Traditional Archery = Traditional Life

[frank bullitt]

Vic, does being poor count?

[hova]

well i am with you on getting out there.


i think we as tradlifers need to join up , and head west northwest. yukon territry.


i gauran-damn-tee-ya we get far enough out there that no one is going to give a hoot that our camp is on their mountain.


not to mention , we can hunt , fish , and pan for gold...


when me an the wife went to my old man's place , it sealed the deal that she wants to live in the country. not the "hour to the nearest gas station" kind of country , but i want my driveway to be at least 15 minutes long...


-hov

[LC]

Well maybe not that extreme but started out that way. Bought two acres out in the boonies that borders thousands of wooded Boy Scout property. Built a 24' by 24' garage complete with a header for the garage door but framed, sided and paneled right over it, couldn't tell it was there. A woodstove right in the center and a full size gas frig. Wife and I both agreed that was some of the best times of our lives. Then twin daughters came and it got pretty crowed  so I built my house myself beside the "garage". Built a small super insulated house with foot thick insulation all around. Utilites finally came through our area. Our utility bills are minimal(my utilites for a year are what some of my buddies pay a month) and I built the house as I had money. So I'm debt free with a house and now my garage has a garage door but the car can't fit in it because it's full of my bow building, knife building stuff, my man cave!

 My favorite sayings are "That man is richest who's pleasures are the cheapest" and "Most folks get rich by having more money than they have needs, me I just reduced my needs" Live a pretty simple  and non complicated life. Have a job with lots of time off and always find ways to save enough money to hunt ALOT!

[sawtoothscream]

if i had a ton of land i could hunt i think i could make do with less tech.  if i had all that land i would need a tv sense i would be out hunting every second i could

[swp]

Kinda did the same thing as LC only we are still in the garage/workshop and have used some to the money we saved to improve on it. Used equity from the house we sold to build it and added to it slowly. Lots of friends and neighbors helped to get it built.No house payment in 14 years. We were so poor when we moved out here it wasn't funny. Not much better now but we have a little savings and can do stuff we never would have been able to do otherwise. My grandma and dad own the land around us so I have hunting right out my backdoor.

[primitivealltheway]

mr. vic i envy you.. i wish i could up and move.17 year ol 16 year old and a 6 year old and a wife,maybe when they all grow up and move on,we use to go to dollywood tenn.twice a year and stay ,there is a campground in sevierville,that has ltlle cabins and rv park ,there are alot of retired folks and younger folks that live there year around,your not to far from peigon forge and about 10 min. from the base of the smokey mountains ,thats my plan ,im 39 and the way i look at it is, my soscial security will not be there,so i have a good job and make enough money to suport my family ,but once everyone grows up ,im buying an rv and moving their,and finding a job for permanent hook up and groceries.ripling waters campground is the name.

[katie]

Do I admit the amount of time I have spent on this subject in my life.
My place:
 
 
 
We saved up and bought the land from family(proving to be a mistake).  Our piece is surrounded by family land in a trust.  Always suppose to stay in the family.  Hunt and not pay taxes.  Sounded too good to be true and was.  The aunts in charge have found a way with their lawyer to steal the trust away and sell.  That is another story for later!
Anyways...... We used the land to get a small loan to put up the shed.  My husband worked at that time for a company that sold and put up steel buildings.  We got it at cost and put it up ourselves on the weekends.  Used on sale and lightly used materials.  Took forever, but got it done.  Have been in it for 10 years now.  We heat with wood.  The building has 1 foot insulated walls so we do not need to heat or cool much.  I plan to put in a whole house fan this srping to help with cooling.  No North windows to catch the cool summer night air was a bad idea.  Metal roof and walls makes for dirt cheap insurace.  
We are now starting to finish the loft storage area.  With 2 kids getting bigger, they wanted their own rooms.  We have the kid area wired solar(pannels from Harbor Freight $145 with coupon is a steal!).  It can also be switched over to the grid if needed.  We are slowly buying up materials to build a drain back solar system to heat our water.  We use propane now and it is $$$$.  The solar water unit will run around $1000 and will pay for itself in no time!  Got the plan from build it solar's website.  great info!
I have looked into yurts and think they are great.  For one, they are not stuck to the ground.  That means Iowa can not tax you for it!  Same with the little hunting cabins on skids.  You see them now and then used at a good price.  Yurts can be found used as well.

Hey Vic, maybe all the rich out of state land owners will let you put a yurt on their property.  You could run security for them:)  Keep all the hunters off their property while they are waiting on their points to let them hunt.  He, he

[Mr.Vic]

Cool ideas and stories. Thank you. They are very inspiring. Our notebook of ideas and plans is growing like this thread. The yurt living has our attention. But, questions about the warmth of them using a wood stove when it gets 2 degrees and a windchill of -20. We have sent the word out to several people we know who buy land up to farm that we are looking for an acre or less to Lease/Rent or buy. Got a lead on a river lot and need to get in contact with the owners. Katie two years ago i was two hours late into getting a deal like that. Someone beat me to it. House and utilities were free, just a little mowing and security watch. Of course no hunting in the main timber. Living there and not being able to walk out back and hunt would be like putting a rutting Buck in a Pen next to a pen of estrus Does! Thanks for the ideas and the pm's it really stokes the fire!

[katie]

I have been in a yurt on top of a Colorado mountain in the winter.  It was more than toasty with the fire going.  Yurts are not all made the same.  Some are set up for winter (insulation, snow load, wind load, etc).  The only thing about a yurt is that you need a wood deck built under it.  That can be $$$.  But it is not hard to get used lumber.  Plus in Iowa you do not always want a place that is not hooked down.  We do not have a basement and have had a few tornados a little tooooooo close for comfort.
If you do a wood stove make sure you have timber to cut.  I know people that have made the change to a corn stove.  They had to buy the wood they burned.  It was just so much cheaper to go to the co-op or local farmer and get a wagon of corn.  If you have a clear South facing wall, look into a thermosyphin air solar unit.  If you build it yourself it is like $100 and will heat your room up great!!!!
I know some Amish dow your way are building shell cabins in all sizes at a good price.  I would look into that.  If we move, that is a huge thing we are considering.  I love my shed house.  So cheap to heat and cool.  Plus you have so much room in the garage for cars and side jobs.  We have done so many projects in that thing.  Plus everyone wants to pay you to store campers and such.  Great way to help with a loan payment!
Of course the main thing is to find a good place to hunt.  We have to eat:)  I need to get back into my garden better.  The 1st few years out here I had a large one.  Then summer turned into play time instead of work time.  This year the garden was tiny.  Too bad I can not eat my food plot:)

[Terry Lightle]

We live in a 2 bedroom log cabin close to a lake.Only have 5 acres,but neighbor owns about 200 and have access to it.Practice shooting right out backdoor.Killed a small buck a few weeks ago less than 60 yards from kitchen door.Have blackberry and grape vines for making jelly.Also peach and nectarine trees.Crappie fish,spring and fall garden,cut wood for heating with wood stove.Do have water and electric.Only mistake?Should have done this 25 years ago instead of 2.LOVING life more than ever.Did a bunch of the work on the cabin myself as I hired drying in then finished it myself.

[kawika b]

I've got a few friends that live "homestead" style here... not an easy life style but rewarding if you're a nature nut and love that simple kind of lifestyle. Bring in your own water and supply (if you need it) your own electric... all the sunshine, moonlight and starry nights that one could ask for... and being an island... a beach around every bend.

[Terry Lightle]

Left one thing out,getting honey bees in May

[adkmountainken]

one of the best threads i have read in a long while!

[DEATHMASTER]

I have a country place with some acres that we raise chickens, ducks and rabbits on. When I moved out of my parents I could not see paying someone to live in there place so I bought a duplex and had a tenant pay the morage. insurance and taxes with the rent. I payed $20 out of my pocket to cover the total each month.
I put aside what I would pay for rent each month and bought the land in the country.
Built my own home working full time night and working on the home during the day 10 1/2 months and still working on little things.( It is never done.) 18yrs here now.
I have had my duplex on the market for a long time but the economy is in the hole right now.
I have tenants that have been there 17yrs and 8yrs.(make it liveable and they will stay)
WHEN I sell this I will put up a fence for some beef cattle. I heat with wood that I cut myself and have a LARGE garden. I sell pumpkins in the fall. I will start bees come spring also.
If a person is thrifty (tight) and stops waisting the money they make. A person can put money away for their dreams. Make a budget and track your spending for 2 months.
There are days I wish I had a little city lot with out the work but that goes away fast when I see the rat race when I go to town.

Tighten the belt and get to saving those pennies they all add up and you WILL get the small  cabin you wish for.
Sorry for the long post.Tim

[JL]

Good thread! We live in a major metro area and I have often thought about living a simpler life and get away from the constant flow of people rushing everywhere. I have looked at properties within several hours drive of our current location but the prices are staggering! Looks like I'm not the only one wanting our own little slice of heaven on earth. It does feel like we are put on a $$$ treadmill at times (money in/money out). I'll be looking to relocate after I retire as the cost of living here is unreal and I don't see us being able to make it on retirement income. This thread has got me thinking that I really need to focus on a good exit plan...