A pair who escaped the rat race to stay off-grid within the desert in a US nationwide park are actually fully self sustaining – and declare they recycle their very own human waste to energy their fuel cooker.
Whitney Newkirk, 33, and her husband, Trent, 26, upped sticks and moved from Milwaukee, Wisconsin greater than 2,000 miles away to Joshua Tree Nationwide Park, California in August 2020.
They now stay in a transformed yurt on their patch of land, which price round $30,000 in whole, and doc their off-grid way of life on social media.
After two years dwelling within the yurt, Whitney stated she ‘by no means misses civilisation’, claiming: ‘I really like folks, however I do not like giant crowds.’
After ditching the 9-5 life greater than two years in the past when Trent misplaced his job because of the pandemic, the couple travelled round US nationwide parks earlier than settling in California.
Whitney Newkirk, 33, and husband Trent, 26, escaped the town to stay in a desert. The couple from Wisconsin have created a self-sufficient life in Joshua Tree Nationwide Park
They now stay in a transformed yurt on their patch of land, which prices round $30,000 in whole, and doc their off-grid way of life on social media
Whitney and Trent stay with their pets within the transformed yurt, which price $20k and took three months of designs and planning to place collectively
The Joshua Tree Nationwide Park includes two deserts, the Sonoran and the Mojave.
In March 2021, the couple purchased a 2.3 acre patch of land for $8,000 to construct their new house.
In addition they bought a custom-designed yurt for $20k and invested in a 2,300 gallon water tank, to get them began.
The yurt required three months of design and planning. The couple needed to drive over 14 hours to choose up the elements from an organization in Cottage Grove, Oregon, earlier than spending an extra three weeks placing the construction collectively.
It took one other 12 months of renovation to transform the yurt right into a livable area with a functioning rest room and kitchen.
Now nearly completed with their venture, Whitney stated she looks like she’s on prime of the world.
The couple use solar energy to energy their yurt and have additionally carried out a biogas system, utilizing meals and even human waste to create fuel
The couple needed to drive over 14 hours to choose up the elements from an organization in Cottage Grove, Oregon, earlier than spending an extra three weeks placing the construction collectively
Whitney and Trent fell in love with Joshua Tree Nationwide Park – comprising of two deserts, the Sonoran and the Mojave – and purchased a 2.3 acre patch of land for $8k in March 2021 to make into their new house
‘One of the simplest ways I can describe the sensation of once we completed was I actually felt like I used to be standing on the highest Mount Everest,’ she stated.
The desert-living duo aren’t hooked as much as the grid and get their electrical from photo voltaic panels that they put in themselves, with the total system costing $12k.
In addition they have a house biogas system, utilizing meals and even human waste to create fuel, which they use to prepare dinner utilizing their fryer and range.
Whitney stated: ‘I by no means miss civilisation, I really like folks, however I do not like giant crowds.
‘Now we simply really feel a lot extra financially free and nearer to nature.’
They are saying that the journey has helped them perceive a lot extra about nature and has been extremely fulfilling.
‘There are nonetheless trials and tribulations as we proceed on the construct and transfer on to bringing again a desert eco-system to the surface,’ defined Whitney.
‘However I’ve by no means been happier to do it. Our joyful occasions outweigh the dangerous ones by one million.’
Whitney (pictured) paperwork the couple’s off-grid way of life on social media. Sharing how they’ve renovated their yurt
It took a full 12 months of renovation to transform the yurt right into a livable area with a functioning rest room and kitchen
Trent works from house as a mechanical design engineer for a brand new firm, while Whitney runs the couple’s social accounts the place they doc their off-grid way of life.
Whitney revealed that they’ve needed to alter to dwelling with much less water – though they’re nonetheless capable of bathe every single day and wash the dishes.
‘We do plan on digging a nicely nevertheless it’s costly and fairly harmful to do by yourself,’ she defined.
Whitney and Trent have many plans for his or her off-grid way of life and have performed with the thought of digging a nicely
After ditching the 9-5 life greater than two years in the past when Trent misplaced his job because of the pandemic, the couple travelled round US nationwide parks earlier than settling in California
The Yurt pictured at night time within the desert. It will get very chilly at night time within the nationwide park and so throughout the summer season heatwave the couple would work at night time
They plan to put in sizzling water within the coming months because the desert way of life has meant they have not wanted it by way of the summer season.
Because of a weekly farmers market within the close by city of Joshua Tree, Whitney and Trent are capable of refill on recent and ‘high-quality’ produce.
Whitney says there’s additionally a Walmart additional down the street for some other provides they could want.
Their arduous work did not come with none setbacks, nevertheless, with Whitney saying there was a time she thought it might by no means occur.
‘There was a degree the place I believed we had been loopy,’ she stated, ‘primarily as a result of a heatwave occurred once we began our construct and affected the desert temperature to 115 levels Fahrenheit.
‘It’s totally dry, and also you dehydrate in a short time. Our journey trailer could not sustain with the warmth.
‘That occurred for 2 months, and we thought we’re not going to get this completed.’
By no means giving up, the couple sat in Trent’s truck throughout the day and constructed at night time when it was colder.
Whitney and Trent are actually specializing in the surface with plans to construct their very own greenhouse to start out cultivating and rising, as areas of the nationwide park are ‘inexperienced and lively.’
They consider their transfer was a superb funding as a neighbouring patch of land now prices $65k.
