My brand new tent pole snapped in half during a windstorm in the Sawtooths last weekend!

Pro tip: I used to hang beef quarters for 14 days, now I push it to 28.

My old boss in Omaha swore by two weeks max in the cooler. Said any longer was a waste of space and money. After reading some studies and talking to a guy who supplies high-end restaurants in Chicago, I tried a full month. The flavor difference is night and day. Anyone else experimenting with longer aging times these days?

Spent three hours on a simple switch replacement in a 1920s house

The old wiring in this Portland home had been painted over so many times the box was basically glued shut with layers of paint. I had to carefully chip it all out without damaging the plaster, which added a huge chunk of time to a 20 minute job. Do you think it's fair to charge extra for that kind of hidden mess, or is it just part of the risk with old construction?

My compost bin in the backyard just attracted a family of raccoons

I started composting food scraps three months ago to cut down on waste, but I didn't use a bin with a secure lid. Last night, the whole thing was tipped over and scattered across the lawn. Is a tumbler with a lock really the only way to do this without turning my yard into a buffet?

Finally got to test a battery-powered pole saw against my old gas one on a big willow job in Springfield

The battery saw was way quieter and lighter, which made a huge difference working over a client's patio for three hours straight, so what other battery tools are actually worth the switch for climbing work?

My sister told me my 'budget' chili was just expensive soup with beans

She pointed out I was using a $7 jar of fancy sauce and ground turkey, so now I just get a 79 cent can of tomato paste, a $2 packet of seasoning, and whatever cheap protein is on sale, which honestly tastes better and costs about $4 total for a huge pot.

Honestly thought those knee kicker pads were a total scam

Tbh, I saw them online for like $25 a pair and figured it was just more junk to buy. Ngl, my knees were killing me after a big job in a two story house last spring, all stairs and hallways. My buddy Mike swore by them, so I tried his for a day. The difference wasn't huge at first, but by the end of the week I wasn't limping to my truck. It's the little bit of cushion and the strap that keeps them in place that does it. They don't slip around like a towel. Now I won't start a stretch without them. Anyone else have a tool or accessory they wrote off that actually ended up being worth it?

My mud pan cracked right down the middle while taping a ceiling in Phoenix last Thursday.

I had to finish the seam with a hawk (which I'm not great with) and now I'm wondering if anyone has a good brand for a heavy-duty pan that won't fail in the heat.

Finally got my sourdough starter to pass the float test after two weeks of flat, sad pancakes.

I was about to give up, but then I moved it to the top of my fridge in my warm kitchen and fed it with some rye flour I had left over from last Christmas, and now it's bubbling like crazy and my first real loaf is in the oven.

I still use a basic brush and rods instead of a rotary system

A lot of guys in my area push the fancy power sweepers, saying they're faster and cleaner. I had the chance to buy a used SootMaster 2000 for $800 last fall, but I stuck with my old set of 8-foot fiberglass rods. On a job with a really narrow, offset flue in an old house, I found I had more control and could feel the creosote buildup better with the hand tools. Has anyone else stuck with the old way and found it works better for certain chimneys?