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...
Handy Keychain Mini-Gadgets
By Jeff Yago, P.E., CEM
Winter, 2017
I believe when most people think of being prepared, they immediately think in terms of bug-out bags, stored food and water, guns, and generators. However, there can be less...
Bath herbs
By Cynthia Andal
Issue #86 • March/April, 2004
The visceral pleasure to be gained from drinking wild herbal teas that you have harvested yourself pales in comparison to lying in a steaming tub, scented with rose...
Homemade pest traps
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By Patrice Lewis
Issue #164 • March/April, 2017
Last summer, my little compost bucket near the kitchen sink became home to a zillion fruit flies. Once they’re established, it’s devilishly hard to get rid of these...
13 steps to a life of freedom
By Mary Ann Wutzke
Issue #76 • July/August, 2002
My husband and I have lived in the desert and mountain back country of Arizona since 1988. We own no home and just about all of our...
Hypothermia — A real winter danger
By Tom and Joanne O’Toole
Issue #84 • November/December, 2003
Hypothermia is a deadly enemy. It steals body heat and kills more outdoor enthusiasts every year than anything else.
Hypothermia is the rapid and drastic chilling of...
Here’s how to make a musical bamboo flute
By Robert E. Kramer
Issue #42 • November/December, 1996
Materials
1 propane or butane torch or campfire to heat up metal rod.
1 steel rod at least 1/2" diameter
1 oven mitt or heavy cloth
1...
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,...
Homemade skin care products
By Carly Egger
Issue #145 • January/February, 2014
When you think of skin care products that soften, moisturize, and nourish the skin, do the words extravagant, unnecessary, and expensive come to mind? The skin is the...
The fire wick fire starter
By Len McDougall
Issue #114 • November/December, 2008
When my hunting buddy Dar met me for lunch at our rendezvous point, he said he doubted we could make a small cookfire on the wet, snow-covered ground....
Emergency planning beyond the bug-out bag
By Jackie Clay-Atkinson
Issue #157 • January/February, 2016
In many emergency situations, simply staying home can be your most sensible choice. After all, most of us have stocked up on a good supply of food in...
For health & comfort, try wild herbal teas
By Cynthia Andal
Issue #76 • July/August, 2002
The mention of herbal teas brings to mind pleasant conversations in a warmly scented kitchen, aided by the fragrant steam of a cup of Fireweed tea.
Completely aside from...
Your kitchen pharmacy — How common culinary herbs and spices can help you feel...
By Rebekah L. Cowell
Issue #122 • March/April, 2010
In a perfect world, we would get all the nutrients and medication we needed from the food we ate. However, our diets and the foods available to...
The accidental homesteader
By Terry Hooker
Everyone who homesteads has hit that point where they decide to be more self sufficient. Sometimes it’s from life circumstances and sometimes it’s a conscious choice. For me the moment came after...
Homeschooling your dylsexic kid
By John Silveira
Issue #142 • July/August, 2013
I write and edit for a living. I'm the senior editor for Backwoods Home Magazine for which I've written numerous columns during the last 24 years. Before that...
Disaster preparation!
By Gary F. Arnet, D.D.S.
Issue #74 • March/April, 2002
Are you prepared for a disaster that could affect the daily function of your life or the lives of your family members? Or do you even...
