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Meet the 82-YEAR-OLD man who has been dwelling in an isolated off-grid cabin in the forest for 46 YEARS - relying on wood fires for heat and a homemade waterwheel for electricity on 'dark winter nights'
Daily Mail UK ^ | | UPDATED: 07:11 EDT, 20 August 2023 | By SADIE WHITELOCKS

Posted on 08/21/2023 6:32:15 AM PDT by Red Badger

*Outdoorsman Al stars in a short film made by YouTuber DiegoTriesHard

*He first started generating his own power on December 13, 1996

A man has revealed how he has lived off grid for 46 years in an isolated cabin in the woods, where he uses a homemade waterwheel to power his gadgets.

Simply referred to as 'Al,' the 82-year-old outdoorsman from the state of Washington stars in a short film made by YouTuber DiegoTriesHard.

In the documentary, he shows viewers the eco-friendly home he has created on a 40-acre plot.

He starts off explaining how his waterwheel works and how he first started generating his own power using the current system on December 13, 1996, with the date etched into his wheel house.

While Al started out with a water wheel as his main power source, he has since purchased three solar panels which do the majority of the work.

Now he says: 'Mostly it's solar power.

'The waterwheel's for dark winter nights, I use it for two, three hours maybe.'

In terms of energy consumption, the forest dweller says his usage is 'very low.'

At breakfast he will generally have his laptop on while listening to the radio 'and then I don't use anything until probably six at night.'

In the evenings, he says he likes to put on his laptop to watch the news and he will use a few lights. If there is an outage, there is a generator in a shed, but it is rarely used.

To heat his house and sauna, which he constructed in an outbuilding, Al says he has an abundance of wood on the doorstep, which he doesn't have to pay for.

His property is mainly surrounded by mature elder trees, but there are cedars and other species amid the mix.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Food; Gardening; Health/Medicine
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VIDEO AT LINK and PICS....................
1 posted on 08/21/2023 6:32:15 AM PDT by Red Badger
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To: Red Badger

Quick.......somebody get that man a covid shot!!!


2 posted on 08/21/2023 6:34:20 AM PDT by V_TWIN (America...so great even the people that hate it refuse to leave!)
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To: Red Badger

If you have created a good life, as you define it, for 46 years, offgrid, shut up.

Speaking up just made you a target of authorities who will now take it away from you.


3 posted on 08/21/2023 6:35:29 AM PDT by Jonty30 (If liberals were truth tellers, they'd call themselves literals. )
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To: Red Badger

A SWAT TEAM will bust in and do a wellness check on him and he may/may not survive their concern.


4 posted on 08/21/2023 6:36:16 AM PDT by BipolarBob (My urologist Dr. I. P. Freeley helped me and he can help you too.)
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To: Red Badger

Democrats would tax someone like this.
They would say, you cannot use the rays of the sun, the falling water, or the running streams for your own benefit.

Why?

The same people who try to tell us “we” need ‘renewable’ energy are the ones who want to be the gatekeepers of it.... for the sake of political power


5 posted on 08/21/2023 6:36:47 AM PDT by z3n (Kakistocracy)
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To: Red Badger

I’ve seen a few interesting videos of people making power with more modern water turbines. But those are for people who have a lot of flow and/or head (drop in height of the water).


6 posted on 08/21/2023 6:36:50 AM PDT by Tell It Right (1st Thessalonians 5:21 -- Put everything to the test, hold fast to that which is true.)
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To: Red Badger

Does he pull his own teeth with pliers ?


7 posted on 08/21/2023 6:37:31 AM PDT by butlerweave
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To: Red Badger

In other news...

Authorities visit ‘Al’ and his property, confiscate the illegal waterwheel, and red flag his cabin for lack of building permits and public services.


8 posted on 08/21/2023 6:38:01 AM PDT by logi_cal869 (-cynicus the "concern troll" a/o 10/03/2018 /!i!! &@$%&*(@ -)
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To: BipolarBob

Hope he doesn’t have a dog.


9 posted on 08/21/2023 6:38:34 AM PDT by Still Thinking (Freedom is NOT a loophole!)
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To: butlerweave

Apparently so..................


10 posted on 08/21/2023 6:39:27 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
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To: Red Badger

I predict that old Al will come to regret allowing this video to be made. The state and local authorities will now destroy his life with all sorts of inspections and citations for violating this or that code.

I knew someone in SW Oregon who set up a small waterwheel generator in a creek on his property. The device didn’t interfere with any fish movement, stream flow, or anything else, but the state made him remove it.


11 posted on 08/21/2023 6:42:13 AM PDT by HartleyMBaldwin
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To: Jonty30
In the documentary, he shows viewers the eco-friendly home he has created on a 40-acre plot.

***********

The authorities will zoom in on him now for taxes and/or various forms of compliance. He will, likely come to regret abandoning his precious privacy and freedom.

12 posted on 08/21/2023 6:43:32 AM PDT by Starboard
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To: logi_cal869

Don’t forget arson.
Burning wood from trees?! Without government authorization???

Firing squad.

(save the trees)


13 posted on 08/21/2023 6:44:30 AM PDT by RandallFlagg ("Okay. As long as the paperwork is clean, you boys can do what you like out there." -Fifi)
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To: Red Badger
If he uses a laptop to watch the news,then he is not completely off the grid.
14 posted on 08/21/2023 6:46:06 AM PDT by 4yearlurker (Arise and shine,and give God the glory!-A trail cook's morning call.)
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To: HartleyMBaldwin

the state made him remove it

*************

He committed the sin of not being totally subservient to the state. Can’t have people setting that kind of wayward example now, can we? /sarc


15 posted on 08/21/2023 6:46:18 AM PDT by Starboard
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To: BipolarBob

Yeah, there is too much freedoming going on here. I also suspect he is not living in fear as he should


16 posted on 08/21/2023 6:47:14 AM PDT by AppyPappy (Biden told Al Roker "America is back". Unfortunately, he meant back to the 1970's)
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To: 4yearlurker

Plus laptops need to be replaced every so often


17 posted on 08/21/2023 6:48:20 AM PDT by AppyPappy (Biden told Al Roker "America is back". Unfortunately, he meant back to the 1970's)
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To: Jonty30

Or maybe he correctly assesses that his story will be useful to others.


18 posted on 08/21/2023 6:51:21 AM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: Red Badger

What?

An unauthorized electrical generating plant on public waterway?

The jack booted EPA thugs will be by pronto to put the kibosh on that.

How dare he ignore all regulations an proper legal procedures for building such a structure? Who does he think he is. Only the Feds get to do that.


19 posted on 08/21/2023 6:52:03 AM PDT by Jotmo (Whoever said, "The pen is mightier than the sword." has clearly never been stabbed to death.)
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To: 9YearLurker

On the plus side, he’s old enough that it may not matter to him if they do take everything away.

Yes, it’s a good teacher.


20 posted on 08/21/2023 6:52:31 AM PDT by Jonty30 (If liberals were truth tellers, they'd call themselves literals. )
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