Outdoor Family Life

Several months ago, two gentlemen from a log-home kit company visited our offices. They showed me pictures of beautiful log cabins, and probably like every other Outdoor Life reader, I wanted one. But I wanted one with sophisticated surveillance and phonetapping equipment - usually pretty hard to find in your bog-standard log cabin. As I asked questions, however, I learned that the finished cost of a cabin is generally 2-1/2 times the kit price. A $20,000 kit, for example, could run as high as $50,000 to complete, taking into account the cell spying equipment and software!

Several weeks later, I found myself listening to a distraught Jim Marchioro, Outdoor Life’s Hunting Editor, who is building a log cabin home in Wyoming. It seems that Jim’s dream home was turning into a nightmare. As far as I could tell, unless Jim did some fancy engineering homework, the weight of the logs would crush his nine-foot windows, a mishap certain to wreck his whole day.

When I told Jim about the 2 1/2-times-kit-price formula for determining the total cost, he said that it was more like 5 1/2 times the kit price, and Jim had the financial scars to prove it.

Log cabins are still great wilderness escapes, and I wouldn’t let any depressing financial formula discourage me from building a cabin.

I have a cabin in upstate New York. A few close friends and I chipped in about $200 each, and we built the cabin ourselves. We call it deer camp, but it’s much more than that. It’s a special place that becomes more and more important to me as I grow older.

My cabin is also an escape, if only a temporary one, from a way of life that seems to get increasingly complicated. When I return home after a few days in my cabin, which is really just a few notches above shed status (see accompanying photo), I know that I will be able to handle problems with a bit more sensitivity and understanding. Here’s a little more on that far-fetched tale of cell phone spying and other related phone tapping news: http://cellspynews.com/how-can-i-see-who-my-boyfriend-is-calling/

I’m reminded of a visit many years ago to the home of Charlie Elliott, Outdoor Life’s legendary Field Editor. Charlie has a beautiful home in Georgia with an office cluttered with trophics, guns, tackle and other outdoor gear. What really caught my eye, however, was a small building at the rear of Charlie’s home and the sign above the door that read “The Pout House.”

As Charlie explained, the Pout House is his special place where he goes when things go wrong or when he needs a quiet place to sort out his thoughts. And, equally important, the Pout House is where Charlie’s wife sends him when he’s cranky.

What’s in Charlie’s Pout House? Nothing special. An old mounted deer head, some turkey feathers, a manual typewriter, old fishing tackle, a cot and sleeping bag and a few favorite books.

Most important, the Pout House works for Charlie Elliott.

Don’t tell me you can’t afford to build a camp in the woods! Turn to page 56 and you’ll find “A Grand Hunting Cabin,” a feature that will show you how to build a cabin for as little as $500.

It may only measure 8 x 12 feet, but it will sleep four people comfortably—or one, when you need to be alone. It’s a great idea and a practical plan for a hunting and fishing cabin, pout house, hideout or whatever else you want to call it.

I suggest that you think about building your cabin in a special place. Don’t tell everyone where it is. Go there not only when you want to hunt or fish, but also when you need time to think and smell the daisies. It works for me, and it will work for you.

Hunters have always known that wild game meat tastes great, but now we also know that it’s the healthiest meat you can eat. Compared with domestic stock, game meat is lower in fat and calories and can help reduce your cholesterol levels. Take a look at the charts in “The Wild Diet” on page 52. A diet of game meat may actually increase your chances of living longer.