what should you bring to a remote homestead?

[Jayleen]

So im wondering what you think is important to bring when you move to a remote wilderness homestead? For yourself, baby, house, food,animals

[emdeengee]

Books. I know that these weigh a lot to transport and as in our case you may have to back pack many times but they are invaluable. Lots of do-it-yourself books as well as reading entertainment.

A satelitte phone - especially if you have a baby.

A year's worth of supplies to get you from summer to summer because spring isn't always a helpful season for travel.

[Jayleen]

When you say supplies you mean food right?

[Peggy]

food, blankets, books. maybe games, storage containers for water and food. supplies that will do double duty. dryed food would be important in case something happens, like being snowed in.
if you read true to life survivel books you may get some good ideas.

[emdeengee]

Yes, food, medication, nails etc. Food in its basest form - sugar, salt, flour, beans, dried fruit and vegetables, canned meats, powdered eggs, dried milk - what you will need until you can supply yourself with a garden, animals and hunting and fishing.

And by remote I hope you do not mean totally without access. Not with a baby. At least a plane to call in every month or so.

[am1too]

Originally Posted by Jayleen

So im wondering what you think is important to bring when you move to a remote wilderness homestead? For yourself, baby, house, food,animals

knowledge, wisdom andlotsof muscle

of course we do assume you have more than stated and dreams

[simi-steading]

Um... I'd say pretty much everything you have in your house now... It's still your home, just in a little different environment...

You may need to consider some things you may not have, like gardening tools, power equipment, generator, tractor, chainsaw, wood working tools... and so on...

[Jayleen]

We our still looking for a spot but it wont be without any access
We currently our on a homestead but its pretty close to town we rent here though and we are wanting to buy we dont have a baby yet but we plan to have a baby soon so was just wondering what things i would need to make sure i have

[emdeengee]

Just for interest sake - In 1898 when the Klondike Gold Rush started in the Yukon Territory the Royal Canadian Mounted Police set up check point stations at all the entry points. No one was allowed to enter Canada unless they had a year's worth of supplies. This is what was needed per person and all of it had to be packed by foot or horse. These are images of the Chilkoot trail and the men and women carrying their packs.

http://www.google.ca/search?q=chilko...w=1093&bih=479

Yukon/klondikegold rushstampeder'ssupply list, 1898 Every person traveling to the goldfields of the Yukon Territory were required to take along one years worth of supplies. Every dealer of goods was ready to tell them exactly what they needed, and would sell the products to them at a very high price. There were also many how-to books for th prospector. Many were written by people that were never in the wilderness, let alone the Yukon.

List of items needed by miners distributed by the Northern Pacific Railroad:
For each man:
FOOD:
200 pounds of bacon
400 pounds of flour
85 pounds assorted dried fruit
50 pounds cornmeal
35 pounds rice
24 pounds coffee
5 pounds tea
100 pounds sugar
25 pounds fish
15 pounds soup vegetables
50 pounds oatmeal
50 pounds dried potatoes
50 pounds dried onions
25 cans butter
100 pounds beans
4 dozen tins condensed milk
15 pounds salt
1 pound pepper
8 pounds baking powder
2 pounds baking soda
1/2 pound mustard
3/4 pound ginger
36 pounds yeast cakes
60 boxes of matches
5 bars of soap
CLOTHING:
1 suit oil clothing
3 pairs snag-proof rubber boots
3 pairs heavy shoes
1 dozen heavy socks
6 pairs wool mittens
3 suits heavy underwear
2 pairs Mackinaw trousers
2 pairs overalls
2 hats
4 heavy woolen overshirts
1 Mackinaw coat
1 heavy rubber-lined coat
suspenders, hankerchiefs, snow glasses
2 pairs of heavy woolen blankets
2 oil blankets
4 towels
buttons, thread, needles
5 yards mosquito netting
EQUIPMENT:
1 large bucket
1 set granite buckets
2 axes, plus extra handle
2 picks
handsaw
whipsaw
1 shovel
pack strap
6 files
drawing knife
brace and bits
jack plane
hammer
3 chisels
butcher knife
200 feet, 3/8- inch rope
10 pounds pitch
5 pounds oakum
2 caulking irons
15 pounds nails
tent
canvas
whet stone
compass
goggles
quartz glass
quicksilver
2 frying pans
coffee and tea pot
40 pounds of candles
eating utensils: plate, cup, knife fork, spoon
pots and pans
steel stove for 4 men
gold pan
gold scales Also additional items were noted, such as: medicines, reading matter, guns, ammunition and personal items.

[Jayleen]

Wow thank you

[Cabin Fever]

Originally Posted by Jayleen

... For yourself, baby.....

Several dozen cases of Pampers and Baby Wipes......

[unregistered168043]

Food
weapons/ammo
generator
fuel
buckets
water containers
water filtration device
TP
pots/pans
notebook
calender
pens
soap
books
tools for wood work, wood cutting, digging, gardening, etc
hardware ( nails, screws, etc )
chainsaw
rope
come-along
hooks
clothing appropriate to environment/season
several pair of boots/ lots of socks
camp stove&fuel
knives/forks/spoons
flaregun
first aid supplies
antibiotics
candy
booze
A good supply of body bags

[kim&dave]

Jayleen,
Hi everyone! My name is Kim.I'm new here, I'm ashamed to say, we are renting too. But we have already had our family and are much older than you. We should own a place by now. We did own a nice place in Tn. but couldn't make a decent living there. So now we are trapped in Il.
We want to buy a homestead, but don't know where we want to live, and when we get there ,"How to make a living?" Anyone have any suggestions? Or advice for two old farts wanting a better life out of the rat race.

[simi-steading]

Best way I can think of on how to make a living on a homestead is to get a real daytime job.. then deal with your land and home in between... That's the way me and my wife will be doing it.. and have been doing it trying to get the place fixed up enough to move into.. It's also the way many on this forum do it...

No real way out of the rat race, unless you have skills and talents to run your own business. I used to do small engine repair, and mentioned that to someone that lives where we bought our place.. .He said they need a small engine shop because there isn't one out there... I asked doesn't everyone know how to work on their own equipment... He said they do, but they all have real jobs and don't have time to fix their stuff... But then there comes the other problem.. I could fix their stuff, but they wouldn't like the prices since people in that area don't make a lot per hour, and I'd have to charge enough to support my business... Double edged...

[Marilyn]

Determination.

[Bret]

Originally Posted by Marilyn

Determination.

Yes, determination in all sizes, weights, gauges, etc. Determination always comes in handy when you run out of something and everything else.

[simi-steading]

I'm learning patience is also great to bring with you too...

[RomeGrower]

It's a good question because I am imagining what life would be like without electricity. I would want a good assortment of hand tools for things like cutting wood and building things, for digging and planting. I'd want seeds for all the things I would want to start growing. I'd want a way to filter water. Probably a reliable gun and ammunition. Sturdy clothes and work boots. That would be a start, along with basic food items taht can be stored.

[FarmboyBill]

You are going to need AT Minimum a full acre of garden. You will need enough seed to be able to plant it in spring, and again if possible in the fall.
You will need a sledge hammer, a set of frameing chisels, a couple draw knives, and the knowledge on how to keep ALL sharp, a log maul, a couple axes, and a doz wedges, plus 2 long handled pry bars, also a ribbon 2 man saw, and bucksaw with extra blades.
You should learn how to work on gasoline small engines before moveing. That being done, You could take chain saws, tillers, walk behind garden tractor and implements for it.
A Vise, a anvil, full set of the general hand tools. A push plow and implements for it.

All the above will allow you to cut wood for heat, and for frameing buildings, or even building log structures.

You wont be able to feed any animals, and thereby you wont be able to keep many.
You can keep chickens spring summer fall, AND IF you get a doz for every member of the family, you should have a few eggs from them scratching on the ground to keep you in eggs. What happens come winter tho?

IF you have a sythe for every member able to swing one, you could cut enough grass, and rake it with hand 3ft wide rakes, to keep rabbits. I dont know how confined rabbits do on only grass. Doubt they get real fat.
goats and cows cant be kept on grass while there being milked wholly out/empty. You might be able to do that if you milked out say one quarter of a cow, so that the milk reasorbed back into their bones to replace lost calcium. MAYBE? ! tiet of a goat. And that not when kids drop.

IF you kept a cow or goats, and your real isolated, how would you have the means to breed them.? Takeing a ram or a bull to breed a cow or 2, OR a couple or 3 goats is terribly impractible.

[katheh]

Do nothing until you read

The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery. It is in most libraries.

People have lived in the wilderness for millenia without a sat phone or Pampers.

If you are on a highly remote wilderness homestead, about the best thing you can have nearby is a stream or lake full of fish. They feed and reproduce themselves and the nutrition value is high.