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Sunday, June 7, 2026
The OGLS Newsletter
Your off-grid digest — curated, skimmable, and free.
SunForge 12kW Off-Grid Kit (Sponsored)
Power your entire homestead off the grid with the SunForge 12kW system. High-efficiency panels, a 20kWh LiFePO4 battery bank, and a hybrid inverter keep the lights on through any outage. Pre-wired, expandable, and backed by a 12-year warranty. This week only: 30 percent off the complete kit plus free shipping.Off-Grid
The Yama Vans Brio: A Warm, Ski-Ready Sprinter Camper Van (4 minute read)
The Brio is Yama Vans' original Blanca01N: a Mercedes Sprinter 144 camper van built for tall travelers and long skis, with a lengthwise bed, a warm terracotta galley, a gear garage, and off-grid solar power. Here's a full look inside.The Evergreen by Vagabond Haven: A Two-Bedroom Modular Home in 441 Square Feet (4 minute read)
The Evergreen is Vagabond Haven's first modular home: two connected modules forming a 441-square-foot Scandinavian house with two real bedrooms, a full kitchen and bathroom, and off-grid options. Here's a complete look inside, plus specs and layout.Tiny Homes & Cabins
The Yama Vans Furō: A Coastal Sprinter Camper Dialed In for Motion (4 minute read)
The Furō by Yama Vans is a Robson01N Mercedes Sprinter 144 camper built for an athlete who trains, races, and works remotely on the road, with a lengthwise bed, a fat-bike rear rack, filtered water, and a calming coastal interior.The Yama Vans Trekka: A Sprinter Camper Built for Biking, Skiing & Working on the Road (9 minute read)
The Trekka by Yama Vans is a Mercedes Sprinter 144 camper built for a couple who split their seasons between bikes and skis and work from the road, with a lengthwise bed, a bike-and-ski gear garage, and a swivel table that doubles as a mobile office.Livestock
How My Guide’s Quick Thinking Saved a Kid from an Enraged Grizzly Bear (10 minute read)
This story, “Terror in the Cassiars,” appeared in the April 1963 issue of Outdoor Life. John Baumgardner was saying to me, “You know, these grizzlies ain’t much. Back home, lots of people think they’re the top trophy of the whole business. It don’t make sense. I’ll hate to tell everybody I shot mine while it was eating grass like some nearsighted cow in a pasture.” John had something there, I had to admit. Earlier that day he’d killed his first grizzly. I had killed one in Alaska the previous year; now I’d taken another on the first day of the northern British Columbia hunting season. NothingCamping & Hiking
HexaTrek Week 2: Castles, Forests, Cold Nights and Digging Deep (9 minute read)
Week two of the HexaTrek is done, and what a week it’s been. After a much-needed rest day, I made the rookie mistake of deciding that I couldn’t possibly waste food. After an evening of eating plenty, I then spent the morning trying to finish everything that was left over before we set off. The result? A very uncomfortable start to the day. We headed straight into a climb and I quickly discovered that my trail appetite and my normal appetite are no longer the same thing. ... The post HexaTrek Week 2: Castles, Forests, Cold Nights and Digging Deep appeared first on The Trek.RainKeeper Gravity Filter (Sponsored)
Clean, safe drinking water anywhere with no power, no plumbing, and no chemicals. The RainKeeper gravity filter removes 99.999 percent of bacteria, parasites, and microplastics from rain, creek, or well water at up to 12 gallons a day. Built for homesteads, cabins, and bug-out kits.Day 82 – Half Gallon Challenge (8 minute read)
I slept pretty good last night with the background noise provided by the stream rushing beside me. I got up around 7am and by 8am I was on the trail. No breakfast this morning as in a couple hours I will be on a mission to eat half a gallon of ice cream in one sitting! The half gallon challenge is a tradition amongst AT through hikers. Upon hitting the halfway point of the trail at Pine Grove Furnace, ... The post Day 82 – Half Gallon Challenge appeared first on The Trek.Ch. 27 – Baden-Powell & Bear Activity (8 minute read)
Well, I did finish my two liters of Mountain Dew first thing this morning… and I had regrets. On the walk to breakfast, I felt like I might keel over. The burps would not stop! I started the day off in a mood. I had a nightmare last night that made it hard to get back to sleep, but taking a shower first thing in the morning helped a bit. Last night I told everyone that we had to put the sheets, ... The post Ch. 27 – Baden-Powell & Bear Activity appeared first on The Trek.Day 37: Mile 600 (8 minute read)
Miles hiked: 25.3 Mile marker: 619.5 I wake before my alarm and don’t want to get up. Bumper groans! “I don’t wanna.” Like a teenager. I feel the same way. I sit up and begin putting my electronics away into their ziploc bags. I have 45 minutes to get repacked, so I change my clothes, put my sleeping bag away, lay on my mat with the valve open to release air, and begin the frustrating process of trying to get the air out of my stuff. ... The post Day 37: Mile 600 appeared first on The Trek.Defeating the Half Gallon Challenge (9 minute read)
After a good nights sleep at our secluded camp spot. We woke up rearing to get to stepping. Today was going to be a good day we had a big mile day ahead of us as well as a stop at the Pine Grove Furnace General Store. We packed up camp and started going north. Making it Halfway The hiking was pretty chill to start the day. We were hiking with OG and Retriever. We had met OG before and really enjoyed talking with him, ... The post Defeating the Half Gallon Challenge appeared first on The Trek.RV & Overland