Category: Traditional Skills/Fieldcraft

Putting Down My Dog, by SaraSue

I had no sooner sent in my positive update to the blog last week than a near catastrophe occurred. I am sharing this, even though it hurts to write about it. I’m doing so because I think it’s important to recognize that country living has pitfalls, as does self-sufficiency. Your preps and relationships become very important and not just for the obvious reasons. In this case, I needed plentiful first aid supplies, a clear head, and neighbors I could call in an Emergency. I will tell you the story. Warning: This is a graphic heart-wrenching story. Please skip over it …


Making Dosa the Old School Way, by E.P.

I have been making dosa — an unleavened fermented Indian bread — for more than 30 years. It has been a staple part of my diet. Years ago my sister-in-law, who lives in India, brought me two wet grinders that she purchased in India. Back in 2020 I wrote an article for SurvivalBlog explaining how these work and how to make dosa dough using them: Making Dosa – Indian Fermented Bread, by E.P. Since they have an electric motor, and because of the way they are designed, they are not usable without electricity. I began to think about a way …


Lessons From Hurricane Helene – Part 3, by A.F.

(Continued from Part 2.) Other than cutting the fallen trees off of our state road to gain access to the greater community, the only additional sawing we did was to clear the brush from our access to the larger hen house. Seeing that a massive white oak was bearing down on the fair-sized pine resting on the chicken run, I used two adjacent stacks of 12-inch block tied together with lumber and ratchet straps to pick up the load until I could remove the tree.   I want to give a huge shoutout and thanks to Thomas Christianson for his …


Cleveland Kydex Axe Sheath, by Thomas Christianson

I have a Cleveland Kydex Axe Sheath for my Fiskars X27 Super Splitting Axe. The sheath does an excellent job of protecting the blade from damage. It also protects surrounding objects from being damaged by the blade. The sheath is tough, has stood up well to a year of hard use, stays on the blade well, and is easy to slide on or off. The primary advantage of a Kydex sheath over leather is that Kydex does not attract and hold moisture as leather is often prone to do. It is also more wear and weather-resistant than leather. Cleveland Kydex …


Chainsaws for a Decade of Service – Part 4, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 3.  This concludes the article.) Critical Replacement Parts for the Long Term The single most common reasons small engines fail to operate at all or correctly is attributed to their fuel system that include water in the fuel, old fuel, or cracked fuel lines. And number one for chainsaw problems: old, dry and brittle fuel pump diaphragms inside the carburetor.  At one time the only affordable way to correct these problems was to install a rebuild kit.  However, there are other causes that make a carburetor less able to function such as fine deposits and internal corrosion. …


Chainsaws for a Decade of Service – Part 3, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 2.) We will also need a narrow flat file, preferably one with a smooth side so as not to dull the chain teeth.  This file is need to set the rakers for the depth of cut.  A raker gauge is expensive, but you will need at first to help make sure than enough material is removed to lower the raker height and allow the teeth to take a big enough bite of the wood to cut efficiently.  If you file the raker too low, then the chain will cut too aggressively and may  slow the saw engine …


Chainsaws for a Decade of Service – Part 2, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 1.) Aftermarket Saw Parts While original equipment is preferable, because of the dominance of Asian manufacturing, name-brand components are now often made in Asia and no longer in the country from where brands go their start. This is a sad fact.  A more happy fact is the increasing quality of the aftermarket parts. While somewhat inconsistent in quality, the aftermarket parts are also sold in the U.S. under different brand names. Thus, they have raised the bar of the quality needed to compete in the aftermarket. The quality of Chinese parts in certain sectors has improved.  And …


Chainsaws for a Decade of Service – Part 1, by Tunnel Rabbit

I believe this could be an important article. Few preppers in my region in the cold Intermountain West possess an adequate supply and ability to keep their chainsaws in operation for more than a year or two.  This area of prepping is overlooked or underappreciated.  I suspect that as many folks will freeze to death during the first winter after a collapse as those who die of malnutrition. In the cold north, the risk of dying from hypothermia is greater than the risk of being killed by a gunshot or a bacterial infection.  This is a huge hole in the …


Relationships, Communities, and Resources, by 3AD Scout

Multiple relationships equals a community and a community equals resources. This sounds so simplistic but many Preppers do not work on developing relationships which means they do not have a SHTF community. Not having a community means that they are missing out on vital resources they may need during and after a widespread disaster or a societal collapse. I saw this concept in action for myself in the past few weeks. Making a relationship Amish buggies and wagons are a common sight on our road. A keen eye will sometimes allow you to get to know the locals versus those …


U.S. Military Tent Stoves – Part 5, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 4. This concludes the article.) This photo shows the area behind the stove that is about 18 inches away. It could have been safely installed at only 12 inches away, yet because there was the space available and to help improve the airflow at the closest point, 6 inches, this was a good use of the additional distance. In addition, we can see the welds around the stove pipe collar on the wood stove and the welds at the juncture of the lower half and the pan that supports the grate. The bottom of the stove becomes …


Tools For The Next Generation

In this article, I’d like to emphasize the importance of tools that will be needed by our descendants. To begin, I’d like to stress the importance of buying quality tools. Don’t buy junk tools from Mainland China, often sold at places like Wal-Mart and Harbor Freight. I prefer tools made by companies like Snap-On, MAC, Matco, Irwin, Stahlwille (of Germany), Proto (called Plomb in the company’s early days), SK, Klein, Husky (pre-Taiwan), Cornwell, Kobalt (pre-China), Facom (of France), Worx, Fiskars (of Finland), Knipex, Ridgid, and Craftsman (pre-China). Sadly, many tool companies like Craftsman, Husky, Kobalt, and Stanley have moved part …


Practical Furniture for End of the World – Part 2, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) Table Project #2 was just the Project #1 design retrofitted with heavier lumber that supports seating for up to six people. It is very comfortable. This design is very sturdy and the table is stable enough that three people can sit on one side without tipping the table. The design lends itself to quick disassembly so that it can be loaded into a full-size 8-foot pickup bed.   Table #3 is similar to Project #1, although its legs are different. There is no cross beam, so standard chairs can be pushed completely …


Practical Furniture for End of the World – Part 1, by Tunnel Rabbit

Because I only have a small cabin, when doing large-scale canning, I use my outdoor kitchen that includes a deep stainless steel sink. While there is relatively inexpensive used furniture for sale at thrift stores and online places such as Craigslist, most of it does not meet my standards for that which is rugged or sturdy construction and durable when exposed to a long duration of many years exposed to the elements. This means that it is better if we can make our own, especially if we can not purchase it in the future bad times ahead. Furniture can be …


A Rifle is Not Enough – Part 5, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 4.) Barrel Length and Effectiveness The M4 Carbine with military 14.5-inch barrels and civilian 16-inch barrels were practical for the kind of police action tactics used in the Middle East where troops regularly deployed out of vehicles and in an environment where clearing buildings was necessary. And so their gear and weapons evolved to better suit those tactics. They did however discover that when in the open in the deserts of Iraq or shooting across canyons in Afghanistan their carbines were woefully inadequate. I will justify this opinion further and later in this article. The 20-inch barrel …


Log Home Repair, by Thomas Christianson

One of the major drawbacks of owning a log home is the amount of maintenance that such homes require. Logs decay if they are not properly maintained. To keep a log home from decaying, a log home owner must constantly inspect, stain, and repair the logs. My wife, “Kari”, and I have lived in a log home for the past 11 years. The home was built about 36 years ago. Kari and I have worked hard to maintain the home, but not all of the previous owners were as diligent as we are. At least one previous owner neglected to …