Off-grid post: New Year's Eve 2018-19 ( yearly review )

It is a good time to review the year.  Of course, this blog was dormant until about August, but the blogging on the topics here existed on the Boots and Oil blog.  So, a discussion about the entire year would not be a stretch.

1) Probably have a reasonably good plan for digging post holes for footers.  This will be the foundation for the structures that I wish to build out there.  Other applications could use the same technique.  Such as building a 30 foot ( or higher ) tower for the cell phone, and for a wind turbine.

2) There have been numerous propositions on how to conserve water.  One of the experiments involved the use of soap.  Seems like I found a way that might work the best, but at the moment, the water problem seems to be quite manageable.  It might not be necessary to be this exacting in my methods.

3) Seems like I have found ways of cooking that use little water.  I have honed these methods done down like a pretty sharp knife.  It takes little water for me to run this trailer now.  That includes everything.  Cooking, cleaning, personal hygiene, the works.

4) I have made numerous floor plan drawings, but not posted here.  It seems like I am getting settled in on a plan that would involve a small structure and the use of my trailer.  This is a decision that must be made, or I am still on the drawing board, so to speak.

5) The swamp cooler success is the biggie.  With this device, I can more easily manage heat in the summer.  However, it uses a lot of water.  Maybe it might make sense to be really strict with water after all.

6) With the arrival of the swamp cooler, I have determined that shade is going to be vital in controlling the use of electricity and water.  This has become an important part of my plans.

7) Control of humidity is more of a problem than what I thought.  I recall last year that there was so much water condensation in this trailer that I had to find a way to drain it off the windows.  It was that much.  This may be a concern, since a dehumidifier uses a lot of electricity.

With respect to the above, one fact has stood tall in all this.  It should be obvious, but sometimes you have to see for yourself.  The fact is that lower temperatures causes humidity to go up. This is even true in the desert region.  I checked into it.  There does not have to be a lot of water in the air. The fact that the temperatures are low is what causes relative humidity to go up.  Therefore, cooler interior temperatures are going to need to be treated with a dehumidifier, or it will get too damp inside.

8) Finally, I am getting to the point where to survive out there doesn't seem to be that big of a challenge.  I hope that I am not underestimating this.  But it seems like I have a plan that could work. I am starting to get a bit anxious in trying this out.

That is where I am now. Moving out there is a very big step. There may not be any going back.