Self-Reliance
Off-the-Grid Living on only 1/5th of an Acre
For you homeowners that think you don’t have enough land to live off the grid, think again…
Ten years ago, Jules Dervaes along with his three adult children, set out with the goal of becoming completely self-sufficient. Today, these residents of the Pasadena California suburbs have taken their small 1/5th of an acre lot and converted it into a (almost) completely self-sufficient paradise.
The Importance of Self-Reliance
There have been quite a number of programs set up by the government in addition to well-meaning individuals to aid those in need. The problem with most of these programs is that they are stuck on the short-sighted view of “helping people” as opposed to “helping people help themselves”.
Homemade Firewood: How to Make Logs from Newspaper
I’m always looking for new ways of of using common household materials in a survival situation. The other day I came across how you can take old newspapers and turn them into logs that can be used for fuel similar to any other log.
Urban Gardening the SIP Way
For those living in cities or areas where you don’t have access to land for growing your own fruits and vegetables there is still a solution for you. It’s found in the sub-irrigated planter.
How to Build a Self-Sufficient Cabin for under $4000
For those of you who dream of one day building a retreat where you can be completely self-sufficient but just don’t think you have the money, well you might be surprised to learn that it may be cheaper than you think.
photo © Lamar Alexander - www.simplesolarhomesteading.com
Lamar Alexander over at Simple Solar Homesteading has managed [...]
5% Off the StoveTec Rocket Stove
As I test out and review various preparedness/self-sufficiency type products, from time to time I come across ones that I think are excellent. The StoveTec rocket stoves are definitely one of them.
Yesterday I spoke with a representative from StoveTec — the manufacturer of the rocket stove I recently reviewed — and they are willing to give tacticalintelligence readers a [...]
Video Review of the Rocket Stove
If your interested in an economical but highly effective form of cooking off-grid (or in a grid-down situation), the rocket stove is a perfect choice. Just recently I purchased a rocket stove built by a company called StoveTec.
Invented by Dr. Larry Winiarski, the rocket stove is a highly-efficient cooking stove that requires very little wood [...]
How to Make Butter with Nothing but Cream and a Jar
Just the other day as I was eating breakfast I was thinking about how I could have fresh butter in a post-collapse situation (yes I really do have strange thoughts like these). This got me looking into how butter was made and surprisingly it looked pretty easy. So yesterday I went to the task to [...]
Homemade Lamps from Everyday Objects
Having the ability to create light without needing electricity should be part of everyone’s emergency essentials. While flashlights are certainly helpful, batteries quickly die out so having a store of candles on hand can provide the light and morale boost that one needs to make it through a dark night or two. But what if [...]
Off-Grid Cooking Part 2: Fixed Cooking Options
In part 2 of this article I’ll be dealing with the primary fixed off-grid cooking options available. If you’ve missed part one, be sure to check it out. In it, I had covered the main types of portable off-grid cooking stoves that you should be aware of when looking to equip your 72-hour kit (bug-out [...]
