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MO Cabin
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# Posted: 5 Dec 2013 19:34
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I am finishing up on my cabin, in reality I have a ton left to do on the cabin but I need to take on something new. I am looking to start a side project that will add something to the outdoors. My wife and daughter enjoy the cabin, but spent most of the time inside. Most of the year we have a horrible tick and chigger problem and doing the simplest anything outside can be very difficult without the right setup. Currently all we have in the "yard" now is a fire pit. My plan is to add a 18x24 lean to pavilion and a big outdoor work table (36"x72"), to encourage them to spending more time outdoors. I want to build the pavilion so there is a safe haven for them. I looking for what you have added to make the outdoors a little more inviting.
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rockies
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# Posted: 5 Dec 2013 19:49
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It depends on what you have already inside your cabin. I designed mine with full bathroom, kitchen, living/dining and sleeping loft. The next parts needed for the cabin will be added in stages. Either:
1. A pantry with food storage, washing machine, freezer and second prep sink off the kitchen on the east side.
2. A screen porch facing south.
3. A dedicated mudroom facing north
4. A master bedroom north of the mudroom.
It depends on whether you're there all the time and are more concerned with practical functions (like on site laundry) or more recreational activities (like sitting on the porch watching the sunset without bugs eating you alive).
I'll probably do the pantry first, although the screen porch will be a lot cheaper. Hmmm.
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silverwaterlady
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# Posted: 5 Dec 2013 21:16
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Here is a ladies point of view. I don't like sitting in the sun or being bit by bugs. For some reason bugs love me and will bite me before anyone else. So I really don't like to sit outside unless it is in the shade and screened.
We are going to add a three season room onto the front of our cabin. The last photo is how the base of porch will look. We have the stone on our property and fortunate for us, our cabin builder is also a talented stonemason .
For the meantime we set up a screened tent closer to the water.I spent a lot of time in there reading and DH,guests and I would sit there at the end of the day with a glass of wine watching the sunset. I would like to build a screened room down there as well. Some ideas:
My screened tent
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Rustic
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Fancy
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image.jpg
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TheWildMan
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# Posted: 6 Dec 2013 08:14
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Fruit trees, fruit shrubs and ground perenials. an arborethum featuring several varieties of trees suitable to your climate will be both visually/cosmetically appealing and with care and maintenance will attract wildlife and provide free fresh fruit in season (my place has clusters of apple, pear, and cherry trees, blueberry bushes, asparagus patches and etc). start it early because it will take several years for plants to grow to productive size.
add in some log/branch fences, stone piles, and work it into the existing landscape.
I live in my cabin year round, in the summer all I have to do is walk around the yard when i'm hungry.
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SubArcticGuy
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# Posted: 6 Dec 2013 12:08
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You can never go wrong with a sauna....I can't wait to build one at my place...although it will be a couple of years before I get to it.
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silverwaterlady
Member
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# Posted: 6 Dec 2013 12:18
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Fruit trees = bears if one is not there full time to harvest and pick up fallen fruit in my neck of the woods.
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hattie
Member
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# Posted: 6 Dec 2013 12:42 - Edited by: hattie
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How about an outdoor oven. Something made of stone that you can bake bread in or cook a pizza in? It's something you don't find in a city house and might be fun having the whole family experiment in cooking in it.
Another idea might be a giant hammock. I read some people are using old trampolines and turning them into hammocks. Now this is my kind of hammock: http://media-cache-cd0.pinimg.com/originals/80/45/e8/8045e8ab330636854ee8fa2c4ed9db9e .jpg
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skootamattaschmidty
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# Posted: 6 Dec 2013 12:43 - Edited by: skootamattaschmidty
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We always had the porch but we added some adirondack chairs. We absolutely love sitting out there in the morning enjoying our coffee. In the evening we enjoy some nice wine and listen to nature!
This summer we hope to build a log cabin sauna that we know will be used a lot!
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silverwaterlady
Member
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# Posted: 6 Dec 2013 12:51
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^^Wow! What a sweet cabin^^
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VTweekender
Member
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# Posted: 6 Dec 2013 12:53
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Many have a outdoor complete kitchen.....in a pavilion type structure...maybe screened in would be good for them.....and everyone needs hammocks.
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littlesalmon4
Member
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# Posted: 6 Dec 2013 14:45
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Wood fired hottub
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MO Cabin
Member
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# Posted: 6 Dec 2013 21:35
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A couple of things:
1) off grid- only power source yahama inverter
2) no water supply- we currently bring down our water, although I am currently devising a rainwater collection
3) I am going to add a small screened in deck of the cabin.
4) I like the full kitchen in the pavilion,( my uncle has one it always get used a lot)
5) I am going to add fruit trees, acorns and walnuts to a pasture i am adding about 1/4 mile from my cabin
6) I hate to admit this but I have started pintresting and picking a lot of ideas for diy yard projects ands saving them for later ( I call it mantresting and I dont pin I nail)
7) I like all the ideas keeps them coming
8) if number 6 is brought up again I will deny it and if you refrence this post I will say my account was hacked
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leonk
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# Posted: 7 Dec 2013 14:30
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^^ LOL
I second, screened space (porch or else), sauna (if you like it), oven (I have one and it's a lot of fun, adds to the waist though  ). Btw, for off grid, stone or cob oven is great - you can do all sorts of things in it, if you like to cook.
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SE Ohio
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# Posted: 7 Dec 2013 16:03
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Composting toilet and rain barrel/pitcher pump combo are the most useful outdoor projects so far. In process of terracing a spot for a picnic table near fire pit. Next project will be large screened/covered deck.
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missouriboy
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# Posted: 7 Dec 2013 18:37
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I totally understand the ticks and chiggers. We built a picnic shelter outside the barn several years ago. Wanted a place to get out of the sun in the summer. We have a fire pit off one end. I got chipped gravel to put all over the floor so I didn't have any weeds where ticks could hide. A couple of picnic tables and all set. The only picture I can find right now shows it in the background from when I did the holes for the posts on the cabin. Not a great picture but you get the idea.
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MO Cabin
Member
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# Posted: 7 Dec 2013 19:28
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Missouriboy how big is the pavilion?
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Salty Craig
Member
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# Posted: 7 Dec 2013 19:38 - Edited by: Salty Craig
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Sub Arctic Guy, haha I bet something hot would be sweet up there in the winter..
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missouriboy
Member
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# Posted: 7 Dec 2013 23:11
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Posts area makes it 12 x 16 but roof area is 14 x 16 (1 ft. overhang along the length.) Found another picture of when we just finished it.
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Jim in NB
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# Posted: 8 Dec 2013 15:15
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One small but useful thing I built - not sure if it is original or not - but is awfully handy are fire pit seats made use scrap lumber and some deck blocks - makes for sturdy seats!
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beachman
Member
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# Posted: 8 Dec 2013 17:28
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We put in a 12 x 16 deck, aluminum trusses with cedar boards for the deck. It gets us out of the woods into the sun.
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Borrego
Member
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# Posted: 8 Dec 2013 22:38
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Screen porch #1
#2, make little trails even if they go nowhere
#3, set up area to attract animals to feed and water...
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