Backwoods Home Magazine - Practical Self-Reliance

For large quantity food dehydration try this homemade gem from the past

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

Practical Ideas for Self-Reliant Living

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...

Boost your immune system with fast and easy fish dishes

Grow some winter squash this year

Vitamins D and K — way more important than you thought

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...

Grow some winter squash this year

Caring for your chickens in winter

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

Free pallet wood and birdhouses add up to big country dollars

The house that Dorothy built

Trusses — Low cost marvels to roof over most large spaces

Build this sturdy large-capacity food dehydrator

Self-Reliance

How to maintain your chimney

Funerals don’t have to be expensive

By Kelly McCarthy Issue #95 • September/October, 2005 Being of Celtic extraction, I am naturally disposed to dwelling on the blacker side of life. I started...

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...

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

A doomsday scenario to sleep on

Gee-Whiz: Coffee

Testing Soil

Gee-Whiz: Sleep

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

James Polk — A model for modern presidents

Oregon Trail preparedness: What supplies did the settlers carry?

Doesn’t anyone remember Tom Paine

Fried chicken for breakfast

Firearms

Firearms handling refresher Part II: Shotguns

Reload your own brass

By Dale Petry Issue #132 • November/December, 2011 Not long ago a friend called to say he had seen an unusual rifle at the local gun...

Hunting, processing, and serving black bear

By Linda Gabris Issue #162 • November/December, 2016 Bear was a popular meat in our house when I was growing up in the rural woods. Black...

Firearms handling refresher Part I: Handguns

By Massad Ayoob Website Exclusive • December, 2003 One of our readers e-mailed John Silveira to tell him that taking a handgun afield after a long...

Preparedness

Food security 101, part 3: Why I love my vacuum sealer (and more)

Storm survivors

7 Mistakes of food storage

Changing the odds in home fire protection

With commonsense planning, you can survive hard times

Moving on: A small town can be a haven during a depression

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...