OK, I give up! First winter in my tiny home, what a learning experience! Here I was thinking I could relax a little bit now that I am out of the horse trailer and into a more substantial structure. It turns out, this little baby is just about as sensitive and delicate as the trailer. So many things happened during the big “polar explosion” as I call it. I made some adjustments and now I am preparing for the one that will hit in the morning. Staying down in the 20° numbers for more than 24 hours is hard on a portable home. It’s also challenging for its owner!
OK, so here is what I have learned. #1- wrap your water source like you live in the Arctic. Now my hose is wrapped in heating tape. We will see how that works.
If anyone comes by, watches you and says you are doing way too much, don’t believe them! When all of this is over and warm weather returns, I will be disconnecting my water source and starting over in preparation for next year. It involves wrapping my hose with aluminum foil first.
#2- fill up a 5 gallon jug of water to get you through just in case everything still freezes up. I have a composting toilet so I don’t need to worry about that kind of problem but drinking water, coffee water etc., you need water.
#3- Horse people know the drill. Breaking ice off of water troughs etc. but there are new gadgets on the market now that are solar and can float in a tank and possibly keep it from freezing up. I’ve learned a lot about that this year as well. Thank goodness our spring is still running down in the creek.
#4- chickens are amazing! That is about the most low maintenance animal I have ever experienced. As long as she has water which has been easy to do, for some reason it is not freezing in her house… She is great! I have also been cutting up kale and chard for her every morning. She actually started laying eggs every other day during the coldest part of last week. I love my little chickie girl.
#5- fill all of the batteries on your devices. I have extra power banks that can be filled, stored and used if the electricity goes off. Ice has a way of tumbling power lines.
So that’s all I have for you right now. I may learn something new during this next 24 hours of 20° temperatures. If I do I’ll let you know. Stay warm everyone!
And if you feel like it… Share what you have learned here, so we can all benefit from your experience.
When I Ride... 
This is totally inspirational, thanks so much for sharing…Keep going sister!xx
Thanks so much! I’m walking an interesting path, that’s for sure. Sure appreciate your support!
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Good luck with the temperature drop. Taking those extra steps is the smart thing to do. Your story reminds me of a time many years ago when I lived in a small farmhouse that had little insulation and I relied on a wood stove for heat. Below freezing temperatures were always a challenge, but also kind of exhilarating. A reminder to pay attention to and be respectful of Mother Nature.
Hey there, how exciting to be in your tiny home. My daughter built and lived in her Tumbleweed for the past five years. (What is your heating source? She ended up with a wood burning heater made for boats, which made all the difference.) So you and I have more than horses in common :)) Stay warm :)) Dawn
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Winter RVers sometimes use a heated water hose rather than insulating one themselves. Of course, with ice comes dropped power lines and outages, so with either home made or the store bought solution, you should have a backup generator.
Great pony snow photo! This winter has been a doozy. Who cares what anyone says, wrap those pipes in anything and everything. Better than having to be a plumber the next day. So ready for spring. I was hauling warm water from the house to the barn (not very far!) to keep the horses drinking. I couldn’t keep the troughs from freezing right after removing ice.
It’s amazing how fast water will freeze in 20° temperatures! Glad you have survived it!
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So fast!
My brother is a retired veterinarian and gadget guy – rancher, cattle breeder. He loves the solar thing that keeps the water moving and prevents the water bowls from freezing – the COWS love it, too — they stand there like a bunch of gals out for Margaritas 🙂
stay cozy
MJ