Self-Reliance · Avocations
Hobbies that build capability.
An avocation is more than a hobby. It is a practice that builds knowledge, skill, and connection, and that steadies you when life gets difficult.
Below is every practice we cover, grouped by what you actually do. Each card leads to a beginner's guide to the practice. New here? Start with the guides.
By Dan Whelan, founder of New World Survival
Researched from government agencies, university extension services, and other published sources. See our sources
The idea
The activity comes first.
These pages are written for people who already love these activities, and for people looking for something that enriches daily life and happens to build real self-reliance. The pleasure is the point. The capability follows on its own.
Skills are capabilities you use. Avocations are practices you pursue. Each avocation develops skills, but not every useful skill is an avocation.
How to read this page
One index, grouped by what you do.
Grouped by activity
Cards are sorted by the kind of work, not by our filing system, so you can browse the way you actually think about a hobby.
The badge shows what it builds
Each card carries a small badge, Food, Skills, Fitness, and so on, naming the part of self-reliance the practice strengthens. Every guide here links to that part of the site for the technical depth.
Coming soon
The library is filling in one guide at a time. A card becomes a live link the moment its page is published. Until then, a Meanwhile link points to the closest existing page.
Browse by activity
250 ways to build a capable life.
Nineteen families of practice, from the vegetable bed to the workbench to the quiet work of a steady mind. 11 guides are live so far.
Growing & Raising
Food that starts in your own soil, from a raised bed to a small flock.
Vegetable gardening
Turns a patch of yard into a steady source of fresh food.
Fruit-tree growing
Plants years of harvests from a corner of the yard.
Meanwhile: the Food page
Herb gardening
Keeps fresh flavor growing on a windowsill or patio.
Seed saving
Keeps next year's garden independent of the seed rack.
Meanwhile: the Food page
Mushroom cultivation
Grows protein and flavor in a shady corner, indoors or out.
Beekeeping
Brings honey, wax, and stronger pollination to the whole garden.
Backyard chickens
Provides eggs, pest control, and compost from a small coop.
Meanwhile: the Food page
Duck keeping
Keeps a small flock for eggs, pest control, and daily attentive care.
Quail keeping
Raises quiet, small birds for eggs in spaces where chickens will not fit.
Raising rabbits or small livestock
Adds a renewable source of meat and manure in a small space.
Meanwhile: the Food page
Aquaponics
Raises fish and vegetables together in one recirculating system.
Hydroponics
Grows greens and herbs indoors in water, without soil or a growing season.
Animal husbandry
Builds the know-how to keep animals healthy and productive.
Meanwhile: the Food page
Berry cultivation
Plants a low-effort crop that fruits for years.
Goat keeping
Provides milk, meat, and cleared brush from a small herd.
Meanwhile: the Food page
Foraging, Fishing & Wild Food
Reading the landscape for what it already offers.
Foraging
Reads the local landscape for food that costs nothing.
Wild-edible identification
Tells the safe plants from the risky ones with confidence.
Fishing
Adds a renewable protein source from nearby water.
Maple sugaring
Draws sweet syrup straight from the trees each spring.
Shellfish gathering
Harvests clams, crab, and mussels from the shore.
Food Craft & Preservation
Turning a harvest into meals that keep.
Cooking from scratch
Turns basic staples into meals without a package or a plan B.
Meanwhile: the Food page
Canning
Puts a summer harvest on the shelf for winter.
Dehydrating
Shrinks food into light, shelf-stable stores.
Meanwhile: the Food page
Freeze-drying
Preserves full meals for years without a freezer.
Meanwhile: the Food page
Fermenting
Keeps vegetables and drinks alive and edible for months.
Pickling
Stretches a harvest with vinegar and a few spices.
Meanwhile: the Food page
Cheesemaking
Turns milk into food that keeps far longer than milk.
Bread baking
Makes a daily staple from flour, water, and time.
Sausage making
Turns trim and cuts into seasoned, storable meals.
Smoking and curing meat
Preserves meat the way it was done before refrigeration.
Meanwhile: the Food page
Game processing
Turns a whole animal into clean, usable cuts.
Campfire cooking
Feeds the household when the stove is not an option.
Dutch-oven cooking
Bakes and stews a full meal over coals.
Milling grain
Turns stored whole grain into fresh flour on demand.
Root-cellar storage
Keeps roots and squash for months with no power.
Meanwhile: the Food page
Brewing vinegar or kombucha
Makes a preservative and a drink from kitchen scraps.
Traditional baking
Keeps old, dependable recipes in working memory.
Open-hearth cooking
Cooks a full meal with nothing but fire and iron.
Butter and yogurt making
Turns milk into cultured staples that keep longer.
Fiber & Textile Arts
Cloth made, mended, and made to last.
Sewing
Makes and alters clothing instead of replacing it.
Mending
Adds years to clothes with a needle and thread.
Knitting
Turns yarn into warm layers that last.
Crocheting
Builds warm, durable goods one hook at a time.
Weaving
Makes cloth from raw thread.
Spinning wool
Turns raw fleece into usable yarn.
Quilting
Turns fabric scraps into warm, lasting bedding.
Pattern making
Lets you build clothing that actually fits.
Natural dyeing
Colors cloth with plants from the yard.
Making outdoor clothing
Builds gear suited to real weather.
Gear repair (tents, packs, bags)
Keeps outdoor kit in service for years.
Wood, Metal & Heritage Craft
Shaping raw material into tools and things that endure.
Woodworking
Builds and repairs the things a household needs.
Hand-tool woodworking
Works wood with no power and no shop.
Meanwhile: the Tools page
Furniture building
Makes lasting furniture to your own spec.
Leatherwork
Makes and repairs belts, bags, and straps.
Blacksmithing
Shapes metal into tools and hardware.
Metalworking
Cuts, joins, and shapes metal for repairs and builds.
Welding
Joins metal for strong, permanent repairs.
Basket weaving
Makes carrying and storage vessels from local material.
Pottery
Forms bowls and jars from raw clay.
Flint knapping
Shapes stone into cutting edges by hand.
Spoon carving
Turns a branch into a usable utensil.
Tanning hides
Turns raw hide into lasting leather.
Bookbinding
Makes durable records and journals by hand.
Coopering and wooden vessels
Makes watertight buckets and casks from staves.
Edged hand tools
Uses and cares for knives, axes, and saws well.
Machining
Cuts metal to close tolerances on lathe and mill.
Metal fabrication
Cuts, forms, and joins stock into useful things.
Metal sculpture
Turns shop skills toward work made to be seen.
Sheet metal work
Lays out, bends, and seams thin metal.
Traditional stonework
Builds walls and paths that outlast their maker.
Building, Repair & Home Systems
Keeping a house sound and its systems working.
DIY home improvement
Handles repairs without waiting on a contractor.
Meanwhile: the Skills page
Carpentry
Frames, builds, and repairs the structure of a home.
Furniture repair
Brings worn furniture back to solid use.
Plumbing
Keeps water running and turns small leaks into simple fixes.
Meanwhile: the Skills page
Basic electrical work
Handles outlets, switches, and fixtures safely.
Meanwhile: the Skills page
Small-engine repair
Keeps mowers, pumps, and generators running.
Appliance repair
Fixes what most people throw away.
Sewing-machine repair
Keeps the machine that keeps your clothing going.
Shoe repair
Adds years to boots and shoes.
Tool sharpening
Keeps blades and tools cutting cleanly.
Meanwhile: the Tools page
Timber framing
Raises strong structures from heavy wood.
Masonry
Builds and repairs with brick, block, and stone.
Log building
Builds shelter from the trees on the land.
Cob or earthen construction
Builds walls from earth and straw.
Tiny-house building
Builds a full, efficient home at small scale.
Shed construction
Adds dry, secure storage to a property.
Insulation projects
Cuts heating and cooling costs year round.
Meanwhile: the Skills page
Fence building
Marks, protects, and contains a property.
Dry-stone walling
Builds lasting walls with no mortar.
Solar-power projects
Puts a household's power under its own roof.
Battery-bank building
Stores power to ride through a long outage.
Meanwhile: the Energy page
Off-grid electrical systems
Runs a home independent of the utility.
Generator maintenance
Keeps backup power ready before it is needed.
Meanwhile: the Energy page
Wind-power projects
Adds a second source of power for windy sites.
Model wind turbine making
Learns wind power at bench scale first.
Small solar experimentation
Tests panels and loads before a larger build.
Window and door screen repair
Keeps air moving and insects out.
Home Craft & Making
Everyday goods made at the kitchen table.
Making household cleaners
Replaces store cleaners with a few basic ingredients.
Soapmaking
Makes a daily household staple from a few shelf-stable ingredients.
Candlemaking
Makes reliable light from wax and wick.
Furniture restoration
Brings old, solid pieces back to life.
Upcycling
Turns castoffs into things worth keeping.
Repurposing discarded materials
Sees a second use in what others throw away.
Broom making and brushcraft
Ties a broom that sweeps for years.
Chair caning and seat weaving
Puts a worn chair back into daily use.
Upholstery and re-covering
Rebuilds the seat instead of replacing the chair.
Hand laundry and garment care
Keeps clothes clean and lasting with simple means.
Radio, Electronics & Digital
Signals, circuits, and the pleasure of making them work.
Amateur radio
Reaches family and news when the usual networks go quiet.
Electronics
Builds and fixes the small circuits behind everyday devices.
Computer repair
Keeps the household's machines working and its files safe.
Programming
Automates chores and builds simple tools of your own.
Home automation
Puts lights, heat, and power on a smarter schedule.
Weather-station building
Reads local conditions straight from your own yard.
Drone operation
Scouts land, roofs, and damage from above.
3D printing
Makes replacement parts on demand.
Raspberry Pi or Arduino projects
Builds small computers that run useful tasks.
Morse code
Gets a message through when voice and data will not.
Energy electronics projects
Builds small circuits that charge, convert, and store.
Energy monitoring and instruments
Measures what a household actually uses.
Vehicles & Transport
Keeping wheels, engines, and boats ready to roll.
Bicycle repair
Keeps a low-cost, fuel-free way to get around running.
Bicycle touring
Builds range and endurance on two wheels.
Automotive maintenance
Keeps a vehicle reliable and repair bills low.
Meanwhile: the Transportation page
Automotive restoration
Rebuilds a vehicle from the frame up.
Motorcycle maintenance
Keeps an efficient vehicle road-ready.
Small-boat handling
Moves people and cargo over water with confidence.
Canoe repair
Keeps a simple watercraft in service.
Trailer maintenance
Keeps hauling and towing dependable.
Defensive-driving courses
Builds the skill to avoid trouble on the road.
Meanwhile: the Transportation page
Off-road driving
Handles rough ground and poor conditions.
Horseback riding
Keeps a form of travel that needs no fuel.
Animal packing
Moves loads over ground vehicles cannot reach.
Outdoor & Wilderness
Comfort and competence in open country.
Camping
Builds comfort and calm away from home systems.
Backpacking
Carries everything you need on your back.
Bushcraft
Makes shelter, fire, and tools from what the land offers.
Orienteering
Finds the way with map and terrain, not a screen.
Meanwhile: the Skills page
Map and compass navigation
Keeps you oriented when devices fail.
Meanwhile: the Skills page
Knot tying
Secures loads, shelter, and gear the right way.
Fire making
Produces warmth, cooking, and signal in any weather.
Wilderness shelter building
Builds protection from the elements with local material.
Tracking
Reads the ground for animals, people, and direction.
Canoeing
Travels waterways under your own power.
Kayaking
Moves quietly and efficiently over water.
Sailing
Crosses water on wind alone.
Climbing
Builds strength, nerve, and rope skill.
Snowshoeing
Keeps you moving over deep snow.
Cross-country skiing
Covers winter ground efficiently.
Fitness & Health
A body that can carry, climb, and keep going, and the care that keeps it well.
Hiking
Builds the endurance to cover ground on foot.
Rucking
Trains the body to carry weight over distance.
Swimming
Builds full-body fitness and water safety.
Cycling
Builds stamina and a fuel-free way to travel.
Running
Keeps the heart and legs ready for anything.
Strength training
Builds the strength daily tasks and emergencies demand.
Calisthenics
Builds strength with no equipment at all.
Yoga
Keeps the body mobile and the mind steady.
Martial arts
Builds fitness, focus, and confidence under pressure.
First-aid volunteering
Builds the skill to help before help arrives.
Wilderness first aid
Handles injuries far from a clinic.
Lifeguarding
Builds water rescue and emergency response skill.
Herbalism
Learns the safe, traditional uses of common plants.
Nature & Observation
Paying close attention to the living world.
Tree identification
Reads a landscape by the trees that grow in it.
Wildlife observation
Notices the patterns of the animals nearby.
Weather watching
Reads the sky to plan the day ahead.
Amateur geology
Reads the ground, its water, and its history.
Naturalist journaling
Builds close attention to the living world.
Land & Water Stewardship
Tending the ground and the water that crosses it.
Forestry
Keeps a woodlot healthy and productive.
Firewood cutting
Turns standing wood into a season of heat.
Woodlot management
Grows a renewable supply of wood and shade.
Habitat restoration
Brings native plants and wildlife back to a patch of land, season by season.
Soil improvement
Builds ground that grows more with less input.
Composting
Turns kitchen and yard waste into free fertilizer.
Pond management
Keeps a water source clean and full of life.
Rainwater harvesting
Captures free water off the roof.
Meanwhile: the Water page
Water-filter building
Makes questionable water safe to drink at home.
Meanwhile: the Water page
Well maintenance
Keeps a private water source clean and dependable.
Meanwhile: the Water page
Scything and hand haymaking
Mows and makes hay with a blade and good timing.
Community & Service
Skills that show up for other people.
Volunteer firefighting
Trains to protect neighbors and property.
Community emergency response teams
Builds the skills a neighborhood needs in a crisis.
Search and rescue
Trains to find and help the lost or hurt.
Neighborhood gardening
Grows food and connection on shared ground.
Food-bank volunteering
Builds the local network that feeds people in hard times.
Habitat restoration volunteering
Repairs the land that a community depends on.
Community kitchens
Feeds many from one well-run space.
Tool libraries
Shares the gear a whole street can draw on.
Repair cafes
Keeps neighbors' goods working and out of the landfill.
Ham-radio clubs
Builds a local network that works when phones do not.
Scouting
Passes practical skills to the next generation.
Mentoring and teaching
Passes hard-won skills to other people.
Leadership training
Builds the ability to organize people under pressure.
Home & Money
The quiet competence of a well-run household.
Budgeting
Keeps spending under control and savings growing.
Meanwhile: the Planning page
Couponing
Cuts the weekly bill without cutting quality.
Frugal living
Stretches every dollar and builds a cushion.
Meanwhile: the Planning page
Meal planning
Cuts waste and cost from the week's food.
Meanwhile: the Planning page
Bulk cooking
Turns one session into a week of ready meals.
Home organization
Makes a household easy to run and quick to find things in.
Inventory management
Tracks what you have so nothing is wasted or missed.
Decluttering
Clears space and makes a home easier to manage.
Paper Arts
Fine work from the humblest material in the house.
Cardmaking and handmade correspondence
Keeps personal mail a made thing.
Cartonnage and box making
Builds sturdy covered boxes from board, paper, and cloth.
Decoupage
Gives plain objects a second life with cut paper.
Hand papermaking
Turns pulp and scrap into usable sheets.
Kirigami
Folds and cuts a single sheet into structure.
Origami
Trains patience and precision one fold at a time.
Paper cutting
Draws with a blade, a steady hand, and one sheet.
Paper flower making
Shapes lasting blooms from crepe and card.
Paper marbling
Floats color on water and lifts it onto paper.
Paper model making
Builds scale models from printed and cut card.
Paper quilling
Rolls narrow strips into fine decorative work.
Paper sculpture
Gives flat paper form, volume, and shadow.
Papier mache
Builds light, strong forms from paper and paste.
Pop-up and paper engineering
Makes paper move, lift, and fold flat again.
Scrapbooking
Keeps a household record worth handing down.
Visual Arts & Media
Learning to see, and to show others what you saw.
Animation and motion design
Brings drawings to life frame by frame.
Collage and mixed media
Composes new work from gathered materials.
Comics and sequential art
Tells a story in panels, words, and pictures.
Drawing and sketching
Trains the eye to see and the hand to record.
Filmmaking and video production
Plans, shoots, and edits a story worth watching.
Illustration
Makes pictures that explain and accompany words.
Painting
Builds skill with color, light, and patience.
Photography
Records places and people with care.
Printmaking
Carves one block and pulls many prints.
Sculpture and three-dimensional art
Works form in clay, wood, wire, and stone.
Diorama making
Builds a small scene with scale and story.
Miniature furniture making
Practices fine joinery at small scale.
Miniature room making
Furnishes a whole room that fits on a shelf.
Creative, Mind & Play
Practices that steady and sharpen the mind.
Theology study
Reads a tradition closely and asks what it teaches.
Philosophy study
Practices clear thinking about hard questions.
Chess
Sharpens planning and patience.
Strategy games
Builds the habit of thinking several moves ahead.
Puzzles
Keeps problem-solving sharp.
Journaling
Steadies the mind and records what matters.
Meditation
Builds calm and focus that hold up under stress.
Debate
Builds clear thinking and steady argument.
Public speaking
Builds the confidence to lead and inform.
Storytelling
Keeps knowledge and memory alive between people.
Foreign-language learning
Opens communication with more people.
Memory training
Keeps key information ready without a device.
Historical research
Learns how people met hard times before.
Improvisational theater
Builds quick thinking and composure.
Calligraphy
Keeps a legible, lasting hand.
Historical reenactment
Keeps old, practical skills in living use.
Purposeful Collecting
Gathering the references worth keeping.
Tool collecting
Builds a kit that can handle almost any job.
Field-guide collecting
Keeps reliable reference on hand, no signal needed.
Maps and atlases
Keeps the way home independent of a screen.
Cookbooks
Keeps proven recipes within reach.
Repair manuals
Keeps the how-to for fixing things on the shelf.
Amateur-radio equipment
Keeps the gear to communicate off the grid ready.
Heritage recipes
Preserves the meals that carried families through lean years.
Historical agricultural publications
Keeps old, workable farming knowledge accessible.
Emergency communications equipment
Keeps the means to reach out stored and ready.
While the library fills in
Start anywhere in Self-reliance.
The full guides are being written one at a time. In the meantime, the rest of the site is ready when you are.