Cabins, Random Coolness, Video

When The Cabin in the Woods is a Horror Movie

I just peed my past a little watching this, but I hate scary movies. I’ll bet “The Cabin in the Woods” is no where near as scary as The Dream Catcher! Stephen King wrote it, need I say more? Watch the Dream Catcher trailer below!

When The Cabin in the Woods is a Horror Movie

by steve casimiro

What happens when the weekend cabin goes bad? This trailer for The Cabin in the Woods suggests it might not unfold with the predictable path of your typical horror movie. Indeed, the film was written and produced by Joss Whedon of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” fame and directed by Cloverfield writer Drew Goddard, and reports from those who’ve seen the script were that it was quite good — genre, yes, but clever within the form.

The film was shot in and around Vancouver over three months in spring 2009, then languished as its studio, MGM, suffered major financial problems. Release was delayed so it could be converted to 3D (remember that?) and now has been scheduled for April 13, 2012. Will it be as instantly awesome as Frozen, the best stuck-on-a-chairlift-and-hounded-by-wolves movie ever made? Whedon hasn’t had a major hit since Buffy, but with creepy Matrix-style effects, a strange control room, and lines like, “The lambs have passed through the gate. They are come to the killing floor,” my money’s on Cabin.

Feb 28 2012

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Cabins, Camping, Off-Grid Tech, Shelter, Video

Far Out: Faustino’s Patagonian Retreat – Full Length – Chilean Dick Proenneke

Watch all 4 parts of Far Out below, in this episode Vice goes to meet the Chilean Dick Proenneke (Alone in the Wilderness fame). He’s still there… living alone, far out in Patagonia.

Faustino’s Patagonian Retreat – Part 1

Faustino’s Patagonian Retreat – Part 2

Faustino’s Patagonian Retreat – Part 3

Faustino’s Patagonian Retreat – Part 4

For this episode of Far Out, VICE went to Chilean Patagonia to meet Faustino Barrientos, one of Lake O’Higgins’ most infamous inhabitants.

Lake O’Higgins comprises a portion of the border between Chile’s Aysén region and Argentina’s Santa Cruz province. Since 1965, Faustino Barrientos has lived alone on the shores the lake, in a house built from the remains of a shipwrecked fishing vessel. He’s a pastoralist, living mostly off the land and his livestock, with few modern amenities. His nearest neighbors are in Villa O’Higgins, a small community of several hundred people, 25 miles away, accessible only by a two-day horseback ride through rugged mountain animal paths. Every few years, Faustino makes this ride to sell his cattle in town.

Currently 81 years old, Faustino is reaching the end of his life, and his self-imposed isolation is being encroached upon by the forces of government, economy, and tourism. In December 2011, VICE went to document his lifestyle and speak with him about the changing face of Patagonia and the gaucho lifestyle.

Feb 26 2012

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Cabins, Off-Grid Tech, Video

A Film About a Chilean Dick Proenneke

Vice Magazine is screening a film about a Chilean Dick Proenneke (Alone in the Wilderness fame) at the world famous Explorer Club 422500 miles away. Darkness. . .

Episode 1

For this episode of Far Out, VICE went to Chilean Patagonia to meet Faustino Barrientos, one of Lake O’Higgins’ most infamous inhabitants.

Feb 13 2012

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Building, Cabins, Shelter, Tree House, Video

Treehouse Inventor Creates Ewok world – Video

Treehouse inventor creates Ewok world in Rural Oregon

Feb 06 2012

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Building, Cabins, Off-Grid Tech, Video

Haida Gwaii – Masa Off Grid – 365 day project Webisode Series

I recently found this webisode series on Youtube about a man named Masa, a successful travel writer with an MBA that has decided to live off the grid in a small community on a remote B.C. island called Haida Gwaii (First Nations’ name for were the Queen Charlotte Islands. The community is called Tow Hill and it’s right on the beach and full of amazing creative cabins, built with mostly found materials.

Masa is currently in day 319 of his year on Haida Gwaii, he’s built his cabin and trying to live a subsistence lifestyle, gathering as much food as he can while it’s in season; hunting or growing. He uploads video updates 3 times a week to his YouTube Channel and posts long thoughtful blog entries to the RADx website and his Facebook Page. I encourage you to follow his project and slowly get to know him and his journey as he truly has put his money where is mouth is and left a busy career to sample a totally different lifestyle.

Go Masa!

I’m a big YouTube fan and use it as my main entertainment source, I even watch it on my TV in HD. That’s the easiest way I catch Masa’s videos so I encourage you to subscribe to his YouTube channel and you’ll be notified each time he uploads.

Here’s his first video if you want to start off right:

Cool Neighbor cabins

Masa visits Richard and Frances Riley, neighbors and cabin builders themselves to check out their digs. The couple explains how they’ve put together their own comfy home using recycled materials and timber they found on the beach.

Keep coming back for updates as Masa documents his epic adventures for radX.ca. His new video diary will be published every Tuesday, along with a weekly written blog.

Tagged Masa

Jan 10 2012

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Cabins, Smoke Hut, Tree House, Video

Raphael’s Smoke Shack in Breckenridge, CO

Raphael's smoke shack - Breckenridge

My latest project is to find all the “smoke shacks” or “huts” hidden in the woods inside ski areas. I know there is usually at least one hidden shack or shanty built by skiers and snowboarders hidden inside almost every ski area. I know of a few local ones but have only found one so far. Don’t worry I won’t be posting the location of any. That would leave them open to destruction by the “Man” and that’s no fun for anyone plus finding them is half the fun.

I’ve seen one at Stevens Pass but didn’t bother to hike up the hill to check it out. It’s hidden in plain sight and I understand that’s it’s inside the spray painted rock I saw. A few guys were smoking in front of it when I looked up to spot the landing for a friends jump, that’s the only reason why I saw it. I have ridden right past it for 20 years.

My next smoke hut to find is the one at Snoqualmie Pass, I hear it’s 3 stories tall and has a new window. I’ve got some foggy directions so it’s going to be fun to find one day when the snow isn’t so good. Lots of people know about this one.

Check out these 2 videos below about this smoke hut in Colorado. It’s just out of bounds at Breckenridge. This one is a tree house, built with all natural found materials from the area. It must be pretty strong judging by how many people are inside it in the video.

Other Smoke Shacks from around the country.

Got a photo of your smoke shack? Is it the best around? Send it to me! I promise I won’t ask where it is. Upload photos to Solar Burrito’s Facebook Page.

Snowboarding to Colorado 420 Smoke Shack – Loveland Pass, CO

: Raphael’s-smoke-shack – Breckenridge

Tagged Tree House

Sep 18 2011

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3D Models, Building, Cabins, Off-Grid Tech, Security, Shelter

Little Footprint Big Forest – Container Cabin Contest

A friend just emailed me this great design contest that just happened here in King County. The parks department wants low impact over night structures that are easy to install and maintain for guests in their parks. Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam was judge!

The challenge is to design an overnight structure re-using a surplus cargo container, which can be staged anywhere in King County Parks’ 26,000 acres of open space, and more specifically, on our forested lands that have minimal roads or utilities.

While I’ve questioned containers being use for building before, it mostly came down to it being more expensive. However in this situation the counties goals fit the containers perfectly. Strong secure structures that can be built off site, have minimal maintenance and have a low impact on the site. I bet they’ll be using an off-road fork lift to place these at site without roads like they mention.

Check out the entries below, they are really creative especially giving the counties requirements. Some very cool ideas to be gleaned from these designs. Hit the link below to read more on King counties page.

Congratulations to Hybrid Architecture for their REtain design, which was selected as the winning design of the Little Footprint Big Forest contest and was announced today at the Built Green Conference.

What do 26,000 acres of open space, public recreation and a cargo container have in common?

Conservation. Sustainability. Public Recreation. Aesthetics. Forest Stewardship.

The Situation
King County Parks is looking to balance the natural and built environments to create truly inspirational accommodations that:

* use salvaged and locally-sourced materials
* are economically achievable, both for us to build and maintain and for the public to use
* can be replicated across our 26,000 acre system

The Challenge
King County Parks and the GreenTools Program have teamed up to create a competition that we hope will inspire designers to integrate the principles of conservation, sustainability, public recreation, aesthetics and forest stewardship.

All submittals must be received by August 22, 2011 by 4:30 pm PST.

The Judges

* Dow Constantine – King County Executive
* Stone Gossard – Sustainability advocate and Pearl Jam rhythm guitarist
* Kevin Brown – Division Director, King County Parks
* Art Wolfe – Wildlife and Landscape Photographer
* Eric Corey Freed – Principal, organicArchitect
* Kim Munizza – Principal, Mithun
* Aaron Adelstein – Executive Director, Built Green
* Chris Toher – Executive Vice President and General Manager, Skanska
* Bill Schwartz – Manager, Small Projects – Capital Improvement Program, King County Parks
* Andy Wappler – Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Puget Sound Energy
* YOU! Enter to win a chance to join our all-star judges panel.

Here are my favorite entries:

Jun 21 2011

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Cabins

Cabins of Government Camp, Oregon

Government Camp Oregon in the Winter

I was down in Government Camp, Oregon aka “Govy” for a work snowboarding trip last week. The main goal was to test some 2013 snowboards at Mount Hood. Unfortunately I hurt my back the first testing day and had the whole week to down there trying to rehab my back. To kill some time I walked around the tiny but awesome town and snapped some pics of some old cabins and interesting architecture down there. Some pictures below were taken the local cultural center and show a family that built 40 cabins in the area. They were known for they’re woodcraft and rustic Oregon style of architecture. The door pictured was had made and featured a wood lock.

The town has a snowboard camp in it that attracts dozens of kids to “Govy” all summer long. It also has tons of history, being one of the first settlements of the west and the last part of the Oregon Trail.

May 17 2011

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3D Models, Building, Cabins, Shelter

Thinking about Cabin deck or porch

So I’ve been thinking about putting a covered deck on the cabin for a while now. We have a unique set of design requirements though, which makes it a bit more complicated than I’d like. The porch or deck needs to be self supported and not attached to the cabin. This is because we according to code this is a shed and we want to play by the rules. Also I want to use logs from our land to support the roof. The deck would be about an inch away from the door of the cabin.

I drew the deck in Google Sketchup to better visualize it. The plan would be to pour small cement footings with a metal bracket to attach the vertical logs.

The dimensions are 8′ x 12′ in this sketch, 2×6′s for deck support and 2×4 rafters 16″ on center.

Any thoughts or concerns you guys would have with this design?

Apr 20 2011

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Building, Cabins, Our Cabin Posts

This Old Shack – April Update Video

As promised, here is the progress we made on the cabin this weekend. We got a lot done…. well more than usual. Not much wood split but we didn’t have the proper tools… My camping ax wasn’t cutting it. Literally.

We arrived to 10 inches of snow late Friday night after a late ferry ride, it was above freezing so it was pretty slushy. We didn’t have a cooler so it was nice to use the snow as our cooler the first night. It almost all melted by Sunday.

I also wired up a switch that will power 3 12 volt lights on the main level of the cabin. I only had 25 feet of wire so I stuffed it behind the insulation and then we put the paneling up. I’ll have to add a section for the lights and to the battery. Also I made a hidden battery box that will house our charge controller, combiner and battery for our solar power system. I probably shouldn’t share the location of that, even though I doubt the thieves are reading this….

Check out the video below, Nate is a character…

Solar Burrito

Cabins, Shelters, Off-The-Grid Tech and other Fun Stuff

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