Deek Deidricksen

2 Comments Posted on August 21, 2015August 22, 2015 Community, community resilience, sustainable lifestyle design, tiny house jamboree, tiny house workshop, Tinyunopoly

Meditations on the 1st National Tiny House Jamboree

Meditations on the 1st National Tiny House Jamboree

I had been looking forward to speaking at the 1st National Tiny House Jamboree in Colorado Springs for months. After driving for three days straight over 2200 miles from Northern New England, it’s a bit ironic that my car, which has not had a repair issue or breakdown during the ten years I have owned it, died 25 miles from the Jamboree sight in rush hour traffic at 92 degrees.

I overcame so much to build my Silver Bullet Tiny House, this was just a blip on my radar. Six hours and $782. worth of repairs later, I had a new alternator, battery and wire connections replaced in my oldie, but goodie, 2004 Honda Element EX.

I arrived at the Mining Museum grounds and saw all sorts of vendors and builders driving in their tiny houses and sprucing them up for the coming attendees. Tiny houses seem to be getting larger. When I got my trailer two years ago, 18 feet was considered large. As I toured these, I discovered most of them were 24 feet or larger and 13,000 lbs. plus. And yet, so beautiful, gorgeous, well planned and designed and such great ideas and sustainable concepts.

After touring some of the tiny houses privately, I set out for the campground in time to set up my tent and get over to the Jamboree VIP party to meet the tiny house luminaries whose blogs I have followed and commented upon, whose books and DVD’s I’ve read and recommended to my workshop attendees and whose tiny house journeys I have admired for years. I was elated to put faces and such warm hugs and conversations to the names and images I have enjoyed in the online tiny house tribe.

Best of all, I got to see my mentor and tiny house rock star, Derek “Deek” Diedricksen, speak on the 1st day. His speech was so awesome; inspiring, humorous, informative – he set the tone for the entire weekend of magical happenings and connections.

As I returned to the campground every evening, I met folks from Europe, Canada and all over the USA. There were tiny DIY micro-shelters built on one axel trailer rigs as well as two large tiny houses on double axle trailers. A little camping tiny house tribe of our own with wild fire-dancing parties at night and discussions into the wee hours of the morning.

As I looked up at the twinkling stars in the deep blue Colorado sky, my heart raced with the excitement of the coming weekend’s National Tiny House Jamboree speaker’s, activities and 40+ tiny houses to tour and experience.

I spoke on Sunday to a crowd of tiny house enthusiast’s about my tiny house journey. I also announced my new board game “Tinyunopoly” which will fund tiny house construction for the homeless. Here’s a picture of the 1st draft I made while waiting for my car repairs. (I was a financial consultant to the Parker Family Trust for many years). Money is not in this game, only barter shares and the gift economy. The properties are tiny house villages, the “railroads” are renewables: wind/water harvesting, solar, biomass/ethanol and people powered. No “going to jail” in this version, instead you go to sustainability pillar camp. And the four piles of cards you draw from require all kinds of fun interactions between yourself and your fellow players involving tiny house tips and tricks and sustainable concepts.

If you would like to contribute feedback and help me finish the game, just let me know at taospirit@mac.com.

By the end of this incredible weekend those tiny house enthusiasts’ eyes were full of twinkling tiny house stars!

And on my way back to New England I saw my first tiny houses on the road!

I hope they’ll have Tiny House Jamboree 2 next year!

If micro-housing or the tiny house movement interests you, consider:

Joining a local tiny house meet-up group and networking with your tiny house enthusiast neighbors.
Attend a tiny house workshop near you. Get some hands-on experience and network with other tiny house enthusiasts.
Next time you take a trip or vacation, consider renting a different tiny house every few days and learn what features you like and/or dislike.

Links you may enjoy:

See the Tiny House Jamboree Drone video encapsulating the event in 50 seconds here.

Deek’s upcoming Tiny House Summer Camp here.

Leave a comment Posted on February 14, 2014March 6, 2015 tiny house community

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

An excerpt from the 8/28/13 article, “Standing on the Shoulders of Giants”, I wrote for my friend, Steven, at tinyhouselistings.com:

“I thought the best way to change minds about global warming, climate change and ecological dysfunction was to get more education; this time, in sustainable management. If I could influence the corporate world to change their design principles and their social/financial responsibility to the communities from which they remove resources and in which they manufacture their goods, I would be doing right by doing good.

I realized the greater challenge is in educating the public about choices and practices so they can influence and raise the sustainable consciousness of their own families, corporations, communities, schools and workplaces with their own voices and pocketbooks. I know, an ambitious idea of mine to think I can help humanity save its resources by changing human behavior.

That’s when I met Deek, Steven, and other tiny house community members last November at a tiny house workshop. That weekend cemented my resolve to build the travelling sustainable “Silver Bullet Tiny House Classroom” I had been dreaming about for the last two years.

Constructing an affordable off-grid, net zero, eco-friendly “tiny house” that becomes a mobile classroom seemed like a natural part of the evolution of the non-profit organization I started in 2011 after graduating from Presidio.

After all, the tiny house community that has been growing for a decade is the sustainability imperative at work.

I envisioned the Silver Bullet serving as a base where I could work with individuals, families and communities to make smarter consumptive choices to live and learn how to design and build a more sustainable and affordable lifestyle.

I will stand on the shoulders of my sustainable giants Deek Diedricksen, Jay Shafer, Ray Anderson, Bob Willard, and Bill McKibben to bring sustainable lifestyle practices and design to those who need it.”

You can check out our progress at the silverbulettinyhouse.com.

Founder and tiny house builder/enthusiast, Vera Struck, celebrates the beginning of the Silver Bullet build in summer 2013 and the completion of her R34 sub-floor on her 8′ x 18′ trailer.

Leave a comment Posted on November 5, 2012November 21, 2013 tiny house workshop

The Tiny House Workshop

I signed up for a 3 day workshop as soon as Deek Diedricksen put it up on the web, RelaxShacks.com. Waiting 3 months felt like forever!

I was so obsessed with the tiny house movement that I forgot that Deek’s offer to sleep out in the “Gypsy Junker”, meant without heat. In November.

Friday afternoon we all met and started the sub-flooring on Deek’s tiny one axle trailer. I learned all about vapor barriers, “great stuff”, foam and other insulations, bolting, bracing and closing the floor of a tiny house.

We framed the walls, made openings for windows did some sheathing with some recycled building products, windows from the side of the road and siding.

Me and my new TH friend, Max, in front of the Gypsy Junker; below, Mr. Steven Harrell of Tiny House Swoon

Building a tiny home on two axles is an item on my bucket list. Now I know how to construct it and make it a carbon neutral environment. I’ll let you know when it’s done!

Now if I could just find a Honda Element “gas to cooking oil” conversion workshop I could attend, I would have a net-zero tiny house hauler! Tell me if you know of one! (As I posted this I learned my Honda can only haul 1500, so anyone have a used Ford 250 Diesel I can convert?)

I’ve renovated my mountain homes, made them energy efficient; built out my commercial studios in mill buildings and yet, I’ve never had as much fun as I did with these creative “off the grid”, eco-warriors. We all came from different backgrounds, different states, and levels of experience, ages and cultures. Tiny house advocates and the subculture that surrounds them make some pretty interesting campfire workshop parties! Our second evening campfire we were serenaded by banjoes, bongos, guitars, and the voices of passionate, driven, creative, artistic tiny house builders! And a visiting tiny house bicyclist came by with a 350.org poster as his roof treatment!

One of Deek’s early “Relaxshacks” called the Gypsy Junker (7 minute Youtube video), is all of 24 square feet! I slept in it for 2 nights, without using the heater, just to see if I could do it. Outside, 32°F, inside, 40°F. Glad I brought my Mummy Sleeping Bag and my crystal heat packs!

Thanks, Deek, for a great workshop and the opportunity to find a new group of sustainable friends! Thanks to Dustin, Steven, the Comet and Caravan builders!

After Sandy ravaged our shores this week, I was once again reminded of how powerful nature is, how vulnerable we are and humanity’s denial of our impact on climate change and environmental resources.

I’m in the red down jacket standing next to Deek. Steven Harrell from tinyhouselistings.com is standing behind me.

Links you may want to explore:

http://www.thane.com/default/red-fusiontm-heat-wrap-basic.html The reusable Nikken Crystal Heat sodium acetate 6”x8” packs that kept me warm in the Gypsy Junker were 14 years old. They do not sell them anymore. However, these look great, I just ordered some.

Tiny House Workshop of Deek’s that I took this weekend in Stoughton, Ma.

The New York Times article about Deek

http://tinyhouselistings.com Steven’s other website

Max’s artistic website here.

silver bullet tiny house