Clearing brush to set camp?

[FlyFishn1]

This kind of parallels my thread on wall tents.

There is a spot I am wanting to set up a tent of sorts on private property where I have considered building a hard shed in the past - and still am. However, that will be down the road. I am considering using, essentially, a large wall tent in that spot for the times I need it.

The question is - the area is overgrown with small brush. I had partially cleared it about 3 years ago, but not entirely down to the ground. IE small brush stumps, roots, etc were still on the ground.

Are there any ideas anyone may have on how to clear it to get a decent floor for a tent?

I thought about a tiller but the woody stuff (roots, brush stumps) will clog the tines.

It would be a large effort to get a machine there as it would have to go by boat. We know someone with a barge, but I don't want to go down that road. So something handheld, no bigger than a push mower or smaller tiller, would be ideal. I'm not sure if we could even get a small brush hog there without the barge.

Thoughts?

 

[338 dude]

This kind of parallels my thread on wall tents.

There is a spot I am wanting to set up a tent of sorts on private property where I have considered building a hard shed in the past - and still am. However, that will be down the road. I am considering using, essentially, a large wall tent in that spot for the times I need it.

The question is - the area is overgrown with small brush. I had partially cleared it about 3 years ago, but not entirely down to the ground. IE small brush stumps, roots, etc were still on the ground.

Are there any ideas anyone may have on how to clear it to get a decent floor for a tent?

I thought about a tiller but the woody stuff (roots, brush stumps) will clog the tines.

It would be a large effort to get a machine there as it would have to go by boat. We know someone with a barge, but I don't want to go down that road. So something handheld, no bigger than a push mower or smaller tiller, would be ideal. I'm not sure if we could even get a small brush hog there without the barge.

Thoughts?

Shovel and fire.

 

[FlyFishn1]

Shovel and fire.

That's a thought. However, the fire danger there is often times very high during the season we'd be there. And if it isn't it is rainy for a good period of time = hard to get anything to burn.

We could move the brush - which is what I've done - and pile it. But that doesn't get down to the dirt.

Another possibly obvious idea is to relocate. That won't work - the property is heavily wooded with about 95% pine trees. There isn't a clearing more than what I've already scoped out, only paths that need to stay cleared.

 

[3chester]

Get the Husqvarna 128 LX, comes with a brush clearing blade and the weed head. About $239 bucks at the farm store, Take along a Milwaukee cordless18V Super Sawzall, with a handful of wrecker blades, for the below grade stuff. There's almost nothing they won't cut thru in the blind, wood or steel, they don't care.

 

[cohunt]

For stumps ---'Predator mfg makes a chainsaw attachment for sthil chainsaws -- it weighs about 60 pounds

I've also seen 4" "chainsaw grinder disks" and 9" stump grinder blades for angle grinders and 7" blades for circular saws but you'd need a genny to power an electric tool .

Have you tried asking your local "tool rental" yard to see what they might have available?

 

[3chester]

For stumps ---'Predator mfg makes a chainsaw attachment for sthil chainsaws -- it weighs about 60 pounds

I've also seen 4" "chainsaw grinder disks" and 9" stump grinder blades for angle grinders and 7" blades for circular saws but you'd need a genny to power an electric tool .

Have you tried asking your local "tool rental" yard to see what they might have available?

Lots of lithium powered tools, saws,and grinders nowadays, if ya don't want to run genset.

 

[Rick Richard]

If you can get a quad there by boat, then you can use a disc to chop it up. I saw one where there was only 4 to 6 blades on it and it used the weight of the quad to push it down into the ground. it really looked like the ticket for dishing small areas.

 

[cohunt]

Lots of lithium powered tools, saws,and grinders nowadays, if ya don't want to run genset.

But will they last long enough to grind down a whole tree stump?

 

[3chester]

But will they last long enough to grind down a whole tree stump?

Not sure about how big his stumps are there but, 8-10 inch pine stump, couple minutes for below grade cutoff. A pair of those 18V batteries will usually get ya til coffee, no problem.

 

[ntsqd]

But will they last long enough to grind down a whole tree stump?

Based on how long my Milwaukee tools M12 and M18 batteries last, yes. Just to be sure I'd take more than one battery with me. In the particular case of Milwaukee, they make a charger that will charge either voltage battery from a vehicle's power point.

 

[3chester]

Billy Goat makes their SG 1300H walk behind Stump Grinder, more of a rental tool .

 

[ericbc7]

How big is the tent? Get a chain saw mill and cut some planks to build an elevated platform (only needs to be high enough to clear obstacles). Also bring in some heavy duty landscaping cloth and earth staples to keep vegetation from growing up under the platform. Other advantages are dry tent floor and easier pack-up.
if you are careful, you could even cut some trees at the edge of the clearing for the lumber and use the stumps as footings.
good luck.

 

[nwmnbowhunter]

If it is just brush cut everything off about a foot off the ground.

Then use Sawzall with good blade to cut around each stump to get the roots. 16x20 tent shouldn't take more than a couple hours.

Anything bigger than couple inch diameter and you'll just have to do your best to cut it off flush.

I agree with the platform would be best

 

[hunter0528]

If you have a heavy duty portable winch this works great for small to medium brush.

Brush Grubber Extreme

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you might be able to use a come along, but not sure.