Practical Projects for Self-Sufficiency: DIY Projects to Get Your Self-Reliant Lifestyle Started by
Chris Peterson
My rating:
1 of 5 stars
Whoever wrote this book obviously never had to be truly self-sufficient, in any way. As a game for sub-urban families with way too much time on their hands, it would work. As anything more than that, absolutely not. Most project require more energy and effort than any gain there could be. So, projects... A cider press: a crude version, will work, but why bother. A herb-drying rack: a simple string under the ceiling suddenly doesn't work? There must be some contraption taking up space (and a lot of materials)? A solar cooker: make sure to get some sun. A solar food dryer: I always wondered how people keep pests out of it. A backyard firepit: yes, that's a very complicated project that requires a recipe. A firewood shelter: I was rolling under the table with laughter. Why would anyone need a place for firewood that can hold about two nights worth of wood? A frame loom: that's a useful, but easy thing to make. A solar still: yeah, the efficiency would be awesome. A manual laundry washer: really? A pet door: isn't it safer to buy an automated one? I don't get this desire to live in a house with dog-sized holes anyone can get through. A metal kit shed: much cheaper to buy one, but if you have time and don't care about the cost... A post-and-board fence: it's just a fence. A clothesline trellis: if you already have a clothesline, it's cool to use it as a trellis, but why make one only to turn it into a trellis? It's not all that elegant. A two-bin composter: can be made much easier. A basement vermiculture bin: just boxes with screens put on top one another. Is there any particular reason to make a box from scratch? A potato-growing box: another "just a box". A soil sifter: a frame with a screen. Besides, they propose to sift the soil from the whole garden for the purpose of "removing large ORGANIC objects such as ROCKS and debris like broken GLASS".An octagon strawberry planter and cover: a raised bed for strawberries, octagon for some reason, covered by a net. A teepee trellis: put three sticks together. A jumbo cold frame: seems very modest-sized to me. Did they try to feed a family out of it? If it doesn't produce enough to bother building it, then why? A raised bed with removable trellis: put a frame with strings on your raised bed. A pallet planter: that's an interesting, if not very new, idea. A chicken coop: I'm not an expert in chickens, probably will work. A brooder box: another "just a box" with a screen and a lamp.A beehive: ok, a beehive.
As a summary: not a lot to learn here.
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