If you want to use your followers for more than static jobs in fixed locations how do you go about keeping them safe from all the mid level peril?
Say for example you are a witch and you have as many witch followers as the Gm is generous to permit (as many with the Coven Hex as possible). The caster level bonuses can make a big difference to the duration of buffs you might cast. This is just an example - they might all be entertainers who put on shows to keep you entertained each day once the fighting is over and the casters want to rest.
Ring gates look like a good option but 100 miles can quickly become an issue at mid levels. A Rod of Security also lets you 'store' and move them easily, but it can only be used once a week so has limited use. Also both these items are really quite expensive - multiple rods are out of the question.
The Create Demiplane line of spells looks like it has potential as does Mage's Magnificent Mansion - but not till high level. an Instant Fortress fails to impress.
So any clever ways of having them around but not so vulnerable to the wake up call fireball?
An Air Ship?
LEADERSHIP
A cohort is generally an NPC with class levels, while followers are typically lower level NPCs.
The way I understood that is that you can have a witch cohort, but since witch is a PC class, not an NPC class, your followers can't also be witches (the best you could do is a bunch of adepts). Sorry.
Really is just depends on how much of a d*ck your DM is.
I've had DMs that wouldn't touch my stuff and followers except on rare occasions as part of a story line. My wizard had a covered wagon pulled by two oxen and all the party's stuff was in locked chests inside. We usually left some hirelings with it to keep an eye on it for us while we explored dungeons. The DM never touched it.
I've had other DMs that will destroy anything you leave behind, force you to go into areas where you can't take your animals and you will never get back to those locations for several levels (bye bye paladin's mount), and constantly messed with squires and other followers. One DM usually gave you two followers at a time, and the one you got attached to first would be the one to die in some horrific way. God forbid if your character had a family back home - spouse would be raped and tortured while the kids were forced to watch because you weren't around to protect them (because you were off on a valiant quest to save someone's life). The BBEG was always loved by the local people, so if you killed him to save the nation or the world or whatnot, the people would hate you. If you exposed his vile ways, no one would believe you and you'd be ostracized from the community and possibly have a bounty put on you for spreading lies. Yes, everything in this paragraph has happened at a single gaming table.
But if you have a reasonable DM, then every adventuring party should be traveling with a cohort of people and wagons, to include your hirelings (cooks, torch bearers, henchmen to carry stuff, a bard to write about your mighty adventures, etc), squires, followers, animal friends, etc. That way you can leave stuff behind while you go into the fray, and they stay behind and watch the stuff. When you clear a dungeon, they'll help you carry all your treasure out, and if you treat them right and pay them well, they won't betray you.
This also helps with introducing new characters into the party. They've been there all along as a hireling, and already know what's going on! :)
NPC's can be of any class - from Creating NPC's;
Step 5: Class Features
After determining feats, the next step is to fill in all the class features possessed by the NPC. This is the time to make decisions about the NPC's spell selection, rage powers, rogue talents, and other class-based abilities.
There is nothing in the Leadership feat that states followers have to have NPC Classes. Of course the DM can make them NPC classes if he wants, but he doesn't have to.
Part of me likes the idea of investing quite a lot of time and wealth into a 'travelling troupe' but I'm also reluctant because I know how DM's like to spring 5 levels of adventuring off plane on the players.
I'm thinking about having a spy/informant network based on the low-level NPCs. They're not supposed to do dangerous stuff, just report back to me on any rumors they hear about.
In fantasy literature I've read, I've seen that done with the homeless, beggars, street urchins, kids underfoot, the cook's assistant, messengers, young squires, etc...
Basically, the people no one pays attention to and who are always present.
There is nothing in the Leadership feat that states followers have to have NPC Classes.
I see what happened; The 3.0 rules stated point-blank that followers were either Warriors, Experts, or Commoners. Then the 3.0 Epic Level Handbook gave level adjustments to your followers if they had PC classes instead. Then in switching to 3.5, they decided that was all too complicated and just left it ambiguous, and Pathfinder of course retained the 3.5 language.
Still, if you get X number of 1st level followers, it could in some circumstances (like this one) make a potentially large difference whether those are CR 1/2 or CR 1/3 each.
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You could try variants on Rope Trick. Since it provides only a safe space, and not any food or amenities, it's lower level than most other sheltering spells. If custom items are allowed, a Tricky Rope (rope with constant/at will rope trick on command) could cost as little as 10,800 according to the item pricing rules. Your DM might boost the item pricing given the expense of the other items, but you'd probably still be able to provide a mostly secure campsite for 8 followers for 10-20K. Note that this requires a stationary camp, or for your followers to be exposed when moving camp. Note also that the rope is exposed.
Ultimately, your ability to keep low-level followers around is dependent on your DM's tolerance for such as bookrat mentioned. Note however that followers who provide a measurable boost to a character's power are a much more tempting target for intelligent enemies than those who simply cook his dinner.