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BigDaddyO
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# Posted: 24 Jan 2014 11:58pm
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My wife and I are seriously considering purchasing some land in the spring and building an off-grid cabin. We couldn't afford the land and increased taxes if we were to build a fully connected cabin "small home"
I'm interested in it for a place to bring our 2 young children to play at, and our two dogs to run and play on. For me, i've always been an outdoors type person and am looking for a place to hunt and just sit by the camp fire and stare at the trees and stars. I'm pretty good with that.
My wife is interested in a place that's not too far from the ski resorts so we can use it as a place to stay while skiing for the day but she had a very interesting question for the people of the forum.
What do you do for fun in an off-grid cabin. Apparently, sitting in a chair and reading, or carving a characture or spoon from some fire wood is not her idea of a relaxing time.
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skootamattaschmidty
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# Posted: 25 Jan 2014 05:17am
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In the winter time we do some cross country skiing and snowshoeing. Then we relax by the wood stove. Sometimes we will watch movies on our portable DVD player. In the summer we are kept busy with our projects, cutting firewood etc. when we are caught up with that we enjoy relaxing by the river, swimming, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, bike riding, jeeping to name a few. We always have lots of family and friends up as well and we enjoy visiting around the campfire etc, playing Laso golf and other games like cards. My nieces and nephews always have fun when I send them out for a scavenger hunt. And of course who can forget fishing! There are so many things to do when you don't have computers and tvs to entertain you. Whenever any of the kids says "I'm bored" my response is "if you're bored its because you're boring!"
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ShabinNo5
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# Posted: 25 Jan 2014 06:35am
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Sometimes the unexpected is fun. Shortly after we purchased our property I built a woodshed. This was filled up quickly as we cleared a few trees for the build site. However much of the cut wood still needed to be split. I purchased a manual hydrolic wood splitter. Using this device involves pumping a pair of poles back and forth (a poor mans nortictrack). Our granddaugher and the neighboring children thought this was the best thing ever. I loaded the wood and they spent the next few hours splitting. When the splitter is put away the work space is called split pie stage and our granddaughter puts on plays and concerts.
Of course the wood splitter has lost its luster, but the stage is still a big draw 
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silverwaterlady
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# Posted: 25 Jan 2014 08:17am - Edited by: silverwaterlady
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We are not finished with our cabin so we always have a few projects.
We have a boat so we tour around and do some fishing.
We visit family and they visit us. DH was born and raised near our cabin.
Hike our property.
Go to estate sales and auctions.
BBQing and eating outside with a view of the lake every night
Have cocktails in our screen tent at sunset.
Lie in a lawn chair gazing at the night sky. We can see the Milky Way and satellites. Our island has the darkest skies in the province of Ontario!
Do a lot of reading at night since Internet and DVD'S are not something we want at the cabin.
This year I am finally getting a real propane stove with a regular sized oven so I can start making baked goodies like raspberry pie,butter tarts and date squares.
We have absolutely no idea what is going on in the World when we are at our cabin. It is a time of peace for us.
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cabingal3
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# Posted: 25 Jan 2014 10:06am
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just be...when we take the grandchildren we play board games.i got them to draw last time.
then they got into the woods and being there and made bows and arrows and did all kinds of stuff.we still cant get the oldest grandson to go to the outhouse.he holds it.we can be there a couple of days.nope.not going.
I use to tell them go play anywhere but since I saw that cougar running the deer trails.i am sort of scared to tell them go run.
its so alive out in the woods.just being is wonderful
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creeky
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# Posted: 25 Jan 2014 10:07am
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Kayaking in the spring. A creek/small river runs by the bottom of my property. It's very visitor friendly. Snowshoeing. Gardening. Entertaining. Barbeque parties. Chasing fireflies.
Duck hunting. So far it's ducks 8 (shells expended), Creeky 0. But I'm getting closer.
This winter I've spent an evening or six watching the woodstove. It's been real cold here so a good fire. Now that's entertainment.
And, as I'm still building, as Shabin05 pointed out: work is fun. Imagine, your wife will have a whole new interior design to shop for. 
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bldginsp
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# Posted: 25 Jan 2014 11:28am - Edited by: bldginsp
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I chose the area for my property because it's near Lassen National Park (northern CA) where there is a small high altitude lake that is one of my favorite places to go. When not working my b**t off on the property, I take my beat up old aluminum canoe up there to 6500 ft. where the air is crisp and the lake beautiful.
At one end of the lake there is a small inlet/bay, with a lot of water plants. It turns a corner and is hidden from the rest of the lake. Rumor is that moose and elk like to eat the plants, but only early in the AM. So, one morning while camping up there, I set off in the canoe before daybreak. There was a still mist on the lake, and I could see the canoe tip split the mist as I glided across the mirror surface toward the bay.
I turned the corner into the bay and- no moose. Ah well. but getting there was worth the effort. Sunrise on an alpine lake is one of life's rare experiences. As Joseph Campbell said, the meaning of life is to have and share life's experiences.
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 25 Jan 2014 12:02pm - Edited by: MtnDon
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I could extoll the virtues of being at and around our cabin for hours on end. I don't have to do anything to enjoy being there, being away from the suburbs. But I know people who can not fathom why we like to spend time days and weeks up there. No amount of explanation can make them understand. And that is fine by me; if those folks stay in the cities, so much the better for those who enjoy the countryside.
I am lucky in that my wife has a similar mindset. That was one of the things that attracted me to her way back when we met.
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BigDaddyO
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# Posted: 25 Jan 2014 12:14pm
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Thanks for all the info. Most of what you all do I consider GREAT! but my wife on the other hand seems to think it is going to be more like a hotel room than a cabin in the woods... She must have asked me 5 time, so where would the bathroom be? Where will I shower after we finish skiing?
She loves the area, we drove down there last night for our date night but it was too dark to see much. She wanted to make sure we could use the cabin as a get-a-way on our rare date nights since we usually can't think of anything else to do.
i'm starting to wonder if this will work out, we can afford the land right now with a 30 year mortgage but if we add anything that would up the taxes then it will be out of our price range. 
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VTweekender
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# Posted: 25 Jan 2014 01:11pm - Edited by: VTweekender
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First off, don't go out on a financial limb to get your property and cabin....if its going to strap your family then the fun goes away.
My next thought is the banks don't lend on raw property for 30 years, that I know of anyway, usually its up to 10 year mortgage on raw land.
Next thought is, if this property is in proximity of ski areas then for sure there are going to be restrictions on what is built on the property, its very possible an off-grid cabin is not allowed by the municipality.
Your wifey's questions are fairly easy to answer, composting toilet (that you will have to take care of when she is not around most likely), build a bath inside with a shower and use a propane on demand shower ($150) then pipe shower stall to a greywater gravel pit, easy to do, just crack a window while using it. Haul in water for drinking and quick showers.
And my final thought, if you have not taken her tent camping with a cheap tent , a cooler, and a battery operated radio, then you need to do so a few times, for 2 or 3 days at a clip. Then you will find out more if she would be up to cabin life.
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countryred
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# Posted: 25 Jan 2014 02:11pm
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Lots of things for us. We like to work on the property, clearing brush and making trails. Cooking on an open camp fire. Going down to the river to fish and swim on hot days.
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turkeyhunter
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# Posted: 25 Jan 2014 05:29pm
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cook /grill/bbq.....sit by the woodstove...sit by the outside firepit....hunt /fish/~~~~ride the golf cart /4 wheeler in the woods
nap....watch TV
( get about 20 channel's on the new Radio Shack antenna...)
......nap some more...
shoot guns/shoot bows....
work on projects...when I want to....
I have NEVER been bored at camp....always something to do
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beachman
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# Posted: 25 Jan 2014 06:05pm
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We boat, canoe, kayak and go frogging down at the cove. We play lots of board games, cards, cribbage or sit around a camp fire with neighbors and a few drinks. Fishing - fly, casting, trolling and bobbers. Star gazing -very little man made light pollution. Constantly repair and fix things. Cut and chop wood. Find good peelers for posts and rails. Take walks in the woods, swim, snorkel. Play water frisbee. And numerous others. We''ve even panned for gold - not much luck but fun.
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neb
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# Posted: 25 Jan 2014 06:06pm
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Hunt, fish, hike, carve, work on the shack, listen to the radio, read. eat, love the peace and solitude, sit watch wildlife, go down to river and JUST sit, listen to nature. I enjoy being there so much I hate to leave. Then when I'm not there that is all I want to do. LOL I'm never bored that is for sure!!!
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silverwaterlady
Member
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# Posted: 25 Jan 2014 06:39pm
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Panning for gold! That is something I've always wanted to do!
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Smawgunner
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# Posted: 25 Jan 2014 07:25pm
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We..uh, well I can't write that here
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beachman
Member
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# Posted: 25 Jan 2014 08:21pm
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Does anyone else go frogging? (using a stick and some fishing line) We read a lot too.
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neb
Member
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# Posted: 25 Jan 2014 08:59pm
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frogging>>> I have not but does sound interesting. Tell me about it?
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razmichael
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# Posted: 26 Jan 2014 09:14am - Edited by: razmichael
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Quoting: beachman Does anyone else go frogging? (using a stick and some fishing line)
That brings back great memories. We used to go frogging all the time as kids at an old family cabin (outhouse, hand pump, kerosene lamps, typical moldy smell etc - I'm talking 40-50 years ago). Used either a small bait frog on the end of the string or just a red fishing float. Toss it towards the reeds and grass near the shore and watch 3 or 4 bullfrogs come out of hiding and fight over it. The first to grab it would not let go until you you pulled it into the row boat and pried its mouth open (they are not smart). Frogs legs for dinner! Always amazed at what you found they had eaten when you cleaned them (lots of crayfish, small birds, other frogs). Then into the muddy bay to get the catfish. I've tried frogging were we have our cabin now but no bull frogs in our area. Thanks for the memories!
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beachman
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# Posted: 26 Jan 2014 09:30am
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Yes Raz has done this. We just used red felt and tied it to the lines. The frogs (some quite large) would hang on long enough to get them in the canoe before they spit out the felt. We never ate them although I have heard frog legs can be quite tasty.
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buckybuck
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# Posted: 26 Jan 2014 10:45am
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We are fortunate in that there are two great public radio stations-WOUB and WNKU-that we can get at our place in southeast Ohio. Between the two of them, there's always great alternative or acoustic music available. So a lot of the time for fun we read while listening to music. Fur Peach Ranch (a guitar camp run by Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jorma Kaukonenis) is in the neighborhood and WOUB airs concerts from there on Friday nights.
When I'm by myself, my favorite thing to do is sit in a chair with some tall boys close at hand, watching and listening to the sights and sounds as dusk progresses. First come the birds, then the bats, and finally the tree frogs and fireflies.
My all-time fun memory from last year was when our seven and five-year-old granddaughters spent a late summer weekend with us. City girls. We gave them some glow sticks and my wife and I watched them as they squealed and chased each other and their shadows around in the fields, and later shared their joy as they laid back in the bed of my truck and looked up and saw the Milky Way for the first time in the lives.
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lawnjocky
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# Posted: 26 Jan 2014 11:15am
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When I purchased the land the idea was to build a little shack to use for a hunting camp. So I go hunting and work on the place. I hike and explore the area. The kids hunt for Indian relics. In the winter I bring XC skis and snow shoes. On hot days we go to the river.
I often go there alone for a week or two and really get into the solitude. Since I have had the place close to a decade now I have gotten to know several people in the area so there is always visiting and pot luck dinners.
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cabingal3
Member
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# Posted: 26 Jan 2014 01:58pm
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my dad use to go out in the nite with a lite on his head and a stick to stab the frogs with.
I love fried frog legs.
he came back after a nite out with a burlap bag full.i swear the bag hopped.he would untie the bag,grab a frog and hit if over the head and slice off the legs.they were soo good.
when I live in my woods I am gonna hunt for rabbits and squirrels.and deer.i cant wait.
hunting is another thing u can do.
u can walk in the woods and look for antlers.
when we were kids in the south.there was fire flies.we would capture them in a jar and the jar would lite up.theres so much to do.
u could even look at plants and learn what is edible.
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Jim in NB
Member
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# Posted: 27 Jan 2014 10:46am
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Lots of good ideas here already posted. I'll add one I haven't seen yet - eat lobster and drink beer!
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nicalisa
Member
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# Posted: 27 Jan 2014 10:57pm
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We quad as a family, fish, shrimp and crab in our bay, dig up muscles, walk along the beach, hike the logging roads, take a trip to periwinkle point to transplant some up at our little house (acres of wild periwinkle!!) take a dip in the waterfall pool (freshwater instead of salt), put the trailer on the quad and pick up driftwood at the beach for our campfire, roast marshmallows and weenies, do art projects, play cards, cook, sit at the beach, skip rocks, feed the gulls, build sand castles, look for shells....l guess I could keep going forever....never are bored though!
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hattie
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# Posted: 27 Jan 2014 11:18pm - Edited by: hattie
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We have electricity but there is a lot you can do without it. Quadding is big for us. We love to explore in the woods on the quad. Geocaching is really great fun for families. It is like treasure hunting using a GPS. Google it if you have never heard of it. There are hundreds of them where we live.
Cabins are great places to do lots of reading. How about a fort for the kids? Think of things that are more old fashioned for fun like make a pail of bubble soap and make giant bubbles with it (you can buy huge bubble wands that are great fun), balsa wood airplanes (gliders), kites, depending on the ages of the kids a covered sandbox is good for fun. I hide coins in ours and the grandsons LOVE looking for the coins. A couple of tomato cans and string make great stilts. A swing set for kids is good fun (or even a tire hung on a tree). Picnics, gold panning (we love that one) and rock hunting. You can get a rock tumbler and bring your rocks home and tumble them to make into jewellery. We have made concrete stepping stones with our grandsons' handprints in them and marbles spelling out their names.
Bob made us walking sticks out of little trees. He peeled them and coated them with varnish. They are great and were fun to make.
When I was a kid, my parents used to buy me a paint by number when we would rent a cottage. I would spend days working on a picture. It was really fun.
At night old time radio shows are good fun. You can buy cd's of them. There are mysteries, horror ones, comedies, you name it. You could listen to them on something that is battery operated if you don't have electricity.
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silverwaterlady
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# Posted: 28 Jan 2014 01:34am
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I save my old,junk costume jewelry. DH takes our great nieces and nephews snorkeling for lost treasure. You should see the excitement when they find my old jewelry.
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hattie
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# Posted: 28 Jan 2014 11:20am
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Quoting: silverwaterlady I save my old,junk costume jewelry. DH takes our great nieces and nephews snorkeling for lost treasure. You should see the excitement when they find my old jewelry.
WOW - What a GREAT idea!!!!! That is fantastic!!! I can just imagine how excited they would be finding it all!
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expoman55
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# Posted: 10 Feb 2014 01:50pm
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we just like to go to the woods, sit and watch the world go by LOL from our small porch and well we often retire to watching the submarine races LOL!!!! Course if the kids( young adults early 20s) are around we have a campfire and drink some adult beverages and have a good time. I am partial to the submarine races..
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Fusil62
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# Posted: 11 Feb 2014 02:01pm
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Pick rocks, thin trees, plant trees seems these always come first. Then we pick rocks. We have the neighbor over for supper and visit till late, late ,late.
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