Cole Bennett
April 7, 2026
A portable sawmill left unprepared for cold weather is prone to hydraulic and engine problems, blade brittleness, and accelerated wear — winterizing before the first hard freeze prevents most of these rather than dealing with them as breakdowns mid-winter. Fuel and engine prep before the first …
Cole Bennett
August 24, 2025
Battery storage is what makes solar power usable outside daylight hours, and the chemistry, sizing, and maintenance choices made here affect both system reliability and total cost of ownership more than almost any other off-grid solar decision. A properly sized LiFePO4 battery bank in a temperature-moderate …
Cole Bennett
August 23, 2025
A portable winch (a self-contained pulling unit, gas or electric powered, distinct from a stationary vehicle-mounted winch) provides active pulling force for moving felled logs across an off-grid property without requiring a tractor or ATV to physically drag the load — useful both for getting a …
Cole Bennett
August 23, 2025
Beyond power source (covered separately), chainsaws also differ by physical configuration — handle position, bar orientation, and intended reach — and matching the right configuration to the task matters as much as engine size or bar length. Matching the right configuration to the task matters as …
Cole Bennett
August 22, 2025
Simple Living Alaska is a YouTube channel following Eric and Arielle’s off-grid homestead in Alaska, documenting the realities of building and maintaining a self-sufficient life in one of the more physically demanding climates for off-grid living in the United States. Who’s Behind It, and How Big …
Cole Bennett
August 22, 2025
A meaningful share of off-grid attempts don’t make it past the first six months — not because the lifestyle is inherently unworkable, but because a specific set of early-stage mistakes compound quickly during exactly the period when systems and routines are least established. Underbuilt Water and …
Cole Bennett
August 21, 2025
Bent Hitch Farm is a family-run YouTube channel documenting off-grid living in rural Idaho, covering construction, sustainable farming, and animal care from a working homestead rather than a staged or purely educational format. Who’s Behind It The channel (@Benthitchfarm) is run by Levi and Tania, building …
Cole Bennett
August 21, 2025
A skidding cone is a conical steel attachment fitted to the leading end of a felled log, designed to lift the log’s front tip and reduce the surface area dragging against the ground while it’s being pulled — whether by winch, ATV, tractor, or draft animal. …
Cole Bennett
August 20, 2025
Beyond the basics of rainwater catchment and well drilling, several less common water collection methods extend what’s viable depending on climate and terrain. This is a catalog of collection methods specifically, distinct from the broader question of sourcing, storing, and purifying water covered in the basic …
Cole Bennett
August 20, 2025
Once the planning decisions are made — water source confirmed, site evaluated, permits understood — the actual build sequence on a new off-grid property follows a fairly consistent order. This is the execution-stage checklist: what to physically build first once construction begins. 1. Access and Staging …
