Depending on where you live is going to depend on what type of structure you build. So with this in mind here is how to build a log cabin for temperate to cold climates. I will try not to give to much measurements because of course everyone who uses this will adapt it to suit them the best.

We will start with location.
You will need to pick a place around a lot of trees.(duh) You should pick a place where moving the logs into location will be the easiest. Such as in the valley of 2 rather large hills or next to a bend in a river where the logs will tend to gather if pushed into the stream from up river.
Considering we are in a cold or temperate climate we would want to build on the South side of a hill(if in the Northern Hemisphere) so that the majority of sunlight will hit the cabin for the greatest length of time.
After a clearing has been made and the logs have been moved into the general location you will have to stip the bark off of the trees. You can do this...or wait so many months for the bark to just fall off. The reason for taking the bark off is to help prevent rotting and insect infestation.
When this is done, you can char/burn two sides of each log. This further prevents insect infestation. Your clever, figure it out.
You will want to dig a trench, depending on how tall you want your cabin, but usually 3 feet deep will work. Stand the logs up inside the trench so that the burnt sides of one log will connect with the burnt sides of the other logs. One of the best places to do this is against a cliff or a hill, that way you only have to build 3 walls.

So you have the cliff or hill as such and your three walls.
________________
i i
i i
i i
i i
iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

Now don't forget to leave a doorway and a couple small windows to shoot out of or what have you.

Along the wall oppisite the cliff you will want to put up another log across the inside of the wall near the top. This will serve to help support the roof. lay the logs like so.
l_l_l_l_l_l_l_l_l_l
il l l l l l l l l li
il l l l l l l l l li
il l l l l l l l l li
il l l l l l l l l li
il l l l l l l l l li
ilililililililililili

i, being the logs standing up. --- being the cliff. and the row of l from the top of the diagram to the bottom being one log.
With the logs being interlaced like this; ilili, you can later add on another room if you choose, beginning at this wall.
Now you have a log cabin that will pretty much withstand a bear attack, even if the damn thing gets on the roof. Note, this is a place where you will be cooking, so bear proofing will be a plus. And I'm sure you can figure out how to make the door.
With the cabin built you will probably want to insulate it even more than it is. You can use a mixture of mud and dried grass. Just throw this on the roof and fill in the crevices between the logs. Wala, you have a log cabin that was pretty much free(cost of tools and land, perhaps) that is warm in the winter and cool in the summer. A bear ain't going to knock this down cause it's big, heavy and buried 3 feet in the dirt.
Enjoy and adapt as you will.

I designed a 2 story log barn for someone and a log cabin for someone else (Stacked logs in that case milled flat on top and bottom surfaces so they could be stacked and spiked)

HOWEVER! I would certainly go with an {b] Earth Sheltered Home[/b] in a cold environment. It has extraordinary advantages too numerous to list. Waterproofing and humidity control are important design considerations.

Done properly you could heat it all winter long on 1/4 cord of wood. (or bark from dead and down trees or whatever fuel was around.)

Whatever exposed surface you have (entry wall for example) you can design to blend into the environment.

Fred

i love cabins but im a builder and we use steel ! its cheaper stronger and alot faster! woo shmood!