Hello folks,
I am reaching an exciting new chapter in my life.
In just under 2 months I am moving, with my girlfriend, to a piece of land in rural Spain. This is going to be a great opportunity to get out of the city to somewhere where we can focus on doing the things we love - working wood, growing veg, making, living simply and being surrounded by trees and beautiful countryside. We are ,moving onto the land of a group who are renovating a big old farmhouse, growing food, making their own natural medicines and cosmetics and many other things, all without electricity! (Something we are going to rectify.
So at the beginning of April we set off with a van loaded with tools, canvas, rope and some other essentials. Our plan is to live in a bender a bit away from the farmhouse. However, I have no experience of living in a canvas structure in a Mediterranean climate. My plan is to insulate it with blankets between the wood and the canvas, as I would in this country, and have it easily ventable, probably with sides that can be rolled up without too much hassle. Does this sound like a good arrangement? Also I am not certain that the piece of land has suitably materials for making a bender. There are plentiful trees on the site including Almond, Olive, Cork Oak, Pines and Sweet chestnut, but I don't know if the latter has been coppiced, and I am not sure of the suitability of the others for bender building. I have also learned that is some sort of Salix, although again I don't know whether it will be suitable or be weeping willow, or what...
So, I don't know if anyone here has any experience of the trees of Spain, or living in a similar structure in a similar climate, but I am aware that some of you have lived in benders in the past, and I am just looking for any advice that anyone might be able to offer... on bender life, Spain, or anything else you think might be relevant.
Thankyou in advance.
Pete
I am reaching an exciting new chapter in my life.
In just under 2 months I am moving, with my girlfriend, to a piece of land in rural Spain. This is going to be a great opportunity to get out of the city to somewhere where we can focus on doing the things we love - working wood, growing veg, making, living simply and being surrounded by trees and beautiful countryside. We are ,moving onto the land of a group who are renovating a big old farmhouse, growing food, making their own natural medicines and cosmetics and many other things, all without electricity! (Something we are going to rectify.
So at the beginning of April we set off with a van loaded with tools, canvas, rope and some other essentials. Our plan is to live in a bender a bit away from the farmhouse. However, I have no experience of living in a canvas structure in a Mediterranean climate. My plan is to insulate it with blankets between the wood and the canvas, as I would in this country, and have it easily ventable, probably with sides that can be rolled up without too much hassle. Does this sound like a good arrangement? Also I am not certain that the piece of land has suitably materials for making a bender. There are plentiful trees on the site including Almond, Olive, Cork Oak, Pines and Sweet chestnut, but I don't know if the latter has been coppiced, and I am not sure of the suitability of the others for bender building. I have also learned that is some sort of Salix, although again I don't know whether it will be suitable or be weeping willow, or what...
So, I don't know if anyone here has any experience of the trees of Spain, or living in a similar structure in a similar climate, but I am aware that some of you have lived in benders in the past, and I am just looking for any advice that anyone might be able to offer... on bender life, Spain, or anything else you think might be relevant.
Thankyou in advance.
Pete
