Outdoors
This is where you’ll find lots of information for hands-on success outside. Gardening, farming, vehicle maintenance and repair, outdoor structures and more.
Review the entire Archive of Outdoors Articles here, or do a more in-depth search to find what you’re looking for.
The Hidden Benefits of Vegetable Gardening and Real Physical Work
There’s more to gardening than just making things grow. In a world where too many people spend too much time…
DIY Concrete Pouring Guide: How to Pour Concrete the Right Way
If you’re planning to pour concrete for any kind of DIY project, or you’ll be hiring someone to do this…
Fabric Shelter Parts Tour: How Portable Shelters Are Built
This video is part of a series about the 42×80-foot fabric structure I’m putting up at my place. It’s for…
BUILDING A BARREL SMOKER: Plans Download and Video Tour
Click below to watch a video tour of my plan for building a backyard meat smoker using a steel barrel…
EXTERIOR ADHESIVES: How to Choose the Right Outdoor Glue
Got an outdoor item to glue? Need an exterior adhesive? Check out this list of pros and cons for the…
GIVEAWAY: Enter to Win a 2026 Champion 11,000 Watt Inverter Generator
It’s free, fast and easy to enter below. Enter as often as you like between January 26, 2026 & February…
TOOLS: Watch a Sharp Chainsaw Chewing Through Hard Maple
The condition of a saw chain is crucial for cutting firewood efficiently. The quick video above shows by what my…
RURAL LIVING: Add Seed to Salt Trough to Improve Pasture Quality
We’ve been pasturing beef cattle here on our Manitoulin Island, Canada property since 1987, and I’ve learned that the best…
TOOLS: Watch This 18-Volt Cordless Chainsaw in Action
Back in 2018 I got the chance to try Milwaukee’s then-new 18 volt cordless electric chainsaw. You can see me…
MAINTENANCE: How To Keep Cars & Trucks Alive & Well for Decades
With a little proactive maintenance, you can keep vehicles running and looking good economically for decades. Click to see 5…
OUTDOOR WOOD BOILER: See Insulated Underground Pipes That Deliver Heat
Even people who don’t heat with wood or use an outdoor wood boiler find it interesting to see how heat…
AUTOMOTIVE: Buff Out Scratches With a Woodworking Sander
Sometimes a simple and effective solution to an annoying problem is right under your nose, but you can’t see it…
COUNTRY LIVING: How To Find & Buy a Rural Property in the Real World
Have you ever thought of living in the country? Finding the right property isn’t all that easy. Read Steve Maxwell’s…
DECKS, DOCKS & OUTDOOR PROJECTS: Take a Tour of Nuts & Bolts That Are Up To The Job
If you’re building a deck you should aim to make it last at least several decades. In fact, there’s no…
AUTOMOTIVE: Why It Makes Sense to Do Your Own Seasonal Tire Changes
Want to feel better about yourself and life? Try changing your own tires. I’ve found that this common seasonal chore…
OUTDOOR LIVING: How to Use a Wood Splitter
Watch this detailed video tutorial to learn the basics of using a wood splitter safely and productively. I think you’ll…
TOOLS: How to Choose & Use a Pressure Washer
Watch the video below for tips and tricks on using your pressure washer, including some uses you’ve probably never seen…
See a Tractor-Mounted Wood Chipper in Action
I’ve been doing some wood chipping lately with a tractor-mounted implement from Woodland Mills that I really like. I bought…
RURAL WATER: How to Get Lots of Water From Weakest of Wells
Steve Maxwell, Canada’s Handiest Man, examines water wells and discusses pumps as well as the trickle system.
HOMESTEADING: How to Thrive Without Burnout, Despair & Failure
Many people in the world long for a life in the country, lived on their own terms, close to nature,…
UNEXPLAINED: My Strange Light Sighting
In September 1990, I saw something that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. It happened…
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This is where you’ll find lots of information for hands-on success outside. Gardening, farming, vehicle maintenance and repair, outdoor structures and more.