Building the Refuge
Practical independence, one system at a time.
Follow the real-world process of building resilient power, water, food, shelter, communications, and self-reliance systems.
A real-world refuge project focused on practical power, water, food, shelter, communications, and self-reliance.
Latest from the Refuge
The Beginning: Turning an Old RV and a Piece of Land Into a Refuge
Every project has a beginning. Sometimes that beginning is a carefully designed plan, a perfect piece of property, and a construction crew ready to start. This is not one of those stories.…
Read moreCurrent Projects
Placeholder: Rainwater Collection System
This placeholder project represents a future rainwater collection and storage build. It is here temporarily so the homepage project grid can be tested with…
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Placeholder: Pallet Shelter Wall Test
This placeholder project represents a future shelter-wall experiment using pallet lumber and practical materials. It is temporary content for visual layout testing.
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Portable Clamshell Solar Array
Design Concept: Portable Clamshell Solar Array The original idea behind this build was simple: create a solar power system that could be deployed quickly while at the refuge, but closed, protected, and…
Read moreGear Tested
No gear reviews yet. Nothing has been dragged into the field and judged properly.
Field Notes
Field Note: My Temporary Toilet Setup
This is not the final solution. It is simply the one that works for me right now while I build the Refuge. My temporary toilet setup is functional and meets my needs.…
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Rana Meat Lasagna Review: a Good Off-Grid Microwave Meal?
Refuge Field Ration ReviewField Rating ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆ 6/10 Flavor Fuel Efficiency: ★★★★★Ease of Preparation: ★★★★★Cleanup: ★★★★★ Would Buy Again: Yes After a long drive and a full day of shopping, I wanted something…
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Refuge Power Test #1: Replacing the Overnight Generator with a Portable Power Station
The Situation During earlier trips to the Refuge, my normal routine was to run the generator overnight. It worked, but it had several drawbacks, especially compared to an off grid power station:…
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