"Weak Sauce" Homesteading Hacks - What's Yours?

At a glance, some habits seem like "common sense" or can be dismissed as "no big deal" or whatever. However, with their powers combined, a handful of "weak sauce" habits can turn into a powerful time-saver and labor-reducer.

What's yours?

For example, if I'm in a situation where I need to haul a large number of bucked logs to a different spot, I'll load them into a wheelbarrow - not a big deal - though in a particular way. I'll specifically load them perpendicular to the wheel of the wheelbarrow so that, once I make it to my destination, I can simply tip the barrow forward and the logs roll out, all in the same direction I want them to and without protest.



Please post your Weak Sauce Homesteading Hack here, and hopefully we can all learn and prosper.

Love it! For myself, I would call it "tweak sauce" referring to tiny but notable improvements in efficiency and ergonomics.

Truth is, I don't know where to begin. It's all in context, you know?

Okay, here goes:

Tweak Sauce #1 (a.k.a. the broth of efficiency): When I'm walking through a new snowfall between buildings, I shuffle my feet instead of "postholing" through like a bull moose. When you disturb snow, it solidifies into a sort of icy concrete. Shuffling makes an flat, even path that's easy to walk on next time.

Tweak Sauce #2: I don't use hatchets to make kindling. I use a 2.5 lb. Hudson's Bay pattern axe head on a 2' handle. Hatchets are too light and too short, making you force your way through while you hold the wood close -- a recipe for serious injury. A short axe has the mass to get the job done with a high degree of control. BTW, always have a landing spot for your short axe (or hatchet) that is not a body part.

Tweak Sauce #3: Hand lawnmower handles are ridiculously short! Add an extension from the handle of a dead mower. Your back will thank you, and this turns a little hand mower into a mini bushhog. You can lift up the front wheels to power through tall grass/weeds and tree shoots. Very carefully, since this exposes a rotating blade.

Hrrmm, I think I'm a bit OT with some of my responses. Weak sauce = subtle little hacks.

#4:
- After clearing a vehicle of snow, don't just yoink the door wide open. Crack it first, then open slowly. The last bits of snow sitting on the door seal will fall outside the vehicle instead of swirling all over the seat.

winter ruth stout..

raised beds are closer than the compost pile, snow packs the goodies down, no critters....transplants in the spring do GREAT ;-)

cheers!

https://permies.com/t/106509/permaculture/Yo-Sven-yust-invent-der
Der skiboggen, when there is snow, hauls wood right through the front door and up next to the woodburner.

skiboggen by vwfatmobile, on Flickr

craig howard wrote:Der skiboggen, when there is snow, hauls wood right through the front door and up next to the woodburner.

I like how you angled the side skis to form a trough. (I collect dead skis as well -- incredibly useful.)

(Not sure if this is weak sauce, but ...)

#5: I give leather work gloves a second, third, and fourth life using hockey tape. This is a super sticky cloth tape that bonds to form a pretty effective semi-permanent repair. I put the finger with the hole over a rake handle etc. -- something that is the maximum size of the glove finger that has the hole. Then I put on a few wraps of hockey tape, work it with my hands so it bonds, and slide it off the handle. I usually get a season or two out of the repair.

#6: The classic Victor mousetrap is still the best IMO. Two hacks: first, add a treadle to increase the effectiveness in catching very young, small mice. I use a discarded bread tab and use pliers to clamp it in the jaw (at the right). Second hack: control the nasties that mice excrete when trapped by gluing it to a chunk of cardboard or screwing it to a square of discarded plywood. Cleanup is easier. These traps can be reused dozens of times if you keep them dry.

My weak sauce is : tarps are usually better than wheelbarrows.
For moving dirt, compost, leaves, woodchips, and brush over soft ground, a tarp is hard to beat.
If  the material is destined to end up in a raised bed or bin you can load a manageable amount in each load and simply hoist the load , rather than shoveling it bit by bit.
Tarps can ride around in a vehicle or tool bag , out of the way until they are needed.

I love hacks!

HACK 1 CLEANING- I switched to using a cheap small plastic broom to clean my bath tub and shower. One squirt of dish liquid and the broom is all that's needed. The leverage of the long broom handle makes it a much easier chore.

HACK 2 GARBAGE - I have a system set up where all house and business garbage gets collected and separated out so all that needs to be "dumped" can fit into a small paper sandwich bag that I take with me to deposit in any trash can.  Still have to go to the recycle center but that can now be done every 3-4 months if like shaped containers are nested into one another. All recycling gets cleaned like dishes would before we put them away.  

HACK 3 MICE - I used to have a mouse problem in my garden shed as it was an old structure with insulation, so perfect for them. One day the door latch broke leaving the door to hang slightly open. I've found squirrels and snakes now using it too, which has cut down the mouse population significantly. Finding acorns and snake skins better than stinky mouse nests.

HACK 4 MAKING BED -. When putting on a duvet cover, start with the cover inside out / tie the corners of the duvet to the cover so it does not shift around.  Use flat sheets instead of fitted. Unmake your bed in the morning, hang bedding outside if nice out or simply fold down to the foot of the bed. Healthier + easier.

HACK 5 SNOW - Park your vehicles at the end of your driveway close to the road during snowy season so you only need to shovel and maintain a foot path to the house + the berm created from the plow, and not the entire driveway.  Use a sled to transport groceries.

HACK 6 MATTRESSES - Make your own mattresses using loose fillings that can be fluffed and redistributed versus slab foam that wears out evenly in the main sleeping zones.

HACK 7 PRINTER TONER - Learn how to add toner to your printer cartridges, many videos on Youtube.  A little funnel and spoon is all you need.

HACK 8 SHAVING - Grow aloe in your bathroom, it makes great shaving cream

HACK 9 BUY FOR LIFE - Only buy 100% wool rugs, they clean themselves if you vacuum them regularly. Stains just dissipate over time, even coffee.

HACK 10 GARDEN CART - We converted a 3 wheeled jogging style baby stroller to be our garden cart. Outlasted and outperformed any other cart we have used on the property.  The large wheels are key to getting over rocks and obstacles and the 3 wheels makes it very stable - just enough room for a 5 gallon bucket to transport tools, gravel etc.  We took off all the fabric and laid a board down across the axle.  In hindsight, maybe we should have kept the rain awning on.  

BONUS HACK - DEER  When fencing in your garden to protect it from deer make the area long and narrow. Deer won't jump into an area where they see they will hit the next fence or an obstacle beyond the one they are planning to jump. They are good judges of this as a broken leg would be a death sentence for sure. If only we knew this before fencing in an entire area of our property to see them easily glide over any section. 5 years now with the narrow design with a raised bed down the center and not one breach.

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:#6: ...first, add a treadle to increase the effectiveness in catching very young, small mice. I use a discarded bread tab and use pliers to clamp it in the jaw (at the right). ...

I feel really stupid asking this, but I can't see what you added to the trap?

Full sized spare: always have a full sized spare stashed somewhere.
It doesn't need to be on the vehicle, in fact, if I kept it in the vehicle we wouldn't be able to get to it when we need it.
Rather than calling for a service truck the person who has a flat calls someone to bring the spare.
The tire is changed and the flat tire goes to be patched, or replaced.
This minimizes downtime for vehicles and occupents

Stephen writes,

However, with their powers combined, a handful of "weak sauce" habits can turn into a powerful time-saver and labor-reducer.
What's yours?

These habits relate to locations where snow is rare and sand is plentiful.

When I get a giant load of wood chips from the arborist, I tilt the wheelbarrow and rake in the chips. When the pile is too low for the height of the barrow, I rake the chips into a sled* that glides across the sand. When the pile of wood chips is too low for the sled, I rake them onto an old tarp and drag that along the sand. Lowering the height of the carrier and raking the chips into the container means I never need to lift a shovel.

Sand that has penetrated into drying logs is really destructive to an axe blade. Instead of an axe for splitting wood, I tap a 5 lb splitting wedge into the log and hit the wedge with a 4 lb long-handled sledge hammer. I split smaller kindling by wedging a worn-out handle-less meat cleaver into a dry split then tap the metal with a small log. A pile of sand at the wood splitting site is ideal for raising the height of logs without a stump and partially burying unwieldy logs for greater stability. Once split, I drag wood to the woodpile with the sled.

A pile of sand is also ideal for cleaning grill grates. Just twist the grates in the sand, dust off with a branch of sage or rosemary and they shine like new.

*The homemade "sled" is a repurposed plastic storage bin with a rope handle

Trace Oswald wrote:

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:#6: ...first, add a treadle to increase the effectiveness in catching very young, small mice. I use a discarded bread tab and use pliers to clamp it in the jaw (at the right). ...

I feel really stupid asking this, but I can't see what you added to the trap?

Apologies, Trace. It's a generic photo. I'll try to post one showing my modification.

EDIT:

I'm embarrassed to say, but I don't know many "hacks" so I am delighted at all the knowledge that everyone is sharing.

I'll still give it a shot.

Hack #1 - If you are getting 'shocked' by a static rich environment, moisturize! Putting lotion on your skin will prevent those random zaps that occur.

Hack #2 - If you cook with cast iron, get a chain mail scrubber. I've tried nearly everything and hands down it is the best option I've found for keeping my cookery clean. It significantly increased my cleaning efficiency.

Hack 1

In the winter we put our compost in an old cat litter bucket riddled with vent holes that's kept 2 steps from the back door. It keeps us from having to trudge thru the snow on the hill to the compost bin.

Hack 2

I use 2-  55 gal garbage cans to haul wood chips around. (I get them from the community 'green space' where you can dump clippings, branches and leaves) it fills very quickly from the woodchip mountain and it fits in the back of my SUV. The garbage can slides nicely over the grass especially when I get a little speed going and I can shovel or dump (usually dump) the chips quickly.

Timothy just reminded me of one a friend just showed me.
He sent me home with a bag of dried lemon peels.
From lemons cut in half and dried.
He told me to use them to scrub my dishes, skillets and pans.
They work great, get into the corners and the curve allows them to mold to the edges.

He asked me if I needed any more and I told him no, because I'm still on my first one, wash/dry it when done and I just keep using it.

Hack #7: I use bar soap as much as possible (instead of shampoo or hand wash soap). Cheap, effective, easier on skin and minimal waste. But people hate bar soap because it turns into a goopy mess. Not if you set it on a brush with the bristles up -- it dries right away and lasts for ages. (This particular brush was from Lee Valley Tools but any brush will work. The bar is a hotel soap bar from months ago -- I use it daily -- lots left. I'll try to get a prettier photo that sells haha.)

Hack #8: Use a "glug jug" to conveniently reuse clean wastewater. (This is also a camping hack.)

I divert a fair amount of clean water from my shower when the water is warming up, and in winter from the flow-through humidifier on my furnace.

But how to use it conveniently? One way is to pour it in a rectangular 4L /1 gallon jug that has a pop-top dispenser. When I set this on its side on my bathroom sink, it creates a nice slow hands-free stream of water (glug-glug-glug) that's perfect for hand washing and rinsing. Love this!

Hack #9: For warm feet in winter, put in felt insoles. If your feet are nice and toasty, the rest of you feels warmer!

Country folks know about these. Urbanites seem dumbfounded. They're about 1/4" thick so they fit in any boot or shoe -- even my house shoes have them. And my big felt lined winter boots too. They insulate, but more importantly them manage moisture by moving it away from your foot. A damp sock makes you instantly cold.

Rather than spend hours stacking firewood I built a giant box out of free pallets and scrap wood. Now I just throw the wood in there loose with a tarp over it. If you kill a rat in a trap put the carcass in the hole it dug and bury it, that will keep other rats from using the tunnel for a while.

James MacKenzie wrote:winter ruth stout..

raised beds are closer than the compost pile, snow packs the goodies down, no critters....transplants in the spring do GREAT ;-)

cheers!

It's the way I have always done it. Simply never did understand the mania for playing with compose piles. Leave it on top. The birds-squirrels-bees-insects take what they need, it all rots right down right where it's needed. Spread thin it doesn't smell.

Timothy Norton wrote:
Hack #2 - If you cook with cast iron, get a chain mail scrubber. I've tried nearly everything and hands down it is the best option I've found for keeping my cookery clean. It significantly increased my cleaning efficiency.

My wife cleans cast iron pans with orange peels. It seems to work.

Thom Bri wrote:
My wife cleans cast iron pans with orange peels. It seems to work.

So the citric acid is weak enough sauce to not damage the seasoning?

I find with Paul's recommendation of a metal, flat-edged spatula and my 'leave no morsel behind' ethic, there is very little I cook in cast iron that needs any cleaning.

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:Hack #9: For warm feet in winter, put in felt insoles. If your feet are nice and toasty, the rest of you feels warmer!

Country folks know about these. Urbanites seem dumbfounded. They're about 1/4" thick so they fit in any boot or shoe -- even my house shoes have them. And my big felt lined winter boots too. They insulate, but more importantly them manage moisture by moving it away from your foot. A damp sock makes you instantly cold.

These are vital for cold weather if one wears "barefoot" shoes lacking the foam layer that screws up foot/leg mechanics.

The ones I buy for regular shoes are labeled 8mm. Thefeltstore in Canada sells 14mm ones which are nice in mukluks or boots like Wellingtons, but too much for something that normally fits tighter.

Be sure they are pure wool to avoid the stink of a synthetic blend and to avoid melting plastic if you pull them out to dry near a heat source.

Coydon Wallham wrote:

Thom Bri wrote:
My wife cleans cast iron pans with orange peels. It seems to work.

So the citric acid is weak enough sauce to not damage the seasoning?

I find with Paul's recommendation of a metal, flat-edged spatula and my 'leave no morsel behind' ethic, there is very little I cook in cast iron that needs any cleaning.

It does not seem to damage the pan. Honestly I think my wife scrubs the cast iron excessively, but that is a battle I lost 20 years ago.

Coydon Wallham wrote:

Thom Bri wrote:
My wife cleans cast iron pans with orange peels. It seems to work.

So the citric acid is weak enough sauce to not damage the seasoning?

I find with Paul's recommendation of a metal, flat-edged spatula and my 'leave no morsel behind' ethic, there is very little I cook in cast iron that needs any cleaning.

Hard dried orange peels or soft fresh ones?

craig howard wrote:

Coydon Wallham wrote:

Thom Bri wrote:
My wife cleans cast iron pans with orange peels. It seems to work.

So the citric acid is weak enough sauce to not damage the seasoning?

I find with Paul's recommendation of a metal, flat-edged spatula and my 'leave no morsel behind' ethic, there is very little I cook in cast iron that needs any cleaning.

Hard dried orange peels or soft fresh ones?

Both, but more the soft. Inside white is what she uses.

What do you use as bait?

I have had success squeezing a raisin into the bait holder and this has worked beautifully. Upon simple observation, it looks like it is quite hard for the mice to remove the raisin without tripping the trap.

Louis Laframboise wrote:What do you use as bait?

I have had success squeezing a raisin into the bait holder and this has worked beautifully. Upon simple observation, it looks like it is quite hard for the mice to remove the raisin without tripping the trap.

Good idea!

I use peanut butter for bait. Dear Wife is a PB lover and I take the last traces out of the empty jars. Since I reuse each trap many times it's important to refresh the bait. (Since deer mice can carry disease, I use a dedicated set of needlenose pliers and a flat screwdriver to empty and reset the trap without touching anything.)

Hack #10:  I use drywall screws for all sorts of minor fixes since they're easy to drive in by hand and don't split the wood as much. They're not for anything heavy or structural of course because they're fairly brittle. But sometimes that's useful -- if I'm joining two thin pieces of wood, I'll put in a drywall screw that's 1/3 longer and break off the excess length by bending it with a hammer. It breaks roughly flush with the wood. The broken end goes into the metal recycling bin.

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:Hack #10:  I use drywall screws for all sorts of minor fixes since they're easy to drive in by hand and don't split the wood as much. They're not for anything heavy or structural of course because they're fairly brittle. But sometimes that's useful -- if I'm joining two thin pieces of wood, I'll put in a drywall screw that's 1/3 longer and break off the excess length by bending it with a hammer. It breaks roughly flush with the wood. The broken end goes into the metal recycling bin.

Surprised they take metal screws in the mainstream recycling system where you are. Here (rural Ontario), we have to bring them to a particular place where this "other, special, scrap" metal stream is accepted. It is NOT part of the default, sometimes come-to-your-door service recycling program organised, government, run, sometimes local, recycling system municipally-run perhaps or corporate  kind of --as in one of the ecojewel sectoral flows. Maybe i am out of the loop with what is accepted.

I know this is going on a tangent. Though, this response sprung after reading your comment. You may want to see the video by Stossel on the scam of recycling. It is usually helpful to widen the conversation, maybe pick up some nuggets. Not selling anything or trying to convince.


Libertarian Journalist John Stossel Debunks the Green ‘Religion’ of Recycling: ‘A Dead End Street’ (VIDEO)
(7 minutes)

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/12/libertarian-journalist-john-stossel-debunks-green-religion-recycling/

When working out in the cold, I would put a 50 cent piece in my palm inside my gloves.  The metal would warm up and act like a hand warmer.

Paper towel rolls make a great way to store electrical cords.

     

Makes me wonder what mice are eating in my cellar, amoung other places. What sloppy trail, plunder, ecojewels (heat, MC (microclimate), food, insulation,...) have i left behind, spilled, to make it attractive for them? This also may result from old or shoddy house construction--possible openings to the outside world.

This particular cultural edge of mouse elimination we do with our traps and very in situ efforts performs the same function the plastic toxic mouse/rat boxes adjacent to buildings and other infrastructure supposedly needed for our globo instant world. Though ours may be more in your face and direct though not having to be toxic.
: : : : : : :


(Since deer mice can carry disease, I use a dedicated set of needlenose pliers and a flat screwdriver to empty and reset the trap without touching anything.)

Let's add a grain of salt here. Regarding the above snippet quote from your reply, i am curious what the different takes would be in the various worldviews of bioterrain and germ theory.
: : : : : : :

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:

Louis Laframboise wrote:What do you use as bait?

I have had success squeezing a raisin into the bait holder and this has worked beautifully. Upon simple observation, it looks like it is quite hard for the mice to remove the raisin without tripping the trap.

Good idea!

I use peanut butter for bait. Dear Wife is a PB lover and I take the last traces out of the empty jars. Since I reuse each trap many times it's important to refresh the bait. (Since deer mice can carry disease, I use a dedicated set of needlenose pliers and a flat screwdriver to empty and reset the trap without touching anything.)

"Be Nice" Edit: Personally I'll keep building on the OP's idea of useful homesteading hacks in this thread. But new threads on new topics are very welcome on this forum, and I'm happy to add my 2c to those discussions! The added bonus of new threads is that useful information isn't buried so it's easier for others to find. Cheers!

If keeping full size spares ready, make sure if you are using rotational tires to have one loaded in each direction (and know which way they go on)
Personally I am so far from a garage etc., it makes sense to have my 3 ton jack, good cross bar, stabilizing blocks and both rims ready to go (I am using rotational tires for now)

Honestly, first time you are stuck and don't have to hang around in bug ridden conditions or freeze your butt off, you will be glad you made room for them, a jug of water, jumper cables, a windup flashlight, headlamp, some extra boots, coat and snow pants, perhaps a chunk of Styrofoam, some wire, rope, and wool socks, gloves and touque

I didn't realize a full size spares was a hack -- I thought it was survival gear
I drive old vehicles
No wonder it takes me a while when I switch vehicles

Another hack

Always wear your safety equipment and keep it ziplocked and hanging near the door where you can find it -- that goes for fire extinguishers too

Boot insoles: actually the poured wool and alpaca ones are even warmer although more expensive

Roasting meat no waste hack:

Hacking on my cold while looking for "hack" in my email to locate this thread easily, I actually do have a hack I hadn't thought was a hack because I have done it for decades

I'll bet we all have more than we think at first pass

Yesterday, not up for elaborate cooking, I stuck a big turkey in the oven, partially defrosted
I know, is t must sit in there too long and get a bit tough

Well the first thing is use a really good covered roasting pot if you can -- it will pay for itself eventually

This monster beast was about 14 lbs

6 hours later...

Well to prepare it so it wouldn't stick and burn,
I halved a bunch of onions and stuck them under the turkey in the bottom of the roasting pan
Lid wouln't close at first but give it an hour or two and it will close up
I found out a few years ago that if you keep the skins on the onions, you can salvage all the onions
(Onions are cheaper than turkey and this way none of the turkey over cooks)
Anyway, after it is cooked I bag up caramelized baked onions in a ziplock and freeze them;

partially defrosted roasted onions are easy to slice
They can them be added to vegetables, spaghetti sauce, stew and soup, so no waste

Lazy hacking cook will settle for turkey sandwiches, remove the best meat, bag and keep cool, add water halfway up the roasting pan and return to oven with bones and tough meat, let it sit for a few hours
The best day, fish out bones etc, cool again, skim off fat, add root vegetables and anything else you need to use up or like in stews and you've got MRE's