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00:00:00Oh, this is no joke if you don't have heat water or power you're gonna die and not only that
00:00:10This homesteaders completely alone
00:00:14Our job is real simple if someone needs help get to work
00:00:19We know people who stay out too long you mean die yeah they get found in the spring
00:00:25Something's not right
00:00:30Everything i've seen is all these attempts at survival i'm actually shocked he's still here
00:00:38Barf the heat i'm going over the mountain you're crazy
00:00:42Whoa good job everybody
00:00:44I'll guarantee you this this guy's never gonna be a lone wolf ever again
00:00:55It's late fall in the salish mountains of northwest montana
00:01:16For centuries this rugged wilderness was home to the native salish peoples
00:01:20A peaceful hunter gathering tribe who turned to farming and ranching after the buffalo were decimated
00:01:28Responding to a plea from concerned neighbors for an emergency homestead intervention
00:01:34The rainies embark on their first ever rescue of a solo homesteader
00:01:39Struggling to tame his land before the next winter hits
00:01:44within a few short weeks
00:01:46temperatures will drop into the negatives and they fear he is vastly unprepared in this unforgiving country
00:01:56i'm don shanklin this is my beautiful bride wanita
00:02:00we have a 20 acre homestead in northwest montana we're pretty much set up we have chickens we have
00:02:07a high tunnel and a little greenhouse but our neighbor doug doug's in survival mode
00:02:15he doesn't have the infrastructure that people need to make it through a winter up here
00:02:21the winter's average about minus 50. the mountains can be a struggle and to do it alone is even harder
00:02:28he's still working on getting his shelter completed he doesn't have heat in yet
00:02:34he doesn't have the water in yet doug has no garden at this time he's trying really hard
00:02:40but this is beyond his depth he's been here three years and his every waking moment is
00:02:47what he has to get done next so that he can make it through the next winter but at this time
00:02:53he hasn't prepared i'm concerned that doug is going to wind up in harm's way because it is a
00:03:00definite struggle back there and i don't know if he'd survive another winter rainy's winter's coming quick
00:03:08and doug needs your help
00:03:10we find the right place i think so i think this might be it doug doug yes nice to finally meet
00:03:24you i'm don don misty and juanita hi where do you guys fit in we're neighbors we're neighbors
00:03:30we knew that he was in need and we worry about him every winter i met them the first week i was up here
00:03:37when was that this was uh july of 2021 you've been out here this whole time by yourself yes
00:03:43i had my best friend up here for the first two years and she passed away and her name was pittsburgh
00:03:49and she was a cat oh she was my tiger it's tough when you have your best friend and and now she's gone
00:03:57so what was this property like in 2021 it was absolutely undeveloped there was nothing here
00:04:04i had to clear a spot over there where my my bus house is and you lived in that and i lived in that
00:04:13for a year up here and then i went to uh an rv that i bought from my cousin harold that thing that thing
00:04:22so where do you live now i've been living in the cabin since may is that thing ready is it prepared uh
00:04:29no no heat source no water any power it's wired but there's really no power to it
00:04:37what honey what what's up why are you upset
00:04:43we know people who stay out too long and don't make it they get found in the spring or whatever
00:04:51let's not beat around the bush you mean die yeah okay he's a dear friend of ours love him to death
00:04:58but i don't want to love him to death
00:05:05the wilderness is filled with tragic stories of people trying to survive alone perhaps the most famous
00:05:12is one close to home for the rainies in 1992 christopher mccandless whose story was chronicled in the book and
00:05:20film into the wild sought a nomadic off-grid lifestyle despite his passion he was unprepared to
00:05:27survive the harsh alaskan elements and eventually starved to death it's this same fate that the
00:05:35rainies and the shanklins are hoping to avoid for doug i was born and raised in santa barbara california
00:05:44when i was 11 my parents divorced that was very difficult on my my two sisters and i we lived with
00:05:51our mom after that and um we were broke we almost lost our house several times but the interesting
00:05:59thing about that too is we were all very independent kids we had a term called by selch which meant by
00:06:05myself i can do this by myself and then later when i hiked the pacific crest trail living outdoors for
00:06:13four and a half months wooded areas and drinking out of streams i just loved it and so i started
00:06:18looking for a place that was that and finally found this this piece of property we met him and quickly
00:06:25became friends adopted him shortly thereafter yeah adopted him unofficially doug is one of those likable
00:06:32people and a survivor doug's a survivor i bought an old school bus to be able to live in and then start
00:06:40building my house but i was really learning every month this is going to be harder than i thought
00:06:47the first winter i lived in the school bus not great windows very under insulated if you put a bottle
00:06:55of water on the floor it'll be frozen by morning that next summer i did shift to the rv and stayed in
00:07:01that as i kept building my cabin spending his time focusing on daily survival needs of warmth food and
00:07:09water has prevented doug from developing homestead systems that could provide those very things for
00:07:15him the water situation is non-existent i have to go down the mountain about four miles to a little creek
00:07:25and then during the winter time i also utilize snow melt soil here is rocky it's not conducive to
00:07:32growing i just don't even have any time to garden the homesteading part has been put on hold until i'm
00:07:40able to take care of building my house i've worked harder in the last three years just to get through
00:07:48a day than i ever have in my life i think of my mom and dad all the time i want to make them proud of me
00:07:57that drives me a lot but i do know what i'm doing right now is not sustainable to ask for help is
00:08:04really hard it's really not easy for me what is this building right here in front of the camper so doug
00:08:16calls this the heat hut his plan was to uh put a wood stove in here and get this good and hot and then
00:08:24he was going to plumb the heat into the rv that way there wouldn't be any open fire in the rv
00:08:31how'd that work out well it never happened it was a good concept but this thing's in poor repair
00:08:38so this is just a faulty bad wood stove and then this idea never happened right
00:08:45this thing's pretty large yeah this was his second winter in here it just looks cold
00:08:54these things are not made to just park and sit in the winter
00:09:02the more i'm walking around this homestead i'm seeing all these attempts at survival but there's no
00:09:08food source there's no protein on the homestead and it's just one man has doug had any livestock
00:09:15on this property no no he hasn't had time to think about livestock it doesn't look like it right
00:09:31where do you and your husband live so i live about two miles by the road so do you garden i
00:09:39have a high tunnel and i also have a greenhouse thank goodness donna juanita are here for doug
00:09:44and the fact that they're here this week is a huge help for us all because i need to know how
00:09:50she is a successful farmer in northwest montana so at this moment i'll take all the expertise i can
00:09:57get what are the challenges that you've faced growing in this part of montana it's not good we we've
00:10:03had to bring our soil in and then the water of course it's getting that all set up do you know if
00:10:09he's attempted gardening oh he has not he has been full on just trying to make it day to day you you
00:10:17got emotional just like you worry about him yes very much my big worry is that he has injured himself and
00:10:26hasn't been able to call out for help he's run out of food or he's you know frozen yeah yeah
00:10:33it's really hard to homestead in the winter time and when you choose northern states and they see
00:10:42temperatures below zero for weeks at a time things get a lot more real there's only so many structures
00:10:49here and the fact that i'm looking at like a very sound structure i want to take a tour in this bus yeah
00:10:56okay there's not a lot here on the homestead because it's a one-man show but there is a 72
00:11:02school bus and yeah it wasn't warm enough to live in but it could be put to use for something else
00:11:09oh it's freezing in here yeah oh my word so doug drove this bus to the homestead and then lived
00:11:19in this for the first winter yeah how was he heating the bus he had a little wood stove kind
00:11:25of thing that he had right over there and he had a lot of heavy blankets okay and then he moved into
00:11:30the rv yeah we have one week to figure these things out yeah obviously water is a huge issue yeah do you
00:11:37have water we for the last eight years that we've lived there have been hauling water in okay from
00:11:43our neighbor um who has a well this year we were able to get our well in and we're in the process of
00:11:51having it hooked up to the house you're putting in your water line yes hearing juanita say they
00:11:58don't even have water tells me both homesteads are having a hard time so as far as water is concerned
00:12:05i'm not seeing the solution but when it comes to doug and his needs it has so much to do with survival
00:12:13mode first and foremost in my mind we need to make sure that this is a functioning one man show homestead
00:12:26this is spectacular thank you i mean look at this place
00:12:32it's not big but it's it's going to be home doug spent his last three years
00:12:38in the mountains of montana trying to make it on 20 acres but he's not prepared to live here
00:12:44the really big question is why not where are you sleeping at i had been sleeping down here then i
00:12:52built the loft this will be where i sleep in the beginning there was no door there were no windows
00:13:00they were just open spaces so there's a lot of ventilation now it's uh it's it's dried in but
00:13:07still no heat let's talk about water i built this as a shed roof to catch water and that's as far as
00:13:16i've gotten i don't know are you catching any water now no
00:13:24doug shelby once took homestead alone and now he's got all these unfinished projects and he's just
00:13:30barely getting by and he's not prepared for the oncoming onslaught of a severe montana winner
00:13:39you look around here this is a year or two of construction this forecast is snow and this
00:13:53building isn't ready to live in but guess what he's living in it not to mention the fact that there's no
00:14:00means of growing food there's no livestock there's no water there's no power i'm actually shocked he's
00:14:07still here there's only a little bit of infrastructure here but every single thing we
00:14:12do this week has to be maintained by one person so it has to run smoothly it has to be doable for a
00:14:20one-man show everything i've seen is all just attempts at survival and that's it no wonder the
00:14:28neighbors are so worried oh yeah you couldn't ask for better neighbors don and juanita are super giving
00:14:34with their time even though they don't have water they're in the process of putting water in right
00:14:40now but doug doesn't have the ability to even get water from them as far as water is concerned it's not
00:14:46here our work is cut out for us question is are you ready yeah yeah
00:15:04after seeing you get emotional because of your genuine concern for this guy's safety in the winter
00:15:10we are worried about doug first thing that comes to mind heat i'm sure you've sat in that cabin in
00:15:17the summertime when the sun was hitting those windows yes and it heated the whole building oh very well
00:15:22okay so i think that we're just gonna get really invested in helping you finish a cabin in the woods
00:15:29the only way to really turn this into a homestead
00:15:32is to have your own food that right there is now the goal what we have going for us
00:15:41is juanita and dawn because juanita is living proof that you can homestead in montana successfully
00:15:49one more thing we have a water problem here there is none i'm just gonna blurt it out are you guys
00:15:56agreeable to allowing this home center to get water from your place absolutely okay do you have a
00:16:04means of doing that no we are well it's not done oh okay what if we came over and helped out oh that
00:16:14would be awesome you don't mind because that does take me a little bit anything that you can do to help
00:16:19them helps me on that note let's get to work it sounds like we might have a plan when it comes to a
00:16:26water source we'll see you tomorrow but there's no food there's no shelter let the games begin
00:16:47good morning it's day two in northwest montana all right stop right there will you and right away
00:16:54let's talk a little bit okay marty tackles the most immediate threat to doug shelby's 20 acre homestead
00:17:02what am i looking at right there home home at the beginning of a long winter right all right
00:17:11doug shelby moved to montana to be alone however he learned quickly it's brutal here and right now
00:17:21he needs some help to make that dream come true it's getting really cold how are you going to heat
00:17:29that thing i had a uh a stove i got i was going to insulate just that little bedroom area okay and try
00:17:38to ride out the winter it was going to be a better situation than what i had been in okay it sounds like
00:17:42we're on the same page on that note follow me okay the problem with doug is he doesn't know how to ask
00:17:49for help or accept it so the first thing that i have to do today is we're going to finish the project
00:17:56that could save the homestead and it could have been completed if he had an extra hand
00:18:01okay have you dropped the insulation i have let me see you put that bat in please
00:18:10marty's all about getting in and doing the work right now and which is amazing i've always been
00:18:16sort of independent in my life and receiving help hasn't always been easy for me so i'm thankful for
00:18:23the rainies helping me step outside of what i'm normally comfortable with it just sits in there right
00:18:28yes would you consider that bat finished no generally speaking i would bring it out fluff it
00:18:34out make sure it's all the way to the top and keep it fluffed out because when you impact it that
00:18:39decreases its ability to insulate from my understanding that is music to my ears okay
00:18:46this isn't doug's first rodeo you can tell he has some construction experience the basics pick a wall
00:18:51i'll do this here you go okay i'll be on this one over here
00:18:55so we're off to a good start and i look forward to teaching him as much as i possibly can back to
00:19:05work let's go
00:19:15all right juanita across the property we need to talk misty has an idea to use doug's old bus to bring
00:19:23a manageable food source to the homestead we're in northwest montana it's going to snow this week
00:19:30we're on a homestead right now where stakes are high but i think i'm here at the right time because
00:19:36i have an idea that involves food and that bus because we missed that window of opportunity to grow
00:19:44food i'm thinking an indoor heated greenhouse wow like it yeah and because he's by himself
00:19:53there has to be some type of automation and so i think we should try to build a hydroponics
00:19:59oh that's a great idea you like it i do and because it's just one man living here
00:20:05we can create a space that's pretty small and manageable because we only have one mouth to feed
00:20:10yeah size it down for doug yeah yeah to introduce a sustainable food source misty will temporarily move
00:20:18the bus to a clearing 500 feet uphill allowing for more space to work next she'll introduce starter
00:20:26plants and a hydroponic system where water will continuously cycle through before finally moving
00:20:32the bus an additional 500 feet next to doug's cabin meanwhile matt will construct a 20-foot log tower
00:20:41to support a drum filled with fuel which will be plumbed into the bus and connected to a kerosene heater
00:20:48enabling doug to grow food year round the first thing we need to do is clean out the bus because
00:20:56there's a lot of like rat waste i am ready cleanup starts now i can do all the heavy lifting i think this
00:21:06bus is the perfect structure we don't have power water heat but i can sort those things i can figure
00:21:12those things out i just need to do two things keep it small scale and manageable and get to a place
00:21:18where doug can grow food this winter even in northwest montana you just make a little pile okay
00:21:26i'm so excited to make it mostly automated i think it's perfect for him
00:21:30but there's a lot to do i'm hoping it all can happen in such a short period of time and if it
00:21:40does it's going to be amazing yeah look at the transformation it looks great it looks so good
00:21:46it's a brand new bus okay so we're moving the bus awesome owen yep i'm on diesel you're on batteries okay
00:21:57this homestead sees about five feet of snow in the winter time having the convenience of your food
00:22:03source just right out your front door is the only way he's going to be gardening successfully here
00:22:08and the only thing to do that in is that 50 year old bus we're gonna have to call in owen bird the
00:22:14master mechanic okay so we're gonna jump it and go from there yeah okay come on doug okay you ready
00:22:23i'm ready head back there owen fingers crossed okay here we go
00:22:35yes yes give it a little give it a little that's a 1972 a gillig school bus um built like a tank and
00:22:44it hasn't started turned over in over three years so it's really exciting to see it's turned over a ton
00:22:54oh we're draining the battery
00:22:59it's so close it's so close
00:23:04this bus is deader than a doornail these batteries have sat through three cold winters it's not going
00:23:10anywhere we can't get it started and it's time for plan b what is that it's called the rainy way
00:23:22i have plans for the structure and i think involving an excavator and my dad definitely
00:23:28means possible damage to the structure and the bus plus it's a pretty bold risky move to hook up with
00:23:34chains on the side of the structure and yank it to its new location i don't want breaking chains flying
00:23:40around the homestead let's go misty you got it neutral i got it neutral okay dad let it rip
00:23:50something's wrong is the back wheel turning at all it's moving a little bit
00:24:10oh
00:24:21the chain broke
00:24:24make sure the emergency brake is off it's in neutral something's not right
00:24:30yeah the emergency brake was on emergency brake was on
00:24:36oh shoot how about now hey dad the fact of the matter is is the thing isn't gonna move until we can
00:24:44turn it on and get the e-brake off
00:24:49we're at a place where we cannot turn off the e-brake unless we are able to start the bus we cannot
00:24:54start the bus we're trying to pull it with the e-brake on we're breaking chains it is not moving so now we're
00:25:01going back to plan a which is we gotta start this bus okay so let's try and put this in without smashing fingers
00:25:08so now the plan is we have to switch these batteries okay okay i'm gonna give it a whirl
00:25:29oh
00:25:37oh
00:25:38oh my gosh
00:25:39oh my gosh
00:25:39oh my gosh
00:25:43Give it all you got.
00:25:44Goose it.
00:25:45There it is.
00:25:47Yeah.
00:25:48You got it.
00:25:49It couldn't be better.
00:25:50I lived in that bus for four years before leaving,
00:25:54and then one year up here.
00:25:55You're good.
00:25:57Woo-hoo!
00:25:59And seeing what used to be your home go forward,
00:26:03I never thought it was going to move again.
00:26:05You guys want to get on?
00:26:06Yeah.
00:26:07All aboard.
00:26:08All right.
00:26:10Hang on, boys.
00:26:11And watching it move, and Misty at the wheel,
00:26:16it was awesome.
00:26:18Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo!
00:26:20I'll go right here.
00:26:25Yeah!
00:26:25Woo-hoo-hoo!
00:26:27Yes!
00:26:27That was wild.
00:26:28Yeah, that thing runs good.
00:26:30It took longer than I expected to move the bus out of the woods,
00:26:33and we're at a place where we need
00:26:35to start working on this thing.
00:26:36Hopefully, one day soon, the bus will
00:26:39move right next to the cabin, but there's not enough room
00:26:43and space to do any work.
00:26:44There's a clearing at the top of this mountain.
00:26:47It's open enough where we can turn a bus into a greenhouse.
00:26:50How did it drive?
00:26:51In, like, a dream.
00:26:52Yeah.
00:26:53The bus runs!
00:26:58There's so much going on right now.
00:27:00That was home.
00:27:01It took time, effort, and now we're tearing it apart.
00:27:07And I thought I'd be so conflicted.
00:27:09I'm not freaking out about it because you have to trust the rainies.
00:27:13You have to trust the rainy way because the rainy way is happening.
00:27:17It's going to have a new life.
00:27:20I'm a little beyond worse at this point.
00:27:32The next morning, while Marty, Doug, and a small build crew
00:27:36finish insulating the cabin...
00:27:38Go!
00:27:39Set it up here first.
00:27:41Set it up right here, please.
00:27:43You're going to pull, and I'm going to push.
00:27:45Matt and Owen take advantage of the property's downed trees
00:27:48to bring heat to the hydroponics greenhouse.
00:27:52Okay, last couple feet.
00:27:55Now that the bus has gotten moved to the top of the property,
00:27:59the next step is to provide fuel for that heater.
00:28:03Me and Owen built a tower for our oil tank
00:28:07so that we have a nice gravity-fed system for our heater.
00:28:12What you don't know is I filled it with oil already,
00:28:15and I just carried that up these stairs...
00:28:17Okay.
00:28:18...all 350 pounds with this guy.
00:28:21Let's move inside.
00:28:30How are we going to cut through that metal?
00:28:32All right, incoming.
00:28:33Working with Matt is a blast.
00:28:39He's got a lot of very original ideas,
00:28:42and I believe they're good ideas,
00:28:45and I believe they're going to work very well.
00:28:48All right, Matt, bring it home.
00:28:49There it is.
00:28:50Nice job.
00:28:52Okay.
00:28:53You're the best.
00:28:55Like a glove.
00:28:59Looks good.
00:29:00Let's put a little kerosene in there.
00:29:02Yeah, get that kerosene in it.
00:29:03You don't want to go too much,
00:29:05but I don't want this thing to explode.
00:29:07The big question right now for the bus is,
00:29:11will it stay heated during the winter?
00:29:15We're going to get it fired up
00:29:16and see if this thing can actually hold any heat.
00:29:22And it's lit.
00:29:24Nice.
00:29:26It's crackling now.
00:29:28All right, we got heat.
00:29:30This is awesome.
00:29:31Now we can actually work in here
00:29:33and keep things alive in here.
00:29:36Let's let this thing burn off,
00:29:37and then we'll come in and see how much heat's
00:29:39actually being held in the bus.
00:29:41Putting out heat.
00:29:42We got to love that.
00:29:43Has anybody got any marshmallows?
00:29:49Later that day, while Misty addresses Doug's firewood,
00:29:52now exposed to Montana's extreme elements.
00:29:56The Arctic entryway that was for the bus is now up for grabs.
00:29:59Right.
00:30:00Can that be the new woodshed?
00:30:02I think it would make a great woodshed.
00:30:04Half a mile away down the mountain.
00:30:07Let's hit it.
00:30:07Marty brings Matt and Clint to the Shanklin's homestead
00:30:11to get water to their cabin and hopefully provide it
00:30:15for two homesteads.
00:30:17Welcome to the 20-acre wood.
00:30:1920-acre wood.
00:30:20This is nice.
00:30:20It's beautiful.
00:30:22Where's that well at?
00:30:23Back here?
00:30:23It's back in the back.
00:30:24Walk us through what we're doing back here, please.
00:30:27I asked Don and Juanita if we could get water from their
00:30:30homestead and bring it to Doug, who has no water.
00:30:34And their answer was, yes, come get it.
00:30:38So by helping Don and Juanita, they really could supply Doug
00:30:44with adequate water.
00:30:46The house is over there.
00:30:47So where's that water line?
00:30:48It's not in yet.
00:30:50OK.
00:30:52Don and Juanita have installed a well 100 feet
00:30:55from their cabin.
00:30:57However, they've only just begun digging a trench
00:31:00to support a water line, a process that takes days
00:31:04in the dense Montana rock.
00:31:06Marty will continue where they've left off
00:31:08by digging the rest of the way to the house.
00:31:11Next, he'll lay and insulate the water line
00:31:14and then plummet into their home so Don and Juanita
00:31:17will have direct access to a permanent water source
00:31:21and be able to share with Doug.
00:31:25I had no idea that your water wasn't developed.
00:31:30So we're here trying to get you to that point.
00:31:32Yes, sir.
00:31:34What they're doing is more than generous.
00:31:38However, they haven't really developed their well
00:31:41or their water.
00:31:42So I asked them a favor.
00:31:44I put them on the spot.
00:31:45And I might have just opened up a can of worms.
00:31:50I mean, I thought this guy was just getting
00:31:51a short little water line into his cabin, but my god.
00:31:54Well, here's the deal.
00:31:55We can just go to the house, and that's it.
00:31:57There's no way we're finishing this.
00:31:59We came a long way from Alaska to help Doug and this.
00:32:04This is ominous.
00:32:05For now, let's head back over there, and we just focus on the cabin.
00:32:09Let's go.
00:32:10Yay!
00:32:11There's people!
00:32:12On Doug Shelby's 20-acre solo Montana homestead, the Rainies reinforced the importance of leaning
00:32:29on an off-grid community by calling in help, summoned by a previously rescued Montana couple,
00:32:36the Welchels.
00:32:37Wow.
00:32:38This is pretty epic.
00:32:39You guys are helping.
00:32:40It's pretty epic.
00:32:41I'm so happy we're able to seal this good to be able to help.
00:32:44You don't understand.
00:32:45It's so good to see Barry and Michelle.
00:32:48I've missed them.
00:32:49They're living proof of how the community shows up for each other.
00:32:53Marty!
00:32:54Holy moly!
00:32:55You're kidding me!
00:32:57They're here and ready to work, connecting Doug to his community.
00:33:02And the first thing we're going to do is fill up the woodshed.
00:33:05All of this wood has to be moved.
00:33:08The whole idea behind firewood is to get it out of the element so it can dry out.
00:33:12The Rainies, they saved our homestead.
00:33:15They truly rescued our homestead.
00:33:18After that, we realized that we were going to need to help other people.
00:33:23Especially Doug.
00:33:24What more could you ask for out of a community?
00:33:28Nothing in return.
00:33:29Just to help.
00:33:33Alright.
00:33:34My favorite pastime is chopping wood.
00:33:37But in Doug's case, every second counts.
00:33:41For him, there's only so much one man can do in one day.
00:33:45So, having a little cheat like a wood splitter will make all the difference between whether he succeeds or not.
00:33:53We're getting there, folks.
00:34:00Good job, everybody!
00:34:15Thank you, guys.
00:34:18Clearly, Doug and I and Juanita could not have done this alone.
00:34:22No.
00:34:23So, we appreciate getting the wood covered.
00:34:25Amazing.
00:34:26We appreciate all the extra splitting.
00:34:28And that splitter is not a rental.
00:34:30That's yours.
00:34:31Wow.
00:34:32Happy?
00:34:33Yeah, I don't have to worry about him freezing to death.
00:34:36Being helped right now, this is not easy for me.
00:34:39I feel that people are doing things for me that I don't deserve.
00:34:43I'm having to battle that inability to accept help with the fact that there are people here who help.
00:34:50And this is a big test in that for me.
00:34:53Thanks so much.
00:34:54Is anybody tired?
00:34:55Not yet.
00:34:56Oh, no.
00:34:57Let's go.
00:34:58Do you know how to put sheet rock on the wall?
00:35:12I've done sheet rock a couple times.
00:35:14Are you afraid of heights?
00:35:15Yeah.
00:35:16Oh, yeah.
00:35:17Oh, yeah.
00:35:18I...
00:35:19Well, good.
00:35:20Yeah.
00:35:21Because we're going to have to overcome that.
00:35:22All right.
00:35:23On that note, grab a gun.
00:35:24Grab a knife.
00:35:25Grab a tool.
00:35:26Grab anything.
00:35:27Okay.
00:35:28Ready?
00:35:29Ready.
00:35:30Can you reach over your head?
00:35:31Don't lose that.
00:35:32Got it.
00:35:33Thanks to Doug's other neighbors, there's six cords of wood already in the woodshed.
00:35:40But Doug isn't prepared when it comes to heat.
00:35:45We're trying to put the home in homestead.
00:35:48And to do that, we have to finish a cabin.
00:35:52Next, next, next.
00:35:57I'm going to drive that excavator down here.
00:36:03Down by the old RV.
00:36:06All right.
00:36:07This one?
00:36:09Beautiful.
00:36:10Yeah!
00:36:11Matt shifts his focus to providing an easy-to-manage protein source for a solo homesteader.
00:36:18All right.
00:36:19You ready, Don?
00:36:20I'm ready.
00:36:21Okay.
00:36:22Hook me around that log.
00:36:24I'm trying to bring livestock onto the property.
00:36:27And Doug's been using this heat hut as a survival shelter for the past few years.
00:36:32And we both agree it's the perfect place for chickens.
00:36:36All right.
00:36:37Let's do it.
00:36:38Okay.
00:36:39We're ready to move.
00:36:40The only problem is, it's in the wrong spot.
00:36:43Matt will repurpose the heat hut into a self-automated chicken coop.
00:36:48First, he'll transport the hut over a steep hill to its final spot next to Doug's cabin.
00:36:54Next, he'll insulate the structure, ensuring winter survival.
00:36:59Then, he'll add automatic feeders and waterers before building sloped roll-out nesting boxes for easy one-man egg collection.
00:37:08Woo-hoo!
00:37:09She's flying!
00:37:10We're going to move it closer to the house.
00:37:11It's going to make it so much easier and way more manageable, especially because Doug is going to be doing everything by himself.
00:37:23Whoa!
00:37:24Okay.
00:37:25That got a little steep.
00:37:26I'm going to get rid of the log.
00:37:27What's going on?
00:37:28Hey, buddy.
00:37:29Matt.
00:37:30Can I know what your plan is?
00:37:31I'm trying to put it in that hole.
00:37:32You know, this thing is heavier than you're used to.
00:37:33So be careful.
00:37:34Okay.
00:37:35As soon as I got to the edge of the cliff, my dad's little alarm bells went off, and he came over, gave me some, you know, encouraging words of don't kill yourself.
00:37:42Give me a minute.
00:37:43I've got to be down there.
00:37:44I've got to be down there.
00:37:45Hey, buddy.
00:37:46Hey, buddy.
00:37:47Matt.
00:37:48Can I know what your plan is?
00:37:49I'm trying to put it in that hole.
00:37:50You know, this thing is, uh, it's heavier than you're used to.
00:37:52So be careful.
00:37:53Okay.
00:37:54As soon as I got to the edge of the cliff, my dad's little alarm bells went off, and he came over, gave me some, you know, encouraging words of don't kill yourself.
00:38:00Give me a minute.
00:38:01I've got to be down there.
00:38:05Woo.
00:38:06It's steep.
00:38:07The last part of this journey is steep, and I'm not going to make it with the building dangling from my bucket.
00:38:16So I got a solid plan on how to get this structure down in place without destroying it, and we're on the home stretch.
00:38:27All right.
00:38:28Okay.
00:38:29Oh, beautiful.
00:38:30Yes.
00:38:31All right.
00:38:32We're up in the air.
00:38:34Oh, look at that.
00:38:35Going to drop it right in the hole.
00:38:36All right.
00:38:37Spin it around.
00:38:38Counterclockwise, 90 degrees, and I'm going to go take it to the left.
00:38:43Okay.
00:38:44All right.
00:38:45We did it, guys.
00:38:46Good job.
00:38:47Good job.
00:38:48On 20 acres in Northwest Montana, the Rainies are halfway through their first ever rescue of a solo homesteader.
00:39:06It's time to talk how we're going to heat this building.
00:39:10And over by the old RV.
00:39:13What are we looking at there?
00:39:14This was a $50 fine on Craigslist.
00:39:17Marty inspects Doug's attempt to introduce heat to his cabin.
00:39:21Okay.
00:39:22I'm going to look you right in the eye.
00:39:23I'm going to tell you right now.
00:39:24Yeah.
00:39:25I burnt my house down with an old stove with a poorly working door.
00:39:32Right.
00:39:33I'm pretty sensitive to installing $50 wood stoves in really nice homes.
00:39:40Okay.
00:39:41I don't want to hear about a door that's broken that we're not using this stove.
00:39:45Okay.
00:39:46So now that we have Doug's cabin insulated, what are we going to heat it with?
00:39:52Thankfully.
00:39:53I have an idea.
00:39:57Oh, wow.
00:39:58Check out the door.
00:40:00How tight that door is, please.
00:40:04Yeah.
00:40:05Okay.
00:40:06And feel that seal.
00:40:10That's tight.
00:40:11I'm just going to tell you that this is not 10 times, but it's light years better, safer,
00:40:17and more efficient than that thing.
00:40:19Are you proposing putting this in now?
00:40:21Right this second.
00:40:22Let's do it.
00:40:24I think we can do it.
00:40:31I can't feel my fingers.
00:40:33Here we go.
00:40:34So this is your basic wood stove insulation.
00:40:39All I have to do is make sure we have the safe clearances from anything that can burn.
00:40:46Where you at?
00:40:47Right here.
00:40:48Hand me a pipe, please.
00:40:50We're ready to set pipe, put the chimney in and have a fire.
00:40:53Let it snow, let it rain, and let the temperatures get cold.
00:41:04Because in about five minutes, there's going to be a fire in there.
00:41:07I'm going to have a warm cabin, thanks to the rainies, and there's definitely a light at the end of the tunnel as far as the really, really tough winters.
00:41:20Well, I think we got this wood stove installed in the nick of time, my friend.
00:41:30Pull up the chair.
00:41:31Pull up the chair.
00:41:38You know what you're watching right now?
00:41:40Life.
00:41:42Close.
00:41:44You're watching wilderness TV.
00:41:47That is about as good as it gets.
00:41:48This is now my third and they've all had glass doors and that's the one non-negotiable.
00:41:53I want that ability to look in like you said and just stare into it.
00:41:58Because you can just lose yourself in it.
00:42:01You're going to sit here long after I'm gone.
00:42:04Listen to that crackle.
00:42:05Yeah.
00:42:08There's been no heat source in here until now.
00:42:11And I've been living in here since May when it was still in the 20s.
00:42:14What I was hoping to do was insulate that back bedroom and I would live in that.
00:42:20I was living in the RV and that's the only space we had.
00:42:24What do you mean, we?
00:42:25Oh, my cat, Pittsburgh and I.
00:42:26And she was with me the first two winters and I was solo last year because she had passed away.
00:42:31Special cat.
00:42:32Very special cat.
00:42:33You have a picture of her now?
00:42:34Yeah.
00:42:36I had a cat.
00:42:37Her name was Pittsburgh.
00:42:38It was me and her creating this homestead up here.
00:42:42And she was my best buddy, my friend, and she died right here on the mountain.
00:42:47And it was almost like, I'll see you in a little while.
00:42:55I've never had any kind of pet like her and, you know, heck, I've got great friends,
00:43:00but some of them don't even match up with her.
00:43:03She was awesome.
00:43:04Doug is prepared when it comes to heat, but we still don't have water figured out.
00:43:14But we're going to solve that problem because he deserves it.
00:43:17We're going to solve it.
00:43:18We're going to solve it.
00:43:19We're going to solve it.
00:43:20We're going to solve it.
00:43:21We're going to solve it.
00:43:22We're going to solve it.
00:43:23We're going to solve it.
00:43:25Approaching the homestretch, the Rainies discuss what it will take to make this remote homestead
00:43:30sustainable for one person.
00:43:33There's no water.
00:43:34There's no power.
00:43:36And when it comes to putting in an indoor heated garden that's automated, we're far from
00:43:42that place.
00:43:43The good news is this.
00:43:46We asked a neighbor point blank, can we get water from you?
00:43:51And he didn't hesitate for a second.
00:43:53Both Don and Juanita said yes.
00:43:55We said we'd help them get it to a place where we could borrow water from them.
00:44:00And it's become quite a project.
00:44:03There was a lot more work there than we anticipated, but so be it.
00:44:08If that all happens, we're at least one day closer to getting water for whatever your needs
00:44:14are.
00:44:15Can you guys go one more day without water?
00:44:17I need to start figuring out what this hydroponic system is and troubleshooting and piecing it
00:44:23together.
00:44:24And I need some water today.
00:44:25Okay.
00:44:26We have a lot of stuff to do and not a lot of time to do it.
00:44:30And at this point, it's like someone threw a Hail Mary, the ball's in the air, and we've
00:44:34got to run as fast as we can to catch that thing in the end zone.
00:44:37Follow me.
00:44:38All right.
00:44:51Later that day.
00:44:52We have our tables in.
00:44:54Look at this thing.
00:44:55It looks pretty big.
00:44:56Yeah.
00:44:57I feel like we're getting to a place when it comes to hydroponics, we have to figure out
00:45:02water.
00:45:03My dad is trying to figure out water.
00:45:05I'm a little concerned, but I desperately need water for any type of garden that I
00:45:09put in.
00:45:10The question isn't if you can get water.
00:45:12Okay.
00:45:13You guys, I'm confident we'll be able to get it, but can you get it when we're here?
00:45:17Because you'll notice hydroponics has the word hydro.
00:45:21Hydro.
00:45:23Hydroponics is a farming technique where plants are cultivated in a water-based nutrient solution
00:45:29rather than traditional soil and are grown in easily controlled environments.
00:45:34This method proves useful for small farmers seeking more efficient and higher yields of
00:45:39crops while eliminating wasteful water usage.
00:45:43Hopefully it fits.
00:45:44How'd we do?
00:45:45Ta-da!
00:45:46And then we have these flood trees and then our pots, fertilizer, the lights, a couple pumps.
00:45:55This hydroponic system is coming right along.
00:45:58And we're getting to a place where we actually can plant plants and they're going to be able
00:46:02to survive the winter.
00:46:04I think it'd be a really good idea because it's just one man homesteading by himself.
00:46:10If these systems were completely isolated, that way if one failed and Doug was away, hopefully
00:46:19all of the plants wouldn't die.
00:46:20That's very smart.
00:46:21That one system would still continue to work.
00:46:24The systems themselves aren't complicated because the more complicated you make something,
00:46:30the harder it is to maintain and fix.
00:46:32And more likely it'll fail.
00:46:33And more likely it'll fail.
00:46:34And more likely it'll fail.
00:46:35So we're going to keep it really simple and we have enough to get us started.
00:46:47We don't have time to wait for the snow to stop.
00:46:50We're going to try to move this bus without killing anybody.
00:46:55Go back please.
00:46:56Now to the right.
00:46:57Right now I have Matt, my dad, directing like an incoming 747.
00:47:04We're going to fire up that well and see if this entire system actually works.
00:47:20Where's Doug?
00:47:22Whew.
00:47:23Hello.
00:47:24It's a new morning.
00:47:26All right, let's talk.
00:47:27And temperatures have dropped into the 30s.
00:47:30While they wait for the necessary equipment to finish Don and Juanita's water line,
00:47:35the Rainies gather Doug to address another critical necessity he currently lacks.
00:47:41We're at a place in the bus where we need things like heat, power, water,
00:47:46and we have to have those things in order to do what we have planned.
00:47:51You cannot grow food heading into wintertime without power.
00:47:58We're trying to help him fulfill this dream with the basics.
00:48:03Food, shelter, and water.
00:48:05What?
00:48:06Why not tap into solar power to really push this homesteader forward in this dream?
00:48:13What do you do for power?
00:48:14Do you have a generator?
00:48:16So I'm on my fourth generator because I run them the way they're not supposed to be run.
00:48:21You're not meant to be living every day off of them.
00:48:25You're supposed to use them to supplement what you're doing.
00:48:27Well, how would you like to have 12 solar panels?
00:48:33Oh, my.
00:48:35Hi!
00:48:36Explain to our good friend Doug exactly what's in that box, please.
00:48:41You bet.
00:48:42In these two trucks, we got 16 395-watt solar panels with a racking system,
00:48:48two lithium-iron phosphate batteries, and a 6,000-watt inverter.
00:48:536,000-watt inverter?
00:48:54That's right.
00:48:55Oh, my word.
00:48:56Wow.
00:48:57And you got enough solar and storage to last you through some good long hauls.
00:49:05I'm at a moment right now where I don't even know what to say, you guys.
00:49:09I didn't expect this.
00:49:11I didn't expect any of this.
00:49:15This is an absolute game changer.
00:49:18Like, I'll be able to grow food even in the coldest months with this system.
00:49:23And especially in the winter when it is dark, light makes a difference inside.
00:49:30Keep coming.
00:49:31You're good.
00:49:32At the sight of the bus.
00:49:33Hello.
00:49:34Misty and Juanita welcome experts providing components vital to completing the hydroponic
00:49:47system.
00:49:48How's it going, Misty?
00:49:49Good.
00:49:50Missy, Matt.
00:49:51Matt, nice to meet you.
00:49:52Nice to meet you.
00:49:53And...
00:49:54Hi, I'm Valerie.
00:49:55Valerie, nice to meet you.
00:49:56Nice to meet you.
00:49:57Juanita and I are piecing together this hydroponic system for the homesteader Doug.
00:50:01And he doesn't have a huge background when it comes to gardening, so we're trying to keep
00:50:06it pretty simple, and that's where you guys come in.
00:50:09Okay.
00:50:10Perfect.
00:50:11We don't have water, but I was told maybe you brought some.
00:50:13Yes.
00:50:14We do.
00:50:15We have some water for you guys.
00:50:16Okay, great.
00:50:17We literally brought you a box of rain.
00:50:18Okay.
00:50:20Okay, two per tote.
00:50:21Yeah.
00:50:22Okay, you got it?
00:50:23Yeah.
00:50:24Okay.
00:50:25The bus?
00:50:26It's a work in progress.
00:50:27We got the solar, but it's not hooked up to the bus.
00:50:30And we don't have water from Dawn's yet, but Box of Rain showed up.
00:50:34They brought materials.
00:50:35They brought water.
00:50:36We'll go, like, right in here.
00:50:38Yeah.
00:50:39I'm so grateful because, again, we're seeing the community pull together, so it's no longer
00:50:46a one-man show.
00:50:48So we're going to need to pop some holes in the trays and holes in the lids of the totes
00:50:54or reservoirs as we're going to call them.
00:50:55Let's do it.
00:50:56Let's do it.
00:50:57All right.
00:50:58Sounds good.
00:50:59What's she got for me?
00:51:01Does it have gas in it?
00:51:03Smells like it.
00:51:04We don't have power, so we're going to use the generator, have a little power so we can
00:51:11just get to work and hopefully piece a system together that eventually will work.
00:51:16Yeah, so 24 from the top down.
00:51:19Okay.
00:51:20Juanita, pass the chainsaw.
00:51:21We're just going to modify this a little bit to give the plants some room to grow.
00:51:29I'm so excited for Doug.
00:51:31We're working on getting a little winter gardening situation going for him so he can have access
00:51:36to fresh greens during the winter, which is super important.
00:51:40This one's going to be two cuts.
00:51:42The 72 bus hydroponic system is coming together.
00:51:46And right now it's moved to the top of the homestead, but it's going to have to move again.
00:51:51We're moving down this road that's closer to the house and that way it's right next to Doug.
00:51:55The chicken coop in this amazing solar system.
00:51:58It has to move before it snows.
00:52:07What's going to happen in that room right there?
00:52:09That's going to be where there's a shower.
00:52:11A shower?
00:52:12Yeah, I'm going to have a shower back here.
00:52:14With a reliable water solution still uncertain, Marty meets with Doug at the cabin to determine a plan B.
00:52:22I wanted to keep the plumbing tight.
00:52:24Where's all the water coming from?
00:52:27I don't know.
00:52:29I don't know yet.
00:52:31Doug has been out here for three years without water.
00:52:36We have a plan right now in motion, but it's a slow process.
00:52:43In the meantime, there's something we can do.
00:52:46How big is this cabin?
00:52:47This cabin is 18 feet wide by 38 feet long.
00:52:51So the roof is on a rake.
00:52:54You've got 800 square foot of roof up there that can catch some water.
00:52:59It could catch a lot of water.
00:53:01How would you feel about this?
00:53:0340 feet of gutter, and if it snows or rains or whatever today, we can start catching water
00:53:09while we're thinking about how we're going to bring it into the house.
00:53:12Sure.
00:53:13Fair enough?
00:53:14Great, sounds good.
00:53:15Let's go.
00:53:17It's a real simple equation to remember.
00:53:22For every 1,000 square feet of roof, that roof could capture 500 gallons of water.
00:53:31The point.
00:53:32It's snowing right now.
00:53:34All right.
00:53:35That's it.
00:53:38It's melting on the roof, going into the gutter, going into the holding tank as we speak.
00:53:45If it rains or snows an inch, we're going to fill in one day, one night, one storm, 500-gallon tank.
00:53:56What's the forecast?
00:53:57Looks like rain and snow.
00:53:59We've already got snow coating the mountains over there over the last 24 hours.
00:54:04You want to catch some water or not?
00:54:06I think we should.
00:54:07Okay.
00:54:08Let's get some screws, something to cut this with, and I'll meet you back here.
00:54:12Got it.
00:54:13All right.
00:54:14It's official.
00:54:15It started to snow.
00:54:16Hey, guys!
00:54:18Matt and I are still trying to finish these builds, and they can't be finished until the
00:54:36bus lands in its final destination.
00:54:38We're going to try to move this bus before the snow makes this impossible.
00:54:42We're down to the wire.
00:54:43We don't have time to wait for the snow to stop.
00:54:46I know.
00:54:47This is the first snow of the year.
00:54:49It's starting to come down, and the bus is going to move again.
00:54:53But there's not a lot of open space on my mountain.
00:54:57But Misty doesn't give up on things, so it's going to be a challenge.
00:55:01So here's the plan.
00:55:02We're trying to keep the door and the access to the whole bus accessible to you, which means
00:55:08I have to go down the driveway in this mountainside backwards.
00:55:12Okay.
00:55:13Because there's no place to turn around.
00:55:15Let's go to work.
00:55:16Driving the bus down the side of the mountain on a snowy steep road is less than ideal.
00:55:24But going down backwards without side mirrors, it can get really sketchy really fast.
00:55:32Like, come on.
00:55:38You're hugging the cliffside.
00:55:40I can't see anything.
00:55:41Hold on.
00:55:42Check the brakes.
00:55:43Keep coming.
00:55:44What am I hitting?
00:55:45All right, you're clear to come back.
00:55:59Hand signals.
00:56:00I'll take hand signals.
00:56:02Break it hard as you can this way.
00:56:04I can't see anything.
00:56:06I can.
00:56:07Go back, please.
00:56:09What am I hitting?
00:56:14What am I hitting?
00:56:15What am I hitting?
00:56:16Matt.
00:56:17These hand signals, folks.
00:56:19You're fine.
00:56:20Just keep coming straight back.
00:56:22Matt, carry on.
00:56:25Right now, I have Matt, my dad, doing this and this.
00:56:31And either they're directing like an incoming 747 or those are signals for me and I just have
00:56:37no idea what they mean.
00:56:39Straighten out your tires.
00:56:41You're hugging the cliffside.
00:56:43Hugging the edge of the cliff doesn't sound like a good idea.
00:56:47Keep coming.
00:56:48Very slow.
00:56:49Slick.
00:56:50It's slick.
00:56:51It's slick.
00:56:52Go slow.
00:56:53Keep on coming.
00:56:54Keep on coming.
00:56:55Keep on coming.
00:56:56Keep on coming.
00:56:57Now hold on one sec.
00:56:58Hold on one sec.
00:56:59I think we did it.
00:57:00Come on out.
00:57:01Woo-hoo!
00:57:02Misty!
00:57:03That was amazing driving.
00:57:04That's what we were just talking about.
00:57:05I think one of my favorite parts of all of this is that you are having so much fun driving
00:57:06this bus.
00:57:07I love this bus.
00:57:08I love this bus.
00:57:09I know it.
00:57:10I love this bus.
00:57:11The bus has been moved not once but twice.
00:57:15How awesome is that?
00:57:16But it's a little overwhelming to see the transformation from a wild piece of land to a livable space.
00:57:23Everything being close is really good.
00:57:25This is like what I wanted.
00:57:26I wanted to be close to the cabin.
00:57:27Yeah, we have no time to waste.
00:57:28I'm glad we're here.
00:57:29But we still have so much to do.
00:57:30So let's go.
00:57:31Hey, the bus stops here.
00:57:32Hey, the bus stops here.
00:57:53Right there is good for me.
00:58:07With the clock ticking down on the rescue, Matt, concerned neighbor Dawn, and builder Owen
00:58:13race to finish the chicken coop.
00:58:16The bus is not moving anymore.
00:58:19But we need to somehow get this building butted up against the bus and away from the edge.
00:58:29When we moved the chicken coop, we actually moved it too close to the edge.
00:58:33And with all this snow coming down on the ground, it is super slick.
00:58:37I'm worried it's going to go over the edge in the extreme Montana weather.
00:58:42So we need to get it as close to the bus as possible.
00:58:45Make sure it's anchored down so we don't lose any livestock.
00:58:50Two doors.
00:58:51All right.
00:58:52Let's see what Matt's next idea is.
00:58:59With the skid steer, we have to lift the coop so we can slide it across to the bus.
00:59:05I'm going to try to lift the building on the left side and tilt it up so you can put blocks against the bus on this near side and far side.
00:59:15I'll put the block in.
00:59:16Let's do it.
00:59:17We also need to get it off the ground because 40 below on the frozen ground is not going to jive well with those chicken feet.
00:59:27Watch out.
00:59:28Hit.
00:59:29Bring her down.
00:59:30Whoa!
00:59:31Okay, hold on.
00:59:32We didn't have room for more room.
00:59:33Yeah, I was wondering how long this 2x4 was going to last on the bottom.
00:59:49It snapped off.
00:59:50But I'm going to lift it back up with the skid steer in place.
00:59:54Get it reattached.
00:59:55Brace it with this.
00:59:56All right.
00:59:57And then we'll go back into lifting mode.
00:59:59When Doug built that heat hut, he knew that it would be repurposed for something.
01:00:04He didn't know what.
01:00:05So working with Matt has been an eye opener.
01:00:09And it's exciting to see what will come together with this chicken coop.
01:00:14Watch out, Doug.
01:00:17Whoo!
01:00:18My goodness.
01:00:19You like it?
01:00:20I don't think the chickens are going to complain.
01:00:22All right.
01:00:25Now that we have this chicken coop in place, let's close up the bottom and we'll start turning this thing into a chicken coop on the inside.
01:00:32Which came first, the bus or the coop?
01:00:36All right.
01:00:46Moment of truth?
01:00:47Moment of truth.
01:00:48Later that day, inside the transformed bus...
01:00:52Whoo-hoo!
01:00:55We got water.
01:00:57Misty pushes to finish installing the new hydroponics system.
01:01:01We got the bus into position.
01:01:05But the problem is, we still don't have the permanent solution for water.
01:01:11Thankfully, Boxer Rain came with some supplies, materials, and water.
01:01:16Thanks to them, we're ready to get started growing food.
01:01:20So this is its independent system.
01:01:23Then we have another one over here that we're going to get finished connecting all the pieces over here.
01:01:26It'll be on its own, and then we have one behind us as well.
01:01:30So it's three.
01:01:31So it's three separate systems.
01:01:32Basically, we have some totes.
01:01:34We filled full of water, set some pumps, plumbed them into some flood trays.
01:01:38We set some little net pots in there with clay pellets in them.
01:01:41And then you stick the plant straight in.
01:01:43Done.
01:01:44Whoo-hoo!
01:01:45Look what I have!
01:01:46Yay!
01:01:47Plants!
01:01:48It's so small-scale.
01:01:49It's something he can grow and definitely start with being able to feed himself.
01:01:53And right now, we can actually plant plants, and they actually will be able to survive through the winter.
01:01:59Realistically, with this grown-in material, you're going to want to have it hydrated prior to doing the seeds in there.
01:02:05So then, with seeds that are this small, with the eggplant, I'm going to go ahead and put two per whole.
01:02:09With all these types of vegetables, it'll take different days until germination.
01:02:13But once you start to see them coming up, you know that you're good.
01:02:16The best thing to do is to keep this moist until everything is fully germinated.
01:02:20And then, eventually, you can take the dome off when you're ready for that step.
01:02:24And then, the next step would then be break it apart and put it into our hydroton here.
01:02:28Can you do succession planting also, so you don't have to plant every single seed in that packet all at once?
01:02:34Definitely.
01:02:35Yeah, that would be great, too.
01:02:37We put in over 80 plants, and there's water and there's nutrients.
01:02:41It is all automated, so that Doug really just has a little tweaking to do every so often,
01:02:46so he can continue to grow after he harvests what we put in now.
01:02:52He's going to put on a few pounds by the time we see him again.
01:02:56Doug has no idea the amount of food he's going to grow, and it's going to be more than he can eat.
01:03:02This is going to be enough for his community, for sure.
01:03:05But that's the thing about Montana, you always help your neighbor out.
01:03:08Thanks to you guys, Doug is going to be a gardener in the next couple days, which is super exciting.
01:03:13I'm going to go get more plants, and then I'm going to set the next pump.
01:03:17Now, there's enough water here to get started, but it's temporary, and my dad has been at Don's trying to figure out his water,
01:03:26because if we don't get water at Don's, Doug can't grow food.
01:03:33A half mile away, the necessary equipment has arrived, and Marty and Matt have begun installing a water line in their last shot to bring the Shanklin's water source to life.
01:03:48We'll have to run that out far enough so we can backfill so it doesn't freeze.
01:03:54What Don and Juanita knew that I didn't know is they didn't have water, so I'm helping them by developing this water source.
01:04:02We have to go the extra mile.
01:04:05Clint, how long are they? Cut that to 8 feet as a 10-foot stick.
01:04:09And that's getting that water to the cabin.
01:04:11So here we are working away, and we're waiting for Don to dig that water line, but he's having a hard time of it.
01:04:18So let's get this married up.
01:04:21He's using an old backhoe, and he's got a lot of digging, and he's running into a lot of big rocks.
01:04:27Carry on! Go down right there!
01:04:30That water line will not be in before I leave.
01:04:33We're going to have to help out these homesteaders.
01:04:36That said, I don't care, because one inch at a time we're getting to the house before we leave.
01:04:42Fire up the heat!
01:04:45I hadn't fought this entire process through, and now all of a sudden we have to have a complete plan all the way up to the faucet, so it's a little stressful.
01:04:58Go!
01:05:01As this day progresses, it's getting a little hectic, and there's a lot of work to be done, and I'm going into homestead mode.
01:05:08Two clamps on that, opposite, opposing.
01:05:10Where's Clint?
01:05:11I'm yelling at everybody, hand me that pipe, hand me the cutters, the glue.
01:05:15I feel like Dr. Rainey.
01:05:16A little crazy?
01:05:17It's a little crazy, but we're going to have to come up with a plan and figure out a way to speed up.
01:05:23Whoo-hoo! I love it!
01:05:41There's one day left on the rescue of Doug Shelby's 20-acre homestead in northwest Montana.
01:05:48All right!
01:05:50Homestead power!
01:05:52And while the crew assembles the solar panels near Doug's cabin...
01:05:56Good morning!
01:05:57Good morning.
01:05:58...back on the Shanklin's homestead...
01:06:00Let's talk a little bit. How's this girl holding up?
01:06:02She's old, she's tired.
01:06:04Marty finds a way to speed up the waterline installation.
01:06:09Take a look down there, please. What's down the road?
01:06:13Excavator!
01:06:14Exactly.
01:06:15Look at that!
01:06:16That thing right there is going to speed this up.
01:06:18That said, do me a favor, hand me those keys.
01:06:25Oh!
01:06:27Now we're not going to get anything done.
01:06:29Let's go.
01:06:30Wait! Start digging!
01:06:32Don and Juanita, they had been hauling water themselves for the last eight years.
01:06:39All right, we gotta get this end in.
01:06:41They just drilled a well and hadn't dug the waterline, set the pump.
01:06:45And right now, we're frantically trying to help them out a little.
01:06:49Hopefully we don't leave these homesteaders high and dry.
01:06:54Feed that into the house, straight up.
01:06:57I got it!
01:06:58That looks good!
01:07:00All right, Don.
01:07:01Let's insulate!
01:07:02So to prevent this waterline from freezing, we're going to cover it with two inches of insulation.
01:07:12And the word on the street is, if you put two inches of foam over a waterline, that two inches of foam is the equivalent of two feet of dirt.
01:07:24It's insurance.
01:07:25If you don't do it, the waterline can freeze even at six or eight feet deep.
01:07:31All right.
01:07:32Glenn!
01:07:33Let's back film!
01:07:42Hey, Marty.
01:07:43What?
01:07:44I found you something.
01:07:45Holy moly!
01:07:46Holy moly!
01:07:50Look at that!
01:07:52What do you know about this, huh?
01:07:55It's not mine.
01:07:56It's not every day on a homestead where I dig up something I haven't seen in a waterline.
01:08:02That could be a classic, a relic, an antique.
01:08:05Listen, I've never worn one of these before.
01:08:07I'm thinking that the gals in Alaska might wear these for extra...
01:08:12For extra warmth?
01:08:13Extra warmth, extra...
01:08:14Insulation.
01:08:15Insulation.
01:08:16I like the way you think there, Marty.
01:08:18Any homesteader needs to be an upcycler, a recycler, and a free-cycler.
01:08:29One man's roof is another man's skirt.
01:08:33Extra insulation!
01:08:34Yeah, every bit counts.
01:08:36Every little bit counts.
01:08:38Almost fits.
01:08:49So this is it.
01:08:50Waterline 101.
01:08:51Dig a trench, set the waterline, cover it with foam, backfill it carefully.
01:08:59That looks good!
01:09:01Marty is a blast.
01:09:03I probably had several weeks' worth of work left, but now they're going to help me finish that project,
01:09:10so that I'll be able to help Doug with his water needs.
01:09:14Even though I see that there's too much work to be done, I have faith.
01:09:18Let's go!
01:09:19Marty will come through.
01:09:21We're ready to set a well pump in there, and we're ready to get water.
01:09:25You're saving Doug.
01:09:27It should flow pretty good.
01:09:29He can have all the water he needs.
01:09:37So, this used to be the heat hut.
01:09:39Yes.
01:09:40And now it is the chicken coop.
01:09:43Oh, wow!
01:09:44But what's really cool about this design is I wanted them to have an enclosed area to run in because it's just predator proof.
01:09:51Right.
01:09:52And they'll be able to stay warm.
01:09:54And the power from those solar panels, those are the two things that are going to keep the chickens alive.
01:10:01And that was really my goal.
01:10:02Right.
01:10:03I didn't want to just leave an empty chicken coop here.
01:10:06Okay.
01:10:07So, we have some neighbors that want to gift us something.
01:10:11Here they come.
01:10:12We've got some chickens for you.
01:10:14Those are beautiful.
01:10:15These are your babies now.
01:10:17Okay, we've got water and we've got food in there.
01:10:20Places for them to lay.
01:10:21Oh, this is awesome.
01:10:22This is your chicken.
01:10:24Hi.
01:10:25Chickens need attention on a daily basis.
01:10:29And so, we've made it as easy as possible.
01:10:32Those chickens are going to have fresh water to drink that's not frozen.
01:10:36We built some roll-away nesting boxes.
01:10:38Making sure the eggs roll into a nice warm basket.
01:10:42Oh, we got more chickens!
01:10:43Oh, boy.
01:10:44We got more chickens now.
01:10:45Oh, my goodness.
01:10:46That's a good start.
01:10:47Now, things look comfortable.
01:10:50He has food security and he is going to survive and thrive.
01:10:54One week ago, Doug's priority on building shelter for the winter months meant he lacked the means to introduce food.
01:11:04Today, his former heat hut has been relocated closer to his cabin and transformed into an automated chicken coop.
01:11:13Complete with insulation, roll-away nesting boxes to easily gather eggs, and starter chickens.
01:11:20Providing a reliable source of protein for years to come.
01:11:24With this amount of chickens, it should be really manageable.
01:11:27Right.
01:11:28And you can always expand.
01:11:29I love that you thought about that and took that to heart in the whole building process.
01:11:34To watch this transformation of what used to be the heat hut from that to a chicken coop.
01:11:42I've never raised chickens.
01:11:44It's going to be a new venture.
01:11:45So, I'm really looking forward to that.
01:11:47It's very exciting for me.
01:11:48Barry and Michelle, thank you so much for donating chickens and donating your time.
01:11:54So, enjoy it.
01:11:56I will.
01:12:05This is super exciting.
01:12:08Huge moment in the bus.
01:12:09We just took out the temporary heater.
01:12:11And now we got to a place where there's finally heat in the bus.
01:12:15For everything we wanted to do in this bus, we had to have heat step one.
01:12:19So, this is a huge moment and we can proceed with everything we have planned.
01:12:23When you look at the 72 bus, the fact that it has no windows, the problem actually led me to the solution.
01:12:31Because the only way you're going to garden in Northwest Montana this time of year is with heat.
01:12:37Let's try and finish this thing up today.
01:12:39All right.
01:12:40Right now, we're nice and airtight, nice and insulated, and we just need to complete the system so that Doug can grow food.
01:12:46It's like the final day, really, to finish this build.
01:12:49And hopefully, at some point, water comes from your place.
01:12:54Don and I are really excited about being part of the process where Doug can not just live day to day, but to thrive.
01:13:04I'm working on the little seed station.
01:13:07Basically, there's this dome lid, a light, a heating pad underneath.
01:13:12I'm feeling a little stressed today.
01:13:14My dad has been at Don Juanita's trying to figure out their water situation because it is the only way Doug is going to be able to survive here.
01:13:23And here we are at the last day.
01:13:25And we're still trying to figure out if we have a permanent water solution.
01:13:29This is a stressful day.
01:13:39This week, people came out of the woodwork trying to help Doug with this firewood, help get water, help them get power, help them grow food.
01:13:51And this community had a fire department fundraiser, and they invited us.
01:13:56So we rummaged around in the truck for things to raffle off.
01:14:02So if anybody has a pin, we're really happy to sign this.
01:14:06A good time was had by all.
01:14:10I really care, boo, you.
01:14:15But more importantly, we all raised $9,000.
01:14:20Four and a quarter sold for $400, Pete.
01:14:35You ready?
01:14:37Only three hours remain in the rescue of the Shelby homestead.
01:14:41This is a big moment.
01:14:42It is.
01:14:43And over on the Shanklin's property, it's the moment of truth as Marty and Don are about to see if they can bring the source of life to not just one, but two homesteads.
01:14:55About a week ago, I asked both Don and Juanita, hey, can we get water from you guys?
01:15:00And now we're going to see if that generator can fire up that well, fill a tank, and if this entire system actually works.
01:15:15All the way!
01:15:16We got some water!
01:15:20From your well?
01:15:21Wow!
01:15:22That's the best stuff in the world right there.
01:15:24You're sharing that new pump, that new well with your neighbor, and it's, uh...
01:15:31He's not a neighbor.
01:15:32That's my brother.
01:15:33That's my brother, Doug.
01:15:39It's pretty amazing to have my neighbors bringing water up to me.
01:15:42Okay, let's fill it up!
01:15:43All right!
01:15:44And now that the Rainies have helped them finish their well, they have their own water.
01:15:48It's really neat.
01:15:49It just kind of goes down the line, but it's very humbling that people would try to help you, you know?
01:15:54It's really neat.
01:15:55Oh, that is good stuff, Doug.
01:15:58Is it good?
01:16:00Amazing.
01:16:08Okay, come on, Doug.
01:16:12What in the world?
01:16:13Welcome to your hydroponics garden!
01:16:15Oh my gosh!
01:16:16We framed in some insulated walls.
01:16:18We also upped the insulation that you had started.
01:16:21We added a heater.
01:16:23Right now, you have water, thanks to Dawn and Juanita, and you have power right now from your solar system.
01:16:32This is very awesome.
01:16:33This is a scalable operation.
01:16:36You're growing more food than you could ever eat.
01:16:39We're talking hundreds of vegetables are gonna come out of this.
01:16:43Awesome.
01:16:44When I first saw Doug, I saw a man homesteading alone, and I wondered to myself if that truly can be done.
01:16:50Now, stepping back, you look at everything that happened this week.
01:16:53We solved problems where 100% Doug will be able to prove that you can homestead alone.
01:17:00Seven days ago, Doug had no sustainable sources of food, and his bus was a converted tiny home that fell into abandon once it was overridden by vermin.
01:17:12Today, the bus has been transformed into a hydroponics greenhouse using donated water, a kerosene heater to keep temperatures consistent, and space to scale up the system so Doug can grow food for years to come.
01:17:30And to think this was my house, and now I'm growing food?
01:17:34Yeah.
01:17:36You're welcome.
01:17:37Happy?
01:17:38I'm very happy.
01:17:42You're welcome.
01:17:436,000 watts, and about 13,000 watts being generated in solar panels.
01:17:50This is enough watts to run a mansion.
01:17:53Over here, you've got heat.
01:17:56Feel how toast it is in here.
01:17:58You can feel it back here.
01:18:00And by the way, look behind me.
01:18:02100 gallons, pump it from outside, pump it into here, pour it into here, and now this cabin has watts.
01:18:11In a week's time, that man went from being homeless to moving into a finished warm cabin with running water.
01:18:20I know he appreciates all that hard work, the struggle it took to get here today.
01:18:26This is home.
01:18:27And it's ready for paint and some type of flooring, some furniture, move in.
01:18:33One week ago, Doug exhausted multiple generators because his cabin lacked the heat needed to survive the cold, and he depended on a nearby creek for bathing and drinking water.
01:18:46Today, he has a fully insulated cabin designed to retain heat from his wood stove, a new solar unit to power the homestead, and a permanent water source provided by his neighbors, ensuring he survives every Montana winter.
01:19:05It's crazy to see the transformation of the property.
01:19:08The Rainies have been fantastic, but what they've done is set something up for me to go forward and continue this momentum.
01:19:17One more thing.
01:19:19Look at me.
01:19:20Okay.
01:19:21I have a little gift for you.
01:19:24What's that noise?
01:19:26And who is this?
01:19:30It's a Sir Benjamin.
01:19:31Sir Benjamin.
01:19:32A.K.A. Big Ben.
01:19:34Got a little, got some claws in there, yeah?
01:19:38Yeah?
01:19:39Okay.
01:19:40So we got, we got Benjamin here for you.
01:19:41Oh my gosh.
01:19:42Sweet.
01:19:43Yeah.
01:19:44Sweet boy.
01:19:45Oh, I know.
01:19:46Oh my gosh.
01:19:47Good hug, man.
01:19:48Oh, Jeremy.
01:19:50I'm kind of sad that I'm never going to meet Pittsburgh, Doug's beloved cat of almost 20 years.
01:19:59But now, a new chapter.
01:20:02Can I hold you, big boy?
01:20:04Can I hold you, big boy?
01:20:06You've got, oh, oh my gosh.
01:20:09I'm thinking somewhere out there, Pittsburgh's looking down, happy that we're helping Doug land on his feet.
01:20:19I'm, I'm floored.
01:20:22It's so cool.
01:20:23It's just wild.
01:20:25So, yeah.
01:20:36A lot happened this week.
01:20:39One of my favorite things about these kids is this.
01:20:42These guys hold water for eight years.
01:20:45They've just got water for themselves.
01:20:48And today, they shared their water with Doug.
01:20:51Well, you know you've got a good friend if they help you move.
01:20:54But you know you've got a good friend if they help you move your chicken coop.
01:20:59If they help you move a bus twice.
01:21:02Two times.
01:21:03Yeah.
01:21:04You're growing food.
01:21:05You're a gardener.
01:21:06Juanita is your backup plan.
01:21:07She's going to help you through it.
01:21:08I am not worried about Doug anymore.
01:21:12He's got community.
01:21:13He's got water.
01:21:14He's got heat.
01:21:15We'll be able to sleep this winter.
01:21:17The things that you've done have been life changing.
01:21:21I think Don can attest we've had some heart-to-hearts where I come out of a winter and I'm done.
01:21:38Quite honestly, when the rainies showed up, I was tired.
01:21:41I was really tired.
01:21:43You can only be alone like that for so long.
01:21:47In the future, I won't feel that feeling of, I can do it on my own.
01:21:52This community, they won't let you just be alone.
01:21:57I feel so thankful and blessed that they're here.
01:22:00I'm going to miss you guys.
01:22:02Absolute blessing.
01:22:03Don, thank you for everything.
01:22:05Juanita, no man is an island.
01:22:08We're still connected.
01:22:10Always.
01:22:11The community is going to come out of the woodwork literally and see if you're okay.
01:22:16That's what happened on this homestead.
01:22:18And now, Doug will be here forever.
01:22:22See you guys!
01:22:31I'm doing really good.
01:22:33I'm able to be here in a warm place for the first time in three, four winters.
01:22:38Me and Mr. Biggs over here, the cat, he's a sweetheart.
01:22:41He is completely acclimated.
01:22:44The water situation is amazing.
01:22:47All the water that did come from Don Juanita's place, I've been drinking it.
01:22:52I've been bathing with it.
01:22:55Here we have our hydroponic greenhouse.
01:22:58Juanita came over one day and we took the little seedlings and put them into pots.
01:23:03So I'm excited for that.
01:23:05The chickens have been going great.
01:23:07Oh, look at this.
01:23:09We have eggs.
01:23:10The Rainies and this community made a massive difference in my life.
01:23:15Now, I'll reach out and ask for help, no problem.
01:23:18And now, for me, it's a blessing to help other people.
01:23:22Thank you guys.
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