Primitive Simple-Living

Primitive Simple Living is an entirely different animal, although, for those who have already chosen to simplify, it can be a much easier transition and can be a totally unique and satisfying experience. Primitive is just what the name says, being totally self reliant and self-sufficient, ready for any emergencies and or dangers that may come your way.

This way of life certainly speaks to a chosen few men and women who’s heart and soul carry a sense of adventure, hard work ethics and essential pioneering skills. Loving nature is not enough.

Don’t try to go out there without any knowledge of wilderness survival skills and expect to make it. Country living or even living on a farm is pretty much self-sufficiency in action, but… wilderness living doesn’t offer much in ready-made supplies.

Before you try and set off on this new and exciting adventure watch as many documentaries as possible. Take a few wilderness courses and read lots of books. Alibris.com has one of the largest selections of wilderness books, stories and training manuals.

If they don’t have what you’re looking for, they’ll find it! Get familiar with a few catalogs that offer survival gear and remember. Nowadays you don’t have to walk into the wilderness alone without training or supplies – be smart.

The web has lots of information as well and you could even sign up for the more popular courses. Mother Earth News offers information on schools and businesses related to wilderness survival.

You can also go to www.motherearthnewsmagazine.com. Earth Knack offers classes in stone-age skills. For further information you can go to www.earthknack.com or get in touch with Bart or Robin Blankenship at: PO Box 508, Crestone, CO 81131 or call – 719-256-4909.

This next school is actually the one I would like to sign up for myself. It’s reasonably priced and teaches everything from tanning hides to plant identification.

They actually take you on wilderness treks, with training and testing on site. They are Hollowtop Outdoor Primitive School located at: 12 Quartz St., Pony, MT 59747 You can visit their website at – www.hollowtop.com.

It has some great links to other schools and reading and learning materials. If you’re really into primitive training, join The Society of Primitive Technology. I did and I’m glad I did. I have now met quite a few people through the society’s networking. Upon joining, you’re automatically signed up to receive

The Bulletin of Primitive Technology twice a year and special editions. The Bulletin offers a way to meet others with similar interests and offers information on upcoming classes and workshops. You’ll also be able to obtain information on shopping for much needed tools and supplies. The book, Primitive Technology: A book of Earth Skills had published articles by society members and editor, David Wescott. I just ordered the book and can’t wait to get it.

More books before you trek:

There are tons of wilderness books out there but here are a few of my favorites. Some of these are fiction stories but still an interesting and educating read.

Primitive Wilderness Living and Survival Skills by: John McPherson and Geri McPherson

One Winter in the Wilderness by: Pat Cary Peek

You Can’t Wallpaper My Igloo by: Katherine Norberg

How to Live in the Woods on Pennies a Day by: Bradford Angier

The Final Fontiersman by: James Campbell (I am so upset I did not pick up the last copy they had on the shelf at a nearby store. The first time I met Haimo and his family was through a National Geographic Documentary called Braving Alaska. The documentary also contains the story of other families that have chosen to brave the Alaskan Bush. The book is about Haimo and his family years later. They were known to be one of the most isolated families in the world.)

Wilderness Wife by: Bradford Angier – loved it!

Alaska’s Wilderness Medicines by: Eleanor Viereck

Living with Nature by: Art Ludwig (this guy has a very strong argument on living primitively) I really enjoyed what he had to say.

***The Emergency Disaster Survival Handbook by: Doug King available from ABC Preparedness, PO Box 795, Sandy, UT 84091(free shipping)*** EVERYONE NEEDS TO HAVE ONE OF THESE WITH THE WAY THE WORLD IS BEHAVING NOWADAYS!!!***

In my opinion, the simpler you know how to exist and the more you know about survival skills, the better off you’ll be in case of an emergency or disaster. Disasters and primitive living have many similarities! Think about it, if you could live in the wilderness, those disasters might not affect you like those living in cities.

If I could get rid of Cable, I would… but my husband and kids would not be very supportive. I do understand there are certain educational shows that are good for them, but I’m happy with news and public television. Anyway, www.pbs.org offers shows, documentaries and books.

Two of my favorite documentaries take families back to both the 1600’s and 1800’s. The names of these two projects are Colonial House and Frontier House. You get to see how people live without electricity, running water and grocery stores. A few people actually wanted to remain living in the Project.

Another documentary offered through pbs.org is Alone in the Wilderness – my favorite by far.

It’s about a man named Dick Prinoeke (I think I spelled his last name correctly, if not…you can find it through the title name). There’s also a book out based on the journal he kept while living for MANY years in the Alaskan Wilderness!

He was in his 50s when he decided to leave civilization and the rat-race and set off to the wilderness to build a log cabin all by himself, fished and hunted for food, had a fresh water source and prepared animal hides for warmth and clothing. Except for a bush plane that came a couple of times a year, leaving much needed supplies, everything he needed was built by hand using only what the land had to offer. Alibris.com offers used copies at really cheap prices (as they do all there books). You can still visit Dick’s cabin if you’re ever in Alaska.

There’s a really interesting show on the Discovery Network called Survivorman – www.discoverchanel.com. This guy gets dropped of in different locations and climates all over the world, with little to no survival tools or gear. He teaches as he goes,showing the basic survival techniques applicable to the different situations.

Construction Ideas and Building Materials:
Environmental Housing Ideas – get in touch with Robert Bolman 541-344-7196; 888 Almaden St., Eugene, OR 97402.

A man named Ole and his wife built a totally sustainable house in Portland Oregon – www.rdrop.com/users/krishna. They specialize in low-impact living such as harvesting rainwater, building a home out of straw bale, toilets that don’t use water, heating your home with compost. growing plants and crops on your roof. Pretty amazing and I think if you get in touch with them, you can drop by for a visit.

www.hhinst.com – This site offers information on creating natural and environmentally safe dwellings.

www.homeenergy.org – they offer you ways to drastically reduce home energy bills.

www.buildinggreen.com – Lots of articles and links to alternative housing and building materials. They have a directory called GreenSpec Product Directory. This directory is loaded with information on cheap, yet safe building products!

The Fox Maple School of Traditional Building, specializes in teaching people about all kinds of building methods like straw bale, clay/adobe, earth plaster, corncob, and daub and wattle. They’re located at – Corn Hill Road, PO Box 249 Brownfield, ME 04010 – 207-935-3720 – fax: 207-935-4574.

This lady Charmaine Taylor is amazing! She publishes and produces The Dirt Cheap Builder’s Catalog and wrote The Dirt Cheap Houses Guidebook on Disk…she covers lime building, paper construction, ancient earth dwellings, collecting rainwater and even building your own cooking units. She has her own mail order business and offers an interesting and useful selection of books and videos. On these she covers building the cheap and natural way, living off the grid, earth dwellings, underground homes and my favorite – travel-trailer homesteading. There’s another section on simple and sustainable living right where you live…you don’t have to leave everything behind and buy a piece of land in the middle of nowhere to live off the grid and be totally self sufficient! You can contact her by writing to: PO Box 6985, Eureka, CA 95502 – fax and phone: 888-441-1632 or see what it’s all about at: www.dirtcheapbuilder.com.

Building With Wood:

Shelters, Shacks and Shanties by: D.C. Beard – This is a classic and the best in my opinion. Written in 1914 by one of the founders of the Boy Scouts, he’ll show you how to build primitive shelters just by using an ax and a knife.

www.logbuilding.org – shows you tons of information on building your own log home.

www.yurts.com – Yurts are tent-type dwellings that can easily be moved around. They can be used as temporary dwelling or be made into a sturdy permanent house. It originates from the Mongolian Nomadic People. They even make some now that can withstand around 100 mile an hour winds as well as 100 lb/sq ft. of snow! I’ve seen some really big and beautiful ones. They’re probably one of the cheapest dwellings around and come in an assortment of sizes and styles.

www.castearth.com – teaches all about different types of natural earth dwellings.

www.strawhomes.com – Building with straw.

For papercrete building write to Laura and Gordon Solbert: earth@zianet.com

For thatched roof information (one of my favorites) go to – www.thatching.com – he’s an Irishman that is a master roofer specializing in these ancient type roofs!

I’d like to end with some tips on living on a farm if you’re interested in more of a homesteading direction rather than a bare-bones primitive lifestyle. The cheapest way to go, nowadays, with modern conveniences is buy a cheap travel trailer and pay lot rent. Take your time choosing trailer communities especially if you have children.

1. Save as much money as you can and try not to buy on credit.
2. Keep a diary of every single expense and how you can continuously trim down.
3. Don’t be late on credit payments. This way, when you need car repairs or animal feed, the stores will know you’re trustworthy.
4. Re-invest money made from crops back to growing more crops.
5. Choose crops that sell easily and are in high demand.
6. Sell your crop when the demand is high and no one else has that particular crop. Grow crops no one else has but don’t grow strange crops that people don’t normally consume.
7. Don’t forget it’s a business like any other and you’ll have to know certain market and advertising strategies!
8. Avoid selling wholesale.
9. Your local county extension agent can furnish you with much valuable information, if you’re ever in doubt about producing and selling.
10. Buy cheap, when purchasing anything to do with operational support & save the difference.
11. Buy animals and land during off-season when others don’t have the money or are simply not in the market to buy.
12. Try to buy animals that are pregnant and never buy an animal without inspecting it your self.
13. Keep yourself updated with the latest farming information. Go to the library, attend workshops and classes, subscribe to helpful periodicals and attend any meetings, conventions or product demonstrations offered through your local product associations.
14. And most of all remember your land and animals are very much a spiritual responsibility. You will only get out of them what you put into them.
15. Live with family or friends when saving to purchase your farm.
16. Look around for land that has potential for growth and livability. For example, you don’t want swampland or land without water sources. Make sure you can get electricity and indoor running water. Will the mailman deliver or will the bus be able to pick up your children for school? Make sure you write down all of your needs and wants before you buy. Never buy land that sounds too good to be true without seeing it first. Nearly all of the time it is too good to be true.!!
17. Learn as much about any poisonous critters that might be indigenous to the area and learn first aid in case of bites.
18. An ideal place might be some isolation but not too isolated. Buy far enough from your neighbor or the nearest city but make sure helicopter service is available in case of extreme emergencies.
19. You have to have some wilderness training even when homesteading on a not so wilderness area.
20. Most of all make sure this is really what you want. You might even want to try and work on a farm or ranch environment before having your own. Farm life can at times be lonely, especially for mothers and wives. You have to be able to handle everything around the home front, especially if your husband still has to maintain and outside job…but in the end you will see the fruit of your work through your family, children, land and animals, Everything you put into this beautiful way of life will come back tri-fold.

A LITTLE BIT OF LAND
A little bit of land is all I ask, Just a small place to call my own,
Where I can put down roots so deep So deep,
That great-grandchildren still will Call it home.
Is it so much to ask? A lane of trees,
Bringing birdsong and covered leaves,
Sweet lilacs holding in their arms,
The lawn. Tulips and yellow daffodil,
Spattered up and down the cellar hill,
Sweet gurgling brook, fresh and cool,
The brush beyond
Sheltering grouse and sage,
And shy sweet deer.
Oh aching heart, hungry hungry soul.
What little bit to make a grateful
Whole.
Is there no spot in all this universe/
A little valley, with a cabin home,
A bit of garden I can call my own,
I would not bruise the land, or tear
It apart,
But keep it beating with a happy
Blooming heart.
Each bit of soil, which God had
Surely blessed,
Would be a cozy home for seeds to
Rest,
And grow and nourish, comforting
All men,
With fruit and shade, and food for
Every soul.
A little bit of land, to call my own,
Within its small confines, a loving
Home,
And fertile soil
No matter the toil,
I would so grateful be
If God would take a little chance on
Me
And give me a small plot of lonely
Sod
That needs a gentle hand, and God.
Written by: Jennie Senrud Hutton

Just a note: One of the people not affected by the Great Depression were the Amish, Conservative Mennonites and The Hutterites (plain people of the plains).

Till next time – Peace Always, Gigi

**The authors of this site are neither licensed physicians nor scientists; we
simply provide a space where hard to find information is free for the
gathering. Use common sense when implementing any of our suggestions or
those of your fellow reader. **