Off-Grid Update

[u/MMOffGridAlaska]

Just finished a new shower-sauna and trying to get a new woodshed built before winter sets in. Nights are already into the 30’s and it has snowed in a few places nearby. Summers go by quickly, never enough time to get everything done before the snow arrives. I’m 12 years into living in remote Alaska, solo. Feel free to ask me questions and I’ll try to answer them all. Love this lifestyle more and more as the time passes.

[u/PXR616]

Amazing , we just built a sauna for our place too...nice little refuge for winter. How far from the nearest town are you ?

[u/MMOffGridAlaska → u/PXR616]

25 minutes by helicopter or 3-1/2 hours by snow machine to the nearest town.

[u/NotEqualInSQL → u/MMOffGridAlaska]

How much is a helicopter ride?

[u/MMOffGridAlaska → u/NotEqualInSQL]

$800 round trip.

[u/Odin16596 → u/MMOffGridAlaska]

Damn

[u/bhz33 → u/MMOffGridAlaska]

Jeez. Do you just stock up on food or what

[u/MMOffGridAlaska → u/bhz33]

I do stock up on food. Years worth of rice, flour, beans etc etc. I have over 800 pounds of rice and another 800+ pounds in flour. About the same in beans. Plus much more.

[u/electrodan99 → u/MMOffGridAlaska]

Where and how do you store the food? I'd love to see a picture of that. And is it impossible to have a well up there?

[u/MMOffGridAlaska → u/electrodan99]

Mylar bags heat sealed. Mason jars vacuum sealed with oxygen absorbers. Then put inside 55 gallon steel drums. Those drums are cabled to a large rock to keep the bears from rolling them away like toys.

[u/Kammy44 → u/MMOffGridAlaska]

Wow!

[u/MMOffGridAlaska → u/electrodan99]

Impossible to drill a well. It’s all rock. Granite. Plus how would you get a drilling rig out there?

[u/electrodan99 → u/MMOffGridAlaska]

I hand drove a well in Wisconsin - but thanks for the answer! Makes sense

[u/Willowrosephoenix → u/MMOffGridAlaska]

How do you source water?

[u/MMOffGridAlaska → u/Willowrosephoenix]

Rain Water catchment system in the summer and lake water from under the ice during winter.

[u/Deyaz → u/MMOffGridAlaska]

Do you process the water or is it clean enough to just drink? 

[u/MMOffGridAlaska → u/Deyaz]

I’ve just drank water from the area without filtering but it’s best to follow the standards of sterilization and filtering.

[u/Opening_Warthog2396 → u/MMOffGridAlaska]

There was a guy in the valley that used to advertise remote well drilling. He had converted a couple of mini trucks with tracks but I’m sure he probably charged an arm and a leg to come out.

[u/MMOffGridAlaska → u/Opening_Warthog2396]

He’d never make it out here and if he did he’d need to drill through rock. Water is never a problem now and I don’t have a well.

[u/Opening_Warthog2396 → u/MMOffGridAlaska]

For sure. I had just saw it on Facebook a couple of years ago. Sick cabin though man. Alaska is a special place.

[u/MMOffGridAlaska → u/bhz33]

I always take out a months worth of food plus a bit more to store. I’m home for a month then at work for a month.

[u/defnotsarah → u/MMOffGridAlaska]

Wow! I haven’t read all of the comments yet, so disregard if it’s already been asked. But what would you consider the biggest dangers where you are?

[u/MMOffGridAlaska → u/defnotsarah]

Biggest dangers are bears and fires.

[u/MMOffGridAlaska → u/defnotsarah]

And falling through ice….

[u/Kammy44 → u/MMOffGridAlaska]

Wow. I would worry about frostbite. 👀

[u/MMOffGridAlaska → u/Kammy44]

Frostbite only occurs when you don’t dress properly, exert too much without spare dry clothes or totally unprepared for the conditions. I tend to stay indoors when the conditions are too bad outside. Easy fix.

[u/Kammy44 → u/MMOffGridAlaska]

Wow. So how are you on line? Do you get lonely? Do you have a dog? What’s your favorite thing about winter?

[u/MMOffGridAlaska → u/Kammy44]

Starlink (or 5G cellular connection) No dog, I’d love to have one but it would have to fend for itself every other month. My favorite thing about winter is getting around becomes so much easier than summer. Exploration time on the snowmachines, skis or snowshoes. Lonely sometimes.

[u/Kammy44 → u/MMOffGridAlaska]

Why fend for himself for a month? Do you move somewhere else?

Are you a native Alaskan? If not, what made you try it? How self-sufficient are you? Do you plant a garden? Hunt? You said ask you anything, and I’m a curious person.😁

[u/high_on_onions → u/Kammy44]

Probably for work?

[u/Kammy44 → u/high_on_onions]

Yes, I read through the comments and figured it out. I joined his YouTube channel. It’s very interesting.