October, 2009

Ed’s Sleep Pod – Homeless Shelter?

Ed sent me this today and I thought it would make a great homeless shelter. At $50 each surely we could afford to do something like this for the homeless in America and elsewhere. I’ll let Ed tell you more about it.

I wanted to share with you my mini cabin-sleep pod I built for a recent 4 day music fest I went to. With decent tents costing up to $100, I built this for around $50.

The dimensions are 4 foot by 6.5, with a 3.5 width bunk inside with storage underneath and room for me to maneuver in. (IE, change clothes and sponge baths. Heh) Being 6 feet tall, I was quite cozy in it. Its a little heavy, but it was fairly easy for me to simply tip it and slide it into the back of my truck. I got a number of compliments.

DIYadvice Guide to Home Improvement

by Kent Griswold

If you own your own tiny house or are planning to build one, knowing how to do the construction is an education all its own. I recently discovered a new resource from the Better Homes and Gardens Network’s DIYadvice.com that is the go-to home improvement website for all do-it-yourselfers, from … Read more

Portable Lifesaver Water Filter

by Kent Griswold

Dave one of the Tiny House Blog readers has consistently sent me some great articles and I don’t always manage to fit them in. Here is one he sent recently that not only could help the world but I think could be used in a tiny house situation or help the homeless as well.

“On the outside, it looks like an ordinary sports bottle. On the inside, there’s a miracle: an extremely advanced filtration system that makes murky water filled with deadly viruses and bacteria completely clean in just seconds.”
Allison Barrie, FoxNews.com

Too much of the world lacks access to clean drinking water. Engineer Michael Pritchard did something about it — inventing the portable Lifesaver filter, which can make the most revolting water drinkable in seconds.

2010 Tumbleweed Workshop Discount

by Kent Griswold

Jay Shafer from the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company has just announced his schedule for his Building and Design Workshops for 2010. He is offering a special discount if you purchase your tickets between now and the new year. You can bring a friend for free. The usual cost for an … Read more

Walt Barrett’s Solar Pump

by Kent Griswold

Walt Barrett who developed the Micro Home has a new invention called the Barrett Solar Pump that will be developed to help bring water to Cambodians and others around the world. The unique design allows solar-power to harness the stiffling midday heat and generate kinetic energy and draw water from … Read more

Rustic Island Log Cabin

by Kent Griswold

Alice sent me this listing of a quaint little log cabin on an island in British Columbia, Canada. Built in 1986 this 241 square foot cabin with loft on a small piece of property and a very good price of $89,000 Canadian dollars is a dream cabin which I wouldn’t mind if I could make it my own.

If your dream is to live on an island do some research on Galiano Island in British Columbia. Below is the listing and a few more pictures.

RUSTIC LOG CABIN WITH LOFT ON GALIANO ISLAND serviced with power and phone. The property is a small lot (plus or minus 0.1 acres). Located adjacent to Bluff Park. Court Ordered Sale (foreclosure). Separate small bath house with a shower, toilet, and sink serviced with water, and septic. Telus high speed internet is available at the property. To view the listing and more photos go here.