Homestead mailing list

[Rob <becida AT comcast.net>]

Hello Rob,

Exciting times! I remember getting ready..

It was a 10 to 12 drive so I had to plan things ahead of time. I took up a 
small trailer with the large things (wheelbarrow, lawnmower & such) and a 
mess of common hand tools (shovels & the like). I rented a storage locker 
20+ miles away to store the tools so I didn't have to take them up every trip.

I ended up buying a '71 14x70 mh to stay in when we were up there 'doing 
things'. It was supposed to be temporary. I should have gotten a pole barn.

I started collecting tools & parts as soon as I knew we were going to do 
this. I had a new circuit breaker box, a well pressure tank, a gas operated 
water pump and a 12' outdoor pool sitting waiting for when they were 
needed. All these were bought on sale or from garage sales or such. The 
pool was for firefighting water, we were in a forest miles and miles from 
the nearest fire station. Never had a fire but the pool was used a lot <g>.
Several shovels, a pick, post hole digger, iron bar, 300' tape measure, gas 
powered trimmer with a brush blade, small chain saw & the list goes on. 
That first spring (mud season) I bought a high lift jack. Tow chains, a tow 
strap, a com-a-long and a car battery charger turned out to be very good 
things to have from time to time.

As to what to do first?
I have heard that in some locations there is a govt (county or Township or 
whatever) that has requirements. Like you can't put a trailer there until 
you have a septic or you can't get a septic until you have water or who 
knows what else. If you have not yet done so I'd find out what (if any) 
restrictions are on you. The phone should be good for finding out who to 
talk to and what the restrictions might be but writing them and getting the 
answers on paper could be really valuable later.

The first thing I did was get two truck loads of "class 5" gravel laid down 
on the hay field perpendicular to the township road, this gave me mud free 
access. It turned out (after the mh went in) to be mostly in the wrong spot.
We put the mh in, mowed the hay field around it (kept the ticks down), had 
power & phone installed and brought water from town in 6 gal containers, 
plus we collected rain water.
With all that I could go up, sleep on the floor in my sleeping bag out of 
the weather, have lights, a stove, a fan, an electric space heater and call 
to town to see about parts I might need for whatever it was I was doing.

I really wish I had built a shop (of some sort) as one of my first things. 
Poles supporting trusses with purlins and metal roofing would have been 100 
times better than what I had. Blue tarps for walls if I thought I needed 
them. The spare cash ran out long before this happened.
Oh ya, If I had bought a riding lawn mower (with a snow blower attachment) 
when I was gathering stuff before the move (when I had money) things would 
have been a lot easier over the years (remember I was in MN).

Hope some of this helps you (or someone). Have a great time!



Rob

becida AT comcast.net
Western Washington State, USA