How to Build a Rustic Trapper Cabin

A trapper cabin is more functional than attractive.

A rustic trapper cabin is a common sight in many hunting areas. Some have electricity and plumbing, most however, do not. To make the process of building your own easier, companies sell plans to do-it-yourself enthusiasts. Or, you can purchase a kit with the pieces and parts included. The kits generally offer ease of construction but aren't necessarily rustic. Building a cabin is not a task for one person; plan to have people to help you.

Things You'll Need

• Triazicide commercial insecticide
• 2-gallon sprayer
• 32 solid concrete blocks
• 40 cinder blocks
• Level
• Chalk line
• 2 pieces of ¾-inch treated plywood cut to length and width of cabin
• Screws
• 28 logs cut from trees of approximately the same size. (4 ½ inches in diameter)
• Chain saw
• 56 7-inch spikes
• Post hole digger
• Concrete
• 2-inch by 4-inch boards for door frame
• Door
• Screwdriver
• 10 cans expansion foam
• Sheet metal cut to size of roof area of cabin
• Nails

Instructions

Site Preparation

1. Locate a level place where you wish to begin building. The area should be free of obstacles and low-hanging branches to make construction easier. Clear the area so that you can begin construction.

2. Soak the foundation area with a mixture of 8 ounces Triazicide commercial insecticide and 2 gallons of water. Fill the two-gallon sprayer and use the spray nozzle. Do not step into the soaked area once done. If any solution is left over, spray a perimeter around the foundation area. The natural enemy to a trapper cabin is the termite; you don't want to build on top of one of the hidden passageways near a large colony. Let the area soak for a full day before beginning construction.

3. Place four solid concrete blocks in a square pattern in each corner of the foundation. Stack another four concrete blocks on top of these and make sure that each corner is level. Set four cinder blocks on each square pattern for a total of 16. Use your level to make sure that the foundation stones are plumb. Set another four cinder blocks on top of the first ones using a generous amount of mortar between the blocks. Check the level once more before applying mortar. The space underneath will be an area to run plumbing or electrical conduit should you decide to add these features later.

4. Locate the center of the foundation structure using a chalk line. Run the line from corner to corner to form an "X" in the center. Using the same square pattern with four solid concrete blocks and eight cinder blocks, create a foundation area in the center.

Construction

1. Lay the floor on top of the foundation blocks. Use 3/4-inch treated plywood cut to the length and width of the foundation. Secure the floor to the cinder blocks in the corners and center of the floor with masonry screws. Use two or more pieces of plywood to help support weight on the cabin floors.

2. Secure the base logs, no more than 4 1/2 inches in diameter, on the left, right and rear walls. The base logs should reach from one corner to the next. Cut them to length. Flatten the rounded tops and bottoms of each log so that they can stack evenly.

3. Create a counter-sink notch in the base logs. Use a chain saw to cut about 1 inch into the center of each log. Drive a 7-inch spike into the notch and foundation plywood. Drive two 7-inch spikes into the corners of each base log to secure them to the base log for the back wall.

4. Set one log upright on each corner of the foundation. The log should be at least 18 inches taller than the structure of the cabin. Using a post-hole digger, create a hole one and a half times larger than the logs at each corner so that 12 inches are buried. Use two 7-inch spikes to secure each upright log to the foundation corners. Pour concrete into the holes and make sure the logs are level.

5. Continue building until the walls are at least 6 feet high. Use a 7-inch spike to join each log to the one beneath it. Use a spike to join each log to the corner upright logs.

6. Cut and measure a door frame. Use 2-inch by 4-inch boards and secure the frame to the foundation in the center of the open space at the front of the cabin. Repeat the wall-building procedure with logs cut to fit on either side of the door frame.

7. Hang the door in the door frame. Secure the hinges to the frame with a screwdriver.

8. Construct the roof. Create a slanted roof by making one side wall slightly lower than the other and securing sheet metal to 2-inch by 4-inch planks nailed to the top log on each side. You can build a flat roof in areas that don't get heavy snowfall.

9. Fill gaps with expansion foam. The foam will help insulate the cabin and cut down on insects' getting in between the logs.

Tips & Warnings

• Use caution when working with the chain saw.

References

• Mother Earth News: Trapper's Cabin
• Small Cabin: A Complete "Do-it-yourself" Guide.
• You Tube: ATA Cabin Workshop 2007