WildGnomos
Origin
Where my story began
For more than two years I lived in a wooden cabin I built with my own hands, in the middle of a remote forest on a small volcanic island in the Azores.
Self-building and off-grid living
The cabin was built on roughly 2,500 square metres of forested land, dominated by exotic tree species, once used to grow grapes for wine. Construction took around 100 days of work.
How I lived
Energy
All the energy came from the sun, through three 450-watt solar panels.
Water
A rainwater harvesting system covered non-drinking water needs. Drinking water came from a nearby spring or a neighbour's house.
Food
Most of my food came from small raised-bed gardens and chickens, plus a variety of fruit trees and edible plants.
Additional structures
Bathroom
A standalone 6 m² wooden structure with a portable rainwater shower, a dry toilet and a washbasin.
Chicken coop
A fenced 300 m² run and a small wooden coop for about 20 hens, which provided eggs every day.
Garden
A 40 m² garden plus several raised beds with vegetables, aromatic herbs and fruit species.
Other cabins
My first cabin, 20 m², was built with no prior experience and no power tools, using hand tools and a very limited budget. Later I built a few smaller cabins (under 15 m²) as extra income, meant as storage sheds or temporary lodging.