a wood stove but it's always best to have options. Let's take a look at Home Biogas. It's methane, in this case, from rotting food and vegetation like grass clippings. Though this product is marketed for cooking fuel it could easily be a source of power which I went into detail a previous post about Prickly Pears as a source of power. Most oil powered machines have replicas that use methane, such as generators and fridges to name a couple.
Home Biogas
This is a really cool, easy to use device that fits in almost any backyard. It uses your scrap food, compost and pretty much any organic compound can go in there and be converted into methane. Methane is a clean burning fuel that does not cause pollution, by burning methane you are probably doing the world a favour, and that food waste was going to make methane no matter where it went, even the food passing through you, so why not take advantage and take control of your needs.
Please see my past post about Bio-Digestors used for powering anything.
https://steemit.com/life/@solarguy/prickly-pears-they-ain-t-just-for-eating
The Home Biogas system is easy to use for the whole family and can be used anywhere. Clean Energy!
(http://www.windup-battery.com/biomass/turn-your-waste-into-energy )
How's that for waste management at the grass roots level? When living off-grid or in a the suburbs the benefits of making your methane go far beyond saving money, it's a step closer to freedom, a step closer to be being self sustaining.
Check out their promotional video
DRUMI the Foot Powered Clothes Washer
It's small,lightweight and easy to use.
(Not surprised it's a Canadian invention)
I know one of my favourite parts of being in the wild is not doing laundry. Wilderness dirt is clean compared to city dirt in many ways. It might be sticky or muddy but it's not covered in strange germs that want to make you sick. However if you're going to be out there for months on end there will come a day when you can longer bare the smell of yourself and the lovely lady you some how convinced to go out there with you won't be confused if a moose is around the corner or it's just you.
(http://www.jebiga.com/yirego-drumi-off-grid-washer/ )
You could use biodegradable soaps in the nearest lake or river to wash your clothes but this just looks so much more fun and can be used in the winter as well as indoors. Feel free to recycle the water by watering your plants with it to save a trip to the lake for gardening water.
Check out their promotional video. It's a really cool contraption.
Well I hope we are all one step closer to living a sustainable life, if not for the environment than do it for your own personal freedom and stop paying taxes when you don't need to, like for electricity, even a little makes a difference.
If you are interested in living off grid in the wilderness check out some of my past articles. There are opportunities to own land and live like they did in the old days but with modern technology like direct satellite internet and hot water. Want to know more?
Want my Vests? Leave a comment.
This is also a great way to dispose of bodies. >=3
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haha. I did not consider that. You would have to cut it up into small pieces which would be labour intensive.
But that is a good point. ^^
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Great and informative post! Would love to have both... but Cambodia is so off the grid that ordering these things and getting them delivered by mail is nearly impossible. And I doubt that I can find the washing machine nor the biogas and fertilizer system here. Nonetheless 2 very cool products that are worth the expense!
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Yea, I can't imagine trekking these through the trails and off road ways in Cambodia. But hey it must be cheap to get someone to do laundry for you. lol I did not know you were in Cambodia. They have other cool things to make life without power manageable.
Thanks for reading.
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It's not hard to make it yourself. Be sure to watch other video's as well, There is a component in the methane that comes out of it that is toxic. You can filter that out by stuffing a piece of copper pipe with steel wool very tight.
But i guess is you burn the gas outside with enough ventilation that reduces the problem also to zero.
Hope I helped. Good luck
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Thanks for an interesting and needed article about new ways of protecting the environment.
The biogas is a very good example as it generates energy and lessen the dependency on urban services.
The washing machine is just a continuation of what is done, nothing revolutionary. It is too small to be useful, continues to consume water and detergent, and is a time waster. There are other ways. Some time ago I can't recall where I saw a washing machine using ultrasound to do the work: no water, no detergent, protects the clothes and colors, and saves time.
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Yea. There are a bunch of different ways to do laundry with out power. This one is still pretty cool.
Feel free to drop any links here for stuff like that is all my thing.
Thanks for ur interest. Followed
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Ok If I come across something in these lines I will post the link. Keep on. Followed too.
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These are what I'd call 'appropriate technology'. A lot of our appliances are very wasteful. If you are producing your own power then you will be looking for efficiency in everything. I hope you achieve your dream
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thanks I will some day soon. Been working hard for it.
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i saw one thing i really want for my off grid experience recently: https://www.instafire.com/
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Hey that's pretty cool, it isn't even expensive. I think I could use one of those in the near future.
Thanks for show me this. ^^
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Thanks for the post. This is so helpful. Happy to follow you!
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glad you enjoyed. more to come.
followed back
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I love the HomeBiogas option! That is so cool. The more I think about it the more I feel compelled to get off the grid...though I still require internet and electricity.
I've actually fashioned a 5-gallon washer. It looks about the size of the Drumi but a fraction of the cost. The buckets are usually given away - or bought for under $5 each. That's my kind of budget! :D
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Internet is a big issue for me. I have plans for the whole community to stay online, either direct satellite or a chain those cool 25km range wifi signals. Not cheap but possible.
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