Freedom in a Can: Adventures with Hamlet

Back in the Familiar & Strange... There's this hike near the town of St Anthony on the Great Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland, and we can't get it out of our minds.  It strikes exactly  the  right balance between  input   effort and visual payoff as it winds through green rolling hills, and towering cliffs above the sea.  Like many hikes in the province, the views remain unobstructed by the quirky happenstance of soil biology, growing season, and ocean climate.  The few trees that do grow along this boggy shore are stunted and stubborn.  We summertime visitors only know the fleeting sunshine season while they scratch out a determined existence making the most of what they can.  In the distance, islands and capes peek through ocean mist, and at the right time of year, icebergs float by on the Labrador current  like moving skyscrapers .   Every corner and hilltop offers another chance to prove the inadequacy of our cameras....

You don't want to end up like these folks that we saw at a Flying J Travel Plaza along I-10 in the New Mexico. Seriously, what's going on here...Man Cave? She Shed? Mobile Office? In-Laws Suite? We'll never know... If you are new to RVing, or  considering going full-time , there are many options, styles, and opinions out there, but the most important factor is how YOU plan to use YOUR home-on-wheels. Ask yourself... Are you going to travel nearly every day?  Are you going to select a region and stay put for several weeks before moving on?  Do you plan on exploring national parks in the U.S. or Canada?  Will you be working from the road?  Will you need internet and/or a dedicated workspace? Do you plan to be plugged in at an RV resort or boondock with solar in the desert? Do you want to be able to live in both freezing temperatures as well as hot summer weather? While our first RV is still our only RV (after 13+ years of full-time use), let's just say that...

Over the past 12 years of off-grid living, we’ve encountered some significant weather extremes during our travels across the continent.  Believe it or not, we’re writing this blog during an ice storm that has knocked out grid power all over the High Country of North Carolina, so our timing could not be more poignant!  While our system has been fine, we’ve needed to rely on just about every trick we have to stay powered up in the cold. Last winter, North America saw some pretty weird weather; snow on the ground for days in New Orleans, Louisiana, icy blizzards across the mid-Atlantic states.  As severe storms become stronger and more difficult to predict, the obvious questions arise:  Will the solar panels keep up, will the batteries get too cold, what if the system goes down?   With just a few strategies and the right equipment, you can be prepared for whatever Mother Nature throws at you.  Winter’s Impact on Solar Systems Solar powered systems don't really...

Whether you are living in an RV, off-grid cabin/home, or boat, you can power everything from lights and computers to refrigerators and instant pots with energy from the sun.  We’ve been powering our off-grid RV life for over 12.5 years as we’ve traveled, worked, and played around the North American continent.  Designing a solar powered system that works for your rig / home, your lifestyle, and your energy needs is key to success and satisfaction with your system! When building a system, folks often start by researching solar panels options. You’ll immediately note that the most common panel voltages are 12V and 24V, which refers to the maximum system voltage a single panel is designed for – and this voltage directly impacts system performance and efficiency.  With a deeper dive into the specs, you’ll find that panels come in various wattages and styles. Going further, you learn that both 12V and 24V panels can be set-up in various configurations and roof top panels can be...