Fruit of the Contemplative Life
Fruit of the contemplative life: => Right Livelihood => : Michel October 29, 2013, 11:18:35 PM
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Incredible guy. His critique of our materialistic culture is very valid.
But if you can't rough it like he does, and you have a little money, here's an alternative: "The Tiny House Movement": http://www.thetinylife.com/what-is-the-tiny-house-movement/
What are Tiny Houses? The Tiny House Movement? Tiny Living?
Simply put it is a social movement where people are downsizing the space that they live in. The typical American home is around 2600 square feet, while the typical small or tiny house is around 100-400 square feet. Tiny Houses come in all shapes, sizes and forms but they focus on smaller spaces and simplified living.
People are joining this movement for many reasons, but the most popular reasons are because of environmental concerns, financial concerns and seeking more time and freedom. For most Americans 1/3 to 1/2 of their income is dedicated to the roof over their heads; This translates to 15 years of working over your life time just to pay for it and because of it 76% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck.
So what is the alternative? One might be to live smaller. While we don’t think tiny houses are for everyone, there are lessons to be learned and applied to escape the cycle of debt where almost 70% of Americans are trapped in right now.
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Thanks, Michel for the link to the tiny house movement. I love it, because that is what I have been all about for 13 years.
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Why Hasn't The Tiny House Movement Become A Big Thing? A Look At 5 Big Barriers:
http://www.treehugger.com/green-architecture/why-hasnt-tiny-house-movement-become-big-thing-look-5-big-barriers.html
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To me the ideal tiny house does not have a mortgage or taxes. The solution? Get a van or a truck and a camper. I even make my own fuel, and have solar panels for electricity. Here is a photo of my tinny house.
(http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/j411/jhananda/Bio-fuels/Jeff.jpg)(http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/j411/jhananda/GWV%20Biofuels%20Project/189580_10150199872266521_711271520_8652031_1252971_n.jpg)(http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/j411/jhananda/GWV%20Biofuels%20Project/30207_459548296520_711271520_5759356_6924290_n.jpg)(http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/j411/jhananda/Tiny%20house/Chevyvan49822_zpsc93c1e07.jpg)(http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/j411/jhananda/Tiny%20house/Chevyvan00172_zpsa2d1bd61.jpg)
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jhananda:
To me the ideal tinny house does not have a mortgage or taxes. The solution? Get a van or a truck and a camper. I even make my own fuel, and have solar panels for electricity. Here is a photo of my tinny house.
I've read all about your vans and trucks, biofuel, etc. with great interest. If I didn't have medical issues, I'd go the same route. I'd go for a small Air Stream Trailer, and something similar to an old Land Rover 4x4.
What are you planning to do with that old army truck you purchased recently? She's a real beaut.
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Sorry to hear about the medical issues, Michel. This body is aging rapidly to the point I am not sure if I will be able to do much of anything soon.
The plan for the surplus military vehicle is to replace the van on a larger scale. So, it will get a cab-over camper, and a larger fuel making operation on the back of its bed. Then, it is a go-anywhere vehicle so I plan to do some camping in remote areas, and make my fuel while camping.
Part of the plan to develop the ability to convert plastics and scrap wood into fuel. This is why the larger truck was needed, because the extra equipment needed for the advanced fuel making capability.
When the extended fuel making is complete, then I plan to camp out for a summer making my fuel from trees. I plan to document it and post it to YouTube when I have something to show. Then, I plan to just camp more.
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Jhananda:
This body is aging rapidly to the point I am not sure if I will be able to do much of anything soon.
Getting old is no picnic. After I go, I'm heading to another repeat performance; but after you go, you're headed to Nirvana.
Seriously, how do you manage when you become ill.? Do you have any form of health care?
Jhananda: When the extended fuel making is complete, then I plan to camp out for a summer making my fuel from trees. I plan to document it and post it to YouTube when I have something to show. Then, I plan to just camp more.
I'm looking forward to your videos. You always have something interesting to say.
Are parts and service easy to come by for your army truck?
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Getting old is no picnic. After I go, I'm heading to another repeat performance; but after you go, you're headed to Nirvana.
Well, if you nail the 4th jhana before you go, which is possible, then you have a choice to come back, if you want.
I keep coming back to help others over to the other side. Some of my students follow me here. That is how it goes for me.
Seriously, how do you manage when you become ill.? Do you have any form of health care?
The USA has a public healthcare program for the poor. I am on that. There is also an old folks home for native Arizonan's in the area where I expect to go to die.
I'm looking forward to your videos. You always have something interesting to say.
I am preparing a series of videos on alternative fuels, which are next to be posted, so you may not find them so interesting.
Are parts and service easy to come by for your army truck?
That poses a problem for my old truck. I can readily order parts on line for it, but no auto parts store has them. I plan to have a complete set of the basics to keep it running, and I plan to keep them in the truck at all times, along with a set of tools to work on it, just as I do for my old van.
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There is also an old folks home for native Arizonan's in the area where I expect to go to die.
Not if I have anything to say about it. Just don't die just yet.
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Thanks, aglorincz. Life is short, so we cannot waste anytime getting enlightened. When we become enlightened, then we are a blessing to all. We live every moment for the benefit of all. But, it wears us out. However, when the life is over, then we are free, free at last.
Then beings can visit us in their dreams, anytime. In the dream time one can visit any enlightened being who has ever come here. I know, because I have done it, many times. To visit the enlightened in the dream time one must learn to be lucid in the sleep state, so that sleep becomes meditation to.
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Then beings can visit us in their dreams, anytime. In the dream time one can visit any enlightened being who has ever come here. I know, because I have done it, many times. To visit the enlightened in the dream time one must learn to be lucid in the sleep state, so that sleep becomes meditation to.
I did not know that. Even more incentive to practice my ass off and make sacrifices...
On the subject of the first post Jhananda made; I actually just sent off a friend who gave up his good paying job, bought a truck/camper, and is going on a trip to find peace through meditation. I met him at a monastery, and we found out very quickly how much we had in common, and where we wanted to go with meditation (all the way.) Once I learned Jhana, I immediately shared my findings (and the GWV) with him. I think he is still skeptical because I didn't hold anything back.
He is due to leave for Arizona (coincidence?) today. I have encouraged him to reach out to you and forum, but time will tell. If I could, I would have tried to convince him to take me as well. We practice well together, and I can only imagine how nice it is to travel to somewhere remote and meditate with little obligations.
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I did not know that. Even more incentive to practice my ass off and make sacrifices...
I am glad I could inspire you to practice meditation with more vigor.
On the subject of the first post Jhananda made; I actually just sent off a friend who gave up his good paying job, bought a truck/camper, and is going on a trip to find peace through meditation. I met him at a monastery, and we found out very quickly how much we had in common, and where we wanted to go with meditation (all the way.) Once I learned Jhana, I immediately shared my findings (and the GWV) with him. I think he is still skeptical because I didn't hold anything back.
It is understandable that people would be skeptical of the GWV, after all the naive followers of mainstream Buddhism, such as: Mike Olds, Daniel Ingram, and Nikita (http://fruitofthecontemplativelife.org/forum/index.php/topic,88.0.html), who go out their way to assassinate my character, instead of learning to live and let live.
He is due to leave for Arizona (coincidence?) today. I have encouraged him to reach out to you and forum, but time will tell. If I could, I would have tried to convince him to take me as well. We practice well together, and I can only imagine how nice it is to travel to somewhere remote and meditate with little obligations.
Until your friend learns to still his mind, and starts to develop the charisms, then he is not likely to take an interest in my methods. Nikita, is an object lesson here for all of us to remember.
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(http://media2.s-nbcnews.com/j/newscms/2014_09/212801/woman_in_kloen_house_1-_oakland_by_brian_reynolds_ea7a7111ae87f879806908dc0fc17fc5.nbcnews-ux-720-480.jpg)
Tiny houses for the homeless (http://www.nbcnews.com/#/business/real-estate/tiny-houses-big-idea-end-homelessness-n39316)
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(http://www.realfarmacy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/joes-1.jpg)
Another cool mobile tiny house (http://www.realfarmacy.com/not-a-food-truck/)/hermitage.
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Now that mobile house is parked somewhere in heaven on earth. Add to that a camp fire of dry drift wood, listen to the ebb and flow of the waves on the shore, watch the sun slowly set, then watch the moon rise and the stars moving across the night sky. An ancient ritual practiced since the dawn of time.
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Yes, Michel, that is what my tiny house is about.
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Some very cool tiny houses and vintage camper-trailers (https://www.facebook.com/vintagecampertrailers)
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I just love these vintage trailers. One could easily upgrade and customize them to suit one's needs. And they're quite inexpensive to purchase. I think a 16 footer would be suitable for one person to live in quite comfortably. Above all, a tiny trailer house gives one a great deal of flexibility in being able to go almost anywhere one pleases. If I were not in poor health, I would be happy to live in one all year round.
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Yes, good points, Michel. I am all about migrating with the seasons, so a trailer, or a cab-over camper, would suit me fine.
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Now this is a pretty fancy tiny house.
(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/the_skit_tiny_home.jpg)
The Skit: An off-grid, cross-shaped, tiny house for one (http://www.gizmag.com/the-skit-dachi-papuashvili/31967/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=30925e8595-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-30925e8595-90144161)
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This is an interesting variant on a contemplative's tiny house.
(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/billboard_houses.jpeg)
Gregory Project concept envisions billboards to house the homeless (http://www.gizmag.com/billboard-homeless-houses-designdevelop/32713/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=68e2639479-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-68e2639479-90144161)
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Now this is a pretty fancy tiny house.
(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/the_skit_tiny_home.jpg)
The Skit: An off-grid, cross-shaped, tiny house for one (http://www.gizmag.com/the-skit-dachi-papuashvili/31967/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=30925e8595-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-30925e8595-90144161)
Interesting, Jhananda. The human imagination knows no bounds.
Check this one out. There's something serene about this little house. I can imagine a mystic wanting to live there.
Historic Chapel to Small House Conversion: http://tinyhousetalk.com/historic-chapel-small-house-conversion/
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Oh, thank-you Michel, this is a very nice tiny house
(http://tinyhousetalk.com/wp-content/uploads/chapel-tiny-house-001.jpg)
http://tinyhousetalk.com/historic-chapel-small-house-conversion/
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Another tiny house idea.
(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/forest_retreat_uhlik_architekti.jpg)
Forest Retreat sits between a rock and a hard place (http://www.gizmag.com/forest-retreat-uhlik-architekti/32827/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=7f19d32023-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-7f19d32023-90144161).
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(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/hb6bhouse-2.jpg)
Architect transforms storage room into a micro home (http://www.gizmag.com/hb6b-micro-house-karin-matz/32865/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=cd9ff6fb08-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-cd9ff6fb08-90144161)
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Here is another tiny house idea, which I like quite a bit
(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/housetrike.jpg)
Housetrike three-wheeled camper shelters homeless nomads (http://www.gizmag.com/housetrike-camper-shelters-homeless-nomads/32895/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=2c56e513cf-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-2c56e513cf-90144161)
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(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/taku-tanku.jpg)
Taku-Tanku portable tiny house can be towed by bike (http://www.gizmag.com/stereotank-taku-tanku-tiny-house/33393/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=16c63a2d7f-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-16c63a2d7f-90144161)
(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/sylvansportgo-easy-12.jpg)
GO-Easy ultralight trailer/camper rides behind a motorcycle or small car (http://www.gizmag.com/go-easy-ultralight-trailer-camper/33328/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=e7b0757447-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-e7b0757447-90144161)
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(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/prefab_dwellings_vo_trong.jpg)
$4,000 home promises affordable housing in Vietnam (http://www.gizmag.com/house-s-vo-trong-architects-low-cost-housing/33888/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=15256fbfd2-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-15256fbfd2-90144161)
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The more you post these the more I wish I could take the plunge. Both my family and all related families would flip their lid. There's no way I could convince the misses--unless maybe some kind of catastrophe happened. At which point it would probably be too late.
Keep them coming, please. I appreciate it.
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Beautiful little house. I love all things easy to maintain, simple and uncomplicated.
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Thank-you, Jhanon and Michel for expressing your appreciation for this thread. Here are 2 more tiny houses to look at. I like the tree tent most.
(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/knaustabberttravelino.jpg)
Knaus Travelino envisages a clean, light camper of the future (http://www.gizmag.com/knaus-travelino-light-camper-of-future/33943/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=c7a2f8efef-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-c7a2f8efef-90144161)
(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/tentsile_connect_tree_tent.JPG)
Tentsile unveils its smallest, lightest, and most affordable tree tent to date (http://www.gizmag.com/tentsile-connect-treet-tent/33935/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=c7a2f8efef-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-c7a2f8efef-90144161)
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My eyes went wise as soon as I saw the tree tent O_O
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Thank-you, Jhanon, yes, i agree, the tree house seemed like the perfect mendicant shelter, which would have to be low profile. Here are more tiny houses worth looking at:
(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/pneumad.jpg)
The Pneumad portable shelter inflates itself (http://www.gizmag.com/pneumad-inflatable-shelter-trailer/33977/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=e8b6cd8495-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-e8b6cd8495-90144161)
Living in an industrial neighborhood I often see local class shops throwing out old glass pains. It has often occurred to me that I could build a house almost for free out of glass panels recycled from class shops.
(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/maintenance_free_house.jpg)
Glass-encased Maintenance-Free House is built to last (http://www.gizmag.com/maintenance-free-house-arkitema-architects/33848/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=e8b6cd8495-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-e8b6cd8495-90144161)
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THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED JHANANDA. I was talking to the misses last night. I showed her the elevated tent, just cuz I thought it was cool. I didn't expect anything to come of it. And then we actually began talking about it. And, to my great shock and amazement, she was completely open to it. And explained how we could live out of a tiny home while traveling for her work (since she will be paid far more if she travels.) And, she happens to love simple, clean, modern/futuristic. In other words, there was no aversion to it--which she is normally quite frank about. You just made my day, sir :)
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Thank-you, Jhanon, yes, i agree, the tree house seemed like the perfect mendicant shelter, which would have to be low profile. Here are more tiny houses worth looking at:
(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/pneumad.jpg)
The Pneumad portable shelter inflates itself (http://www.gizmag.com/pneumad-inflatable-shelter-trailer/33977/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=e8b6cd8495-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-e8b6cd8495-90144161)
Living in an industrial neighborhood I often see local class shops throwing out old glass pains. It has often occurred to me that I could build a house almost for free out of glass panels recycled from class shops.
(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/maintenance_free_house.jpg)
Glass-encased Maintenance-Free House is built to last (http://www.gizmag.com/maintenance-free-house-arkitema-architects/33848/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=e8b6cd8495-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-e8b6cd8495-90144161)
You posted this within 5 minutes of the topic coming up for us. I just checked the time stamp.
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THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED JHANANDA. I was talking to the misses last night. I showed her the elevated tent, just cuz I thought it was cool. I didn't expect anything to come of it. And then we actually began talking about it. And, to my great shock and amazement, she was completely open to it. And explained how we could live out of a tiny home while traveling for her work (since she will be paid far more if she travels.) And, she happens to love simple, clean, modern/futuristic. In other words, there was no aversion to it--which she is normally quite frank about. You just made my day, sir :)
You posted this within 5 minutes of the topic coming up for us. I just checked the time stamp.
I am glad it worked for you.
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Interesting houses, jhananda.
Check these tree houses out: http://www.pinterest.com/grandmapam/tree-houses/
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Man, I finally am living authentically. Or living through Dhamma and not the identity. And things are great. It's crazy how they turn out. It's like magic, but I know it's cause/effect. It's the dance. You know I looked back on my youth many times to see where my awareness rested often. And started moving toward that, with the understanding that I will do best at whatever has had the most awareness in this life. And it's working.
Unfortunately I never stayed with one thing for long, othe than the "out of the box" thinking and all the other hallmarks of mystic life. But I began considering what I had said about awareness/God being a potentiator. It doesn't ensure anything, but it increases it's chances to make something happen. So instead of trying to find something "new" I can do. I look at the past and present and try to bring those to a practical meeting point.
In short; I am going to start doing this. I'm going to start living out of a mobile type of home, and trying to be as efficient as Jhananda. It's really exciting. Funds are a small issue--lol. But something will work out :)
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Interesting houses, jhananda.
Check these tree houses out: http://www.pinterest.com/grandmapam/tree-houses/
Thanks, Michel, nice tree houses (http://www.pinterest.com/grandmapam/tree-houses/).
Man, I finally am living authentically. Or living through Dhamma and not the identity. And things are great. It's crazy how they turn out. It's like magic, but I know it's cause/effect. It's the dance. You know I looked back on my youth many times to see where my awareness rested often. And started moving toward that, with the understanding that I will do best at whatever has had the most awareness in this life. And it's working.
This is good to hear, Jhanon, but do not expect everyone is going to appreciate your enlightened lifestyle, because their are some people who are deeply threatened by mystics, and will do everything to high jack your equanimity, as I have experienced here in Sedona for the last 2 years.
In short; I am going to start doing this. I'm going to start living out of a mobile type of home, and trying to be as efficient as Jhananda. It's really exciting. Funds are a small issue--lol. But something will work out :)
Good luck pulling a simplified life together and maintaining it in a world that is bent against the mystic.
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In truth I don't know how much pushback I will get.
But at least in my state I don't see a problem. I tend to be pretty careful with each individual--but I've never met anyone (in this area) who didn't reciprocate kindness to me (except one family that I quickly abandoned.)
It's almost like living in a fairytale. Maybe I'm ignorant. Or maybe I'm
Blessed. Within my circle of friends and acquaintances, they've almost all been more than helpful. My, well, fiancé-who-doesn't-know-it-yet, I supportive of the tiny house idea. And I have a friend for every skill and knowledge I need, as I learn best from one-on-one. Everything from good spots nearby the city (until my family is ready to go as well), to hunting, gathering, and finding the right vehicle. Even my birth family and parents are supportive. The trick, it seems, is not giving them too much too fast.
Jhananda you said this earlier "I keep coming back to help others over to the other side. Some of my students follow me here. That is how it goes for me."
Tell me--who, specifically? Or, at the least, am I one of these?
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Man, I finally am living authentically. Or living through Dhamma and not the identity. And things are great. It's crazy how they turn out. It's like magic, but I know it's cause/effect. It's the dance. You know I looked back on my youth many times to see where my awareness rested often. And started moving toward that, with the understanding that I will do best at whatever has had the most awareness in this life. And it's working.
This is good to hear, Jhanon, but do not expect everyone is going to appreciate your enlightened lifestyle, because their are some people who are deeply threatened by mystics, and will do everything to high jack your equanimity, as I have experienced here in Sedona for the last 2 years.
Amen. I had co-workers just staring at me as I went about my business. They feed off the emotion and unbalance of others, being of equanimity definitely threatens them. They invade your space and require interaction where you most likely have not the need. Makes me want to buy a tree tent and set up some solar panels away from the insanity of the world.
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I was going through some notes I made while researching tiny houses a while ago and thought they might be useful for someone else out there. I don't know the specific sources for this info any more, but it is some of what seemed important while wading through a lot of web sites. You can of course go with any level of complexity, from a simple wooden box to shield from the elements and curious passers-by, to a full solar setup with kitchen, bathroom, etc. Given that if I get mine going it will be done with very little money (because I don't and won't have any) I will probably out of necessity go the simple, efficient route, but if there is a modern convenience I can add that will make life a little more free of stress and mental nonsense, without a whole lot of upkeep or continued cost, I certainly will consider it. Some considerations also ride on the thought of possible visitors... should I get a composting toilet or just crap in a bucket with sawdust to cover? Working a couple more weeks for a little less social hassle in the future sounds like a good plan.
top-loading fridge preferable. root cellar possible with established location site.
water system with two parallel supply lines
- one with hose attachment for city water
- one 'gravity water' with RV water pump to boost pressure if incoming water doesn't have enough
tankless water heater better, more efficient than 10-gal RV tank-style water heater.
rainwater collection
moisture control is an issue. look into moisture barrier, vapor barrier, insulation, fans and vents.
look into expense of wool insulation.
how to wash clothes? could dry w/ clothesline. easier to change wardrobe than fuss with clothes that are hard to wash by hand. more layers of lighter clothes as opposed to heavy, annoying single items.
-utility trailer, 8x18 a good size? trailer is about 20% of construction cost so buy used.
-sides and ramps will need to come off.
-measurement doesn't include hitch or wheels.
-wide possible width without a permit is 8'6" wide. use outer walls of tires as guide to how wide you can build.
-maximum legal road height without permit is 13'6". most bridges are taller than this but be aware of when moving.
-GVWR is Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. most trailers are double axle and usually each axle is rated 3,500 lbs - some are 5,200 lbs - so double axle trailer will have rating of 7,000 or 10,400 lbs. price will depend on this rating.
-GVWR includes weight of the trailer itself.
-want wheels to be taller than trailer (ie, the bed of the trailer cuts through the midline of the wheel. easier to stabilize your structure when establishing somewhere)
to tow a tiny house behind a vehicle there needs to be a trailer hitch and trailer brake controller.
- need ball and hitch to tow. almost all balls are 2" or 2 5/8".
what strength truck is required to tow? 3/4 ton to be safe, diesel is better.
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The water heater is one thing in particular that is not really necessary, so that is something to consider. It's only real use is for hot water showers and as a convenience, as hot water for washing dishes or clothes can just as easily be heated on a stove. Unless you want to devise a system where you heat water some other way and gravity-feed it into a shower, then it would be need to be feed through a water heater, or just not have a shower, or not have a heated one. Depending on your environment, though, warming up the body can be pretty much a requirement. This can be done by warming up at a wood stove or another source of heat and just bucket washing yourself, so that just comes down to personal preference and whatever your general situation is going to be like. At one point I was living in a car and taking showers at the gym of a community college, which worked perfectly fine because I don't shower that often and it was a warm environment.
I don't live too far northerly but it does get cold in the winter here, and where I lived this past winter it was at times -10 deg below (Fahrenheit, -30 with the wind chill). Another solution if you have access to a good supply of water and firewood and want to go completely off-grid (ie, not rely on tanks of propane), is the Japanese ofuro (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furo). There are modern versions of this if you have the money, but figuring out how to build one yourself could work. Basically it's just a differently shaped bathtub.
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(http://i.imgur.com/S9qRM4X.jpg)
Human Powered Washer & Spin Dryer:
http://www.notechmagazine.com/2012/08/human-powered-washer-spin-dryer.html (http://www.notechmagazine.com/2012/08/human-powered-washer-spin-dryer.html)
(http://i.imgur.com/icuvqLG.jpg)
Water-Powered Washing Machine:
http://www.notechmagazine.com/2013/09/water-powered-washing-machine.html (http://www.notechmagazine.com/2013/09/water-powered-washing-machine.html)
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Thanks, Zack. I like both washer designs quite a bit.
When I camped out in the Inyo National Forest for 2 years I found I could put my laundry into a five gallon bucked, with some soup, then fill it up with hot spring water, then drive into town to get groceries, then drain the water out, then fill the bucket back up with local, cold tap water for my drive back to camp. Once at camp I would drain off the cold tap water, and refill the bucket with hot spring water, leave it there for a few minute soak, then drain off the still hot water, and wring out my warm clothes, then dry them in the sun.
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Interesting, thanks. In my life laundry has been a pain because my jobs have always covered me in food, grease, dirt, mud, rock powder, etc. I tried washing my clothes by hand once when I was especially broke and didn't want to go to the laundromat, and I ended up cursing existence and the very idea of clothing. Along the same lines, I got rid of any jeans I've had because they are annoyingly heavy and bulky, both to wear and to wash. I now wear the same type of lightweight cloth pants year-round, which are just easier to deal with, and in colder weather Army surplus polypropylene long johns underneath (something like this (http://www.armysurpluswarehouse.com/clothing/cold-weather-wool/extreme-cold-weather-drawers-long-johns.html), which work TOO well and will make you almost too hot, even in frigid weather). I've rarely washed these long johns and usually don't notice any reason to.
Since it may not have been clear and because this thread mentions a bunch of different types, the notes I left describe building something like this:
(http://i.imgur.com/dDeJbtal.jpg)
http://oaklandtinyhouse.blogspot.com (http://oaklandtinyhouse.blogspot.com)
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Nice cabin. I especially like the tiny hanging couch on the tiny porch.
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Here is a link to a number of tiny house ideas. Simply super sheds (https://www.pinterest.com/blackgriffin/simply-super-sheds/).
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I am in the beginning phases of designing and getting started my own tiny house started. The first dilemma was whether to buy a pick-up truck (I don't own a vehicle of any kind, besides a bicycle that I can't store where I currently live) to make what will likely be a slow, drawn-out construction easier, but I have decided there is almost no way I can afford one, followed by the upkeep, insurance, gas, etc. I have local family members who can help with any hauling I need to do, it will just likely limit me to weekends.
So that throws me head-on into the second dilemma, finding and buying a flatbed utility trailer. This will be a few thousand dollars at the most, a little less used, so it seems for the time being I have to pick up more hours at my day job and try to save what I can. If I can get a small loan that would mean I could get a trailer now and start designing and building to the exact specifications, but I also don't think I would be able to get one.
I will come back with updates if there are any worth noting for others thinking of the same thing, or if I actually get something started.
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Hi Zack, thanks for sharing with us your ideas about designing and building a hermitage. My goals in designing and building a hermitage for myself began with the fuel problem that you are confronted with. My solution was to make my own fuel out of waste products. It has worked pretty well for the last 8 years, although figuring it out was troublesome, and it took me a long time. Ten years.
Now that I have a fuel source secured, and a proven method of converting garbage to fuel, now I am starting on the hermitage, about 10 years after I started the design stage. My plan is to just acquire and put a camper on the back of a deuce and a half, which will haul it and me into remote locations where I prefer to camp. I have been keeping an eye on Craig's list and found that old campers are often given away for free. All one has to do is show up with a truck and pick it up and drive off with it.
About 10 years ago I concluded that the deuce and a half had a number of advantages: 1] it is available with a multifuel engine, which was designed to burn anything from gasoline to motor oil. 2] It is a 2 1/2 ton vehicle, with an 8ftx12ft flat bed, so that it can haul my camper/hermitage; 3] Finally, it is a go-anywhere vehicle.
Now, after owning a 2 1/2 ton deuce and a half equipped with a multifuel engine; 2 winches, one in front, one in back and an 8ftx12ft flat bed; I have to service it to bring it up to a reliable level of performance. Last year I replaced all of the hoses and belts. That took me about 2 months. Now, I have to rebuild or replace all 6 injectors, injector hard pipes, all of the return lines, and its leaky fuel tank.
(http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/j411/jhananda/M756A2/M3517362_zpse52bd06e.jpg)
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This morning I came across this novel Tiny house idea.
(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/beachavehouse.JPG)
Impressive green home emerges from a tiny block of land (http://www.gizmag.com/schulberg-demkiw-architects-beach-ave/35182/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=2f48f288d1-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-2f48f288d1-90144161)
This one offers an all-glass home, which could be made nearly for free from recycled window glass.
(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/photon-space.jpg)
Photon Space glass home to help residents get in the (circadian) rhythm (http://www.gizmag.com/photon-space-glass-house-circadian-rhythm/35164/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=2f48f288d1-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-2f48f288d1-90144161)
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Every homeless person I know would love to have a cabin in the National Forest that looks like a boulder:
(http://images.gizmag.com/gallery_lrg/bureau_a_antoine.jpg)
Like a rolling stone: Tiny Alpine cabin resembles an oversized rock (http://www.gizmag.com/antoine-bureau-a-rock-cabin/35268/pictures#1)
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Interesting, Jhananda. That's what you'd call fitting into the environment. That is at least visually.
Quonset huts are interesting structures...
Mini-Quonset hut: http://www.tiny-house-living.com/mini-quonset-hut.html
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I like that little quonset-hut you posted the link to.
(http://www.tiny-house-living.com/images/mini-quonset-hut-21478025.jpg)
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(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/jane_fonda_house_kit.jpg)
JF-Kit House makes you pedal for your breakfast (http://www.gizmag.com/jf-kit-house/27463/)
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(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/vo_trong_nghia.jpg)
Latest S House prototype can be assembled in just 3 hours (http://www.gizmag.com/vo-trong-nghias-s-house-prototype-assembled-3-hours/35343/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=5d6de3cd9b-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-5d6de3cd9b-90144161)
(http://images.gizmag.com/gallery_lrg/dumpster-project.jpg)
Professor living in a dumpster for a year to investigate sustainable living (http://www.gizmag.com/dumpster-project/34288/pictures)
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To me the pit house (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pit-house) represents the ultimate in Tiny Houses, and thus the perfect home for the mendicant. As an archaeologist I have studied them extensively. They are essentially an Igloo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igloo) that is made of mud.
The basic design is a hemisphere made of twigs and limbs, basket-like. It is then covered in mud. Most often it is semi-subterranean, which is where the dirt comes from to make the mud.
pit house (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pit-house)s can be small enough to accommodate one person, or large enough to accommodate an entire family group. They are easy to make, and can be made in a day.
When I found myself camping along the Rio Grande near Alamosa, CO, I seriously considered building a pithouse along the Rio Grande to winter in, because they have excellent insulation; and the basic design includes a central fire pit, which vents out of a hole in the ceiling, which makes the pithouse more like living inside of a harth.
(https://crowcanyon.org/EducationProducts/peoples_mesa_verde/images/BMII_housing.jpg)
A pit-house (pithouse) is "a dwelling partially dug into the ground and roofed over." [1] Besides providing shelter from extremes of weather, these structures may also be used to store food and for cultural activities like the telling of stories, dancing, singing and celebrations. General dictionaries also describe a pithouse as a dugout[2] and has similarities to a half-dugout.[3]
In archaeology, pit-houses are frequently termed a sunken featured building (SFB)[4][5] and occasionally (grub-)hut[6] or grubhouse after the German name Grubenhaus[7] and are found in numerous cultures around the world. These include: the people of the American Southwest, including the ancestral Pueblo, the ancient Fremont and Mogollon cultures, the Cherokee, the Inuit, the people of the Plateau, and archaic residents of Wyoming (Smith 2003) in North America; Archaic residents of the Lake Titicaca Basin (Craig 2005) in South America; Anglo Saxons in Europe; and the Jōmon people in Japan. Anglo Saxon pit-houses may have actually represented buildings for other functions than just dwellings.
Usually, all that remains of the ancient pit-house is a dug out hollow in the ground and any postholes used to support the roof.
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Now that's the idea. No need to go to Costco to get 2X4s, etc.
My father built an igloo for me when I was a kid. It was very cozy.
I was looking at caves and underground houses (flooding is a problem).
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Yes, flooding would be a problem for a pithouse, except the basic design involves a covered crawl entry (igloo-like), which is lined with dirt and rock above grade, and they often have a door of sorts to keep out the critters and the rain, but it has to allow for airflow to feed the fire.
This does remind me of one of my favorite Gary Larsen cartoons, in which he shows two polar bears breaking into the top of an igloo.
(http://p4b.nu/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/polarbears.jpg)
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A Shipping Container Costs About $2,000. What These 15 People Did With That Is Beyond Epic (http://greenlivinghacks.com/shipping-container-costs-2000-15-people-beyond-epic/)
(http://greenlivinghacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/05-8jSRcXn.jpg)
(http://cdn10.trueactivist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/container.jpg)
(http://cdn9.trueactivist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/02-FgsbAvU.jpg)
(http://cdn10.trueactivist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/16-XkLIlhD.jpg)
(http://cdn11.trueactivist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/03-CRKXugy.jpg)
(http://cdn9.trueactivist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/04-uZkXIzH.jpg)
(http://cdn11.trueactivist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/06-uibN1UE-1024x682.jpg)
(http://cdn10.trueactivist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/07-hOfF6uI.jpg)
(http://cdn11.trueactivist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/08-IevWNVV.jpg)
(http://cdn10.trueactivist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/09-R231Ozg.jpg)
(http://cdn9.trueactivist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/10-7G20AaR.jpg)
(http://cdn9.trueactivist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/11-BVSQ3FN.png)
(http://cdn11.trueactivist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/UAA10rv.jpg)
(http://cdn9.trueactivist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/13-3054gc5.jpg)
I like this one the most because it employes earth as an insulator.
(http://cdn11.trueactivist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/15-eAZtsP2.jpg)
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To me the pit house (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pit-house) represents the ultimate in Tiny Houses, and thus the perfect home for the mendicant. As an archaeologist I have studied them extensively. They are essentially an Igloo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igloo) that is made of mud.
The basic design is a hemisphere made of twigs and limbs, basket-like. It is then covered in mud. Most often it is semi-subterranean, which is where the dirt comes from to make the mud.
pit house (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pit-house)s can be small enough to accommodate one person, or large enough to accommodate an entire family group. They are easy to make, and can be made in a day.
When I found myself camping along the Rio Grande near Alamosa, CO, I seriously considered building a pithouse along the Rio Grande to winter in, because they have excellent insulation; and the basic design includes a central fire pit, which vents out of a hole in the ceiling, which makes the pithouse more like living inside of a harth.
(https://crowcanyon.org/EducationProducts/peoples_mesa_verde/images/BMII_housing.jpg)
A pit-house (pithouse) is "a dwelling partially dug into the ground and roofed over." [1] Besides providing shelter from extremes of weather, these structures may also be used to store food and for cultural activities like the telling of stories, dancing, singing and celebrations. General dictionaries also describe a pithouse as a dugout[2] and has similarities to a half-dugout.[3]
In archaeology, pit-houses are frequently termed a sunken featured building (SFB)[4][5] and occasionally (grub-)hut[6] or grubhouse after the German name Grubenhaus[7] and are found in numerous cultures around the world. These include: the people of the American Southwest, including the ancestral Pueblo, the ancient Fremont and Mogollon cultures, the Cherokee, the Inuit, the people of the Plateau, and archaic residents of Wyoming (Smith 2003) in North America; Archaic residents of the Lake Titicaca Basin (Craig 2005) in South America; Anglo Saxons in Europe; and the Jōmon people in Japan. Anglo Saxon pit-houses may have actually represented buildings for other functions than just dwellings.
Usually, all that remains of the ancient pit-house is a dug out hollow in the ground and any postholes used to support the roof.
This is so inspiring. Thank you so much. Thank you for this. Thank you. Thank you. All of the recent posts are inspiring, but this one is like living as a Hobbit! Oh, maybe I am a fool--but tears come to my eyes when I think about it. God, the freedom! The silence of nature. How could any mystic not overcome their substance addictions in such a home.
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My friends. You know more of this than I. But what are the actual obstacles to building something like the glass home? Is it merely procuring a plot of land? I know nothing of engineering--how long might it take me to teach myself the necessary skills?
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Sweet Hobbit House Pictures From The Hobbit Set: http://www.theyearofmud.com/2012/12/14/hobbit-house-pictures/
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This is so inspiring. Thank you so much. Thank you for this. Thank you. Thank you. All of the recent posts are inspiring, but this one is like living as a Hobbit! Oh, maybe I am a fool--but tears come to my eyes when I think about it. God, the freedom! The silence of nature. How could any mystic not overcome their substance addictions in such a home.
The pit house is the most simple, and most primitive of habitations. It is all too easy to build, and can be built in a day. Traditionally it is typically the job of the women and children to build such a habitation.
My friends. You know more of this than I. But what are the actual obstacles to building something like the glass home? Is it merely procuring a plot of land? I know nothing of engineering--how long might it take me to teach myself the necessary skills?
The glass house made of recycled glass is about the cheapest, and most efficient of homes; however, it does take some building skills, and property ownership.
Sweet Hobbit House Pictures From The Hobbit Set: http://www.theyearofmud.com/2012/12/14/hobbit-house-pictures/
Thanks. Michel. for the link to Hobbit houses. They are essentially pithouses, so we can use them for inspiration.
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You can also get a military surplus tent, from somewhere like armytents.com (http://armytents.com/). I'm guessing some of them hold heat pretty well, so you could heat with a small wood stove.
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Thanks for the link, Zack. They have some pretty big tents, but they have some small ones as well. I also noticed that the same website also offers portable tent HEATERS (http://armytents.com/heaters.html) of various kinds.
During the Upper Paleolithic some people built homes out of Mammoth Bone and skins (http://archaeology.about.com/od/ancienthouses/g/mammoth_huts.htm);
(http://0.tqn.com/y/archaeology/1/W/v/n/mezhirich.jpg)
(http://0.tqn.com/y/archaeology/1/W/J/j/1/whale-bone-house.jpg)
and Whale Bone house (http://archaeology.about.com/od/arctic/fl/Whale-Bone-Houses-Thule-Culture-Ceremonial-Structures.htm).
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Here is another tiny house design
(http://cdn.goodshomedesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Micro-Home-7.jpg)
A Gorgeous Swedish Micro Home (http://www.goodshomedesign.com/a-gorgeous-swedish-micro-home/)
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(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/detached_dragonas_christopoulou_architects.jpg)
Tiny cabin envisioned for Athens rooftop (http://www.gizmag.com/tiny-cabin-athens-rooftops/35540/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=7c25ea0895-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-7c25ea0895-90144161)
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(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/leaf_house_version_30-1.jpg)
Leaf House Version.3: A tiny house for sub-zero temperatures (http://www.gizmag.com/version3-leaf-house-laird-herbert/35558/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=708d1d9e1c-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-708d1d9e1c-90144161)
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(http://www.jetsongreen.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/ext.jpg)
Ireland’s First Shipping Container Home Will House the Homeless (http://www.jetsongreen.com/2015/01/irelands-first-shipping-container-home-will-house-the-homeless.html)
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(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/floating_house_carl_turner_architects.jpg)
Carl Turner Architects designs open source Floating House (http://www.gizmag.com/floating-house-carl-turner-architects/35641/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=c3bfa1aae2-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-c3bfa1aae2-90144161)
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Check this site out. Community of students living in dome like small houses in a sustainable fashion. Rent is under $400 per month. This would appeal to you Jhanon. It is possibly a good model for a community of mystics.
https://localwiki.org/davis/The_Domes
The Domes video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEaWmNxeoFY&feature=youtu.be
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Thank-you, Michel, for the link. Valdy sent me this link, which is perfect for my needs:
(http://i.cbc.ca/1.2916762.1421526732!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/cud-eastbound-s-camper-van.jpg)
Musician in Dawson City winterizes camper van with 117 straw bales (http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/musician-in-dawson-city-winterizes-camper-van-with-117-straw-bales-1.2916737)
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Yes, I saw that the other day. Nice solution to beat the cold. I bet straw hay is a good insulator.
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Yes, Michel, bales of straw are excellent insulator; and since I am not a smoker, who cares about flammability; however, I am prone to using a wood stove for heat, so I would make sure the straw and the wood stove stack do not come close to each other.
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He said he lined the inside between the straw and the van with plastic to prevent sparks from making direct contact with the straw.
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Well, plastic is flammable as well, so it would be a bad idea, but sheet metal is a great spark barrier, and it is an excellent EMF shield as well, so that is most likely the way I would go.
Here is another tiny house to look at
(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/rocky_mountain_custom_30_ft_tiny_house.jpg)
Custom 30 Foot House: The (not so) tiny towable home (http://www.gizmag.com/rocky-mountain-tiny-houses-custom-30-foot-house/35663/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=78c2df7c55-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-78c2df7c55-90144161)
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(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/castlemaine-passivhaus.jpg)
Small prefab Passive House built in just 10 days (http://www.gizmag.com/castlemaine-passivhaus/35687/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=c45b0ed678-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-c45b0ed678-90144161)
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(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/simple_home_gerhard_feldbacher-20.jpg)
Simple Home sprouts legs to stand its ground (http://www.gizmag.com/simple-home-gerhard-feldbacher/35851/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=4912fc13fc-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-4912fc13fc-90144161)
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(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/schoolmasters_build_different.JPG)
Schoolmasters: A smart and sustainable prefabricated Scottish home (http://www.gizmag.com/smart-sustainable-build-different-prefabricated-schoolmasters-home/35893/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=3b9defdbef-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-3b9defdbef-90144161)
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(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/cubicco_flatpack.jpg)
Cubicco's sustainable flatpack homes are built to withstand a hurricane (http://www.gizmag.com/cubicco-flatpack-hurricane-proof-homes/35875/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=8bc6c152f6-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-8bc6c152f6-90144161)
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I think that you will like this tiny house
(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/CnHGKUh-5O4/mqdefault.jpg)
Unbelievable House Truck Transforms Into Fantasy Castle (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnHGKUh-5O4)
(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/the_observatory_feilden_clegg_bradley_built-35.jpg)
Off-grid tiny shelter and artist's studio is on the move (http://www.gizmag.com/observatory-tiny-shelter-artist-studio/35951/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=d917924820-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-d917924820-90144161)
(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/domup-3.jpg)
Dom'Up takes camping in the trees to new heights (http://www.gizmag.com/domup-camping-tress/35986/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=d917924820-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-d917924820-90144161)
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(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/tubakuba_mountain_hub.jpg)
Tiny cabin provides off-grid digs in Norway's mountains (http://www.gizmag.com/tubakuba-mountain-hub-opa-form/36281/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=768f1f3c48-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-768f1f3c48-90144161)
Looks perfect for a contemplative, who is determined to develop a fruitful contemplative life.
(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/tiny_house_sub_500_dollars.jpg)
Transforming Tiny Home built for under $500 (http://www.gizmag.com/transforming-tiny-home-under-500/36188/)
Another tiny house worth looking at.
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Here is a site that has a large collection of converted vehicles into tiny houses
(http://www.recyclart.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/truck2-600x397.jpg)
Best of Converted Guesthouses: Trucks, Caravans, Planes, Trains & Wagons to Rent on Airbnb (http://www.recyclart.org/2015/03/best-of-converted-guesthouses-trucks-caravans-planes-trains-wagons-to-rent-on-airbnb/)
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(http://www.modbee.com/news/e4gx5y/picture16745087/ALTERNATES/FREE_960/J1_TINY_HOUSES_pg_08.JPG)
Others’ trash turns into tiny houses for Oakland’s homeless (http://www.modbee.com/news/article16745099.html)
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(http://images.gizmag.com/gallery_lrg/wide_path_camper_hits_market-3.jpg)
Bike-towable Wide Path Camper available for pre-order (http://www.gizmag.com/wide-path-camper-pre-order/36783/pictures#4)
(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/buddy-box.jpg)
Modular Buddy Box furniture makes your van all kinds of recreational vehicles (http://www.gizmag.com/modular-buddy-box-van-furniture/36278/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=91e35c5a7a-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-91e35c5a7a-90144161)
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(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/impossible-city-seattle-homeless-shelters.jpg)
Impossible City: A youth-built off-grid movable eco-village for Seattle's homeless (http://www.gizmag.com/impossible-city-seattle-homeless-shelters/37049/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=42fd68f1e8-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-42fd68f1e8-90144161)
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(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/thousand_crow_tiny_house.jpg)
Thousand Crow tiny house sidesteps the Vancouver housing market (http://www.gizmag.com/thousand-crow-tiny-house-isabella-legosi-camera-buildings/36962/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=4f65f6819f-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-4f65f6819f-90144161)
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Could you live in a 320-square-foot home? (https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/could-you-live-in-a-320-square-foot-home-145329357.html) I lived in one that was only 100sqft the first year I started meditating. I got so much out of meditation then that I stopped working dead-end jobs, and moved into a dilapidated tool shed in a side yard of my mother's home, and planted a garden around the shed. I just lived in the shed when the weather was unpleasant. The rest of the time I lived in the garden and slept under the stars. A ground squirrel was my companion then.
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This would make a nice solo retreat.
(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/eco-capsule.jpg)
Ecocapsule promises independent off-grid micro-living (http://www.gizmag.com/ecocapsule-off-grid-micro-living/37601/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=6228e7f60a-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-6228e7f60a-90144161)
(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/front-range-rocky-mountain-tiny-homes.jpg)
Front Range tiny house has plenty of rustic charm (http://www.gizmag.com/front-range-rocky-mountain-tiny-houses/37595/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=6228e7f60a-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-6228e7f60a-90144161)
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This is a tiny house. Two men in Saskatchewan have made tiny campers that they pull with bicycles.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/saskatoon-men-find-freedom-living-on-street-in-tiny-houses-1.3094711
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Thanks, Valdy. A very cool tiny house indeed.
(http://i.cbc.ca/1.3094749.1433102965!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/original_300/tiny-house.JPG)
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Here is a newspaper article on a man who built a homeless woman a Tiny house. He built it on wheels, the secret being she can move it a few feet every day and not get a ticket : -)
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/tiny-houses-for-homeless-people-sprout-in-los-angeles-1.3107963
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(http://i.cbc.ca/1.3108090.1433967402!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original_300/wide.jpg)
Very cool, Valdy, thanks for the article link. The story reminds me of my stay in Bolinas, where the sheriff asked me to move my van after I had been there for 3 months. At that time I could not start the van, so I asked another homeless man there to help me push it one space forward on long the curb of the public park. Since the park was a circle I could have theoretically pushed it around the park after a few years.
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(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/tiny-house-on-rails@2x.jpg)
Students envision tiny house community on rails (http://www.gizmag.com/small-house-on-tracks/38421/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=c63aa5a5d9-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-c63aa5a5d9-90144161)
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(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/homes-for-the-homeless-shelters@2x.jpg)
Conceptual homeless shelters would hang from London buildings (http://www.gizmag.com/homeless-shelters-pods-london/38556/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=75b5828c69-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-75b5828c69-90144161)
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(http://images.gizmag.com/gallery_lrg/urbancampsite-amsterdam.jpg)
Urban Campsite brings unusual tiny shelters to Amsterdam (http://www.gizmag.com/urbancampsite-amsterdam/38595/pictures#1)
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This tiny house design even includes a sauna.
(http://media.breitbart.com/media/2015/09/Tiny-House-Jon-Callas-Flickr-CC-Cropped-640x481.jpg)
California Town Considers Tiny Houses for Homeless (http://www.breitbart.com/california/2015/09/27/california-town-proposes-tiny-houses-for-homeless/)
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(http://img.gizmag.com/greenroofprotoype-13.jpg?ch=Width&fit=crop&h=394&q=60&rect=702%2C148%2C1218%2C685&w=700&s=43347beaf2e4540bdba8087a00e478b5)
Tiny green-roofed home can be packed up and moved on with minimal ecological footprint (http://www.gizmag.com/tiny-green-roofed-house-velasco-antuna/39909/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=0d682e3845-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-0d682e3845-90144161)
This could be interesting, but a cab-over camper still seems the easiest mobile little house concept.
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'TuboHotel'
By T3arc - Mexico (2010)
(http://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/00E5/production/_88892200_d4b224ea-50f4-454d-ad08-f4194d09c121.jpg)
"This is a charming idea of repurposing something - namely concrete storm drains," says Roke of these hotel rooms.
The structures were meant to be a simple and cost effective way of creating backpackers' accommodation - she explains - but because of their design ingenuity, they have proved popular with other travellers too.
From: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35871451
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Very cool Michele. I have thought of doing much the same thing, but no place to put them.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2defSXdgI3Y
A video on converting a mercedes sprinter van into an off grid tiny home. Although it is quite barebones it seems to be quite a clever way of approaching the setting up of a simpler lifestyle. I find this vandwelling/converting thing very very fascinating.
Jhananda seems to be right. The best tiny home is a van.
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Thanks, kiddhamma, for the youtube video on a very cool camper van. I like the sprinter quite a bit, and have often thought of owning one, and converting it to a tiny house living space.
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Now this is a cute tiny house.
(http://img-1.newatlas.com/dinky-dub-caravan-2.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&ch=Width%2CDPR&fit=crop&h=347&q=60&rect=0%2C113%2C1280%2C720&w=616&s=57054cc1b316e5e18b2577e0f24a495b)
Dub Box makes a smaller, lighter VW Microbus caravan (http://newatlas.com/dub-box-dinky-dub/46177/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=453c9017a4-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-453c9017a4-90144161)