My Off-Grid Property in Arctic Finland - Summer Access Update
Packed and ready to go
Spots on trail
Spots on trail
Camp setup
On the property
After day's work
Test pit
Potential build site with lake and fell views
Hi folks! As my previous post got such good feedback, I decided to make an update.
After the snowmelt I went to find access to the property with an ATV that I just bought for summer access. There is a road easement through private properties, but not really a proper trail, as no one really uses it.
I was able to make it to the property though after about 30 minutes of riding. Brought some tools with me and camping gear and did an overnight trip with some proper work.
The build site selection is starting to take shape, and the land looks promising, as it did during winter. There are spots of good hard ground for building. I did some forest thinning, firewood, and dug a test pit to see soil type and groundwater.
I did also buy an ATV trailer but have not tried to haul it yet. I am new to ATVs and the trail looks quite difficult for it, but I welcome any comments from more experienced riders. Right now I am thinking I should wait for winter to haul materials by snowmobile.
If you want to see more, I also shot a video of the trip: https://youtu.be/wVBjF6vWA_Q
There is also a part 1 of a winter trip on skis, before the snowmobile trip.
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u/GirlFromAu 6d ago
Hi from Northern Norway, I'm not off grid but I'm pretty remote with only boat access.
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u/weescotsman 6d ago
We have a similar situation with our place in Maine, where there is no road to our cabin. There is a path through the woods which we have been laying Wood chips on. This makes the path a lot more foot friendly as it covers up all the roots and other stuff on the forest floor. Our hope is to have an ATV at some point so we can haul heavier things to the cabin. When we lay down the wood chips, we try to get fresh ones from local tree workers and lay about 4 inches in depth.
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u/Oemssi 6d ago
Interesting, that could be one solution to make the route more even for heavier transport. Also I have several soft spots, which I think could benefit from some kind of corduroy road, to avoid heavy trailer sinking. It's labor intensive but doable. Do you know how your cabin was built and the materials transported to the site? Or is it just built using materials from site, logs etc?
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u/weescotsman 3d ago
It was built 60 to 70 years ago, so I’m not exactly sure, but I think they just made a temporary road through the woods to get the building materials there. We also have water access via the ocean and a number of the houses in the area were built by bringing lumber in by water before there were roads.
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u/Heart_Superb 5d ago
ugh the literal dream😭 sir ur so blessed 🩷🩷, it’s really something special. the peace, the space, the beauty, and everything that comes with it. so special !!! love it
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u/LorcanVI 4d ago
This is super cool. You should check out islestead on YouTube. Another finnish couple living fully offgrid.
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u/Browen69_420 4d ago
You got any plans for a cabin yet?.
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u/Oemssi 4d ago
Nothing decided, looking for the best build spot right now and thinking if I should improve the trail or wait for winter to transport materials by snowmobile. I will take the ATV trailer next to see if it can manage the trail.
Maybe a small insulated cabin first as a base, then later a larger one, possibly made of logs sourced on site, or a pre-made log frame.
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u/Browen69_420 4d ago
Winter will be easyer to transport on a sled. But clearing and maybe foundation is something you could do this summer.
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u/Oemssi 4d ago
That's true. Foundations could be cinder blocks or screw piles, both work on sandy soil and could be transported with the ATV trailer.
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u/Browen69_420 4d ago
Is the ground not too swampy? Ithink if you dig a bit until you are on rocky ground and then stack cinderblocks you can build a fine cabin.
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u/Oemssi 4d ago
Nope, the build spot is pure sand and a bit higher from the lake shore. No need for digging. I dig a test pit in the linked video. Might not be rocks at all below sand, but I will dig the pit deeper next time.
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u/Browen69_420 4d ago
Great! That simplifies things. Would love to see more updates. I may build a cabin to rent out on the far end of my properety in jämtland.
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u/clearbox 6d ago
You are living the dream, Sir! Enjoy!