Up grading my off grid cabin to a 5 star rating

cabinguy

Lovin' The Homestead
Joined
Jun 28, 2018
Messages
102
Reaction score
122
Points
93
Ok so I was at camp this weekend finished the enclosure, the shower door has an old time screen door spring so it SNAPS closed like an old wooden screen door. Next camp weekend ill work on the floor and building up a gravel base for drainage.
 

cabinguy

Lovin' The Homestead
Joined
Jun 28, 2018
Messages
102
Reaction score
122
Points
93
Almost done, but was able to use the shower this week end at camp.
IMG_0594.jpg Foraged creek rock
IMG_0598.jpg placed landscape plastic, built frame, placed rock and pea gravel for drainage
IMG_0599.jpg Zodi and deck boards
 

GettysburgGarden

Power Conserver
Joined
Aug 11, 2018
Messages
20
Reaction score
22
Points
35
Location
Gettysburg, PA area
You mind me asking where the cabin is? We are starting to look for property, no need for specifics just general area, and the shower looks awesome, I want one now. I took a look at the Butterfly stove. Butterfly #2487 10k BTU 16-Wick Kerosene Cook Stove. These are still used in canning to do large canning outdoors. And then get the
Zodi Outback Gear Extreme Shower without Stove. When Puerto Rico got hit with the hurricane in the aftermath the Butterfly stoves sold out, the cost efficiency and ease of use made them really essential for boiling water, I recommend the Butterfly products highly..
 
Last edited:

cabinguy

Lovin' The Homestead
Joined
Jun 28, 2018
Messages
102
Reaction score
122
Points
93
You mind me asking where the cabin is? We are starting to look for property, no need for specifics just general area, and the shower looks awesome, I want one now. I took a look at the Butterfly stove. Butterfly #2487 10k BTU 16-Wick Kerosene Cook Stove. These are still used in canning to do large canning outdoors. And then get the
Zodi Outback Gear Extreme Shower without Stove. When Puerto Rico got hit with the hurricane in the aftermath the Butterfly stoves sold out, the cost efficiency and ease of use made them really essential for boiling water, I recommend the Butterfly products highly..
Our camp is in Ritchie County WV . When we first built the cabin we used a 3 burner perfection kerosene stove that was purchased at a Amish auction. The Amish use these in the summer often because their large wood stove gets their house to hot. We found that the kerosene stove created a smell that penetrated all our food and clothing even sealed in plastic Rubbermaid containers or sealed bags. The food even tasted like kerosene probably because the cabin is small. We since upgraded to an old Dangler 4 burner stove vintage 1930/40 that we found in a Amish appliance store . We converted it to propane and its in amazing condition (attached a pic of a similar stove I found on internet ) . The Zodi came with a burner that uses small Colman propane cylinders I'm thinking my stove is more efficient and if needed I could use the camp fire.
300818839333.jpg similar to the Dangler stove
 

GettysburgGarden

Power Conserver
Joined
Aug 11, 2018
Messages
20
Reaction score
22
Points
35
Location
Gettysburg, PA area
Yeah the
Our camp is in Ritchie County WV . When we first built the cabin we used a 3 burner perfection kerosene stove that was purchased at a Amish auction. The Amish use these in the summer often because their large wood stove gets their house to hot. We found that the kerosene stove created a smell that penetrated all our food and clothing even sealed in plastic Rubbermaid containers or sealed bags. The food even tasted like kerosene probably because the cabin is small. We since upgraded to an old Dangler 4 burner stove vintage 1930/40 that we found in a Amish appliance store . We converted it to propane and its in amazing condition (attached a pic of a similar stove I found on internet ) . The Zodi came with a burner that uses small Colman propane cylinders I'm thinking my stove is more efficient and if needed I could use the camp fire.
View attachment 8226 similar to the Dangler stove
Typically run outside.. When you look at Appalachia pictures, there is often a stove on the porch, freezer, etc.. it isn't uncommon even today to see people cooking on the porch or an actual "hag's house" which was a shed dedicated to outdoor cooking typically screened in and completely separated from the house structure. http://stpaulmercantile.com/index.p...ducts_id=227&zenid=tg2tjogikjs4p8obk9auji2792 I currently have a generator and can supply water, refrigeration, etc.. keep things "civilized" and sanitized for weeks or even months but two areas where generators fall short, one is heating and the other is hot water. I keep K1 on hand for heating in PA in the event of an ice-storm for prolonged loss of power and could set the shower unit on a larger kerosene heater. Trying to run an electric water heater or a HVAC off of a generator in sub zero is like a huge-huge-toaster, unless you have a true whole house generator not advised. K1 can degrade and put off a bad smell if the wicks get bad, they literally rot. http://k-100.com/fuel-type/diesel/ But what you could be smelling is microbe growth in diesel fuel or actually the wicks. Just the presence of the burning K1 smells I get that.. just when it comes down to heating nothing beats hydrocarbons. I have had to use the K1 in the past, I store it outside in a shed and have two K1 heaters, oil lamps, etc. It is a trade off between comfort and costs, I'd go gas if I could store enough and keep a few tanks for the BBQ, but to get 30,000 BTU I need to prevent freeze damage for prolonged power outages, I go K1. I startup the K1 outside and wait until the lens gets hot and the burning is clean and then bring inside. If the model doesn't have an exterior drip pan you should avoid.. "Bad odor after the heater is burning is most often caused by low quality kerosene. If there is high sulphur content in the kerosene you are using or if it is lower grade kerosene it cannot be burned completely at the temperatures reached in a portable kerosene heater. These un-burnt hydrocarbons collect on the wick and harden causing low burn and odor problems. Also be very careful when fueling your heater to not let any kerosene drip on the heater. Kerosene spilled on the heater or on the drip pan can cause a strong kerosene smell when the heater gets hot. In addition, if the heater is operated at too low of a temperature setting or with the wick installed too low, incomplete burning of the kerosene may cause odor. A heater should always be operated on high, turned down just enough to keep from sooting."

The following model as an example has an interior pan and will stink horribly. If you look at a parts schematic any tilt or even refill.. it's going to smell horrible
blacks-duraheat-kerosene-heaters-dh1100-64_1000.jpg

The following has an external pan
41TqibpVFVL.jpg


The butterfly makes some good stuff, an external link below.. there are some really cheap China knockoffs for $20 your mileage may vary from amazon. Again when Puerto Rico lost power these butterfly stoves went off the market and simply could not be found and those few remaining were at gouge pricing, I think Fema must have bought what was there ??.. Two good links for K1..

http://www.milesstair.com/bf-A822.html

http://www.endtimesreport.com/BF_2418.html

I'm thinking of getting the shower without the burner, nice product suggestion and yeah I'll get one.. I'd set it next to the fireplace and bring it up to temp slowly, and then put it on a K1 burner of some sort.. but our water in winter is 40 degrees if that from our well, no electricity means no shower, and while water can be heated in the microwave or in a pot on the K1 heater.. uhmmm it's not a real shower!!! Freezing sucks and we could easily do two months without electricity even iin harsh winter.. now we would also have a hot shower with minimal labor.
 

cabinguy

Lovin' The Homestead
Joined
Jun 28, 2018
Messages
102
Reaction score
122
Points
93
Thanks for all the info Getty this site is a great place to share experiences. I noticed that on the Butterfly stove it has 22 individual wicks in comparison to the perfection that uses a one cylinder type wick ( see attached ) do you think that the multiple wicks produce more efficient combustion reducing fumes ? Most the Amish by me use the perfection inside the house in the kitchen area along with the wood wood cook stove. It seems they have a laundry area in a breezeway area between the main house and the Grandparent house ( they call it the Doddy house which is smaller ). They usually use a wood fired pot belly stove to heat water for the laundry and bathing. The Zodi worked out good it seemed like it only took 5-10 minutes to heat the 3 gallons of water to shower temp. I was a bit concerned how much we would need to pump it to pressurize it. I only needed to pump it twice 1st time 10 pumps and the second time 8 for a shower.
331X.jpg
 

CrealCritter

Sustainability Master
Joined
Jul 16, 2017
Messages
11,197
Reaction score
21,914
Points
387
Location
Zone 6B or 7 can't decide
In my opinion... Nothing beats a wood/coal burner stove for heat during the cold months. We have a propane furnace and I don't like it that much at all. Yes it's convenient and all but it can get pretty expensive to run if the price of propane jumps in price
 
Top