What's next...

A bit of a catch up summary...

Last year we just enjoyed Wildwood.  We camped, hiked, explored and observed.  We planned and dreamed about what we would do.  I kept a pretty detailed budget sheet of all those ideas...and then stopped because it was taking all the fun out of things.  

We set out this year with some solid ideas of what we wanted to accomplish this year.  We started with this list

• A more permanent shelter - DONE...sort of
  • primarily so we wouldn't be spending a half day (total) setting up and tearing down camp stuff
  • comfort and a better storm proof setup
• A better way to transport and to store stuff to and from the property - DONE
  • I built a 4x8 trailer from a kit.  Purchased from HTS Trailers...a really nice home based business and great people to deal with.
    • Roof bags are ok but I'm nervous about loads shifting and the one my brother in-law lent me leaked badly last time I used it
    • Roof racks are ok but a pain to load/unload...especially in the rain.
    • At times our Subaru Forester was ridiculously filled with stuff
• The start of a garden - DONE...first part
  • Dreams of an extensive garden, enough tomatoes to can for 3 families, an acre of blueberries, an acre of raspberries, etc...we'll see
  • about 200 sqft done so far and we'll do a bit more over the year to expand it
• An outhouse - DONE...sort of
  • Structure is up, door is hung, Natures Head toilet is in
  • Still need to trim up the roof, shingle and screen
  • I'd like to put a little deck/landing out front of it
• A tree house - Not started
  • boyhood dreams...

Our list grew...new items added and changes to the original list

• A shed for storage
  • We went from a little pre-fab to a large post & beam 8x16' structure
  • Still to do...clad the walls, put on the roof, hang the doors, shelving & floor
• Bees - DONE...but continuing
  • Next steps are to watch and observe...hopefully the bees settle in well and start to do what bees do.  Fingers crossed for a healthy hive, some honey and beeswax later this year!
• Firepit
  • We'd like to put in a decent sized fire pit...but we're figuring out where things are going and where they'll be.  Soon...
• Deck
  • With the bunkie in place we can build a good sized (12x12 or 14x14') deck out front of it
• 2nd Bunkie
  • The 1st bunkie will do to get us by for shelter and getting sorted out.  A similar bunkie (without a loft) will be located close and be a great place for the kids to call their own.  It'll also serve as space for visitors...or at least the first ones to arrive, the others can find a spot for tents!
• Canopy
  • We'd like to put up a good sized (~13' round) hard topped canopy that can be screened in.  Screening for the bugs, hard topped so we can leave it setup and stay shaded and dry.  Large enough for a sitting/dining area.

Along the way I've been accumulating things that help us do all this...here's a quick list of what worked and what could have been better...

• Water pump - 12v 100psi 10mm fittings water pump.  Cheap $20 from amazon.  Works ok so far to pump water up from well (draw up to intake fitting can't be more than a couple of feet) and push it along to the original camp site about 230' away (pretty good estimate because the 200' of hose ended up about 30' short!).  It's pretty much level and the little pump pushes water along pretty quickly.  Not firehose sort of quantities...but definitely suitable for washing up and filling containers.
  • If I got another (and I will)...I would spend the extra $10 and get the automatic swiitch version.  Leave it hooked up...and when the tap/nozzle is closed it'll shut off the pump.
• Trailer - 4x8 ~1000lbs capacity kit from HTS Trailers.  Couldn't do much without it.  Great for getting topsoil, compost, lumber, hauling stuff to-from.  Humbling learning curve of backing into driveways...but getting there.  In retrospect...I would have gladly paid the $200 assembly fee.
• Generator - a gently used 3000/3500 watt Champion generator.  Local kijiji find for $300.  Money well spent...reliable so far and works well.  Couldn't get nearly as much done without it.  Not too noisy...but noisy.  Longer extension cord helps!
• MTD 5HP Chipper/Shredder - Local Kijiji find for $350.  Beastly machine and an ear splitting, violent thing to use.  It works...and while I'd like to be able to do larger 2.5"+ diameter stuff, I'd be a bit tentative to use it.  This unit is small enough that I can pull it around.
• Stihl YardBoss - Kijiji find.  When will I learn that do-it-all machines are not worth it!!?!?!  It's so so as a trimmer...underpowered to use with a brush cutter saw.  It's ok as a tiller...but small and too light.  It's just good enough so as to hold me back from buying something else....but every time I think of doing something I'm thinking of buying something else.  Lesson learned (again)...buy single purpose.
• Cots - we had bought 2 cots from Bass Pro a while ago and made good use of them camping and during the reno at Nick's farmhouse.  We bought 4 more from Canadian Tire when they had a sale and they've been a real treat.  I can still sleep ok with just a thermarest pad...but it's sooooooo much nicer.
• Husqvarna 16" chainsaw - awesome...should buy another chain to have another sharp one ready to go!
• Cheapo BBQ from Canadian Tire - Game changer on cooking up a hot meal without any clean up!
• JetBoil - great! too small for family camping but does the trick for a 1-2 person drink/meal.  Tippy though...best to use on the ground.
• Coleman gas lantern - the "old style" type with those little cloth mantles that you light.  1.  Buy a bunch of extra mantels and stash them.  2.  They get incredibly hot!  It works and puts out a ton of light...but I don't like how hot it gets, how the mantels seem to burn up quickly and because it's so hot it's difficult to relight if you turn it off.  I'm looking into decently bright LED lanterns...ones that can run for a good long while and be left out in the sun during the day to solar charge.  Most of the ones I've seen so far are either too dim or else take way to long to charge.