Summer Shop Prep: Stop Tripping Over Cords and Eat Better

Summer has a way of tricking you into thinking you have more time than you actually do. The sun stays up longer, so your brain tells you that you can finally tackle that shop rebuild, fix the tractor, and maybe build a new workbench before dinner. You can't. But you're going to try anyway.

Here's the reality: half the battle of getting anything done when it's hot out is making sure your gear is actually ready to go, and making sure you don't pass out from forgetting to eat. I don't care how good your intentions are. If you have to spend twenty minutes looking for a charger or a decent pen, the project is already dead in the water.

The Power Situation

Look around your shop right now. If it looks like a snake pit of extension cords, you're doing it wrong. Nothing kills momentum faster than tripping over a cord or realizing you don't have enough outlets for the battery chargers, the shop vac, and the fan that's desperately trying to keep you from sweating through your boots.

Get the power off the floor. I mounted the CRST Metal Shop Power Strip above my main bench a while back, and it's the kind of boring, practical upgrade that actually changes how you work. Six outlets. Individual switches so you don't have to unplug the grinder to turn it off. It's metal. It won't shatter when you accidentally drop a framing hammer on it. Just mount the damn thing and get your floor space back.

But you also have to deal with your phone and earbuds. You know, the things you actually use to look up wiring diagrams or listen to something that isn't the whining of a table saw. Stop using gas station charging cables that fray after a week. Put an Anker MagGo Wireless Charging Station on your desk or the clean end of your workbench. It folds up, it handles three devices at once, and it actually works. It's the kind of precision gear that makes you wonder why you put up with the alternative for so long.

Write It Down

I don't care how good your memory is. You will forget the measurement you just took between the truck and the saw. You will forget the part number for the filter you need. Write it down. But for the love of God, stop using those brittle plastic pens you accidentally stole from the bank.

Get a Bolt Action Pen. It's machined, it's satisfying to use, and it won't snap in half in your pocket when you crouch down to look under the chassis. It takes a standard refill. It's a tool, treat it like one. If you drop it in the dirt, wipe it off on your jeans and keep working.

Fuel the Engine

You can't run a chainsaw or troubleshoot a stubborn engine if your blood sugar is tanking. A lot of guys think a lukewarm energy drink and a handful of stale chips are a substitute for actual food. They aren't.

If you're going to be out there all afternoon, bring something with some actual protein and flavor. Our Honey-Sriracha Premium Bacon Jerky is exactly what it sounds like. It's thick-cut bacon, it's sweet, it kicks back a little bit, and it doesn't taste like it was manufactured in a chemical plant. Keep a bag in the top drawer of your toolbox. It solves the problem so you can get back to solving the real problems.

The Bottom Line

You don't need a lot of stuff. You just need the right stuff. The things that work when you need them to work, without asking for much in return. Fix your power setup. Carry a pen that won't break. Eat something that actually fuels you. The rest is just putting in the hours.

Now get back to work.