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Small Cabin Forum / General Forum / Brisk at the Cabin
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toddheyn
Member
# Posted: 15 Jan 2012 12:40
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My wife and I decided to head to our cabin, White Birch Acres, this weekend. This was our first trip in true winter. We have been here for the past two Thanksgivings but never after that.

The area had received 6-8 inches of snow on Friday. The high temp on Sat. Was zero degrees and the low Sat night was -18. The high today (Sunday) is supposed to be 7 degrees.

We have learned quite a bit so far with much more to learn.

1 - We need to bring a torch or something to thaw out frozen padlocks.
2 - Our outhouse dor was frozen in ice and we need to bring extra paper. Good thing we stil have our portable camping toilet.
3 - The Buddy heater works well but we could have used our 2nd one from home to assist with the initial heating of the cabin.
4 - The ceiling fan is a godsend. We would be freezing if we did not have it.
5 - Leaving the solar panels and the batteries hooked was the single best idea so far.
6 - We should have insulated the floor when we built the cabin.

trollbridge
Member
# Posted: 15 Jan 2012 14:55
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Brrrrr...hope you both brought your long johns!

Agree with you on #4. They make a huge difference!

toddheyn
Member
# Posted: 15 Jan 2012 19:22
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We have been wearing our long underwear 24/7 since we have been here. It is so beautiful outside but it it is just to cold to stay out for to long.

Can't wait to come back over President's Day Weekend. Hopefully the snow will not be to deep.

trollbridge
Member
# Posted: 15 Jan 2012 20:10
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Are you only heating with your Buddy heater?

toddheyn
Member
# Posted: 15 Jan 2012 20:15
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Yes, the Buddy Heater has been running off of a 40# cylinder for the past 27 hours. Once the initial chill was gone, it has kept our 12x16 cabin at 68 degrees.

trollbridge
Member
# Posted: 15 Jan 2012 20:23
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That is how we originally heated our 12x16 bunkhouse before we got the wood stove. I remember it always took quite a while to get the temp up but then was pretty good. We also did not insulate the floor in that cabin but I don't remember ever wishing that we had.

Are you staying till tomorrow? Have a great time!

toddheyn
Member
# Posted: 15 Jan 2012 20:33
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Just a short trip this time. We will be heading out on Monday morning. Five hour drive back home.

Bzzzzzt
Member
# Posted: 15 Jan 2012 21:44
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We took a little weekend trip to our cabin and woke up this morning to 23°F. BRRRRRRRR! Thank goodness for the new generator that ran our 1500 watt heater for 8 hours straight AND the little buddy propane heater with the hose attachment to the 20# tank. Our cabin is partially insulated but we were able to heat it up to the mid 60°s pretty easily.

I got the rough wiring finished this weekend and another roll of insulation up so next time we're gonna start putting up walls. Yippee!

sabiggs
Member
# Posted: 15 Jan 2012 21:47
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I hear ya. It was -1 this morning at the lumber yard in Wilmington, VT. I carried two pieces of cement board about 50 feet and felt like my hands stopped working. I can't remember feeling this cold since I was in Quebec City in January of 1999 and it was -13. I can't imagine -18 toddheyn. Woah!

toddheyn
Member
# Posted: 18 Jan 2012 15:50
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Just in case anyone was curious, here are some photos from our weekend at the cabin.

January 2012 White Birch Acres

bhebby
Member
# Posted: 19 Jan 2012 22:27
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how big is your cabin?I have a little buddy for back up and was wondering if it would do the job? Im in NY also,use it all the time to ice fish. thanks

toddheyn
Member
# Posted: 20 Jan 2012 05:46
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Our cabin is 12'x16' with 10' to the peak of the cathedral ceilings.

Montanan
Member
# Posted: 20 Jan 2012 15:40
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Quoting: toddheyn
4 - The ceiling fan is a godsend. We would be freezing if we did not have it.


Agreed! Plus ours keeps us from roasting in the loft when the wood stove is cranking.

We also deal regularly with brutally cold temperatures. Propane torch and heat gun are used to get our water running each time. It's been -20s up there all week. It's going to be really cold when we go up next (ours is a log structure.)

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