Monthly Archives: January 2021

Alaska, Cold Weather Life, Off-grid living

Yeah, it’s cold outside.

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So as I write this it is a brisk -8°F outside. Not cold enough for me to put a coat on if I have to go out for a few minutes, but definitely not t-shirt weather. Almost everyone I left back in the lower 48 says that they couldn’t handle it up here because of the cold and the dark. I might have adapted already.

I’ve already written about the light. Before I came up here I was a little worried about how the short days would affect me. I know that I would get a bit of the winter blues with all of the gray dreariness in Portland. But up here I don’t think I’ve had a problem. I spend all day driving, trying to keep my eyes on the road and not the sky. It isn’t about the quantity of light, it’s the quality of the light that we get, and it’s all colors all day. Sunrise morphs into sunset with hardly any plain light in between. I may have run out of adjectives to adequately describe it all. I hope I never get tired of it.

The cold is something else. I’ve been told that we are having a fairly mild winter this year. The temperature dips to -20° on an almost weekly basis, but so far we’ve only had the one spell of colder. We have figured out the basics of dealing with this amount of cold. The generator has a hut so we don’t lose power. The propane has heat tape on the pipes so we don’t lose flow to it freezing again. We have sheets of foam insulation leaning against the trailer to minimize airflow underneath. I piled snow up to block most of the extra spaces between. The little Toyo works like a charm keeping the worst of the cold at bay. Even with the drafts that are inevitable in an older RV like this one the temperature is holding steady at 57°. We have it set for 60° but this is fairly comfortable.

The Toyo is good at prewarming our boots as it heats the RV.

So much about comfort depends on perspective. I remember coming out of the -31° night there was a temperature swing up to 27° and it felt so warm, but I read someone’s social media post about how they had to cut a bike ride short because 27° was SO COLD! I laughed, but was kind enough to not respond. This week there was heavy rain and wind back in Oregon, resulting in power outages. I saw posts encouraging people to be careful and stay warm because it was 48° outside. Again, I don’t reply because when the temperature drops the Toyo might struggle to keep the indoor temps above 40°, especially in my end of the RV. I just add layers and curl up with my blankets. There are ways to deal with this and I know I am becoming more resilient.

Clay knows how to keep warm.

So what should you do to keep warm when it’s really cold outside? It pretty much comes down to a couple of basic things. Trap body heat, and stay dry. If anyone was to come visit I would tell them to pack simply. Have a good quality set of base layers. I have a smartwool shirt and leggings that I almost live in. I also have wool socks, a fresh pair for every day. Over those I add a thermal shirt and flannel lined work pants. I have a scarf and a neck gaiter to keep body heat from escaping my shirts, and over that I wear a sweatshirt. That and a good set of boots that keep the snow out is enough to keep me going through the workday. I have a coat, hat, and gloves that I add as needed, but they annoy me most of the time with their bulk.

A day’s outfit laid out, ready to wear.

If it’s really cold I have hand warmers and toe warmers to get me through. I’ve had to use them a couple of times on the drive home because my poor truck can’t seem to put out any heat. Any time I drive home colder than -10° my feet and fingers start to ache with the cold. It isn’t much fun. A hand warmer can be a lifesaver then.

My friends across the creek have a bit more experience with the really cold weather. Just yesterday, for example, I got to hear more details about troubleshooting and swapping out the Toyo that broke down in the middle of a deep cold spell. She spent two days trying to figure out the problem before just replacing it. The temperature was -40° to -50° during this time. I can’t imagine, but I’m sure I’ll get to experience it at some point. They have a supply of cold weather gear that they have found at the pawn shop. People come up to work on the North Slope and decide not to stay so they sell their lightly used gear rated to -70° and it can be purchased for a tenth of the price of new. I’ll probably get a set at some point if I find the right size and have money at the same time. My biggest problem is finding boots that I can get my oddball left foot into.

Sleeping can be a bit of trouble. I’m using a memory foam mattress and I have discovered that cold makes it as hard as a rock and it steals body heat as it softens. I actually have to sit at the foot of the bed to preheat the mattress a little before I get under the covers. Even the dog has learned that trick. I’m using three blankets and they do a good job if they aren’t stolen by the dog. The single best blanket I bought was the Pendleton design sherpa blanket that Costco sold this year. I bought two of them and I wouldn’t mind picking up another. Just adding one of those blankets to the other two seemed to more than double the heat retained. The night starts out being chilly but I warm up pretty fast.

When I get my cabin built I hope to eliminate many of the problems we have in this RV. We’ll have better insulation. We’ll have a Toyo and a wood stove. I’ll be sleeping in the loft where the heat rises. Chris gets the bedroom downstairs because he likes it cooler. I’m glad for the experience we are gaining this winter, but I really can’t wait for the cabin.

Stay warm.

Alaska, Cold Weather Life, Inspiration, Off-grid living, Stories

Pondering the future.

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The coffee is extra strong this morning. I might have allowed it to burble on the stove a little bit longer than I should have, but it has a nice kick. I’m sitting here, almost ready to head in to work and I’m trying to make plans. I knew that hibernation would wear off eventually.

First off, I want my cabin. I really, really want a proper cabin. It would be so much easier to heat than this RV. We would have more room to work in the kitchen. We could have better spaces to relax or hang out and not be in each other’s way. That has to wait. My loose plan is to wait for March when things melt to get the sawmill working and get the lumber cut so that when the season ends my shuttle job I can put in the time to build.

Then there is the garden. I want a garden. I’m pretty sure I can grow potatoes and cabbage, carrots and beets. I just don’t know how much protection I will need to install so that critters won’t trample or eat my garden. I put a question in to a group about that. We’ll see if I get anything useful.

I still don’t know what I’ll do for work in summer. Or if Chris will work and I can live off of his paycheck for a few months. I haven’t decided if I’ll drive for Basecamp for a second season or not. Some of this resists planning. It’s too far away and has too many variables.

I used to make lists and plans all the time. I find it really helps when your brain is too busy. Having things written down helps me focus. I’ve been getting better at letting go and winging it, but I would like an outline.

I know what I want to do out in the real world. I’m pondering a couple of ideas for content on the blog. I want your feedback.

What do you want to know about life in Alaska? Do you want to know about living off-grid? How do we keep warm? Cost of living? What it’s like driving? Ask me questions!

I have just finished reading through my posts for the last year. More recently I have been telling stories, but last January I posted a series detailing my camping list. I want to revisit that and compare camping to my current lifestyle. That could be an interesting ten articles.

Please, tell me what you think. I love sharing what it’s like up here and I would love to share the adventure with you the way you want to hear about it.

Inspiration, Stories

A new year… now what?

So we hit the end of one calendar and have started on the next. Days and weeks and months flow by and people act as if the numbers make it different from what came before.

Do the numbers make the difference? Do they really?

I would make the argument that numbers are nothing but markers. It doesn’t matter what page you turn to if the book is blank. The numbers just help you label when things happen. We are what will make the changes.

What made 2020 good or bad has nothing to do with the year itself, but how we responded to events. I lost my dad and we couldn’t gather for a funeral. I moved to another state and still don’t have my cabin built. The job I was hired for and quit my stable job to start went away as covid-19 cancelled that entire season. Wildfires threatened my Oregon home and forced my family to evacuate. I had to spend a few nights without heat as the temp dropped as low as -31°. All of these things make it sound like 2020 was a disaster for me, but it wasn’t.

2020 might have been my best year yet. It was the year I took control of my life. I left a job that was destroying me and only my bank account regrets it. I have settled into an area that is beyond beautiful, even with the darkness and extreme conditions. My cabin might not be built, but that means I am living close to my helpers. If anything goes wrong I can call for assistance and they just have to cross the creek. We might have had to get through some harsh times, but on the other side we know that we survived and can do it again. The job I have now is proving to me that I really do like people. My family learned what is really important to them and what can be left behind. My oldest son is learning that he is stronger than he thought and takes great pride in his ability to keep the household functional in Oregon. My middle son is getting a bit bored here, but he knows how to keep our RV comfortable. And even though we miss my dad, we still were able to say goodbye in a memorable way.

So what is this new year going to bring? I don’t know. There will definitely be challenges. I still have a cabin to build. Chris and I both will have to find work again. Hopefully it will lead us closer to the lifestyle we want.

I can’t predict the events to come, but I plan to meet them with the intention of making the best of whatever comes my way. I’ll do my best to be ready for when things are bad. But in every disaster there is room made for growth. Change is inevitable. Adaptation is necessary. Optimism is not a flaw. You get what you look for. If you look for reasons to give up then that’s all you will find. Better to look for the good in life. Look for new opportunities. Look for new people. Make the most of your life no matter what comes your way.

Here’s one good thing we know is coming. My nephew and his wife just announced that the baby they are expecting in a few months will be a girl. Considering that my extended family has had only boys for the last 25 years, that’s pretty exciting. This is going to be a good year.