[shelter] Security for unattended retreat?

hermit · Tar Sands Joined: May 13, 2008 Posts: 47

I'm considering purchasing some Montana land, and building a retreat there over several years. The land will be about 60 acres of partially cleared forest 10 minutes away from a small town of 5000.

For the time being, my family will remain in the city while we construct our retreat as we are able to afford.

In the meantime, what can we do to make our land and retreat secure from breakin and tree poaching?

thank you
hermit

BigTex

Get to know your neighbors.
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Micki

Really hard to protect against break in. That would cost a lot.
Alarm system connected to security company should deter most burglars as they tend to go for easy targets.

Secondly, doors need to be robust and windows need to have bars or metal roller shutters. Best also if you have metal roof as it is very easy to come in via roofs with tiles.
(I didn't think of that until some time ago our neighbours locked themselves out. The guy put his pickup near the lowest part of the roof, climbed up, went a bit higher up to a spot where there was more inner-roof space, moved a few tiles and jumped in. He of course knew where he had a manhole so he could get into the house through that. Took about 4 minutes.)

Neighbours are helpful but the chance they actually see/hear anything is usually slim.

I tested the alarm at a property I have (not connected to security firm) and nobody reacted. Fair enough, the neighbours on each side of the house knew I was there but I thought somebody else would react. Furtherdown the road, maybe 75meters away there was a group of people, I was watching them, they didn't even turn their heads. Very disappointing.
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In suburbia
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katkinkate

Be really nice to your neighbours. Then they'll at least feel guilty as they chop down your trees.
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Kind regards, Katkinkate

"The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops,
but the cultivation and perfection of human beings."
Masanobu Fukuoka

Ludi

If possible, don't make your place obvious to passersby. Keep your roads and clearings small, or not situated in such a way that a view into the property is easy. If possible, don't leave your things out in plain view, but put them behind trees and bushes.

We kept materials and tools out at our place for years without any theft or vandalism, before we moved here.
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"...powerdown so soft and fluffy you'll think you're living in a pillow..." - jboogy

Pops

Way back folks built the basement for the house, put on a roof and moved in while waiting on funds or a better season to build the rest.

Some such could be easily concealed from casual passersby if you are careful about how you build the road access.

OTOH if it is simply a bug out location, then a travel trailer packed and parked in your primary backyard might be an option.

As far as how to protect your trees, I've heard 16d nails are bad for chainsaws.
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Make a plan and work it:

uNkNowN ElEmEnt

Just put a big Quaranteened sign on it.