Fire, Heat & Cooking / Stoves & Heaters
Real GuideBuilding a Clay Oven
Build a small outdoor clay oven that stores wood-fire heat in a thick earthen dome for bread, flatbread, and simple baking.
Library index
Browse the Field Library
Visual guides for water, fire, food, shelter, tools, navigation, and old-world off-grid skills.
Finished printable guides are marked Real Guide.
Food Cultivation / Soil & Composting
Real GuideBuilding a Compost Bin
Build a simple compost bin that turns garden waste, kitchen scraps, air, and moisture into useful soil material.
Food Cultivation / Garden Beds & Soil Prep
Real GuideBuilding a Raised Garden Bed
Build a simple raised garden bed with safe materials, good drainage, reachable width, and useful soil layers.
Fire, Heat & Cooking / Stoves & Heaters
Real GuideBuilding a Rocket Stove
Build a simple rocket stove from bricks or a tin can, using an L-shaped burn tunnel to cook with less wood and less smoke.
Food Preservation / Cold & Root Storage
Real GuideBuilding a Root Cellar
Use earth, shade, airflow, and humidity to keep food cool through winter without power. A practical, beginner-friendly build.
Food Preservation / Smoking & Curing
Real GuideBuilding a Smokehouse
Build a simple small smokehouse that teaches smoke flow, low heat, racks, vents, and traditional smoking concepts.
Food Preservation / Drying & Dehydrating
Real GuideBuilding a Solar Food Dehydrator
Build a simple solar dehydrator that uses sun-warmed airflow to dry herbs, fruit, and vegetables without electricity.
Energy & Power / Wind & Water Power
Real GuideBuilding a Water Wheel
Build a small working water wheel that turns a shaft from moving water, with the anatomy, water-feed types, and limits explained clearly.
Water Security / Sourcing & Locating Water
Real GuideCollecting Rainwater from Roofs
Set up a simple roof rainwater catchment using gutters, a screened barrel, an overflow path, and basic first-flush habits.
Food Cultivation / Garden Beds & Soil Prep
Real GuideFilling Raised Beds with Soil Layers
Fill a raised bed in useful layers while keeping the richest soil where plant roots grow.
Navigation & Wayfinding / Celestial & Timekeeping
Real GuideHow to Tell Time Without a Watch
Learn three simple ways to estimate time using the sun, shadows, and your hands - no watch, phone, or electricity required.
Food Preservation / Fermentation
Real GuideMaking Sauerkraut
Preserve cabbage with salt, brine, pressure, and time using a simple jar or crock fermentation method.
Navigation & Wayfinding / Natural Navigation
Real GuideNavigating by the Sun
Find rough direction without GPS or compass by reading the sun's path, shadow movement, and the shadow-stick method.
Water Security / Sourcing & Locating Water
Real GuideSolar Still Construction
Build a simple solar still with a plastic sheet, a collection cup, and the sun, while understanding its realistic yield and safety limits.