Raw Land Day 1 Tool List

Hey guys. Been getting all my ducks in a row for my land purchase in central NC. Subaru STi is sold. Cummins diesel is on its way followed by my camper and diesel generator and a minimal solar setup with options to expand.

In my head my priorities for the season are to clear paths of what i assume will be heavy shrubs mostly for walking and truck trails. Also cutting down a bunch of trees for next year's cabin project. But i assume my first big project will be digging out a trench and pit for a septic leech field for the camper. I am a heavy equipment operator by trade so I'm sure I'll be renting some stuff when necessary for the bigger jobs like digging the pits, upprooting trees, and digging out my southern hillside foundation site for a thermal mass structure.

so what I'm really asking is what did you guys bring when you first arrived at your newly purchased land as far as hand tools and supplies? What did you wish you brought that you didn't think of until it was needed? What unexpected issues did you run into?
Unfortunately my tool sets are very mechanical based rather then carpentry based but I will be filling my camper with everything I can get my hands on.

 

Two chainsaws
Sledgehammer/maul with wedges
Comealongs, rope/chain
Push mower/riding lawn mower
300' Tape measure. I double checked all the property boundaries with it as well as measuring the amount of water line/power line needed,ect. I honestly did all this with a 100'er but the longer tape will come in handy.
Limbing saw(although the weedeater w/ a skil saw blade does everything for me as far as I can reach with it.
Leaf blower. Once you get a brush pile burning, I use the leaf blower as a bellows to keep the fire super hot so I can add green brush/trees and they will burn. A BIG help-try it if you have one.
Straight shaft Echo weedeater with the kit to install a steel brush blade(50 bux) The kit is really worth it to me. I don't have to fool around trying to make something adapt. Install the kit and I can change blades as fast if not faster than respooling line. The blade that comes with these kits are crap. They are great for cutting heavy grass, but that's it. I buy the 7 1/2" 24 tooth saw blades by Irwin @ Lowe's in the contractor pack. Cost that way is about 4 bux a blade and they are carbide toothed. They will cut down a 3" sappling like it wasn't there... As the blade gets dull, I use it to cut heavier grass/weeds ect until it's shot.

I've been using my welding truck since it has all the hand/mechanic's tools on it so it's impossible to list them all here.
I'm sure there are a ton more to list, but that's it off the top of my head.

 

And if money does not allow, or you need to go low tech, a brush hook is a fine tool for limbing, and clearing brush of any kind. I have had one for many years, and prefer it over most manual hand tools for clearing the way.




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My one favorite used tool has been my cat hook/peavey which has saved my back many spasms and my chain saw chains.
GB

 

If you operate heavy equipment, you know more than I do about the real heavy work. These are the things I have found necessary for after the dozer is done. Limbing chain saw, 18 inch bar or more heavy chain saw for bucking up the logs" , brush hook, peavy, wood spliter, grub hoe "use it to pop out the roots of the brush instead of cutting with weed wacker, takes more time but they don't grow back in 6 weeks" , use a ripper or breaking plow and cut the roots off below the ground and break them into pieces. Make passes about 3 feet apart all over the field. Makes a heck of a mess but after you pick them all up, next year you will be able to plow or roto till the garden. Do not pile the stumps and dirt in a pile. You will not be able to burn the stumps and 5 years later will still have these piles ever where. Treat the soil like it were gold and keep it where it is. If you do not you will have thin places that 10 years later will still not be good growing areas. You can not work without something to move all the things you are cutting up. By hand a bucket loader is best, but garden tractor with small cart will save your back and after TSHTF even a wheelbarrow will help. If you can get a backhoe with a thumb use it and then go to church and thank the man upstairs for saving your back and a lot of time. My experience in clearing land for garden is that takes about 3 years and a soil test or 2 to go from bulldozing the woods to a viable garden. In New Hampshire the soil is thin, rocky, and acid as heck. Need to use a cover crop and lime to get the land into some sort of shape to grow a garden. Still it all depends on what you start with. I had 36 in pine and oak and the stumps were a bear for the dozer. If it is good soil and old farm land with brush that is 2 to 4 inches, I have used a backhoe with a thumb and saved 90 % of the work. Every piece of land is different.

 

Carpenter's level, string level, post hole digger.
Sooner or later, PVC saw, primer and glue.
30 gallons of water or more
Solar shower heater.
Make you a Wood Grate to stand on while you shower, you'll sleep better clean and do more work.
Make anything you can at home before you leave, this saves on site work time include a Potty Box and take the wipes.

 

A good first aid kit with plenty of moleskin and a good set of gloves... don't forget a com plan in the event there is an issue...

 

And ibuprofen

 

There is so much that I use every week here in the mountains. Besides all the carpenter tools, mechanics tools and welding tools, all the suggestions above are very good. I would add HEAVY duty tire chains, not the wimpy slip on's, but ones made for tractor trailer rigs.. Have had two sets for over fifteen years and have not broke any yet.. Stretched them, but have not broke them.. Add to that a couple 5 ton snatch blocks and 3/8th wire rope.. A couple hundred feet of it would not be unreasonable..

 

Thanks everyone. I'm looking into everything mentioned. Never seen that brush hook. Definitely going to get that and most everything else you've all suggested. I'm a big fan of stihl chainsaws. They get put through hell at my last job. Never heard of a chainsaw winch, I'll check it out.
definitely appreciate the all the other brush clearing advice and also the garden soil stuff. I like the idea of the outdoor solar shower too even though my camper will have one. And yeah cleaner is better. Tire chains is definitely a good call too. I don't think of needing them going to a warmer climate but it still snows there and I'm sure I'll be in the mud by the end of the first week. Com plan will be figured out when I zero in on exactly where I end up but I plan on some sort of satelite Internet setup

 

Chainsaw winch For sale - Yakaz

Just as an example.

 

Oh, and lots of flash lights!! Have spread around so you can find them easily in the dark...

 

I like the LED type that attach to your head. That way it leaves your hands free and the light is always shining in the direction that you are looking.

I have an 18" chain saw, Stihl, that I use pretty extensively for pruning and clearing brush. Trees here aren't that big so I can get away with a smaller bar. I also carry 2 spare sharp chains because inevitably the tip of the bar gets dunked in the sand at some point. An item on the purchase list is a good machete that will hold an edge. Brush is mostly woody 1/2" or less. But it grows as thick as pea soup.

Hand tools, basics, pick-shovels-rakes-sledge hammer. I also have a post hole digger, but it's use is limited. The soil is like concrete and then there is no shortage of rocks. One of my neighbors / fellow preppers bought a jack hammer. Should probably be added to my purchase list as well. The ground under the top soil is decomposed granite and caliche, packed by maw nature and her gravity for literally centuries.

If you're going to string fencing, a T-post driver. I made a fence stretcher using a couple 2x4s with carriage bolts to clamp the wire in between. Wire rope connects the 2x4s to a come along attached to the tow hooks on the front of my Jeep, the vehicle being a movable anchor point that you can position wherever you need it to be.

I also have a chipper - shredder to keep the numbers of brush piles down. Makes great mulch too.

About two years ago I purchased a small portable generator. Don't know how I made it that long without one. Even a cheapie is useful for the relative short term and they don't have to be that big to do most jobs like run a circular saw or other small power tools. I rely mostly on solar for power there, but the generator goes just about anywhere.

A good strong recovery strap, about 30 feet x 3" wide. I've used mine to pull out everything from stuck neighbors to fence posts that needed replacing, to dragging boulders. A 4x4 vehicle with low range can do wonderful things with a tow strap. A heavy chain would fit into this category as well. But chains can do serious damage if the load suddenly releases.

I could eat up more space but I won't.

 

I liked the head set LED's as well for some tasks. Batteries don't last long enough for use with everything.. Head sets make things go better when getting wood out of the pile in the dark during the winter..