August, 1905 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



[I 3 



How to Make a Camp in the Woods 



By A. Russell Bond 



IS THE hot south wind smothers us and the 

 glare of naked stone buildings and treeless 

 asphalt streets blinds us many flee from the 

 immediate discomforts of the busy city to 

 the summer resort, seeking to avoid the 

 odium of one type of civilization by enter- 

 ing the civilization of another type scarcely less wearing on 

 mind and body. But the wise few who heed the forest call 

 steal back to the old forgotten nature homestead, there to 

 coax back some of the strength and vigor that blessed the 

 childhood days of mankind. 



Curious lodgings some of them find, mere brush lean-tos; 

 primitive tents with saplings for ridge poles, and hemlock 

 boughs for walls, or rough bark shelters in which the ridge 

 pole supports rafters covered with strips of bark. Some 

 campers bring their shelter with them in the shape of a 

 sleeping bag, a light silk tent, or a large canvas-wall tent, but 



required being a sharp ax, a saw and a hunter's knife. First 

 the site must be chosen on high ground; if possible, on a 

 knoll where a good view may be had of some of the sur- 

 rounding country. At any rate, the cabin must not be lo- 

 cated near swampy or boggy ground. However, plenty of 

 good, fresh water is absolutely essential, and before finally 

 selecting the location of the cabin one should make sure 

 that there is a spring or a clear stream close at hand. The 

 site chosen, the underbrush should be cleared, and the plan 

 of the cabin should be staked out. A large cabin would 

 require a substantial foundation — a deep trench filled with 

 stones or a row of poles sunk into the ground; but for the 

 average ground-floor cabin it will be sufficient to sink posts 

 at the corners to prevent settling. If the ground is fairly 

 hard large stones may be used instead. The logs may now 

 be cut. They should, of course, be as straight and as nearly 

 uniform in diameter as possible. To be sure, the logs must 



A Canvas- Wall Tent among the Big Trees of California 



this savors too much of civilization, and is an insult to the 

 resources of the forest. The true worshipper of nature will 

 scorn to use any material in his home, whether temporary or 

 permanent, that can not be hewn from the forest itself. Of 

 course, when a man is off on a hunting expedition or a tour 

 of exploration, he must be satisfied with the temporary 

 shacks of brush or bark, hastily erected in the late after- 

 noon, but the ideal abode in the forest is the log cabin. The 

 log cabin is capable of as much variation in form and design 

 as any modern cottage, but since it is the object of the forest 

 lover to get away from all suggestion of town and city life, 

 he will prefer the humble hut of the frontiersman to the 

 twelve-room, two-story-and-attic log dwelling that in the 

 Adirondacks goes by the name of camp. 



The building of a log cabin is a very simple task. An 

 expert axman will probably construct it in a couple of days, 

 and even a novice could do it in a short time, the only tools 



project beyond the corners of the cabin, and for this at least 

 one foot should be allowed at each end of the building. It 

 will make the log house more durable, though it would rob 

 it of much of its charm to peel the bark from the logs. This 

 can be readily done in the early summer months, and the 

 bark can be flattened out and used later for roofing purposes. 

 The bare logs are soon weathered to a soft gray tint which is 

 not unpleasing to the eye, and which blends with the coloring 

 of the surrounding forest. The chief objection to leaving 

 the bark on the logs is that it offers a home for all breeds 

 of ants and wood-boring insects. However, if, despite these 

 objections, it is desired to keep the logs in their natural 

 clothing of bark, it will be found preferable to build a cabin 

 in the latter months of the summer, for then the bark will 

 adhere better to the wood. 



First choose two of the largest logs and lay them at the 

 front and the rear of the cabin. They should be flattened 



