Self-reliance Archives - Backwoods Home Magazine

Shearing, carding, spinning, weaving and creating with Margaret Boos

By Annie Duffy Issue #52 • July/August, 1998 "If you're going to make something that you want to last, why not start with good quality material," says Margaret Boos who raises and spins her own wool....

Vinegar — A splash is all you need for healthful eating, natural healing, and...

By Linda Gabris Issue #97 • January/February, 2006 Call me a sourpuss, if you will, but I love vinegar and can't imagine a day going by without calling upon one type or another for cooking, curing,...

A survival key ring — Your everyday tool for emergency preparedness

By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM Issue #117 • May/June, 2009 If you saw the movie, "Castaway" starring Tom Hanks, you might remember that his character always carried a small pen knife with him. Early in the...

Funerals don’t have to be expensive

By Kelly McCarthy Issue #95 • September/October, 2005 Being of Celtic extraction, I am naturally disposed to dwelling on the blacker side of life. I started to wonder what would happen to all the dead bodies...

Make your own firestarters

By Claire Wolfe Issue #129 • May/June, 2011 I bought an old house last summer and inherited lots of the former owners' stuff some of it good and welcome, some strictly landfill-fodder. Among other things that...

What to do when there’s no doctor

By Gary F. Arnet, D.D.S. Issue #75 • May/June, 2002 We are used to being able to see a doctor at any time for any reason, no matter how small. Will this always be the case?...

Swedish log candle

By Nick Weston Issue #138 • November/December, 2012 At my Hunter-Gatherer school, we are constantly experimenting with different methods of outdoor cookery, from underground ovens (umu or hangi) to smoke roast tipis and run-of-the-mill fire pits....

Cold process goat milk soap

By Michele Cooper Issue #171 • May/June, 2018 Making soap can seem scary to some people, but the truth is, it only takes a few steps. Tools & equipment The equipment you use to make soap needs to...

Everybody talks about lightning and yes, there are things you can do about it

By Albert H. Carlson Issue #37 • January/February, 1996 What was a beautiful sunny day with large white billowing clouds low on the horizon has turned progressively darker. The clouds are now almost black, and the...

Sabrina Anderson: Child care provider

By John Silveira Issue #117 • May/June, 2009 Sabrina Anderson, the wife of Dave Anderson (see Dave Anderson: Fishing guide on page 56 of this issue), has found her own way to create a paying job...

How to maintain your chimney

By Charles Sanders Issue #169 • January/February, 2018 As a good stove can be vital to a country home, a good chimney is just as important in safely operating that stove. A well-constructed chimney can serve...

A young couple moves to the country

By Jessie Denning Issue #175 • January/February/March 2019 As many of you know, I’ve been the managing editor of this magazine for the last four years. But what you may not know is that when I’m...

Caveman walking stick

By Jim Van Sant Issue #108 • November/December, 2007 The lake near our rural home has a long hiking trail that winds around its shore. We walk on this path in the morning through the oak...

Get out of debt, stay out of debt

By Darlene Campbell Issue #67 • January/February, 2001 Decades ago it was advised of young high school graduates to deposit a set amount of money into the bank each month, and when they retired they would...

The raging torrent — Respect it even when you play

By Scott Stoddard Issue #70 • July/August, 2001 Years ago, while learning to sluice gold from a swollen mountain stream in southern California, I saw something that immediately sickened my stomach. The limp body of a...

Better wood heating

By David Lee Shop heater. This example is a 55-gallon drum and stove kit surrounded with leftover concrete blocks. I stack extra bricks, slates, and metal on the top to give...