This third test of our Bug Out Bags focused on minimalism. What if we were bugging out on foot on a multi-day trek? Having our bags as light as practical would be important. Minimalist gear is lighter but how does…
Gear Test 3.0: Minimalism
Chicken Lessons: Two is One, One is None
Two broody hens, a broken rooster, no fertile eggs. The chickens provide a valuable reminder of the wisdom of Two is One, One is None.
Media rediscover grid vulnerability
Every now and then, someone in the American media rediscovers how vulnerable our modern life is because it is dependent upon grid power. Doug MacKinnon’s “Will you survive the coming blackout?” is the recent iteration. His article appeared on Fox…
Off-Grid Water: Keeping a hand pump pumping
A key component of the homestead’s preparedness is a water supply that is not dependent on the grid. A “dug” well is usually a detriment in the real estate market: not so, for me. That feature was a plus for…
Book 5 Now Online!
Finally. It always takes longer than I think it will. Nonetheless, book 5 of my Siege of New Hampshire Series is now available on Amazon. At least, the Kindle version is. The paperback is still working through the review and…
What About The Poor, post-SHTF: Solutions from the 1800s
After the Mad Max, kill-or-be-killed, zombie apocalypse phase of SHTF has passed, the survivors will not emerge equal. There will be the new “rich” (the preppers) and the new “poor” – those who survived with little or nothing. With the…
Syrup wrap-up, Spring chores
The maple syrup season ended, but other Spring chores quickly fill the void that had been tapping and boiling. While that task is done, self-sufficiency always has something else to tend to. It’s far too early to plant, but there…
Coal in a wood stove?
Could you burn coal in your wood stove as an alternate fuel? The answer is a qualified yes. As an experiment, I bought a bag of coal and gave it a try. Here is what I learned. First, a little…
Maple Syrup Season Begins
It’s maple syrup time again. The days are getting longer. For sap to flow, the days need to be above freezing (and ideally, sunny) and the nights below freezing. This has been a mild winter, overall, so President’s Day weekend…