Tag: off-grid couple

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Off-Grid Living Reality: Health Challenges, Homestead Work, and Slowing Down on the Land

Ka-Hoon Campground

Off-Grid Living Reality: What People Don’t See Behind the Quiet Views

Off-grid life is often pictured as peaceful sunrises, quiet evenings, and a slower pace. And in many ways, that’s true. But there’s another side to living on rural land that doesn’t always make it into photos and short videos.

The work is constant. The responsibility never pauses. And when health changes unexpectedly, the entire rhythm of life on the land has to adjust.

This is a look at what that season really feels like.

The Physical Reality of Homestead and Off-Grid Work

Living off-grid means:

  • Hauling, lifting, building, repairing
  • Long hours outside in the elements
  • Solving problems without quick access to help
  • Constant maintenance of land, furry kids, and structures

It’s rewarding work—but it’s demanding work. Over time, that physical demand adds up in ways you don’t always notice right away.

When Exhaustion Isn’t “Just Part of the Work”

For a long time, it’s easy to assume fatigue is simply part of the lifestyle. After all, off-grid and homestead living isn’t meant to be easy.

But sometimes:

  • Fatigue becomes deeper than normal tiredness
  • Recovery takes longer than it should
  • Symptoms start to stack instead of fade

That’s when you realize something else may be going on beyond the workload itself.

The Hardest Part: The Unknown

Doctor visits, tests, imaging, and waiting for answers create a different kind of strain.

Not knowing:

  • What’s connected
  • What’s temporary
  • What needs to change

…can be harder than the physical symptoms themselves.

Especially when your entire life is built around physical capability and daily hands-on work.

Adjusting the Pace Without Giving Up the Life

One of the biggest lessons in this season has been learning that slowing down doesn’t mean quitting.

It means:

  • Prioritizing energy carefully
  • Choosing what truly needs to be done each day
  • Letting go of the idea that everything must be done at once
  • Accepting a different pace without losing the purpose

The land is still here. The life is still here. It just looks different right now.

Off-Grid Life Is a Love-Hate Relationship

There’s deep love for this lifestyle. But there’s also honesty in admitting:

  • It can be physically overwhelming
  • It demands more than most people realize
  • It exposes health limitations quickly
  • It requires constant adaptation

And that’s part of the reality rarely talked about.

Still Moving Forward, Just Differently

This season isn’t about dramatic change. It’s about quiet adjustment.

Still living on the land.
Still building.
Still moving forward.

Just at a pace that matches what life requires right now.

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We Finally Took Our FIRST Off-Grid Shower! (But It Didn’t Go Exactly As Planned 😅)

Ka-Hoon Campground

Yesterday was a big day—we got to take our **first shower in our new off-grid shower setup**! After all the planning, ordering, adjusting, and waiting on parts, it felt amazing to finally rinse off right here at home.

Of course, no DIY project is ever *truly* finished on the first go. We’ve still got a few tweaks to make:

* The **drain piece we picked up was a bit too small**, so we’ll need to replace it with a better-fitting one.
* Right now, we’re **placing the water pump inside the shower when not in use**, but that’s not a long-term solution. We need to build or repurpose a small box or container to house it safely and neatly.
* Our **on-demand water heater runs on D batteries**, and the rechargeable ones we bought aren’t doing the trick. I’m going to give them one more good charge and see if that helps—if not, we’ll pick up some regular D batteries to test it out.
* We also need to **install a hanger for the showerhead** to avoid the awkward balancing act we’ve been doing.
* And last but not least—we’re on the hunt for **pallets and posts to build an outdoor privacy wall** around the shower.

Until the privacy wall goes up, showering means dressing and undressing under the wide open desert sky. It’s totally fine when it’s just us out here, but less ideal when we have visitors or campers on-site.

Still, all of that aside—**being able to shower at home again feels like a luxury.** It’s a simple thing we used to take for granted, and now it’s a real treat to step into our own outdoor setup, clean off the desert dust, and not have to plan a trip to town for something so basic.

We’ll keep updating as we fine-tune the setup and build the privacy wall. Off-grid life may not always be convenient, but it’s always rewarding—especially when you finally get to feel clean at home.

http://www.plateauhamedecolquhoun.com

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#OffGridLiving, #DIYShowerBuild, #DesertLife, #TinyHomeProjects, #OutdoorShower, #HomesteadLife, #ShowerProgress, #KaHoonCampgroundAndEventCenter, #PlateauHameDeColquhoun, #WaterStorageSolutions, #PrivacyWallBuild, #OnDemandWaterHeater, #IBCSetup, #DesertHomestead, #OffGridCouple**

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Off-Grid Shower Build: Parts, Progress, and a Bit of Trial and Error

Ka-Hoon Campground

Living off-grid in the New Mexico desert is full of problem-solving—and our current project, building an off-grid shower system, has tested every bit of our patience (and creativity).

We’re using water stored in an IBC tote and creating a basic but functional setup. Since many people in this area use IBC totes for water storage, we thought the parts would be easy to find locally. After stops at both Lowe’s and Home Depot, though, we came up empty-handed.

Thankfully, we were able to order most of what we needed online—and even managed to pick up a drain piece in person that we *hope* will work. Now we’re just waiting on the final parts to arrive. Once they’re in, we’ll start assembling everything. Fingers crossed it’s all the right stuff, and everything fits and works as planned.

This build has taken longer than usual—not because it’s overly complicated, but because Anne and I are not exactly seasoned builders. I’ll be the first to admit: I’m not a contractor.

What’s made a huge difference is Brent’s involvement. As he continues to heal from his multiple strokes, he’s slowly gaining more movement in his left arm, hand, and fingers. It’s been incredible having him able to help again—it’s not only sped things up, but also made the process feel a lot more hopeful.

Every project we tackle out here teaches us something new. And while this one has come with a few more learning curves than expected, we’re getting there—piece by piece.

We’ll share an update once the system is fully installed and working. Until then, we’re staying positive, staying dusty, and staying determined.

http://www.plateauhamedecolquhoun.com

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#OffGridShowerBuild #DesertLiving #OffGridCouple #TinyHomeProjects #IBCToteWaterStorage #DIYNotContractors #StrokeRecoveryJourney #ShowerBuildUpdate #HomesteadProgress #LearningAsWeGo #OffGridLife #NewMexicoDesert #BrentStrong