Category: Warmth / Shelter / Cooling
-
Inexpensive Off-Grid A/C Solution?
I happened upon the following video and was immediately intrigued. After all, I’ve been searching for a way to keep cool should we lose grid power for any length of time, and about the best I’ve come up with is to run fans and a window A/C from a small off-grid system I recently purchased.…
-
How to Stay Cool Homesteading During the Relentless Summer Heat
Life on a homestead is challenging year-round. Families who live off-grid must rely on firewood, generators and other alternate methods of heat to stay warm during the winter. However, staying cool during the summer can be even more challenging. How do you handle temperatures of 90 F and above without air conditioning? The human body…
-
No Air Conditioning AND No Power?
The temperatures here in the Midwest (we’re in Kansas City) have been a real pain of late. Fortunately, most of us are blessed with a true modern marvel: central air conditioning. I can only imagine what life must have been like before it existed because even spending a a few hours outdoors in the heat…
-
15 Tips for Affordable Homestead Cooling (and Heating)
Homesteaders tend to achieve self-sufficiency in one of two ways. Many homesteaders reduce their reliance on technology. They assess their priorities and then scale back creature comforts so they don’t have to generate much electricity. However, other homesteaders use the latest tech to make their off-grid homestead as comfortable as any other modern home. The…
-
Bedsheets, Silicone, and Naptha: Better Waterproofing Than Tarps?
This is a neat DIY idea, and if you have something you want to waterproof that might be difficult, like a backpack or pair of boots, try this!
-
Are These Really the Problems to Worry About?
Watch this video, then see my comments below… I’ve been watching a lot of Southerprepper1’s content lately, and I always enjoy his calm and rational approach to prepping. But the video above got me to wondering if we’re going too far in a sense with our preparedness efforts. For those who chose not to watch…
-
Vortex Masonry Stove
Who doesn’t love DIY builds like this? I sure do! And, although I know there are dozens of makeshift stoves out there, many of which are made from masonry bricks, this one caught my eye because of the unique design. If you’re up for a new challenge this winter, consider building your own vortex stove.…
-
How to Shelter Against a Category 5 Blizzard
The fear of climate change is often focused solely on heat waves and hurricanes, but those aren’t the only weather events impacted by a looming climate crisis. Research is showing that while the Arctic is getting warmer, we’re going to experience colder and colder winters. Polar vortices and massive blizzards are going to put our…
-
A Comprehensive Guide to Collecting Wood
The average modern homeowner has a few choices when it comes to heating and cooling their home. You’ve got central heat and air that runs primarily on electricity. You’ve got furnaces that can burn fuel oil, natural gas, propane, or pellets. There are even old-school properties that may still use wood-fired stoves to heat the…