Reddit reviews The Foxfire Book: Hog Dressing, Log Cabin Building, Mountain Crafts and Foods, Planting by the Signs, Snake Lore, Hunting Tales, Faith Healing, Moonshining, and Other Affairs of Plain Living

There's a really old book out there, I wanna say it's called Foxfire? It's basically a manual on living rough. It's, like, all the things. From how to build a cabin, to how to grow food, what plants you can eat, stuff like that.

Found it!

I have all the Foxfire books so if I have to I can dress a hog or build a log cabin, even though at the moment I live in an apartment where I'm currently growing butter lettuce and herbs on my balcony.

FoxFire is actually a fucking awesome series of books on back country living in the south. They have articles on everything from making moonshine to basket weaving, furniture making, and even old ghost stories from way back. My pop-pop has some cousins featured in it and I always used to enjoy reading the books when I was a kid staying at his place in Virginny.

Edit: Apparently they do more than just publish books now. Looks like they have field-trip programs and shit for younger kiddies. It was back in the mid-90s that I first encountered them.

https://www.amazon.com/Foxfire-Book-Dressing-Building-Moonshining/dp/0385073534/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1506462027&sr=8-1&keywords=foxfire

All of the Foxfire books
http://www.amazon.com/The-Foxfire-Book-Dressing-Moonshining/dp/0385073534

This probably isn't exactly what you are looking for, but I did want to give you my three favorites that relate to self-sufficiency and off grid living.

• The Good Life by Helen and Scott Nearing.
  I really like this book as a sort of "what to expect" instead of "what to do." It chronicles Helen and Scott's decision and life to live a self-sufficient life.
  
  
• The Encyclopedia of Country Living. This is a great resource. It covers EVERYTHING from gardening to raising chickens. It also covers cooking and canning with what you raise. It is primarily a consolidation of 40 years worth of a homesteading magazine.
  
  
• The Foxfire series. This series is quite long and comprehensive. However, it is an attempt to chronicle the oral knowledge of rural Appalachia. Everything is essentially about self-sufficiency (including moonshining), homesteading, and living life "the old way." It is truly a fascinating series and a wealth of knowledge.
  
  I am not familiar with the books you listed, but I do love the three I mentioned above.

I am glad they are helping them out, but how about give them this and some seeds instead of some book of myths.

There are books like the Foxfire books that have very good instructions.
http://www.amazon.com/Foxfire-Book-Dressing-Building-Moonshining/dp/0385073534/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1239564703&sr=8-2

It's also a popular survival guide

It's not a video series but the series of books and magazines Foxfire are very interesting and break down old cooking techniques.

It's also this

here is a link to it on Amazon

I would think you're in exactly the right place for the Foxfire books to be interesting - I have an e-copy, but lots of the techniques and plants don't apply for my part of the country.

amazon

list of the books

YOUTALKING BOUT THIS

I loved these books as a kid. My grandparents had a few of the editions including the one on log homes. I think it was #3, but I might be mistaken

Edit: I was wrong, it was volume one "the foxfire book". http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0385073534

The Foxfire Books

Checkout the Foxfire books.

see I just have a few old foxfire books that talk about that kind of thing, plus they have a bunch of oral history written down from the people they got the information from.

Looks like we have similar tastes. I also enjoy these same topics. I highly recommend the Foxfire books. My favorite is the first one, which I have linked below.

Don't blow them off because they were compiled and written by high school students. There are some excellent writings and accounts of many practices that no longer exist in the mountains of Appalachia. I don't think most people would even be aware of these experiences/stories/folk beliefs had it not been for Foxfire.

The Foxfire Book: Hog Dressing, Log Cabin Building, Mountain Crafts and Foods, Planting by the Signs, Snake Lore, Hunting Tales, Faith Healing, Moonshining, and Other Affairs of Plain Living

Can't recommend enough.

You know, I gotta ask you which part of shopping extensively at army surplus stores is the part that protects your family, home, and property?

EDIT: Fuck. You'd think I told the world to stop being ready for disaster. As a peace offering here's some reading material you'll probably enjoy.