Now, as more people flock to the outdoors, prices on essentials are rising and companies are increasingly trying to lure us with new gadgets. At Family Handyman, we’ve been noticing how expensive outdoor gear has gotten. And while we have to admit that some of it is pretty nifty, here are some ways to be just as comfy without spending all of your cash.

Fire Rings and Wood

Even in campgrounds with fire pits, we use our DIY-ed ceramic pot instead. It burns wood more efficiently, which saves us a lot of money. Plus, we can situate it out of the wind and away from grasses and trees that create a wildfire hazard, then cap it with the lid when we’re ready for bed. Drill 1/2-holes around the bottom to help with the air supply, and use bricks or cinder blocks to elevate it off the ground.

Coolers and Ice

If you need to keep ice intact for more than a day, a cooler with thicker and better insulation does make a difference. But, unless you’re offshore fishing overnight, you should be fine with a knock-off brand. For example, this RTIC 32-quart cooler is about 40 percent cheaper than its Yeti equivalent. Also, in some places, a bag of ice now costs upwards of $6. Instead of buying it, along with its extra single-use plastic bag, fill a used plastic juice bottle with water and freeze it (of course, leave room for the water to expand into ice). If you’re not near a freezer, opt for ice blocks over cubes, as they’ll last a lot longer.

Used Gear and Mending

There are a lot of good used outdoor gear online marketplaces, like Geartrade, plus retailers, like REI and Patagonia, with used product sections on their websites. I’ve found great hiking boots and other items you wouldn’t think would be ideal candidates for used gear.

Also, patches, like those from Noso, make tech-clothing repairs easy and fashionable. Keep in mind, too, that some boots can be resoled.

Camp Lighting

Nothing cheers up a camp like some rope, string and accent lighting. We love our LED lights that flicker like candles, but these wire fairy lights are a bargain. Wind them around an awning or put them in Mason jars. You can also hang your headlamp in a gallon jug, which makes for a clever, cheap lantern.

Rechargeable Batteries

The downside of fairy lights and headlamps are all of the batteries they require. These rechargeable batteries come in AAA, AA and D, and charge with space-saving USB ports. It’s a bit of an initial investment, but you only have to buy them once, plus they cut down on garbage.

Cast Iron Pans

A lot of camp cookware is designed to be lightweight, which is great for backpacking but unnecessarily expensive for car and RV outings. Even the cheapest cast iron pan will last for generations and put up with any abuse you send its way. We like Lodge, which is made in the U.S., and this small skillet costs less than $20).

Propane

Disposable green propane canisters for the camp stove and Buddy Heater add up in both price and waste. For about $50 you can pick up a five-pound refillable propane growler instead, which can be topped off for about the same price as a pair of disposables. Unlike a full-size BBQ grill bottle, these are still small enough to transport efficiently.

Food

We’ve recently discovered the magic of vacuum sealing for camping and road trips. Cook your meat and veggies in bulk for the week, seal, freeze and then stick them in the cooler. They don’t spoil quickly or spill, and it saves a ton of money on outdoor adventures. Also, with freeze-dried camping meals creeping up into the $14 range, home dehydrating your own everything from peas to beef jerky is another long-term money saver.

Extra Stuff

One of the easiest ways to save money on outdoor gear is to avoid wandering around outdoor gear stores, because it’s really hard to resist the gadgets. I mean, who doesn’t want a custom-designed hot-dog roasting stick, or a camp chair that eases back for better star-gazing? But in the end, you probably don’t need a fancy pack towel, or a set of silverware that folds into a tiny canvas bag, to have fun in the outdoors. That $.50 coffee mug from the thrift store will work just as well as the $50 titanium one.

Know When to Say Yes

That being said, some gear is actually worth the price. If you head outdoors a lot, it’s wiser and more affordable in the long-run to buck up for a quality sleeping bag, tent and backpack that will last you a lifetime. I’m going on 30 years with my Marmot mummy bag, which means it’s cost me about $10 a year to stay warm even when it’s zero degrees out. Definitely a bargain.

“I am!” they yell back.

They mean it. These girls just spent the week learning how to bend conduit, lay brick, design faucets, use drills and wrenches and roll paint, all while finding pride in their accomplishments. It’s particularly fun today because Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff is in the room, rocking “girl power” safety glasses for their sheet metal workshop.

These girls are about to graduate from Tools & Tiaras‘ fifth annual summer camp. Some attendees of the nonprofit’s summer and day camps leave with aspirations for careers in the trades. Others simply walk away with a boost of self-esteem.

Either way, it can be life-changing, says Cassidy.

“I grew up not loving myself, not having any self-confidence,” she says. “But picking up tools changed me, made me realize how great I was.”

What Is Tools & Tiaras?

Tools & Tiaras is a nonprofit that teaches girls ages six to 14 construction and other trade skills. It was founded by Cassidy, a 25-year union plumber who says the industry elevated her from poverty into the middle class.

Getting into the trades wasn’t easy for Cassidy. To be accepted into trade school, she had to do push-ups just to convince her instructor she was strong enough.

She’s gone on to become one of the first women accepted into Plumbers Local No. 371 in Staten Island and the first woman elected to the Examining Board of Plumbers Local No. 1 in New York City. She’s also earned numerous awards and recognitions, among them being named a CNN Champion for Change.

Now she and her colleagues are helping break down the barriers they faced. Their work enables younger generations to benefit from joining the trades, and empowers girls by giving them the skills and confidence to pursue any career.

“We’re built on the power of sisterhood, putting tools directly into girls’ hands, so they can realize just how strong and capable they are,” she says.

Since the non-profit’s inception in 2017, hundreds of girls have attended Tools & Tiaras workshops and camps in New York City. In 2022, to answer an ever-increasing demand, it opened its first chapter in Boston.

“Year-over-year our camps get bigger, better and bolder, thanks to our talented instructors and amazing partners who step up with us to show our girls that jobs don’t have genders,” says Cassidy.

Besides hands-on learning about tools and craftsmanship, activities included field trips to construction sites, workshops on how to unleash girls’ inner self-defense superheroes, and a talk from labor and civil rights icon Dolores Huerta on how to use activism to drive change.

Tools & Tiaras Camps

Tools & Tiaras offers monthly workshops and summer camps in New York City and Boston. Classes include hard skills and soft T.O.O.L.S (total ownership of life skills) learning, in addition to a history of the trades and the important role they play in shaping our societies.

They’re also a lot of fun, says 14-year-old Myah Dehaney. At the 2022 camp, Dehaney built a box for her bracelets out of sheet metal.

“I used screws, a wrench and a drill,” she says. “I learned I could do more things instead of just being on the internet. I learned that girls can do anything, no matter what anyone tells them. I also learned that even though people have differences they can accomplish anything.”

Monthly Tools & Tiaras workshops are held Saturdays in New York City and Boston, and summer camps are scheduled for 2023 in both cities. Both are taught by leading tradeswomen from various fields.

To ensure every interested girl can attend, Tools & Tiaras offers a scholarship program made possible through donations. You can also contact them if you’re interested in starting a chapter in your city.

I’ve owned the same $20 headlamp for the past decade, though I kept hearing about the advances and benefits of new age, high-tech headlamps. So I decided to give the Fenix HM65R headlamp a try.

What Is The Fenix HM65r Headlamp?

The Fenix HM65r headlamp features two ultra bright lights that emit up to 1,400 lumens of neutral white light. The spotlight and the flood light are independently controlled and powered by the 18650 rechargeable battery. The magnesium alloy body weighs less than aluminum, but still resists impact and is waterproof to a depth of six feet, according to the manufacturer.

The lightweight perforated reflective headband and removable top headband fit snugly and comfortably on my large head. And it weighs nearly the same as my cheap headlamp with its two clunky AA batteries.

How We Tested It

I brought the Fenix HM65R camping twice in three weeks. I tested its many light settings via basic navigation of our campsites at night. I also left it on overnight several times to assess the battery’s longevity on different settings.

You might think I’m crazy, but I also dropped it off the end of the dock into the lake while it was on! I wanted to test whether it was truly waterproof, and whether it would still function well after such a trial.

Performance Review

Brightness

This is the nicest headlamp I’ve ever used. The wider flood light helps for close tasks like reading in your sleeping bag or rifling through the cooler at night. The incredibly bright spotlight offers a longer, tighter beam.

Turn on both lights for the all-encompassing, 1,400 lumen beam. It’s ideal for when your buddy swears he just saw “something huge move right over there!” or while you’re finishing your nightcap around the fire pit.

Battery Life

The battery life is more than adequate for the jobsite or outdoor adventures.

After leaving each light on overnight, on medium or low, the Fenix HM65R still illuminated brightly in the morning. However, the battery depleted quickly when I left both lights on, or left one on high. And I only got about 3-1/2 hours out of the battery at the full 1,400 lumens, which was plenty.

As a bonus, if you misplace your USB-c charging cord or lack an electrical outlet, the Fenix HM65R can also run off two CR123a single use, primary batteries in a pinch.

Waterproof-ness

The waterproof test was pleasantly surprising if slightly stressful. I tied a rope to the Fenix HM65R, turned it on and dropped it a little more than 40 inches onto the sandy bottom of the lake. I stood in awe as the non-flickering headlamp gleamed through the darkish green water.

I waited four long minutes, expecting the light to extinguish at any moment. It never did. I pulled it back to the surface, and after a quick wipe down with a towel it was back to business as usual.

Quality Costs More

I’ve functioned perfectly well with my $20, AA battery-eating headlamp for years. But the Fenix HM65R is a far superior product, even at five times the price of my old headlamp. The Fenix HM65R’s rechargeable, long-lasting, comfortable and bright features are absolutely worth the cost and the upgrade.

Why You Should Buy This

Whether you work in a trade requiring frequent headlamp use or you’re an avid outdoor enthusiast always on the water, give the Fenix HM65R a try. It’s the headlamp I never knew I wanted or needed.

Where to Buy

The Fenix HM65R is available from fenix-store.com, or at Amazon.com.

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Personally, I’m diligent about applying sunscreen. At least, I thought I was. But after succumbing to the dermatologist’s scalpel, I’ve learned I don’t reapply nearly as much as I should, and rarely have sunscreen available when I need more.

Because of this, I started a small collection of UV protective clothing. After noticing Dickies made a line of warm weather work wear, I ordered one of their sun shirts and gave it a try.

What Is The Dickies Temp-iQ Cooling Performance Long Sleeve Sun Shirt?

This Dickies Temp-iQ Cooling Performance Long Sleeve Sun Shirt, made of 60% polyester and 40% cotton, is built to withstand the abuse summer outdoor activities can bring. It features a built-up, raglan neckline, teamed with UPF 40+ sun protection to keep harmful rays at bay no matter the conditions.

The advanced Temp-iQ intelligent cooling fabric effectively controls your core body temperature while wicking away moisture, keeping you cool and dry. It features a comfortable hood and anchor thumb-holes to provide extra coverage for your head and hands. There’s also a appreciated chest pocket so you don’t misplace your carpenter’s pencil or ear plugs around the jobsite.

The Dickies Temp-iQ Long Sleeve Performance Sun Shirt comes in five colors and sizes from small to 4-XL.

How We Tested It

I ordered the Dickies sun shirt right before a ten-day heat wave in the middle of July. I had no specific outdoor projects in mind to test the shirt, but plenty of menial daily tasks to put it through the ringer.

Over the ten-day period, I wore the Dickies Temp-iQ Sun Shirt every time I worked outdoors — mowing the lawn, painting part of the garage, breaking down fallen limbs from a storm, splitting firewood, even removing a wasp nest. While testing the shirt, I was most interested in how well the Temp-iQ fabric protected me from the sun. I was equally interested in the shirt’s general fit, comfort, utility and cleaning instructions.

Performance Review

Initially the long-sleeved, hooded sun shirt felt warm. However, once I focused on the task at hand, my clothing became irrelevant. I quickly learned the Dickies Sun Shirt is comfortable and breathable, and the moisture wicking top notch. On two occasions I got stuck in a spontaneous rain shower only to be dry and cool minutes later.

I am also impressed by the strength of the Dickies Temp-iQ Sun Shirt. The durable fabric feels thicker and less flexible than other UV protectant shirts I’ve owned for fishing and other outdoor uses, but it’s just as comfortable. While breaking down the branch pile, I worried about the shirt tearing or snagging on pointed limb ends, pruning shears or bow saw teeth. It came through it unscathed.

The Dickies Temp-iQ Sun Shirt washing instructions are standard: machine wash on cold with like colors and tumble dry low. But something else caught my attention when reading the instructions — the UPF 40+ sun protection is only effective for 10 washes!

After doing some research, it seems the UV protection wears down slowly over time. Though your Dickies Temp-iQ Sun Shirt won’t have the full UPF 40+ protection after ten washes, it’s still better for mowing the lawn than that concert tee you picked up a few summers back.

The extra-large shirt fits well. It offers comfortable sleeves, thumb-holes, neckline and hood to accommodate a big man. I just wish the shirt was a few inches longer. Multiple times during my yard work, I picked up a stick or sprinted away after spraying a wasp nest and felt a burst of hot air straight up my back. By adding a few inches to the bottom, Dickies would have a slam-dunk product more enjoyable for the wearer.

Why You Should Buy This

If you play or work in the sun, or need extra sun protection, take care of yourself with the Dickies Temp-iQ Cooling Performance Long Sleeve Sun Shirt. It’s comfortable, durable, moisture wicking and easy to care for. No more farmers tan for your partner or children to tease you about!

Pros

• UPF 40+ sun protection;
• Breast pocket;
• Comfortable;
• Breathable;
• Great moisture wicking;
• Stout durability.

Cons

• UV protection washes out over time;
• Too short.

Where To Buy

The Dickies Temp-iQ Cooling Performance Long Sleeve Sun Shirt is available from Amazon or at Dickies.com.

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One of the most interesting camping products I’ve seen in a long time is the Zippo AxeSaw, a lightweight, well-designed multi-tool for preparing firewood. I’m a sucker for these strangely engineered niche tools, so I ordered one up to try out.

What is the Zippo AxeSaw?

The Zippo AxeSaw is a bow saw, hatchet and mallet in one.

The 15-inch stainless steel saw blade can cut limbs up four inches thick. It also features a hardened five-inch, 420-alloy stainless steel axe head and a heavy-duty mallet capable of driving tent stakes in even the hardest of soils. The durable polymer handle includes storage for multiple saw blades and a flip-over cam for self-adjusting tension.

The AxeSaw looks and feels durable and well made. The saw and hatchet blades provide top-notch corrosion resistance. And the polymer handle and dual function saw handle/safety sheath feel comfortable and sturdy in the hand.

How We Tested It

Like other multi-tools, I tested each distinctive function of the Zippo AxeSaw. I split some logs with the hatchet, broke down a pile of branches and limbs with the bow saw, and hammered several stakes with the mallet.

Because of its unique shape, I carried it in my backpack and in a pack on my dual-sport motorcycle to test its true camping mobility.

Performance Review

Out of the sheath, the hatchet blade came sharp and ready. The stainless-steel blade effortlessly tore through the log’s age dried heartwood. The AxeSaw’s nearly 18-inch handle is a joy to swing and broke the firewood to kindling in no time.

The AxeSaw’s mallet is the butt of the hatchet head. Again, the long handle provided plenty of swing force for driving stakes. But you’d better be accurate with your blows, since the mallet’s face is less than 1-1/2-sq. in. It drive stakes well, and the user’s manual clearly states that’s all you should use it for. Don’t try it with nails.

While splitting thicker logs with the hatchet or delivering arching blows with the mallet, the bow saw blade rattles in the hollow handle. The vibration makes the AxeSaw feel clunky, noisy and poorly constructed. It was more irritating than anything else.

The bow saw was the most efficient tool of the bunch; I broke down a mass of downed limbs after a storm. It easily assembled in seconds, linking the sheath with the self-tensioning cam. From there, the sharp blade did the bulk of the work, smoothly cutting branches in the two- to three-inch diameter range. The AxeSaw proved to a comfortable tool, and the self-tensioning cam effective way at handling many binding cuts.

The unsung hero of the Zippo AxeSaw is its portability. At only 20 inches long and 2.6 lbs., this tool slid easily into my camping pack on the back of my motorcycle. It’s durable, so it won’t break if you drop your pack. As long as I stored the saw and hatchet blades safely, I felt confident packing it with fragile items like a raincoat or drinking water.

Why You Should Buy This

Deep down, a multi-tool provides function in an easy-to-carry package. That’s the Zippo AxeSaw. It’s ideal for camping at a nearby state park or deep in the back country.

It’s well-made and carries a one-year warranty on materials and craftsmanship. This tool isn’t flawless, but it’s become a welcome addition to my camping gear.

Where to Buy

The Zippo AxeSaw is available from the Zippo store on Amazon.com.

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Though it’s almost halfway through our short Minnesota summer, I figured it wasn’t too late to try one of these out for myself.  So I ordered the Blue Sky Outdoor Living Ridge Smokeless Fire Pit, picked up some S’mores fixings and got ready for the long Fourth of July Weekend.

What is the Blue Sky Ridge Fire Pit?

The Blue Sky Ridge is a 15-pound portable steel fire pit. It stands about 16 inches tall and 12-1/2-inches wide, and supports a decent fire in its 11-1/2-inch-wide burn chamber.

It’s a dual-fuel device, meaning it’s approved to burn standard firewood and wood pellets, or a mixture of both. When the party is winding down, the fire pit breaks down easily. Its pieces neatly nest together and slide into an included carrying bag for easy transport.

The low sheen, solid black design is modern and sleek, reminiscent of something from a 1980’s sci-fi movie. Blue Sky is also an official licensed partner of the NFL, NHL and U.S. Army. So if you’d like to support your favorite team or military branch, there are plenty of customized options for that, too.

The unit feels durable, sturdy and well-made. Plus, all Blue Sky Outdoor Living products come with a three-year limited warranty.

How We Tested it

With clear weather on the horizon and Fourth of July weekend approaching, I gathered our family and packed our vehicle a long weekend at the lake. I figured this would be the perfect setting to test the Blue Sky Ridge Fire Pit.

I was curious to see how well it packed and set up, and whether it was truly a smokeless fire pit.  I had wood pellets from our pellet grill already up there, so I planned to test the dual-fuel concept as well.

Performance Review

This fire pit is slick. It’s easy to set up, use, haul and even clean. The included storage bag is handy not only for transport, but for keeping ashes and soot from smudging the inside of your trunk.

The Blue Sky Ridge sets up and breaks down in seconds. The top burn chamber sits on top of the ash-catching base. With some firewood or pellets, you’ll have it raging in minutes.

The Blue Sky website says the Ridge can handle fires up to 1,900 F, and I believe it. This thing gets roaring, expelling flames out of the top and pumping out heat you can feel on your shins a couple of yards away. I sensed a faint smell of something industrial the first few times I used it, but that went away. It was probably just excess paint or the powder coat from the manufacturing process.

When it was time to pack up and head home, the Blue Sky Ridge cleaned up in a snap. I just emptied the ashes from the collection stand, nested the pieces back together and was on my way. Just give yourself ample time to let it cool down before handling or putting it back into its travel bag, because it can take awhile.

The Great Fuel Debate

The dual fuel test was eye-opening, and a learning curve. The wood pellets burned thoroughly but quickly.

I dumped an 1-1/2- to 2-inch pile of grill pellets into the bottom of the burn chamber and set four tiny fires, ignited with torn off chunks of brown-paper bag. Minutes later, the fire was roaring and burned for 20 or 25 minutes.

Once the pellets burned up, the fire extinguished quickly. But that’s the best part — to keep the fire going a few minutes longer, just toss on a handful or two of pellets rather than an entire log.

Using firewood with the Blue Sky Ridge Smokeless Fire Pit is a little different. First, you’ll need to split the firewood into smaller uniform pieces that will fit snugly in the bottom of the fire pit, rather than sticking out of the top. Instead of building a fire that fills the entire burn chamber, work on creating a more intense one in the bottom half.

This reflects how a smokeless fire pit works. Outside air is pulled into the bottom ring of the burn chamber, then moves up the pit’s hollow walls. The heated air is then released into the top of the burn chamber, infusing the fire with an extra burst of oxygen. This vaporizes any wood or moisture particles, creating little or no smoke or embers at all.

If you build a fire with your firewood pieces in a typical teepee design out the top of the fire pit, like I did the first time, expect plenty of smoke and embers — the opposite of what you’re looking for.

After trying pellets alone, then firewood, then a mixture of both, I think wood pellets alone offer the best way to keep a low-profile fire blazing away while minimizing the smoke.

Value

Comparable sized portable smokeless fire pits from market leaders cost nearly double the price of the $160 Blue Sky Ridge, and with fewer features.

Of all its competitors, only the Blue Sky Ridge features an easy-to-clean, ash-catching base and a carrying and storage bag. It’s also the only brand customizable with your favorite sports team’s logo or military branch emblem.

Why You Should Buy This

If you were thinking about getting a smokeless fire pit but weren’t sure which one, give this affordable Blue Sky Ridge fire pit a try.  The dual fuel fire pit is easy to use, set up, haul and even clean. It’s compact enough to throw over your shoulder, yet pumps out enough heat to keep family and friends warm year-round.

Where to Buy

The Blue Sky Outdoor Products Ridge Fire Pit is available at Amazon, The Home Depot, Walmart, Lowe’s and Camping World.

Buy Now!

“Poison hemlock is the famed plant that killed Socrates,” says Em Shipman, executive director of KidsGardening.org. “Treat this plant with respect and take careful steps to eradicate it.”

Many people seriously harmed by poison hemlock mistook it for an edible plant, like parsnip or parsley. But even if you aren’t out foraging, it’s important to learn how to identify it and teach children to recognize it, because it can be noxious in other ways.

What Is Hemlock?

Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) — AKA poison parsley, European hemlock, spotted hemlock, deadly hemlock, California or Nebraska fern and devil’s porridge — is a large, invasive, noxious weed. It’s not the same thing as hemlock trees, which are not poisonous.

In the 1800s poison hemlock jumped from Europe to the U.S. when people started importing it as an ornamental garden plant. Now it’s found in every state as well as southern Canada. Most often it grows along roadsides, the edges of fields and small waterways. Recently, its territory expanded into rangelands and more populated areas, causing greater concern.

Although it’s in the same plant family as carrots and dill, every part of it is poisonous. It’s a biennial plant, which means it has a two-year lifespan and flowers only in its second year. After flowering, it can produce more than 35,000 seeds, which are spread easily by water and animals. The seeds can stay viable for six years.

Is Hemlock Poisonous?

Absolutely, hence its name. Hemlock contains acutely toxic alkaloids including coniine, which is poisonous to all mammals and many other organisms.

Coniine, also found in dog parsley (Aethusa cynapium), has structural and chemical properties similar to nicotine. It targets the central nervous system.

Symptoms show up between 20 minutes and three hours after ingestion, and can include pupil dilation, dizziness, trembling and difficulty walking. That can be followed by a slowed heart rate and paralysis of muscles or the central nervous system, which can lead to death from respiratory failure.

Ingesting hemlock is the most dangerous type of exposure, but every part is poisonous, especially the seeds. Touching it can lead to severe skin irritation, and inhaling air near mowed hemlock can cause respiratory irritation. Even dead plant canes can be poisonous for up to three years.

It’s also poisonous and potentially deadly to pets and livestock. Their symptoms can be similar to humans, but also include nervous trembling, salivation, lack of coordination and a rapid or weak pulse.

If you suspect you’ve been exposed, call 911 or poison control (800-222-1222) immediately. With swift action, people can usually be successfully treated in a hospital.

What Does Poison Hemlock Look Like?

Poison hemlock is a tall, ferny-leafed plant, topped with three-to-six-inch umbrella-like clusters of small, white flowers. Its stalks are smooth and hollow, freckled with purple spots and streaks.

“The plants are usually low-growing in their first year but can reach six to 10 feet in their second year,” says Shipman. “Wild hemlock also produces abundant seeds and readily spreads, forming dense stands.”

Poison hemlock looks similar to wild carrot, AKA Queen Anne’s lace, but often grows taller. To tell them apart, look at the leaves and stalks.

Wild carrot has somewhat hairy green stems and leaves. Hemlock stems and leaves are smooth, even shiny-looking, and often have at least a little red or purple spotting on them. On wild carrots, each flower stem has one main flower cluster with a dark-purple flower in the center, whereas hemlock has branched stems with many flower clusters.

Hemlock can also have an unpleasant musty smell.

How To Get Rid of Poison Hemlock

“Keep a lookout for it so you can control small infestations before they spread,” says Shipman. “And practice extreme caution when dealing with poison hemlock.”

• Wear protective clothing. Whenever you’re going to handle poison hemlock, wear long sleeves, pants, socks, gloves and a mask.
• Mow it. If you can get to it before or just after it starts to flower, that will prevent seeds from forming.
• Mow again. Repeated mowing will remove new growth and deplete the roots’ energy reserves.
• Dig up and hand-pull seedlings as they sprout.
• Take frequent breaks to check for signs of exposure.
• Throw plants in the trash. Don’t put them in the compost, as the toxins in dead plants can persist for several years. And definitely don’t burn them; the fumes can cause serious injury if inhaled.
• Clean. Carefully wash your equipment, shoes, clothes and hands after mowing.
• Don’t use herbicides, which aren’t effective on large plants.

If you need more help identifying poison hemlock or figuring out the best ways to get rid of it, ask your local university cooperative extension. Your local agricultural extension office might also be willing to help you remove it.

While surfing the web, I came across a photo of a neat-looking, cast iron log-splitting contraption. I did some digging and discovered the Kindling Cracker!  Out came the credit card, and a few days later the king-sized version showed up at my door.

What is the Kindling Cracker?

The Kindling Cracker uses a stationary blade and a blunt object like a hammer or mallet to easily split logs into smaller manageable pieces or kindling. A New Zealand teenager looking to stay warm and safe in the winter developed it as a school project.

The Kindling Cracker comes in two sizes. The original can split logs up to 6-1/2-inches in diameter; the king can handle up to 9-in.-dia. wood chunks. Usable indoors or out, the Kindling Cracker features mounting options on the base so it can be permanently affixed near your fireplace hearth or an outdoor wood pile.

The Kindling Cracker isn’t portable. It’s heavy (a bit over 20 lbs.) and bulky. And it ships without a mallet or blunt-force instrument; you’ll need to provide your own.

How We Tested It

I chose 49 logs from my wood pile to run through the king size Kindling Cracker, a mixture of aspen, birch, oak and a boxelder tree. They ranged from three to nine inches wide and 12- to 19-inches long.

I planned on quartering these logs into four semi-uniform pieces, using several hammers and mallets to test and see how they compared. With a few friends heading over for a bonfire this weekend, it was time to get cracking!

All It’s Cracked Up to Be?

The Kindling Cracker is an impressive tool.  Splitting wood is still labor intensive, but I had all 49 logs quartered and re-stacked in a little over an hour.

As when splitting any wood, this tool works best on straight grained and adequately dried logs.  Even when I came across a chunk with a big knot in it or a weird grain pattern, the Kindling Cracker was up to the task with an extra hammer swing or two.

Speaking of hammers, my handheld four-pound club hammer was the clear winner with the Kindling Cracker.  My long-handled framing hammer wasn’t stout enough, and my 10-lb. full-size sledgehammer worked well on the greener logs but was overkill on most others.

I even tried using another log as the mallet, as shown on the packaging. This also worked, but swinging another log proved awkward. A three- or four-pound club hammer is the way to go.

The Kindling Cracker is a great conversation piece as well.  While quartering the pile of logs, two neighbors struck up a conversation about the tool’s ins-and-outs and the neat story behind its invention. The Kindling Cracker is unique and interesting. From now on, I’ll keep it right next to our woodpile for all to see.

Foolproof to Use

I really like how easy and safe the Kindling Cracker is. There’s no swinging of a sharp axe or hatchet blade, and no dangerous splitting machines. With just a blunt object, a little elbow grease and the Kindling Cracker, nearly anyone, young or old, can split firewood perfectly in no time.

Why You Should Buy This

If you’re looking for an effective, safe and interesting way to split firewood for your pit, fireplace, stove or oven, try the Kindling Cracker.  It’s well-made, easy to use and available in two sizes, though the king size is the way to go!

Where to Buy

Both sizes of the Kindling Cracker are available at Walmart and Northern Tool, and on Amazon.com.

Buy Now!

The best method to avoid a campsite snake encounter is prevention. However, I can tell you that no advertised campsite snake repellant products or hacks (such as pouring white vinegar around your campsite) work. But there are steps you can take to make your camp less appealing to snakes:

• Store food in rodent-proof containers.
• Choose camping locations away from dense brush, sandy areas or anyplace with large rocks.
• Clear out brush and rock piles from your campsite.
• Choose a campsite with high visibility.

Snakes have a bad reputation. But with the following three safety tips in mind, you’ll know exactly what to do if you find a snake near your camp.

Leave the Snake Alone

Ignoring the snake is best advice with any in the wild. Most snakes in North America are not venomous, but those that are can do some serious damage.

Common venomous species, like rattlesnakes, are found in nearly every state. Their venom can cause the loss of a limb, or worse — your life. Consequently, always maintain a safe distance from any wild snake until you are 100 percent sure what species it is.

Almost all snake bites happen when you try to move or antagonize the snake. If a snake is in your campsite, it can be hard to leave it alone. However, if you do, it will usually leave your camp on its own once it feels safe enough to do so. And if you’ve taken the snake-prevention measures mentioned above, there won’t be much to attract a snake to your camp.

Identify the Snake

When you’re a safe distance from the snake, try to identify it. This will ensure you know exactly what you’re dealing with. If you can identify a snake as non-venomous, you’ll feel safer having it around your campsite.

For easy identification, buy a field guide specific to the region, state or the national park where you plan to camp. If you camp in western North America, this is the field guide I recommend. If you camp in eastern or central North America, this field guide is the one you want. These guides cost about $25 or less and can give you peace of mind.

While some mobile apps can identify snakes, there can be false negatives for venomous snakes. That can put you at risk. It’s better to consult field guide first, then rely on these apps for confirmation.

Contact a Park Ranger

If there’s a snake in your campground that won’t leave, contact the campground host or park rangers.

Sometimes you’ll come across a stubborn snake that made itself comfortable a little too close to your campsite. If you’ve already tried backing away and leaving the snake alone, it may be time to call in the professionals, especially if you’ve identified the snake as venomous.

Never attempt to move a venomous snake. And while non-venomous snakes pose significantly less risk, they can still have powerful bites. Their relocation should be left to those with experience. Public campgrounds and National Parks usually have trained individuals who will come to your campsite and safely remove snakes if they pose a safety risk. Contact information is usually provided at check-in.

How to Safely Move a Snake

If you are a snake enthusiast or have some experience handling snakes, you can try to move it yourself as a last resort if 30 minutes have passed and it still won’t leave your campsite. This should only be done if you are 100 percent confident the snake is harmless. If you’re unsure, leave it alone.

You can use a snake hook to move the snake safely and decrease the chance of a bite. But you must be extremely careful, especially with hooks that grab the snake, because improper use can injure the snake. Beginners shouldn’t even attempt it.

With summer looming, I heard of a new insect repellent that sounded intriguing. So I grabbed a three-pack of Ranger Ready Repellent for a long weekend with my family in lake country.

What is Ranger Ready Repellent?

Ranger Ready Repellent is an insect repellent that uses picaridin, rather than the neurotoxin DEET, as its active ingredient.  Picaridin is a safer yet equally effective alternative to DEET, which originated from the same group of plants that produce black pepper.

Unlike DEET, picaridin can be safely applied directly to the skin. It’s recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for adults (including pregnant women) and children at least one year old.

A single application of Ranger Ready with 20 percent picaridin has been proven effective against a long list of pests including mosquitos, ticks, biting flies, chiggers, gnats and sand flies for up to 12 hours.

Best yet, picaridin is not a plasticizer like DEET. So it won’t break down elastic, leather, rubber, plastic, paint, or vinyl on your clothing or outdoor gear.

How We Tested It

For the last six Memorial Day weekends, our entire extended family has made its way to a couple of cabins in Minnesota’s North Woods. This year, the bug report was really bad. A mild winter and lots of spring moisture contributed to large amounts of mosquitos, gnats and ticks. I packed the car and headed north with plenty of Ranger Ready to test.

There were a few questions I hoped to answer about Ranger Ready Repellent.  Was it as effective as DEET? How did the Ranger Ready feel when applied onto your skin? Does it have a potent or off-putting scent?

Performance Review

When we pulled onto the winding dirt road that leads to the cabin, something felt eerie. At the neighboring cabins, there were few people out and about conversing, playing yard games or fishing from the dock. After parking in the driveway and opening the door of our cabin, I knew why. It was true. The mosquitos were horrendous.

After carrying in the first load, I paused a few times to swing at those bloodsuckers. I cracked open my backpack and tried dousing every square inch of my body with the Ranger Ready Repellent.

On my many remaining trips to the car, I was pleasantly surprised by how effectively this product handled the constant barrage of incoming mosquitos. The bugs found a few spots I inadequately covered, but the remaining five loads netted only three or four solid bites. The first trip alone left me with a dozen or more.

Ranger Ready comes in many scents, and randomly I ended up with the “Ranger Orange.”  It smells pleasant and citrusy, in no way chemically ridden or overpowering.  I appreciate the Ranger Ready bottle has a pump, so there’s no lingering cloud of repellent as you apply.  The Ranger Ready spray also felt soft and dry on my clothes and skin.

Ranger Ready vs. DEET

On the last day of our weekend, my father-in-law and I decided to be brave and play a round of golf.  Before we could even get to the first tee, a course employee warned us about the gnats on the upcoming wooded holes.

I fished the familiar, grass-green DEET-filled aerosol can from my golf bag and decided to test the repellents head-to-head. I covered one arm and leg with that stuff, and the other with Ranger Ready. The gnats stayed away for the most part, and no side of my body seemed better protected than another.

At the end of the day, both sprays proved equally effective. But the Ranger Ready stood out for its feel on my skin, pleasant nontoxic smell, and its overall safer use.

Why You Should Buy This

If you’re looking for an effective bug spray that’s non-toxic and gentle enough for even the smallest members of your family, Ranger Ready Repellent is the one for you!  It comes in different scents, sizes and package designs, so you can easily find one to take wherever your next pest-filled adventure may be.

Where to Buy

Ranger Ready Repellent and other Ranger Ready products are available at Walmart, Target, Amazon and rangerready.com.

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As the only one in my immediate family with a weakness for grilled and smoked meats, I’ve been keeping my eye on the smaller, portable pellet grill category. When I read up on the Z-Grills Cruiser 200A, it seemed like the one. So I made the leap and got one sent my way.

What is the Z-Grills Cruiser 200A?

The Z-Grill Cruiser 200A is a portable wood pellet grill capable of smoking, baking, roasting, searing, braising, barbecuing or char-grilling whatever fare you desire.

The smaller tabletop grill features a foolproof digital temperature controller, automatic auger system and an 8-lb. pellet hopper. The Cruiser’s three handles, lockable chamber and durable powder coated finish make it perfect for lugging around to campgrounds, sporting events or a friend’s backyard get-together.

With the Z-Grills Cruiser, you can cook like a famous pitmaster wherever your busy life takes you.

How We Tested It

I wanted to test how the Z-Grills Cruiser functioned as a grill and a smoker. So over Memorial Day Weekend, I did both.

On Friday afternoon, I grilled some brats and kebobs at a local park with a few co-workers and friends. Then Saturday night, I smoked a pork loin with the family and some guests at our cabin.

Performance Review

Performance

One important note: The Z-Grills Cruiser needs a 110v outlet to operate. We brought a portable power station to our grill-out at the park, and you’ll need a similar plan when heading out into the backcountry.

After following the Cruiser’s christening instructions, I filled the hopper with cherry wood pellets and cranked the temperature control to 375 F. A subtle hum of the auger could be heard as it slowly began to drag the pellets to their fiery demise. Minutes later, the grill was at temperature and the meat spitting away on the grate.

Two hundred square inches sounds like more cooking space than it is. The six-pack of brats and three kabobs filled the bulk of the cooking space, and the Z-Grills had them ready in no time.  The digital temperature control and readout made cooking on the Z-Grills Cruiser even easier than on my old propane monstrosity.

After the cookout in the park, I cleaned and lugged the cruiser back to my vehicle. Though I like that the grill can be buttoned up and carried like a suitcase, it’s awkward and unbalanced. And at almost 50 pounds, it’s not something I’d recommend carrying over any distance.

Saturday saw the same positive results. I set the grill to 225 F and plopped the spice-rubbed pork loin on for a few hours to smoke. I checked the internal temperature every hour or so until it reached the desired temp and pulled it out to rest.

When opening the lid to check the meat, the grill temperature plummeted as expected.  What surprised me was how long it took to reheat back to 225 F.  This added some unexpected time to the smoking process, but the pork turned out juicy and delicious.

Value

The value in a portable pellet grill like the Cruiser comes from its premium features and portability. This grill is packed with features like the digital temperature controller, automatic auger system and sturdy steel construction.

The craftsmanship and appearance of the Z-Grills Cruiser is similar to its counterpart, the Traeger Ranger. The Z-Grills Cruiser is also cheaper and 20 pounds lighter.

Ease of Use

This is where the Cruiser shines. Just fill the pellet hopper and set the digital control to your desired temperature. The Cruiser will do the rest, automatically sustaining a steady temperature while churning out flavorsome smoke.

Reliability and Durability

The hopper and body are made of thick, powder coated steel; the handles and feet are the only parts that aren’t. The sturdy steel wire grate, coated in porcelain, and 14-gauge steel drip pan are built to withstand years of hauling to campsites and backyard barbecues.

Why You Should Buy This

Whether you’re single, have a small family, live in an apartment with limited outdoor space or simply want to bring your love of grilling with you anywhere, the Z-Grills Cruiser is the one for you. It’s ease of use, sturdy construction, high-end features and best-in-class price make this portable pellet grill the one to choose.

Where to Buy

The Z-Grills Cruiser is available at zgrills.com, Amazon and The Home Depot.

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Camping lanterns may be the best example of that. If you’ve ever lost power in your home or apartment, you’d appreciate owning at least one of these emergency lights. They’re safer than candles, easier to use and store, and much more versatile. I tried out four brands and styles of LED camping lanterns.

Goal Zero Crush Light Solar Camping Lantern

The Goal Zero Crush Light Solar Lantern is a collapsible, lightweight camping lantern about five inches square and four inches high when expanded. It comes with a small solar panel on top, plus a micro USB outlet for charging.

The LEDs can be set to high (60 lumens), medium, low or a “candle flicker” setting. The light lasts for three hours on high. The detachable handle lets you hook this device to almost anything. And it’s all waterproof — for camping, you know. It’s simple, small, inexpensive and easy to store.

Goal Zero is known for making a wide range of power stations, solar panels and lights.

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Luci Pro Series Outdoor 2.0 Emergency Light

The Luci Pro Series Outdoor 2.0 provided my light as I wrote this. The inflatable lantern might feel like an inexpensive blow-up pool toy, but it’s a serious lantern that can put out 150 lumens of LED light and charge your cell phone. It collapses to a 5-in.-dia. disc and weighs just six ounces.

Choose low, medium or high light output, or the flash setting, which is particularly useful in an emergency. It’s all waterproof and can be charged by the sun or a USB cable, with a battery indicator light to tell you how you’re doing.

On high power, the light lasts about five hours, as advertised. I loved the size, the brightness and the price, but the clear plastic bubble means the light can be glaring.

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Black Diamond Apollo Camping Lantern

The Black Diamond Apollo Lantern runs on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery or three AAs. No solar charge option here. But the high-setting output is 250 lumens of warm white light, the equivalent of a 30-watt incandescent bulb.

Instead of preset outputs, this one is dimmable. It has three fold-up legs, plus a metal loop on top for hanging. It’s also capable of charging a cell phone and includes dual USB ports, a nice feature. Black Diamond is well known in camping and outdoor gear circles.

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Luminaid PackLite Titan

On this list, the Luminaid PackLite Titan is the most expensive light, and the only one with a red-light setting for night vision. In its white-light high setting, the PackLite emits 300 lumens; it stayed bright for me for nearly seven hours.

This one has micro and regular USB ports, like the Black Diamond, but it adds a large solar panel. It can even charge other devices. The Luminaid’s cool-white light made it less appealing to my eyes, but it’s easily the brightest of this group. It’s also waterproof and floats.

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