Personally, my preference is to camp out in the backyard for the very reasons you cited (availability of stuff, security, etc.)

Now convincing my DW and DD to sleep in the backyard in the big family tent is another story altogether.

Nice...did they ever come back looking for more work? !!

Careful Chris, you're basically admitting to a felony here. Not that they'd be pressing charges, lol.

I'm lucky in that my wife and I camp pretty much year round, so the patio is not a problem. (The patio is our only camping space.)

"...I set them to work stacking the collpased bricks all night at gunpoint..."

While not exactly PC (or legal), great roadside justice!!!

This is the approach I have used. I built a small storage shed, just big enough for two adults to sleep comfortably in, and stand up comfortably with a couple feet over head. When I was building it, the neighbors asked if I was building an ark, it looked so strong. They said if it flooded, I could just get in and float away. It's post and beam style construction with 4" X 6" doug fir studs, all joined with galvanized steel plate fastenings and screwed, not nailed, together. It was so much fun to build, I built two of them. The outside is painted half-inch plywood siding completely covered with salvaged license plates screwed on shingle style to shed rain, reflect sunlight to keep the shed cool, and to help protect the exterior from the elements.

an option i would exercise - if at all possible - would be to have a large metal shipping container - like used on container cargo ships - dropped on the property. possessions could be stored inside and secured onsite.

they come in various sizes, depending on your needs.

i'm sure you have someone in the area who can supply you one.

from experience, the 'pods' are $$$$. old, beater containers are less pretty and less $$, but just as secure. supply your own lock.

That's an idea worth considering since the "pods" rent for $125 per month. They are made of wood and fiberglass with a fiberglass door. "PODS" measure 8'x8'x20.

A small temporary "efficency apartment" could established in it with little or no problem. As someone else mentioned earlier, Tarps could be used to expand the working areas around the pods.

The steel shipping containers are sold for:
8'x8'x20' = start around $1200 per unit
8'x8'x40' = start around $2000 per unit

I have no idea what the delivery fee would be but it wouldn't be exactly cheap.

There is a company in Calgary that sells containers for less than scrap price.
They have tried cutting the sides out and selling them as chip stands even.
The problem for scrap yards with containers is they cost too much to cut or crush as scrap, are too big for garden sheds and too heavy for people to drag around.
Ranchers here buy them just to store farm machinery in.

If you shop around a bit you should be able to find them a lot cheaper.

i just remembered that i forgot.

i meant to say to rent - not necessarily purchase - one of these.

have it dropped off, use as above, then call to have picked up.

cheaper than 'pods' to rent.

found it:

in 2006 i rented an 8' x 8' x 12' for two months @ $65/mon that included drop off and pick up fees.

wasn't pretty, but -0- graffiti.

secure, it was!