Backwoods Home Magazine - Practical Self-Reliance

Feeling nostalgic? Now you’ll rave! Here’s the story of Burma Shave.

How to become a backyard beekeeper

Practical Ideas for Self-Reliant Living

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

Build a Composter

By Charles Sanders Issue #170 • March/April, 2018 As with most of the other facets of homesteading, composting can be as simple or as elaborate as...

For Extra Production, Try Mound Gardening

Build a Heated Germination Bed

Swiss Chard — The Leaf Vegetable That Keeps on Giving!

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

Build a Vertical Storage Rack for Cans

Build your own home in two years — Get a PhD in homebuilding

Build a barrel stove

Stairs — The next level

Self-Reliance

Defeating debt

The adventures of a first-time homesteader

By Jessie Denning Issue #160 • July/August, 2016 In November of 2015, my husband and I moved onto our 50-acre parcel of land in a 28-foot...

With commonsense planning, you can survive hard times

By Jackie Clay Issue #55 • January/February, 1999 Today, many people are afraid that hard times are about to descend upon us because of the Y2K...

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: Trees

Gee-Whiz: Ice Ages, Past and Future

Subduction zone tsunami — What the residents of the Pacific Northwest have to fear

The MTHFR mutation and why it may matter to you

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

Presidents’ wives of the past Part 4 — Cunning, vindictive, and one may have been a murderess

Catfish Biscuits

Who were the best…and worst U.S. Presidents?

President George Washington’s Farewell Address

Firearms

The M1A — A rifle that makes a statement

Teaching a 10-year-old to shoot

By John Moody Issue #174 • November/December, 2018 In my youth, I remember my dad dragging my brother and me out of bed in the middle...

Air power superiority

When a well-placed shot is required, when stealth and quiet are called for, an air rifle may be the best option. By Gary Lewis Issue #151 • January/February,...

The subtleties of safe firearms handling

By Massad Ayoob Issue #103 • January/February, 2007 There are so many makes and models of firearms in existence that no one has ever counted them...

Preparedness

Bartering for bad times

Food security 101: part 2

Use solar landscape lights for emergencies

Food security 101

Your survival depends on water

Survival storeroom

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...