Cabin broken into by thief!!!

:mad::mad::mad:
I had a nice little stash of supplies at our cabin...until it was broken into and all stolen. Lucily, I had my gun safe chained to a main beam, so no guns or ammo were stolen. It really shattered my plans, but maybe this is a good lesson. Money wise is was not that bad, but it has me rethinking the fully equiped cabin strategy. If the SHTF, my cabin will probably be ransaked! I'm now thinking "bug-in" at home would be a better strategy.

P.s. I removed all the guns and ammo now because I belive the theives will be back with the proper tools to get that safe. The'll be dissappoined when they open it.:p

I'm now thinking about "security" plans (but the cabin has no electricity).

Any ideas for security? One of my thoughts is trail cams to capture them on camera.

that's crappy news partner, but yeah they're out there. You have to look at how they got in I suppose and make it harder (of course if they want in bad enough.....) Thieves will generally go for the easiest target, so if you make it harder for a thief to get in, they might go somewhere else.Trail cams are good for after the fact, but once you've been ripped off, having their picture might not do you a lot of good. I'm imagining your pictures sitting on the bottom of a manila folder in some cop's desk....

man that really sucks im sorry. that was a smart idea chaining your safe to a beam. yah a trail cam would be a good idea since theres no electricity, are they expensive? or you can always booby trap the safe so when they move it or open it would explode!:D then you wouldnt have to worry about those thieves anymore haha

You'd probably have to worry about their survivors bringing a wrongful death lawsuit against you, which is sad because it's so likely true.

It could have been worse......They could have shot you when you approached "THEIR" cabin. The old saying possession is 9/10 of the law.

My heart goes out to you as I deal with this regularly. My advise is forget about catching them. Even if caught, they would not do time, and it may not even go to trial.

There is 100 stories they can tell, they thought it was there buddies cabin. etc. You invited them, they were abused as children.

The cheapest thing is a large truck battery, with a small solar charger, attached to a small radio. Do not have a padlock on the outside of door, clearly no one home.

At this point I would leave the safe wide open. Check with your homeowners insurance co. you may have or want to get off premise's coverage.

Remember if they get hurt, breaking into your safe, you are liable.

I have battery powered security cameras.

It's sad that somebody would do that, but yeah it happens. If you decide not to abandon your plans of a stocked cabin you may want to consider storing your gear underground in the area, but not in the cabin. Leaving the safe open probably a good idea (unless they want the safe too). Although it may give you a great deal of pleasure to have some azzhat get injured in a booby trap, it would probably be short lived.....letigious society that we live in.

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Originally Posted by hopeak

Remember if they get hurt, breaking into your safe, you are liable.

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man that sucks...

My luck they'll cut the main support beam and wreck the structure. I think I'll undo the chain/beam thing. I guess if you really want something to survive the looters/theives, I guess important things need to be hidden or burried.

kx250, not, I repeat "NOT" rubbing salt into the wound, but I am haunted by the exchange you and wareagle had, just this week.

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Originally Posted by hopeak

kx250, not, I repeat "NOT" rubbing salt into the wound, but I am haunted by the exchange you and wareagle had, just this week.

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My last post was on 08-16-2008? I'm confused to what post you are referring to?:confused:

Might as well suck it up. You can't do squat without getting into trouble yourself. On some of the back trails I roam on there are a few cabins and they all have a sign on the door that it's unlocked and feel free to use it, just leave it the way you found it and they ain't had any trouble with vandals, even leave a lawn mower and folks actually do cut the grass and leave it clean. I know this sounds like a fairy tale but I hope to crap in my mess kit if it ain't true.

I believe it. Have heard similar stories.

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Originally Posted by crashdive123

I believe it. Have heard similar stories.

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About Coot crapping in his mess kit?:D

Hey if Coot says it, I believe it.

Just kidding Coot. See Rick, another classic.

I'm sorry for your loss. I'm with Hopeak, leave the safe open. There is no point in them tearing up a $500(?) dollar safe with nothing inside. AND, see if there is some way to lock it open so a kid doesn't lock themselves inside. I had a buddy that regularly locked his cash register. One night someone broke in and tore it up but finally got it open. I asked him how much he lost and he said $34.00 or something like that. I said, you let them tear up a $600 cash register for $34? Why didn't you leave the drawer open?

As for your comments about bugging in: You just experienced what I and some others have been harping on all along. Bugging in is the best bet IF YOU CAN. If circumstances allow. Just like Hopeak said (he really is pretty smart), you wind up bugging out to someone else's cabin because they beat your to it or get shot in route.

I'm glad they didn't get too deep in your pocket and hope the lesson was worth the cost. I would have been pretty upset, too.

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Originally Posted by kx250kev

My last post was on 08-16-2008? I'm confused to what post you are referring to?:confused:

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Sorry, Old age bad memory.

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Originally Posted by Ole WV Coot

On some of the back trails I roam on there are a few cabins and they all have a sign on the door that it's unlocked and feel free to use it, just leave it the way you found it and they ain't had any trouble with vandals, even leave a lawn mower and folks actually do cut the grass and leave it clean. I know this sounds like a fairy tale but I hope to crap in my mess kit if it ain't true.

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When I was younger and living in the true north, no one ever locked a cabin back in the woods. The one line of thinking being, what if someone's in dire straits and needs to get in and you're not home to welcome them. The unspoken rule was leave it the way you found it, or a bit better. I've used strangers cabins and made a point of splitting and hauling in some extra firewood or leaving some food for the next guy as long as it was something that would keep, maybe some tea bags or a can of coffee. I don't think folks are that friendly anymore, probably because of a-holes like the one that hit your cabin, it's a shame. But I wanted to verify what Pop said, a) because it's true and b) because I don't want him to be having to crap in his mess kit.

(Cuz I can just hear "son, clean this up for me will ya? uh uh I ain't lickin' that off my paw's)

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Originally Posted by kx250kev

:mad::mad::mad:
I had a nice little stash of supplies at our cabin...until it was broken into and all stolen. Lucily, I had my gun safe chained to a main beam, so no guns or ammo were stolen. It really shattered my plans, but maybe this is a good lesson. Money wise is was not that bad, but it has me rethinking the fully equiped cabin strategy. If the SHTF, my cabin will probably be ransaked! I'm now thinking "bug-in" at home would be a better strategy.

P.s. I removed all the guns and ammo now because I belive the theives will be back with the proper tools to get that safe. The'll be dissappoined when they open it.:p

I'm now thinking about "security" plans (but the cabin has no electricity).

Any ideas for security? One of my thoughts is trail cams to capture them on camera.

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In the early 70s I built a cabin on the land where my mother was born. With an eye to security (all the other cabins in our family are broken into regularly), I built the cabin in a stand of balsams, and never used the same trail twice to get there. In 25 years - it was never broken into.

A cousin of mine asked if he could use the cabin once in a while. To show his gratitude (the idiot) he built a trail to the cabin so you could drive up in a 4X4. Since that time, the cabin is broken into regular, and I can hardly keep a stove in the place - to say nothing of items like firearms, axes, or saws.

not to make it worse but this type will probably burn the cabin when they find the guns gone get insurance and id file a police report about the stolen stuff for insurence purposes to late to tell know one and camp near cabin till they came back and cache them somewhere

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Originally Posted by trax

When I was younger and living in the true north, no one ever locked a cabin back in the woods. The one line of thinking being, what if someone's in dire straits and needs to get in and you're not home to welcome them. The unspoken rule was leave it the way you found it, or a bit better. I've used strangers cabins and made a point of splitting and hauling in some extra firewood or leaving some food for the next guy as long as it was something that would keep, maybe some tea bags or a can of coffee. I don't think folks are that friendly anymore, probably because of a-holes like the one that hit your cabin, it's a shame. But I wanted to verify what Pop said, a) because it's true and b) because I don't want him to be having to crap in his mess kit.

(Cuz I can just hear "son, clean this up for me will ya? uh uh I ain't lickin' that off my paw's)

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Yep, times have changed. I have been in need of shelter and used a strangers cabin and believe thats OK, but i never took anything or even left a mess. I was greatful that this person had such a wonderful place for me to stay. I just don't understand people sometimes. Most times, almost all the time.

Around here we had a lot of problems with camps being broke into, at least the ones that were locked. The ones that were left open, good supply of wood, directions to the shed where more wood was kept, and a log book for all to sign have very little trouble, and the wood box is almost always kept full. I have not even heard of them loosing any dishes.....

Your cabin idea is sound, however instead of having the supplies open in the cabin, cache them either under the cabin or near it underground. I am assuming (something I don't like to do) that these are long term storage supplies so you won't need to go in once every 2 or 3 months and rotate them out. As long as you know where the cache is in relation to your cabin, no problem. This also precludes anyone from wanting your cabin for anything besides shelter. If done properly using water tight containers you could even store guns and ammo in these caches.

locking just makes for damage i live in cottage country and most of what i hear being taken are valuables like chains saws generaters ice augers quads and such do not hear much about food beind taken but maybe they just don't report it.
i would do as has been suggested if you are using for a bug out then stash supplies in underground cashes so they will be ther when needed
i have once again modified my plans i used to be a bug out guy the i read an article that i posted in tha an absolute must read thread and thus became a bug in type of guy but now i have allowed provissions for bugging out but hopefully i can stay bugged in for the first few months hopefully up to a year then if i have to bug out most of those who have bugged out already will have failed and gone leaving the counrty wide open again, problem with bugging out as was already said what happens if they get there before you then what?

Then you be Sierra-Oscar-Lima

Sailor Out of Luck?:D

I'm glad you posted that. I thought it was some new kind of Alaskan Lima Bean.

You got it....Crash

.....and it certainly beats the heck out of Tango-Uniform or Delta-Romeo-Tango.

our cabins are all open, only dishes and a few stables in one,
the wood stoves need 3 people each to carry, all are still there after 10 years.
no problems so far, but expecting the worst every visit.

A couple of you are bringing up a good point re: caching stores underground. I have been wondering what would be needed to safely store dry goods for longer periods of time. Any suggestions? I have collected a couple food-grade 5gal buckets, have the good lids, pretty sure I will get the mylar bags, but what else needs to be done? If I take the time to bury it, and then come back a few months later to find that chipmunks have opened a restaurant, I will be annoyed.

Although I agree with your opinion of our society, quite frankly, I'm a bit worried about you after reading this post. LOL.

There are many camps in the bayous around here that are restricted to water acess only. Most of these are used as hunting camps during the season and for weekend vacations throughout the year. The owners are usually people who live just a few miles from the launches and can be at their camp in less than an hour of getting home from work. These camps are usually kept unlocked and the expensive stuff taken home. Up until about 10 years ago, it was very rare that anything was stolen from them. Most of the time, it was the camps that were locked that were the victims. The camps that were unlocked were always open to anyone who needed to take a break or shelter from a storm or get out of the water if their boat had broken down. People expected respect and were given respect for what they provided for others. Now, it is getting to the point that people are arriving at camp to find their pots and pans gone, and their windows broken even if the door was left open. Society has gone to HE(double hocky sticks), and soon we will all pay the price for those who choose not to do the right thing.

I will stop here because I feel the urge to get political and it is very hard not to do it.

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Originally Posted by Ole WV Coot

Might as well suck it up. You can't do squat without getting into trouble yourself. On some of the back trails I roam on there are a few cabins and they all have a sign on the door that it's unlocked and feel free to use it, just leave it the way you found it and they ain't had any trouble with vandals, even leave a lawn mower and folks actually do cut the grass and leave it clean. I know this sounds like a fairy tale but I hope to crap in my mess kit if it ain't true.

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Very Sorry to hear of the loss of your gear. I've been in that position myself. After a period of being pissed off, you just have to let it go and start over.

WVC is right... I know of a cabin that is well over a hundred years old that sits on a piece of private property in the middle of a state forest. The owner is now in his eighties and inherited it from his father which built it and farmed the area. The cabin is of the one room type, very simple, and sparsely furnished. It has some kitchen supplies, a couple of axes, and a lantern.

A sine on the wall says "Welcome! This cabin has been in my family for over a hundred years. All I ask is that you enjoy your stay and please leave it clean. Jack Starlin"

I'm sure you could never leave it fully supplied, but it's nice to see people respecting what is there.

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Originally Posted by Dave Johns

A couple of you are bringing up a good point re: caching stores underground. I have been wondering what would be needed to safely store dry goods for longer periods of time. Any suggestions? I have collected a couple food-grade 5gal buckets, have the good lids, pretty sure I will get the mylar bags, but what else needs to be done? If I take the time to bury it, and then come back a few months later to find that chipmunks have opened a restaurant, I will be annoyed.

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Steel 55 Gal. drum with snap-ring removable top.

Edit: My comments are no longer needed so I am deleting them.

I agree with you 100% klkak,too many of his posts are like this though....

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Originally Posted by klkak

Please do not put crap like this on this forum. Even if you are joking. Anyone who even thinks about taking another's life because they broke into a cabin that is rarely used is mentally disturbed. Don't forget there are young and impressionable people on this site. I am addressing this to every member.

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I agree with klkak, unless your back is 'to the wall' no THING is worth randomly killing for. Stuff is replaceable. You can not give back a life taken. It changes you forever. So don't take it lightly!!!!
Sorry about the rant. I just do see killing people as the cool thing to do.
-Sam

Thanks Nell. It struck a nerve. This is a good site that I would hate to see become polluted. My six year old grandson is learning to read pretty good and I let him read on here because of the good information. He don't need to see stuff like that.

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Originally Posted by klkak

Thanks Nell. It struck a nerve. This is a good site that I would hate to see become polluted. My six year old grandson is learning to read pretty good and I let him read on here because of the good information. He don't need to see stuff like that.

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Even more of a reason that he should not be posting junk,he can take that back to his anarchist cookbook website if he wishes,but not here!

Marcraft - this seems to be a theme that you have repeated a few times. I know that you are young, but it should be obvious that posts like that have no place on this forum. Leave it in you Anarchist Cookbook and sites that spew that kind of krap.