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dstraate
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# Posted: 16 Sep 2011 01:11pm
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Hello All,
Well, I'm counting the hours (4 left) until my wife and I head up for the little spot up in the woods. We got a bit of training through weekend camper trips, but I wanted to spark a conversation on the board.
My favorite part of cabin living is that it becomes an opportunity to live simply. In a world with 4000 sq ft homes, towel warming drawers, and 60" flat screens, I love hunkering down in a 180' home with a book, a kerosene lamp, and a cold beer from the icebox. That icebox is a real gem. No electrical bill, no obnoxious WHIRRR in the middle of the night, and abundant ice at 8000' in Colorado.
I was wondering what old fashioned items, appliances, and ways of life you prefer to the new fangled "luxuries" of today.
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Kithera
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# Posted: 16 Sep 2011 03:02pm
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I got to admit...I just got the 46" flat screen TV. :p
On a more serious note, there are few things better than a comfortable chair, my fav blanket, and a chilly day. I would still take a good solar powered CFL or LED over a kerosene lamp though.
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bugs
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# Posted: 16 Sep 2011 03:30pm
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Just sitting at our shack site and watching the birds or gazing off into the distance over our pond or over our hay land with binoculars in hand. At night looking at the milky way.
And yes dstraate the non mechanical SILENCE. Altho there is usually some bird or animal calling or making some noise as it moves through grass or bush.
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bobrok
Member
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# Posted: 16 Sep 2011 03:37pm
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I don't mean to be tongue in cheek, but I have been at my cabin for a week now and have still been forced to split time between work and enjoyment of my surroundings. :(
I bought this place with the best of intentions, but, being a small business owner, I have found that I am forced to work even when I try to get away, otherwise the business suffers.
My situation may be unique in this respect, and even though I find myself working odd hours and traveling to find a wi-fi signal, it's still fun sitting in the woods or on the lakeshore while working vs. at my desk. :)
I do like the concept of living simply and I treasure the time we can spend "away", but basically I am still tied into modern society until the day comes when I can stop working.
Until that time I have become a 'quick-change' artist when it comes to city vs. cabin life. I'm ready to roll on a moment's notice when talk turns to going to the cabin.
I guess I am living a double life????
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Xplorer
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# Posted: 16 Sep 2011 07:45pm
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My Dad (mid '70s) can't understand why we don't have a TV at ourplace in the mountains. When we go up, my wife always complains that I don't just sit & enjoy. I love getting stuff done, then sitting & enjoying the satisfaction of seeing what I have done & completed. Camp fire & the stars is where it's at.
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hattie
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# Posted: 16 Sep 2011 10:03pm
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We live in our "cabin" full time so we do have television and internet, but one of the things I love to do is listen to old time radio shows. I know that still requires electricity (or batteries *S*), but I feel like I'm stepping back in time when I listen to shows like "The Lone Ranger", "The Shadow", "Burns and Allen", etc.
We also like to sit out and look at the stars and sit by an outdoor wood fire and roast marshmallows. A good book, a warm blanket and a comfy chair is also a winner!
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bobrok
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# Posted: 16 Sep 2011 10:21pm
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You are not alone, hattie. My son, the high-tech engineer, loves to listen to those old-time radio programs, although he does so via the internet. What goes 'round comes 'round!
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Just
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# Posted: 16 Sep 2011 10:33pm
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The cabin log book is a great source of joy !! writing down your projects your fun times and sad times lets you relive the best times of your life over and over . make sure the log is left out for guests, their coments are usually fun to hear .we have some 20 years old,, fun to think back..
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neb
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# Posted: 17 Sep 2011 08:56am
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The best tip would be no phones ringing all day long. I'm a person that doesn't need to be around people all the time so it is nice not to have people around and you do what you want to do.
My shack isn't much but going up there is great just to spend the day and night. I don't have power and I don't miss it I just use the old ways of doing things. It maybe the hard way but it is the simple way of living.
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Montanan
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# Posted: 17 Sep 2011 09:17am
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Things I love about getting away to the cabin:
1. No cell service! No chance of phone calls unless we decide to get a land line.
2. No Internet. This might change, as I could do some work from the cabin if I could get online. But for now, I am grateful for the break from being constantly connected.
3. No TV means the kids have to entertain themselves. (Incidentally, they have never even asked about TV at the cabin. They seem to understand that the point is to get away from it.) This may be a struggle for me during football season...but could be addressed with Internet. ;o)
We'll be on the grid, so we will have power and running water, but something I love about the simple life at the cabin is heating from the wood stove.
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smitty
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# Posted: 17 Sep 2011 05:44pm - Edited by: smitty
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I was told once, the key to living simply, is 3 G's.. Guitar, Gun, and a Garden.. I think he was on track with that statement. A guitar for entertainment, a gun for hunting, and a garden for veggies.. Really don't need much of anything else.
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Just
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# Posted: 17 Sep 2011 10:55pm
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If I was doing the guitaring you would need somthing eles for entertainment . although Kate can play almost anything by ear !! gess i'll do the gun and garden !!good one Smitty!!
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bobrok
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# Posted: 18 Sep 2011 12:03pm
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Smitty, here's a place in upstate NY you should get to know!
:)
the "4" G's of a happy life
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drmargy
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# Posted: 19 Sep 2011 02:20am
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I have to go along with no phone, no Internet and no TV. When I'm in town they can consume my life (like now). Tomorrow I get to go home to the float cabin. We are off the grid, but have solar/wind/thermoelectric for a few luxuries. Mostly we use propane for cooking, fridge and lights. I also have to agree that the wood stove makes year-round living not only possible, but enjoyable. Born and raised in the city, I've had to learn a lot about gardening, canning, cooking and keeping things simple. I wouldn't want it any different.
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trollbridge
Member
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# Posted: 19 Sep 2011 11:01am
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Sitting by the woodstove on a cold winters day while eating a hot bowl of chili that was heated over the fire...
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Ann
Member
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# Posted: 19 Sep 2011 01:09pm
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My job requires me to be available for consultation pretty much 24/7, so I use a smartphone at the cabin. The signal is weak but usually adequate. If I were retired, I wouldn't want a smartphone at all, but for now it allows me to be at the cabin rather than at work or near a computer.
I like to sit on the porch in the dark at night. In winter I like to sit by the woodstove and read (old books or Kindle books).
The silence, and the less cluttered/busy environment, are an amazing contrast to the in-your-face stimulation everywhere else. I find myself taking a deep breath in relief at being away from the clamor.
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smitty
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# Posted: 19 Sep 2011 03:43pm
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Quoting: bobrok Smitty, here's a place in upstate NY you should get to know! :)
Lol.. It actually exists! Brilliant! Thanks :D
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brokeneck
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# Posted: 18 Dec 2011 11:11pm
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I love to fish -- tend a fire -- play ball with the dogs -- spend time with my family -- making coffe -- on a cast iron trivet on top of the wood stove -- I just got an EcoFan yesterday for the stove as well -- hoping to watch it spin during the holidays --
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TomChum
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# Posted: 19 Dec 2011 11:55am
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Quoting: bobrok My situation may be unique in this respect, and even though I find myself working odd hours and traveling to find a wi-fi signal, it's still fun sitting in the woods or on the lakeshore while working vs. at my desk. :) I do like the concept of living simply and I treasure the time we can spend "away", but basically I am still tied into modern society until the day comes when I can stop working. Until that time I have become a 'quick-change' artist when it comes to city vs. cabin life. I'm ready to roll on a moment's notice when talk turns to going to the cabin.
Ready to roll.... haha same here!
I'm slowly complicating my cabin experience, hard to know when to stop! I do like my LED lights & solar. Next complication is hidden surveillance, so if anything happens I have photos. And I like the photos of wildlife and changing seasons in the meantime.
I am certain that TV is not coming to the cabin. I can't imagine how I ever had such un-productive time available,,,,, to devote to TV. ( ?? ) How things change. We quit TV ~1995 & never looked back.
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bobrok
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# Posted: 19 Dec 2011 10:45pm
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Complicating your cabin experience, eh? OK. Lets commiserate. I started my small cabin experience by buying a "deer camp" in a hunting club. Well, the hunting club is transforming itself into a family club. This in itself isn't bad at all. I welcome it. I don't hunt. I bought my place purely for the solitude. But I have met some very nice folks in the club and this has enhanced our experience here.
But then the wife started decorating our "deer camp" and transforming it into a "cabin". Do you know how painfull it is for me to call my camp a cabin? I know its purely semantics, but where I come from you have a "camp" in the mountains, not a "cabin".
Talk about complication! I wanted a place to go hang out in the woods and now I have a full time remodeling/construction project that never seems to end. Just one project after another, it seems, and no time to kick back and relax.
I hope you realize my tongue-in-cheek diatribe here, but I just had to respond to your "complicating" comment.
I really love my place (and my wife!) but just had to say something.
PS: No TV since 1995? Do you realize what you've missed? ;)
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mrmiji
Member
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# Posted: 19 Dec 2011 11:03pm
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Disengage if it can't sustain your life.
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bobrok
Member
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# Posted: 19 Dec 2011 11:09pm
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But therein lies the conundrum. Having my getaway by any name indeed sustains my life.
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mrmiji
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# Posted: 19 Dec 2011 11:30pm
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So you're saying you've room for growth?
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bobrok
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# Posted: 20 Dec 2011 01:05pm
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Quoting: mrmiji So you're saying you've room for growth?
HAH! A trick question! OK, let's have a go at an answer:
One should always strive for growth, lest one become complacent and lazy. I do not mind the complications mentioned above at all. I just feel better when I complain sometimes, and the forum gives me an opportunity to vent. I've worked alone in my business for far too long without the benefit of even a co-worker to talk with, lean on, and yes, complain to, about things that go wrong or things that should be different.
In fact, quite the opposite, I get more enjoyment from (and longer stays at) the camp, errr, cabin, by having these so-called painful little projects staring me down whenever I am there. Let's not even talk of the pure satisfaction of being out of doors, learning, sometimes by trial and error, how to build, reconstruct, repair, etc. whatever needs building, reconstructing or repairing.
No, I am just a mere grasshopper on the pathway of life, learning from everything that surrounds me in the interest of betterment.
I will happily continue to be prevailed upon to produce wonderful accomplishments as long as my ability and wallet allow. How beautiful it is that I can "hang out" in the woods while doing this!
v
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Now, for the other answer to your trick question:
Quoting: mrmiji So you're saying you've room for growth?
Wife says there's plenty of room....for another bedroom, larger living room, patio and dock by the lake, etc., etc., etc.
Heh, heh!
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fthurber
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# Posted: 20 Dec 2011 08:10pm
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Ah yes. My simple cabin got complicated when my wife insisted that I make it tall enough for a loft. Doing the roof is now a terrifying experience and the proportions of the cabin are peculiar. She also wants a screened porch.... She even joked that with a tower we could see the ocean...I am worried....
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brokeneck
Member
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# Posted: 22 Dec 2011 01:23pm
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I know what you are talking about -- my father-in-law and I built a nice 20x28 2 story cottage that eventually became a 5000sf custom home -- it's now the kind of place you have to take off your shoes before you come in --- thats what my little cabin down the hill is all about -- best of both get-away worlds I guess.
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cabingal3
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# Posted: 24 Jan 2012 08:25am
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when me and the mister go to the woods...we get away from constant phone calls,tv blaring every minute,no computer.let me tell u it is wonderful.we read,we work out there,we enjoy being more connected to nature as compared to in town where our nature consist of a quick run from car to house.
i think simple life consists of fresh mountain air,fresh and pure mountain water to drink and good exercise as in cutting fire wood,hauling it and working about our place.we wont probably be on the grid out in our woods.i wont miss tv,or computer.we dont write much anymore.i want to write.i want to hunt and learn to skin things and make items from hunted animals.there is so much out on the land to do.once a gf asked me---what would u do out there?its just so boring.i don't think so.
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turkeyhunter
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# Posted: 24 Jan 2012 08:52am
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Quoting: cabingal3 when me and the mister go to the woods...we get away from constant phone calls,tv blaring every minute,no computer.let me tell u it is wonderful.we read,we work out there,we enjoy being more connected to nature as compared to in town where our nature consist of a quick run from car to house.i think simple life consists of fresh mountain air,fresh and pure mountain water to drink and good exercise as in cutting fire wood,hauling it and working about our place.we wont probably be on the grid out in our woods.i wont miss tv,or computer.we dont write much anymore.i want to write.i want to hunt and learn to skin things and make items from hunted animals.there is so much out on the land to do.once a gf asked me---what would u do out there?its just so boring.i don't think so.
good post---the way should be!!!!!!!
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Borrego
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# Posted: 24 Jan 2012 02:43pm
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No cell service
No TV
No noise - the desert is silent
I like the feel of a propane lantern
Get to start drinkin earlier.....
Feeding the little animals
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Malamute
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# Posted: 25 Jan 2012 09:33am
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In reading the comments, it makes me wonder. Are people talking about their 4000 sq ft homes, blaring tv's, constantly ringing cell phones etc?
Everyone has a choice every day how they live. Not to take away from the enjoyment of a cabin, but people can simplify their lives anywhere they live. If the cell or regular phone constantly ringing bothers you, turn the ringer off or simply turn it off, same for a tv, computer, or anything else in your house. We need to work, and deal with the pace of the world around us in that regard, but we have choices in most aspects of our daily lives, no matter where we live.
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