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Lacey
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# Posted: 14 Jul 2017 15:15
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Been doing a lot of research lately. My sister and I were left property with a small barn style cabin on it. It does have a woodstove which needs updating do to broken front glass. Loft upstairs and a brook running at the bottom of a hill with good fishing. We both own 4x4 SUVs and each a 4wheeler as it is a rough cut road through the woods and down a steep hill to get to the camp from a main access Rd. We are both unfamialir with chainsaws (which we'll have to get used to) . There is an unlimited supply of wood if we can learn to cut. We have started to dig a hole in prep for outhouse.
We are looking into solar panels and batteries (also unfamiliar). Our biggest concern is winter as we get a lot of snow here in New Brunswick Canada and need a snow machine to maneuver the trails. We are not far from a highway about a 30 min walk to the closest gas station. Just trying to gather as much information from as many ppl as possible. We do stay there on weekends with a generator and bbq and small propane burner to cook.
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ICC
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# Posted: 14 Jul 2017 17:17
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Quoting: Lacey It does have a woodstove which needs updating do to broken front glass
there are places online that sell the special glass needed. cheaper than a new stove
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NorthRick
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# Posted: 14 Jul 2017 17:18 - Edited by: NorthRick
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Is this going to remain a weekend cabin or are you expecting to move in full time? Is there power to the property already?
With the chainsaw, get the proper safety gear to go with it (eye & hearing protection, chaps). Learn what kickback is, what causes it and how to avoid it. If you plan to fell trees, I'd find someone competent to show you how to do that properly and safely.
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old243
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# Posted: 14 Jul 2017 17:19
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If you are not familiar with using a chain saw, look in to taking a chainsaw training course. Inquire at a dealer that sell saws and chain saw equipment, protect yourself boots, gloves , chain saw pants , hard had with hearing protection and a visor.. A course will teach you chain saw maintenance, sharpening. Proper felling techniques. I took the course, as required by job. Learned that I had developed a lot of bad habits. Min of natural resouces might be another source. Sawing is not difficult , but learn the right way. They can hurt you , if you goof up. Just my 2 cents worth.
You appear to have a nice cabin, if you want stove and chimney advice, look at hearth dot com . lots of good info.
Have fun with your cabin . old243
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NorthRick
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# Posted: 14 Jul 2017 17:23 - Edited by: NorthRick
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Me and old243 must have been typing at the same time. Knowing what I know now about chainsaws, it's a wonder I didn't seriously maim or kill myself when I was younger. Not to scare you but it is something that requires respect.
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Lacey
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# Posted: 14 Jul 2017 23:40
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The wood stove could still be updated as it is pretty small and have to get up a lot through out the night to keep it going escpecially in -25 *
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Lacey
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# Posted: 14 Jul 2017 23:53
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There's no power to the property, it's pretty secluded and hard to get to. I had my 4x4 SUV with big tires stuck for hours in the pouring rain when leaving one day. (Bought some come alongs now)
Right now we just bring a generator in with us each time we go by sidexside cause last time we left one there someone broke in and stole it (brand new one too) and chainsaw and few other things😢
The camp is about a 1 1/2 hrs from where I live, so getting there to check on things regularly is pretty hard. We're in the process of getting the roof re shingled as you can see in the pic the moss has taken over! So many dead trees friends and family have cleared for us and so many more. But this is my sacred place and we plan to be there a lot more and eventually permanently.
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Lacey
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# Posted: 15 Jul 2017 00:05 - Edited by: Lacey
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It was left to us from our father when he passed and they built it by hand and carried every piece of lumber there. No one had been there in over 10 years and no one knew where it was and myself and my sister ventured out with a memory of when I was there once as a kid. And sure enough after failing one day we camped out and try again the next morning and all grown in we actually found it . And on 36 acres of property!
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 15 Jul 2017 09:35
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Cool story, cherry that thing out, get caught on on maintenance, enjoy in your dads memory.
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moneypitfeeder
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# Posted: 17 Jul 2017 23:05
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Glad you have such a great property and memories to remember your dad by, I see why that is your sacred place! I also recommend chainsaw training/tree felling advice before you ever attempt. Back in the day my hubby worked as an arborist, and saw a co-worker (who was also well trained) cut his leg almost through. Not a tool to mess with, imo. Have you thought about using a composting set-up instead of an outhouse? There's everything from the super expensive setups with fans and sensors, to buckets and composting bins. They all have plusses and minuses, but done right, they won't ever impact your ground water. There are tons of options with solar & I think the best thing is to try to see how little you can "comfortably" manage with. I.e. factor for all the things you must have and build a system that can be expanded if needed. Our cabin, we get away with just a few really tiny object-specific solar panels, but we don't live there full time, so our needs are very small. Good luck, I'm sure we'll all be interested to see your progress on such a beautiful place!
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Lacey
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# Posted: 21 Jul 2017 01:32
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Also, any ideas for the future on beds for the upstairs loft? Right now it is a hole in the floor with ladder going up to it. Fitting a bed is impossible. My future goal after insulation and roof (which is hopefully going on this weekend) is to have to sleeping places upstairs. Two single beds. Right now we just use air mattresses which works fine, and learned to store away in totes so mice and ants 🜠won't get at them. Lots of critters there, sisters dog recently got into a porcupine (600 bucks later) who was living under the camp. Bear , deer, moose hunting here wouldn't be a problem.
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Bexeler
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# Posted: 21 Jul 2017 18:36
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Your place looks great and will be even better after you are done with the repairs. Something to look into for the beds once you have it as close to pest and bug free as you can get it is the memory foam mattresses they sell at Wal-Mart and other places. They come rolled up and compressed so you can get it up to your loft and once it it there you open them up and they expand. My wife bought one for us to use in our little cabin and it is actually pretty comfy to sleep on.
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moneypitfeeder
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# Posted: 21 Jul 2017 19:36
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Hi Lacey, if you look into foam or latex mattresses you may be able to wrangle them up there. What I did to build a mouse-proof (ish) mattress was to take a cheap air mattress & slice it open at the foot-end, then I went in and slowly turned it inside out and cut through all the connecting "chamber pockets" so it was basically a giant vinyl pillowcase. Then you can insert a foam mattress or even several thiner toppers to create the mattress. Then you can either vinyl patch or duck tape the heck out of the slit-end to close it. Using several thiner toppers will make it easier to get them up to the loft, if you can't get a compressed foam one up there, but even those are pretty small when they are shrink wrapped at the store (walmart) normally has them on a regular shelf in a box-so you might be able to get a single mattress through your opening. When you take them out they are like a big pillow that has been compressed in a "space bag." I've tried just the zippered vinyl waterproof covers for mattresses as mouse proofing, and have found they are lighter-weight than an air mattress, and the mice can chew threw them. There is a foldable frame that might work for you as well, it you don't want to build a wood frame up there (guessing you can't fit a headboard, etc). Just run a google search on foldable bed frame, there are several brands, sizes, and prices out there. Be forewarned, some fold smaller than others and you'd want to confirm the folded width b4 buying anything. (Some only fold in half, which won't help you out much.) Good Luck!, Dee
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ILFE
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# Posted: 24 Jul 2017 05:45
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I have always liked gambrel roofs on buildings.
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