Alone in the wilderness

[andyn]

Abbe...I was about to say "Thanks for clarifying that"..but then you threw that last bit in LOL

 

[Abbe Osram]

Abbe...I was about to say "Thanks for clarifying that"..but then you threw that last bit in LOL

LOL that was only to test if you read my "entire" lengthy reply. LOL
I really dont know why he didnt get it warmer.

cheers
Abbe

 

[pierre girard]

Well either his temperatures are wrong or his cabin had very ineffective insulation.

I dont see how a fire can only produce enough heat to only get the room temperature to 4degsC even if it is -stupid degsC outside.

Ok so i've never camped or even lived in temperatures that low....but it certainly seems an unlikely temperature to me.

It is quite possible. Wood only insulates 1 R per inch. At the juncture of each log that is only about two inches or 2 R. The roof, where most heat escapes, is only about 1 R. My home is insulated to 36 R in the walls and 40 R in the roof, and is not particularly heat efficient.

General knowledge in our area says you don't use an old fashioned fireplace (such as is depicted in the film) at under 40 degrees F - as a fireplace is totally inefficient at temps colder than that (more heat escapes than is replaced by burning). Any heat from such a fireplace is simply radiant heat - same as you would get from a fire outside. It doesn't do much for warming your cabin.

We have a cabin up in the woods that is no more efficient than the one in the film. We do have a large barrel stove which keeps it liveable - when the stove is going. We never take our boots off in winter though. We always fight over who has to get up first in winter - as it is a cold proposition getting the stove lit. There is always ice in the water bucket.

PG

 

[pierre girard]

I was reading that the wood should season a bit longer. It was suggested that on should fell the trees in winter the first year, build the cabin with the roof the second and let the snow on the roof press down the wood together. Windows and doorframe should be build the third year. I dont know, I am not a carpenter but as much as I could see he didnt use any kind of insulation, and in a place like Alaska with minus 50 degrees celsius I believe plus 4 felt quite warm to him.
cheers
Abbe

There are differences of opinion on this. I've built three log cabins and one log house, and I've built them all of green logs. One reason for this is the ease of working the wood - another is, your log ends - beyond your notch - won't split off - as sometimes happens with seasoned logs. A third reason is - green logs settle as they dry and make for a tighter dwelling - especially if you use a chinkless method - as I do.

There are a number of things you can do with door frames and window frames to deal with the shrinkage - a little too involved to go into in this space.

In the log house I built, about eight months after the owners moved in, they were awakened in the middle of the night by a huge "Thump!" The logs had all settled and the house was much tighter after that.

PG

 

[Adi]

As Andy knows i have seen this film and it is very insperational, a wonderful way to live.

I will get the book to read next.

I just wonder if living with temperaturs like that whether you would want to rise the temperature in the cabin any more than you would need to, a 40° difference between indoor and out is quite a lot, if you heated the house to +20° you would be looking at 60°+ difference between in and out. That would be a very large shock to the system when moving between the two.

This guy lived by the seasons and acclimetised to the changing weather.

 

[Abbe Osram]

As Andy knows i have seen this film and it is very insperational, a wonderful way to live.

I will get the book to read next.

I just wonder if living with temperaturs like that whether you would want to rise the temperature in the cabin any more than you would need to, a 40° difference between indoor and out is quite a lot, if you heated the house to +20° you would be looking at 60°+ difference between in and out. That would be a very large shock to the system when moving between the two.

This guy lived by the seasons and acclimetised to the changing weather.

yes, but its is quite hard to life 7 month in ice and snow having only 4 plus, never really stretching out or getting your boots off. I would at least build a sauna so one could get naked and heat the cold bones a good deal. ;-))

It would be too harsh way of living for my taste.

cheers
Abbe

 

[Wayne]

I once sayed in afriends cottage in the heart of the Lake district fells. As remote a farm house as you can get here. The building had had no care and attention since the 50s. Our New years day was spent huddled in front of the fire. The temp never rose above 0C.

I wouldn't have eanted to spend my life like it. I did however start to get used to it and it even fell warm after a days climbing.

I would to buy that house, Its still untouched by time.