Manly Skills

How to Survive a Tornado

by Brett & Kate McKay

The flowers are growing, the birds are singing, and the storm clouds are gathering. Yes, it’s tornado season once again. We had several thunderstorms here in Tulsa last month, and the tornado siren has already gone off three times (all of them in a single night), so preparing for a twister to come barreling through [...]

30 comments | Read the full article →

No More Tangled Extension Cords: How to Wrap Up Your Extension Cord Like a Contractor

by Brett

Do your extension cords look like this when you’re unraveling them, no matter how nicely they were wrapped up? Today I’m going to show you a tip that will banish tangled and knotted extension cords from your life. It’s called the Contractor’s Wrap, and I learned it from a Boy Scout leader who worked as an HVAC [...]

63 comments | Read the full article →

How to Wire an Outlet

by A Manly Guest Contributor

This is a guest post by Ethan Hagan from One Project Closer. Check out some of his other manly contributions like How to Install a Toilet. Being able to wire an outlet is a great skill to have in your repertoire, and, once mastered, you’ll be able to replace old or damaged outlets in a matter of [...]

44 comments | Read the full article →

7 Reasons to Become a Gentleman Gardener

by A Manly Guest Contributor

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from John Porter. With warm weather upon us and summer just around the corner, it’s time to think about gardening. “Gardening?” you say. Yes, gardening. If the mention of it has you thinking of aged ladies in big hats and frilly gloves gently nipping blooms from their roses, [...]

45 comments | Read the full article →

How to Survive a Bear Attack: An Illustrated Guide

by Brett & Kate McKay

Illustration by Ted Slampyak

59 comments | Read the full article →

How to Raise Backyard Chickens

by A Manly Guest Contributor

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Creek Stewart of Willow Haven Outdoor. I’m a smart man. I have surrounded myself with a very beautiful group of girls who tirelessly landscape my yard, provide rich compost for my garden, dispose of my kitchen scraps, handle insect control around the house, keep me company, and even [...]

62 comments | Read the full article →

How to Use Valet Parking (Without Looking Like an Idiot)

by Brett & Kate McKay

It’s a standard scene in television and film that’s designed to show what a smooth, cool dude the protagonist is. He cruises up to a club in his sleek sports car, hands the vehicle over to the parking valet with a wink, and then confidently strides inside with a beautiful dame on his arm. That, [...]

59 comments | Read the full article →

Don Draper Judo: Unarmed Self-Defense from the Mad Men Era

by Brett & Kate McKay

As I was browsing through some old magazines the other day, I came across a fantastic issue of Popular Science from 1962 that contained a feature on unarmed self-defense. The article was adapted from a book entitled Modern Judo and Self-Defense by Harry Ewen, a “police judo” expert. The best part of the multi-page article are the [...]

57 comments | Read the full article →

Skip the Take-Out: Quick Southern Comfort Recipes

by Matt Moore

These days, it seems that my life never gets any less busy. Just when I think I’m on top of things, another project or opportunity comes along that puts me right back behind the eight ball. I imagine most of you can relate. Between work, relationships, significant others, kids, (insert your own craziness) – life [...]

21 comments | Read the full article →

Toolmanship: Your Complete Guide to Wrenches

by Brett

It’s been three years since the last post, but welcome back to our Toolmanship series! The goal of this series is to teach the very basics of tool use to those men who never got around to learning how to be handy when they were growing up. In this edition, we turn our attention to [...]

73 comments | Read the full article →

How to Tear a Phone Book in Half

by Brett

Like most people, I’ve long stopped using the phone book to look up phone numbers and use Google instead. But like most people, I still get a giant phone book delivered to my door every single year. I typically just toss it into the recycling bin as soon as I get it, but this year [...]

46 comments | Read the full article →

Solutions for the Everyday Carry of Duct Tape

by A Manly Guest Contributor

Editor’s note: This post was written by Mark Greenman and originally ran on ITS Tactical. Duct tape is one of the most useful things on the planet. It can be used to secure, repair, or build in ways that other materials such as rope, glue, or conventional tape cannot. Because of the hundreds of applications for [...]

54 comments | Read the full article →

How to Install a Toilet

by A Manly Guest Contributor

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Ethan Hagan of One Project Closer. Check out some of his other manly contributions like Making Your Own Cribbage Board. Is your toilet cracked or damaged? Did your kid flush something that’s blocking the line? Are you looking to upgrade your commode? There are plenty of reasons [...]

26 comments | Read the full article →

How to Make a Coat Hook from a Tree Branch

by Darren Bush

It’s so satisfying to create something out of nothing — to add value and purpose to something once considered worthless. This project will show you the hidden treasures in your weed or brush pile. The crotch between a trunk and a branch is a very strong part of a tree. This strength makes a hook [...]

16 comments | Read the full article →

How to Use a Fire Extinguisher

by Brett & Kate McKay

Fire extinguishers. You pass them all the time as you walk the hallways at work or school, and hopefully at home too. But no matter how many times you’ve seen them in your day-to-day life, you’ve probably given little thought as to how you actually use one. Maybe it never crossed your mind, or maybe [...]

35 comments | Read the full article →

How to Tie a Military-Style Shemagh/Keffiyeh

by A Manly Guest Contributor

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Creek Stewart of Willow Haven Outdoor. The shemagh (pronounced “schmog”) – also called a keffiyeh and ghutrah – originated in the Middle East. They are a scarf-type wrap commonly found in arid regions to provide protection from direct sun exposure, as well to protect the mouth and eyes from blown [...]

39 comments | Read the full article →

How to Call 911 (No, It’s Not as Obvious as You Think)

by A Manly Guest Contributor

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from 911 dispatcher James Dillman. At some point in our lives, most of us will have occasion to call for the police, fire department, or an ambulance. Our first inclination is to simply pick up the phone and call 911 because it is quick and easy. Not every [...]

50 comments | Read the full article →

How to Make a Wallet That Will Last the Rest of Your Life

by A Manly Guest Contributor

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Matthew Pisarcik & Sebastian Sandersius, the founders of Bison Made. Nothing is manlier than making something with your own two hands. It’s a source of pride to build something that you can call your own. However, nothing is more frustrating than purchasing something expensive with your hard-earned [...]

67 comments | Read the full article →

Save Lives Like a Combat Medic: How to Splint a Lower-Leg Fracture

by A Manly Guest Contributor

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from former Army medic Bruce A. West. You’re miles from any civilization at a lookout point on a large boulder with a friend, taking in the beautiful fall scenery, when your buddy slips and falls to the ground. They’re holding their leg and screaming in pain; their tibia [...]

17 comments | Read the full article →

← Previous Entries