A Log Survival Cabin-and Everything You Need to Know About Survival Shelters

The building of a log shelter, of any size,will require a greater number of labour intensive, hours, than for which the average disaster/emergency survival exists. In any and all cases, anywhere in Canada; if you have no other shelter available; and, it is any later than mid September; the building of one is going to take more time than you have available--that is, before you freeze to death; or die of hypothermia.

What Is Hypothermia?

Used as a prefix, ‘hypo-’ means ‘under’ or ‘below normal’.  So hypothermia means below normal temperature.    

When you are awake, your body needs to maintain a core temperature of approximately 37oC (98.6oF).  This is sometimes referred to as ‘normothermia’, i.e. your normal temperature.   

Medically, hypothermia is defined as a body core temperature below 35oC (95oF).  This represents a 2oC (3.6oF) drop from normal body core temperature.  This allows for normal temperature fluctuations that occur through a 24 hour period, including temperature changes in your body while you sleep. 

In reality, however, if someone is awake, normally fit and healthy and has a body core temperature of 35oC (95oF) in a remote outdoors setting, they are likely to be in trouble already.  If they still have the energy they may well be shivering violently.  In the outdoors, you need to do something about a falling body core temperature before it gets to this stage.  We need to look for signs and symptoms of hypothermia in our companions.  Learning to recognise the signs and symptoms – and recognise them early – is very important--at any time--not just in disaster/survival situations. 

Really, more intended for PIONEERING bushcraft; or long term inhabitation than disaster/emergency survival; a log cabin is perhaps one of the most permanent shelters that can be constructed from natural materials. It requires a huge initial outlay in time, energy and resources but can provide an extremely useful and resistant long term shelter. It also has value (but, only when practised in a environmentally friendly, responsible manner) as a 'troop project' or for putting those pioneering/axe/saw skills into practise.

The first thing you will need to decide is the size of your log cabin. You can always add sections at a later stage but the main section should be designed with a size (and use) in mind. You will need to clear a suitably large area and flatten the ground, removing any rocks, undergrowth etc.  The shape is up to you, but I suggest you stick with the standard rectangle/square and a sensible size for a small cabin would be around 8-10 ft. square

The next thing you will need is a ready supply of logs. Please take care when constructing your cabin that you get permission to fell any trees or remove any logs. Obviously standard safety procedures should be undertaken if you intend to 'make your own'. The main body of the cabin is relatively simple to construct, simply arrange the logs in a square, the only complication being the joints at each end (you could simply lash the logs together and fill in any gaps, although I would not recommend this for any reasonable sized cabin).

As you can clearly see, in my model illustration, simply stacking the logs, one on another,would leave very wide open spaces between them. By the time you  got all of them all filled; you would, in reality, have a reinforced sod shelter. Like an Inuit iglu, the shelter could then keep you fairly warm, even in the coldest conditions; but, just one problem—you would be long dead.

The second model illustration, above, depicts true saddle notching and, requires, perhaps, debatable, a greater expenditure of time, and labour; but, it will allow you to achieve a very close fit; if you are truly willing, and able to spend your –most valuable possession-TIME that really, requires no chinking. The logs are notched only on the bottom side. Other methods are at least slightly, more complicated and are used to produce even stronger, and/or neater (urban civilised) looking, cabins.

The third illustration, shown above, illustrates what is, probably, best described as a Double Saddle Notch; for which is, almost, a necessity to have also available a broad axe; or at least a good draw knife-gives-rather can give-with a greater expenditure of labour and TIME-an even closer fit. 

To join the logs simply 'notch' at each end (although not at the very end). Be careful to leave a overhang each time and do not remove this overhang, it is what will give the cabin strength. In the illustrations the logs have been notched top and bottom, using a simple notch.If done properly, this method can produce a very tightly fit wall, with little, or no, need for any chinking (so can the saddle notching method).
One on the main tricks is the very start. For what will be the width of you cabin; do not notch the first two logs. This will lift up the two logs on what will become the length of the cabin, giving an opening of half a log and this is where you fit the beams for you flooring in. From then on it may take a little work but the logs can be made to fit tightly together (I do suggest putting a small amount of moss between, to act as insulation).

There are many other methods and variations of corner notching, some of which are shown above: for the first (top left of illustration), also a simple method-actually even simpler- 

When using the last shown method; the very end of each horizontal log is notched (using the interlocking dove tail design) and then fitted into the corner post. 
Logs, also, may be squared, on at least what is to be the bottom, and top, sides. The first log is notched half way through, on what will be the top side; while the other is notched half way through on what will be the bottom side. This, flattened, or squared, construction, keeps the logs level on all sides. The more advanced methods require a skilled craftsman; and are not usually used for short term, or survival type construction.

Simply stacking logs on top of each one another you will quickly run into problems. Because any natural log will have some 'taper' to it you will want to alternate their direction at each layer. Remember to leave space for a doorway too!, preferably on the side away from the prevailing wind. If you feel particularly ambitious construct a door frame from shorter sections. I would not bother trying any fancy 'doors' (at least at the early stages), a simple cloth covering to the door will suffice. You may also want to include windows, although for a typical ten foot square cabin, the door and chimney will give ample light and ventilation, and the increased effort in constructing a (safe) window is simply not worth it.

Unless you like sleeping in pools of water you will want a sloping roof to your cabin. As you near the required height you will need to build up the back of the cabin higher than the front. A simple lashed cross frame across the top will support your roof. Remember to notch your cross beams to fix them in place.

Now comes the waterproofing. Firstly you will want to fill in the gaps between the logs. The best way to do this is to mix up a 'paste' of mud, leaves, grass, moss, wood chips and caulk the gaps by firmly inserting your mixture. Try to force it right into the gap. For very large gaps you may want to fill the gap with a sapling, or branch, before, and after; caulking.

The roof is the final part of the structure. I would recommend a 'light' roof on a timber frame rather than a solid log roof (I don't think I could trust my construction to hold the weight safely!). Simply lay (lash) saplings down across the main cross beams and cover in the desired material. You could try for a thatch by weaving long grass in and out of the saplings, or you could go for the full tile method, bark is an ideal material for this, either way a layer of mud across the saplings/thatch will help to make the roof completely waterproof. These bark tiles could even be pegged down with small twigs while the mud underneath is still soft. If you wish to have a fire within the cabin you will need to leave a small hole for smoke to escape (although you must NEVER leave the fire unattended!). Those of you with far too much time on your hands may wish to make a full stone chimney.

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To see other shelters: requiring fewer resources and lot less effort, valuable energy, effort, skill, and time to construct.©Al (Alex-Alexander) D. Girvan. All rights reserved