Ryan Whitaker

Most ethical deer hunting happens in the half-light of dawn and dusk, when whitetails are on their feet and moving to feed. That’s exactly the window when a standard scope punishes you with a dim, washed-out image and tiny reticle numbers you can barely read. I learned that the hard way on a foggy November … Read more

I built a 480-square-foot wraparound deck three summers ago, and the railing decision almost broke me. After comparing fifteen different kits over six weekends of research, I learned one thing the hard way: a “full deck cable railing kit” sold as one box rarely covers the whole perimeter of a large deck. You either buy … Read more

We tested eight of the top cable railing systems to find the best cable railing systems for unobstructed lake views in . Our team spent 90 days installing and evaluating each system on real lakefront decks across Minnesota, Michigan, and upstate New York – places where winter ice, summer humidity, and constant moisture put any … Read more

Looking to give your deck that clean, modern look with unobstructed views? A stainless steel cable railing kit is the single best upgrade you can make to a deck this year. These kits use tensioned horizontal cables instead of bulky balusters, so your view of the lake, garden, or city stays wide open while the … Read more

Salt spray destroys ordinary railings in months, but the best aluminum cable railing kits for coastal decks keep their looks and strength year after year. I have spent the last three months testing ten kits across two beachfront decks, including one less than 200 feet from the high tide line, to find which ones actually … Read more

I spent the last three months helping a friend rebuild the deck stairs at his lake house, and the cable railing decision turned into a 14-hour research project. We compared swage versus swageless fittings, calculated angles for his 32-degree stair pitch, and argued over T316 versus T304 stainless steel until we both went cross-eyed. By … Read more

When I park my travel trailer at a campsite, the last thing I want is to feel the floor shift every time I walk to the kitchen. After testing 8 different setups over the past two seasons, I can tell you that the right trailer wheel chocks for RV stabilization make the difference between feeling … Read more

Rain chain and basin sets for fountains turn a plain gutter downspout into the most charming feature in your yard. I installed my first copper rain chain with an anchoring basin three years ago, and the soft trickle of water through hammered copper cups is now the soundtrack of every thunderstorm at our house. After … Read more

Three days into my elk hunt last October, I watched a buddy dump 80 pounds of meat into a regular cooler because his ice had melted. By noon the next day, that meat was unusable. I swore I’d never pack for a hunting trip again without a real portable freezer, and that hunt is exactly … Read more

I wore eight different maternity support belts for two months during my third pregnancy, walking 8,000 steps a day and logging each one in a notebook. The answer is yes, maternity support belts can help with back pain, but the relief you feel depends almost entirely on which belt you pick and when you put … Read more