Off Grid Cabin Dried In but Polar Vortex Brings Build to a Sub-Zero Halt

Video Description

With our good luck weather wearing out, we push through some extremely cold days to get the second story walls closed in, and then we even managed to install the door (temporarily)! It's too cold for full door installation because the flashing needs warmer weather, but for now, the cabin is closed in, which is such a great feeling! At the same time, we also came to the realization that sustained -40F and below are temperatures our fledgling off-grid setup is not ready to support without already being in the cabin with an operational wood stove. Generators running outside 24/7 to either charge batteries, run equipment to help vehicles start, or keep the trailer heater going, and sometimes all at once, is not a sustainable solution as evidenced by repeated generator failure on the coldest of days and nights. This left us sleepless, exhausted and fearing the worst if we didn't find a solution as soon as possible. So...we decided to rent a shop where we can get the RV out of the elements, and plug in to a consistent power source to keep our pets and ourselves out of danger. Not just a warm place to spend these impossibly cold days and nights, but the only way to guarantee we can get a vehicle started when necessary. We are sad to temporarily leave our beautiful Alaskan homestead, but we are only a short drive away when the temperatures pick up, and once we are able to insulate, we'll be in the cabin. Not only are we and our pets in a safer position, we have avoided the inevitable destruction of expensive equipment: power tools, generators, vehicles and even the trailer itself, that would have come by staying put. Sometimes you just have to make some sacrifices to achieve a future goal, so we are content to be patient with the winter mother nature has doled out, keeping a cozy wood stove going in a shop where our pets can actually go out and play in reasonable temperatures and not be cooped up in the trailer. Thank you for following along, and thanks to all who have expressed concerns about our safety in one of the coldest Alaska winters in 50 years. We will work as long as it's safe and as soon as we can get the materials we need for the next step! We appreciate your support! Please like, share, hype, comment and subscribe to catch all of our upcoming videos! Music by Epidemic Sound: "A Nomad's Journey" by Viktor Lundberg #alaska #cabinbuilding #offgrid #offgridcabin #nature