Finding a Cabin. How? What's in them?

F

fnc

Joined
Nov 13, 2005
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Recent thread on "In the Middle of Nowhere" (Ontario),
finding a cabin was mentioned: fishing cabins commonly
found near lakes.

Specifically, on this kind of cabin, would they be easy to
find?
Can you see them from ground level?
Are they brightly colored?
Do they have wood stoves?

Generally, are cabins hard to find?

Are all cabins on the map? Probably not.
Do maps have cabins that are not there anymore?
Was the McCandless Refuge Bus on the map?

Aside from lakeside, are there other favored cabin sites?
 
I take it that you are asking about the Great White North, about which I haven't much of a clue. These are my favorite cabins and they are fairly remote but easy to find. I spen a Christmas season there back in '02 and got snowed and iced in. With temps in the teens, I was toasty warm with just the fireplace. Not exactly roughing it but...

http://www.buffaloriver.com/

Codger
 
Look for cabins on high ground near or along creeks; that would be a prime location. If it's winter, you might have to dig down through the snow to find one though. Sometimes they're marked on maps, sometimes not (particularly if they were built illegally by a BC provincial government official :D). Often they are hard to find but 'traditional' trapping cabins may often be located by the plastic buckets, tarps, rusted barrels and cans, empty bottles, broken-down snowmobiles and other debris which usually surround them:barf:.
 
Codger_64 said:
I take it that you are asking about the Great White North, about which I haven't much of a clue. These are my favorite cabins and they are fairly remote but easy to find. I spen a Christmas season there back in '02 and got snowed and iced in. With temps in the teens, I was toasty warm with just the fireplace. Not exactly roughing it but...

http://www.buffaloriver.com/

Codger
Click to expand...
Nice place, I have never been to Arkansas.
Any pattern to where cabins are located in the Ozarks?

I was interest in Both North and other.
I was specifically interested in North areas, but generally any place in the
world. Also, if cabins are inhabited, bonus, I guess; but inhabited or
attended cabins are becoming rare in the bush.

The context of the original thread was: you are put down in remote
wilderness with one piece of gear, now survive. Finding a cabin or even
a junk pile would make a big difference. Discussion involved which piece
of gear to choose, if a knife, which kind, how could we resist.
Also discussed: Stay and signal or hike out.

Here, I am more interested in where and how to find cabins, when on foot.
 
The Appilacian trail and other trail systems have huts for hikers. The ones I used last century were about a day's hike apart. They had back and side walls with an open front. Not exactly cabins, but good free shelters.

In the Ozarks, there are plenty of rental cabins. A quick googling will show the outfitters and locations. But they aren't free. Most are "improved" with running water, electricity, and road access.

Codger
 
FNC,

A cabin is built somewhere for a reason. That may mean an attraction like a lake or ski resort, or access to good hunting, trapping, or mining areas. Sometimes that reason is, "This is the only property I have, so I'm building here." Other times, the builder is avoiding attention and specificly chooses a location that will hopefully escape detection. Remote cabins tend to be located near water, yet on slightly higher ground to avoid flooding. I guess you could glass for cabins like you would for game. Find a high vantage point and scan the areas below. You may be able to detect the hand of man in cleared trees and trails, even if you don't see a cabin.

If you happen upon a pristine lake and say to yourself, "Oh! I'd love to have a cabin here!" Figure out where the best spot would be and look - Somebody else may have already built one. If not, log the GPS coordinates and send them to me!

Most cabins in cold regions will have a wood stove and at least basic furnishings. Many will be stocked with a good supply of seasoned firewood and canned food as well. Occasionally you may find a usable radio to call for rescue. The ettiquette is that if it is an emergency, help yourself, but replace what you use.

-- FLIX
 
Alberta Ed said:
Look for cabins on high ground near or along creeks; that would be a prime location. If it's winter, you might have to dig down through the snow to find one though. Sometimes they're marked on maps, sometimes not (particularly if they were built illegally by a BC provincial government official :D). Often they are hard to find but 'traditional' trapping cabins may often be located by the plastic buckets, tarps, rusted barrels and cans, empty bottles, broken-down snowmobiles and other debris which usually surround them:barf:.
Click to expand...

Kinda what I expected. A lot of possible sites: high ground, near streams.
Snow could cover a lot of the signs.

As too secret illegal VIP cabins, do they file a flight plan, and are flight plans
accessible? :) Actually I am not interested in finding cabins, except for
emergency purposes.

Maybe a recent photo map would be a good addition to regular maps.
OTOH
If plane-crashed in the bush, you would be unlikely to have detailed maps
of any kind; Unless, GPS was loaded.
 
A different kind of cabins can be found in Northern Sweden and Norway.
Usually they are manned with a cabin host and there are several beds available. The cabins are not as luxurious as the ones at Buffalo River. These cabins are usually open all year around and if not there is always a safe room if someone needs it for shelter in bad weather.
The cabins are marked on the tourist maps and some of them can be booked ahead.
http://www.svenskaturistforeningen.se/templates/MapSearch.aspx?id=5095&epslanguage=

Usually the cabins are located along the marked paths in the mountains.
 
I've stumbled on hunting cabins in the woods before. They are usually privately built on crown land. Just make sure you clean up after yourself when you're done. Usually there are some sort of trails leading to them.
 
There is a tradition in Swedish and Norwegian mountains that before you leave a cabin you should make a fire ready with birch bark, kindling, firewood etc and leave a box of matches with some matches sticking out from the box. There have been occasions when this have saved people. Someone falls through the ice and manages to get to the cabin, picks the matches between his teeth and starts a fire. Holding a matchbox is much easier than small matches when you have frozen hands.
It is originally a sami tradition that has been somewhat modified for cabin use.
 
The hostel type of cabins in Northern Europe do sound good.
I have heard of these in Southern Europe's mountains, also.

There are a few like this in the USA, oriented to snowshoe, ski, etc.
My impression is that they are located as part of a chain, for high
country ridge top travel, not near water features. Notable for their
small numbers, are the Alpine-type summit cabins.

nodh said:
...before you leave a cabin you should make a fire ready with birch bark, kindling, firewood etc and leave a box of matches with some matches sticking out from the box.
...
It is originally a sami tradition that has been somewhat modified for cabin use.
Click to expand...

Great tradition and a good habit for your own safety as well.

Let me go on a tangent, here. For signal fires, tinder, kindling, and
main fuel should be already constructed, with weather protection.
Similarly, they could be pre-built, in dangerous places, along the
frozen lakes and rivers that are used as highways in winter.
 
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