Early this morning I popped in the BE CD and let it play while I tidied up. It had been a while since I played it. My son, he’s 9, got up from his switch and started dancing. He skipped around the house just really enjoying it. When it was done he asked if we could play it again. Of course! But maybe this time we watch YouTube color coded lyrics? Ok!
We went in order, pausing when needed, to talk about how the lyrics applied to us and our lives during this pandemic, our feelings, etc. My son has only seen friends 3 times in person (masked and at a safe distance) since last April. He lost his grandpa to suspected Coronavirus. His friend’s mother died from coronavirus. He misses his friends. He misses school. He hates online school. It’s been tough for him. From the perspective of a child, this album can be really deep.
He got quite emotional during Fly to my room:
“This room is too small Yes, to contain my dream (Yah, yah, yah) Landing over the bed This is the safest place Somehow there's no joy, no sadness, no emotion It's just me here Sometimes this room becomes an emotional trash can It hugs me They greet me again The toys in my room, like people”
“Let's go, let me fly to my room Lower your gaze and zoom anywhere Come on now, let me fly to my room Get me outta my blues And now I'm feelin' brand new”
We talked about how sick we were of being stuck inside, but how we can choose to look at it in new ways to be happier. Reframing our experience can bring us more joy.
I skipped over blue and grey because tears were already falling. It really gets me crying about my Dad and I just wanted this to be for my son. We laughed at the Skit. Because he’s 9, he really liked that Suga was in the bathroom and his swearing 😆
During Telepathy we talked about how we still visit friends over the internet and how the internet is our “island” “in the blue sea” where we can meet with friends. And that the album was an island where BTS can be with ARMY.
“Let's go to the blue sea The blue sea where we used to play together Pointless worries, for a momеnt Leave them asidе, for a moment Let's enjoy it, in our common memories A small island in the middle of the blue sea”
In Stay we talked about how my son would “Stay” with his friends even though they can’t see each other in person. The friendships will “always stay” even if we can’t see each other in person for a while. Tears were shed. Devotion to friends reaffirmed.
I often worry about how all of this is affecting him. He always says he is fine. But today was a really good emotional release and it felt very healing. We danced hard to Dynamite!! Boy did we need that song today! I expressed how thankful I was that BTS gave us this whole album as a gift to help us deal with this pandemic. My son agreed. They were a shining light for me during 2020. BigHit’s motto of “Music and Artists for healing” was really true today. I feel like BE is a really big HUG from BTS.
If you read this far, thank you. I imagine I can’t be the only one that this album has helped immensely. So, two months after the release, how has BE helped you? Have any songs been especially important to you?
Edit: You guys!!! 💜💜Stop awarding me!!!😊Thank you so much to those that did. I don’t deserve it. I’m shocked that you have liked this post. I was worried I was over-sharing. I’m so glad it has touched some of you and I really like hearing about how BE has helped you too. I’m trying to respond to most of you as I can while trying to spend time with my family. I feel so blessed to have you, yes you ARMY, in my life and discovering BTS has been life changing for me. I know we can all make it through this pandemic. Please be safe. Also I didn’t mention LGO because we listen to that all of the time and my son is very familiar with it. Also Dis-ease was played today and it really resonated with my son but I can’t put it into words. It’s one of my favorites too.
submitted by / Disclaimer: This trip was at the beginning of July. The daily Covid-19 deaths in my country where around 0 and excess mortality was actually negative. In Iceland there were no active Covid-19 cases. To be allowed to travel to Iceland you had to do a Covid-test at the border that had to be negative and you had to be from an approved country.
/ Poto Album: All pictures from the report / Lighterpack: Lighterpack link / Overview: Trip route --- INTRODUCTION TO HORNSTRANDIR --- After landing in Reykjavik you travel to a small airport - not much larger than a bus stop - to step in a small
Bombardier turboprop plane that brings you to the Westfjords. The northwestern peninsula of Iceland is about the size of Belgium but has a mere 7000 inhabitants. Our reason to go there is because on the edge of the Westfjords you can find Hornstrandir. Shut off from the outside world by a large glacier Hornstrandir is the most northern part of Iceland. It hugs the Arctic Circle and has been abandoned by its last occupants in the 50’s. The small peninsula is often regarded to be Europe’s last wilderness; where the sun doesn’t set in the summer and fails to rise in winter.
From the
window of the propeller plane the Westfjords seem… desolate. A beautiful monotony without settlements, trees or even bushes. A barren landscape consisting of shades of brown and dark green with patches of ice and small lakes. It’s not as overwhelming as the Norwegian fjords or Italian Dolomites, it just looks completely different. Almost alien like. The plane lands in the capital of the Westfjords, a humongous city called Ísafjörður housing a staggering 2500 people. From there a
boat takes you to Hornstrandir. With the beach in sight we jump in a small rubber
Zodiac and a through and through Icelandic man with a skin that looks like leather drops us off on the rocks; “good luck! Don’t die”.
--- THE REPORT --- / Day 1 Landing With your feet on the ground Hornstrandir looks completely
different then it does from the sky. All the different mosses, high grass and a large variety of yellow, purple and white flowers make it far more lively than a view from the sky suggests. Small streams that spring from tunnels in the ice cross your path constantly and there is always a
waterfall in sight. We decided to start on the western coast of Hornstrandir at a place called Latrar which consists of a couple of empty houses and work our way north to the Horn before going southwards to Veiðileysufjörður (try to say that three times in a row).
/ Day 2 Latrar to Fljótavatn Before long we realize that the routes on the map and our Inreach are merely a suggestion. The window to hike on Hornstrandir is very short, only the months of July and August are deemed safe (and fun), and being the third of July it is still very early in the season so there are no footsteps for us to follow or a beaten path that we can see in the distance. That means progress is relatively slow due to a lot of pathfinding and rough terrain. Hornstrandir’s mountains aren’t very high, it seems like God used a big scythe to
cut them all off at 600 meters(2000 feet) but they are steep and there is no going around them so you constantly move from sea level to the top and back down again. On the first hiking day we climb over some very steep snow patches where microspikes would have been great, but we kick steps in the hard snow and
make steady progress, we face sharp rocky descends and climb over enormous boulders, but the weather is calm and beautiful so it is very doable and we are rewarded with beautiful views.
The day ends with a walk through a valley where the wind roars endlessly and your feet constantly sink in the swampy ground. Our campground is on the other side of Fljótavatn, a
balls deep water that can be described as half river, half lake. The crossing is about 500 meter(1600 feet) long but luckily the water isn’t freezing. It is difficult to find a flat and dry spot on the other bank and the wind beats on our small pyramid tents constantly. Because the sun doesn’t set the temperature doesn’t really drop at night, but that doesn’t mean Hornstrandir welcomes you with comfortable summer weather. The moment you stop moving the Arctic wind is strong and icy cold and cuts through everything. So at the end of the day you’ll quickly dive into your bag and sit in the vestibule for dinner, whiskey and some reading.
By the way, this might be a good moment to mention that this is my hiking partner's very first hike. He’s not the outdoorsy type but always open to new experiences, so when I invited him to hike Hornstrandir with me I didn’t expect him to say yes, and he
didn’t know what to expect at all. As an Icelandic mountain guide we’d meet later on would say; ‘You choose this as your first hike? Whew, trial by fire!’
/ Day 3 Fljótavatn to Hlöðuvík This island has some weird fucking terrain going on. No matter how steep the side of the mountain is, no matter how high or low we walk our feet are constantly wet. The banks of the Fljótavatn lake that we have to follow to the east consist of stinky marshland concealed as
beautiful green fields. The waterfalls we cross become larger and more spectacular and the climbs steeper. The map suggests we climb out of the valley over a 150 meter high slope at a 60° angle with little to nothing to hold onto. Eventually the safest way up seems to be through a calmly seeping waterfall that offered us good stepping stones and enough places to rest your feet. Later on the Icelandic man with leather skin from the boat would tell us that this is a ridiculous path to take and he doesn’t know why the maps would suggest it, he usually hikes on for another 2 kilometers where you can take a nice switchback to get up.
After the last steps on the waterfall we peek over the top and look onto a mountain plateau with clear sight of the highest pass we would have to cross today. It looked like a 300 meter high wall, luckily it ended up indeed being a 300 meter high wall without a path, consisting of
loose gravel and rock at a steep angle. We were again happy with the great weather since this is the kind of mountain pass that is simply not possible in a storm. I was also happy this wasn’t my second day of hiking ever (ahum, my hiking partner). An hour of scrambling later the ridge offered great views of both the grey, icy and rocky mountain plateau we came from and the green valley filled with birds we would descend into. The amazing thing of all these short but steep climbs is that you’re treated with a completely
new view and micro climate several times a day.
And this day offered us something else! Since we're getting closer to the more popular locations of the island (Hesteyri, Hlöðuvík, Höfn and Latravik seem to be the favored destinations) halfway through the day a
distinguishable path opened up before us. Cairns over the passes and even wooden sticks to guide the way! And on top of that we see a small path zig-zagging up the last mountain pass of the day. With our feet horizontal for the first time, a more gradual climb and no worries about taking the right route our speed increases as well as our confidence. We even find the first signs of life other than birds; the tail of an Arctic fox. The apex predator of the peninsula, no bigger than a large house cat but in this unforgiving environment the largest predator nonetheless. According to the stories they are quite fearless and will walk right up to you, but so far we had seen no signs of the animal.
The
campsite at Hlöðuvík was clearly more often visited. A wooden latrine, a weather-beaten orange
emergency shelter for the shipwrecked and flat dry ground to pitch your tent right at the beach. We were soon joined by a group of four Icelandic mountain guides and a lone French photographer who tells us about his struggles to get over a practically vertical wall he had to climb over that day. Luckily there was a rope there but still it took him a good half an hour to figure out a safe way to get over it. The day was long and sometimes sketchy, but right now the sun shines, people around us and a path to follow, life is good.
/ Day 4 Hlöðuvík to Höfn It doesn’t get dark, there isn’t even twilight. So… why are we getting up early? Usually you do this to make good use of the available daylight but right here you could go over the mountain passes in the middle of the night without issue. So we sleep until we don’t want to anymore. Eat some breakfast while looking at the sea and take some well earned time on the very clean and not all that stinky latrine. The first river we have to cross has a big tree to use as a bridge. We see a
bunch of seals chilling on pointy rocks in the sea and while the climbs are steep they aren’t sketchy. This is our fourth day on Hornstrandir and we haven’t had a drop of rain yet.
On the downhill we meet an Irishman and a Dutchie (why the fuck do you walk into a Dutch person in every country, on every mountain and in every godforsaken hole in the ground), they’ve seen plenty of Arctic Foxes and apparently there will be a path everywhere we go from now. Not 10 minutes after we spot a little
fox on the trot, meandering through the landscape. We sit down on the soft, cushion-like moss and it curiously comes closer. Remnants of its thick white winter coat peak through the brown fur, it makes the small animal look
old and wise. It stays a little more than an arms length away at all times but has no problem chilling around us, probably used to the fact that the humans that cross its path might have something to eat.
We
follow a small stream that leads us to the ocean where another fox is hunting on the beaches. Quite successfully might I add. Within a minute it has a
seagull in its jaws that’s practically as big as it is itself. The last true obstacle of the day is the 6 meter(20 feet) tall wall on the beach that the French photographer talked about. But some of the scrambling we’ve been doing on the first two days was just as steep, loads higher and didn’t have a nice rope for support. The wall turned out to
be a breeze, but the
narrow trail right on the edge of a cliff that follows has me more worried. Parts of it are crumbled and even the path itself has a sharp angle.
The end of the day is a beach walk over large rocks towards Höfn, the
most popular camping spot of Hornstrandir. The contrast with the first days is quite stark. There are picnic tables here, water taps, a toilet building with real flushing toilets and even a ranger hut that is manned in July and August. There are at least 6 other trekker tents here and a huge hot tent with couches and a barbecue that forms the base camp for organized expeditions to the Hörn.
/ Day 5 Höfn to the Hörn Today is Hörn day. This is the reason most people visit Hornstrandir. The Hörn is a huge bowl with jagged cliffs on three sides. Puffins make their nests on these cliffs and foxes hunt for birds and eggs. This is also the reason that the closer you get to the Hörn, the more civilized the peninsula becomes with nice flat camp spots, visible trails and well, water taps. Today is an out-and-back hike so we don’t have to take down our campsite and only take my backpack for the day. The hike to the top is nothing less than
scenic all the way. We cross crystal clear and ice cold rivers, beautiful waterfalls, wildflowers up to your belly button and piles of driftwood on the beaches. There is a steady path all the way up that passes a well-maintained house where an Icelandic family is nicely settled for a summer holiday (descendants of the last inhabitants of the island are allowed to maintain the wooden homes and be there in the summer).
The Hörn is
charming but it isn’t necessarily the
culmination of the trip. This might be due to the fact that we spot exactly zero puffins, but I think it has more to do with the fact that we’ve had views at least as beautiful on this hike where it felt like we were alone in the world. More rugged, more desolate. Views that felt more… earned. On the way down we take a shortcut
over the beach that you can only take at low tide. Sandpipers happily race over the sand from seashell to seashell, but we aren’t sandpipers and there are situations where we sink into the sand thigh deep. Perhaps don’t do this one if you are on your own.
While sipping on our last drops of rum (don’t worry there is still some whisky left) we decide to skip our hike to the lighthouse of Látravik tomorrow and immediately go to our final location in the bay of Veiðileysufjörður. A boat is supposed to pick us up there on the 8th of July and since there is no cellular connection on the whole island we’ve got a little bit of anxiety about missing the boat and getting stuck there.
/ Day 6 Höfn to Veiðileysufjörður Just one more peak to bag today! While we climb out of the valley we hear a small one propeller plane approach. On the ground we see four tiny figures waiting, so we sit down on the mountain side with a snack, I’m trading some bland nut mix for dried apricots. The plane lands in the mud perfectly next to the people and seems to drop off some supplies before taking to the skies again. That is what a holiday on Hornstrandir looks like when you’re not hiking.
The last mountain provides a now familiar rhythm. From a green valley you climb up a steep mountain side with moss and small flowers. At about 200m you reach a plateau where the green disappears and you
hike over rocky terrain and cross meltwater rivers. Then, in the shadow of the peak, ice and snow starts to cover the rocks and you climb another 200 meter wall that consists of a combination of rocks, loose gravel and snow. The other side is different though, this time there is an amazing pristine snowpack readily available for us to
glissade down. When I reach the bottom I turn around and look up to see my hiking partner coming at me at blistering speed, hiking poles fully extended. He bounces to a standstill at the bottom of his involuntary glissade. An amazing ending to
our last climb.
The
last campsite is more like those of the first days. Not a flat piece of ground to pitch your tent and not a person in sight. We wash some clothes so we’ll be a little less stinky on the boat and back in Ísafjörður. I screw my stove on the gas canister and pull out my food bag to prepare the last dinner. It is quite light now, and you might wonder; why hasn’t he told us anything about what he ate on this trip? This guy prides himself on making awesome backpacking meals, what happened? Well… I was supposed to walk the PCT in 2020 and filled my food bag for the first time in the US during the hoarding that was happening in March 2020. The shelves were half empty and I had never gone grocery shopping in the States before. The trip was cancelled the day after and I took the food home. That exact food bag is what I took with me to Iceland. And daiumn did I make some mistakes! Knorr Sides? Gross, too gross! MiO Lemon Lime electrolytes, brrrrr. I accidentally bought a huge bag of unroasted, unsalted nut mix. Boring as hell. So while my hiking partner was eating self dried Kimchi and peanut noodle soup I was reluctantly chewing on fake pasta sides. Two positives: The Epic Lemon bars and RX Bars I had for breakfast were great.
/ Day 7 Veiðileysufjörður Maximum relaxation.
Curled in our sleeping bags with an e-reader we drink hot chocolate and enjoy the last sun and great weather while we wait for the boat to arrive. Iceland is awesome. It isn’t Europe, it isn’t America. It is an island with a character of its own. But it is also a gamble! We had great weather but a week of sunshine here is more unique than a week filled with rain and storms. And the first couple of days had some climbs and descends that I perhaps wouldn't have dared in bad weather. You really need an emergency communicator in case you’ve got to abort or change plans.
From far away Hornstrandir might look monotonous, but the beauty of the island is to be found in its
micro climates, and the
miniature landscapes you find all around you. The peninsula offers a grand and craggy landscape that still feels flat and smooth because it is so empty, there simply is no tree or bush to be found on the island. If you really want to feel that emptiness, you’ve got to be in the northwestern or southeastern part. The farther you are from the Hornbjarg the lonelier it is. But, that also means it is going to be harder and you're more at the mercy of the weather gods. Hornstrandir? Plan it, do it and be flexible!
--- GEAR NOTES --- You can check out my lighterpack here. I’ve highlighted the big 4 in below as well as some surprises or lesser known items. If you want to know something about a piece of gear on my lighterpack that I don’t talk about here please let me know and I’ll add it.
/ Backpack: Atom+ 40L DCF Great pack, no surprises. The little improvements over my old 35L Atom+ are great (
post comparing the old and new pack). With a sub 9lb base weight and 6.5 days of food I went without the hip belt. No complaints.
/ Tent: Zpacks pocket tarp w/ doors + bathtub floor Yeah about that. Just don’t do it. I planned to take the pocket tarp with 3F UL Lanshan inner but I ended up lending the whole 3F UL (inner and outer) Lanshan to my hiking partner so went with the most barebone setup possible. This isn’t the place to do so. We were so, so lucky with the weather. Most times there isn’t a flat spot to be found and the pocket tarp is tiny so a hand or foot would constantly slip out if I didn’t pay attention. It would have been possible in bad weather but truly miserable. I also constantly had to pitch it lower because of the strong winds. If you take a tarp, take a large, stormworthy one with loads of room like the MLD Trailstar. If you have loads of downtime due to bad weather you want a little more room to live and dry stuff. I think a double walled dual pole setup with loads of vestibule space like the Dan Durston X-mid 1p would have been great here!
/ Quilt: Cumulus Quilt 350 Temperatures at night between 1C(32f) and 4C(40f) with a strong chilly wind. Perfect for the Cumulus 350 in combination with the Thermarest Uberlite, never wanted more. I usually sleep in boxer shorts and a base layer top when using a quilt, so in case I create a short draft while tossing and turning I don’t instantly get cold. The Cumulus has an insulating baffle behind the footbox zipper and footbox draw cord as well as at the top. Combined with the pad attachment system this eliminates drafts better than most quilts.
/ Sleeping pad: Therm-a-rest NeoAir UberLite Hornstrandir is a great place for the UberLite. You camp in the valleys with soft grass and moss as your surface. That means it is more than warm enough for me and the risk of a puncture is very small.
/ Shoes: Nike Wildhorse 6 The Wildhorse 5 was already my favorite trail runner and the 6 is better in every way. The ankle collar works like a gaiter and keeps water and debris out. The new outer sole is better on wet stone and wood but this is still the weak spot of the Wildhorse, Sticky Vibram is miles better. The middle sole is comfy af and the upper fits so well you almost don’t have to tie your laces. The 6 is a bit narrower than the 5 though. This isn’t your shoe if you’ve got wide feet. Oh, and you look totally fly in these!
/ Socks: Injinji liner socks Your feet will get wet here. Rivers, swamps, beaches and rain. You will get wet. Merino liner toe socks prevent blisters in those cases and keep your feet warm.
/ Pants: Ministry of Supply Kinetic pants Comfy, warm, quick drying and very stretchy. No unnecessary pockets, buttons or zippers and afterwards you can use them to drink beer in Reykjavik. Awesome.
/ Shirt: Ministry of Supply Apollo 3 This shirt is awesome at keeping you comfortable in a wide range of temperatures. I don’t know what kind of magic is happening here but it works like a charm. But it was clearly not designed for backpacks. I’ve got the brushed version of the shirt and it started pilling around the sternum strap after 5 days, I’ve ordered a non brushed version and am eager to find out if that one doesn’t pill.
/ Stove: BRS-3000T We know two things: 1. Hornstrandir is windy without cover and 2. the BRS-3000 sucks in the wind. So the conclusion would be; don’t take the BRS. I still did it though… Why? Well because my hiking partner borrowed my MSR Windburner so I had quite an awesome backup stove and also because I never had problems with the BRS before while cooking in the vestibule. And that is also my experience here. On the most windy days it would become a little slower but still worked without a problem. But if you like a hot coffee or soup for lunch when you can’t use your tent as a windbreaker the BRS would totally suck.
/ Communicator: Garmin Inreach mini Take. An. Emergency. Communicator. We saw no one during our first two days and didn’t have any cellular connection at all on the island. This is a place where you can feel that it has the possibility of going south fast. Just take one and be safe. Also you have to catch a boat on a very specific predetermined location to get back to civilization. This isn’t a ferry arriving every hour. IF you miss your appointment you want the possibility to contact someone about it.
/ E-reader: Kobo Clara HD We didn't know how fast our progress would be and how hard hiking on Hornstrandir would turn out to be, so I predicted more down time than I’m used to. I was right, and reading was awesome.
submitted by Ok I got tired of seeing inaccurate or old countdowns of the "biggest" Fallout 4 Settlements. So, I got to work and found a way to rank All 36 Settlements (Excluding #37 Home Plate for obvious reasons) from Smallest to Biggest. I did my absolute best at attempting to precisely size up each settlement in terms of Area. I will also be providing a [Area Rank: #] ranging from 0-500. This should give you a better idea of each settlement's True Size. Max floor height will also be included (All Settlements from the Fallout 4 Add-Ons will be included)
#36 The Mechanist's Lair
Ok so The Mechanist's Lair is an odd settlement because once you make it accessible it appears that the Workbench allows you to build inside the small rooms that hang off of the main atrium. However let's say you build a shop and attempt to assign a settler to it. The settler's pathing seems to be broken, so they can technically only use the main atrium without the use of Mods to fix the pathing. So because settlers can only use the main atrium this makes The Mechanist's Lair the smallest settlement in the game, ranking only 13 in terms of area. Much like the Boston Airport, The Mechanist's Lair comes with a multitude of problems and should be considered a challenge settlement. First, the only way to get settlers to move in is by sending settlers from other settlements or by completing Rogue Settler Quests from The Mechanist. Rogue Settler Quests are Radiant Quests that (Most already know) allows you to exceed the rule of 21 settlers per settlement. Secondly, The Mechanist's Lair does not have a way to grow crops but does have water access. Water Towers seems to be the only way to get water and only the small one seems to fit. (The Powered Water Pump won't work) To make things more difficult you'll notice right away the only shop you have access to is Slocum's Joe. The building height limit here is 5 floors.
Area Rank: [13]
#35 Hanged Man's Alley
Hanged man's Alley is uncomfortably small. Though it is slightly bigger than The Mechanist's Lair, its 3 floor build limit makes things very challenging. The main issues here are finding room for food & water and fighting off local enemies. This Settlement does have an excellent location in Downtown Boston and it's close proximity to Diamond City makes it a popular settlement for those playing on Survival.
Area Rank: [15]
#34 Boston Airport
This settlement is very similar to the Mechanist Lair. At Boston Airport you will have no access to food and you will be required to move in settlers from other settlements or by completing Rogue Settler Quests from The Mechanist. You will also only have access to Slocum Joe's when it comes to shops. If you build stairs to the 2nd floor of the terminal you will gain direct access to the BOS side of the airport. If you destroy the BOS and convert the Boston Airport into a regular settlement later, then you might consider making it into a Raider Settlement. The height limit here is 6 floors.
Area Rank: [19]
#33 Outpost Zimonja
Outpost Zimonja is just a little bit bigger than BOS Airport and acts as a normal settlement without any restrictions making it a much more ideal location compared to The Boston Airport (Unless you're the BOS) The great thing about Zimonja Outpost is the 7 floor height limit which helps make up for its relatively small area.
Area Rank: [20]
#32: Ten Pines Bluff
This settlement is just a little bit bigger than Outpost Zimonja. The main problem with Ten Pines Bluff is the 3 floor height limit which can make this settlement feel very small. This kind of makes Outpost Zimonja more favorable. The good thing is that Ten Pines Bluff is a Bunker Hill Caravan Merchant stop for Lucas Miller (Armor Merchant)
Area Rank: [21]
#31 Covenant
Covenant is a pre-built settlement that only has one entrance. Unfortunately you cannot scrap the pre-built structures here. Covenant also has a 2 floor height limit but thankfully doesn't need much since it's already pre-built. Because this settlement is walled-in on all sides you will always be very safe, it's also walking distance from Taffington Boathouse. Make sure you acquire a copy of all the keys to avoid getting locked out of the buildings when visiting late at night. Covenant is also a Bunker Hill Caravan Merchant stop for Lucas Miller (Armor Merchant)
Area Rank: [24]
#30 Oberland Station
This settlement is just a little bit bigger than Covenant and has a height limit of 6 floors. Oberland Station sits perfectly between Downtown Boston and the Northwest Suburbs making it great for those who play on Survival.
Area Rank: [25]
#29 Jamaica Plain
Jamaica Plain is just a little bigger than Oberland Station. Unfortunately, it is filled with non scrapable structures including an entire house in the middle of the settlement that is inaccessible. This makes it difficult to build/fix everything for your settlers. You have a height limit of 4 floors which helps a little bit. The one good thing about Jamaica Plain is its central location in the Southern Commonwealth.
Area Rank: [26]
#28 Taffington Boathouse
Taffington is simply a large house with some flat land around it. Some of the good things about this settlement is it's access to water, and its close proximity to Covenant. You can build to a height of 8 floors here.
Area Rank: [27]
#27 Croup Manor
It looks like Croup Manor and Murkwater Construction Site are about the same size, so #27 & #28 are a tie. Croup Manor is actually very Similar to Taffington Boathouse except it does not have a body of water so you will need to build water pumps. This settlement is positioned on a hill giving you an advantage when dealing with settlement attacks. The downside about this location is how remote it is. The max building height here is 10 floors.
Area Rank: [28]
#26 Murkwater Construction Site
Like I said, Murkwater Construction Site is tied with Croup Manor. However, Murkwater Construction Site is extremely dangerous compared to Croup Manor. You should build a giant wall around this settlement since it's the furthest south in the commonwealth. The good thing is this settlement is flat and has a lot of water access. The building height limit here is 6 floors.
Area Rank: [28]
#25 Greentop Nursery
Greentop Nursery is the beginning of Medium-Sized Settlements in my opinion. The only downside about this settlement is the permanent structures like the Greenhouse which is in the middle of the settlement. However Greentop nursery is also a Bunker Hill Caravan Merchant stop for Lucas Miller (The Armor Merchant) The building height limit here is 6 floors.
Area Rank: [30]
#24: Coastal Cottage
This settlement has some permanent structures but nothing too major. Its local enemy threats and hilly landscape are the biggest challenges (Did you find a use for the giant hole?) Coastal Cottage also serves as the Gateway Settlement to Far Harbor. This is very helpful if you are playing on Survival since Far Harbor is full of merchants and can act as a crutch for Coastal Cottage until you establish shops (Kind of like Hanged Man's Alley & Diamond City) When building from the lower corner of the settlement you can fit 7 floors.
Area Rank: [31]
#23 Red Rocket Truck Stop
It looks like Red Rocket Truck Stop and Finch Farm are about the same size, so #23 & #22 are a tie. Red Rocket Truck Stop is strategically placed so new players can use the workbench items to help them with Sanctuary Hills. Out of all the settlements in Fallout 4, Red Rocket Truck Stop and Sanctuary Hills have the closest proximities to one another. The building height limit here is 10 floors.
Area Rank: [33]
#22 Finch Farm
Finch Farm definitely feels bigger than Red Rocket Truck Stop because of the highway overpass that you can access in Workbench Mode. This gives the illusion of more space since this settlement is technically multilevel. It surprisingly also contains a taller height limit than Red Rocket Truck Stop, topping out at 12 floors. Finch Farm also has minimal access to water in the corner allowing for some Water Purifiers to be built.
Area Rank: [33]
#21 Country Crossing
It looks like we have another tie, Country Crossing and Bunker Hill look to be about the same size. Country Crossing is a great Settlement to use since it's perfectly flat and it's surrounded by other settlements. There's also a little bit of water access near the road allowing for some Water Purifiers to be built. This is also a Bunker Hill Caravan Merchant stop for Doc Weathers who barters medical supplies and can also heal you. Country Crossing probably got its name from the fact that it's located between a few different regions. This is a great settlement to build up if you're playing on Survival or if you're just getting started. The building height limit here is 11 floors.
Area Rank: [36]
#20 Bunker Hill
Bunker Hill is a pre-established settlement that is home to the Caravan Merchants. Having unlimited access to the Caravan Merchants will help you drastically when it comes to restocking your Workbench inventory. One downside is that Bunker Hill doesn't let you scrap the structures. However this is ok since the settlement is well established. Bunker Hill is also unique because it's the only settlement within your possession that will allow you to rent a room. Bunker Hill's local enemies can be problematic and early game players should be cautious. However the biggest problem for Bunker Hill (Weather they know it or not) is their affiliation with local factions. As we all know, the warring factions can either help or hurt them. Bunker Hill is also conveniently located downtown with established routes that go in almost all directions. The building height limit here is 4 Floors.
Area Rank: [36]
#19 Greygarden
This is our fourth tie, Greygarden and Warwick Homestead seem to be about the same size. Greygarden feels a lot bigger than it really is because it has access to it's highway overpass just like Finch Farm. This settlement is slightly more challenging than your average settlement because it's built on a slope and requires some tall structures to establish access to the overpass. (Finch Farm is the smaller, easier version of Greygarden) The building height here is 12 floors from the lower part. However you will run into the overpass if you attempt 12 floors, so realistically you can only fit 9 floors from the greenhouse level.
Area Rank: [39]
#18 Warwick Homestead
This settlement is a Bunker Hill Caravan Merchant stop for Cricket, the Weapons Merchant. She sells the Legendary Spray N' Pray Submachine Gun. This settlement is located in the southern part of the Commonwealth which makes your defenses your priority. The plus is Warwick Homestead is a peninsula which makes it one of the easier settlements in the south to defend. And because it's surrounded by water your settlers should never be thirsty. The building height limit here is 8 floors.
Area Rank: [39]
#17 Abernathy Farm
Abernathy Farm is the beginning of Large-Sized Settlements in my opinion. With a 19 floor height max, this settlement does not lack space. A wall is still necessary to ward off Super Mutant attacks, other than that you are free to build high and wide. This settlement is great for players who want to attempt to build their first large-scale vertical structures.
Area Rank: [44]
#16 Kingsport Lighthouse
This settlement is just a little bit bigger than Abernathy Farm. Kingsport Lighthouse presents a unique obstacle for builders. A semi rocky cliff divides the settlement in half with water access on one side and flat ground on the other. Players should also beware of the very hostile Children of Atom living nearby, a wall is probably necessary at Kingsport Lighthouse. The building height here is 10 floors from the lighthouse level.
Area Rank: [45]
#15 The Slog
The Slog is just a little bit bigger than Kingsport Lighthouse. This settlement is unique because it has a Tarberry farm in the middle. This also means you have direct access to water which will allow you to build Water Purifiers. This is an easy spot to build a large settlement since the ground is flat here. The real issue is the Forged who live within close proximity to The Slog. Make sure you and your settlers are well equipped for these onslaughts. This settlement is also a Bunker Hill Caravan Merchant stop for Doc Weathers. You can barter with him for medical supplies and he can heal you. The building height limit here is 10 floors.
Area Rank: [46]
#14 Nordhagen Beach
This settlement is located on the beach which allows for water access and a nice flat area to build. Nordhagen beach is a great location for a large settlement but beware local threats like the Mirelurks. You are also within close proximity to the Boston Airport and The Mechanist Lair for those playing on Survival. The building height limit here is 10 floors.
Area Rank: [49]
#13 Sunshine Tidings Co-Op
This Settlement is the Gateway Settlement to Nuka-World. You'll notice right away you have a good amount of space and the ground is nice and flat. This settlement is perfect for mid game players because the only obstacles here are the non scrapable structures. However most of these structures are functioning cabins, so they'll blend in nicely with your settlement. For those playing on Survival, the walk to the Nuka-World Transit Center is doable and not terribly dangerous. The building height limit here is 9 floors.
Area Rank: [52]
#12 Echo Lake Lumber
This Settlement is well thought out and gives you a lot of resources from all of the scrapable items. Pretty much everything is scrapable except the main building. This settlement is flat and has access to the lakefront for Water Purifiers. The main problem here is the creatures of the fog since this settlement is located deep in Far Harbor. You will need a wall and the heaviest defense you've got. All settlers must be equipped with armor and weapons if you're going to stand a chance against the fog. Keep in mind these types of settlements rely on Fog Condensers to survive, you should probably be in Power Armor when visiting these types of settlements. The building height limit here is 14 floors.
Area Rank: [55]
#11 National Park Visitors Center
This is another Far Harbor Settlement so you should be careful when settling here because of the fog. A wall and a mighty defense is required to keep the creatures of the fog away. This settlement also has lots of scrapable items just like Echo Lake Lumber and is ideal for building a large settlement because it too is very flat with an abundance of space. This settlement is unique because it is located in the woods. The building height limit here is 18 floors.
Area Rank: [57]
#10 Egret Tours Marina
Egret Tours Marina is the beginning of Massive-Sized Settlements in my opinion. This settlement feels a lot smaller than it really is because of all the water. However if you simply place flooring down to connect the 3 Piers then you nearly double the usable space at Egret Tours Marina. There are two non scrapable structures here that can be easily repaired. The warehouse that comes with Egret Tours marina is very unique because it has access to the river from the inside. This settlement is also located in the southern part of the commonwealth making enemy attacks much more difficult. Build a wall and be cautious of the Super Mutants and Male Mirelurks living nearby. Overall this settlement's difficult location and challenging terrain can prove to be tough for low level players. Those playing on Survival should also note that the road leaving Egret Tours Marina to the North takes you directly to Diamond City. The building height limit here is 5 floors.
Area Rank: [60]
#9 Somerville Place
We have our fifth tie, Somerville Place and Dalton Farm look to be about the same size. Somerville Place like Dalton Farm is also very dangerous and should only be settled by higher level players. Somerville Place is within close proximity to the Glowing Sea so players should beware of the Deathclaws living nearby. This settlement is built on a hill next to the swamp but unfortunately only has a puddle for water access. If you finesse it you can fit one regular sized Water Purifier that will partially hang outside of the build area. The building height limit here is 9 floors from the house level.
Area Rank: [72]
#8 Dalton Farm
Dalton Farm is another Far Harbor settlement and thus will require a wall and heavily armed settlers to combat the creatures of the fog. This location is one of the more challenging Far Harbor settlements because of its terrain. The beach seems to be the best place to build, however you're much safer from the creatures of the fog up on the hill.. You have plenty of water access here to build water purifiers and over time the amount of space here should allow for a very large and successful settlement. The building height limit here is 18 floors.
Area Rank [72]
#7 Starlight Drive In
This Location is perfect for a very large settlement. It's flat and it's in a relatively safe area so it's good for lower level players. A hole of water is also located in the middle which is just big enough to fit an Industrial Water Purifier. This location is unique because it has 2 vantage points to the north and south of the settlement, The Projector and The Screen. The screen is full of fun surprises including rooms at the base that make for great Stop N' Go shops since they're adjacent to the road. Starlight Drive In is centrally located between a network of settlements in the north suburbs and thus will probably play a big role in your early game. Players should note that the Drumline Diner is only a short walk away from Starlight Drive In which can be very helpful if you have yet to establish shops. The building height limit here is 8 floors.
Area Rank: [77]
#6 The Castle
This settlement is located in a dangerous part of the commonwealth just south of Downtown Boston, however it's massive walls (Once repaired) can shield you from most threats. The castle is home to the Minutemen Faction. The Minutemen Radio is broadcasted from here and can be heard at all times while visiting this settlement. Once you are comfortable here I would encourage you to take advantage of the space on the outside of the castle walls. This settlement is also where you obtain the ability to make artillery which can be useful when defending dangerous settlements. You will have abundant access to water here so food and defense should be your main worry. The building height limit here is 7 floors.
Area Rank: [89]
#5 Long Fellow's Cabin
Long Fellow's Cabin is the beginning of Colossal-Sized Settlements in my opinion. Unfortunately Long Fellow's Cabin feels a lot smaller than it really is because a lot of it's space is rocky cliffs and water. The inhabitable part of the island is fairly flat and still gives a lot of room to build a large settlement. This settlement is great for those playing on Survival because it's right next to Far Harbor. This means you can use Long Fellow's Cabin, Far Harbor and Coastal Cottage without having to do much walking. However, keep in mind this is a Far Harbor Settlement and though it is an island you will still get the occasional fog creature attacks. The building height limit here is 18 floors from the cabin level.
Area Rank: [102]
#4 Nuka-World Red Rocket
This is an excellent location to build a massive settlement. This location is in Nuka-World so you will have plenty of unique weapons, armor and items to pour into this workbench. Nuka-World also gives you access to Nuka-Mixer Stations which are a must-have at Nuka-World Red Rocket. If you decide to join a Raider Faction in Nuka-World (Especially The Pack) you might consider building an Arena in this settlement. Beware the Super Mutants, Gunners and Nuka-World Gangs (If you side against them) living nearby. If they aggro each other an all out war can start. Nuka-World may be a fun and easy build but unprepared players should be cautious of the aggressive enemy spawns that tend to happen here. The building height limit here is 20 floors which is the highest I've seen in the game.
Area Rank: [104]
#3 Sanctuary Hills
This settlement is unique because it is significantly larger than any settlement below it and significantly smaller than any settlement above it. Sanctuary Hills is the starter settlement upon leaving Vault 111. It's job is to teach players the mechanics of the Workbench, from scrapping items to repairing war tattered structures. This settlement is the safest in the game and has lots of water access for Water Purifiers so players should feel free to do whatever they want here. Sanctuary Hills is also a Bunker Hill Caravan Merchant stop for Trashcan Carla, the General Merchant. The Building height here is 5 floors if you build next to the water.
Area Rank: [208]
#2 Vault 88
This Settlement is technically the largest in the game, but unfortunately the pathing is broken in a large portion of Vault 88 making it impossible to utilize all of the space without Mods to fix the pathing. With that said Vault 88 is still the largest workbench area in the game. The areas settlers can inhabit are the main atrium and the 3 smaller atriums attached to it. Vault 88 also comes with its own Powerplant and Water Pumping Station (The water Pumping Station requires power) This is also the only underground settlement and the only Vault Settlement in the game. You will learn how to build with Vault-Tec pieces in Vault 88 and gain access to unique workstations like the Slot Machines, the Phoropter, the Soda Station and the Power Cycle 1000. Players need to be cautious of the local Radscorpions living in the caves of your settlement. Enemy spawns here can be difficult because Vault 88 is located in the southern part of the Commonwealth so lower level players may want to save Vault 88 for later. This Vault Settlement also has 3 unique entrances. The main entrance in Quincy Quarries, the bookstore entrance in University Point and the sewer entrance near Shaw Highs School. The building height limit here is 5 floors if you build in the main atrium.
Area Rank: Even with reduced space because of the broken pathing, Vault 88 is still much larger than Sanctuary Hills but the exact number is unknown. With Mods to fix the pathing Vault 88 would be [500+]
#1 Spectacle Island
Since vault 88 would require mods to utilize it's larger space, Spectacle Island takes the cake for Largest Settlement in Fallout 4. Spectacle island is another extremely dangerous settlement and only higher level players should attempt to settle here. Settlement attacks here can feel more like regional battles and players should be well equipped before responding to Spectacle Island settlement distress calls. Usually I would advise to build a wall around dangerous settlements but seeing that spectacle Island is so vast I would advise to instead equip settlers with Armor and Weapons in addition to Turrets. This settlement has the most water access in the game so you should never go thirsty again. Spectacle Island also has a partially sunken ship on the East side of the island that still has a working Generator Room, connect power lines here to permanently satisfy 20 Power for the settlement. The building height limit here is 8 floors if you build from the middle of the island.
Area Rank: [500+]
9/24/2020
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