Logistics of living on-site

[Don_P]

We spent about a dozen years travelling around the country building log homes. This often got us out into the boonies getting to camp out on other peoples prime property while they had to slave away back in the real world to pay us for our pleasure. OK a little tongue in cheek, but it seemed like we sure had the good end of that deal. We had a motorhome and pickup on site so we weren't really roughing it but working cold all day and then spending a 40 below nite in a chilly camper on a mountaintop miles from the nearest lightbulb hoping the genny didn't croak did give us cause to ponder at times. There was a beautiful meadow in the middle of a million acre nat'l forest out west, we had it to ourselves for a whole summer, the first time we saw the site was on skis cause it was the only way in... that would also be the year of the big floods around '93. We sat onsite waiting for solid enough road to get concrete in for a month. Read everything we had and went out to the bookstore. When the circle down here below needed to step in and step up we came home. But there's a lot of times I'm tempted to cut the lines and lock the gate from the inside  .

On the safety side phones are great, but half the time you don't have it. I let it be known to family, friends and neighbors. I listen for threes, of anything. If you need help in a hurry start banging out a pattern of three's and keep it up, I'll come running.

[Erin]

I have been called 'different' at times.   

I like being at our mountain cabin or camped someplace in the boonies like "middle of nowhere, UT" and knowing I'm likely the only human for some distance.

I'm the same way. 
We've worked on ranches where we were a good 5 or 10 miles from the nearest human neighbors and I liked it that way.  I've always said if I can see the neighbors' yard light, or hear their dogs bark, they're way too close!  lol
We're only a mile from our nearest neighbor now, but our place sits down in a bowl, so we can't see their lights OR hear their dog. 

To the original post, I'm going to put basically the same reply here that I did over at the other site, Jay. 
BTW, I envy you, getting to work on your house without interruption from a job(s)!

Some replies (since we are doing the same thing but have two kids)--

Water- I can't imagine trying to get by without a reliable water source. From mixing concrete to simply washing up, water is a daily necessity. Water is very heavy, and must be kept in a container, so hauling it in would be a hardship.

Nah.  It's an annoyance, but not a hardship. 
We have a flat bed trailer and a 1500 gallon tank.  We've been hauling water for household use, as well as livestock for about a year and a half. 
(The trailer we already had, the tank was $500 at Orscheln's, and there's no such thing as "municipal water" unless you're in town.  It'll be about $8G to have a well drilled.  We haven't gotten around to doing that.)

Power--Might I suggest a state/area with public power?  They'll string in a certain distance off the existing line, completely free of charge. 

Comfort and shelter, I completely agree. A camper is a good way to go!  We did that before we upgraded to a $500 14x70 trailer house.

I then built a sawdust toilet (old Splinter) which worked much better. There are some good books out there on composting sawdust toilets. You do still need to have a good (and legal) place to empty it. Sawdust toilets are cheap and easy, and arguably 'greener' than many alternatives, although public health officials tend to really freak out over the idea. I know people got by without bathing for many thousands of years, but I find a good shower to be therapeutic, and helps keep you on good terms with visitors. I bought a cheap solar shower which worked OK, weather permitting. They don't work on rainy days, and poorly on cold days.

We use the exact same method for both.  As mentioned, we're still hauling water, and this time of year means the solar shower is impossible to use as designed.  Instead, we just heat water on the stove and dump it in the shower bag.
We have a bicycle hook drilled into a rafter that we hang it on.  In the shower stall in the existing bathroom. 
We daylight the grey water.

BTW, just because it came up in this thread, here's a pic of our sawdust toilet.  

It doesn't have to just be "a bucket."

[rick91351]

If working alone, having a phone on your person, in case you are incapacitated is important.  Also you may want to establish a once or twice a day check in with someone who can send help if they don't hear from you.

I too do that when working alone.  Ten and three I go down to the store two miles away and report in to my wife who will make calls if I am 30 minutes late. 

[MountainDon]

I listen for threes, of anything. If you need help in a hurry start banging out a pattern of three's and keep it up, I'll come running.

That's an old thing. Three loud noises of any kind... come give aid!!

[OlJarhead]

That's an old thing. Three loud noises of any kind... come give aid!!

That's why I carry extra rounds whenever I'm out in the woods.  Specially if I am alone -- I carry at least 50 extra's.  Never know when you might need to start calling for help.

[OlJarhead]

I might add that I call my wife back home in the morning and in the evening when at the cabin.  Same reason as the rest of you -- to let her know all is well.

I will admit though, that after two years I sometimes only call once a day (in the evenings).

[Native_NM]

I've been looking at something like this for hiking and hunting:

http://www.rei.com/search?query=Spot

My wife worries when I'm off by myself and can't check in.  There are several in this category.  They allow one to send text massages from just about anywhere.

[considerations]

"here's a pic of our sawdust toilet."

So, Erin, what's in the tank?

[Erin]

The "flush" of course.   

[OcoeeG]

Great post.  This one is worth a bump.  I will be doing the same thing starting this summer and it was refreshing to hear your words of wisdom.  I am a bit younger (37) so I might start out tenting it, but plan on putting a nice size tarp system over it, raise the tent up on pallets covered in cardboard and carpet to make things a but more comfortable. Might even consider throwing a twin mattress in there to sleep on.  UNLESS I can find a cheap pop-up.  All that being said I will probably whip up a shed rather quickly.  Thanks again for your great post.  Hope the project is going well.

[MushCreek]

Truth in advertising- once winter start to hit, the logistics got more challenging. I now have running water and electricity, but no way to keep a large barn warm, or even above freezing. I decided to take the holidays off, so I disconnected the power, turned the water off, and drained the pipes. The plan was to get back to work Jan. 1, but deep down inside, I knew this wouldn't be practical. As luck would have it, my old employer (in FL) was looking for help, so I went back to work for the winter! I'll work through March, helping to replenish the severely depleted bank account, and then get back to it in April. Meanwhile, my contractor should be getting the basement poured so I'll have something to build on. By next winter, the house will be dried in, so I can live in the basement, which only gets down to about 55 in that climate. Relative luxury!

[JRR]

Great post!

My wife and I have been working on a cabin for years .... or, better put, a few weekends each year... for years.  We've used the tent once the building was "dry", but not sealed-up.  Comfortable enough ... but the tent got a bit worn and two playing grand daughters finally took it ""out.  We want to buy another tent, or at least, my wife wants a new one ... but we have recently tried sleeping in the minnie-van, and it ain't half bad.  We are able to keep warm using a little electric heater (with fan) hung to the van roof.  (Yes, we have temp electric power pole and box.)   The little heat-cube cycles on-off, keeping us warm, even if outside temp reaches down in the twenties ....

Speaking of things in the night.  Our buidling is still available to any small critters who might want to visit....inside.  My older (than any of you) kidneys require I make one "trip", or more, during the night.  We keep a low level of night-light.  One night as I was about to open up the tent "door" for such a trip ... there sat a visiter, looking at me with the most steady, unwavering look.  A large sleek black house cat.  I've never seen larger.  Or more intent.  The head never moved, the eyes never blinked.  I woke my wife.  We both decided a wait-out, inside the tent, was in order.  Under the cold stare, I went back to an uncomfortable sleep.  After a short nap, the cat was gone.  Never saw him again.

[OlJarhead]

Great post!

My wife and I have been working on a cabin for years .... or, better put, a few weekends each year... for years.  We've used the tent once the building was "dry", but not sealed-up.  Comfortable enough ... but the tent got a bit worn and two playing grand daughters finally took it ""out.  We want to buy another tent, or at least, my wife wants a new one ... but we have recently tried sleeping in the minnie-van, and it ain't half bad.  We are able to keep warm using a little electric heater (with fan) hung to the van roof.  (Yes, we have temp electric power pole and box.)   The little heat-cube cycles on-off, keeping us warm, even if outside temp reaches down in the twenties ....

Speaking of things in the night.  Our buidling is still available to any small critters who might want to visit....inside.  My older (than any of you) kidneys require I make one "trip", or more, during the night.  We keep a low level of night-light.  One night as I was about to open up the tent "door" for such a trip ... there sat a visiter, looking at me with the most steady, unwavering look.  A large sleek black house cat.  I've never seen larger.  Or more intent.  The head never moved, the eyes never blinked.  I woke my wife.  We both decided a wait-out, inside the tent, was in order.  Under the cold stare, I went back to an uncomfortable sleep.  After a short nap, the cat was gone.  Never saw him again.

LOL!   

I was once camping up near Rim Rock Lake in WA with my two sons.  We'd headed up with a tent and simple camping stuff in hopes of finding a nice secluded place to camp out.  Once we settled on a nice spot near a stream (in a camp site that was unused by anyone else at the time) I pulled out the tent only to discover the poles had not been packed -- serves me right for asking my sons to do it.

Seems the boys had something else in mind as I'd told them many stories of camping in leanto's as a kid....so we began cutting poles and building the lean to.

Once the leanto was built (with the tent strung over half of it just in case it rained) and my cot was stuck in the middle (I'm getting old clearly) we settled in for the night.

I'd warned the boys that in bear country it was good to keep food etc in a secure place so bears didn't decide to join us.  Anyway, early in the morning I thought I heard something and looked up just as a big black........DOG came up and licked my face!!!

Good thing my .45 wasn't ready! hahaha  anyway, it was quite funny later though at the time half asleep I thought it was a bear....

[rick91351]

LOL!   

I was once camping up near Rim Rock Lake in WA with my two sons.  We'd headed up with a tent and simple camping stuff in hopes of finding a nice secluded place to camp out.  Once we settled on a nice spot near a stream (in a camp site that was unused by anyone else at the time) I pulled out the tent only to discover the poles had not been packed -- serves me right for asking my sons to do it.

Seems the boys had something else in mind as I'd told them many stories of camping in leanto's as a kid....so we began cutting poles and building the lean to.

Once the leanto was built (with the tent strung over half of it just in case it rained) and my cot was stuck in the middle (I'm getting old clearly) we settled in for the night.

I'd warned the boys that in bear country it was good to keep food etc in a secure place so bears didn't decide to join us.  Anyway, early in the morning I thought I heard something and looked up just as a big black........DOG came up and licked my face!!!

Good thing my .45 wasn't ready! hahaha  anyway, it was quite funny later though at the time half asleep I thought it was a bear....