Category: Traditional Skills/Fieldcraft

Apple and Pear Harvest, Oh My!, by K.B.

We are definitely nearing tree fruit harvest time in our part of the country. Our orchard includes apples, Asian pears, and European pears. Yum! The only problem is what to do with the blessing of so much bounty. It is a bit intimidating to look around and see ten or more 5-gallon pails of fruit awaiting your attention. What to do? Well, one can share with family, friends, or food pantries for the needy. Hmmm, there is the cold cellar and refrigerator. But, you still want to have some after the fresh fruit is gone so that leaves drying, canning, …


LogOX A2 GenOX Bushcraft Knife, by Thomas Christianson

The LogOX A2 GenOX Bushcraft Knife is a razor sharp, 4.25 inch, full-tang, fixed-blade, Scandi-grind knife made of A2 steel with a Micarta handle. At the time of this writing, it cost $287 at www.thelogox.com. The price includes the knife, a finely crafted leather sheath, and a matching ferrocerium rod. This compares favorably with other high-quality, hand-crafted, American-made knives. The knife and accessories provide a beautiful, well-crafted, highly-durable tool set for wood harvesting, hunting, camping, survival and other field use. The Backstory I like LogOX products for wood harvesting. My favorite LogOX product is their Hauler. A pair of Haulers, …


Countering Rampant Food Price Inflation, by SaraSue

When one of my daughters, who has a good job, starts complaining about how insane food and supply prices are, I pay attention.  She has started shopping at Walmart searching for the lowest possible prices.  Her recent cart rung up at $450 and she didn’t buy hardly any food – mostly toilet paper, paper towels, dog and cat food, a few household items, and enough food for a few good meals for her family.  She exclaimed, “This won’t even last us a week!”  I keep telling her to shop Costco for certain items – you get way more product for …


The Time It Takes, by SwampFox

I work as a truck driver. That means I spend a lot of long, boring hours driving from state to state. I have a regular route, covering the same roads each day. On good days, not much happens that is new or exciting, and to pay attention to my job I need a bit of entertainment in the background. So I listen to a lot of audiobooks. A handful of these have been survivalist fiction or preparedness-oriented. I have discovered that many authors and readers may possess some unrealistic ideas about what a prepared life looks like, or what life …


How to Make and Use Vinegar, by St. Funogas

If there’s one thing we take for granted in our kitchens it’s vinegar. For a couple of bucks you can buy a gallon and it’ll last most people a year or more. After the SHTF when every survivor must learn home canning as well as make their own cleaning products and limited antiseptics, vinegar making is a skill every household will need to master. Today it’s a fun activity and a way to put our canning waste to good use but after the Crash, it will be one of the most important food-preservatives available to us. Thus, it’s one more …


An Outdoor Brick Oven, by 3AD Scout

Outdoor ovens have a very long history of use, compared to the modern gas and electric indoor ovens of today. The fuel for outdoor ovens is practically endless (depending upon where you live) so for those preparing to survive the end of the world as we know it (TEOTWAWKI), an outdoor oven is a perfect addition to the retreat or homestead. In England in the early 1600s, wealthy landlords would have ovens built and would sometimes charge the peasants to use the ovens. It was common in history for bread ovens to be shared by a community. We need to …


Some Ramblings on Preparedness, by Jed

The following are really ramblings and they will be all over the place. I lost my teeth several years ago and dentures didn’t work. With no teeth, the amount and kind of food became greatly reduced. I lost weight for sure but also lost muscle and energy. The big surprise was how must my brain depended on food. My thought processes slowly became diminished. Figuring out problems, making plans, being creative, making poor decisions, and that sort of thing is worrisome. The lack of all those things in an austere environment could be bad if not deadly. Food is needed …


Useful Tools For The Homestead, by Hollyberry

I love reading about homesteading back in the late 1800s thru the 1940s. I also like to study photos from earlier times, especially kitchens to see what they used. Back then there was no microwave, Kitchenaids or food processors. What you had was what you had and it better be durable as there was no Walmart around the corner to replace what you just broke. Most household kitchen countertops today are cluttered with all kinds of machines designed to make our lives easier. Today’s homesteader can spend a lot of money on “essential” tools only to sell them off for …


An Arborist Training Position in Louisville, Kentucky

I just heard about a job opening for an essentially recession-proof job that might interest a SurvivalBlog reader.  I have been asked by the owner of the company to do the initial review of the resumes that come in: Arborist Training Position Job Description: Climber ISA Certified Arborist Position available as climber trainee in a growing (literally!) field in high demand.  Work one-on-one with owner of a small but successful tree company. We have a relaxed but safe work environment, with no drama.  We are servicing Louisville, Kentucky.  You will learn all aspects of tree care including planting, pruning (including …


Solving the Hard Bean Problem with a Grain Mill, by Tunnel Rabbit

Beans are indeed, as the song goes, “a magical fruit”, yet not only because they make you toot, but because of their high protein content, and other nutrition they provide. However, along with the excellent nutritional value that comes with beans is a serious problem that plagues those who would use a large quantity of this dry staple good as a low-cost and long-term storage food. Peas and lentils–that are also legumes–do not have this same problem as do beans. It comes with age. Beans become increasing difficult to re-hydrate and cook as they age in storage, whether stored in …


Our Experience in Raising Meat Rabbits, by K.B.

For the past 8 years, we have been raising rabbits as a source of meat and have had an “interesting” learning curve that we would like to share with you so that you might have an easier time of it and learn from some of our mistakes. Why raise meat rabbits? They are quiet, can be raised in compact surroundings, and provide a secret source of untainted protein as inflation worsens. People in the city of Paris even raised them during WWII. Do you have a garage? If so, then you can raise rabbits. Do you have a small hobby …


Siege Stove Titanium Gen 4 Flat-Pack, By Tom Christianson

The appetizing aroma of roasting venison wafted enticingly from the twig stove in front of me. The sound of sizzling meat coming from the folding grill on the top of the stove reinforced the attraction. I rotated the grill from time to time to allow the venison steaks to cook evenly on each side. After about 20 minutes, the steaks appeared to be fully cooked. I removed the folding grill from the stove, opened it, and cut one of the steaks with my EDC knife to make sure it was fully cooked. It proved to be well-done. I used my …


Moving to the Country: If Not Now, When? – Part 1, by St. Funogas

With winter ebbing and spring headed our way, some folks are probably thinking a little more frequently about getting out of the city once and for all. Having “been there done that,” it saddens me to read comments on SurvivalBlog from people wanting to start living a simpler more self-reliant lifestyle in the country but they just can’t seem to make it happen. For some of those, I’m confident they could turn their hopes into reality if they could learn to think out of the box, rethink normalcy, toss some of their fears aside, and make some sacrifices to make …


Foraging for Fun & Survival – Part 3, by Hobbit Farmer

(Continued from Part 2.  This concludes the article.) Hopniss-Apios americana Hopniss is in the legume family, and produces edible tubers. In southern climates the season may also be long enough for it to produce edible pods resembling beans. Some plants in the bean family can cause allergic reactions and so can hopniss. Most people are not affected but you will want to start with a small serving. This is a plant that I am still looking for so I can give it a try. Hopniss was an important food crop for native peoples and has 3 times the protein of …


Foraging for Fun & Survival – Part 2, by Hobbit Farmer

(Continued from Part 1.) Foraging Best Practices 1.) Make sure you are collecting in a legal manner. Many state forests or public lands allow foraging for personal use (not for profit/resale) and as long as the plant is not endangered/protected. It is your responsibility to find out those details. 2.) Ask for permission on private land just like you would if you were hunting. Be responsible, be reasonable, be considerate, and be ready for people to think you are a weirdo. When possible share a taste of your harvest. People will more readily understand why you are foraging if they …