Customer Reviews

Shelters, Shacks, and Shanties: The Classic Guide to Building Wilderness Shelters (Dover Books on Architecture)

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My 13-year-old boy scout asked for this book. After reading bits and pieces for a week or so, he enlisted his brother and some neighborhood boys to go build some "shelters" in the woods down the street. They kept talking about the shelter and I figured it was typical exaggeration. A few of us adults walked down one day to see the shelter -- WOW! It was impressive -- and it stood up to the recent ice storms that left people without power for weeks. All built with branches and saplings in the woods.

The book inspired them. It's old school and not politically correct, which makes me like it that much more. Some of the words in there have led to interesting discussions at our house about how words have evolved and how views and attitudes have evolved over the past century.

It is hard to believe that a book published almost 100 years ago is still very relevant and practically useful today. It is very very dense yet still very readable. Throughout the book, multiple figures are arranged to tightly fit into one page.I do not know if this book represents the writing style of 100 years ago. I think a modern author would quadruple the size of the book.

I am an avid outdoor person and I wanted to obtain some knowledge about different outdoor shelters that I see all the time and I received this book as a gift. It offers much more information than I originally anticipated. I am amazed by what shelters can be built with some simple tools. The author, one of the founders of Boy Scouts of America, actually lived in a log house built by himself. I suspect most of the content is from the author's own experience in building various kinds of architecture from simple shelters to fairly sophisticated houses. Modern lightweight tents may be the primary temporary outdoor shelters nowadays, but wood shelters are still loved by hikers, campers. This book is invaluable for educating kids to gain some basic carpentry and outdoor knowledge, nurture their sense of independence and responsibility and offer them the tremendous joy of staying in what built by themselves.

This is a great book! Dan Beard, one of the principal founders of the BSA, herein illustatrates several easy to build wilderness structures in an easy to read, sometimes humorous style. From lean-to's, shacks, log cabins, even tree houses; there's a wealth of practical information for any outdoorsman within these pages.

I'm very pleased to see this book still available. If you've any interest in the outdoors at all you will not be displeased by an investment in this wonderful book.

I am into bushcraft, survival, primitive skills. This book is an excellent part of my various books on the subjects. It starts with simple style debris shelters, A frame shelters, platform shelters for building in swamps and soft ground areas.

It goes on to list larger wood tents, log cabins, proper use of axe, thatching for larger shelters. A very good laid out book that is both detailed and understandable and more in depth on shelters then any others i've seen on the subject.

Every single aspect od this book is exellent, the issues, the descriptive drawings and so on. I fully recommend it!!!

I found this book surprisingly good. I bought it as a reference but ended up reading it cover to cover immediately. Each chapter draws you into the next. The whole thing gives good insight into primitive housing of our ancestors.

Eco Alert! If you pride yourself on "leave no trace camping", this book will likely shock and disgust you. Just remember it is not oriented toward camping in a modern sense. This is more like seasonal housing for nomads or pioneers.

Very comprehensive illustrated guide. I have never seen so many thought out and detailed ways to make so many shelters. Definitely glade I decided to look for a free PDF version online before spending money on it :) great book.

This is a very good book. I purchased it for my son and nephews so they could have fun on some rural, wooded hunting property the family owns. They were a little skeptical at first, but after a night in tents, they were all to eager to read up on building themselves their own shelters. Everything in the book is designed so that boys in their teens can build it. It is broken down into two sections: building with hatchets and building with axes. The shelters in the hatchet section are easier to build projects that do not require an axe to construct (although I think some of them would be easier with one.) There is an emphasis on showing many different structures used by native americans. Highly recommended.

This book is an older print, however the information inside is very straight forward and easy to understand. I definitely will say it's worth having on paperback.

I'll tell you what, I got my money's worth out of this book and I expect to profit from the wisdoms between its covers as well. Buy it.