Full Description
Build a variety of shelters from natural materials while taking a nostalgic look at some of The Backwoodsman magazine's timeless articles. Before You Start
As a young child, Charlie Richie Jr. used to watch his father build tepees, debris shelters, and various forms of lean-tos—and fall in love with the Old Ways of Living. In 1979, Charlie Sr. was inspired to create
In The Backwoodsman: Shelters, Charlie Jr. collects 25 of the magazine's best shelter-related articles, written by seasoned craftspeople. The selections often feature how-to plans and instructions—complete with illustrations—and they focus on building shelters with only natural materials, plus some that reuse existing materials.
A testament to human ingenuity and the enduring importance of traditional craftsmanship in an increasingly technological world, this book ensures that critical survival techniques and "the art of making" remain accessible to future generations. It offers personal empowerment, creativity, and deep environmental engagement.
If you're an avid outdoorsperson who might find yourself in an overnight survival situation, this is an essential book. If you've always been interested in how Indigenous peoples constructed shelters or if you can't walk past a pile of lumber—or even leaves—without imagining a fort- or cabin-build, you'll love this rugged collection of shelter articles for beginners and hands-on adventurers.
Inside you'll find:
25 of The Backwoodsman magazine's best shelter-related articles
Instructions for building emergency, temporary, and permanent shelters
Technical illustrations that aid in understanding each step-by-step process
Contents
If You Forget Everything Else, Remember This
A Quick Word About Duck Canvas
Emergency
Building a Debris Shelter
Making a Survival Shelter: Four Ways
Temporary
The Queen's Bluff
Devising a Diamond Tent
The Versatile Tarp: 10 Simple Shelters
The One-Tarp, Tipi-Style Shelter
Turn Ordinary Sheeting into a Cabin Tent
Semi-Permanent
The Winter Wall Tent
Eastern Tipis for Summertime
Wigwam Style
Building an Earth Lodge
The Octagonal Tree Hut
Permanent
A Low-Cost, Permanent Lean-To
The Northland Tilt
The Hogan
The Permanent Slab Lean-To
Into the Dirt: the Dug Out, the Sod House, and the A-Hut
Building the Backwoodsman's Cabin
Lessons Learned from Building a Log Cabin
Houses Made of Poles: Porches to Peanut Stands
Ideas to Furnish Your Log Cabin
Greenhouses
The Solar Bubble
The Swing Set Greenhouse
Index
About The Backwoodsman Magazine
About the Author
