3 Moons project offers off-the-grid living

In this day in age most people want the latest and greatest when it comes to everything from technology, to clothing and more.

One group, led by Jahane Rucquoi, is looking to go in a completely opposite direction, and wants to move away from the typical urban confines and make use of what the desert landscape has to offer.

A project titled 3 Moons, located at Old Spanish Trail, between Tecopa and Highway 160 south of Pahrump, is aiming at promoting ecological awareness through sustainable living.

“To show how you can live simply and comfortably in the desert off grid,” Rucquoi said of the project’s goal. “A lot of people don’t know how to make it comfortable.”

The group raised just under $6,000 off its Kickstarter campaign to fund the project, with the money being raised in just over a month, showing that there are people out there excited about the project.

“I wrote to a bunch of people and a lot of them replied to do this,” Rucquoi said.

Rucquoi and her crew have been hard at work for the past four months on the project and are prepared to teach their work to anyone who wants to make the trek out there.

On June 20 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., 3 Moons will hold a mini workshop to display the various techniques they used to construct the project. The mini workshop will cost anyone who wants to attend a $20 donation, although Rucquoi said she would welcome larger donations if anyone was inclined to offer.

One of those techniques is called earthbag construction, which is building structures with earthbags (sometimes called sandbags) which have long been used, particularly by the military, for creating strong, protective barriers, or for flood control.

“We fill them up with a little bit of dirt… some people use clay, but we don’t have any clay,” she said. “The proof is in the pudding, you really have to get out here to see it.”

The walls are so strong, that they hold up to severe weather and can even withstand bullets. The best part is that they can be erected quickly and cheaply Rucquoi explained, with materials that are readily available components.

Visitors that have came to 3 Moons have taken to the project well initially, with people from all over already visiting the site, with a group from France stopping by recently.

Rucquoi said that she lives at the project part-time, but she hopes that it will be home to full-time residents, as it is prepared for that.

“I say come and stay over in the domes,” she said. “Bring your bedding. We have water, we have a toilet. Come sleep under the stars.”

Rucquoi recommends registering for the June 20 event before June 17, and you can do that by calling her at, 702-931-8703.