Wanted to LOVE this thing - But I Hate It + Future Cabin Plans

[@MynewTennesseeHome]

I've been living 100% off rain catchment for five years. I have a 350 gal inground cistern plumbed underground to a shallow well pump under the cabin. I use a Berkey for my drinking water. I have two IBC's, several 55 gal barrels. I place rain catching containers in every area of use off every possible rain shed. I cover or paint black above ground storage and any open top(livestock) I use mosqitio dunks. I love my ckean clear rain water.

[@deesmith7880]

Hi from Australia. It’s very normal for people in rural areas to solely rely on tanks which hold collected rainwater (we do). It is filtered before being fed into the tank and then filtered again before being fed into the house. The water is extremely clean and free of bacteria. We have 2 x 5,000 gallon tanks (one is mainly reserved for emergencies, like fire-fighting. Don’t be afraid of this option.

[@dorisoconnell629]

When I saw you pushing the the wood into the machine, It was SCARY!!!!! Definitely need a self feeding chipper. Thank God you still have hands & arms.

[@jharvey93]

Off Grid with Doug and Stacy, they use only rain water and have a great system of filtration as well as black tanks.

[@kimwest5634]

Off Grid with Doug and Stacy live 100% off of rain water. They have a nice filtration system. You might check it out.

[@homesanctuaryliving]

So they say

[@TheNightnightowl]

I was thinking of them too.

[@lindakrause8793]

Hi. I'm in a wheelchair for 2 years now and the bed a year before that. I cannot tell you how much I miss the work you two are doing right now. I LOVE working hard and getting physically exhausted. My prayer is to someday get back outside to work again! I pray you two will enjoy it while you can.

[@libbylauderdale1382]

🙏

[@jartotable]

Rain water would be my go to. If this may be a bug out for whatever reason and you have a scenario that you can't bring in water, for whatever reason, then stored rain water would be essential and the filters are incredible. Better than tap water.

[@shannonbrice8012]

grandma would use rain water for all our showering needs and it was wonderful. It made our hair so soft.

[@bjkandrews4806]

Off Grid with Doug and Stacy and Simple Living Alaska both have off grid water systems that might be helpful

[@SB_McCollum]

Do NOT stick your arm in that feed - EVER. *STOP THAT.* NEVER AGAIN. Use another piece of wood to shove things down, DO NOT SHOVE IT DOWN BY HAND. It's a habit you will regret.

[@jeannine1739]

Especially since you're using your dominant hand. Please don't lose any fingers, much less all of them.

[@thetreeoflifegardener4360]

Every time I saw him do that I freaked! I had to fast forward the video as I thought for sure I was going to see him injure himself.

[@laurab8547]

That moment scared me too!

[@HonestyIsAVirtue7]

That scared me to death when he did that 😮😢😬😩

[@kelliwebb2870]

Very true! My dad lost his finger that way.

[@dawnshipley1243]

What if you had a well dug nearer the house and installed a hand pump? It wouldn't be running water but it would stop the up hill trip. 😃

[@brianczuhai8909]

80'(?) to the water. Too long for a hand pump. Then they need more power than their small battery/solar system to install a well pump.

[@inherpeace2010]

My husband asked the same thing, but said to use a solar pump for it.

[@peony0505]

Absolutely! We dropped 100' well on our property by Lake Superior in the U.P. Simple hand pump. No power necessary. We pump 5 gallons in leas than a minute and heat it on the wood stove. Use a portable camping shower with that water.

[@countrymousesfarmhouse497]

The forest is looking so neat . ❤Almost every house in Australia catches uses rainwater, a simple filtration system and we would all rather drink that than town water or bore water. I've never been sick once with rainwater . Thank you for sharing lovelies ❤

[@brianczuhai8909]

Yes, that's true. Our old houses still have cisterns in them which used to collect rain water. Rain water is easy to collect. Clean. The ground well water in Monroe County is non-palatable. A lot of places still have to have water trucks come in and fill their tanks.

[@countrymousesfarmhouse497]

@@brianczuhai8909 we're saving fir a filtration system for our bore water as it's so high in minerals that we can't drink it or even use it for gardens and animals. It'll be great to have an extra water source if this Big Dry that's predicted ,comes .

[@nomir4065]

A self feeding feature on a chipper is a must! Makes all the difference.

[@sherry2836]

Omg, I had to close my eyes every time Todd stuck his hand down that chute! Yes, please get rid of that scary beast. I always find out too late, "you get what you pay for". If what you want/need costs more, go for it. Will save you time and headaches in the long run, as you know. Your property looks beautiful!

[@chic0let03]

Rachel, you have inspired me to let go of coloring my hair. You are are such a natural beauty. I adore watching the active love you two share living and loving everyday. Thank you both for being you! ❤❤❤

[@KC-oo7yk]

The last scene with the light coming through, the trees, feeder, and hummingbird... fantastic!

[@aaronpeters5821]

You could probably get a pump system and pump water from the river to the cabin when you need it.

[@brianczuhai8909]

They have no power. They now went to some 1000 W solar battery power system. I think they need 1800W (12A) for a pump to bring it up that high. And the pump has to be down by the water. They can use water hoses. They do have a building down by the river. They could put the pump and power system in there. They just need enough power to push the water up to the cabin. Once it's in a tank at the cabin, they can pump it from there. They don't have any altitude drop in the river to use a Hydraulic Ram Pump.

[@sylviabradley7355]

I had to stop watching. That is soooo dangerous 🤯

[@Sunflowerdivinity]

I was going to say something similar, but as long as the pump and water stay winter safe meaning the pumps and check valves are all working properly and are clearned and emptied. Water would need a way to be heated if through the catchment from the outtake and a method of gray water system or somewhere for excess water to be relased back out of the home. I recently read a book from Max Burns called " Cottage Water Systems". It's a good informative book. I hope that they find a good way to get water for longer stays.

[@candaced6976]

Find out how to build a “ram pump” no electricity needed and you can bring water up from the river. Or bury a water tank and haul water to fill.

[@cwbrownCaroline]

Don’t forget that with aging in place you will need to consider the weight of water if you are carrying water to and fro, a gallon weighs about 8lbs.

[@katieclark01]

I live in Australia and if you are out of a town or city, everyone uses rain water. We have bore (I think you would call it well water) for cattle troughs and the garden, and rainwater for the house, both drinking and showering. We have no city water at all. We run a filtration system that is fantastic and we have lived like this for over 20 years without any illness. We filter leaves off the roof prior to it entering the tank, and then have a dual filtration system between the house pump and the house. It means we are not restricted when water restrictions occur as we store about 125 000 gallons of water and can still have showers etc when those in towns are restricted. Also best water I have ever tasted, its soft and has no salty or chemical flavour!

[@rg1599]

I catch rainwater in an IBC tote. You can take the two bars off the top, turn it over and lift the cage off. Then paint it with spray paint made to stick to plastic. I used a bas coat of olive green and made a camouflage pattern with brown and black paint. No algae.

[@k.p.1139]

Hey Kids.. 😆😆ya know the rain water gets into the river? So yeah, that would be the smart route. Ya know Doug and Stacy live like that. AND YOU GUYS watch Ariel and Eric too? 😁😁 I love those kids! Ms. Rachael.. I a Cub chipper WITH the automatic feed and guess what?...I was laughing when you were talking about your dreams. We bought a brand new one, and it works exactly the same, branches stuck it's horrible. The wheelbarrow of chips we got was no were near worth it. Blew my free mulch dream right out of the water. Love the hummingbird footage. 😊

[@galeharris6696]

If you watch sow the land, Jason does a lot with collecting water. He has many different sizes of tanks, the 55 gallon tank might be a good size for what you're planning with water. The chipper looks very dangerous!🌻

[@Zoehaus96]

You might look into a cistern. They’re used quite a bit here in Kentucky. There are plans online that can show you how to build one. Most are concrete, then you filter before it goes into the house.

[@melwhitworth3077]

Ok so I’m still dumb founded that Americans rarely use rain catchment. I’m Aussie we all or most use rain catchment water. We use tanks with mesh to stop debris and mosquitoes and frogs from hatching in there. A pump to run water or to suck it up from somewhere. You can get filters to add so u can drink it freely. But if your showering no need really. I’d suggest a solar shower so you don’t have to waste sources in heating your water for a shower. Seriously consider rain catchment. If done right it works amazingly.

[@lydiamitchell6814]

Jake and Nicole off grid living, KZbin, have a much larger wood chipper and it works great. We have a smaller one and it is a pain. We can only do smaller branches. And that gets put in our garden paths. They also show some great ways to set up water. They have a hand pump to get water. The pump was put in years before they got the land. Perhaps that could be a option. He shows how east the hand pump was to install to the water up from the ground. You might set up a hand pump from your creek water source and put in pipes to get it closer to the house. You have a beautiful cabin! 😊

[@chrissyfrancis8952]

Soon as I saw that chipper, I knew it was way too small for what you need. It’s probably only rated for 1-2 inch thick branches. All wood chippers are “violent” but when you have a large one that’s rated for 4 inch or bigger it’ll chew through it! We cleared tons of ground using one. We didn’t need any sort of feeding system bc once it starts pulling branches in, it’s zips through them.

[@justinescotford9174]

We live off rain water. If you are using it for showers and washing up it would be cleaner than the river water you are using. You could haul in your water for drinking just a thought 😊 love your channel so much .

[@fincarosa6767]

Ram pump down to the creek would help with getting water without hauling it or electricity. And you can also hail some for drining etc.

[@KariDee]

We have rain water catchment system and a big IBC tote. We wrapped the plastic part of the tote in a sheet of black plastic (like a gift), then slid it back in the cage. Simple, cheap, and works great! No algae!

[@alaskarangeliving]

We haul our water in a 100 gallon tank. We pump it into another 100 gallon tank located inside the cabin (avoids sun issue and freezing). We have a on demand hot water heater. Shower, toilet (liquid only), sinks and washer are all plumbed into system. Easy to winterize with valves. We use a Honda water pump and hoses that cam lock together. Off grid water systems are very common in alaska.

[@janicechammartin7245]

A homemade hot tub under the stars for your nightly soaks...could be cool.or hot..and a solar powered filter system could keep the water clean and reusable. Cover when not in use .

[@Sunflowerdivinity]

I have a friend, Janice 😊 a hottub would be nice for sure!

[@jamiemagrichJamiescrafttable]

We have rain water collection at our off grid cabin and a ibc tote covered with a black cover built for that we use a pump from a sprayer and a battery pump out of ibc thru filters and into a tank from a rv in the bathroom it them has a pump there and a on demand hot water tank and it works fabulous we do not use to spicket from the bottom so we don't have to worry about it freezing and reacking the valve we pump from the top . it work fabulous.

[@triciasklodowske5653]

Check into shallow wells. They can be done by hand. I think their only 20/30 feet deep. Then there is a hose with a pump to bring it up from there creek. Run it through a filter system then into a holding tank. There are covers for IBC totes. Thanks for sharing. God bless.

[@lindagary7077]

Look into an old System. Cistern storage. Our old house has cisterns. One was fresh drinking, one was showering and dishes and laundry.

[@jenniferrush8231]

My parents use a pump. And pump it up hill. U could pump it up to a tank and filter it as it goes in and out.

[@iwanttobelieve5970]

Definitely rain catchment system.

[@beekind1940]

You both look so completely relaxed and at peace in your thumbnail.

[@chrissyfrancis8952]

Our rain barrel(55 gallons) lasted us 6 weeks (garden watering) of complete rain-free weeks. Once you plumb the sink & shower, you could use “under counter” filters. They make shower heaters that can run on solar. I’m sure you’ve seen them on off the grid channels.

[@jerriscollins-ruth9019]

Rain water with a filtration system works well. River water is rain water with other junk in it too.

[@chrissyfrancis8952]

@@jerriscollins-ruth9019 exactly. I’d be much more concerned using river water. You have no idea what’s leeched into it upstream.’

[@DerpMcDerp101]

Especially these days i feel there is no unpolluted water letft.@@chrissyfrancis8952

[@GeorgiasGarden]

Isn’t that the way life goes? Most of the time we have this idea of how wonderful something will be and it doesn’t end up that way, or you’re just tired.

[@sowandtare]

If finding out what you don't want helps you find something you want, it can be worth it. Hang in there!

[@TexasRoadrunners]

RVer's use a water bladder in the bed of the truck to bring water to the site, a water pump to move the water and for the tote, paint it dark green or wrap it in black trash bags.

[@patshipp9195]

Thank you for saving my ears. I wish more you tubers would avoid the loud noise's. A zip line to the creek with a wench to pull it back up the mountain. Paint the IBC tote black to minimize alge growth. 💖💖🙏🙏💖💖

[@tedzerbe9626]

My wife and I enjoy your videos, I have a small chipper / shredder and I found it to be useless with small branches or anything over 3/4" BUT it works great for shredding leaves and twigs that can be raked up, my wife will use the fall leaves for bedding in the chicken coup through the winter. They decompose nicely and make good compost. I still needed a decent sized chipper for clean up around the property, so I purchased a Woodland Mills WC46 chipper. It has auto feed and will devour a 4-inch tree branch with no effort. It runs off the PTO of my tractor. I realize you're not going to haul your tractor up north just to make a pile of wood chips but if you had the need for one at home that would do the job.

[@monteapiechocki4588]

I would do a rain catchment system and put a filter on it!!! So simple

[@TexasHomesteaders]

I'd put a ram pump in the creek personally. If there's no "drop" you could create one. Rain water catchment would be my 2nd choice with an IBC tote. Amazon sells covers for the IBC totes to prevent algae.

[@ingridskitchengarden]

This will be our 4th year living off grid and I just turned 50 I understand the struggle is real. I recommend getting a black water tank instead of an ibc tote. You won’t regret it. We have a simple propane hot water on demand heater. We find we use a lot of water trying to regulate the temperature for showers. Shop around do your homework. You should definitely talk to Erik at simple living alaska.

[@denisebrady6858]

I agree Guys it did look useless for the bigger wood. Enjoy your rest up at the cabin. cheers Denise- Australia

[@amandar7719]

Perhaps look into making a low tin roof log shelter slightly higher up the hill that doubles as a rain catchment into a water store of your choice of which there are many. It could have a basic water filter system in situ and gravity fed to a more sophisticated filter/pressurized storage solution into the cabin depending on your eventual drinking/washing plans. A water reservoir could have a separate lower outlet for garden hose watering/quick hand shower that could double as a simple tank drainage system when the cabin is put to bed for winter. And the simple wood storage roof down pipe removed or re-angled away from the tank. Perhaps the roof could double as a base in the summer for some mobile solar panels to charge spare generators/batteries kept under the wood store roof when you’re there? As you get older, you don’t want to fiddle about on the cabin’s roof clearing debris. A much lower roof up the incline is safer for water collection . Leave the cabin roof maintenance to someone younger. 😃 Tbh, river water should be absolute last resort for bathing. Loads of parasites and nasty diseases especially when running slower in summer. If you bathe in a river it’s wise to immediately shower off. Even a small tank/vessel attached to the building by the river fed from its roof with a swimming pool chlorine tablet feeder bobbing in it would be useful for a quick shower. Chlorine tablets are activated when it detects bacteria, that’s why public pools stink of chlorine and private pools don’t unless after a swimming party with lots of guests 🤢.

[@nmdispatchlady]

Could you rig a pump to bring a lot of water at a time from the river. Filters are relatively inexpensive. As for algae in your IBC they make covers for them or I have seen them painted black and that seems to take care of algae formation. Rainwater would be cleaner than the river, and it should be filtered as well.

[@mikkishafer3661]

I would 100% agree with you. We bought a wood chipper that same size only used it once as well and now it sits in our corn crib collecting dust. The amount of trees that we went through in the small amount of wood chips that we got was not worth the work

[@cheriebrinker3301]

Love cabin time with you and Todd.

[@annabenedict9419]

The Hummer at the end❤️❤️❤️🐦

[@user-ul9bf4yr5h]

For you water issue you could get one of those large hard plastic bladders that sit in a metal cage. Farmers us them for chemicals. But you can get them for just water.

[@fourdayhomestead2839]

Beautiful place. All the hard work being done now, pays off as we age. Blessings to you both..

[@tinafisher]

hey guys, when I saw that wood chipper, first thing I thought was, too small, too weak! Haha, we live and learn, you guys need a bigger stronger daddy wood chipper for sure, that is some serious woods at your cabin! I dont have any idea how you guys are going to fix the water problem, being 65 myself, I could never haul enough water in a day to do a shower and dishes for myself, just don't have the mojo anymore. Is it too expensive to get a well driven and get an old fashioned hand pump nearer the cabin? Have you checked out Doug and Stacy's off grid stuff, they of course live on that property, so I guess it would me more complicated if your not living on property. Good luck, look forward to these next video's, hope you get a bunch more salmon this fall.

[@amytinney3729]

They do make plastic cistern tanks that can be buried. Or here on our farm we have a cistern tank made out on concrete and concrete blocks that is spring fed. It as well as our well is plumbed into the house and we can switch from one system to the other.

[@wiltinrose37]

Pretty sure Brooke and Dave Whipple did a shallow well video on their Michigan property. (Girl in the Woods and Bush Radical)

[@patprettyman2273]

I thought about water for the cabin, and wow! I felt like I was holding my breath watching you feed that spreader...

[@audreystewart3685]

Love the humming birds

[@charlenegrady8781]

Everything at the cabin looks great. Good luck with the water. Take care✌️🇺🇸❤️

[@shaynej]

LOL, a few years ago we picked up a little chipper like that. we brought it home, fired it up and within an hour had it listed on marketplace again.

[@wandaweber6613]

I lived in a house like that one time and the owner set a septic tank and that is what we put our water in. You would be surprised how far a thousand gallons will go. And sometimes they use those 200 gallon fiberglass tanks and set the just under the ground service.

[@julie-annepineau4022]

I got a chipper from Princess Auto to clean up hurricane damage. I would say get something that can handle 5" at least. Whatever they say it really handles at least 1" less. Larger shoot and more powerful engine (15HP) makes a huge difference. We cleared huge piles and have truckloads of chips now.

[@colliecoform4854]

A friend had the same experience, they ended up getting a much bigger one and were very happy with it. The plan was to sell it when they finished but decided to hold on to it as many of the trees were older and would keep on dropping branches and twigs with weather and wind and as they liked to claim, a bird flew by. Good luck with yours if you keep it but I would upgrade for the sake of your arms and cabin enjoyment.

[@clancarney2541]

I am all for learning about what others do for the whole aging in place plans.

[@betsymeyers1976]

We had a chipper similar to that and found it too wimpy to be worth the aggravation and danger of it. I agree with Rachel. Sell it and burn safely when you can.

[@littlegriffoffgridalberta6837]

Great job guys ! you have a beautiful little place there :) for you water just get your IBC tote set where you want and take a little gas water pump to the river, inch & a quarter line easy to roll back up and put away, in the cabin I use a 12v RV water pump & my propane hot water tank, everything works awesome :) when you put your lines in the cabin just make sure you T them all off with the drain at the low point so you can winterize,

[@carols1030]

Rain water catchment for showering definitely easiest. What about a ggas powered pump to fill an IBC tote with river water as need3 for showering. Haul water from town for drinking and bathing. Easy and quick to implement pumping river wate.😊

[@ASGGregoire]

This might be in other comments already but we have an off grid cabin and we purchased a Joolca portable water heater! Packs down into a tote size and you can shower anywhere with any water!

[@brandysears3546]

Sending support, love, and kindness from Lexington, Michigan, USA

[@trishsmith2811]

We use our shredder / chipper all the time. Love it. Congrats on the great marketplace find!

[@Sunflowerdivinity]

The rainwater could work but i agree with Rachel that i would want it filtered well. Also if there are winters what would keep the rain barrel or the water catchment and water from freezing. There are underground water cisterns that come with all the things needed for set up not sure how much they cost though but it could be another option.

[@shirleyjensen417]

Such a beautiful and peaceful place. Love it. ♥️

[@kaylapilon1447]

We have water problems and when we have low water we have two ivc totes one for storage and one for the back of the truck. We get city water that is treated and we have never had a problem with anything growing in it and this is the third year we have had to use them during the dryer season

[@JoyoftheGardenandHome]

It's a Ram Pump. Great simple diy device. The Nomadic Movement uses it at their Panama off grid property.

[@alystodola]

Hey y’all! You should get a water bladder to fill and transport. They make like 100 gallon ones.

[@ericataylor1708]

So peaceful there ❤😊

[@suzannemartin1202]

We have a bigger wood chipper, yes its scary but works great. We catch rainwater into icb totes that have black pvc tarp wrapped, used for our garden. Id definitely boil/filter if i had to drink it, but not if just showering. We also have a well and a underground cistern for our everyday day use and drinking, etc.

[@suzannemartin1202]

Ibc totes, makes sure they are food grade and cleaned. Ours still had the corn syrup stickers on them. (Can’t imagine 250 plus gallons of corn syrup 🫢)

[@BootsandBountyHomestead]

We bought a wood chipper from home depot that looks like yalls. We dont care for using it alot but we have to to finish our garden. We did learn not to worry about the little sticks and stick with using the bigger limbs and little trees. And you also have to trim all the limbs off first or they wont go thru, like we saw Todd throwing the tree down, lol. I feel ya pain!

[@user-bc1xf5md4y]

First of all Todd and Rachel I love your channel you guys are awesome my suggestion for water is a 250 gallon water cube we have a trailer we go to every summer and they supply water but only until thanksgiving weekend so we have a cube that we use when the water is turned off at the campground so we can go off season it’s been a game changer for us we also bought a 100 gallon water bladder that we fill up with water before they shut the water off for the season and then we drain it into the water cube hope this information is helpful to you guys. Again just want to say how much I love your channel ❤

[@lindagary7077]

Lamprey poisoning happens every few years in west Michigan. Has been on the news here in Grand Rapids

[@kathychapman5942]

I so enjoy watching the two of you work together through it all it's amazing. My thought for the cabin is rainwater because its better or perhaps equal to river water and there are filters that you can put it through but whatever choice you make I'm happy you have that amazing space to spend time together in.

[@sisselsworld]

I have worked with my wood chipper for a few years now and have found that it doesn’t love pine trees, and it doesn’t like dry wood, that’s hard to work with. If I chip freshly cut trees it goes through like butter. It was an investment for sure, but it has brought us a lot of joy the years we’ve had it.

[@stephanyandres5968]

Algae bloom, and different protazoa (sp?), bacteria and diseases can be transmitted in the water. It is correct to boil the water before using and or to treat it. :) regardless of which system you use to capture the water from the creek. Canning the water may help too but it is time consuming.

[@RB-fw4zj]

I have a garden that is more than 650 ft from a water source. We bought a 500 ft roll of polypropylene water pipe and ran it above ground through the woods. Added a few fittings so a garden hose could be connected and now I can water during dry periods from the outdoor faucet. Using similar methods, and a simple pump run from a generator, you could pump River water to the cabin as needed.

[@zormier2002]

What about a pulley system for the water? From the river? Also, bring water from home for sure! Rain collection would be great for garden water or for flushing toilets.

[@dt-paz516]

Had a chipper just a tad bit bigger than that one for a couple years. Hated it. Ton of work for not a lot of product. Sold it as soon as I could.

[@JAYNEmM1962]

We just got one too and just love it,I watched and waited for a good price last winter .this thing is a work horse. Free mulch for gardens

[@ceselb]

A small woodchipper like that is for city work in a small yard for a couple of hours a year. Go bigger for a better time using it. I'm sorry, but I've seen so many do this exact mistake. The few who actually upgrade instead of just quitting are quite happy though.

[@69ferfer]

Get a large tank on a trailer and haul water. There are some farmers here that do that for their homes. You hook it up and go a fill station and leave it at the cabin.

[@marlenegoodrich6598]

At our cabin we have a 275 gallon food grade tote that is in a metal cage that we use for showers, dishes, etc. We took the plastic tote out of the cage, wrapped heavy black plastic sheeting around and on top of the plastic tote and taped it with black gorilla tape (cutting a hole in the plastic for the cap on top so that we can refill with water easily). Then we put it back in the cage. Once we started filling it with water we put a little bit of bleach in it and have never had a problem with algae in the several years that we have been using it. Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

[@nancyrasmussen2016]

I don't know if you've seen off grid with doug and stacy they have rain water catchment system and it's filtered , it's plummed into there house. They placed it along time ago. I've seen those IVC totes that people use for water collection. It's fairly simple. I was worried that todd was sticking his hand in too far! Gd luck. Nancy from nebraska

[@slh9564]

We got a similar one, and doing wood is a challenge. Sometimes, it would go smoothly, but it cloggs and jams when the wood is too big. The positive is that it's great for leaves for the garden beds.

[@MsNancy9369]

We had great luck with the Troy Built brand. They're not cheap but you get what you pay for! Also, Todd don't ever put your hands/arms in the chute!!! There are solid plastic pushers to do that.

[@trishapomeroy9251]

Paint and cover your IBC tote to keep light out to reduce algae growth. I would still recommend rainwater catchment and just filter it, then boil drinking water. But for shower water, rainwater is great! Hauling water gets old in a real hurry when you are talking about any volume of water. I've had the same terrible experience with a wood chipper! I feel like the only ones worth having must attach to a tractor, but I've never tried that kind either. I'm so sorry. I was hoping you had a great experience and could recommend a good chipper LOL

[@faithk_integrityandintention]

Not sure why the issue with rainwater? Essentially that's what is feeding the river, so...? IBC tote system (painted solid to decrease algae), maybe a bit upland from the cabin for pressure. Just a small lean-to or storage shed to fill, and you could have a primitive filtration system in-line or at the house, with sand, gravel, charcoal (like biochar, not for cooking - y'all definitely have enough wood around to make significant char for filtration, and to bring home to charge and use in the garden). It could fill enough while you're not there to sustain y'all and others for quite some time when you are there.

[@iowalayensbeekeeping]

If you have access to flowing water you might try a ram pump to deliver water to your cabin while you are there.

[@junewrogg6137]

I'm not sure why your hummingbird feeder liquid is red? But I'm hoping not food coloring? A simple sugar/boiled water combo is best. Red coloring is harmful to them. Ditch the chopper if it doesn't bring you joy :)

[@amyfletcher4749]

If you set a tarp in front of it you can move the chips easily.

[@kate739]

Simple Living Alaska has some wonderful answers to your water issues. Look them up, you will not be sorry.

[@joeyhardin1288]

Love Simple Living Alaska. I hate mine to but it serves a purpose. Thank you. God Bless and stay safe.