Hunting Cabins

[leeawalden]

Who out there has a hunting cabin? Not necessarily a 3000' hunting lodge, but just a basic place to camp out.

We were toying with putting a little gable barn at the farm but through a series of odd events that seemed like they were meant to happen for a reason we are going to be putting up a 20x24' log cabin. We don't plan on running electricity or water, but would do water first. If we did put water in, even though it has city water at the road, we would have to pump it up hill. we were thinking more of a gravity fed rain catch, so you could have a place to sit and think.

We will probably be heating with a wood burning stove, any suggestions, lighting with lanterns/oil lamps. Building codes are not going to be worried about. Probably will invest in a 5kw honda or another quiet generator down the road, but not sure yet.

 

[thospb]

I am fortunate to be part owner (with 3 cousins) of a cabin built by my grandfather in 1927. It is located on a Forest Service lease in the Sierra Nevada. At the time it was built it was really out in the boondocks and was a refuge from the summer heat in the city. Advice if I was to do it from scratch now? Insulation and vermin proof as well as possible. Insulation so you can enjoy it more throughout the year. Vermin proofing such as sheet metal at the base of the walls where the mice will chew through, metal flashing around pipes, etc. Also, you might go ahead and wire it for future power and plumb for future water supply. Easier to do it with the walls open.

 

[leeawalden]

we were thinking about wiring it and plumbing but I don't think we will right off the bat. It will sit up off of the ground so running plumbing wouldn't be a huge deal after the fact, neither would wiring. Its not really like we could go up through the walls with wiring or plumbing anyways since its going to be solid logs. it is a cool deal how they do the chinking now with perma chink instead of mortar. There is a layer of insulation between the chinking, the ceiling and floor will really be the only place to put traditional insulation. It will have two doors and a few windows which we will seal up real well.

Here are some pictures of what this guy is building. He owns a saw mill and just started building them as a hobby, but he is building them right. He built the one on his property and finished it out with a fire place and all the rock work to show people. The larger one in the woods is for his brother, and ours will be the second one he has built offsite. It will essentially look like this but will be 20x24, this one is 18x22, and will have a different door. We are sure if we want to stain it like this one or leave it natural. the larger one that isn't chinked is natural yellow poplar.

here are the other ones

http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo8/leeawalden/IMG_0585.jpg

http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo8/leeawalden/IMG_0584.jpg

http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo8/leeawalden/IMG_0586.jpg (you can see where its lofted)

http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo8/leeawalden/IMG_0562.jpg

 

[ptschram]

Wow! That's nice.

Mine was a yard bran until the porcupines decided they wanted a separate entrance and gnawed their way in.

I'd love something like that but I'd be worried about maintenance. My place is too far away to have something that needs any maintenance.

 

[leeawalden]

Yeah, I was going to go up this morning and start clearing a trail to the site we are going to put it. Guy wants to start pouring a footer next week, but with all of this rain I don't know...I think it will be too wet to get the tractor up there.

Its only about half an hour away so maintenance won't be too bad, especially since there won't be any water or power, just have to keep everything cut down. I'll take some pictures of the progress.

 

[d1driver]

We had these in our old hunting camp and they were awesome. http://www.dearbornheater.com/

Kept us from having to get up in the middle of the night to add wood to fire, and provided instant heat when we first got to camp.

 

[dirtyjim]

here is what we have. it started out as an a-frame that was built by my uncle before he moved to the philippines. its had another section built and now can sleep 5 people very comfortable or up to 8 or 9 if we have to. its got a small kitchen in the a-frame side, bathroom and shower in the other side.

 

[ptschram]

We had these in our old hunting camp and they were awesome. http://www.dearbornheater.com/

Kept us from having to get up in the middle of the night to add wood to fire, and provided instant heat when we first got to camp.

In our old camp, there was a big oil furnace. I put a gas log in the one the porkypines ate. The pilot was enough to heat it most of the time.

 

[Drillbit]

Nice cabin Lee, not to get nosey but what does that set a brother back?

 

[ptschram]

Nice cabin Lee, not to get nosey but what does that set a brother back?

More than you and I can afford. Maybe your buddy Skeeta could buy us both one!

 

[Drillbit]

I dare not think of what Skeeta would do with a cabin the woods

 

[leeawalden]

I sent a pm marty.

about $90 a running foot for the logs.

we have a hell of a trade worked out with the guy...both of us are coming out with good deals.

 

[Steve Rupp]

It's funny this thread came up. I was just out in North East Washington looking at properties. 35 acres high up in the foothills with a view of the Colombia River is pretty reasonable at the moment.

For the last week I've been looking at log cabin kits and have found some pretty cool ones on this site. http://www.conestogalogcabins.com/index.html

At some point we would do a well/septic, but haven't really figured out what order or everything would be best. It would be nice to have a well and septic that could supply a cabin and a future retirement home, but I'm not sure if that's possible. Gotta do some research. I think we'll get the land though first and go from there. I think there will be a couple tents for the first 5 years or so.

 

[leeawalden]

I found them while we were looking for places...we were considering something like this

http://www.conestogalogcabins.com/pages/products/14x20/14x20.html

There is also honest abe log homes up in Moss TN which isn't too far. However, this other place close to the house is building kits that aren't too bad and he seemed to be pretty fair priced IF you wanted to build it yourself.

http://grizzlyloghomes.com/

We just weren't in the position to try and do the kit ourselves with conflicting schedules with my dad and I. Also, with the deal we have worked with the guy doing it...it was just too good to consider anything else. Also, most of the kits we saw are all milled logs, which are nice, but we really liked the rough cut look with the chinking, and there aren't many if any "kits" that I saw that weren't milled logs.

 

[rnewman]

I am a coowner in a wood stove shop here in Va. Durring the summer we sell "sheds". Its amazing this year how many we are selling and delivering to A) lots near Lake Anna, and B) acerage owned from DC folks and hunters. All for "temporary housing" or hunting buildings.Usally 10 by 20 ft, or larger. Then we sell them a stove.....they put in the "temp" electric...life is good.

 

[leeawalden]

Rick, what size stove would you heat a cabin this size? A stove that could be used to cook on would be optimal.

 

[leeawalden]

If anyone else has any experience with wood stoves, we are needing to figure something out pretty soon...ole guy wants to start second week of June and it would be nice to have him go ahead and prep everything to put the stove in.

we have a potbelly stove we have had in the barn we were thinking about using, but were thinking it would be cool to be able to cook on also.

 

[lgoldd1]

Something like this would work, especially if you could find one used. This unit will heat up to 2,000 sq feet with all-night burn capability. It sucks having to get up several times a night to load logs.

http://www.antiquestoves.com/margin stoves/flameviewheater/index.htm

 

[lgoldd1]

Here's another one.

http://bestwoodburningcookstoves.com/index.htm

 

[leeawalden]

definitely like that second you posted...I sent them an email, didn't see where they are located at though.