How to Build Your Dream Cabin in the Woods: The Ultimate Guide to Building and Maintaining a Backcountry Getaway

Rating:
Summary: Broad and deep info about how to make the dream come true
Review: There are plenty of books with pretty pictures (or idealistic word pictures: think Thoreau) about cabins; here's a wide range of information covered in reasonable depth for anyone looking seriously at the practicalities of building or simply buying a cabin. From water supply to outhouse to simple plans for building benches around a fire ring, the author provides not only the wisdom of his own experience, but also detailed drawings to help readers realize their backcountry dreams.

It is unlikely that I will undertake much in the way of actual construction. But I am studying this book for its virtually encyclopaedic reference to types of cabins (Adirondack, Appalachian-style, log cabin kits, and more) as well as for good pointers on cabin siting. There's a treasure trove of material about heat and light and their applications in, say, the cabin kitchen. Even if we end up purchasing something already built, I will be far better informed (and thus expect to make a better decision) because of the scope and detail of this book.

Fears touches on what one might call the "social factors" of a getaway, as well. He describes what ensued when an essentially extroverted couple built something that provided the solitude they thought they craved and tackles straight on the liability issues that your hospitality may raise. And he goes beyond the nuts and bolts of construction to explain the importance of providing truly comfortable sleeping facilities.

I'll be looking at pretty pictures, too, but this little book with its black and white drawings and photos has become my cabin bible. Already I feel far more confident in my search for a getaway that I will be able to use, enjoy, and maintain. Never have I even considered a wish to grant more than five stars to any book. Because of its utility, fine organization, complete index, and readability on a subject matter I expected to confuse and befuddle me, I would happily grant it a mountain-skyful of stars.

Rating:
Summary: Wide-Ranging and Well-Done
Review: Unlike many of the newer books on building cabins, Fears states that anything over 1000 square feet in NOT a cabin. Readers looking for a general introduction to cabin building and living will find a wealth of information here. Fears is serious about what it takes to build and live in a small cabin. Most of the plans he reviews are for cabins from about 400 to 800 feet square. So, this is a real cabin book! Yuppies wanting to build custom homes in the woods will be put off when Fears describes (in depth) the building and proper use of an outhouse.
Fears discusses land choices, cabin building styles and materials, lighting, heating, options for water supplies, and kitchens. He seriously suggests not having electricity at all.
Toward the end of the book you will also find suggestions for building a rifle range, concerns over making your cabin secure, how to safely use a chain saw, and other helpful information.
At times Fears comes across like the "good-old-boy" he is. At other times he shows a deep knowledge of Aldo Leopold. It seems to me a rare and wonderful combination.
This book does NOT tell you how to actually construct a cabin. But for those of us beginning the process of seriously considering what kind of cabin we want, where to put it, and the basics of design, we find a well-written and genuinely useful book. Highly Recommended.