Alaska is a place of extremes, one of which is the darkness during the Winter Solstice.

In this episode, while all alone in the cabin during the longest days of the year, I talk a bit about the science of the winter solstice, and what it means logistically, physically, and psychologically in the far North, where we tend to feel this time of year pretty intensely. 

Happy Holidays and a very Happy New Year to all my listeners! And a big thank you to all my supporters on Patreon that make this show possible. 

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Theme song: Travellers by the 126ers

Fair Use from YouTube Music

Two off-gridders talk! Sara of the Tending Seeds Podcast joins me for this episode as we interview each other in a bit of check in. We are fellow off grid homesteaders & podcasters, and last year she interviewed me for her show which planted the seed, pun intended, for me to start my own podcast!

We talk off grid life, winter, generating income on a homestead, and realities of living rural. I hope you enjoy our conversation, and I hope to check in with her again soon!

Nordic Fox Farm - Shop Herbal Blends

Tending Seeds Podcast

nordicfoxfarm on Instagram

In today's episode, I get into what some of the really difficult things have been for me living off the grid in Alaska. This life is full of challenges, emotionally, logistically, physically, and I've had to go through alot to get to this point. But there has also been alot to learn, and I've gained a great deal of strength & knowledge through it all. In most of my episodes I focus on teaching and learning, but today is about personal reflection, and saying the hard thing!

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My Far North Cabin

Alaska Redhead

Theme music:

"Traveller" 

By The 126ers 

Under fair use/royalty free from YouTube Music

Looking for some homesteading land in the tundra or the desert? They have alot in common as far as being extreme! In this episode, my good friend Steve Hill (who lives rural in the Sonoran Desert) and I have a comparative discussion about the differences and similarities between our environments, what it was like growing up near the hottest city in the United States, and how living there in my childhood mentally prepared me for the challenges of life in the Arctic. 

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Theme song:

"Traveller" by The 126ers

Fair Use/Royalty Free from the YouTube Music Library.

Want to know how to keep yourself safe in one of the coldest places on the planet?

In this episode, I get into how to dress correctly for different types of cold weather, a story about the first time I experienced hypothermia, what kind of first aid skills you need for dealing with frostbite and hypothermia, and what a general set of good daily habits are for living in a cold climate. 

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My Far North Cabin

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Note: I reside in SouthCentral Alaska, which does not see as deep cold as places such as Interior Alaska which include Fairbanks, North Pole, and Northern Alaska above the Arctic Circle which is above all the coldest part of the state. My advice regarding health and safety in this episode is NOT a substitute for seeking medical care if you need it, never hesitate to call emergency services if you or a loved one are experiencing symptoms of hypothermia and/or frostbite. I am not a medical professional, my tips given in this episode are for educational purposes only. 

Cold weather gear companies mentioned in this program:

REFRIGIWEAR

EPIK

Show theme:

"Traveller" - The 126ers

Copyright/Royalty Free, Provided to YouTube by the YouTube Audio Library

Here are some more movies that my Mom and I love during spooky season, some are just a fun ride, some very unsettling, and we went over our time on the Halloween episode talking about them so here is the spillover!

Hope you all have a safe holiday, more episodes coming soon! 

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Music: "Ghost" by Tim Beek

https://www.timbeek.com

Going hiking in the woods soon? Caretaking for a remote hotel this winter? Going to that secluded cabin to write a romance novel? Stationed at a remote base in Antarctica or exploring an alien planet? Even if you aren't doing any of these (or can't lol), there are many things that can go wrong, and some of our favorite Halloween flicks are about survival situations in these exact settings. 

In this hour + long special episode, my Mom and I who are big fans of horror films (and films in general) discussed some of our favorite movies that we watch every Halloween, that teach us valuable lessons about survival, especially in the wilderness, snow & extreme cold, isolated and alien environments. We can all learn alot from these films (especially if you want to live off grid in the wilderness!), there will be spoilers, but all the films we mention have been around for a long while, so don't be sore if we ruin them for you! 

Happy Halloween Listeners!

Make sure you also listen to the BONUS EPISODE with the additional content from the recording of this episode, coming out Oct 31. 

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Music in episode:

"Ghost" by Tim Beek 

(Copyright free from YouTube)

https://www.timbeek.com

Curious about what it takes to prepare for a winter off the grid in Alaska?

After 8 years my list is second-nature to me, and I'm happy to share it with you all in this episode. The irony is that I have been so busy doing the things on this list that I've been a bit delayed in putting out the episode about it! So I hope you enjoy learning about what helps us prepare to do 6-7 months of winter in a cabin in the woods of Alaska. 

In November I'll be doing an episode exclusively about cold weather survival and preparedness, and coming up this month is a Halloween Special that's going to stray into some fun territory, so stay tuned!

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Show theme: "Traveller" by The 126ers

Courtesy of Freemusic109 on YouTube 

(Copyright free, Creative Commons)

How do you keep calm when something breaks down? What are the basics you need to know about fixing something yourself?

In off grid homestead life, especially in Alaska, knowing how to repair things that break is a very valuable skill, and can also save you alot of money & stress. But you must have a good understanding of the basics, know how to strategize, and what to do to keep yourself & others safe. In this episode, my partner Jason and I discuss the basics of engines, tell the story of how our generator spectacularly failed one winter and how we fixed it, and important things to know about All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) & snowmobiles, all of which are key things in an Alaskan off grid rural life. Jason has been mechanically-inclined since he was a child, and he has a passion for how things work that translated very well to our Alaskan life, and I'm so happy to share our conversation with all of you!

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How a 4 Stroke Engine Works

Show Theme: "Traveller" by The 126ers

Free Music 109 on YouTube (Creative Commons, copyright free, fair use

Ever wonder what it's like to travel to Alaska on the World Famous Alaska Highway through Canada? 

I may have done the trip a while back, but its still fresh in my head! In this episode I tell the story of my journey up this highway back in 2016 when my partner Jason and I got the call to move to Alaska, and we drove our truck & used 5th wheel travel trailer up this modern marvel. The route we took was from Oregon, then Washington, and then British Columbia & the Yukon Territory to the Alaska Border. 

This drive is 2000+ miles of gorgeous country, endless mountains, vast forests, raging rivers, teeming with wildlife, and so many places to sightsee & re-create. There are also hazards along the way, and many good things to know before attempting this drive. In this episode I discuss important aspects about driving this highway, how to get prepared, and what you might experience along the way. It was fun telling this story, I hope you enjoy it, and I hope it's useful to anyone planning to make this journey!

Note: since this is a story/narrative format, there are moments of sound effects throughout the episode to help tell the story. Thank you for listening! 

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Follow my life in Alaska:

@alaska.redhead

How to Drive the Alaska Highway: 

Meghan & Matt

 The 95th Engineer Regiment

Guide to the Alaska Highway 

 Book by Ron Dalby

Sights to explore on the Alaska Highway: 

Liard River Hot Springs

Fort Nelson Heritage Museum

Yukon Beringia Center

Kluane National Park

Peace River Bridge

Music:

Show theme - "As We Go" by The 126ers

"Serenity", "Acoustic Meditation 2", 

& "Running Waters" by Audionautix 

"Heartland", "The Engagement",

& "Sawdust" by Silent Partner

"Blizzards" by Riot

All music selections are copyright-free and fair use from: 

Free Music 109

Creative Commons -Attribution 3.0 Unported - CC by 3.0

All sound effects used in this episode are copyright-free from the Creative Commons on YouTube, and are fair use.