New Propane Heater

I'm still experimenting with different space heaters to heat my tent in Autumn. The wood stove is just too hot to fire up until December, so I need a space heater to get me through October and November.

My first two Winters, I used a kerosene space heater. Kerosene heat is very economical and puts out about 22K BTUs, which is more than enough for my needs. But while kerosene heat has some nice advantages, I just didn't like the mess and the fumes, so last year I switched to propane. I chose a Mr. Heater MH15T tank-top heater, which puts out about 15K BTUs. The tank-top heater was also very economical, provided plenty of heat, was very convenient, and gave off no fumes. But the tank-top heater was a bit difficult to connect to the tank, and I just didn't like the design, from a safety standpoint. It had an automatic shut-off in case it tipped over, but I still didn't like the higher center of gravity on the tank, and the idea that the heater was physically connected to the tank. Also, the wiring from the thermocouple to the shut-off valve was just sort of hanging off to the side where it could be easily damaged. In fact, the thermocouple failed last Spring, but whether that was due to the wiring or to something else I don't know.

A few weeks ago, I went shopping for a new propane heater to replace the old tank-top that broke last Spring. I had been pretty pleased with the tank-top heater, and fully intended to just buy another one, until I saw the Mr. Heater MH9BX Portable Buddy propane heater.

Mr. Heater MH9BX Portable Buddy

The Portable Buddy had a lot of features that I really liked. It was a separate unit that attached to the propane tank with an adaptor hose, which meant that I could keep the tank outside of the tent if I wanted. It also had an electric ignitor, which wasn't available on the tank-top heater. It had an automatic shut-off in case of tip, like the tank-top model, but it also had a shut-off in case of low oxygen. And it was much easier to move around than the tank-top model. The Portable Buddy also had a more refined radiant panel, which provided a much quieter burn.

On the down-side, the Portable Buddy is nearly twice the price of the tank-top model, and it only offers 9K BTUs. That's only enough heat to raise the temperature in my tent by 20 degrees or so (compared to 30 degrees with the 15K BTU tank-top model). With only a 20 degree increase, the 9K BTUs will only get me into the low-60s on those cold November mornings in Virginia.

After scratching my head a bit, I decided to go ahead and try the Portable Buddy. I also purchased a 5' adaptor hose and decided to just leave the tank inside the tent for now (probably a mistake!) I've only used the heater a few times so far, but I like it a lot.The heater is nearly silent when it burns, and has a beautify orange glow that lights up my dark tent in the early morning. As the days get colder, I'll probably have to supplement the heater by burning my propane cook stove, too, which I occasionally do anyway. But the lower BTUs is more than compensated for by the improved safety over the tank-top model, which is a big advantage for me.

Reflections on Election Night

It's Election Night 2014, and millions of my fellow American citizens are voting. I won't be joining them. I don't vote anymore.

I know that it's my duty to vote. And I know that we are blessed in this country to have the opportunity to vote. That democracy only works when the citizens speak their will at the polls. I still believe in democracy, that it's the best form of government that man has so far devised, and perhaps ever will devise. But lately, the very idea of voting in America turns my stomach.

The US Federal Government is an abomination. It is a vile and shameful thing, and I detest it. It epitomises the very worst in human nature. Greed. Power. Ego. Injustice. Deceit. And I will not be a part of it any longer.

I don't complain about how thing are going in this country anymore, either, for I know that this ship is on its own course now, the captain and crew having some time ago left their positions in order to meet with lobbyists and capitalists and other powerful and influential people. And although the multitude of passengers sense that something is amiss because the vessel is listing so badly, the officers on board remain confident that between them all, they will always remain in control, each taking their turn as captain or commander or lieutenant or midshipman with each passing election. And so it is tonight, when the passengers are allowed to cast their votes, and the crew is obliged to switch their hats and uniforms in accordance before returning to their politics. But the ship! Is anybody tending to the ship!

I will always obey the laws of this land, and respect the authority of it's appointed agents, and do my best to be a good citizen in other ways. But I will not sanction this abhorrent government by casting even one single vote in the affirmative, for I strongly disagree with it all. I loathe it's very nature now, and I cannot find even a remnant of anything holy or righteous anywhere in it.

This government only affects me in as much as I let it, so I don't let it. This government is dead to me now, so no, I won't be voting. But to my fellow citizens who still believe in such things: Here's to your candidate winning the election and fixing things up! Good luck! In the meantime, I'll be in my cabin, enjoying what's left of the cruise (and perhaps fashioning a life boat).

Expectations and Appreciation

I used to have pretty high expectation, and the funny thing is, I never realized it at the time. I thought my expectations were just normal. Well, actually, I didn't really even see them as expectations at all. I just figured that things should work the way that they were supposed to work, and when they didn't then something was wrong. Like if I flipped on a light switch and the room didn't light up, or if the refrigerator was on the blink, or the roof was leaking, or the lawn mower wouldn't start, things like that. It was just normal to go through my life thinking that things should work, and when they didn't then it was normal to complain. It had nothing to do with my expectations being too high, or so I thought.

In fact, I used to complain all the time. Like how my dinner was too cold, or my beer was too warm, or there was nothing good to watch on television. Sometimes I'd get a double wammy, like I'd be flipping through the TV channels complaining about the lousy programming and the batteries in the remote would die. Damn it!

It seemed like the more I surrounded myself with things that were supposed to make me happy and comfortable, the more I found things to complain about. Things were supposed to be comfortable and perfect, right? But there was always something going wrong.

Now, after a few years of tent living, I realize that my expectations were ridiculously high, and my appreciation was pathetically low. But waking up to those facts was a slow process.

One of my early realizations came on a cold Winter's day a couple of years ago. It was a Saturday morning. I woke up to the sunrise lighting up the back of my tent. The wood stove had burned down to coals but it was still pretty pleasant inside, maybe 50 degrees. I got out of my warm bed, stoked the fire, started a pot of coffee on my propane stove, and stepped outside onto my plywood stoop. I was only wearing long johns so the 20-degree temperatures really hit me.

It was a beautiful Winter's day. It had snowed through the night, the air was still, and the sky was blue. A few song birds were darting about, foraging for food and perching on sunny branches trying to warm themselves after a long, cold night.

I watch birds a lot when I'm outdoors. I think about them a lot, too, because they're one of my favorite symbols of freedom. They live simply, they're pretty good at avoiding predators and staying safe, and they can fly! But they pay a high price for their freedom, like having to constantly forage for food, and spending cold Winter nights out in the elements.

I watched the birds for another minute, maybe two, but then I got cold and went back inside. The fuel in the wood stove had taken off and the inside temperature was in the 70s now. And while my morning coffee perked on the stove, I got dressed for the day. I had a wonderful, comfortable, simple, peaceful day that day. It was glorious, and I appreciated every moment.

My lifestyle is not easy. It's not what most people would call "comfortable". But it's an absolute paradise compared to the lifestyle of my animal friends, and I'm thankful for that. I have warm shelter in the Winter. I never worry about food. And I'm safe and secure. What more should I expect? I've brought very few man-made items into my life, and I've chosen them carefully. Like a poly tarp for shelter from rain and snow and Summer's heat. And a propane stove for clean, convenient heating and cooking. Things like that, but only a few, important things. Things that are simply and inexpensive. Things that rarely break and serve me well. I appreciate those things because they bring great benefits into my life.

At the same time, I have nothing bad to say about living close to Nature. She has always fully met all of my expectations. Summer is hot and Winter is cold, just as it should be. I've seen all the different sides of Nature, and I have no complaints.

I used to be soft and spoiled, living far removed from Nature and complaining all the time. I'm so thankful that I don't have to live like that anymore. Now, I live a simple life in a tent in the woods. I own almost nothing, and I am so, so very blessed. I know it's counter-intuitive, but that's how it is. The closer I've gotten to Nature, and the fewer man-made items that I've brought into my life, the more appreciative and thankful I've become. There's nothing to complain about in my life now, and so many little, simple things to be thankful for. The birds, they have things to complain about. But me, I'm by far the luckiest animal in the woods.

Autumn in the Air

This morning I woke up to 65 degrees. That wasn't unusual for this Summer. There have been plenty of cool mornings like this, but today was different. For the first time, Autumn was in the air. I could feel it in the trees and see it in the sky. The shady awning of Autumn has now dropped across the northern hemisphere, and it won't beginning lifting again until the first day of Winter.

Our four seasons

I brought in a load of firewood a few days ago and told myself that is was for Autumn campfires with friends. But some of it will remain as Winter approaches, to be burned in my woodstove in the coming weeks. I'm not ready for Autumn yet. Usually by the end of August, I'm happy to see shorter days and cooler nights, having spent too many hot Summer nights sweating as I lay in bed. But not this year. It's mid-September now, and I miss the heat of Summer already.

A Different Way to Search for Land

I plan to move to Rappahannock County, Virginia next Spring. It's the next county over from where I live now, just to the northwest. It's beautiful. The Blue Ridge Mountains occupy the western part of the county so there are plenty of clear streams, and mountain views everywhere you look. There's plenty of raw land, too, with only 8,000 or so people living in the county. It's a great place to live, and seems ideal for tent living.

I only decided upon Rappahannock County a few weeks after conducting a more general land search last July. I ran the usual craigslist ad and put the word out on Facebook. I got the usual interesting responses and met some new people. I even had an offer to stay on some property in West Virginia, but that didn't work out. During that search, a couple of Facebook friends mentioned Sperryville, Virginia, which is in Rappahannock County. I had always liked Sperryville, so when my friend, Darlene, mentioned that she had met a lot of interesting people at The Headmaster's Pub in Sperryville, I decided to go check it out.

Following her advice, I went to the Headmaster's Pub that next weekend and immediately realized that Sperryville was my kind of place. The people there are great and it was easy to make new friends. I go there nearly every Friday now, and at some point I'm sure that I'll make a connection that leads me to land.

I've tried the craigslist approach three different times now. Each time it's been somewhat fruitful, and has led me to some interesting people, but I've yet to find land that way. On the other hand, I've had good success finding land by getting the word out to friends. So from here on out, I'm giving up on advertising to the general public. And now that I've decided upon Rappahannock County, I'm going to keep hanging out at Headmaster's Pub, meet some new friends, and wait for that certain sequence of events that leads me to my new home.

What is Tent Living Really About?

When I first started living this way, I thought I knew what it was going to be like. After all, I'd done a lot of camping in my life, so I just figured that living this way would be like an extended camping trip.

Turns out I had no idea what I was getting into. Living in a tent has taken me places that I never could have imagined.

When I first started out, I thought this way of life was all about getting my tent set up properly and solving all the technical problems. And it was, for awhile, but soon I got everything worked out. Then, I realized that this way of life was really about living simply and reducing stress. And it was. But then, from that relaxed state of mind, I began to realize that this way of life was really more about reconnecting with Nature, and seeing myself as part of it. So that became the focus of tent living, for awhile, until I began to clearly see that there is an incredible, beautiful, simple and yet complex, awe-inspiring natural order to how all life on this planet behaves and interacts. And from that new vantage point, it became clear that we humans are largely in violation of that natural order, and that we suffer dearly for that. So I became a "tentvangelist" for awhile, spreading the good news about tent living! Until I finally had to acknowledge that I would probably never "convert" even a single modern human to this way of life.

And now, after nearly three years of living this way, I see that tent living is about living freely, and being true to ourselves, and staying close to God.

Living in a tent has been an incredible journey. It's been a winding road, with new surprises around every bend. And surprisingly, tent living isn't really about tents at all. It's about living. Living close to nature, without the distractions of electrical devices. Living without a "to do" list. Living without debt, and without the need for full-time employment. Living a healthy life in which you are rich in time and free to pursue your gifts and passions. It's about being free, and living the way God intended us all to live.

I've journeyed pretty far down this road now, and I'm getting further away from civilization all the time. I'm pretty sure this is a solo journey, since new recruits are hard to come by. So I'll just keep reporting from the other side, and keep hoping that maybe, someday, a struggling soul will have the courage and faith to take the leap, and find their own way to freedom.

Bad Neighbors, The Conclusion

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Okay, I’ll admit it, I’m not normal. I live in a tent. I don’t have electricity. I carry in water. I mean, come on! I realize that society can only tolerate so much deviation from the norm, and I’m one of those anomalies. The threads of our social fabric must remain more or less aligned, in a normal pattern, or the social structures that we all depend upon will weaken and tear. My lifestyle doesn’t fit well in society and that bothers some people, like Alan.

When Alan and I were talking that day, he tried to explain to me why tent living bothered him so much. "What if everybody lived that way?" he had asked. I knew the point he was trying to make. When he imagined millions and millions of people living simply, off the grid, largely removed from the economy, and unconcerned with property, he saw chaos.

"That’s not a fair question", I said, knowing full well where his imagination had already taken him. "Because I think it would be wonderful."

I’m abnormal, and therefore to some, I’m a threat. Many people in this country are afraid right now. It’s an uneasy time for us. We’re completely dependent upon our social institutions, and the systems that we’ve always depended upon for employment and protection have shown themselves to be fragile and weak. This generation is slowly waking up to the fact that our social institutions are not built of stone, but are built of cards. And we are all sitting on top of that house, having been told all our lives that is was the right thing to do.

If Alan lived in a more stable society, built upon a solid foundation, then I think he might be less fearful and more tolerant of people like me. He would know that nothing could possibly threaten his social order. But unfortunately the institutions in Alan’s world were built upon greed and the desire for power. In our society, it’s normal to take what you can, and unusual to give what you can. So I understand Alan’s concerns, and I still believe him to be a good person. And who knows, perhaps one day, if he can get his mind around it, he might decide to leave his fears behind, jump off his house of cards, and move into a tent! But before he does that, I’d have to warn him about the neighbors.

The End