Homestead water
By Patrice Lewis
Issue #144 • November/December, 2013
It is the most necessary of homestead requirements: water. It is literally a make-or-break resource.
There are some parts of our country blessed with an abundant and never-ending supply...
Woodstove cooking
By Cindi Myers
Issue #127 • January/February, 2011
If you have a woodstove for heat, take advantage of the fire to cook your dinner for no extra cost and very little effort. The heat of a...
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...
Modify an E-Tool to make your own Combi-Tool
By Dave Strom
Issue #172 • July/August, 2018
Campers, soldiers, and off-roaders are familiar with military-issue Entrenching Tools, commonly called “E-Tools.” They are light, compact, and multipurpose. They can shovel, hoe, chop, pick, and scrape. The...
Help your home survive in the path of a wildfire
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Help your home survive in the path of a wildfire
By Brent Stainer
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By Brent Stainer
These firefighters fought hard to save this house, but the best way to save your house is to make basic preparations...
Making apple pectin
By Kristina Seleshanko
Issue #167 • September/October, 2017
One day, as I walked past an apple tree that was naturally thinning its fruit by dropping tiny, baby apples, I thought, “I wish there was something useful...
Power Up Light, Water, Communications in Emergencies
By Jeffrey R. Yago, P.E., C.E.M.
April/May/June, 2019
Preparing for any emergency or future disaster is never easy. What should you prepare against; what is the likelihood it will actually happen; how long will it take...
Frostbite — Don’t flirt with this sneaky danger
By Tom and Joanne O’Toole
Issue #96 • November/December, 2005
Frostbite can be defined, in its most severe stage, as when your fingers and toes freeze and have to be cut off because of gangrene. Wow,...
A view of self-reliance from a more timid perspective — A woman’s opinion
By Claire Wolfe
Issue #94 • July/August, 2005
My fellow Backwoods Home writer Jackie Clay is a domestic wonder woman who can do anything from can kumquats to butcher an elk.
Not me. Unh uh. No way....
Cleaning a well
By Pat Barden
Issue #105 • May/June, 2007
We have a good well with sweet water. It was already in place when we bought our property and had been in use for more than 20 years....
Moving to the wilderness — Turning the dream to reality
By Jackie Clay
Issue #36 • November/December, 1995
The Dream An increasing number of folks are having the same dream today: get a piece of land isolated from the stress and pollution of civilization, and...
Turn your passion into a business
By Patrice Lewis
Issue #150 • November/December, 2014
In 1993, my husband and I did something most people merely dream about: we chucked our professional nine-to-five jobs, left urban California, and settled in a rural home...
The community treasure chest
By Sandy Coates
Issue #114 • November/December, 2008
Do you have odds and ends sitting around that you no longer need? Are you a "green" thinker, hating to throw items away that are still useful? Do...
Make a Quick and Easy Tipi
By Bob Van Putten
Issue #174 • November/December, 2018
The native peoples of North America were a very practical lot. Over the centuries they developed some very efficient tools. Yet, perhaps because of their appreciation of...
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?...































