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The idea of becoming fully self-reliant is extremely overwhelming.   There are many areas to think about, from what it means to cultivate a garden preserving high yields of food, to raising chickens or small livestock. Then there is the topic of hunting, a massive undertaking in and of itself.  Learning how to craft even small shelters is a lot harder than you might think but learning how to build your own cabin takes hours of learning and physical experience.  Expanding out of immediate needs there is the issue of power, medical needs, communication and transportation.   Where do you even...

Everyone has their 'perfect cup of coffee', a moment of complete enjoyment to start the day.  Unlike our weekday coffees, rushed, spilled, sipped lukewarm, or purchased from a café, the perfect cup of coffee usually comes with its own environment.  Our Perfect Cup of Coffee... The old remodeled 1979 Scamper trailer is pulled into a quiet mountain lake.  It is just a bit chilly this morning, but heat is radiating from the piles of covers I am tucked under.  Cool air drifts in under the covers as my husband lifts them to get up and start the coffee.  The dog...

In a previous post we talked about how having a few pre-packed camping bins makes the camping experience that much more achievable for even a short weekend.  These bins should always contain the essentials no matter if they are packed at home and waiting for the next adventure or getting unpacked at the campground.  The items in these bins should be for camping purposes only and not unpacked when brought home. If you have not already, take a moment to read the post about the 10 items we recommend putting in your Kitchen Bin – please take the time to...

Packing for a camping trip is very daunting.  The lists grow and grow as you make notes of what food to bring, the clothing to pack, items needed to cook with, clean with and items to keep you entertained.  To go camping for only a weekend almost does not seem worth the effort.  To camp for a week takes so much preparation and packing that you wonder if you will even feel rested during the get-away.   Having a couple camping bins packed and ready to go at all times can lift a lot of the stress around leaving for that...

Camping season is right around the corner.  We live in an area where we can smell the fires of farms burning their slash-piles of prunings while we count down the days to when we can go out and do the same. Only our fires will not be the trimmings of vineyards and orchards but the sweet-smelling wood of a felled tree.  There is nothing quite like the first campfire of the season, crackling away under the stars, igniting the torch of the season ahead.  A season full of fishing boats lapping on small lakes, twigs snapping under your hiking boots...