Gear, tools, and tradecraft for the self-reliant household
Stuff You Need is an independent guide to the tools, equipment, and self-sufficiency skills that hold up under real-world conditions. We focus on the practical, the tested, and the time-proven — and we tell you when something doesn't work.
After Hurricane Helene destroyed his home in 2024, North Carolina football coach Christopher Riggs discovered his late father's Vietnam War footlocker in his flooded basement. What was inside has now reportedly helped over 42,000 American families generate their own electricity...
Read the full story →Backup electricity that holds up when the grid doesn't. Generators, batteries, solar — what works, what fails, and why.
Practical skills and the gear that supports them. From restoring old equipment to building what you need from what you have.
We don't take payment from manufacturers. When something doesn't work, we say so. When something works, we tell you why.