Greetings, Media Recommendations, and a Personal Story

[wjabsco]

Greetings all,

First off, many thanks to the moderators and community for putting together such a vibrant source of information here.  I am just embarking on the planning stages of building my own home.  Before rambling on my personal interests, allow me to recommend a book and a TV show for those interested in off-grid living:

For the newbies (like me) that don't have any construction experience, the following book took me from foundation to siding in ~270 (relatively) easy to understand pages.  Many of the building techniques, suggestions, and terminology used at countryplans.com are further explained therein.

Habitat for Humanity: How to Build a House.
http://www.amazon.com/Habitat-Humanity-How-Build-House/dp/1561585327

For anyone interested in off-grid living or survival scenarios, you will likely enjoy "The Colony" a television series on the Discovery Channel.

http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/colony/colony.html

They take ten individuals with varied skills and place them in a cordoned off area of Los Angeles, depicting a survival situation based on a massive viral outbreak which throws the world into chaos.  The survivors must find a way to live without provided food, water, or electricity.  Within the first five episodes, we see the folks make a roof-top water collection system, a carbon/sand filtration device, a gassifier used to fuel a makeshift generator by burning wood to charge a 12v battery bank, and setup a solar system with a solar-powered mechanical tracker.  Worth a watch for the tech, even considering the sometimes high level of drama.

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(Personal story that brought me here, below...maybe more appropriate for off-topic section?)

I came to a whole-hearted interest in off-grid living after recently resigning from my job as an attorney at an insurance defense law firm.  As you might expect, the work conflicted with many of my long-held principles...which, as a young 20-something, I naively thought I could hold on to in the working world.  Namely, I worked 70-80 hours a week, turned into a jerk to remain "competitive" with other attorneys, barely saw my family, and chiefly worked to save insurance companies money. (!!!)  I was reminded by my ensuing depression that I would be expected to continue this lifestyle well into my later years to pay for a six-figure mortgage and sexy car.

Sometime over a period of months I decided that wasn't the life I wanted.

I was already of an independent mind, abhorring the two-party political system in the US, and voting Libertarian whenever I thought it might actually make a difference.  Seeing that I only seem to be valuable to our society if I'm a good consumer (to drive revenues and economies) or producer (for fodder to tax), I'm now of the mind that I will refuse to consume wherever possible, and will produce only for my own pleasure.  Otherwise, my acts of consumption and production will merely serve to hold me under some ruler's thumb.  To be sure, I love my fellow man, but would prefer to love him/her better without a law requiring it.

After (amazingly) paying off my student debt, I realized that he who holds the debt holds the power.  I would indeed work 70 hour weeks for the next 30 years - against my best instincts - to pay off the additional debt I would take on if I followed the path to a McMansion and BMW as some of my friends currently have.  All the while, my hands would remain at a keyboard, or idling clutching a TV remote, instead of digging in to soil to feed my stomach, or creating tools, structures, music, or literature: those essential pursuits thatplace humans almost imperceptibly beyond the potential of all other animals, yet through such occupation remind us of our connection to this earth.  I am to give up my humanity to become a slave to debt?  For a roof over my head?  Really?

So it is, at 27 years old, that I will finally learn use my hands...to build a shelter, to sow a crop, to mend a sock.  Things I must believe my forefathers began to learn well before they passed this many years.

The plan is to purchase at least 10 acres of land in Pennsylvania, design an off-grid home for full-time living, and begin construction in the next two years.  The idea is to pay it all off, and then work simply the amount necessary to live...reserving the rest of my time for reading great books, thinking great thoughts (perhaps writing them down?), tending a crop and livestock, enjoying nature, music, and the people I love.  Indeed, I have come to believe that most valuable resource or currency I will ever own is my time on this earth.

I share all of this because I've been thoroughly inspired by the projects I've seen on this page, and I feel comfortable with what appear to be like-minded individuals here.  The project threads have helped me to realize that what I thought of as a dream, reserved for some years after retirement, can be a reality for the extent of my life.  Challenges abound, I am sure...but it appears to me that the rewards to overcoming these challenges can be much greater than the rewards of attaining Partner, or some otherwise awe-inspiring professional status - which take as much, if not more work and determination than attaining the knowledge of framing and 12v power!  I will plan, and save, and plan some more in the coming months...hopefully benefiting from the knowledge of others left here and elsewhere to realize a sustainable life.  No doubt my questions in these forums will indicate my progress.

I hope to establish a blog to track my progress and planning, and hopefully inspire some friends to join me in what I see as the pursuit of a newfound freedom.  That said, if I appear naive or foolhardy in my plan, I welcome the wisdom of experience as a guide.  Please feel free to send me a note, now or down the road, if you've any suggestions, warnings, or inspiration.

Good luck in all your projects and aspirations!

-Mark

[MountainDon]

  Mark. Sounds like a plan to me. Also it takes character to do what you've done. Congrats!

[n74tg]

Welcome to the forum.  All I can say is "wow, that took guts" to leave it all behind.

Definately start the blog, the sooner the better.  What you said above will make a very good first post.  Start adding pics too... we like LOT's of pics here.

The Habitat book is a good one, I've read it too.

The Colony, I'm going to try to find it on Netflix.

I have a blog about building my house if you're interested... address below.

Once again...welcome.

[John Raabe]

Mark:

Welcome to the forum and thanks for the fine story. You are likely to have a great adventure with your project. Please keep us in the loop.

There is something different about working on real stuff, isn't there?

[glenn kangiser]

Mark.

Sounds like you made the best choice to me.  Many work all of their lives only to kick the bucket shortly after retirement.  Good that you are starting to do what you really want now.

I don't trust people in suits.  Welcome to the trustworthy side of the world.

[wjabsco]

All -

Thank you for your kind replies.  I'm consistently impressed by the camaraderie, encouragement, creativity, and patience on these forums!  I had hoped to read through both Don and Tony's entire build archives before I responded, but that proved to be a substantial undertaking in itself.  I got through all of Don's and a few pages of Tony's.  Amazing work, and renewed inspiration for me.  After viewing several journals, the building process seems as much of an art as a science...its a relief to know screw-ups are inevitable and a little ingenuity and puzzling is often the solution. (And fun, if exhausting)

As to guts and character, I do hope I have both.  It looks like I'll need them.  At least, I've learned what it feels like to recognize when something is "not right" for my soul.  Ultimately, I'm lucky to have a supportive Ma and Pa who are willing to take me into their home once again until I can regroup.  Without that foundation, guts are harder to come by.     I'll shortly be moving from Denver, CO back to their home in Pennsylvania.  My Pop tells me he has 5 trees he needs cut down, so I'll get a tiny taste of what's in store for me on a homestead.   

I can't wait to work on "real stuff"!  I think my whole body wants it.  You sure get soft (in the stomach, literally) sitting behind a desk all day!

I'm taking my time with the learning and planning...vacillating between building a shed for practice and storage, then rocketing to the 1.5 story 20' x 30' cottage - or building the Big Enchilada incrementally.  Lifestyle, similar to Don's setup...sustainable, with reasonably sized and consuming amenities.  I hesitate putting pencil to paper without feeling like I know what I'm doing, but I may just have to start spec'ing materials and wing a series of floorplans over time to see what takes shape on paper.  Plus, looking for land and figuring how that affects plans...    I will let you know when I start up the blog!

Glad to be on the trustworthy side Glenn.     I hope I can use my legal prowess to untangle the building regulations that seem to confound attempts to live a simple, decent life, man to man.  One way or another, the most telling sign is that I'm now excited to get after it! (life, that is!)

Thanks again for the warm welcome.  I hope to contribute where I can, and will definitely keep you all up to date and order up a set, or two, of plans to play with when I get moved east and into the land hunt.  Cheers

-Mark

[poppy]

Mark,  to our little slice of madness.

Pop tells me he has 5 trees he needs cut down, so I'll get a tiny taste of what's in store for me on a homestead.

That's a good place to start, but be careful.  Chainsaws are nothing to money with.

First, try to determine what kind of trees you have and whether they can become timbers or lumber for construction.  I'm a firm believer in utilizing the recources at hand; both for conservation and cost savings.  Don't just assume that you have a potential pile of firewood.

You are correct to note that the land can dictate part of the design; and, of course, homesteading requires some basic criteria for the land selection. 

Good luck on your quest.

[trish2]

As you are planning your new house, also consider how your life will evolve.  As you are 27 now, there is a good chance that at some point you will marry or have a significant other.  Possibly children.  Plan how you would expand your house to take care of the needs of a family even if you don't foresee them in your future.  You never know what life has in store for you.  While you were going through law school, did you ever envision where you are now mentally?

Just me two cents worth...

Trish

[Windpower]

Welcome

edit

I realized a looong time ago that getting back to a 'back to the land' lifestyle was a great goal

it just took 30 plus years to get there (well almost there --at least the farm is payed for ) 

here is  a good website written by a man that has gone back to the land and off the grid that I enjoy with a cup of coffee in the morning

http://urbansurvival.com/week.htm

[glenn kangiser]

A shed will get you going to understand a lot of the methods and processes.  You can make the mistakes there first then make less on your actual house project.

[ScottA]

  wjabsco. Remember to take it slow till you get used to the work. You've got plenty of time.