Bert Davis - Dwelling Portably: Tips from the People Who Sparked the Tiny House Movement, 1980-2012

Contents

NOTES TO READERS: Numbers 1 and 2 only contained info now long obsolete. Name changed to DWELLING PORTABLY in 1992.

About camping, wandering, living lightly. October 1980 Number 3

Published by Hank Schultz, Drawer 190, Philomath, OR 97370. Subscription, $2 for four issues (about one year).

Simple Shower Convert

Cheers for the Simple Shower.

When I read the description (by Julie Summers in the Light Living Library) I thought using a jug would be awkward. But I tried it and find it is a big improvement compared to dipping out of a bucket and splashing.

I even prefer it to a regular shower (where such is available) because I can get the water to the temperature I want before beginning, instead of having to keep read justing knobs - now too hot - now too cold - wasting water and my temper.

So when in a city I now fill jugs at the sink and carry them into the bath, rather than fool with the shower controls.

I like half gallon bleach jugs better than gallons because they are lighter to handle and have smaller openings. I need one to four jugs ( to 2 gallons) depending on whether Im scrubbing with soap or just rinsing to cool off, and on whether Im washing just my body or also my hair. Pat Rhodes, Cal., May

Whetstone , Knives , Waterproofing Matches , Urinal , Hammock

Being an outdoorsy person I like your pub lots. Wish it were bigger.

I finally found a sharpening stone that doesnt need oil. Its saphire-hard ceramic, said not to wear. Got it at Huey & Sons cutlery store in Eugene. (Sorry I didnt get the brand name.) Its used dry, then washed clean with water and abrasive cleaner (e.g. Ajax). Its only drawback seems to be the need to apply a lot of force on the blade to get sharpening action.

Was given a BIG folding lock-back knife. Never could understand why anyone would want such an ostentatious monster. But Ive found that its great for whittling, limbing branches, and anything else where theres much side force on the blade - takes it better than a small pocket knife yet folds for safe and compact carrying. With it I made a nifty spatula for flipping flapjacks by shaving a one inch diameter branch thin and flat for a few inches.

I gave up on match safes. Got some wooden strike anywhere Diamond matches and dipped them in melted candle butts. Two stage operation: first coated the head half, placed on a plastic bag to harden, then dunked the other end. Put a bunch in a 35 mm film canister. Perfect fit. (By the way Ive stopped buying Ohio Match book matches. The striker wears out before the book is used up.)

Glad to hear you are getting favorable responses to The Simple Shower. Along the same line theres the Easy Peepot - another refinement that puts more c omfort in c amping. It allows me to pee without bothering to leave my tent and put shoes on, and eliminates splashing pee off of hard ground. I use a coffee can, a large plastic food container, or whatever is surplus and has a tight-fitting lid. Men can use a plastic narrow-mouth jug.

I carry a portable bidet with me too - in the form of a plastic squeeze bottle. Fill with water. To clean just squirt and towel dry. Eliminates the need for toilet paper.

Do any Message Post readers have experience with sleeping in hammocks? Seems like one answer to hard uneven ground. But they hardly permit turning over so I wonder how comfy theyd be for one night or many nights. Julie Summers

Wire Saw Breakage & Cold Tolerance

A Coughlan wire saw sold by Payless broke after about an hour of use. It first broke at one clamp. I fixed by attaching the blade directly to the bow (branch). 15 minutes later it broke again, this time in the middle. (I was gentle with it --- kept it taut, kinkless, and went slow enough that it didnt get too hot to touch.)

As to speed the wire saw was probably faster than whittling with a knife, but not by much. Took an hour to saw half way through a 10th diameter dry snag.

You (Hank) speculated that your greater cold tolerance is due in part to your build. This seems likely because Eskimos and most arctic peoples tend to be short, not much over five feet, and stocky.

Holly and I notice aclimatization in just a few months. November usually seems colder to us than February, yet actual temperatures are lower in February on the average. Bert Davis, Oregon, September.

Can You Rely on Solar Stills ?

How well 50 solar stills work? Heres what Mel DeWeese, a search and rescue training officer had to say about solar stills in Woodsmoke #10 (P.O.Box 15754, Colorado Springs, CO 80935; $6 for six): Oh, by the way, we tested all sorts of solar stills without much results. I know the book says two to three pints per day... not so. By the time you dig a hole with your hands, collect plants, etc. youve used two gallons of water! Besides you need at least two quarts a day...so. We found out, like the Air Force said, that a plastic sheet on the ground over plants collected as much, but not enough....

Moral: There is much in literature that parrots what was picked up from other literature, that was also parroting. And the original was in error to begin with ! Julie Summers, April

Making Tents More livable

Ann Marshall, writing in the February Signpost (16812 36th Ave. W., Lynnwood, WA 98036; 12 times yearly, $12) suggests sewing pockets inside of a tent for storage of small items. Pockets made of mosquito netting are really lightweight, and you can see whats in them. To retain waterproofness, apply seam sealer to the stitches afterwards.

Travelers Toothbrush Mini Case

Make your own from a 35mm film canister or pill bottle -- save money, space, and weight. It balances the scales at 2/8 oz., compared to 7/8 oz. for the full size model. Film cans are available free at many photo stores. Merely cut a slot in the containers lid to accomodate the toothbrush handle, out a few ventilation holes, and add a retainer cord. Julie Summers, Oregon, Sept.

NOTE TO READERS. Prices and most addresses here-in have changed. Sources that still exist might be on internet.

Make Your Own Sesame Butter

With peanut butter going way out of reason in price, there is a simple substitute that I have used for years. Just use about a third by volume of sesame seeds which are roasted, and grind them up with the unroasted raw seeds. One of the little whirly blade nut grinders health food stores have is great, and a little oil, chicken fat, or honey will smooth it out.

To roast them just use a frying pan and dont burn them. You can roast all of the seeds, but I find it isnt necessary for my taste. Other seeds may also be used but I havent found them coming as close to the flavor of peanut butter. Al Fry, California, March

Mussels Can Be Poisonous

Don and I enjoyed reading Summer Idyl (Light Living Library) which brought back happy memories of beach camping. However the authors failed to mention that mussels and other shell fish are sometimes poisonous. This happens when toxic plankton become abundant in the ocean. The mussels, which are filter feeders, concentrate the toxin. (Apparently they are not harmed by it.)

The poison causes temporary paralysis and, if enough is eaten, can kill by halting breathing though fatalities are few. Cooking doesnt destroy the toxin.

Shellfish are most likely to be poisonous during summer or when there is a red tide, but not all red tides include the toxic kinds of plankton nor is the absence of a red color in the water assurance that shell fish are safe to eat. Outbreaks are more common in some areas than in others. It would be wise to make local inquiries before eating shellfish, especially in large quantities. Jean Apt, Arizona, March.