Everyone who has ever endured a long, dark and stormy night understands the value of a good generator. When you can get the lights on and your home back up and running with the flip of a switch, that is great capability. Or maybe you just need to power a lot of demanding tools on …
If you live in an area with blistering cold winters, or perhaps you just live in a house or apartment that is drafty, poorly insulated, and always chilly, you might be tempted to try and heat your home with your gas oven. It can certainly put out the heat, but is it a good idea? …
Heating Your House with a Gas Oven – Is it Safe? Read More »
If you rely on firewood for primary or supplemental heating during the colder season, at some point your wood is going to get wet. One question that many people ask is whether or not wet firewood is safe to chop. Some people swear the wood is easier to chop, while others say it is harder. …
Is it Safe to Chop Wet Firewood? Here are 6 Ways to Do It Read More »
Do candles ever go bad? This is a question that is asked more often than you might think. Candles aren’t something you eat, so it seems like you wouldn’t need to worry about it. But some candles are made from waxes and other materials that are organic in nature, and that implies there could be …
Reliable sources of heat are essential for homesteaders seeking to produce their own food and power, as well as those in need of backup heating or heating for detached outbuildings. Wood for an open, traditional fireplace or a modern woodstove is generally considered the most dependable choice and available pretty much everywhere. However, if you …
I have to admit admit I was stunned when a friend asked me if solar panels and chargers work indoors. My immediate reaction was no.They are solar panels and obviously, they work by the sun shining on them. Talking to other experienced solar users, however, I changed my mind, and I felt quite silly. In …
For countless homesteaders in America, no matter what their location, wood is an important resource. For many, it is that feeling of coziness enjoyed while sitting before a roaring log fire. Numerous people like myself have an abundance of free wood that is available for collection. However, lots of others are not so fortunate and …
Anyone who buys firewood regularly, whether for providing a permanent source of heat to a homestead or a cozy ambient fire in a traditional house, will be familiar with the term, “cord of firewood”. However, if you are a first-time buyer you may want to know exactly how much wood will be included when buying …
Over the past few years, we’ve seen a serious push towards renewable energy sources for electricity. This is certainly environmentally friendly but switching over to something like solar power is awfully expensive so many of us will likely stick with the conventional electricity for now. This means that we have to find ways to save …
When I was a kid, I spent a lot of time on hiking trails and in campsites. A major part of those experiences was the wood fires that we used to burn. As a kid I never considered which types of wood are used. I didn’t know what type of wood we were using; all …
