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...
Fermenting Chicken Feed
By Melissa Souza
Issue #174 • November/December, 2018
On our homestead, we eat yogurt, kombucha (fermented tea), sauerkraut, and kimchi to add probiotics to our diet. These beneficial bacteria promote good digestive health, strengthen the immune...
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 of the night, tossing our tired bodies in the back...
Freeze a holiday turkey to enjoy it all year long
By Linda Gabris
Issue #174 • November/December, 2018
When I was a kid, Grandpa and Grandma would put in an order with the local turkey farmer in November for a “Christmas” bird, which would be picked...
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 magazine (www.self-reliance.com), owned by my children, and I just finished...
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 you could need and with online shopping, you don’t even...
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 was easier to scoop a tablespoon of chopped garlic out...
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 almost any food; there are just a few basic rules...
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 my wife I’ll never be anything but a rank amateur...
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 (accumulating student loans in the process). After that, he worked...
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 soda pop. Despite urban myths, it contains only trace amounts...
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...
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 is pressure canning, which will not be covered in this...
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 after all these years. One of the most valuable things...
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 & equipment
The equipment you use to make soap needs to...
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 most cultivated fruits on earth. (Or maybe it’s just that...
