So, we have our not-so-small plot of land, we have the house and all the storage buildings, and now let’s look briefly at all the tools that one person would need to be self-sufficient in firewood and food. If I were to write it all, it would be quite a long list, so I will try to be brief
- Full set of hand tools for gardening, orcharding, and landscaping, including such old-school tools as a scythe and sickle. No matter what, there will be a lot of earth moving, so a lot of work with a spade, a pickaxe, and a shovel will be involved.
- Woodworking and woodcutting hand tools – saws, a hatchet, an axe, and a machete.
- Some power tools, like at least a small chainsaw, and a small electric hoe.
- Some medium-sized gardening machinery – a verticutter, a lawnmower, and a small tractor with a plough, a rotary tiller, a harrow, and maybe even a small cart.
- A deer and hog-proof wire fence.
Let’s not forget that we are trying to do all the necessary work to feed and keep warm one person on 3000 m². Ideally, it would be a square of land 55×55 m2. It might not look that big on a map, but walking it back and forth the whole day, dragging dead trees behind you, or carrying sacks of potatoes, is not easy (I am talking from experience). And if we are trying to do without a mule or an ox, machinery is necessary.
I must say, I do have fun with this mental exercise. We will look at how to partition the land next.
Wheelbarrows are always useful.
I’ve considered, even started, writing an essay on wheelbarrows. There are really a number of different wheelbarrow designs and many of them are best suited to specific types of tasks. A wheelbarrow which is designed for moving bricks may not be as useful for moving dirt. Where the wheel is located can have a huge impact on the amount a wheelbarrow can carry, the closer to the center of gravity the more the mechanical advantage for the user. But at the same time, too much mass on a wheelbarrow can make it unwieldy and inclined to tip. I like two wheeled wheelbarrows for a lot of tasks, but then there is a flexibility in dumping with a one-wheel wheelbarrow that you lose when you add a wheel.
Is it weird that I find topics like that fascinating?
@flex, I find it interesting too. I have two wheelbarrows, and even though they look very similar, one of them has a tendency to flip over when I throw in it a shovel of dirt at the wrong angle, and the other has a tendency to self-brake in on wet clay, because the wheel is so close to the bed that the clay that attaches to the wheel effectively blocks it.
A one wheeled barrow is made on purpose so you can tip it out easily and traverse a narrow ramp. That’s great for dirt and concrete and the like, but a nuisance if you don’t want to tip it out. A two wheeled wheelbarrow can be really nice for heavy loads that don’t settle well, like firewood. I have a modified one with two wheels and a wide flat platform, which is ideal for firewood. A biggish garden cart is also very handy for brush and weeds and junk that has more volume than weight. In the arsenal of things to move things, you might also want to consider a decent sized hand truck. The big ones for appliances are probably overkill, but a medium one of the sort often seen delivering cases of soda can be very handy for moving heavy objects.
One issue that depends on just how you view self-sufficiency, is that wheelbarrow tires tend to go flat a lot. In your kit of equipment, I would make sure I have what is needed to patch and fix little tires.
I’m getting a bit old now, but used to do a fair amount of work with a scythe. It’s ideal for tall stuff that clogs machinery, and once you get the rhythm right, it cuts clean and lays the waste down flat and orderly. If you expect to do a lot of this, you’d better practice up a little. It’s hard work and hard to do right, and fitting the snath to yourself takes some experimenting. Scythe blades come in numerous forms and sizes, and if you’re not cutting hay, I’d look for a relatively short “bush blade.” It’s much shorter, and less flexible, and aside from being better for brush and little saplings and the like it will be easier on your back. Getting the motion just right on a scythe for haying and grass cutting takes a little practice, as you want to find something between swinging and pulling. People who do this in quantity sharpen their blades very frequently, not only to keep them sharp but to catch their breath. A proper scythe stone makes a sharp burred edge that cuts well but doesn’t last long.
If you expect just to cut weeds and brush, you might skip the scythe and get a really strong grass whip -- the strong kind with the blade supported at both ends. It cuts in both directions, and can get in close, so even if you do have a scythe, it’s a good thing to have. You can swing this rather nicely and use its momentum without stressing your whole body as a scythe does.
Just getting that fencing up, especially if it is to be hog proof, is a significant job, and then it has to be maintained regularly or it will be useless.
re Matthew Currie @4:
It may not work in all situations, but I solved this problem by getting solid tires for my 2-wheeled barrow.
I do not worry about wheelbarrow tires going flat because I have never seen nor used a wheelbarrow with inflatable tire. Mine have hard plastic tires.
Nevertheless, specialized equipment repair is not something that I would include in my self-sufficiency posts, since the food and firewood are difficult enough to achieve as it is.
As I mentioned in my first post if the series, real self-sufficiency in all things is simply not possible.
It may depend on where you are, but I have not seen many high quality wheelbarrows with solid tires. Most of the solid tires I’ve seen are not as big. Despite their tendency to go flat, inflated tires are easier on the operator. I wouldn’t expect a whole array of tire maintenance equipment, but a reasonable level of self-sufficiency I think should include the ability to patch and pump up a leaky tire.
Some outfits like Tractor Supply and Harbor Freight have little pneumatic wheels very cheaply -- sometimes cheaper than getting a tube for one you already have. Some of them are held together by bolts, making tube repair and replacement a cinch. Pneumatic tires roll so much nicer than solid ones, especially if your ground is soft or muddy.
Oh, and, among your hand tools, make sure you have a proper fencing tool. Like this: https://www.chisentools.com/fencing-pliers/fencing-pliers-diagram.jpg. It’s incredibly useful for just about anything involving wire.
Of course self-sufficiency is relative, and like the OP I’m mostly just riffing on the idea.