If you’ve ever tried hauling 50 pounds of feed uphill in a thunderstorm while being chased by a rogue goat named Juniper, you know one thing: tools matter.
I used to think homesteading was about heart. Passion. Grit. And while, yes, all those things are true and beautiful and probably embroidered on someone’s throw pillow, let me tell you what actually saves your sanity on a daily basis: the right freaking tools.
I’ve been at this homestead thing long enough to know that not all gear is created equal. Some tools break after three uses. Some disappear into the barn’s black hole (where all missing gloves also go). And some? Some become your ride-or-die, never-leave-home-without-it, “I’d trade my sourdough starter before I gave this up” kind of essential.
So here are 10 tools that make homesteading not just easier, but survivable. And yes, this list includes duct tape. Obviously.
1. A Really, Really Good Wheelbarrow
Forget those wobbly, squeaky excuses you find at big box stores. I’m talking contractor-grade, dual-wheel, built-like-a-tank wheelbarrow. Mine has carried everything from compost to disgruntled ducks to six bags of mulch and my tired body when I gave up mid-project. Get one with a steel frame, solid tires (no inflating = no screaming), and enough volume to reduce your trips across the field.
Pro tip: Name your wheelbarrow. Ours is “Becky.” She hauls like a beast.
2. The Legendary Hori Hori Knife
This Japanese garden knife is the MVP of my tool shed. Need to dig, cut, plant, weed, open bags of soil, or slice through roots like you’re in an action movie? Hori Hori. It’s half-trowel, half-blade, 100% empowering. I wear it on my belt like a cowboy and genuinely feel cooler than I should.
Fair warning: You will scare at least one visitor who thinks you’re casually carrying a weapon. (You kind of are.)
3. Heavy-Duty Work Gloves (Multiple Pairs)
I used to use one pair of gloves for everything. Then I realized that’s like using the same towel for your dog, your dishes, and your face. NO.
Keep multiple gloves for different jobs: waterproof ones for mucking, leather ones for fencing, lightweight ones for garden work, and that one crusty pair you can never throw out for sentimental reasons. You know the one.
4. Headlamp
Want to feel like a raccoon caught in the act? Strap a headlamp on at 5:00 a.m. and go outside in the dark to check on a goat in labor. Headlamps are essential for pre-dawn and post-dusk chores, because homestead emergencies do not follow a 9–5 schedule.
Bonus: You’ll feel like a miner from an emotionally unstable frontier town. Welcome to the vibe.
5. Multi-Tool (Preferably One That Doesn’t Fall Apart)
You know those TikTok guys with leatherman clips on their belt loops? Annoying, right? Except when you actually need a screwdriver, pliers, knife, or wire cutter while standing knee-deep in mud with a fence falling on you—and then you’re like, “Wow, Chad was onto something.”
Invest in a good one. It will save your life. Or at least your fence.
6. Battery-Powered Drill (with Backup Batteries)
Fences. Chicken tractors. Cold frames. Shelves. Feed bin hacks. You’ll build more random things in a year of homesteading than you ever thought possible. A good cordless drill is like having a tiny power wizard in your hand.
And trust me: always charge the spare battery. Because nothing tests your emotional stability like a drill dying halfway through a pig shelter build during a windstorm.
7. Broadfork (Yes, It’s Real and It’s Glorious)
This is a big, two-handled tool that you jam into the ground and rock back and forth to aerate soil. Think of it as CrossFit meets compost. It’s oddly satisfying, borderline therapeutic, and way better than tilling the soil into oblivion. Your garden beds will thank you.
And your back? Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
8. 5-Gallon Buckets (So Many Buckets)
I once thought five buckets was excessive. Now I own 23. Buckets are the homestead version of duct tape: endlessly versatile. Carry water, mix feed, gather eggs, pick tomatoes, soak tools, brine chickens (don’t ask), or use one as a stool when you’re too tired to stand.
Bonus: Flip one upside down and you have yourself a seat for existential barn musings.
9. Electric Fence Tester
You don’t think you’ll need this until you’re standing in a pasture wondering if the fence is live. Do not—I repeat, DO NOT—test it with your hand like a cowboy in a Netflix drama. You will regret it. Get a tester. Use it often. Save your nerves.
Also: Watching cows realize the fence is hot again after it’s been off? Chef’s kiss. Their facial expressions are everything.
10. Duct Tape and Zip Ties (Don’t Judge Me)
Not technically tools, but let’s be real—they fix everything. I’ve patched coops, mended hoses, secured fencing, made emergency halters, held my broken boot together, and once repaired a chicken brooder that exploded during a wind gust—all with duct tape and zip ties.
They are the glue of rural life. Keep a stash everywhere: barn, truck, kitchen drawer, your coat pocket, maybe even your wallet.
Honourable Mentions:
- Milk crate (for standing on, carrying things, making a chicken throne)
- Sturdy pruning shears
- Digital thermometer for the brooder babies
- Tiny notebook that lives in your jacket for scribbling random ideas and feed notes
- Thermos of coffee that stays hot through actual frostbite
Final Thoughts (From the Bucket I’m Currently Sitting On)
Homesteading isn’t glamorous. It’s dirt under your nails, cracked hands, and losing a perfectly good boot to mud you thought was solid ground. It’s chaos meets routine. But with the right tools? It’s doable.
These aren’t fancy gadgets or viral Instagram hacks. They’re the everyday MVPs that make life smoother, safer, and slightly more dignified (depending on the day).
So if you’re building your tool stash, start here. Add slowly. Test what works. And always—ALWAYS—have a backup pair of gloves.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, Juniper just jumped into the feed bin again, and I need to go rescue what’s left of my dignity.
