The first step would be to get the standby electrical system installed. The concrete guys had poured some extra pads that I told them were for patio areas. One of them just happened to be next to the power fuse box. That's where the generation system would go.
My plan was for a small electrical generation system. It didn't need to provide much power, just enough for the well and radio equipment and computers. On one of my supply trips, I'd gotten some books and magazine on solar power systems. I planned a hybrid system of solar power backed up by batteries, with a propane generator as the final backup. Each system would be independent, with the solar system providing the 'topping off' of the system. I knew that my supply of propane would be limited or non-existent during the Problem, so I had to find an efficient system to minimize its use. I didn't plan on major electrical use during the Problem. I'd only use the electricity for the well, radio and computers when I needed to go on-line. A camp stove and the fireplace would handle cooking. A supply of firewood was no problem; there were lots of dead trees on the lot and surrounding area. For light at night, I would use oil lamps.
I already mentioned some of the security of the property. I had also made sure that the house and garage were well secured. All the windows on the cabin and garage had steel shutters (with a fake wood finish) that covered the windows while I wasn't there. That was pretty common for cabins in that area. The exterior doors were also steel, with the best locks money could buy. The same was installed on the garage and power building.
And the property was remote. After the cabin was done, I did some 'reverse road work' on the part of my private road that was visible from the main road. Most of the area around the divide was fenced by the forest service or lumber companies with simple three strands of barbed wire and metal "T" posts. There was the occasional locked gate, mostly for the forest service land. It wasn't hard to get a forest service sign for my gate. And I made the first part of the road look much less used that it really was. Just a faint tire track was visible on that part of the road. You'd really have to look for my entrance. I hadn't had any visitors since it was built, not even Jerry, who had moved to the Florida to work on construction crews rebuilding after one of their big hurricanes.
Physical security of the property was covered. The road was disguised, the property looked like much of the other USFS forest land that was in the area. The forest and topography of the land itself helped with the security; you couldn't see the cabin from any part of the roads in the area. The area was even off-limits to snowmobilers and hikers; besides, there were better areas for that elsewhere.
Forest fires were a potential problem. I had cleared the area around the cabin for at least fifty feet, and had planted fire-resistant plants. It was mostly dirt, though. I also installed a sprinkler system on the cabin and garage. It was hooked up to the well, and to a pump that got water from a small pond I built on Magpie Creek. Electricity for the pump came from the cabin's power system. The main PG&E power was the primary source, and the cabin's power system was the backup. The cabin had aluminum siding painted and textured to look like wood, and the roof was tin in a brownish-red color. It's really dumb to put wood shingles on a cabin in the forest. Fire protection was covered.
Then there was my security. I was never much of a 'gun person', but I knew that I'd need to have some protection during the Problem. I picked up a couple of rifles, a couple of handguns, and plenty of spare ammunition. I bought them over several years, and registered them, of course. The addresses were my backup addresses, so they couldn't be traced to my actual house in Auburn.
I spent some time in a gun safety course, and on the target range. I got to be accurate enough, and kept going back for refresher courses before the Problem. Although I didn't like guns, I knew they were necessary for my survival during the Problem. So I was armed and ready for any intruders, two or four legged.
So, now you know a bit more about the cabin. After I saw the Problem getting closer, I started a major stocking up of the cabin. There will be more about the stocking up in another post.