[cyberpine]

Remote off-grid land with lots of bears, coyotes and even turned wild domesticated dog packs.

I'd like to build a 8'x8'platform 8' off the ground for camping and use the bottom for storage.

If my corners are 4x4 .25 steel. Do I need bracing if only going to have about 400lb on top at any give time?


2x6 okay for deck support?

It would have a custom ladder I can pull up. Trying to avoid bracing so it can't be climbed by animals (especially black bears). I've heard adult black bears can't reach things over 7.5' and can't really jump or do pullups.

 

[chandler48]

How will the posts be treated at the bottom? Attached using a flange to a concrete footer? Dug into the ground x feet? You will have lateral sway without bracing. You say you will be using the lower portion for storage. Will it be enclosed? How will that take place? Even with 6x6's sat on proper footers and post bases will sway without bracing.

Don't believe any fairy tales about bears. They can climb to tremendous heights, and decks are no exception. Bracing won't help them too much. All you have to do is brace it off both directions using compatible lumber braces at the top angled.

The only thing bears don't do well is run down hill. Their front legs are shorter than their back ones and they will tend to tumble on steep terrain.

 

[ktkelly]

I would build it a little higher off the ground.


Maybe go 12' and the have a 2' or 3' storage area suspended under that.


Then you can have some angle bracing. A liberal coating of grease nothing will be climbing those steel posts..

 

[cyberpine]

was going to set them in 3ft x 2ft wide cement footings. For the bottom I was thinking of something flat, smooth and durable. Possibly steel panel on the inside of the 4x4.

I've seen bears climb chain link because they can leverage a great grip but I would think a bear would have a hard time climbing a metal pole or flat hard surface they can't dig into. Like I doubt a bear could climb up the side of shipping container.

 

[3onthetree]

You probably don't want to do overkill on this, so if it's just you using it periodically, it probably won't fold on you if you skip bracing, but with a couple or 3 people it could rock.

You can reduce/eliminate bracing with very rigid connections. Since you want to use steel columns it is easier to accomplish that than wood, but maybe you also use steel for a perimeter frame, bolted or welded to the posts. Then the wood platform on top of that.

Aren't there huge boas introduced into the wild down there, can they climb slippery steel?

 

[lenaitch]

So 4x4x8' (4) .25" steel plus 2x decking. How would you plan to lug all this steel, cement mix and all the fixins' into a "remote off grid" location?

 

[ChuckF.]

I think you are going to way too much trouble for something that would not be effective. A bear will get up there easily. They don't have to dig their claws into anything, they would climb a pole the same way people climb palm trees to harvest coconuts or dates. Wolves can easily make an 8' vertical jump, maybe coyotes too.