Mimimalism

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Mimimalism

Postby GeorgeTelford » Thu Oct 06, 2005 6:47 pm

The teardrop is a minimalist design, I am looking at stretching the envelope for wild camping, how do you eradicate any need for outside power. As a survival pod a tear is fantastic

Shelter and warmth

Insulation, perfect insulation would mean heat once to right temp and then never require heating or cooling again, unfortunately we need to breath and get in and out every now and then, but with good insulation we can virtually remove the need to heat, one body produces 300 Btu's as a minimum, with 2 people subzero temperatures should be easy to cope with, candles could be employed to good effect. Also working on a micro solid fuel heater for tiny spaces.

Could I ask those that have an insulated tear do you ever need to use a furnace? If you do, could you give me an idea of the outside temperature, the level of insulation? how long you need to run for etc.

Cooling, several Ideas I have to look into here, micro breezes to assist the bodies natural cooling, shading and obviously the insulation will help.

Water, I favour a top notch water purifcation system like the Nature pure, this means that in a pinch even dirty ditch water can be made safe, clear and tasty, thus requires a decent electric pump but as its such an infrequent use solar power no probs. or revert to hand or foot pump


Light, Led's for micro power consumption, candle if heat and light required.


Cooking and hot drink making, small solid fuel, solar ovens would work in certain countries (all countries for certain parts of year) any of these methods can also be used for hot water.

Only the first few idea's thrown out here for feedback
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Postby mikeschn » Thu Oct 06, 2005 7:35 pm

A few more ideas here...

http://www.mikenchell.com/weekender/bugout.html

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Postby GeorgeTelford » Thu Oct 06, 2005 8:43 pm

Hi Mike

It was the Weekender that sowed the seeds for this with me, I am looking to further escape the umbilical by not using gas, by using so little elec power that solar would cope.

gotta get some sleep 2:45 am here
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Postby Q » Thu Oct 06, 2005 8:47 pm

I've thought about what I would do in the case of a bird flu pandemic. Possibly drive out into the desert and wait it out.

I think you would need some heat source if you lived at my latitude, 44 degrees, even with thick insulation. A tiny wood stove to burn a few twigs would be an option. There is always dry sage brush around here. You could cook on a tiny wood stove also.

For staples I would take a lot of basmati rice, wheat berries, and canned tahini. A creek with a water filter would suffice for a water supply. Solar power to power the radio and TV.

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Postby vinoscooter » Sat Oct 08, 2005 12:25 am

Q Here's a link for a couple small wood stove idea's...The hobo stove i built,the trail stove & volcano kettle i purchased on ebay cheap..The trail stove is my favorite..I also have 2 UNCLEJACK stove's ,propane & a wood burner.The wood burner is approx,14"long x 11" wide x12" tall w/out the chimney...I use a standard drain pipe for the chimney..Cheap to replace..You can cook a meal for 4 no problem...Burns hot useing little wood...northern tool used to carry them..Been on their site,didn't see em...Searches turned up nothing eighter...They used to sell them as an Ice Fishing Stove.../Ice shanty/stove..Also have made many a sage brush fire..Hot burning little suckers :)

http://www.journeytoforever.org/edu_hobostove.html

This is a link for a great suvival food..Have used them,they Work.

http://www.foodreserves.com/survival-kit.html

Take care.vinoscooter
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Postby vinoscooter » Sat Oct 08, 2005 6:07 pm

Found the info on my unclejack stove..It's being marketed by NU-WAY
It's allmost the same stove but a newer model than mine..Not a bad price eighter. Also they still sell the propane model's...Great little,light weight,stoves..Also had 1 of the sportmans guide fold up wood stoves..(if they still sell them) Was to big,to heavy for my camping style...

http://www.nuwaystove.com/products/model965.htm

http://www.nuwaystove.com/

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Postby mikeschn » Sat Oct 08, 2005 6:12 pm

GeorgeTelford wrote:Hi Mike

It was the Weekender that sowed the seeds for this with me, I am looking to further escape the umbilical by not using gas, by using so little elec power that solar would cope.

gotta get some sleep 2:45 am here


Can you expand on that George...

What would you do for heat or air conditioning? Just wondered!

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lifelines

Postby jay » Sat Oct 08, 2005 8:14 pm

pack laptop w/wireless internet & cd-dvd's, camera, & cell phone - all with their adapters, batteries, & chargers. and a pair of binoculars.
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Postby vinoscooter » Sat Oct 08, 2005 8:27 pm

How about a coloring book, Basket Weaving kit, & Mule to talk to...But don't forget the solar powerd night vision binocular's..& most important thing, The Blow up Party Doll.. :)
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Postby GeorgeTelford » Sun Oct 09, 2005 5:28 am

Hi Mike

If insulation were perfect (I know it cant be, we have to breath after all) then once set at a temperature it would remain forever. Of course this cannot be achieved, but with good insulation very low heating and cooling requirements can be achieved.

So the reality is we have to replace the losses

One human being produces at least 250 Btu's an hour, so 2 would produce at least 500 Btu's per hour, lets say a tear with 1 1/2" polystyrene loses 745 Btu an hour.

That would mean that one person and one decent candle would easily maintain a 60 Deg F difference betwen inside and outside.

But if you were to use kingspan insulation the losses would be 560 Btu, that would mean 2 people could maintain a difference from 0 F outside to 56 F inside with no heating at all.

Cooling, a simple power free breeze can be set up by opening a top vent and allowing cooler air from the shadow under the tear.

Keep sunlight out, shade windows.

Gentle breeze over a person as a most beneficial cooling effect, the bodies natural cooling mechanism is evapourative, a couple of computer fans are extremely low overheard and can easily be run via tiny Solar panel, swamp cooler is next stage up use wicking material rather than a pump.

Thats just a few ideas to play with for now.
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Postby vinoscooter » Sun Oct 09, 2005 1:53 pm

I don't believe you can use body heat as you say...

.. One human being produces at least 250 Btu's an hour, so 2 would produce at least 500 Btu's per hour...

The balnket/sleeping bag effect...80% of body heat would be trapped within blankets...Not heating the tear at all...The point is then, to keep warm and you would,but the covering would do the warming...Keeping warm,w/ a safe body temp would be the goal..While testing suvival principle's years ago,we'd drape survival blankets, ( nasa technology) around us, hanging useing string,so they did not touch us..reducing the air space to be heated...Then a candle down to about 35 degress would keep the smaller air space warm...comfortable w/just clothes no blankets..In extreme heat,we found sipping on cool water, soaking a towel & wiping your body down w/it frequently,standing, or slow walking as much as possible,& staying in the shade...worked best w/out useing any power...Laying down trapped heat where your body was in contact w,matress etc...Not allowing your body's natural cooling to be used to the max...yes we were minimalist's back then..A tear drop? That would have been like living in a fancy Mansion on the hill :) more things to ponder.. vinosooter...
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Postby GeorgeTelford » Sun Oct 09, 2005 3:30 pm

Hi Vino

The bodyheat is produced and released regardless, outside in the cold it just gets lost.

Army training, when a casualty was Hypothermic get him in a sleeping bag with another. Even before hypothermic we all huddled taking turns being piggy in the middle.

The thermo blanket uses same principle reflect the heat you would lose, a normal blanket absorbs some heat and loses some, same as quilts and clothes, all use body heat in various ways. A sleeping bag or Blanket does not create any heat at all

As you say in a sleeping bag some would be absorbed and comfort directly and some would heat the air in the tear.

But the main point is that 2 bodies lying there under even a cotton sheet would heat the atmosphere and make the interior comfortable.

Similar principles are at work in Ice holes, and igloo's, you survive because of the small space and body heat. A tear is Paris Hilton by comparison building/person !(either one would keep you very warm at night)
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Postby vinoscooter » Sun Oct 09, 2005 6:55 pm

To me anyway...Useing candle or human btu's Output...Is very IF E..Lets suppose you insulated a tear to the MAX..Whatever that is.& all the btu's,R factor's of insulation..Amount of time to keep warm,survive...Under perfect conditions...At a set temp..say 25 F..You would have to have a lot larger heat source...How would 20 mi winds effect,or 30 mi winds...What about haveing to go outside...The door would be open breifly...Reclaiming the heat loss..could take hours...Sunny day,cloudy day..Would make a big differance...Useing such nomimal btu's...Even the buddy system...of hypothermia, After the victim is warm...The other guy can leave the bag,after it's warmed up...For short or longer periods..depending on conditions.The area to be heated needs to be jump started...W/a larger heat source..Wheather it's more people,in the tear,or a larger heat source, or more candle's to start out with.For any kind of reliable comfort level in sub zero temp's.Maintaing the warmth isn't so hard once the tear is warm...I mean warm through the walls,into the insulation... we're talking about cold weather camping in a trailer...& not a life & death situation..Hopefully...If it was i'd burn the teardrop little by little.. to keep warm...then build another,& that Wouldn't be such a bad thing :) An Alladin lamp burner produces 2500 btu's I once read..And it heated my 14 1/2 ft lo liner camp trailer from freezing to around 55 F no problem...So just my guess..A consintent 1500 btu's for about an hour or 2 would be enough to jump start the heat process in a tear drop 4X8...at 25 degress...Have made & slept in several igloo's, It;s amazing how warm they actually are.Another point could be made...Radiant or convection heat..?
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Postby GeorgeTelford » Sun Oct 09, 2005 8:20 pm

Hi Vino

You admit Igloos are surprsingly warm, and yet you cannot see the tear being warm enough

Question for you

which contains more heat 100 deg C water or 100 deg C air?

You can put your hand in 100 deg C air for 5 seconds say and it feels warm no burns though, put your hand in 100 deg C water (boiling point) for same time and you will get scalded, same temperature, but why the different results? If you cannot answer this the rest of what I say will not make sense to you at all, I will probably be able to demonstrate via little experiments though.
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Postby GeorgeTelford » Mon Oct 10, 2005 4:10 am

Hi Powder

I think we are in agreement over most of the main points here

Even if you are chilled, as long as you are alive you are producing 250Btu's, two people are producing 500 Btu's, a candle will produce 350 Btu's, in this case as long as the heat loss through ventilation and insulation was 850 then the temp would remain the same, if 850 were higher the tear would warm up, if 850 were lower the temperature inside would drop.

Ideas to develope kettle refillable radiator or under mattres radiator, powders wind chill brake great idea that powder. Strange I had thought of the shade tarp elsewhere in this thread, but had not thought to use for wind chill.

Gotta look through you profile now, been trying to find who mentioned homemade candles and car survival.......
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