Want a home that keeps running when the power doesn't?
Start with the right tools.
The skills our great-grandparents took for granted still work, no outlet required. This free checklist is the starter toolkit for a more self-sufficient home: what to keep on hand for laundry, cooking, light, food, water, the workshop, and the garden. Build it one shelf at a time.
Seven areas. One starter kit.
Everything a self-sufficient home keeps on hand.
Laundry & fabric care
Wash, wring, dry, and mend without a machine. The washboard, dolly, wringer, and a simple mending kit.
Cooking & heat
Cast iron, a Dutch oven, and a stable way to cook over fire when the stove is out.
Light & fire safety
Oil lamps, candles, and reliable ways to make light, plus how to keep an open flame safe.
Food & water
Canning, fermenting, and cold storage, with sturdy jugs and a filter for when the tap stops.
Workshop basics
The hand tools that make lasting repairs: saw, plane, chisels, brace and bit, and a sharpening stone.
Garden & field
Grow and harvest by hand. Scythe or sickle, hoe, broadfork, and simple low-tech watering.
Repair & safety
The fasteners, wrenches, and protective gear that keep the whole kit working and you in one piece.