Building a “stockade style” vertical log off grid log cabin in the Alaskan wilderness. When I first watched this video I was a bit skeptical of the vertical log technique, but if it works for stockades in the old days to keep things secure, why couldn’t it make for a great off grid cabin? The more I watched this video of the cabin being built the more I was impressed with their work and the inventiveness, creativity and practical solutions to problem solving they had. They built a cabin anyone would be proud of, and I’m sure they’re proud of theirs. It’s not a cabin I would have expected to like, but I do. I like the look and fit and finish. It has that down home feel and the build itself is inspiring to watch.
It was fascinating to watching who the logs went together with the metal lag screws to hold the whole structure together, and you can tell the man has some carpentry experience. It gave me some ideas on some things that I thought were going to be difficult to build, but as it turned out, he made it looks very easy.
The kitchen cabinet, sink and countertop with the wood drawers was made quickly and inexpensively and was a great fit for the cabin. The finishing work he did to it looked great and had that rustic aesthetic we all know and love in an off grid cabin. It looks great! (my only real question here is would it be bearproof? This is Alaska, about 25 miles or so outside of Fairbanks, so lots of bear in the area) that is something to consider when build a secure log cabin. In my mind the cabin must be able to withstand a pretty hungry bear intent on getting into the cabin and the food inside. But hey, that’s just my opinion.
Here’s a video of the build:
The shower and bathroom floor was a nice touch, using the corrugated steel for the walls of the shower. The shed was nice, but he could have saved money by using some of the timber on his land and making the planks and boards from the trees located nearby.
Authors Note: Also, a note on using “green lumber”. It’s a myth that you have to let the logs AGE and DRY before using them to build your cabin. This is a myth that has been passed down through the generations. Old timers, the pioneers who built their pioneer cabins did not wait for their “green” logs to dry and age. They simply built the cabin! Period. There was no time to wait a year for them to dry when you’re settling an area and need shelter. Just build it. Will the logs shrink? Sure! Absolutely. Plan for it and build anyway. We’ll be doing a debunking video on the Myth of Drying Logs in another article later.
All in all the cabin went together well. The window sills, door frames, and walls went up fairly easily.
They used recycled, repurposed materials for portions of the build, and used all their own labor to build it. Hats off to them for a job well done!
It’s a nice little off grid cabin, and they should be proud of their build.
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