Articles

  • 6 days ago | popularmechanics.com | Danny Perez

    Leatherman multitools were a thing of legend when I was a Boy Scout. Most of us just had a small pocket knife but if you had a Leatherman, you were the de facto most-prepared kid on the campout. Even if all you knew how to do was whittle a bar of soap with it, you still had everything one may need in the outdoors at your fingertips. The Boy Scout motto is "Be Prepared" so you can see how this was a big deal.

  • 1 week ago | popularmechanics.com | Danny Perez

    When I was in Boy Scouts, campouts reached their high point during the Saturday night campfire. We'd all gather around, roast hot dogs or s'mores and recount the weekend's adventures. These days there isn't much that gives me that same feeling, but the closest is when I sit in the backyard next to the Solo Stove Bonfire. Solo Stove is the most popular smokeless fire pit brand—and for good reason.

  • 1 week ago | popularmechanics.com | Danny Perez

    A solid grill setup is a must to feed the crowd during peak patio season, but a smokeless fire pit provides a place to comfortably gather. We've tested plenty of smokeless fire pits over the years and carefully note how much smoke they produce. The best ones we've tested cut down on smoke by about 80 percent from a traditional campfire and are a lot easier to clean up afterward. It's the nostalgic campfire feeling without the noxious fumes.

  • 2 weeks ago | popularmechanics.com | Danny Perez

    As a native Texan, I wholeheartedly believe barbecue should be its own food group. Slow and low cooking is a labor of love that yields smoke-imbued flavor you just don't get on a standard grill. While I love a tried-and-true smoker, they have a pretty big learning curve for some just starting out. Figuring out how to keep a consistent temperature over a 12-hour smoke can be tricky. That's why electric pellet grills are a godsend of simplicity and Traeger is one of the best known makers of them.

  • 2 weeks ago | popularmechanics.com | Danny Perez

    Leather is used for old-school motorcycle jackets, steel-toe work boots, your dad's briefcase, and the interior of a Porsche Carrera—it runs the gamut of elegance and ruggedness. There's a lot of variation between animal hides and no two are alike, adding to the uniqueness of leather products. We love it when it's buffed and polished just as much as we love it when it's scuffed and patinated.