So I would start out with a truck (heavily modified army 6x6 truck, maybe a HEMTT, with a little sleeping compartment up top, an area with pop-up roof with windows, skylights, etc. I will live hear while I build my homestead. I will save my
urine to use strategically as possible.
I would bring a compact
tractor, diesel
UTV and at least 200 gallons of diesel fuel. And minimum of 100 gallons of
gasoline.
Upon arrival I would clear a zone, establish zones for a cabin (on stilts), a 20’x20’ leveled work platform, garden, garden beds and parking for equipment. If possible I would bring equipment for one of these little fabric Quonset huts for vehicle, equipment storage.
After initial arrival I would get out the UTV and the log arch. I would bring mattracks for the UTV and those on once the snow gets too deep. But n the meantime, just go with wheels and towable log arch, built in winch, chainsaw and go looking for good trees to make into logs for building a cabin. I would spend much time looking for logs, cutting down and hauling back.
I would set up a logosol sawmill and trim logs for flat sides for easy stacking. I would stockpile these logs for use later. I would also cut up some dimensional lumber and stack and store. Basically I would spend as much time as possible cutting lumber, and trimming to size and cutting to dimension to prepare for spring construction.
As much as possible I would collect and keep all sawdust and trimmings. I would find some logs and make them into a
garden bed, maybe 5x30’. I made room for a chipper shredder PTO attachment so I would collect as much deciduous twigs/branches as I could. After filling I would Inoculate with blue oyster mushrooms. I would leave a hole in the center big
enough to place a 5 gallon bucket with a lid and cover with a layer of
wood chips. Every day or two I would fill the bucket with near boiling water, cover with lid and place in hole as temperatures drop. This keeps the bed from freezing. I would continue to cover the bed to keep it from freezing.
As winter progresses and days get shorter, temperatures drop and snow piles up, the mattracks go on the UTV and skis on the log arch. I still collect trees, saw as possible, and find some good logs to use as pilings for stilts for cabin support. I stocked some borax for insect repellent,
DE for wood protection. I also have some roofing tar only for burried posts. I mill up some 2x10 lumber and make support beams (3x10 thick, glued and screwed together) and set aside. Additionally, I mill up some 2x10 joists and some floorboards to get ready for spring construction. To stack logs up high I have a couple of gin poles to haul up logs nice and easy.
I have a custom cast iron
wood stove covered in TEG modules to provide some electricity without using gas or diesel. I did pack a generac 5k diesel generator (w/ topped off 12 ga tank) and a Honda 2k has inverter generator, and 5 125ah batteries (fully charged) and even 8 325 watt
solar panels (which might help a bit at first, but not into the winter of course). I
should be able to run cordless tools, lights, even a laptop and watch movies in the dead of winter. The
wood stove should help out with electricity without using diesel or gas.
As the dead of winter really sets in, I probably spend more time in sleeping quarters, relaxing, watching movies, planning. I generally avoid extreme cold, high winds, blizzards. I go ahead and work by the
wood stove thawing post logs, add in borax, paint with roofing tar.
As spring approaches, I start to work on the cabin. I packed a post hole digger. At first I try to drill into frozen ground with a very narrow auger. Maybe start with an SDS hammer. I try to dig down 6’. Eventually I loosely pack with a little wood, add in just a bit of gas/diesel mixture and burn in hole to thaw earth and bore out to larger diameter. Eventually I get the bore holes big enough that I mix some DE with gravel from digging (or find from somewhere), set in posts, surround with DE/gravel and let set in place (I might go really crazy and shou shi ban the posts. I packed a tiger torch and propane.
If weather permits I would set beams in place and maybe even start on joists to get a real jump on spring. Ideally I would floor the whole cabin platform foundation. I would hold off on the logs for the log cabin until I get better light, but I get another, nice flat platform for tools.
As spring approaches, I would clear snow from potential garden beds, maybe even start some bonfires on the soil to thaw early. After things cool off, I place clear plastic to heat the soil up even more. With luck, the raised bed stayed a moderate temperature and oysters did well breaking down woodchips into soil bedding. I will start growing in the raised bed, but start a second using the spawn from the first. I should have plenty of chips and sawdust so I can start this second bed. I will start with a bunch of potatoes, leafy greens, and peas (add suggestions hear please). I will eventually plant tomatoes, and lots of winter squash. If I can swing it, I will have pant copious amounts of sweet potatoes.
When time presents I will plant some healthy rootstock of the following:
*Blueberries
*Raspberries
*Blackberries if I can find the right type
*Apples
*Cherries
* more as I can think
As spring weather gets better, I will work more on the cabin. Get walls up, a roof on. I brought some tin/metal roofing. The outside of the cabin gets sou shi ban treatment., lightly sanded and weatherized will linseed oil, etc. the cabin should be done by mid summer. Cabin has a Southern exposure and
solar panels set facing south for best exposure. Panels angle can be adjusted to meet angle of the sun.
Sometime I would like to hunt for large animals. Maybe get 200-500 pounds of caribou, bear,
deer, sheep, etc. smoke and prepare for winter. Maybe fish. Collect
firewood, expand garden. Establish composting toilet etc.
Ryan,
I am sure my approach is vastly different from yours. You have a more primitive skills approach and I want to build. I like this contrast as we contrast/complement each other’s style.
Eric