Choose a site with building materials close at hand, because a permanent settlement consumes enormous quantities of them for decades: timber within about 2 km, stone, clay and sand close enough to haul, and salvage at a safe distance of roughly 5-20 km. Every extra kilometre of hauling is paid for in daily labour.
The nearby supply of timber, stone, clay, sand and salvaged materials that a settlement builds and repairs with.
You Build Once but Repair Forever
The first houses take the most material, but maintenance, new buildings, fences, fuel, tools and growth keep the demand going. A site with no wood within walking distance has to bring it in or burn dung, and a site with no clay cannot make bricks, plaster or pottery. The carrier lists the materials a permanent settlement will consume, and treats three of them as separate questions:
- Timber, stone, clay, sand and straw for building: see Timber & Building Materials and Clay, Stone & Sand Sources.
- Salvage from pre-collapse buildings and vehicles: see Salvage Site Access.
Why Distance Is the Number to Watch
Haul distance multiplies the labor of every load. As an illustration with assumed numbers: a round trip to a source 2 km away is 4 km, about 48 minutes at a walking pace of 5 km/h, before loading and unloading and before any load slows the walk. A source 10 km away is 20 km, nearly 4 hours. Carts and animals help but need roads, feed and care.
The carrier’s rule of thumb for timber, within 2 km, reflects this. Salvage is the exception: the carrier puts the ideal distance at 5-20 km, because it is an advantage worth some travel and better a few kilometres away than under your settlement.
What You Need
- A walk of the surrounding country in a 2 km circle, then a wider one.
- A sketch map marking each resource. See Sketch Mapping.
Method: Draw the Resource Circles
Step 1: Mark each resource Forest stands, clay banks, stone outcrops, sand and gravel bars, ruins.
Step 2: Draw distances Draw circles at 2 km and 5 km around the candidate site.
Step 3: Look at the overlaps A site where timber, clay and sand all lie inside the nearer circle is a strong candidate. Note the roads and rivers that make hauling easier.
Common Mistakes
- Counting the resource, not the route — a forest across a river you cannot ford is not near.
- Assuming it will last — a forest cut without replanting recedes. The carrier says to consider replanting from the start.
- Building on the resource — do not build on a clay bed or quarry; build next to them.
Safety
Material sources are hazardous places
Quarries, clay pits, felling areas and ruins cause crushing, falling and burying injuries. Work with a partner, with clear exit routes and no unsupported faces.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Timber & Building Materials — the first resource to check
- Combine with: Water Access & Hydrology — the other limit on where you can settle