Just moved off the grid--need safety advice (Lake Louise, Mendeltna: new home, live in)

[tigerfan3]

Thanks for all the advice and please keep it coming. Here is some more info about my situation. I'm not on the road system, there is a fairly well maintained driveway the first half mile off the road, then you have to walk or snowmachine another half mile. I had one neighbor and one neighbor only but his cabin just burned down this week. Chimney fire. That was an eye opener to me because of his vast experience living out here. So now I am by myself. After that happened to my friends cabin, I did nothing but study my owners manuals. The manuals for the chimney, wood burning stove, generator, propane heater, etc..

[thedwightguy]

Game cameras and/or truck cams. Not that expensive and lets you know what livestock is active in your area.
Cameras not in the budget?: Norwegian Forest cat. When he's unusually nervous, you know coyotes/wolves/bears are in the area. At least the cats I know.

You can also do a safety chest just like sailboats have on blue water. It's kept away from the cabin and has fire safety, signalling, first aid, blankets, and water good to go. No sense if it's inside a cabin on fire.

[akpls]

Originally Posted by AKStafford

I'd make contact with the local emergency responders and make sure they know where your place is and how to get there. Is the road clearly marked? You don't want firefighters looking for the 3rd mailbox on the left after the 2nd brown house while your cabin is burning down...

Good advice, but in a lot of cases you yourself are the only emergency responder. My father-in-law lives on the road system (Rich Hwy.), but is about 80 miles from the nearest fire station. He is his own fire department. He became very good friends with the Guardian Flight people when his wife was having heart problems and needed several medevacs over the course of a year. Fortunately he had a cell phone connection when he stood on the 2nd floor balcony of his house.

[tigre79]

If you've had any thoughts about getting a good dog for bear country, there's a Karelian breeder in Delta. These are great dogs for where you're living.

[AKStafford]

My bad... I thought he said he was 3 miles outside of Glennallen, not 30... I guess that's what I get for not reading more carefully...

[Marty Van Diest]

So you found about about fire the hard way. chimney fires are common. Don't ever assume that your house won't burn down, make sure your chimney is safe and that nothing around your stove will catch fire. Keep a couple of good at least medium sized fire extinguishers very handy.

Some people even set up a wall tent far enough away from their cabin to ensure it won't burn if the cabin does. Stock it complete with a stove and enough supplies to survive in case your cabin burns down.

We lost our house when I was a kid from a chimney fire. It was gone in about one hour.

After that CO is the big one and then hypothermia, if you don't wander in the woods drunk you will usually be able to keep your wits about you there.

Assume that you will not get any help from anyone for anything and live that way. It will keep you out of most trouble.

[starlite9]

Well if you are a ways off the gride and a road system is marginal to non existent, I would ensure a couple of things in addition to the advice others have already mentioned.

A second outbuilding is good for emergency shelter in case a fire damages the main cabin in the dark of winter. It gets -40 there in the blink of an eye and a stack fire can leave you out in the cold in a heartbeat. Have a bit of extra gear out there as well like boots, clothes and source of heat. Doesn't have to be big, just shelter that can be heated. Kinda like a lifeboat to a big boat, just in case.

Bear spray or gun by the door. Wildlife is going to show up at all times of the day/night and when you least expect it. Most cases it will be a non event, but if some one is being stomped by a moose, it gives you options.

Nowadays having something like a "SPOT" for emergencies is a good deal as well. If the cell phone towers go down you still have a way to contact help, just cheap insurance. Take with you when you trek out farther than cell range.

Being aware of what is outside is important as well. I've been guilty just running out the cabin door and once had a bear standing there more supprised to see me than I think I was of it! But had it had a cub, I could have been swatted as a self defense reflex before it ran off. In this case it was just a lone bear and it ran off.

Anyway, there are a lot of things you'll learn as you go, and a lot of folks have given you a good heads up already! Hope you enjoy your new lifestyle, it is all worth it as far as I'm concerned and most people won't take that leap of faith, so be proud of what you're doing!

[tigre79]

Just curious, but which way are you from Glennallen? There are quite a few current and former Valdezians with cabins in the Copper River Basin. PM me if you don't want the world to know for some reason.

Also, if you're looking to put in the second half of your driveway, I may know people who could help.

[tigerfan3]

Coming from Anchorage, I'm about 30 miles before Glennallen.

[tigre79]

Originally Posted by tigerfan3

Coming from Anchorage, I'm about 30 miles before Glennallen.

Oh okay, so around Tazlina Airport somewhere. Looks like lots of nice trails and good fishing up that way. We go on a big group camping trip every summer at Lake Louise. I bet it's really fun around there in the winter, when it's not too cold at least.