New Sugar Shack - Off Grid

[Oddmott]

Hello all,

We're 3rd season sugarers and have so far done all our work outside on an open air evaporator. For 2014 we're retiring the old beast and decided to also build a shack to house the new evaporator.
We're small time hobbyists - currently tapping 120 and plan to not exceed 250 - and want to keep our process simple, yet enjoyable.

We're building a 18'x22', off grid shack. It'll house a 2'x6' evaporator, a 2'x3' sap-warming/lunch cooking stove (both wood fired) and a prepping/finishing counter with grav-fed sink from rainwater collection system (filtered and boiled for purification).

I am hoping for helpful suggestions as to what other items we should plan to incorporate in the interior, what's best left outside and any features that are so great we shouldn't even think about building a setup without them.

Thanks for any and all feedback.

[StayinLowTech]

Maybe too obvious, but wood storage under cover where you can get it easily. Especially if you are going to keep an evaporator and wood cook stove going. If you had a preheater on top of the evaporator you would get lots of distilled, already hot water from that. Lots of recycled windows for light if you are off the grid. I have no hydro either and 2 Coleman lights (always filled outside) and headlamps plus one flexible battery light for filling the jugs works for light. A simple drain in the floor is handy. My 2x6 evaporator in a 12x16 sugarhouse is just enough to handle my 260 taps if you don't mind boiling from 1pm til 10:00pm and then cleaning up. Hoping to add a preheater this year. Good luck and that laying on the woodpile sounds dangerous, as for me I am usually too tired and will fall asleep and ruin the pans.