Most Americans in this day and age have grown up in an environment where they couldn’t survive without government assistance if they wanted to. They couldn’t live without water being pumped into their house by municipal water supplies. Without food from their local grocery store, they would starve.
This may be one of the many reasons why the modern homesteading movement is gaining popularity: People want to know that they can survive and even build a thriving home and life.
With that in mind, Mark Chenail provides us with a partial list of some tools that you may find useful in your home-building efforts on your homestead (or bug out location):
Framing hammers in various weights
A trim hammer and tack hammer
Hand saws: rip, crosscut, hacksaw, and a backsaw with a mitre box
A pry bar and cats paw
Two sets of screwdrivers, regular and Phillips head
A 25’ measuring tape
A reel tape 100-300’
A Level at least 5 feet long
Framing squares
Chalk line and chalk
A set of good chisels and a sharpening stone
A basic box plane and blades to fit it
A good all purpose knife
A taping knife
A putty knife
Pliers in assorted sizes
Needle nose pliers for wiring
Wire strippers
A circuit tester
Several heavy duty extension cords and some household cords
A set of standard wrenches with a ratchet
Pipe wrench
Soldering iron and solder
A standard plumber’s blowtorch
Trowels and floats for concrete and plaster work
An extension ladder and a step ladder
A paint tray, roller frame, and rollers
Paint buckets
Assorted paint brushes
Window putty and glass points
Tin snips
Staple gun and staples
Caulking gun and caulk
Lubricating oil
Carpenter’s glue
Our pioneer forefathers were many things, but most of them were not fools. When Mr. Porter-Cable started peddling the Skil-saw, I can’t imagine too many working carpenters poo-pooed the idea and went about speechifying on the nobility of the handsaw.
I can certainly appreciate the skill and care needed to build a timber frame house with nothing but hand tools, but when you are living in a tent, I don’t think it morally reprehensible to haul out the power tools. There is no more miserable activity than trying to cut a 4×8 sheet of plywood with a handsaw on a hot day, while your significant other attempts to hold it down and offer helpful advice. That way lies murder, mayhem and divorce. Do NOT do it. There is plenty of time for nobility of purpose after you have a solid dry roof over your family’s head. So, that said, the Hopewells will be happy to have:
Skil-saw or circular saw (2)
Sawz-all….good for awkward cuts and useful for trimming trees and small brush
Jig saw for trim work and cabinet work
Extra blades for all the saws
Electric drill and assorted bits, particularly extra ¾ inch bits for drilling holes for wiring the house.
Maybe you have considered all of these tools, maybe not, and you may not need all of these tools. Certainly, the type of building that you choose to build will have much to do with the types of tools that you need to build that building. Simply put, some building will take more exact craftsmanship to be put together properly than, say, a lean-to would need, for example.
In your homesteading efforts, what tools do you use regularly and recommend? Tell us below.