Your Cabin in the Woods

by Conrad E. Meinecke, Victor Aures (Artist)

Overview

For dreamers of escaping to a cozy cabin in the great outdoors, Your Cabin in the Woods is a classic work that not only makes this a reality, but also imparts a deeper appreciation of nature and homebuilding.

Author Conrad E. Meinecke has been writing about living the simply life in the wilderness for over 70 years with Your Cabin in the Woods and Cabin Craft and Outdoor Living. For the first time, these books are combined into a deluxe two-color vintage package.

In prose both practical and inspirational, Meinecke details how to turn your cabin dream into a reality, such as choosing land, using tools, and the basics of construction. He provides hand-drawn floor plans for a variety of cabins, from a simple two-room to a more complex long house; the best way to build fireplaces, both indoors and out; and instructions for basic furniture, lighting, and other touches that make a cabin feel like home. Throughout are Meinecke's thoughts on ways to enjoy your new-found space, from hearty fireplace recipes to the types of wood for a perfect fire and the beauty found in birdsong.

Instructional as it may be, the book's enduring appeal owes in large part to its warmly engaging tone and firm belief in the restorative power of nature and the satisfaction of hard work. He writes, "Take full enjoyment in the building. Take time out to rest. Most city folks seem always to rush things through. Why? Lay off until tomorrow. Take an afternoon nap. Stop the clock for the weekend. Get off to an early start in the cool of tomorrow morning. You may be crowded in your work in town, but this should be your rest cure, your recreating."

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316395502
Publisher:	Running Press Book Publishers
Publication date:	09/06/2016
Series:	Classic Outdoors
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	203,803
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 11.25(h) x 1.25(d)

About the Author

Conrad E. Meinecke was a leading figure in the Boy Scouts of America, as well as director of the Boys' Home of the Buffalo Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. He built a number of cabins and detailed his experiences, as well of love of nature, in these time-honored classics. He died in 1971 in Springville, NY.

Victor Aures was a painter and illustrator, best known for his work in the 1940s on the Handbook of the Boy Scouts of America, Your Cabin in the Woods, and Cabincraft and Outdoor Living. He died in 1974.

Table of Contents

Foreword 9

Lifting the Latch 11

Your Cabin in the Woods 13

Start Making Notes 18

Plan Wisely and YOU Plan for the Future 19

Who Knows? This May Be Your Future Home 21

A Cure for Restlessness 23

One Room or Seven? 25

The Family Camp-Summer and Winter 27

The Guest Tent for Two 32

Our Window Picture Frame 35

Cabin Composition 37

One-Room Cabin 38

Two-Room Cabin: (with Storm Porch and Toilet Room) 40

Four-Room Cabin (with Kitchen and Storeroom) 42

The Amateur Architect 51

Let's Go to Work 59

Cabin Tools-Keep 'em Sharp 63

Nails 71

Building Rules You May Not Violate 73

Land Cost 75

Cabin Cost 75

Logs for Your Cabin 77

Tie Your Cabin Together 79

Notching Your Logs 81

Cabin Detail 83

Windows, Doors, and Gables 85

Drainage and Grading 87

Upper and Lower Bunks Converted into Couches 88

Painting and Preservatives 88

Clunking 89

Indoor Fire 91

Fireplace Magic 93

Fireplaces Successfully Built by the Novice 99

Tricks of the Trade 113

Running Hot and Cold Water 115

Waste: Johnnies and incinerators 116

Beautifying Your Cabin 121

Lamps, Lighting, and Illumination 128

Rustic Furniture 131

Storm Doors 137

Trick Door with Secret Lock 139

Trim Plate Decoration 139

Wooden-Peg Coat Hangers 139

Skylight 140

Natural Icebox Cooler 140

The Frame House 141

Flagstone Floors 144

Steppingstones 145

Personality Plus 147

Landscaping Your Cabin Setting 150

Your Flagpole 153

Sign Posts and Trail Markers 156

Let Mother Nature Be Your Gardener 157

Shrubs, Trees, and Reforestation 160

Your Treasure Chest 163

Sugarin' 169

"Tune In" on the Birds 175

Gateways, Guardrails, Fences, and Friendliness 177

Friendly Trails 182

Springs 185

Your Family Camp on Wheels 189

Outdoor Fires and Cooking 205

Make It Attractive 209

Outdoor Cookery in the Garden Fireplace 212

Picnic a la "Cart" 236

Great Out Doors 237

Security: The North Woods 242

Experience 251

Weather Wise 255

Night Enchantment 260

The Bursting Splendor of Sunrise 261

Woodland Sounds 262

When the Snow Is Deep 267

Friendliness 272

Approval 274

The Latchstring Is Out 278

About the Author 281

Index 283