My View: Preparedness Planning as a Game
By Dave Duffy
I’ve been the publisher of Backwoods Home Magazine for 29 years, but my other job is as a feature writer for Self-Reliance...
By Hook or Crook: A Billhook is a Handy Homestead Tool
By R.E. Rawlinson
Issue #173 • September/October, 2018
When compared to our ancestors, we are very lucky to have readily-available tools. Stores are full of anything...
Previous issue #173
DEPARTMENTS
ABOUT THE COVER
After almost 30 years, Don Childers continues to create beautiful covers for BHM. This one depicts a mother and her two small...
How to can chopped garlic
By Patrice Lewis
Issue #173 • September/October, 2018
Before we had our garden established, I routinely purchased chopped garlic at the grocery store. Why? Because it...
Dehydrating food
By Kristina Seleshanko
Issue #173 • September/October, 2018
Dehydration is one of the oldest and easiest methods of food preservation. Anyone can easily dry and store...
Bob’s basic breads for beginners, bachelors, barbarians, and backwoodsmen
By Bob Van Putten
Issue #173 • September/October, 2018
I reckon it takes a lot of gall for me to write about bread because compared to...
Building David’s Cabin, Part One
By Jackie Clay-Atkinson
Issue #172 • July/August, 2018
Like most young folks today, our son David graduated high school, got a job, and went to college...
Previous Issue #172
DEPARTMENTS
ABOUT THE COVER
We gave our artist, Don Childers, the go-ahead to come up with any cover he chose for this issue. It works out...
How to make kombucha
By Kristina Seleshanko
Issue #172 • July/August, 2018
Kombucha is an ancient drink that’s recently enjoyed a revival because it’s a fizzy and healthy alternative to...
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...
Introduction to water bath canning
By Patrice Lewis
Issue #172 • July/August, 2018
Water bath canning is one of only two scientifically-proven methods of preserving food in jars — the other...
Build Your Own Hoop House
By Jackie Clay-Atkinson
Issue #171 • May/June, 2018
I’ve had my own garden for more than half a century, and I have learned a few things...
Previous Issue #171
DEPARTMENTS
ABOUT THE COVER
This cover by Don Childers depicts a self-reliant couple living out in the woods. They have a small home with a garden...
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...
Preserving plums
By Kristina Seleshanko
Issue #171 • May/June, 2018
I’ve read that the Chinese believe plums symbolize good luck; perhaps that’s why plums are one of the...
The wonderful world of axes
By R.E. Rawlinson
Issue #171 • May/June, 2018
In 1845, Henry David Thoreau began his now-classic experiment in self-reliance at Walden Pond. He soon realized that...
