Meet the 82-YEAR-OLD man who has been dwelling in an isolated off-grid cabin in the forest for 46 YEARS – relying on wood fires for heat and a homemade waterwheel for electricity on ‘dark winter nights’

• Outdoorsman Al stars in a short film made by YouTuber DiegoTriesHard
• In the documentary, he shows viewers the eco-friendly home he has created 
• He first started generating his own power on December 13, 1996 

A man has revealed how he has lived off grid for 46 years in an isolated cabin in the woods, where he uses a homemade waterwheel to power his gadgets.  

Simply referred to as ‘Al,’ the 82-year-old outdoorsman from the state of Washington stars in a short film made by YouTuber DiegoTriesHard. 

In the documentary, he shows viewers the eco-friendly home he has created on a 40-acre plot. 

He starts off explaining how his waterwheel works and how he first started generating his own power using the current system on December 13, 1996, with the date etched into his wheel house. 

A man has revealed how he has lived off grid for 46 years in a cabin in the woods, using a homemade waterwheel to power his gadgets

Simply referred to as ‘Al,’ the 82-year-old outdoorsman, from Washington, stars in a short film made by YouTuber DiegoTriesHard

In the documentary, he shows viewers the eco-friendly home he has created on a 40-acre plot

He starts off explaining how his waterwheel works and he first started generating his own power on December 13, 1996, with the date etched into his wheel house

https://youtube.com/watch?v=q_exBnQINFs%3Frel%3D0

While Al started out with a water wheel as his main power source, he has since purchased three solar panels which do the majority of the work.

Now he says: ‘Mostly it’s solar power. 

‘The waterwheel’s for dark winter nights, I use it for two, three hours maybe.’ 

In terms of energy consumption, the forest dweller says his usage is ‘very low.’ 

At breakfast he will generally have his laptop on while listening to the radio ‘and then I don’t use anything until probably six at night.’

In the evenings, he says he likes to put on his laptop to watch the news and he will use a few lights. If there is an outage, there is a generator in a shed, but it is rarely used.

To heat his house and sauna, which he constructed in an outbuilding, Al says he has an abundance of wood on the doorstep, which he doesn’t have to pay for. 

His property is mainly surrounded by mature elder trees, but there are cedars and other species amid the mix. 

He explains in one clip: ‘[I have] 40 acres of down trees, they’re falling down faster than I can cut them up. I’ve got a lifetime’s supply. 

‘I don’t have to cut any live trees ever.’

Al also doesn’t have any water bills, as there is a natural spring on his land which provides fresh drinking water.

While Al started out with a waterwheel as his main power source, he has since purchased three solar panels which do the majority of the work

To heat his house and sauna, which he constructed in an outbuilding (pictured), Al says he has an abundance of wood on the doorstep which he doesn’t have to pay for

When it comes to wildlife, Al says some of his neighbors in the forested area include beavers, mink, otters, kingfishers, and big blue heron

In one scene, he takes YouTuber Diego to the spring and they both drink direct from the source using two camping mugs.

He has one pipe running from the spring to the house and another to the sauna cabin. 

As there is no main plumbing, Al also built two outdoor toilets.   

When it comes to wildlife, Al says some of his neighbors in the forested area include beavers, mink, otters, kingfishers, and big blue heron.

After 40 years of living in the woods, he also came across a black bear in recent times.

He says in the documentary: ‘[It] ran right along the bank over there a couple of years ago. [It was] kind of a small one, probably female.

‘So far the only thing I haven’t seen is a cougar.’ 

Another interesting thing Al witnessed while living on his current plot was the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens.

He opens one of his photo albums in a scene and points to a photo he took with plumes of smoke rising. 

He also shows how the forest has thickened over the years, with older photos showing a sparser environment.  

While off-grid living isn’t for everyone, Al says he loves being based in a remote location. 

Another interesting thing Al witnessed while living on his current plot was the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens

While off-grid living isn’t for everyone, Al says he loves being based in a remote location

In one scene, he takes YouTuber Diego to the spring and they both drink direct from the source using two camping mugs

The only outside connection he has is a landline phone and a laptop.

He muses: ‘I hate even going to town once a week for groceries, it’s hard to do. 

‘I’m lucky if I even make it to the mailbox a couple times a week.’

At the end of the documentary, Diego asks Al what his secret is to being so spritely at his age, to which the octogenarian replies ‘being outdoors.’ 

He says hiking and chopping firewood keeps him fit, and he will venture out whatever the weather.

To date the YouTube video documenting Al’s lifestyle has been watched more than two million times, with many viewers applauding his dedication to nature and the outdoors.

One viewer commented: ‘Al is a very smart man, that was very wise for him to purchase/acquire that land back in 1977.

‘It must have been beautiful to live in nature all those years, and to build and develop the property with all of those amenities to make life very comfortable for himself, you are a wonderful person Al.’

Another fan wrote: ‘Great video here. I can appreciate Al’s dedication and labor to such a magnificent and sustainable property. 

‘Hat off to ya’ old timer and many thanks for sharing and inspiring so many of us trying to catch up with your perfect example. You are a leader and pioneer.’ 

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