Backwoods Home Magazine - Practical Self-Reliance

James Polk — A model for modern presidents

Put Your Garden to Bed for the Winter

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...

Vitamins D and K — way more important than you thought

Grow some winter squash this year

Boost your immune system with fast and easy fish dishes

Caring for your chickens in winter

By Jackie Clay-Atkinson As winter approaches, we all are thinking of ways to make our livestock and poultry as comfortable as possible when the cold...

You Can Make Your Own Fertilizers

Vermicomposting — Raise Worms to Consume Waste, Amend Soil, and Earn...

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

A simple backwoods hay baler

Here’s an Easier (and Cheaper) Way to Make Wooden Beams

Install rafters alone the easy way

Build a log crib

Self-Reliance

Cold process goat milk soap

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...

A worthwhile journey

By Kim Scheimreif Issue #124 • July/August, 2010 In February of 1996 my husband, Kevin, two-year-old daughter, Kayla, and I moved from New Jersey to Maine....

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

The world is coming to an end… and this time, I’m not kidding

Gee-Whiz: Insects

The many benefits of garlic

The gee-whiz! page — Cats: Why they rule our world

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

From Martha and Abigail to Dolley and Louisa, America’s earliest First Ladies were fascinating

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

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

Declaration of Independence: The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

Firearms

Catch your own bait

Military surplus and military “clone” rifles

By Massad Ayoob Issue #116 • March/April, 2009 One reader writes to ask if military surplus rifles are still a good idea for hunting, recreational shooting,...

Cold weather shooting considerations

By Massad Ayoob Issue #126 • November/December, 2010 Winter will soon be upon us. Cold weather makes a lot of things more difficult. Running. Walking. Navigating...

Frontier style handguns for the modern backwoods home

By Massad Ayoob Issue #101 • September/October, 2006 The year was 1873. Samuel Colt had invented the revolveror at least introduced it to Americain 1836. The...

Preparedness

Prepper power! Part 2

Wildfires: Before, During, After

7 Mistakes of food storage

Homestead security for women

Hypothermia — A real winter danger

Frostbite — Don’t flirt with this sneaky danger

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...