Backwoods Home Magazine - Practical Self-Reliance

Just for Kids: Life in the forest

The poor man’s ceramic knife sharpener

Boost your immune system with fast and easy fish dishes

By Linda Gabris When I was growing up in the rural woods, Grandpa and I did a lot of fishing from spring through fall so...

Grow some winter squash this year

Vitamins D and K — way more important than you thought

Victory Gardens

By Alice B. Yeager Issue #54 • November/December, 1998 There have been very few times in our nation's history when "We, the people" have banded together...

Seven tactics for planning next year’s garden

Save Time and Energy with the Fenced Chicken Coop/Garden

Garden Spaces for Small Places

Follow Jackie Clay-Atkinson and her husband, Will, as they homestead a 120-acre piece of northern Minnesotan woods entirely off-grid. Sharing their homestead are horses, beef cattle, a milk cow, dairy goats, chickens and turkeys.

Massad Ayoob on Guns

This blog, from a retired police captain and self-defense instructor, covers the use of different firearms, political musings, and self-defense tactics.

Building

Adventures with a portable sawmill

Build a ski sled

How safe is your electric fence?

Trusses — Low cost marvels to roof over most large spaces

Self-Reliance

Earning money from home

Breastfeeding — A primer

By Kathy Parkes Issue #49 • January/February, 1998 Unfortunately hospital practices that negatively affect breastfeeding are often the cultural norm. Our society pays only lip service...

Making maple syrup

By Marcella Shaffer Issue #59 • September/October, 1999 The art of making maple syrup is generally attributed to the Native Americans. Early settlers arriving in America...

Animals

The homestead cat

By Jackie Clay-Atkinson We have had at least one cat in our home ever since I was a young child. So it’s no wonder we...

Cheaper than Store-Bought Eggs

Raising your own beef

Fermenting Chicken Feed

Keeping homestead animals healthy

Science and Education

Gee-Whiz: Presidents

Gee-Whiz: Bad Fish, Big Fish

How big is the solar system?

Gee-Whiz: Alcohol

Energy

Solar power for farm and ranch

By Jeffrey R. Yago, P.E. It may be surprising to learn that there are now all kinds of do-it-yourself solar powered devices specifically designed to...

Power-up bag

Amateur Ham Radio – The Ultimate Tool for Survival Communications

Keep the Ice On

Power Up

Americana and History

President George Washington’s Farewell Address

Catfish Biscuits

Was the first government gun confiscation attempt foiled by an unsung colonial heroine?

Farm baseball … with ghost runners!

Firearms

Answering some well asked questions about personal defense

Reload your own brass

By Dale Petry Issue #132 • November/December, 2011 Not long ago a friend called to say he had seen an unusual rifle at the local gun...

1911: The classic homeland security pistol

By Massad Ayoob Issue #83 • September/October, 2003 If you've read American firearms history at all, you know the lore of the .45 automatic. How during...

How to shoot a handgun accurately

By Massad Ayoob Issue #85 • January/February, 2004 "I want you to do an article on how to shoot a handgun accurately," Dave Duffy told me....

Preparedness

Changing the odds in home fire protection

Food security 101, part 3: Why I love my vacuum sealer (and more)

Emergency planning beyond the bug-out bag

Handy Keychain Mini-Gadgets

Storm survivors

Your survival depends on water

Articles By Dave Duffy

My View: Call Me Miracle Man!

By Dave Duffy Issue #177 • July/August/September, 2019 Superheroes are the rage these days at movie theaters. Even I am fascinated by them. Old style heroes...