Claims for beginners

[Catote]

OK tips much appreciated. I'm completely new, but have settled in. Found copper and iron, and now want to settle down permanently.
This is obviously a big decision. I have read all the guides I could find. Still Im feeling unsure, so here's a few questions:
1. Is it correct to assume any structure left in the open belongs to nobody. Everybody can take everything. This is how it seems to work, when I find abandoned camps (although in respect I have taken not a single item).
2. If so, then I need to make a claim to put my storage / structures inside the claim. To protect it against simple theft.
3. And when placing a claim you thereby also prevent others from entering (law abiding people anyway).
4. So to protect my new iron mine, I must put down a claim around it, for safety reasons?
5. Since I already make one claim, with my few humble belongings. Can I make another for 150s. Or how does that work out?
6. I have found a nice spot with access to grass/forest/iron mine/copper mine/clay and a small lake. All in the same mini-map. Will it hurt me, that the body of water is rather small (beavers? fish?)

Other tips, if you have any to share, which seems relevant, right here?
Thanks in advance.

[Feone]

1) Correct.
2) Yes.
3) Yes.
4) Not neccesarily, a mine isn't that valuable.
5) You can have as many pclaims as you want.
6) Small lake means fewer beavers. Coast, beach, shallow water are good biomes for them to spawn. As long as you have deep water fish won't be an issue.

Build your main claim around a mine. The extra space is great.
Make walls, braziers. Claims are no challenge to take down without these.

[lachlaan]

5) If you'd like to claim extra land near your current claim, you can right click it to get a menu to expand it, if you want to claim land elsewhere then yes, you can just get a new writ and make a new claim. Only one will be usable as a homestead if you should choose to use them as such.

[Catote]

1) Correct.
2) Yes.
3) Yes.
4) Not neccesarily, a mine isn't that valuable.
5) You can have as many pclaims as you want.
6) Small lake means fewer beavers. Coast, beach, shallow water are good biomes for them to spawn. As long as you have deep water fish won't be an issue.

Build your main claim around a mine. The extra space is great.
Make walls, braziers. Claims are no challenge to take down without these.

Thanks. Very helpful.

[Snowpig]

before settling, check the availability of higher purity water/granite/lime/plants around. H&G and M&M should be raised to around 50 for more precise results.

[Rifmaster]

when I find abandoned camps I have not taken a single item.

When you find an abandoned camp you take everything that is there.
You know why its abandoned? Because some dude quit the game, or moved elsewhere, so he's not gonna use the stuff. Last time i found an abandoned camp, heck i took even the empty boxes and 0% pots

[Feone]

Agreed. If it's not claimed it's public property.
With the way decay works abandoned camps (if actives are nearby) will just be destroyed long before someone regains interest anyway.

Good reasons for peaceful players, for those who aren't the simple fact that it's possible should be enough.