Everything you need for a comfortable off-grid life

Рет қаралды 12,813

Жыл бұрын

This week I wanted to share everything that makes our off-grid life here comfortable. It's certainly hard work to live like we do, but you don't have to suffer.
Our solar generator, we use the Bluetti AC200Max: tinyurl.com/8c3zpwzw.
A smaller version: tinyurl.com/y8xb7swz
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Lea van der Eems
Apartado 001144
EC Zona Industrial Castelo Branco
6001 - 901 Castelo Branco
Portugal
Music: Epidemic Sound
New here? My name is Lea and I live with my partner Maarten, our toddler Puck and baby Bo on our land in Central Portugal. We left the rat race in the Netherlands in 2018 and moved south in our old campervan. Two years ago we bought land in Portugal that had been abandoned for several decades. After lots of hard work we now live in a beautiful yurt and keep ourselves busy growing our own vegetables as well as producing olive oil, wine and honey on a small scale. This channel documents all the different jobs we have to do, and sometimes some nice footage of this beautiful country we now call home.
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Пікірлер: 129

@didisalyers4460 Жыл бұрын

I grew up in the 50’s and we had a outhouse and I wringer washer and our only water was a hand pump in the kitchen. Lived that way till 1961. Watching your videos makes me realize how very hard my Mother had it. I enjoy everyone of your videos.

@ourportuguesehomestead Жыл бұрын

Parenting used to be even more work, especially if the family was bigger as well! Very grateful for all the machine help we have now :)

@rollandjoeseph Жыл бұрын

Funny thing is I use a wringer washer now in my house , as it's only myself living here, its kinda fun and grounding and connects you to the past ways of doing laundry. Luckily I have a dryer so it's easier that way

@ironfistarrival Жыл бұрын

Hi , so you must be about 75 years old I guess ?

@didisalyers4460 Жыл бұрын

@@ironfistarrival I am 69

@tomduane1960 Жыл бұрын

I was born in 1960 in rural Ireland no electricity or running water so I know what its like we did not have electricity till 1974

@eleanorchapple8772 Жыл бұрын

Dishes - the everlasting bane of my life😀

@ourportuguesehomestead Жыл бұрын

No running from them 🥲

@BGazzah Жыл бұрын

A great insight to the realities of your life. As far as a dishwasher - you are raising two of them :)

@notajoke4587 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for tour open harted description of your off grid life. Best video so far in my opinion. A lot of people can learn from you..what a great life your kids are having..Continue the way you are doing things. Your kids are lucky to learn what life is realy about. Unfortunately many children think they can have anything they want. Your kids know where their food coms from and how hard one neads to work to get it. Petty aff.😀😅

@thisorthat7626 Жыл бұрын

With children, you definitely need a washing machine. Good to see you hanging your laundry to dry. Your climate is almost perfect for that besides the rainy cold days in winter. Hot water is one of my absolutely necessary things to have. So glad you now have an on demand hot water heater for hot showers after a long day of working. I love that you have a place for your books (and your cat). Your yurt has proven to be quite comfortable for the family. Let's hope the digger gets fixed soon.

@ourportuguesehomestead Жыл бұрын

It's also excellent cat storage 😂 The yurt is great, and very comfortable :)

@keepcreationprocess Жыл бұрын

@@ourportuguesehomestead Yurt donot last long --- it depends on what kind of yourt you have : WHERE did you order yours -?-- how long do you have this yurt ?

@tomduane1960 Жыл бұрын

people use the word living off grid too easy living off grid to me is having no running water , no electricity , just oil lams using a wood stove for cooking and boiling water that is how I was raised on our farm up to 1974 when we got electricity

@joreggelt442 Жыл бұрын

I will keep my fingers crossed for a dish-washer for you!

@notajoke4587 Жыл бұрын

You can also teach the children to do ut and make them enjoy it.🤣

@ourportuguesehomestead Жыл бұрын

If they’re anything like us I don’t have any hope 😂

@MTHomestead Жыл бұрын

Really enjoyed all the information, I am very impressed on how you live off grid.

@ourportuguesehomestead Жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@semqueixas Жыл бұрын

Great. Simple, direct and with some good inside views on your off-grid life.

@denisekoger904 Жыл бұрын

thanks for always making me smile. you go girl!

@shahlatavakoli2084 Жыл бұрын

🙏🙏🙏good advise 👋👋

@keithbrandon8540 Жыл бұрын

Am watching while commenting! What table? ☺ yurts are great. You have it sussed to your needs and is cosy. Cathy lived for years with no washing machine while bringing up kids in rural (very rural)Wales. Loads of water carrying before on tap and everything smelling of wood smoke ( which to be honest is nice if the right wood)! A generator and wind power was the thing then but she survived, kids grew strong and she too reckons it didnt do her any harm but if she had the choice then a washing machine..defo! Compost toilet, yay. In the Pyrenees mid winter, hole in the ground with the spade handy. Contemplating the surrounding snow and mountain peaks feelng like the only person around, couldnt get much fresher than that! See you next time, enjoyed this 👍

@ourportuguesehomestead Жыл бұрын

Wow, lots of respect for that! Hard work that doesn’t do any harm, but we also don’t mind doing it a little bit easier ☺️

@candynewton4945 Жыл бұрын

Great information Leah. Give love to dear Maartin and sweet kids. You look healthy and happy, that's living life to the fullest. Thank you for sharing your adventure. 🇺🇸🌹

@junielaine4211 Жыл бұрын

A nice honest and informative video. Our greetings from Finland .

@JackieWM420 Жыл бұрын

I like to camp for a month at a time and my go to washing machine is a cat litter container with a hole in the lid and a modified plunger, i know it's not to be compared with your situation but just to say, there is a way for every level. i admire your hard work!

@junehitchcock170 Жыл бұрын

A washing up bowl and stomp it with your feet. Used to ‘foot’ stomp my clothes in the bath even when pregnant. Nothing to it. As for dish washing being difficult? That’s a joke right?

@hungariancottageadventure77 Жыл бұрын

great info...i remember when i had one small child lugging my washing to the laundrette in London..nightmare, i cant imagine what it would be like with 2 children living in the countryside

@oliveoil4487 Жыл бұрын

Love the update. Great video

@deehalpern8988 Жыл бұрын

I hate doing dishes too.

@jbyrd2516 Жыл бұрын

As an older person with deep concerns about the impending climate crisis, I am learning from you (and some others) how I can step down again (i grew up in the 50’s in simple circumstances) to a less energy intensive - perhaps eventually offgrid, suburban lifestyle. I stopped using connected gas heating and cooking last winter. The final piece in the puzzle for me has been the need for hot water, and while I have set up an outdoor camping solar heated shower in my suburban garden, the spring/summer here has been quite cold so I have not yet disconnected completely. It was interesting to see the camping hws and I think this may be an option instead. So thanks Lea, for your frank assessment of comfort and costs. I will be donating a one off sum sometime soon to you folk, having now caught up with most of your videos. Much respect. J

@ourportuguesehomestead Жыл бұрын

Very happy to hear our videos have been useful to you J :) The gas shower unit is a great option. In the future we will build something that connects to the woodstove, but that's just a plan for now

@thefatbaker Жыл бұрын

Another informative video, providing useful tips for anyone considering alternative living.

@maximhollandnederlandthene7640 Жыл бұрын

Dishes, same problem here 😅 I even bought paper and plastic to not clean them. 😅🤗

@ourportuguesehomestead Жыл бұрын

That’s one way to deal with it 😅

@ourportuguesehomestead Жыл бұрын

I sure am forgetting some things, like the fact that we cook on a gas stove for which we buy propane bottles! Anything else I missed? Let me know :)

@notajoke4587 Жыл бұрын

How do you teach your children what is edible and what not? What not top touch.🤣

@MyPlayHouse Жыл бұрын

Internet, TV, Vehicles, Insurances, phone,,, Might be interesting.

Жыл бұрын

I thought you covered all the major things. People like this utopian ideal of a "simple life" but they don't realize just how much work & physical effort that really takes. When many talk about "off-grid" they forget that it's nearly impossible to really be off the grid... mail, internet, water, sewer, school, groceries --- all these necessities keep people connected to the grid in some way, you know? It's a lot of work & work-arounds that people are often not ready for. I've grown up in a rustic lifestyle with no indoor plumbing, no hot water, no central heat or air conditioning, etc. We learned to make due with what was at hand, lower expectations, find ways to make life a little bit easier, etc. It's also much, much harder with small children to care for, so I do admire how you manage to do all this (I'm not judging that table either lol).

@sarahnd Жыл бұрын

Drinking water? It seems like potable water is readily available in most Portuguese villages, but you have to go there and fill up regularly. We have used a gravity fed ceramic filter (British Berkefeld) for the past 25+ years and would highly recommend it if you have any doubts about the water quality. I have had giardia (when I lived in India) and it is NOT fun!

@ourportuguesehomestead Жыл бұрын

@@sarahnd we get drinking water from the local fountain :) We also have a Berkey waterfilter, but it tends to clog really quickly because we have some fine clay in the well water

@helenomahony6280 Жыл бұрын

Your very honest and not all the other channels are as upfront, well done 👍.

@sueg2658 Жыл бұрын

I think it’s great how you are managing a home and raising two little kiddos! Very impressive indeed! Your kids are so lucky to be free to investigate and learn about nature and life. And that alone is priceless! Be well and enjoy your journey :-)

@ourportuguesehomestead Жыл бұрын

Thanks Sue!

@marisayanta4802 6 ай бұрын

Great video! Thank you!

@Onubense-zu4ei Жыл бұрын

Hola. Muy buena charla, consejos que siempre ayudan. Saludos....

@deboracarpenter1103 Жыл бұрын

Hello young family I love watching your videos I have a tip for hanging laundry if you hang with shirts and dresses upside down pants too you don't get the mark from the PIN on the shoulders

@CindyVine Жыл бұрын

I'm really enjoying off-grid life and as you say, when things are set up to be comfortable, it's a great life! Getting the infrastructure set up is important though!

@marcusjenkins Жыл бұрын

I totally agree about a dishwasher. My water gets delivered by lorry and is very expensive, comparatively. The dishwasher does use about 1.5kWh a cycle, but the saving in time and water, wow. I tend to use it when the sun is shining and my solar panels have spare power.

@ourportuguesehomestead Жыл бұрын

Certainly much better than dishes in the sink 😅

@lionscircle4700 Жыл бұрын

Thanks. I thinks its critical people know there will be bumps in the road. This channels shows the wins and losses of off-grid living in a foreign country (not that close to the Netherlands). Awaiting your victory video once the excavator is back up and running.(You guys can do it!) Seeding for lettuce, beets,kale, carrots, and artichoke right now.

@louisefourie5846 Жыл бұрын

I hate dishes too. Also wait for a kitchen for the dishwasher to be hooked up. Hubby saying hooked straight to hot water then it wont take so much energy for it to heat up.

@afrlala3593 Жыл бұрын

Good to see that you are comfortable. Simple is great!

@rollandjoeseph Жыл бұрын

You ,my friend , are funny ! The stop on "solar" with the ??? cracked me up. I think we have similar humor 🤣😅 , your laugh is light hearted and a joy to listen to. I'm happy for you and your family. Keep up the great work !!

@ourportuguesehomestead Жыл бұрын

Cracked myself up with that one, happy to hear at least one person appreciated it 😂

@nettp7773 Жыл бұрын

Doing dishes is my worst house work too.

@punjabseth260 Жыл бұрын

so nice👌🥰

@billiegutierrez2506 Жыл бұрын

MY HUBBY AND I do a lot of Boone docking in our for three years now and being comfortable is key to the being satisfied we love our way of life wouldn’t change it for anything loved your video as always have an awesome week.

@aasphaltmueller5178 Жыл бұрын

we have a turkish made american style cold water washing maschine for easy stuff (because of the kids) and it washses surprsingly well - could be a sort of solution for a weaker system - does not work for a mechanics work clothes, of course

@ourportuguesehomestead Жыл бұрын

Those are also a great option :)

@ecocentrichomestead6783 Жыл бұрын

What is comfortable is a personal opinion.

@ourportuguesehomestead Жыл бұрын

Sure, I think there are plenty people who would think we don’t live comfortably

@ecocentrichomestead6783 Жыл бұрын

@@ourportuguesehomestead my brother once commented that his idea of roughing it was a 5 star hotel while my idea of roughing it is 3 day canoe trip from the nearest road. And I thought, if you are going by canoe, you can take a lot of comforts with you! 😁

@deidrespencer5467 Жыл бұрын

Lea, you are so gorgeous when you're talking about the "dishes issue"! I did have a chuckle. Thank you for a very interesting & informative chat, I'm sure it will help many who are thinking of off-grid homesteading. 👌💞

@ourportuguesehomestead Жыл бұрын

Thanks, glad you liked it!

@anniemac3075 Жыл бұрын

Haven't you got one of those portable power jobbies too? Unless I'm dreaming I thought you did.

@ourportuguesehomestead Жыл бұрын

Yeah we have two, big one that’s now hooked to the solar panels and smaller one to carry around :)

@junco477 Жыл бұрын

As always, an honest presentation of your life and learning. Great job.

@sgrvtl7183 Жыл бұрын

Open and honest video and I am sure a lot of viewers appreciate your input. I grew up camping, but not more than two weeks at one time. If long term with children, I would want the same 'conveniences' that Lea expresses 💜💚💛💙

@daffs0 Жыл бұрын

Awesome video Highlights all the things you should think about but often are put to one side Thank you for sharing 😁

@sandrabeauchamp4207 Жыл бұрын

Hello my dear friend blessings 💯♥️🥰🙏

@karen-ud1hc Жыл бұрын

Great video. I always enjoy your calm and sometimes funny explanations of daily life on the land. How wonderful that you and Martin share the same values and dreams, putting them into action. What rich lives you lead.

@monalingan9523 Жыл бұрын

This was an awesome video. I really appreciated you giving us the brass tacks on off grid living. Great information about not spending all your money on your land. Thank you!

@ourportuguesehomestead Жыл бұрын

Thanks Mona!

@jamesrivis620 Жыл бұрын

If I have heard correctly the location you guys have selected for your house is on top of your land. If that is so I recommend strongly that you make sure that you don't forfeit access over emotion.It is critically important that you are close to the road ( for deliveries (especially while bringing in heavy building supplies and) and services ( close for municipal ambulance, garbage pickup , water supply, fire). In the long run the view is not worth the risks. The planet is changing weather wise and an accessible and good condition road is important to invest in.

@ourportuguesehomestead Жыл бұрын

Access to the house will be better than where we are now, but it was definitely a consideration when we determined a location for the house.

@tonyharber8240 Жыл бұрын

Washing up? My mother's advice is to wash up as you cook and the final dishes as soon as the meal is over. Once your children are a bit older get them involved and everyone work together to get the job done. It can be fun as a family? Never leave washing up, it doesn't make it easier LOL

@ourportuguesehomestead Жыл бұрын

That’s not a routine we ever got into and don’t think we ever will 😅

@mareepeters5717 Жыл бұрын

Great video Lea explaining the way u guys do off grid living. Yes laundromats always have a short washing cycle, must be like that all over the world.

@ourportuguesehomestead Жыл бұрын

The ones here are meant for big blankets and people who are traveling, not really as a regular thing… Plus it’s money literally down the drain 🥲

@jannetomlinson1831 Жыл бұрын

We have in Australia washing machines called”twin tubs” used often by people on tank water or limited water or in rentals, also used them living in Asia 30 years ago. Really good as not much can go wrong with them. Looking forward to next year and the house build. Have you thought of making your own mud bricks,good raw ingredients and climate.?

@christines5430 Жыл бұрын

Your videos are so informative, enlightening and practical! You have such a nice, comfortable set-up because of careful planning❤I do admire some off-grid KZfaq's who are struggling and being creative to make their lives more comfortable over a long term, but couldn't imagine living like that for more than a couple of months. For me personally, the infrastructure budget would need to place at the time of buying the land.

@ourportuguesehomestead Жыл бұрын

Happy to be helpful :) Living ultra basic gets annoying real fast in my opinion…

@filipar949 Жыл бұрын

🤣🤣 I think you are raising your future dishwashers 😉

@ourportuguesehomestead Жыл бұрын

Not if they are like us 😂

@tenpennyguy Жыл бұрын

It is easy to ignore infrastructure until we don’t have it. The power was out for half a day yesterday but all was OK with some backup. The solar panel (rated at 200 watts) was delivering between 3 and 8 watts to recharge the system. Such is winter here. I write this from the cottage that had a composting toilet for the first 10+years, with water pumped from the lake. Still no washing machine but the hot showers are indeed a joy. I am sure you will keep adding more creature comforts as your home evolves. Did I hear correctly that the digger is still feeling unwell? Best wishes for a full recovery!

@ourportuguesehomestead Жыл бұрын

Yes we’re still slowly working on the digger, hope to get it done this week 🤞

@bobfmirvine6652 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing, any update on the digger?

@sa9861 Жыл бұрын

Love your way of doing things….. Toilets - my biggest wish is for a household system that does not use potable water to flush ….. Best wishes from Tasmania Australia 🦜

@ourportuguesehomestead Жыл бұрын

I agree! Such a waste of water.

@portugal1969 Жыл бұрын

Time of year, its hard

@manolisgledsodakis873 Жыл бұрын

I wash dishes by hand at least twice a day. What makes it easier is having plenty of space - space to stack the dirty dishes, space to stack the clean dishes for drying and TWO bowls - one for washing and one for rinsing. If you skimp on these it becomes a nightmare chore.

@ourportuguesehomestead Жыл бұрын

Yeah we don’t have much room atm…

@jackierenders9441 Жыл бұрын

I think your toilet has is charmes! No odours in there, lots of ventilation?😊😊😊

@coby6417 Жыл бұрын

🌟👏👍🍀💐💐

@SiviVolk2 Жыл бұрын

As I once already said, I am very surprised to hear such negative review of lead-acid batteries. As a long time user (I have a 10 year old battery that still works) I think that a well dimensioned and quality lead batteries can work reliably. At least in my country, the cost of off the shelf lead-acid batteries (price/useful kWh/cycle life) is still about half the price of lithium-ion ones. Diy systems where you build a li-ion battery may come close, but commercial ones are way way more expensive. Because you already have the inverter and everything, my suggestion would be not to go for bluetti-style of solutions (with builtin inverter&charger) but just to buy quality lead-acid batteries (AGM batteries), buy more of them (so that you discharge them less often so severely) and use the power when it is availible (which I am sure you already do :)). And if in a dilemma, it makes sense to first oversize the PV array before investing into more batteries. Panels are much cheaper than batteries and larger array will help you to get through bad weather for a lower price. Just my 5 cents on that lead-acid batteries can work pretty well, but of course I understand that you would not go for them again. Whatever you do, I hope it works well for you :) P.S.: I did have a bad experience when buying used (old) lead-acid batteries. They seemed fine at first and had the rated capacity but they deteriorated very rapidly. So definitely don't buy used batteries for such a heavy-duty use.

@ourportuguesehomestead Жыл бұрын

I’m sure it’s possible to keep them going. Problem with us is we (accidentally) run them down too much, which affects how well they hold their charge. So I don’t want to take that chance again, the price difference is not that major here.

@SiviVolk2 Жыл бұрын

@@ourportuguesehomestead That is perfectly reasonable and admittedly, such plug&play systems are way easier to use and not do damage. And in the end it is up to you to decide which battles are worth figthing and which are not :). The suggestion that it is good to oversize panels still holds regardless of which type of batteries you choose.

@allenwade6087 Жыл бұрын

the youtube channel gridlessness in Canada with their out house and lots of snow should make you feel some better about your outside facilities, can't imagine the midnight gauntlets....

@ourportuguesehomestead Жыл бұрын

I don’t mind the outhouse at all, actually prefer it :)

@LWYOffGridHomestead Жыл бұрын

We have a composting toilet very similar to yours...would love to know how much battery hours you have, we have 100 ah using 2 24v lifpo4 100ah batteries in series in a 48v system...we use a propane generator to charge them when we don't have enough sun...I actually find washing dishes quite therapeutic 😉...even when I had a dishwasher I washed by hand & used the dishwasher as a drainer/dryer & a hot rinse sterilizer enjoyed hearing your experiences living off grid

@ourportuguesehomestead Жыл бұрын

Right now we have three solar panels hooked onto the bigger Bluetti we have which is 2048Wh. I find folding laundry therapeutic, but I always hated doing the dishes 😂

@LWYOffGridHomestead Жыл бұрын

@@ourportuguesehomestead there is something very comforting about folding laundry...especially while still warm 😁👍

@carlosvictor8679 Жыл бұрын

🙂

@mariacron6743 Жыл бұрын

👍🙏💜🧡💜🙋‍♀️

@101life9 Жыл бұрын

Does Living off grid mean without some basic creature comfort? If one could afford, why not?

@keepcreationprocess Жыл бұрын

Which gas powered shower heating boiler is this ? what is the excat brand you have here installed ?

@ourportuguesehomestead Жыл бұрын

The name of the brand is on the boiler…

@pagegreer5081 Жыл бұрын

So did you get your digger fixed " Back how"

@ourportuguesehomestead Жыл бұрын

Not yet, have been working on it this week and ordered some parts.

@tonisee2 Жыл бұрын

Good overview! A question - what are you doing with your gray water?

@ourportuguesehomestead Жыл бұрын

Just goes into the terrace below for now, we mostly use biodegradable soap so it’s not a big deal

@tonisee2 Жыл бұрын

@@ourportuguesehomestead It could be helpful from water usage point of view to use some kind of reed beds (e.g. in splitted IBC-s or something else) to clean gray water a bit and use that in garden if appropriate. Definitely there are losses but most probably not very large ones, so in principle that would reduce consumption from wells quite a bit.

@salvadorpalma8173 Жыл бұрын

Is the land agricultural? Did you need any permits to build the structures you have put in place to far?

@anitalopuszanska550 Жыл бұрын

Where did you get the yurt from guys? From Portugal or somwhere else? xx

@ourportuguesehomestead Жыл бұрын

A Dutch company called “more for yurts” that imports them from Mongolia

@assuncaomeireles198 Жыл бұрын

Meus amigos se tivessem uma casa podiam tambem ter maquina de lavar maquina para a loiça o que seria muito bom. Noutro dia disse que na Holanda tinham muitos cafés centros comerciais e podiam andar de bicleta só foram viver paa uma cidade portuguesa podem ter a mesma vida que tinham na Holanda agora em todas cidades portuguesas têm ciclovias par andar de bicicleta a vida muito identica à da Holanda. Tambem disse que sua familia nand gostava de Portugal porque o clima era muito quente geralmente o Verao é so 3 meses depois vem temperaturas amenas que todos os estrangeiros adora depois o inverno é longo. Eu tenho um amigo norueguês que vive em Lisboa a 20 anos e ele adora cá estar nao quer ir para a Noruega ele é casado com uma norueguesa e tem 3 filhos todos falam a lingua norueguesa e falm muito bem portugues sem sotaque estao num colégio dos Salesianos e todos filhos sao católicos os pais sao protestantes calvinistas para nao impendem que as crianças sejam católicos. Gostei muito do vidio espero que em brevd tenham a vossa casa que seria um prioridade e eram bom para as crianças terem o seu quarto . God bless you and be happy ❤🩵🙏🩵🙏🩷

@d.i.sgusted3820 Жыл бұрын

You sound a bit fed up with it today, please don’t be, I am operative 0632716 and will be reporting to work at 0:700 hours working with no thanks to pay off my mortgage then be too old to enjoy it! I would happily give it up tomorrow.

@ourportuguesehomestead Жыл бұрын

Just tired because the kids have been keeping me up, that's the same everywhere ;)