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Following on from our recent discussions on running tools from portable power stations, I thought this review might interest those who like the idea. It's a new offering from Aferiy (a brand I really like as a good blend of price & performance) Things I really like about it are 1) Expandable...

Given recent forum discussions on rats, I thought this might interest some forum members. We are filming a two part series on rat control for poultry keepers & smallholders. Part 1 went live today &covers the seasonality of rat migration, identification of rat sign & making a property...

I don't do much Bushcraft as such now, but I carry and use knives every day. About 15 years ago, Duncan (@FGYT ) was kind enough to give me a super little knife which had lines modelled after the stunning PFK that @Stuart Mitchell Knives made for me FGYT knife by English Countrylife, on Flickr...

I'm looking for a simple kydex sheath making for a small bird & trout knife. Anyone still making out there?

For those of us who enjoy brights, solar panels and all things geeky! I have recently the opportunity to test out possibly the ultimate portable solar unit with a folding panel, multiple charging options (from power station to 12V battery) and the ability to track the sun :D Fascinating and...

After we did all our homestead solar setup, I was recently contacted by a chap called Brian Shingleton who owns Nagonic Designs. Think Trevor Bayliss meets Professor Proton ;). Anyway Brian is an engineer who designs solar systems for mobile use - camping, van life, narrow boats etc. You can see...

Veho pebble pokket by English Countrylife, on Flickr This is something that in the modern world I think worth an EDC. It's a power bank with a built in charging lead that weighs only 36g! It is truly tiny and would slip into a purse, wallet, hang on a key ring etc It only holds 1,000mAh -...

No-one has been entirely self sufficient at any point in history. Western homesteaders took tools, livestock & wagons with them. Even Neolithic man traded knapped flints. We don't think that the fact that you can't be self sufficient in everything means that you shouldn't be self sufficient in...

Had a tree sit back and pinch the bar hard on my chainsaw. The only way to remove the saw was to chop it out with my rough work axe that I use for hammering in wedges. Inevitably axe met saw Chipped Axe blade by English Countrylife, on Flickr Good excuse for a quick reprofile Reprofiled axe...

As people were kind enough to enjoy our "solar firewood" thread, I thought some here might enjoy seeing the step by step process of taking our outbuildings off grid. In this video we look at Sizing & designing an installation Selecting a storage & power solution Buying, installing & wiring...

Today, we completed a tiny self reliance step with which I am inordinately pleased Log stack by English Countrylife, on Flickr The logs here are sustainable local wood. Blowdowns, dead trees, line hazards etc. The crates are old veg crates too rickety to use for harvest but fine for log...

Not everything on the homestead has to be utilitarian. I find mistletoe beautiful & a little mystical. Right now it has both fruit and flowers. It's the perfect time to seed new trees

As old hands here will know, we cure our own bacon, make jerky, butcher our own meat etc. Something we haven't had before is a proper, old fashioned, meat safe, but we are increasingly looking at air cured meats & have started experimenting so it's time. Our first attempt is Guanciale (pepper...

It may seem prosaic & less fun than knives, but if you are ever going to grow anything or raise any kind of livestock, you are going to need a barrow. A good one is a joy to use. A bad one is wheeled misery.

Lincolnshire is old fashioned, I get it. It's not for everyone. We don't have Uber or Deliveroo. The nearest pub is a 45 minute walk & the nearest bus stop a mile. When they run. However today I got a phone call from a farmer friend. "Come round for some Christmas veg". Off I wander with game...

Don't worry, we don't want your money! We would really like some input & advice though so if you can help, please take a look at our latest video! We are re-planning the smallholding but struggling a bit!

In the second on our series on cooking with fire, we look at some of the tips & tricks that are helpful in cooking on a solid fuel range cooker

All through Autumn and Winter we heat and cook on wood. We have been asked many times to film exactly how we do that & we have finally caved :) In this modern world of induction hobs and fan assisted ovens we decided to start the series with an explanation of easy, reliable fire lighting...

Go outside, put your phone in Night Mode to enhance the vividness, let your eyes adjust and look. Do it now IMG20241010222920 by English Countrylife, on Flickr

When we started incubating our own poultry we bought a cheap Chinese made incubator. It was awful! But that was many years ago & we wondered if they had improved. So we bought one to find out!