Originally Posted by Dapper Dan (Post 1634661)

We are now doing our part to STARVE THE BEAST! :9536:

Originally Posted by Lt Dan (Post 1634698)

I gotta ask, Whose land are you camped out on? If not your own, when can you be expecting to have to relocate? I guess you could do that on a claim as long as you don't build a permanent structure. I'm not up to date on miners claims on public land.

Originally Posted by Dapper Dan (Post 1634712)

We are camped out at McChord AFB in Western Washington. They have a 240 day limit and 3 dollars a night. As soon as the camp in more perfected we plan to do some deep wood boondocking on USFS or BLM. Eventually when we buy land the camp will go on the land to save up for building materials.

Originally Posted by GoldBuyer123 (Post 1634858)

Your wife must love you very very very very much!!!!!

Originally Posted by TheNocturnalEgyptian (Post 1634992)

Wow great tent! It keeps the heat in? What kind of stove do you run?

Originally Posted by bigcdc (Post 1635184)

I've been dropping the stealth camping in a converted box van or something along those lines to the wife if the job goes under. She isn't thrilled about the idea of not having a hot shower everyday .... more drawing board work.

Originally Posted by bigcdc (Post 1635184)

I've been dropping the stealth camping in a converted box van or something along those lines to the wife if the job goes under. She isn't thrilled about the idea of not having a hot shower everyday .... more drawing board work.

Originally Posted by Dapper Dan (Post 1634712)

We are camped out at McChord AFB in Western Washington. They have a 240 day limit and 3 dollars a night. As soon as the camp in more perfected we plan to do some deep wood boondocking on USFS or BLM. Eventually when we buy land the camp will go on the land to save up for building materials.

Originally Posted by Dapper Dan (Post 1634661)

"When the going gets tough, the tough go camping!" :bear_w00t:

Originally Posted by Lt Dan (Post 1636430)

Dan, that's cool. My DOD ID says I have Exchange, MWR and Commissary privileges but I've never figured out what the MWR stood for. So, I'm not sure if I can use the camping grounds on the milatary bases or not. Tryed the motel on an air base one time, but it was only for active duty officers, not for disabled vets.

I however think my camping days are soon going to come to a close. We've camped all over, mostly in a truck camper or fifth-wheel. But, the wife wants to sell the present truck camper and maybe look for a van camper. We have a tent and will do a tent camp for a short stay at a gold claim but with our ageing bods we'd rather have an actual bed. :4_8_4v:

Originally Posted by Finzo (Post 1636654)

MWR stands for Morale, Welfare and Recreation. You should have access to the camping grounds. You can also rent camping equipment and other gear from the MWR department, which is located on the military base.

Originally Posted by ruprick (Post 1635447)

I think the better option for power is to do what I have done with my Pop-up camper:

2 series 31 deep cycle marine batteries + 1200W inverter. I am building a 100A automotive alternator belt driven by a 2 HP engine. You can charge batteries in a big hurry with 100A. The problem with your little honda is that it will not put out much for charging batteries. Even if you buy a plug in 15A battery charger.....

Do not know if they make big engine driven chargers like I'm building?

Originally Posted by bigcdc (Post 1637101)

I was only in the active reserves for 8 years so I doubt I could go and use these camp grounds. Am I correct in this?

Originally Posted by Lt Dan (Post 1636430)

Dan, that's cool. My DOD ID says I have Exchange, MWR and Commissary privileges but I've never figured out what the MWR stood for. So, I'm not sure if I can use the camping grounds on the milatary bases or not. Tryed the motel on an air base one time, but it was only for active duty officers, not for disabled vets.

I however think my camping days are soon going to come to a close. We've camped all over, mostly in a truck camper or fifth-wheel. But, the wife wants to sell the present truck camper and maybe look for a van camper. We have a tent and will do a tent camp for a short stay at a gold claim but with our ageing bods we'd rather have an actual bed. :4_8_4v:

Originally Posted by bigcdc (Post 1637095)

That's a great idea but the 2hp motor is far to small if you tried to draw any considerable load from the alternator. I think for 100A alternator you need 6hp if you wanted to pull any serious load off the alternator. Its been a while since I looked at it but all of the websites and from my calculations that's what I came up with.

Originally Posted by Dapper Dan (Post 1634712)

We are camped out at McChord AFB in Western Washington. They have a 240 day limit and 3 dollars a night. As soon as the camp in more perfected we plan to do some deep wood boondocking on USFS or BLM. Eventually when we buy land the camp will go on the land to save up for building materials.

Originally Posted by Toto (Post 1637656)

Well I can see where THAT helps put a stop to the Military/Industrial complex.

Originally Posted by Toto (Post 1637656)

Well I can see where THAT helps put a stop to the Military/Industrial complex.

Originally Posted by Dave (Post 1637624)

But that is the beauty of using batteries. The alternator will charge the batteries and contribute AMPs when their is a load. Your load capabilities would depend on your inverter's output capabilities assuming you are using AC power, so in actuality you would only run the alternator to charge up the batteries not really to carry any working loads via the inverter.

This saves fuel and lets the batteries do the flexing power wise.

Dave

Originally Posted by Jimfrancisco (Post 1637937)

It doesn't work like that. A 2hp motor will stall the second you connect an alternator to it under any load. Trust me, I've tried it.

Originally Posted by Jimfrancisco (Post 1638917)

He was talking about a 100A alternator. There isn't a prayer of running 100A from a 2hp motor.

Originally Posted by bigcdc (Post 1639162)

I can see where he is coming from if he is only charging the batteries then a 2hp motor might make it. But if he's pulling any load while trying to charge the batteries then the alternator is going to take the majority of the load because its a much higher voltage than the system itself (meaning batteries) its going to stall with no question.

Yes a 6HP motor will use more gas but it will be able to turn a 100A alternator under any condition which in my case would be something very important if I decided to build it.

Although we've gotten quite off topic about living in a tent via MWR, I think this would be something very important to consider if planning on living off the grid.

Originally Posted by Hugo Chavez (Post 1639659)

Camp next to running water and drive the alternator with a water wheel?

Some thought required but results are leccy 24/7.

Originally Posted by CajunCoin (Post 1642396)

Wife and myself have a Travel Trailer and are looking into going full time, nice to spend the winter in some nice and warm spot Like, say, LOUISIANA and the summer in the cool mountains.

Living off the grid is not difficult, just look around the RV.net forums.

Originally Posted by Dapper Dan (Post 1634712)

We are camped out at McChord AFB in Western Washington. They have a 240 day limit and 3 dollars a night. As soon as the camp in more perfected we plan to do some deep wood boondocking on USFS or BLM. Eventually when we buy land the camp will go on the land to save up for building materials.

Originally Posted by blueice (Post 1645290)

Originally Posted by the biss

I was/am looking into purchasing a GP Medium or GP Large myself for a similar situation.

Originally Posted by wallew (Post 1647143)

Hoovervilles come to mind. DD, you are ahead of the crowd. Which is ALWAYS a good thing. Keep at it. You WILL persevere.

Study history. You will all learn WHERE WE ARE GOING.

http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features...s/hoovers.html

http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1642.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hooverville

http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm...m&file_id=1981

AND DON'T FORGET THE 'BONUS ARMY'...

http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/snprelief4.htm

http://www.worldwar1.com/dbc/bonusm.htm

http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/bonusarmy.htm

Those who don't study history tend to repeat it.

I personally expect these types of problems, on a much greater scale once the 'welfare society' disappears in a sea of red ink. NO ONE will be able to survive on what ever it is that government doles out.

DD is well ahead of most of us. I suspect that the coming storm will cause most of us to become 'transient' if we are lucky. Downright homeless and helpless at the worst.

Way to go DD. I wish you the best.



TB,

Forget about the GP tents. They take several people to put up. They are hot in the summer and cold in the winter. You can find wall tents on the net and most work as well if not better than GP's.

NOW, if you want milsurp, consider instead a 'TEMPER' tent. They are 'modular' and you can start out small (16 x 16 if memory serves) and then add on to make it bigger by just adding another section.

Calarmy surplus has them. This link also lists GP tents as well, so kind of a twofer type linky...

http://www.calarmy.com/tents/index.html

Mountain Surplus also has them. They also list GP tents and several other types.

http://www.armytents.com/?gclid=CMCF...FQfNIgodtUd-rQ

In my military vehicle collectors club, we have a fairly complete WWII style encampment with several GP tents. They look great. Though to be honest, it helps to be young and insane to put them up and live in them.

We also have one TEMPER tent. Now those are slick. They do take several people to put up, but once up, they have good headroom, excellent ventilation and the ability to expand. You can also add a stove that will heat up the tent fairly easily.

hope that helps...

Originally Posted by Dapper Dan (Post 1634712)

We are camped out at McChord AFB in Western Washington. They have a 240 day limit and 3 dollars a night. As soon as the camp in more perfected we plan to do some deep wood boondocking on USFS or BLM. Eventually when we buy land the camp will go on the land to save up for building materials.

Originally Posted by meatman (Post 1656967)

yea but as soon as you buy land and pay taxes
and buy building supplies pay sales tax

you will be feeding the beast once again.

now I know there is not much you can do,

my point is you will never stop feeding the beast

your giving $3 a night right now to the beast.

but you are living a cool life right now

Originally Posted by Dave Thomas (Post 1642818)

Louisiana? Ain't that hot in the summer?! I still have nightmares about Houma.

Originally Posted by CajunCoin (Post 1658245)

The idea is to go the Mountains in summer (Colorado, Wyoming or Mountana, Tennessesse, North Carolina, or even Nova Scotia (Where Cajuns "ACADIANS" originated and have ties).

Louisiana is a BRANCH OFFICE OF HELL IN THE SUMMER, Compre mon ami, non?

Houma, then you know the Cajuncoin habitat area, SE by 30 miles in South Lafourche!:cooler:

Houma, now the biggest city between Lafayette and New Orleans NOW.

Praytell what you know, PM me.:36_1_32v:

Originally Posted by Golddust (Post 1658270)

Not to derail thread
I have live in morgen city ,,Bayou Vista
good people and better eats any ware
The only place I have lived in the world,
where you can dig 3 feet down and hit water
at 2 1/2 feet...

:biggrin:

Originally Posted by CajunCoin (Post 1658304)

Know it well, camp in Gibson, LA at hidaway ponds, go over to MC quite often, but with the closing of McDermott, MC has suffered.

3 ft down south of I-10, water is there, 2,300ft down we have oil and gas!!!!

Originally Posted by TTAZZMAN (Post 1659250)

I noticed a couple of pertinate questions didnt get answered so i thought i would re-ask them

what method of connection to the internet and how are you posting

how are you earning $

for us considering similar arrangements one of the things i would hate to lose the most is connection to the internet and its resources, archives and information, for me it would be one of the hardest things to UN-Grid myself from

Originally Posted by Dapper Dan (Post 1662785)

First question: Via cell phone hooked to laptop.

Second question (as if it's any of your business): Already answered in this thread early on.

Originally Posted by hello77 (Post 1663022)

I do find the alternator discussion in this thread rather interesting as i was not aware that a "generator" could not charge a battery setup the same as an alternator. I always thought charge capacity would be dependent on total watt output and not on wether you used an alternator or generator (provided you had the right charger for the generator); however, it does seem to matter...is it because they dont make a charger that is efficient for a generator or something else?

Would like to hear more on this as was thinking of going to generator with battery setup; but after reading this it makes me wonder?

Originally Posted by MNeagle (Post 1685526)

Guess I'm not really seeing your point here, in DD's thread. Care to expain?

Originally Posted by Pat (Post 1685498)

Once you free yourself from the money masters and landlords everything seems to work out."