Ka-Nega Cabin in Burrton, Kansas, is an odd duck for a survivalist home, as it's designed for waiting out the collapse of civilization. Such projects usually conjure images of austere concrete bunkers instead of log cabins with stained glass windows surrounded by verdant woods.
Ka-Nega, the more charming version of a place to ride out Armageddon, is on the market for $2.9 million. Jim Elliott of Hayden Outdoors Real Estate is the listing agent.
A showcase of stone and lumber can be found both outside and inside the main three-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom cabin. Raw logs form supporting columns for the dramatic roofline and rustic front porch. The 3,770-square-foot house sports two fieldstone chimneys, one in the primary bedroom and one in the living room winged by two stained-glass windows.
The property at 1903 S. Sand Hill Road also includes a 1,460-square-foot barn with a bedroom and a loft. Originally planned as a woodshop, the barn is made mostly of reclaimed wood and other recycled materials.
The cabin and barn are being sold fully furnished. The seller made much of the furniture, cabinetry and bookshelves.
'Where we could live off the land'
The owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, built the main cabin in 2001, according to county property records. In a video on the Hayden Outdoors website, the owner explained the impetus for wanting such a secluded home.
“Back in the 1980s, there were a lot of predictors of doom and gloom,” he said. “We were looking for a survival place outside of town where we could live off the land. We wanted good water, good hunting, and good fishing.”
The 91.6-acre property provided just that. Its eight-acre private spring-fed lake is stocked with bass, crappie and other game fish, while turkeys, geese and ducks flock around the banks.
Because civilization has remained intact, the property has been used more for recreation than subsistence living.
In addition to family gatherings, the property has played host to weddings and corporate retreats. Along with the furniture, the property sale is expected to include a boat and all-terrain vehicles, as well as mowers and other lawn equipment.
The cabin’s name, "Ka-Nega," is a term the owner said he learned from the Ute Indian language meaning “peaceful home,” though he admitted through his agent Elliott to Homes.com that he never looked it up. He just heard it and thought it sounded nice.
A Ute language expert told Homes.com that, while they couldn't place the exact word, it appears similar to the Ute word “kanigyet" that roughly translates to “I have a home.” And if one thinks about it, owning a home means it is uncontested, and that is a particularly important part of peace, whatever the state of civilization.
“It’s been a sanctuary for us,” the owner declared in the video. “A lot of splinters, a lot of pulled muscles, but a tremendous amount of fun.”