Have you ever contemplated venturing out into the world with the intent of harvesting a tree or two for firewood? Do you know what to do and how to do it? Are you familiar with trees, the differences between the trees that make suitable firewood and those that do not? Have you received instruction on how to properly fell a tree? Including those that do not stand straight up? What about how to protect yourself from the dangers of felling a tree and the hazards it poses once it's on the grou...

A Survival Kit Shelter, The Super Shelter and Some of It's VariantsThe topic of bush survival shelters can be extensive and complex. To some, shelter simply means a roof over one's head, a place to get in out of the rain or more generally, something that provides protection from the various discomforts imposed by the environment. This article covers the physics behind shelter design and useage and the super shelter and some of it's variants.Written by Mors ...

StovemanshipThe wood stove is making a comeback where firewood is cheap enough and concerns with air pollution don't prohibit its use. This article is directed at the safe and efficient use of the small portable wood stove when weight is not a major problem, in winter camping by toboggan, on the remote trap line, in horse packing and canoeing.

This booklet is the first in a twelve part series that walks the owner/builder through the construction of a Global Model Earthship. This installment covers building the thermal mass walls out of tires, the thermal wrap, vent tubes, cistern installation and front stem walls. Photographs, diagrams and thorough explanations of procedures will guide you through the tire work phase of the building.With over 40 years of experience, Michael Reynolds has developed a 'living' home that hea...

Create a Beautiful, Modern Home with One-of-a-Kind DIY FurnitureBeds, organizers, Adirondack chairs, a play table, and more! It's easy to build inexpensive, quality furnishings with this indispensible collection of woodworking projects from Ana White, the popular blogger who has inspired millions of homemakers with her stylish furniture plans and DIY spirit. As a young mom on a tight budget, Ana learned to make her own well-designed pieces inspired by the styles in her favorite stor...

Working Wood, Not Machining ItIf you're more interested in working with wood rather than machining it, you will be relieved to learn that expensive powered machinery isn't required to build furniture. You can also forget the dust masks, face shields and hearing protection since many of the safety concerns related to woodworking-the use of power tools-are eliminated. In this book, you'll learn to set up a hand-tool woodworking shop, then discover the toolset, practi...

Open this book as an absolute beginner, and come away as a proud portrait artist.Mark and Mary Willenbrink's Absolute Beginner books have helped thousands of novices tap into their inner artists. In this book, Mark and Mary help the beginning artist take on portraits, showing that absolutely anyone can draw faces. Their encouraging, easy-to-follow instruction style makes learning fun—you'll be amazed by how quickly you achieve impressive results.

Sharpen your skills with these lessons designed to help you recapture the delight you took in drawing as a child. The Willenbrinks take you through several different approaches to the same subject matter designed to help you discover the best approach--or combination of approaches--for you.

Woodworking can be a fun and satisfying hobby. In a world filled with mass-produced, poorly crafted pieces of furniture, it can be a thrill to produce a piece made with your own two hands. Take a few pieces of wood, some tools, and your imagination, and you can make beautiful pieces of furniture. The possibilities with carpentry are endless. Even the most inexperienced person can learn woodworking and turn out gorgeous pieces that can become heirlooms. Woodworking as a hobby is growing in ...

Building with straw bales is being embraced by amateurs and professionals for its versatility, comfort, environmental friendliness and high insulation. New methods should expand its growing worldwide popularity. In Practical Straw Bale Building, Murray Hollis uses simple, easy to understand language to describe the established techniques of straw bale construction and ways in which they can be improved. He also presents a new straw bale construction system that has substantial benefits over c...

The only comprehensive, illustrated, step-by-step guide to building with earthbags.Over seventy percent of Americans cannot afford to own a code-enforced, contractor-built home. This has led to widespread interest in using natural materials-straw, cob, and earth-for building homes and other buildings that are inexpensive, and that rely largely on labor rather than expensive and often environmentally-damaging outsourced materials.Earthbag Building ...

Learn to draw remarkably realistic animals step by stepInside this beautiful, comprehensive book, accomplished artist Linda Weil shows readers how to capture the personality and character of a range of animals, from a magnificent elephant to a cuddly koala to a group of mischievous meerkats. The 64-page book introduces readers to tools and materials, as well as basic drawing and shading techniques, before delving into a collection of stunning step-by-step projects....