I’m lucky enough to take numerous extended off-the-grid adventures throughout the year, usually solo. Many times, I’m in a one-room cabin owned by a family member. It’s isolated in the middle of a wooded area, and you wouldn’t know it’s there if you didn’t venture through the woods and happen upon it.
Unfortunately, as isolated as it is, trespassers have found it and broken into it a handful of times over the years. I don’t leave anything of worth in the cabin when I’m not using it. It’s just a shelter, and I set up my own cot, camping chair, and cook outside when using the cabin.
Of course, when I’m in the stand or out scouting, any of that could get stolen, but those would amount to no great losses.
However, my guns, ammo, and other hunting or fishing gear are plenty valuable, so what do I do with those during an extended stay?
Lock it up
This becomes even more problematic when multiple seasons are in. It’s not uncommon for me to stay off grid and deer hunt in the morning, fish a pond around mid-day, then shoot squirrels, or ducks or geese in the afternoon.
This means I need to bring multiple firearms and other gear. So when I’m out hunting or fishing, something has to stay behind.
The solution, as odd as it may sound for an off-grid cabin, is a gun safe.
The one I’ve found works best for my style of hunting is the Redfield 12+3, available at Academy Sports and Outdoors. It holds 12 long guns and three handguns, and that may sound like a lot of guns for an off-grid excursion, but this is a very compact safe, and it has a more secure locking mechanism than others that are either slightly smaller or similar in size and price point.
This safe is made of 14-gauge steel and weighs 168 pounds empty, so while it’s not something you want to lug around with you every day, it’s light enough to get it into place for a week-long outing. And it’s too heavy for a random trespasser to run off with it while you’re out and about chasing wild game. For the peace of mind I have while leaving a couple of guns and ammo behind, not to mention my laptop and other valuables, bringing this safe along is well worth it.
Haul it in
This cabin, as well as two other semi-permanent tent-camping sites I use for my off-grid adventures, is only accessible by walking or ATV, and I use a game cart behind my ATV to haul the safe in and out. Then it’s just a matter of pivoting, sliding, and standing the safe up to get it into place.
It sounds like a lot of trouble, but again, for the peace of mind I get having it, I won’t leave it behind.
This safe has a digital combination, and the locking mechanism is the same style used by larger gun safes and bank vaults. Many similiarly-sized gun safes have a simple handle that locks at the top and bottom when you turn the handle. This one sends three live-action locking bolts to one side to complement the two dead locking bolts on the other when you turn the three-spoke handle, and it features a tamper-proof lip.
Three expandable holsters on the inside of the door hold handguns, and the adjustable, upper interior shelf holds ammo and other small essentials. Another, larger pocket down low can accommodate a number of items. Long guns sit under the shelf into padded grooves, but the shelf also stops short, allowing a couple of longer guns to fit just fine between the edge of the top shelf and the door.
The fully carpeted interior is complemented by dark vinyl-trimmed shelves. The size of this safe is perfect, measuring 55 inches tall, 16 inches deep, and 16 inches wide.
For a more permanent mount, three pre-drilled holes in the bottom allow you to bolt the safe to the floor.
Obviously, when I’m doing an extended hike-in off-the-grid trip, this safe isn’t an option. But when I’m setting up camp at one of my main off-grid locales, this safe is the ticket to keeping my essentials locked up.
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