Nomad Nerdings: Some things I've been geeking on recently
We have had unlimited wifi for the last couple weeks so I’ve been researching all the things. Here’s a list of interesting links I’ve learned from or enjoyed recently:
Thermo Electric Generators
Winter is coming so I’ve been researching alternative power generation methods to keep up when it gets cloudy.
We can produce power leveraging the heat of our new wood stove, using a thermo electric generator, similar to the on in our Biolite stove.
Thermo Electric power uses the difference in temperature between a hot and cold thing to produce energy. This phenomena is more useful when snow is available to provide a cooling agent.
Here are some links to understand the TEG technology.
WaterLily 12v Hydro/Wind power generator
This company produces a small turbine for collecting power from wind and water. I reached out to them and they are excited to ship us one of their little turbines once they get production dialed in.
If you’re curious how this tech work watch this
Using pressurized air to heat/cool with a vortex tube
I had never heard of this technology, it is pretty simple and could be useful.
Tips to insulate home efficiently
Concepts for retaining heat in homes transfer down to the Scamp. If you want to save some money this winter, this video could help.
Berkey drinking water filter
We have been looking for a good water filtration system for a while now. The simplicity of the Berkey systems is ideal. Just dump some water in and let the filter do the work.
Desert homestead Youtube channel
This guy is a badass. He has a plot of land in the desert where he grows all his food, and he uses rainwater to do it. Here is a video of his on how to build a travel trailer from the ground up.
Earn $100k on quarter acre farm
This dude optimizes all the things to produce as much food as possible on small plots of land. If you have a garden, or would like to, this video is packed full of innovative ideas.
Urban fruit garden in Phoenix
Another awesome human growing all the things in the desert. Leveraging natural processes to help his garden thrive. Here’s a walkthrough of how he does it.
Side note, he mentions a tree called the Moringa Tree. He claims the leaves are vitamin & protein dense, and better than wheat grass. I need to do some research on this tree.
How to separate fears, facts and opinions
I found this information useful, and this video is the first time I’ve seen it laid out like this. When taking advice from others, delineating which of these three buckets the information falls into can help to understand their perspectives and how they were formed.
BCA shovels
Also a winter prep item. I’m looking for a collapsible shovel to move snow this winter. Thinking this may be the one.
Eating meat is an ecological disaster
Often the debate on whether or not we should eat meat is confined to the personal level. Moderate meat consumption is likely healthy for the individual, but the production and consumption of meat is ridiculously wasteful.
We should eat meat as a luxury item, not as a fundamental part of our meals. Eating meat is a selfish thing and we should consider the impact it has. This is no hippy bullshit, producing meat is just fucking wasteful.
If we want to eat loads of meat, we should do it in a noble manner, harvesting it the old fashion way via hunting or fishing.
This video breaks the problem down concisely.
Sorry for the rant, but this is a deeply impactful aspect of our society and I’m frustrated by the naive gluttony we pridefully exhibit. I am complicit here, as I eat meat occasionally.
Guide to clear writing
A guide to writing well. Lots of great info in this article. Here are my notes:
Aim to make your paragraphs about 10 sentences or 100 words long.
A paragraph should present a single idea, using multiple sentences. If you can’t think up 100 words to say about your idea, it’s probably not a very good idea, or you need to think more about it. If your paragraph is rambling on for 300 words, or more, it’s possible that it has more than one idea in it, and should be broken up.
When taking notes, don’t copy paste. Summarize what you’ve read to test understanding.
Research each topic of my book. List resources with descriptions of the content and relevance of each.Write more than you need then prune down to the good stuff. Don’t aim for initial perfection.
What is this book about?
Why am I writing this book?
What events led me to the ideas I’m proposing?
Write each chapter as one sentence.
Write to produce. Edit to reduce and rearrange. Practice independently.
Refine each sentence of outline to be as accurate to my thinking as possible.
Write short, clear sentences.
I need a solid multitool
I’m leaning toward the Leatherman Wave for the saw and micro screw driver. I’ve also been considering the Leatherman Skeletool, as it’s cheaper, lighter and has a smaller form.
If you’re a multitool nerd, let me know your thoughts.
Spectre II folding survival bow
I love bows. Any time a bow character is available game, that’s the dude I’m playing. Since I like archery so much in games, I figure it’s about time to bring it into real life.
I need a small bow so we can store it easily in the Scamp, so I started looking at these folding survival bows.