Ash Canyon - best retirement home

[turtle777]

After playing Ash Canyon for a while, I concluded that the High Meadow and Foreman's Retreat is the best safe retirement area in the game.

- large area w/o wolves

- plenty deer and rabbits

- occasional bear spawn providing meat and hides

- enough firewood from sticks

- fishing easily accessible for food and lamp oil

Other than perhaps an annual trip to BI to refurbish tools, one could live in Ash Canyon safely almost indefinitely.

-t

[peteloud]

A new bear every 12-14 days solves the food problem.   The readily available wood around Foreman's retreat can soon be used up, then getting more is a hassle.

[turtle777]

There are two deers (one at Foreman's, one close to the bridge to High Meadows), with re-spawn rates of only about 7-9 days (Stalker).

I'm playing Stalker well fed, so my caloric intake is higher than what you would do on loper.

Yes, collecting sticks has to be a daily routine. Firewood in Ash Canyon is a bit more scarce than in other regions.

-t

[Ahatch]

I honestly can't think of a safer retirement than Camp Office and Mystery Lake , the weather is decent plenty of hunting and fishing. No rope climbing and forays into the ravine to load up on deer and birch bark. 

[turtle777]

1 minute ago, Ahatch said:

I honestly can't think of a safer retirement than Camp Office and Mystery Lake , the weather is decent plenty of hunting and fishing. No rope climbing and forays into the ravine to load up on deer and birch bark. 

There are wolves, especially on your way to the ravine.

By that measure, I don’t consider it as safe The High Meadows / plateau in AC.

-t

[Ahatch]

I guess if you are playing Stalker , I play Interloper so less wolves and I know all the paths to avoid them , the only wolf that I have to think about blocking the ravine is the one at Carter Hydro Dam trailers and I can usually get by him or I get inside the fence and shoot him from the ledge with my bow  

[piddy3825]

Yeah, I'm liking Foreman's Retreat as my high alpine lair when I'm in Ash Canyon, that and the Angler's Den down in the basin.
Utilizing the additional carrying capacity of the technical backpack, moose satchel and well fed benefit, I typically loop between the two locations
loading up with firewood, coal and sticks to keep the fires going up on the mountain.   You gotta love the two burner stove and the fireplace for cooking up all that 
meat that shows up there. 🐻  

But honestly, hands down, my most favorite lair would be the Mountaineer's Hut in Timberwolf Mountain.  
you gotta admit @turtle777, it meets most all your bullet points except for those few wolves that roam the area, but you also have a moose spawn in close
proximity as well as regularly re-occurring bear spawn nearby.  Not to mention that the fishing shack is just outside the front door.  

[turtle777]

I’m not against MK or Mountaineer’s Hut as great long-term bases. But you always have to be a bit more careful due to the wolves. I had a wolf jump me when I exited Mountaineer’s. In AC, you don’t have to pay attention.

-t

[Dan_]

I disagree. Only the regions with coastlines are truly one zone "retirement" spots. You'll need cloth, metal and saplings to survive indefinetely. AC has none of these as a renewable resource. Good hunting opportunities exist in every region and I also consider the wolves to be a good source of food and pelts/guts and not really dangerous if you got adequate preparation. Being somewhere without their immediate presence is a disadvantage in my opinion. By that measure, only DP qualifies since it's got all of these and a forge. 

In another note, I'm always curious as to why so many people who post here usually create a main base and operate from there. I can't never play like that and always end up in a nomadic style, go to a region, spend 20 to 30 days there stocking up some spots and hunting a bit, then move on to another one. Staying in a single spot always ends up being boring to me. 

 

[odium]

54 minutes ago, Dan_ said:

I disagree. Only the regions with coastlines are truly one zone "retirement" spots. You'll need cloth, metal and saplings to survive indefinetely. AC has none of these as a renewable resource. Good hunting opportunities exist in every region and I also consider the wolves to be a good source of food and pelts/guts and not really dangerous if you got adequate preparation. Being somewhere without their immediate presence is a disadvantage in my opinion. By that measure, only DP qualifies since it's got all of these and a forge. 

In another note, I'm always curious as to why so many people who post here usually create a main base and operate from there. I can't never play like that and always end up in a nomadic style, go to a region, spend 20 to 30 days there stocking up some spots and hunting a bit, then move on to another one. Staying in a single spot always ends up being boring to me. 

 

i agree with all of this 100%.  CH is the absolute best single retirement location, if you are truly striving to survive indefinitely.  coal from transition cave, beachcombing, tons of existing cloth/metal, fishing, nearly impossible to get lost, you will stumble into a proper shelter in just about any direction if you walk for a bit.  fishing camp has a bear that you can shoot right outside the fishing hut, butcher and cook in the fishing hut beats CF and leaves you stocked for days. large pack of deer right there too, push them back towards the fishing hut and process the same way.  you can live an infinite loop of stick collecting, fishing, and shooting the occasional game.  

 

that all being said, who actually wants to live hundreds of days stagnant in one area?  i build decent bases all over and take little 'vacations' to other maps to stave off boredom.  CH is my main cache of important supplies, also because of its proximity to DP, so i can always head back there to grab a knife or some arrowheads

[turtle777]

I hate CH due to all the wolves (at least in Stalker).

Would never set up long term camp there.

-t

[Ahatch]

On 12/20/2020 at 5:49 AM, Dan_ said:

I disagree. Only the regions with coastlines are truly one zone "retirement" spots. You'll need cloth, metal and saplings to survive indefinetely. AC has none of these as a renewable resource. Good hunting opportunities exist in every region and I also consider the wolves to be a good source of food and pelts/guts and not really dangerous if you got adequate preparation. Being somewhere without their immediate presence is a disadvantage in my opinion. By that measure, only DP qualifies since it's got all of these and a forge. 

In another note, I'm always curious as to why so many people who post here usually create a main base and operate from there. I can't never play like that and always end up in a nomadic style, go to a region, spend 20 to 30 days there stocking up some spots and hunting a bit, then move on to another one. Staying in a single spot always ends up being boring to me. 

 

Once I got my 500 day achievement my long time interloper character is finally starting to venture out of Mystery Lake , just finished 50 days on Bleak Inlet now just going to try 50 days on Forlorn Muskeg. I'll eventually make Ash Canyon if I live long enough. 

[E_T]

1 hour ago, Ps4Methuselah said:

I absolutely love Ash Canyon & particularly foreman's retreat,....but i will retire at trappers because AC is 5 regions away from the nearest forge in any direction.

That's 10 regions round trip...a bridge too far my friend.

as well as the ropes to climb

 

[GarlicPops]

As both a Stalker player and a bunker enthusiast, I'd say my favorite long term base is Pleasant Valley's clothing bunker. It's near a rabbit, deer and moose spawn, it's just a short stroll away from a bear and wolf spawn and there is a fishing spot at pensive pond. It connects to CH whenever I need to beachcomb and It's very close to ML whenever I want to visit the ravine or the dam. 

I personally do not like CH as a long term base because I can't stand the amount of wolves there in Stalker (I made a full post about it if you want to check)

In general I'd say different people have different tastes and their long term base can vary widely since each one fills different criteria that might appeal to a player.

[Stinky socks]

Not enough sticks upstairs! I really like how foreman's retreat is set up, but you quickly realize that there's a very big problem with firewood!

I broke all planks outside and a few overturned chairs and cooked a bear+some water. Looking at what's left of my firewood, it won't be enough for another bear if I wanted to hang around.

Theres a HUGE fallen cedar tree, which would provide like 100+ firewood, but you cannot break it down.

Traveling few days just for firewood doesn't seem attractive, even though the spot is fabulous.😒

Edit: and I don't like to break apart tables that can serve as house decor and storage. If you burn them, house will look like an empty box, so burning them is out of the question.

Edited April 21, 2021 by Stinky socks
Yes.

[Sherri]

If your difficulty setting isn't so high that it's too cold, the Mountaineer's Hut at the foot of TWM is excellent for long term. 

- Tons of wood and sticks and birch bark close by.

- Deer close by, rabbits, and a bear comes within reach sometimes.

- Fishing hut.

- Few wolves that are easily avoided.

- Has a workbench (!).

Edited April 21, 2021 by Sherri

[peteloud]

1 hour ago, Sherri said:

- Few wolves that are easily avoided.

Re. Mountaineer's Hut

In Stalker those wolves can be a problem.

[Glflegolas]

Well, there is coal in the cave past Foreman's Retreat...

Firewood shortages are something I run into quite often when playing The Long Dark, especially when staying in one location for several days in harder game modes. One solution to the firewood shortage problem: move from Angler's Den to Homesteader's Respite to Foreman's Retreat, spending maybe 3 days in each location. That way you shouldn't run out of wood so quickly.

[piddy3825]

2 hours ago, peteloud said:

Re. Mountaineer's Hut

In Stalker those wolves can be a problem.

yep,

followed me right into the hut as I left the door open...

[Syraith]

I love the fact that the mountaineers hut is open. Looking out and seeing the weather, having the lake there, ample food/wood. I always want to go and stay a while. But to me CH is the best long term. I’ve spent longer days there than anywhere. Dangerous yes, but very manageable imo.