Freedom in a Can: Adventures with Hamlet

You want to go solar so that you can enjoy camping in your RV off-the-grid, far away from crowded campgrounds and RV resorts!  We see some RVers build huge systems without a care in the world about adding significant weight, while others are concerned about how the extra pounds may affect their towing experience. Maybe this issue has never even occurred to you?   Regardless, with a few tricks up our sleeves to maximize energy production with limited space and solar equipment , you’ll likely be surprised by how little weight you need to add to your overall rig – especially if you replace the lead acid batteries that came with your rig with more modern LiFePO4 batteries !   First, it’s important to remember that solar power is scalable. Solar can power any size RV – from small Class B vans to moderately-sized travel trailers / motorhomes to full-scale luxury Class A off-grid homes on wheels.  If your daily energy needs are limited to lights, fans and charging...

On a Mission to 57! America's 63 national parks are just a small part of the 433 sites managed by the U.S. National Park Service.  It's just a number, right?  Why should we spend so much of our time, energy, and resources getting to explore as many as we can?  Our previous total was 55, but in that number lies all the experien ces that we've had while exploring each park, which shape our lives and enrich our story. This winter, Dry Tortugas ( #56) and U.S. Virgin Islands National Parks ( #57) are new threads in that story.   Now, even the short-term reader of this newsletter couldn't fail to miss how we embrace the great joys of un-planned and slow wanderings.  But, these past couple of weeks have been more akin to a well-organized siege.   We started this mission during the summer, while boondocking at the northern end of the road along the North American east coast in the tiny Canadian village of Cartwright, Labrador . On e morning in late Ju...

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...