Clearing Land For OFF GRID CONTAINER CABIN And A Bad Case Of Poison Ivy 

IMPORTANT INFO TO THINK ABOUT WHEN BUILDING DRIVEWAY: We have a small acreage with about 300’ of driveway. We’ve been here 30yrs. Biggest regret on driveway is that we’ve dumped thousands of dollars of gravel on the driveway and continually have to add more because the gravel ‘walks’ and/or sinks. If I were starting a driveway now I would consider some type of water permeable liner to preclude the ongoing need for more gravel - ESPECIALLY in weedy/muddy areas. Obviously this won’t resolve erosion but planning ahead with this thought in mind might keep you from getting stuck and buying so much flipping gravel.

after working in the poison ivy areas, you need to know: 1) wash your whole body with dawn dish soap, every time 2) have a separate laundry basket for contaminated clothes 3) take 2 benadryl, every time.

That old farm implement is a disc harrow, it is used after a field has been ploughed. The disc harrow breaks up the large clods of soil left after ploughing and creates a flatter surface for ease of sowing the next crop. Hope that helps.

Being nostalgic about trees is OK but.... it'll be interesting to see what you think in a few years after some storms (trees threaten to fall on you're buildings) and here in Pacific Northwest fire prep requires well documented clear space from structures etc. There are 2 x major fires going on right now in Oregon - so it prompts me to comment I would think you could be vulnerable to fire with all that lush growth. Don't want to come off as negative to the hesitancy to clear, its only natural, but it is a balance between safety vs nostalgia and wish you all the very best. Thank you for sharing all these years and look forward to continuing to follow you for years to come! :)

Best get a pair of snake boots on when out in the bush. Protect from venomous bites and protects legs from all objects. When working as shown, best get some chaps that offer same protection. As a forest owner, I never leave without them. You guys do not respect what a venomous snake can do to your children!

I remain totally impressed by how well these two parents keep their children involved and how hard they work at not frightening them. Having the not-quite-so-little anymore ones climbing all over his body when we could see every inch was itchy and painful - that's a real man. I often praise Mackenzie for keeping up with Spenser even though he's big and full of bulging muscles. No doubt about it, when the chips are down, he's proof of what a real man is - and it isn't the mucho-macho 'alpha' BS so many incels mistake for real manliness. For some reason, those three plants don't bother me. I have a friend who suffers more and more with each exposure. Spenser will need to pay careful attention. Fingers crossed for a speedy recovery.

Quick reminder: If you burn poison ivy or poison oak, the smoke will carry some urushiol and act the same as actually making contact with the leaves. Also, it's a good idea to handle infected clothes with tongs or similar.

Check the town's library and the land records at the town hall. Good chance there is a old map or lot plans to look at for info

FYI: living in cabin in mountains snakes do come 8n your house

For the snake issue: spread out a bunch of moth balls in the areas you're regularly at like around the camper and other areas you want to keep the snakes away from. It's looking good. Y'all are making progress. I've asked a couple of times on some of your other recent videos, but I've never gotten an answer, so I don't expect to get one... My wife and I have a large piece of land in east Tennessee mountain area where we're working to make it our permanent off-grid home. I was just curious as to what mountain area y'all are in with ya'll's new land. We make tons of trips from south GA to our land in TN to work on the property. It's a lot of work! But, hopefully it'll be worth it in the end.

Typically rock fencing (walls) were created from rocks removed from the land to create plantable acreage. And obviously stacked as a border for that field.😊

Love the new area. Please put down geo fabric on the road before laying down the gravel So as the rock will not sink into the ground

Happy Spencer got the poison Ivy under control, poor guy. Your site keeps looking better with each new episode.

Hey bud I wanted to mention that if you wash and rinse dishes in substandard water you are still vulnerable to a host of infectious agents up to and including E.coli. Soap is a surfactant, not a germicide. All it does is make germs slippery, but it doesn't kill them.

I love how both of your handle tough times. Respect 🙏🏽

Around here the rock piles were from the old farmers clearing fields they would pile the rocks around their fields.

I believe that piece of farm equipment is what is called a "disker" (discus) in KY. It is used to break up dirt clods and loosen up the soil in a field that is to be planted.

Are you going to test the ground where you put the container footers to make sure it’s not fill dirt from the previous house?

When working in areas that have poison Ivy I always keep a bottle of dawn dish soap in the shower with some of those cheap dish cloths in the shower. i scrub down with dawn and rinse really well. I am soo allergic and have gotten infected areas before as well. Spencer took it like a champ. Good luck!!

I am 78 and on my last legs. Now that I am somewhat immobile I get great pleasure in watching your blog! I want to thank you and wish you the best in the difficulties that lie ahead for our human family.

Poor Spencer. I felt bad for him. He is such a hard worker. The land is looking good.

I still am so impressed with the cinematography! Really, if RU-vid doesn’t have an award for cinematography, they should have one! I would vote for you!!

With all those trees, you could cut down the smaller trees or dead trees and then buy a wood stove for heat (winter).

That pile metal rubble can be turned into cash at a scrapeyard

My dad is very allergic to poison ivy, but he swears by Dawn dish soap. If he thinks that he has brushed up against it he washes with this. It sometimes prevents it but definitely makes it less. Love your videos.

That water looks very clear😊

My husband was in a flood one time and got so sick . I had to take him to the hospital and they said it wasn’t poison ivy but poison oak . They said that was even worse. I hope Spencer is getting better. Stay safe

Thanks for the video. Spencer, Mackenzie, I wondered about all the wildlife in that location, you will have to be very careful, particularly your children. You have done so much with a lot more to do. Mackenzie, don't be lonely, you have us. 🙂 You all stay safe, love from Mike. ❤

Spencer and Mackenzie, you two and your kids are a big inspiration because of the way you support and love each other. Spencer, I am glad you received treatment for the poison ivy. It looks like you have a nice flat place to locate your 'corrugated cabin'. Yes, your road probably should be a top priority and then work on your water system. I love your music selections that are so mellow. Blessings to you four folks.

There's a guy in Ireland, his page is Mossy Bottom, and he built a basic cabin on his land for volunteers to stay in and their 'rent' was helping him with his huge vegie garden, building things, and I assume hep when he starts restoring the old Irish Cottage. It's a great idea and people acquire new skills. Every thing is looking great....except for the snakes!!

Search your property thoroughly for any natural springs. My sisters mountain cabin had a natural spring up the mountain from where her cabin was. It naturally fed into a creek that run by her house & the previous owners had went up the mountain found the spring. Then they dug out a 4’x4’ hole into the spring and placed a stainless steel spring box into the hole. They then ran black plastic well pipe from the spring box down inside the creek and all the way to in front of the cabin. This way there was Year round potable drinkable running mountain spring water. Just a thought of something you can do if you find a natural spring up above where your cabin site is. This would be fairly cheap to do also.

Is there a Local library nearby that will hold the history of the Land, or the Internet may have info!!. With the kids walking alone around the property are you not worried a snake may come out?. Thanks for the video.

Farm equipment is an old disc attachment. It breaks up the dirt and smooth it out to help plant the next crop, you use it after ploughing. Farm kid all grown up, but you just don't forget. :) Love your content and watching y'all explore life. Wishing we had the ability to do the same.

We’ve been watching y’all since the beginning, and have loved all of it! We’re in NE Texas and currently living in a shipping container. We decided to build a barndominium, and just signed a contract. Best wishes on your new place!

WOW so much work. Sorry about the poison ivy. I know about your pain. Blessings on your family.

Love your banter of inuendos and how you hold back when on camera! So cute. I can only imagine what it's like when the camera isn't rolling, lol. Love following your journey.

That's nice grandma is spending time with her grand children.😊❤

There may be an abstract (historical document) for that property. Ask your closing company. U can also go to the county property tax site and get ownership history and follow up with those heirs.

It's hard to believe that this new mountain property is not going to take a more prominent part of your life, than the property where your main house is! Just sayin'! I mean, I don't remember you being so in love with your main house property as you seem to be with this mountain property! I'm just so happy for you guys in seeing your life dreams unfold in real time right before our eyes. That's truly a feast for the eyes to behold! May God/the Force be with you always...

I still cant believe you don't worry more about snakes with little ones and pets.

To answer your question about the farm equipment, it is called a disc press drill. It’s used to seed crops. The discs cut through the soil and the tubes drop the seeds down into the furrow made by the discs.

My 6 teenage sisters and I love your page. Thank you for sharing your lives with all of us...

What a beautiful bit of land you acquired, been with you guys from practically day one, it’s been amazing and you feel like a part of my family 🙏

You should clear out a few of the trees, helps the rest grow better buy a second snake stick to keep at the property. Definitely put a barrier of sorts under the gravel so it stays out a little better (never perfect, but will help from washing away)😊

The progress of the land is amazing ! Sorry Spencer for your dealing with Poison Ivy and glad you went and sought treatment ❤

Beautiful piece of property. Can't wait to see your container cabin on your new beautiful property. So happy for all of you.

I'm happy Spencer bounced back quickly from his poison ivy infection. Long sleeves, work gloves and jeans will help prevent more infections. I'm hoping everyone stays healthy and happy. Continued success with the project!

Try running a metal detector for some finds before bringing in more items.

Spencer and Kenzie...what the two of you have accomplished is amazing. I remember video of you driving on the original property and beginning the process of building and now you're creating space on the new land and it looks amazing. It would be great to hear the two of you reflect back to when you were young adults starting this journey, what you did and did not know at that time and compare that to where you are now...the learning curve has been amazing. And you two seem to handle the majority of the 'curve' from a learning posture and it helps you make your way through those times. You guys are 'top shelf' when it comes to starting a new journey and learning from what life has in store. You're an example for all age groups and generations...hats off to both of you!

Making a lot of progress. The home sight looks good with all the clearing you have done. Cabin layout sounds good. Looking forward to seeing the end result. Free help is always good. Stay safe.

I am so happy to be on your Patreon list! I've been with you guys since the beginning and am so happy to be with you, every step of the way. It feels like a family thing.

Bush life. Great to have family, help. Sure you will uncover more surprises as you progressively clear the land for your new home. Medicine kit, overalls or covered skin when working in the bush. Boots and gloves for those hidden crawlers. Any issues with fleas or ticks?

so glad your feeling better spencer. glad your family got to see you all.

Check out a RAM pump for moving water with no electricity. Perfect for what you guys need

It is difficult to envision the actual scale of the property from the video, but one thing to consider is the distance from the solar field you intend to install and the "Cabin". The longer the distance the more voltage drop you will experience decreasing the efficiency of the system.

Beautiful property. The trees are so straight and plentiful. looking forward to the build.

Such a beautiful place. Yay Mom and Dad. Was great to see family. These seemed to enjoy taking part in this. God bless you kids❤️❤️❤️🙏

Ahh ... I think you should have got interviews with Grandma/grandpa. Thanks for sharing. Love you guys.

Wow!!! That was a massive run-in with poison ivy!!! As a child I had terrible reactions to Poison ivy’s!!! 🥰🌻❤️

The old implement you uncovered is actually a seed drill..So Spencer was right! Its awesome to hear the quail @ 2:57

Great to see something so peaceful and beautiful, considering what’s going on in the world, Hope Spencer gets better soon.

There are a few You Tubers that are well versed in clearing areas like Andrew Cameratta and Matt from Diesel Creek but I don’t know where they are based in America. Andrew not long ago bought his second mountain plot and like you he has spent a good bit of time building roads and clearing trees . Both seem to collect heavy equipment like graders and Andrew has acquired a rock crushing machine to make his own gravel . It would be lovely if you could get the help from some You tubers so you could do a collab together.

When choosing your spot, for safety reasons, it's best to keep large trees away from your container home. They're both a fire & squashing hazard. Glad Spencer recovered quickly. Infections are no joke!

Glad that Spencer is getting better, please be careful next time, especially with the kids.

My only concern is how you guys continue to protect your two precious little kids from the poisonous copper-head snakes. You guys are doing such an amazing job. I'm so impressed and excited for you guys. Stay safe and thank you for sharing. Great content and editing always.

Be careful you can get poison oak or ivy from your dogs coat. Just petting them you can get the oil from the plant.

Wow, the last shot with the tractor was great. It looked so tiny within the miles of forest. So beautiful! ✌❤

In 1950 when my parents moved into their new home we had copperheads all over the property it was a disaster for his kids playing outside! Now course in 2023 we have no snakes at all thank God!

Laying a bed of gravel in the part of the creek you pull water from might help keep your bucket from disturbing the sediment by raising it from the bottom (gravel is also good baby fish and tadpole habitat)

Thinning the brush and small trees from the under story is good, but take a hard look at the large trees also. You need to take out any older bigger trees that may be damaged or diseased you don't want a tree falling on your cabin or deck or dropping across a road. Keep up the work you know you have what it takes to get'r done!

That old piece is a field disc. For discing a field. Turns the soil for planting.

Glad Spencer is feeling better and back to normal.

Living in the UK where we only have one poisonous snake, do you not worry about your children being bitten when the are out playing? But I am loving the progress you are making clearing the site.

You might want to check around the old home stead there might find a well or spring where they got there water from .

I can completely relate to what he went through. I ended up in an ambulance one time because my throat was closing from a bad reaction to poison ivy. It is not something to mess around with.

Only thing i wish from these videos are for them to be longer. Full of the raw landscaping clips! Kinda like Andrew Camarata does, even if its a separate video :D

Something to think about, many years ago after camping I was diagnosed with amoebic dysentery. I did not drink one single drop of water from the campground tap but I did wash my dishes with it. While it’s possible I got it another way I’ve always thought it was the dishwashing water from the campground. It took me a year to get rid of it and felt like I had the flu on and off that entire time.

Ouch! Poor Spencer. I hope you are feeling back to 100%. Please be extra careful when cleaning up the ruins of the old building. May God Bless and keep your Family Safe 💞 Be Happy 😂 Safe and Healthy 💞

What beautiful land! So glad you're feeling better, Stuart.

A neatly trimmed bush is a happy bush. They do perk right up!

My folks owned about 1100 acres in Oregon. The back of the property was backed up to BLM timber land. I basically had several thousand acres of play area as a teenager. One day my father wanted me to clear a small thicket of Oak tree's in the center of one of the fields. I cut the half dozen tree's down and piled the branches logs and stumps with the tractor and set it on fire. I tended the fire all afternoon. That evening I was rushed to the hospital. What I cut down was not a thicket of Oak but was poison Oak. I inhaled the poison smoke. I handled the poison oak all day, my fingers were swollen open, my eyelids swollen shut and every sq inch of my skin had a rash or boil on it. I was miserable for months. I can relate.

Crushed rock is the thing to use on a driveway like this. Important to stop water flowing over or along it, so make sure you have trenches on the uphill side of the driveway and some 1 foot diameter pipes or bigger to get the water underneath the road and away. Streams will appear during rainy months which you won't see in drier times. Be well and safe.

Holy moly it’s been 5 years, how time flies…

So happy to see your progress - looks nice 😊 poor Spencer - you looked do miserable with the poison ivy 🥺 nice your family came to visit & help out & good you're going to see family more often - nice for everyone 😉 take care & be safe 🙏💖

As great as it is to see the new property taking shape, for me, seeing Bear and Io was the BEST...

This is so much better than all the new cheesy renovation shows that are 40 minutes if talk and 20 minutes of showing the actual work. I used to watch Bob villa all the time with my grandpa. If he was still with us, I know grandpa would love this channel.

your land is looking so much better with so many small trees gone and the weeds and grass cut down, I was sorry to hear that Spencer got poison ivy and the rash didn't look good.

Your pleasure and excitement as you wandered about the clearing was truly wonderful to see. I envied you your youth, two so typical children, who want to do and explore as typical children normally do. Well done for creating a dream and make sure to live it to the full, as a family.

Making some serious progress, and apparently painfully as well. All that rock could be used as building material for a fire place with a chimney free standing and a out kitchen set up. Have a better week and count your blessings amen.

We bought, cleared, and lived on 16 acres in Cali. We were off-grid for 10 years. While we cleared, my husband got a bad case of poison oak. Boy, it’s hard not to in some places, but he had a hard time with it! I really miss it (not the poison oak!)! the place we made our own.

That snake looks like it might actually be a cottonmouth (aka water moccasin) and not a copperhead. Check the tail color (copperheads often have green towards the tip), body shape (cottonmouths tend the be pretty thick with very abrupt tapering near the tail), hooded eyes, and black mask like pattern by their eyes.

Be careful with the Poison Ivy. No joke. I had the same reaction. I also got it on my face. I wore gloves clearing land, wasn't paying attention. Used my gloved hands to handle the Ivy. Then, wiped sweat off my face with my gloves... no bueno. Looks like a great project, again.

So glad Spencer's Mom and Step-dad came for a visit to your new property. Hopefully we'll be able to meet Mac's parents as well, somewhere along the line! Spencer is making excellent headway with the road...with one man and one tractor, it's time consuming. It's all part of the journey, though, and we're so glad to tag along! Relieved the poison ivy incident is behind Spencer, can't imagine how uncomfortable it was. Have a great week, got my fingers crossed that your last blade on the Tractor holds up for as long as possible! ☝🏻☺

Beautiful little wandering garter snake and yeah they got pretty copperheads out in the wilds. They're nearly everywhere, so its best just to teach the kids how to be aware of themselves at all times and keep doing what you're doing 😊

So kool his dad wanted to help. Man’s work. I love it.

I’ve been watching you guys from the very beginning and I’m so excited to watch your new adventure . Can wait to see how your new place turns out..

Spencer, spend the money for a skid steer! There's unique tasks on your driveway alone that you'll need one, not mention the need to potentially move dirt and rocks!

thinning out the forest is a good thing for sustainability of the forest. It helps the big trees grow more.

One thing you can do to try and learn a little more about the property and where structures may have been is to look at old aerial photos. Googling historic aerials will get you pointed in the right direction.

Spencer needs to wear gloves and protected cloths you guys are awesome ❤speedy recovery for spencer