Living almost off the grid in Huttopia, Lac Monroe Mont Tremblant, Quebec.

We stayed 2 nights (2 adults and 2 kids) in one of these wonderful Huttopia's at Lac Monroe, Quebec Provincial Park near Mont Tremblant, about 3 hours east of  Ottawa Ontario, Canada.

These huts are provided with everything you need to experience life in a Hut ; you only need to bring sleeping bags, food and drinks. You can buy a bundle of Firewood for $7.50 at the Service Centre.

Cost was about $100 per night but well worth it for the adventures and experience of living (almost) off the Grid for 3 days.

They had an outlet with one light and a small fridge. Cooking was on the fire or small propane stove....

I'd love to find one of these Canvas Huts for Sale, so far no luck. Anyone know where I could buy one ?

Beautiful and clean Lake Monroe is perfect for kayak or canoe.

I caught a 3 lb pickerel in the 1st 1/2 hour of fishing.  You can also rent Kayaks, Canoes, and Stand Up Paddle Boards at the Service Centre.




More Information here :  http://www.sepaq.com/hebergement/pret-a-camper/camping-huttopia.dot?language_id=1

Video from the Lake:

Could you live in a 6' x 5' Cedar Barrel Sauna ?

This wonderful structure is available for $3999 ...

We'll see if we can make some modifications to sleep 4.  Think removable Bunk beds.  You could seat 4 indoors for meals or during inclement weather, convert to Sauna then sleeping quarters at night.

This Western Red Cedar Barrel Sauna seats 4 people comfortably (or 2 people lying down). Each kit comes complete with a sauna bucket and ladle and easy to follow instructions for assembly. Upgrade your backyard today with a Dundalk cedar barrel sauna. Clear cedar benches on the inside can be used for a lying down or sitting up position. Automatic timer and temperature control built into the heater make operating this sauna a breeze.

Features:  

• 4-person capacity  
• Made in Canada  
• 4.4 kW electric heater with built-in timer and temperature controls  
• 3.8 cm (1.5 in.) thick walls  
• Western red cedar construction
• Marine grade aluminium bands  
• Rust-resistant stainless-steel hardware  
• Full-sized door with bronze-tempered window for easy access  
• Clear cedar benches  
• Automatic timers and temperature controls built into the heater  
• Heats up in 20 minutes  
• 2 persons required to assemble (allow 8 hours for assembly)  
• 22.68 kg (50 lb.) of sauna rocks included  

Electrical Requirements:  

• 240 V/30 A GFCI breaker required 

Specifications:  

• Dimensions (L x W x H): 152 cm x 182 cm x 198 cm (60 in. x 72 in. x 78 in.); 
• Weight: 255 kg (562 lb.) 

http://www.costco.ca/Dundalk-4-person-Western-Red-Cedar-Barrel-Sauna.product.10349293.html#

Visit Nature's Harmony Eco-Village, Mattawa, Ontario

Nature's Harmony Eco-Village near Mattawa Ontario is a wonderful place to get back to Nature and learn how to live a more sustainable, off the grid lifestyle.  Accommodations include, Log cabin, chalet, yurt, glamping tent structure, camping, special Group Rates and more  ....

‘Off-the-grid’ simply means living in a self-sufficient manner without reliance on the public utility system. ..... municipal water supply, sewer, natural gas or the hydro grid. Energy supply is provided by eight 120-watt solar panels and a 1000-watt wind turbine

The water source is drawn from a spring-fed well; there is a septic system and heating is provided by woodstoves. There is also a propane furnace that is programmed to come on if the temperature drops below a certain level. Energy is provided by eight 120-watt solar panels and a 1000-watt wind turbine, mounted on a 65-foot tower. The solar and wind energy pass through separate charge controllers which then charge a 24-volt battery system. The energy then passes through an inverter which converts the energy from DC (battery voltage) into 110 watts AC (home power). If the energy demand exceeds the supply from the sun and/or wind, a propane generator automatically kicks in to charge the batteries.

During 2008, Nature’s Harmony received funding from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation under the Northern Energy Program. Nature’s Harmony was grateful to receive this funding as it allowed us to upgrade the existing energy system to be able to accommodate the increased demands by operating a B&B in our home an to substantially reduce our reliance on the propane generator. In addition, the funding was used to install a basic solar system in one of our cabins. Connection to the outside world is through a satellite internet system. High speed internet and the phone operates using Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) through the satellite internet.

"Living off-the-grid isn’t all that much different than living in the city except that we have become much more conscious about our energy consumption. Through this awareness we have discovered many simple ways to conserve on energy and lessen our impact on the environment. Living off-the-grid continually challenges us to think outside the box to find new ways to live more sustainably. You don’t need to live off-the-grid to make a difference. Many of these simple changes can be implemented whether you are off the grid or in the city." - Jen & Tzach Elnekave

$2 Dollarama Power Bank to charge my phone and tablet

This is how I power my tablet when I'm not near any power Source. 

I charge this $2.00 Dollarama Powerbank (with separate solar panels) and have Free Power all week long!

I charge the Power Bank with a Voltaic Solar back pack I won in a Tiny house design Contest a few years ago.... 

I charge the Solar panels all day then charge the Power Bank and  I have a nice small mobile Charger I can carry with me all day long to charge my phone, tablet, whatever .... Now I need a larger Tesla Version for the house. Same idea. 

I couldn't find the same Dollarama Model online but I found this one on Amazon.com for $9.99  :

iXCC 3200mAH Power Bank - Portable External Battery Charger for Apple, Samsung, Android devices and More 

What is Wrong with our Culture ?

The perfect Off-grid Washing machine

Manual powered washing machine is perfect for those who live in remote areas, off-the-grid or in places. The Drumi is reminiscent of the GiraDora, the foot-pedal washing machine prototype that never came to market in the U.S. 

To use it, you first load six or seven pieces of clothing (or 5 lb/2.3 kg by weight) into its spherical drum, add detergent to the hopper on top, and then pour in 5 liters (1.3 US gal) of wash water. After spinning the drum back and forth for five minutes by pressing on the pedal, you drain out the water using a push-button, add five more liters of rinse water, then spin it for another five minutes before draining it again.

VW Camper Van to be revived as a battery-electric vehicle

Oh I hope this is True. This will be my next car, and home ! Read this on Inhabitat :  "Since its launch in the early 1950s, the Volkswagen Westfalia Camper has been an enduring classic, an icon of cross-country adventures and the traveling lifestyle. Production ceased in 2003, but speaking to Autocar at last week’s New York Auto Show, board member Dr Heinz-Jakob Neusser revealed that the company is soon to unveil a concept Camper that would revive the classic van as an electric vehicle."

Volkswagen is planning to reveal an updated version of its Microbus camper van concept at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next January prior to an official announcement by its chairman, Martin Winterkorn, confirming the iconic van’s return to the German car maker’s line-up.

Described as a close preview to a planned production version of the Microbus to be produced at Volkswagen’s Puebla factory in Mexico from 2017, the updated concept is set to showcase a newly developed electric drive system among other contemporary connectivity technologies.

The zero local emission driveline, which relies on the Volkswagen Group’s latest lithium-ion battery technology as used by the Audi R8 E-Tron and upcoming Audi E-Tron Quattro concept, is claimed to provide a range of between 400 and 500km (250-310 miles) depending on the driving conditions. It is planned to be offered alongside more conventional turbocharged four-cylinder petrol and diesel powerplants on the production Microbus, which senior Wolfsburg sources describe as being smaller than the latest Multivan.

Volkswagen’s plans to resurrect the Microbus form part of a broader commercial vehicle strategy aimed at significantly bolstering its sales performance in the US market.