Once a week we’ll send out a page from Cool Tools: A Catalog of Possibilities. The tools might be outdated or obsolete, but the possibilities they inspire are new. Sign up here to get Tools for Possibilities a week early in your inbox.
I carry a roll of the Velcro Plant Ties (see right) in my tool bag, but also keep One-Wrap Velcro strips in the shop. While they’re much more expensive, I’ve found the larger kind to be substantially bulkier and stronger. Here in Toronto, we have alternating weekly garbage, recycling, and green waste pickup. We also have rapacious raccoons. I found if I add a simple loop of One-Wrap, screw it into the side of the green bin and loop it over the locking bail of the bin, the raccoons cannot open it. I first tried Plant Ties. They just wouldn’t hold. For my purposes, a One-Wrap is good for about a year, after which it is easily replaced. It’s available in various colors and sizes. The lower-end of the One-Wrap line is a similar size to the Plant Ties, which are 13 mm wide; however, the One-Wrap also come as large as 22mm. It has deeper loop Velcro (thicker and fuzzier), and as the width of the tape increases, the size of the loops and their grip strength increases. Plant Ties really are great for handling all kinds of tasks, but One-Wrap is strong enough to bundle thicker rope, heavier hoses, and most importantly for me, they keep raccoons out of the recycling. – David Keldsen
To me, as a commuter, one of the most impressive parts of the EZ Pass toll-paying system is the hardcore industrial “velcro” tape they give you to attach your transponder to your windshield. It’s not really velcro, though – instead of hooks and loops, both surfaces have these tiny hard plastic mushroom-shaped things that grab each other by the hundreds and don’t let go. Both sides are the same, so there is only one tape (called selfmating). And unlike the loosy-fabricky velcro connection, the Dual Lock surfaces don’t join until you’ve positioned them exactly, and then pressed them together with a satisfying “chunk.” They’re primarily used in industrial applications as a replacement for mechanical fasteners, but I use mine to attach my iPod to my dashboard, and tools to the wall in my workshop. – S.S. Flanders
Parachute cord isn’t only light and strong (550lb. rating) for its size (5/32” diameter), it’s also more versatile than other types of rope because it can be dissected and parted out, cut and used for its braided nylon sleeve and/or seven separate core strands.
You can get an enhanced grip and a little added padding by using paracord to wrap tool handles. It’s also used for making lanyards. I recently inserted a length of ball chain into a parachute cord sleeve to make a hands-free flashlight for late-night dog walks. The nylon is a lot more comfortable around my neck than a ball chain, and the fit is perfect. – Spencer Starr
Become a Patron!Support our reviews, videos, and podcasts on Patreon!
Cool tools really work.
A cool tool can be any book, gadget, software, video, map, hardware, material, or website that is tried and true. All reviews on this site are written by readers who have actually used the tool and others like it. Items can be either old or new as long as they are wonderful. We post things we like and ignore the rest. Suggestions for tools much better than what is recommended here are always wanted.
I got especially excited about a package that arrived this week because I was finally able to read my preorder of the new book from Austin Kleon: Don’t Call It Art! The subtitle is 10 ways to create like a kid again and it lives up to that promise. The core idea is to let your inner child loose and make things with joy, as a form of play instead of something you’ll be judged on. As always with his titles, the hardback is full of fun illustrations. This time they’re joined by drawings from his two young sons, which brings the whole message home. It is a fun read and would be a great gift for someone who is stuck in a rut creatively or just starting a new job or business. The author of Show Your Work is on Substack as well.
Where Americans are Moving
For the first time since the Great Depression 90 years ago, more people moved out of the USA last year than moved in. That was widely reported around the world, but if you’re wondering where they ended up, most studies I’ve seen peg Mexico, Portugal, Spain, Ireland, and Colombia in the top 5, though sometimes the order is a bit different after the clear winner south of the border. This site lists 10 countries and a reason for each, like a truly useful digital nomad visa in Thailand and Italy’s remote worker visa. I expect #10 Bali to drop off after recent actions. (See the previous issue.)
Living in Bulgaria, Post-euro
Bulgaria has gone from unknown to undeniable hotspot in the past 15 years, thanks in part to great conditions for nomads in Bansko and a cost of living advantage that’s hard to beat in Europe. They adopted the euro and became part of the Schengen Zone recently though, so I tapped native Bulgarian Maria Stoynova from Sofia Expats to give me a rundown on how things stand now with prices. See the current results here: The Cost of Living in Bulgaria.
Where the Summer Flight Bargains Are
Dollar Flight Club crunched some data and named the destinations that are still a good deal this summer for flights. In general, the most popular cities are up 15-20% over last year, but others have barely budged. In Europe, they point to 10 destinations going for $570 or less round-trip from U.S. gateways. The ten ranged from expensive (Stockholm and Bergen) to bargains (Krakow and Budapest), but in general were secondary cities except for Dublin. Heading south, check Guatemala, Costa Rica, and a few different spots in Mexico and the Caribbean.
A weekly newsletter with four quick bites, edited by Tim Leffel, author of A Better Life for Half the Price and The World’s Cheapest Destinations. See past editions here, where your like-minded friends can subscribe and join you.
