Hillbilly Castro
Well-known member
Was curious about experiences with this. I've got a spot I know of by some nice moving water where I know virtually no one ever goes. It's close enough to resources - library, bar, post office, places to find a day's work, etc - but very seldom traveled. It's a stream valley with extremely steep banks that drop in elevation from perhaps 125 feet down to the water, with small hillside knolls, maybe 30 feet above the water, on which I could build. The land is owned by a farmer who uses the nearby field but does not go down these steep hills even when hunting because they are very, very challenging to travel. The area borders a segment of a larger state forest that is a sort of "peninsula", surrounded by private lands that are seldom used - thus, the rangers do not go there as they cannot drive to the area. Satellite imagery of the area does not generally yield much because it is densely forested, as the sun does not shine much on the south side of the valley.
I am thinking that if I built a very tiny concrete block shack set into the hillside, I could remain undetected for many years. Perhaps 8 x 10, with four foot high ceilings and a trench dug into the center of the structure to give me enough room to stand up to change clothes. I would insulate it with rigid foam board and have a tiny woodstove. Because it would be small, insulated and earth-sheltered, it would be easy to keep it warm with fallen dead wood, and because it would be built of brick, it would withstand storms, branches falling on it, deer walking across it, and so on.
There is a spring nearby for water, lots of squirrel to hunt, and blackberries up the yin-yang. Winters are long (6 months), but I grew up here and know how to contend with winter. I would have to ski or snowshoe into the area when the snow comes. Ticks are a concern; I am thinking if I apply a neem oil solution and eat a head of garlic each day, as well as tuck in my clothing, I may stay tick-free.
Even if discovered, it would be such a challenge to remove the building once constructed, that I may simply be given rights from the farmer to stay. A hermit lived in this area in a similar fashion for over 30 years - he died when I was a kid from old age.
Does anyone have any resources or news articles of others doing these sorts of things? I've seen a few mentions of this kind of thing in Dwelling Portably (microcosm press), but wondered if there were other things I haven't seen yet, or if any of y'all have experience with it.
Thanks
I am thinking that if I built a very tiny concrete block shack set into the hillside, I could remain undetected for many years. Perhaps 8 x 10, with four foot high ceilings and a trench dug into the center of the structure to give me enough room to stand up to change clothes. I would insulate it with rigid foam board and have a tiny woodstove. Because it would be small, insulated and earth-sheltered, it would be easy to keep it warm with fallen dead wood, and because it would be built of brick, it would withstand storms, branches falling on it, deer walking across it, and so on.
There is a spring nearby for water, lots of squirrel to hunt, and blackberries up the yin-yang. Winters are long (6 months), but I grew up here and know how to contend with winter. I would have to ski or snowshoe into the area when the snow comes. Ticks are a concern; I am thinking if I apply a neem oil solution and eat a head of garlic each day, as well as tuck in my clothing, I may stay tick-free.
Even if discovered, it would be such a challenge to remove the building once constructed, that I may simply be given rights from the farmer to stay. A hermit lived in this area in a similar fashion for over 30 years - he died when I was a kid from old age.
Does anyone have any resources or news articles of others doing these sorts of things? I've seen a few mentions of this kind of thing in Dwelling Portably (microcosm press), but wondered if there were other things I haven't seen yet, or if any of y'all have experience with it.
Thanks