The hot dog occupies a unique place in American cuisine, playing a central role in our very conception of summer. Hot dogs are found at Little League games and backyard cookouts, county fairs and Fourth of July picnics. They’ve been sold from pushcarts on city streets, grilled in suburban cul-de-sacs, and eaten in the stands at ballparks for more than a century. 

Though often thought of as quintessentially American, the hot dog’s roots stretch back to the sausages brought to the United States by German immigrants in the 19th century. Early frankfurters were typically made from pork or a blend of pork and beef, while all-beef versions became popular through Jewish delicatessens and hot dog stands, particularly in New York. Over time, regional styles emerged, brands rose and fell, and the humble hot dog became a cultural icon. Americans now consume billions of them every year, yet most of us give surprisingly little thought to which hot dogs actually taste the best.

That seemed like a problem worth solving.

Methodology

The number of hot dog options available at the grocery store was almost overwhelming. Even among brands, there were often 5+ varieties to choose from. “Original” vs. all beef, regular length vs. bun length, no extra flavors vs. chili cheese. Surprisingly to me, many of today’s options — especially the budget dogs — actually list chicken and/or turkey as the main ingredients. (Spoiler: none of these were at the top of the rankings.) 

I grabbed an assortment and ended up taste testing eight different nationally available hot dogs over the course of a couple different cookouts with friends. (My family may need a year to recover before we eat hot dogs again.) 

If you’re in the Upper Midwest, Schweigert makes a great dog.

We also tested a few locally made hot dogs to see how they would stack up; two of them weren’t that good, but one would indeed have cracked the top three. That is to say: it’s very possible, but not a guarantee, that your local/regional hot dog brand is your best option. Do some testing of your own to be sure. 

Our groups blind-tested each dog — I knew where each was on the grill, then cut them into quarters for tasting. The scoring rubric was not scientific, but we generally looked for overall taste (saltiness, savoriness, meatiness, etc.) and texture (Did it have some snap? Was it mushy?). Our first tastes of each were without buns or condiments, except a bit of ketchup. 

With testing so many dogs, I wasn’t sure if the differences would be very noticeable. Would I remember the first one after testing ten more? Turns out, outside of a couple bland and unmemorable options, most were distinct enough to be able to tell the difference and form a fairly clear opinion on. 

Without further ado, below are the results. You’ll first find quick reviews of the five dogs that didn’t make it to the winners’ circle, followed by our top three picks.

The Rest of the Field

Hebrew National 

Hebrew National is best known for being a kosher hot dog (though its actual kosher merits, as of late, are debated within Jewish circles). As such, their frankfurters only contain beef and have no fillers or artificial flavors. They also use a unique spice blend that gives the hot dogs a distinct, almost peppery flavor. The flavor stood out from the crowd in our taste testing, but in a way that put it more in the middle of the pack rather than at the top. And the kids didn’t care for them much. They were fine overall, but I doubt I’ll be buying them again. 

Sugardale 

None of the adults in the taste test were impressed with the cheapest hot dog in the mix. Sugardale’s 8-pack of dogs is just $1.99, and it showed. The taste was bland and the texture was no different. Interestingly, though, all the kids enjoyed the Sugardales; the blandness might be a plus for the younger set. 

Sugardale’s offering also had the distinction of being the worst-looking cooked product. It was the only hot dog that plumped too much and split, only to then shrivel and even separate from the casing a bit. Not appetizing. That said, if you’re buying just for kids, it may not be a bad option. 

Nathan’s Famous 

As the company that puts on the world’s foremost hot dog eating contest, you’d think they’d have some of the best dogs around. Plus they were one of the first to tout an all-beef wiener. The taste was indeed good — in the top half, for sure. But they were some of the smallest and skinniest links — better for eating in huge quantities, I guess. It would take 2–3 dogs to fill anyone up, which isn’t ideal. 

Oscar Mayer Classic 

Despite being one of the most recognizable brands in the world of processed meats, my expectations for Oscar Mayer’s classic dogs were rather low. And accurate, as it turns out. The texture was too squishy — you want the hot dog to have some snap and bite to it — and the flavor was basically non-existent. It didn’t taste like anything. Overall, it was just a bland, squishy tube of meat paste. Nobody wants that. If you’re buying Oscar Mayer hot dogs, definitely go with the all-beef variety (see below). 

Bar S 

Like Oscar Mayer, Bar S is another bestselling budget hot dog. The flavor was meh, the texture was mediocre, and this hot dog was totally unmemorable from start to finish. As I write this a week or two after testing, I have no sense of what this hot dog tasted like. With the other dogs on this list, I can pretty well remember the overall experience, but Bar S is just a blank screen. I can’t in good faith recommend this hot dog, especially with so many other better options on the table. 

The Top Three Dogs

Though there were some general differences in opinion between 6 adult testers and 8 kid testers (ages 5–11), the three hot dogs below were universally well-regarded. The adults definitely preferred the all-beef options, while the kids were a little less picky overall. 

Oscar Mayer Jumbo Beef

After the original Oscar Mayer was a disappointment, nobody in our taste test focus groups expected much out of OM’s all-beef version. To our pleasant surprise, it tasted like a completely different product — in the best way. The flavor was very good and the texture was just right, with a little bit of snap and no mushiness. An all-around great hot dog for all ages!  

Kirkland 

If you’re familiar with them, Costco’s hot dogs have a very distinct flavor. And they’re delicious. Even in a blind taste test, I could pick this one out pretty easily. The Kirkland all-beef dogs that you buy in the refrigerated section are the same ones that you get in the food court for $1.50. (If it tastes different at home, it’s because of the cooking method.) It was also one of the larger hot dogs we tested, which can make a big difference, especially when feeding adults. You can’t go wrong with Kirkland. 

Ball Park Angus 

Every adult in our taste test had some kind of long-held expectation of what a hot dog should taste like. Whether it came from childhood or college cookouts on the quad, it was there. Turns out, that Platonic ideal of a hot dog is a Ball Park. Created in the ‘50s for the Detroit Tigers, this plump, juicy, all-beef hot dog is the bestselling frankfurter in America — and for good reason. Before our taste test, it had been a long time since I had tried a Ball Park, but it will be my go-to from now on. It tastes exactly how a hot dog should taste, which is perhaps the highest compliment I can give. 

__________

If the above reviews make it seem like I’m now a hot dog snob, rest assured that I’m indeed not. If there’s a cookout with hot dogs, I can pretty much guarantee I’ll eat one, even if it’s one of the bottom brands on this list. It’s not like anyone is digging through the trash to look at what brand is available or commenting on the particulars of a frankfurter’s flavor profile. Ultimately, hot dogs are more about the setting than anything else. 

Plus, there are plenty of folks who argue that a hot dog is but a meaty vessel for condiments and toppings galore. If you need some ideas, check out our guide to 8 of the most popular regional hot dog styles.

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

You’re at a business convention chatting with a colleague, when up walks a man, the head of some major department, a guy you know you’ve met before. “Hey there, Sam!” he says as he shakes your hand. Then he waits for you to introduce him to your colleague. The only problem? You cannot for the life of you remember his name. Awkwardness ensues. And a potential business deal evaporates.

The key to being a charismatic gentleman is making others feel important. And what better way to make someone feel important than by remembering their name? Remembering someone’s name tells them that they were special enough to have made a real impression on you. And everybody wants to feel special. Thus there are few better, and easier, ways to build rapport than to answer, “You probably don’t remember my name,” with, “Of course I do!”

And saying someone’s name is a powerful persuasion tool. It makes people feel at ease and comfortable. Legendary success writer and Mr. Charisma himself, Dale Carnegie, once said that “a person’s name is to him or her the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”

But if you’re like me, remembering names isn’t your strong suit. I can remember faces, but I can’t always put that face together with a name.

It’s a common problem. Research has consistently found that people are much better at recognizing faces than remembering names.

But fear not. With a little bit of savvy and know-how, you can overcome this shortcoming and become a master at remembering names. You can be the man who walks into a party and works the room like a pro.

Today we’ll discuss some of the most effective methods for remembering people’s names, as well as what to do when your best intentions fail and someone’s name slips your mind.

How to Remember a Person’s Name

Commit to listening and remembering. Most of us are lousy listeners. In social situations, we fall prey to conversational narcissism and are always waiting for a moment we can jump in and add our two cents. If you’re concentrating on what you’re about to say when someone introduces themselves, their name will go in one ear and out the other just like that. If you aren’t intently tuned in during that tiny window, the opportunity to learn their name passes in mere seconds and you’re sunk.

Before going into any social situation where you’ll be meeting new people, commit yourself to being as attentive as possible during introductions. There’s often a rush of nerves as you meet someone, and you have to intentionally tell yourself to calm down. Just having that extra mental focus can go a long way in helping you remember names.

Repeat early, repeat often. When you first meet someone, repeat their name as soon as you learn it. That will help sear the person’s name into your memory. Say something like, “Hi Jill, nice to meet you!” or “Pleasure to meet you, Jill.”

After that initial repeat, use the person’s name as much as you can throughout the conversation without coming off as a cheesy used car salesman. “Where are you from, Jill?” “How’s the weather in Toledo this time of year, Jill?” “How do you know the bride and groom, Jill?” You get the idea. Again, be natural and don’t overdo it.

To really burn the name into that noggin of yours, make sure to end your conversation by repeating the person’s name one final time. “Great meeting you, Jill. I hope we can stay in touch.”

Not only does this technique help you remember someone’s name, it also makes you seem charming. As we mentioned, people love the sound of their own name.

Have them spell it out. Hearing a person spell their name can help you remember it, especially if it’s an unusual name. If it’s a common name, but has different spelling variations, ask the person which variation he or she uses. For example, if a person’s name is Bryan, you can ask, “So is that Bryan with a y or Brian with an i?” He answers, “It’s Bryan with a y.” Now whenever you see that person, you can think, “That’s Bryan with a y.”

Visualize the person’s name on their forehead. As soon as you hear the person’s name, visualize their name stamped in big block letters across their forehead. Keep that mental picture on their forehead the entire time that person is in your presence.

Associate the person’s name with an easy-to-remember picture. After hearing a person’s name, make it as tangible as possible to you by associating their name with a picture. Be as creative as you want with this. There’s no right or wrong way to do it. The association just needs to be meaningful to you. For example, if a person’s name is Teddy Thompson, you might imagine a teddy bear holding a Thompson machine gun.

Associate the image that represents the person’s name with an outstanding facial feature on the person. To especially seal a name memory, take that visual representation you made of the person’s name and associate it with an outstanding physical feature the person has.

Let’s use our example of Teddy Thompson. Our picture for his name was a gun-wielding teddy bear. Now we need to associate that image with a feature of Mr. Thompson. Let’s say Teddy has big ears. You can imagine a teddy bear with huge ears holding a machine gun. Your association can be different — just use whatever works for you.

Take notes. If you’re a salesman or in another profession that involves the frequent and vital making of new contacts, be sure to carry a pocket notebook with you. After meeting someone new, write down his or her name in your notebook (or the notes app on your phone), along with some notes about who they are and what they do. Before a meeting where you may see them again, take a moment to review your notes.

Practice, practice, practice. Remembering names is a skill that takes practice to develop, so put yourself in situations where you’ll have to learn new names. Use these techniques as much as you can.

What to Do When You Forget a Name

No matter how hard you try, you’re bound to forget a person’s name every now and then. If you do, just politely and apologetically say, “I’m terribly sorry, but I’ve forgotten your name. What is it again?” Simple. Ask them as soon as you realize you’ve forgotten their name. The more time you spend together, the more offended they’ll be when they realize you don’t know their name.

But having to ask for someone’s name again can make you look bad. I mean, you’re basically telling the person, “You weren’t important enough for me to remember you.” If your memory fails you, and you don’t want to ask for someone’s name again outright, here’s how to recover it as smoothly as possible in several different situations.

When you part ways. If you realize as you part ways with someone that you can’t remember their name, ask if they have a business card you can take home with you. This is great, because not only do you now know their name without having to ask again, you’ll always have something you can take out and review at home.

When you see someone you’ve met before. If you encounter somebody you know you’ve met before, but you can’t put a name with their face, don’t guess their name if you’re not sure. For some reason, having someone say your name wrong always feels more offensive and noticeable than simply being asked for your name again.

So if you can’t remember someone’s name, you have a couple of options. The first is a little trick I’ve used several times with success.

You ask the person, “Excuse me, what was your name again?”

The person will likely respond with their first name.

You then respond with a charming laugh and a smile, and say, “Oh no, I meant your last name.”

People seem to be more forgiving of someone forgetting their last name — less so their first. With this technique, you’ll get the person’s first name without them knowing you had forgotten it. And if you forgot their last name, now you have that, too.

Of course this little trick can backfire if they respond by asking, “My first or last name?”

If you’re not a gambling man, you can simply walk up, stick out your hand, and say your name. “Brett. We met at the Christmas party last year.” They’ll likely respond in kind by saying their name. Chances are, he or she had forgotten your name too! By taking the initiative, you remove their burden of anxiety as well. 

When you’re making introductions. What if you’re standing with a friend, and someone walks up and waits for you to introduce them, but you can’t remember their name? Say to the person, “Have you met my friend, Mike?” The person will then hopefully say to Mike, “No, I haven’t. Nice to meet you. I’m Luke.”

With our archives now 4,000+ articles deep, we’ve decided to republish a classic piece each Sunday to help our newer readers discover some of the best, evergreen gems from the past. This article was originally published in June 2011.

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

America’s Founding Fathers have become larger-than-life figures. Their faces stare out from currency, their words are quoted in political speeches, and their accomplishments have been polished into legend. It’s easy to think of them as marble statues instead of flesh-and-blood men.

But the more closely you examine their lives, the more interesting they become. They wrestled with self-doubt, rivalries, failures, and moral shortcomings. They changed their minds, made costly mistakes, and faced problems for which there were no obvious answers. Yet they also possessed an uncommon sense of duty, ambition, curiosity, and conviction that enabled them to accomplish something extraordinary: creating and sustaining a new republic against long odds.

Over the years, we’ve had the privilege of speaking with some of the country’s leading historians and biographers about the Founding generation and the Revolutionary era. Below are the six best of these conversations to enjoy as America turns 250. They explore everything from the Founders’ philosophy of virtue to why they chose to become revolutionaries to the lessons their lives still offer today. Whether you’re just beginning to explore this period of history or are already a devoted student of the founding, these Art of Manliness podcast episodes will deepen your understanding of the remarkable men who shaped the American experiment.

Books, Routines, and Habits — The Founders’ Guide to Self-Improvement

The Founding Fathers believed that happiness wasn’t about feeling good but about becoming good. Jeffrey Rosen explains how they came to equate happiness with virtue and self-mastery, and why they believed personal self-government — a.k.a. self-improvement — was the foundation of political self-government. He explores the books that shaped the Founders’ thinking, along with the routines, self-examination practices, and habits they used to cultivate character. It’s a fascinating look at the moral philosophy that guided some of America’s most influential statesmen.

The Surprising Pessimism of America’s Founding Fathers

We often imagine the Founding Fathers as unwaveringly confident in the republic they created. But Dennis C. Rasmussen argues that many of them grew deeply anxious about whether the American experiment would survive. He explores why George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson feared the nation’s future (while James Madison remained hopeful). Their concerns ranged from growing partisanship to a decline in civic virtue among the American people. The conversation offers a surprisingly timely perspective on the challenges of preserving a free republic.

Would You Have Been a Patriot or a Loyalist?

Looking back, the American Revolution can seem inevitable. But for many colonists — including several of the Founding Fathers — the decision to side with the Patriots or remain loyal to Britain was anything but clear-cut. H. W. Brands explores the personal ambitions, relationships, and principles that shaped these choices. He explains why George Washington and Benjamin Franklin were unlikely revolutionaries, why Franklin’s son remained a Loyalist, and what led Benedict Arnold to switch sides. The episode offers a nuanced look at the complicated human decisions behind America’s founding.

The Fascinating Life of America’s Forgotten Founding Father

Benjamin Rush signed the Declaration of Independence, helped shape American medicine, and counted nearly every major Founder among his closest friends — yet today he’s largely forgotten. Stephen Fried explains why Rush’s remarkable legacy faded and traces his extraordinary life, from his role in the Revolution to his efforts to reconcile Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. Along the way, he reveals how Rush’s journals and correspondence preserved an intimate portrait of the nation’s founders that remained hidden for generations. It’s a fascinating introduction to one of the most influential and overlooked figures of the American founding.

American Honor — Creating the Nation’s Ideals During the Revolution

We often think the American Revolution was driven primarily by taxes (“No taxation without representation!”) and political philosophy. But Craig Bruce Smith argues that honor was the deeper force motivating the Founding generation. He explains how changing ideas about personal and collective honor shaped the push for independence, influenced the choices of the Founding Fathers, and even played a role in Benedict Arnold‘s treason. The conversation also explores how America’s understanding of honor continued to evolve after the Revolution. It’s a fresh perspective on the ideals that helped forge a nation.

George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and Valiant Ambition

Today, George Washington is remembered as the hero of the American Revolution, while Benedict Arnold is synonymous with treason. But early in the war, their reputations were almost the opposite. Nathaniel Philbrick explains how Washington grew into an exceptional military and political leader while Arnold’s extraordinary talent was undone by pride, resentment, and ambition. Their intertwined stories reveal that character — not just ability — ultimately determines a person’s legacy. It’s one of the most compelling studies of leadership to emerge from the Revolutionary era.

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

How Y’all, Youse and You Guys Talk. The NYT put this U.S. dialect quiz out years ago, but I only stumbled onto it recently. It asks twenty-five questions about the words you use and how you pronounce them. Do you say y’all or you guys? Crawfish or crawdad? Is it a garage sale, tag sale, or yard sale? Then it draws a heat map of where people talk the most like you do. It pegged me as being from Oklahoma City and Tulsa, which is exactly right. The only two places I’ve ever lived. When I shared the quiz on Substack Notes, a bunch of folks said it nailed them, too. But it wasn’t accurate for all; it may be less so for people who’ve lived for substantial parts of their lives in different parts of the country. See if it pegs you right: the quiz takes just a few minutes and it’s a lot of fun.

Woolaroc. This week our family drove an hour north from Tulsa to Woolaroc. It’s a ranch built by oilman Frank Phillips (of Phillips 66 fame) in the Osage Hills back in 1925. It’s a real hidden gem. Will Rogers once called it “the most unique place in this country.” We try to get up there at least once a year. You drive in through a 3,700-acre wildlife preserve with buffalo, deer, elk, and longhorn cattle. There’s a museum with one of the best Western art collections anywhere, the most complete collection of Colt firearms in the world, and, a few shrunken heads to boot. During the summer, they have a mountain man camp staffed by re-enactors who give you history lessons on 19th-century hunting and trapping. Gus got to fire a replica of an 1820s flintlock rifle. If you’re ever in OK, definitely pay a visit to Woolaroc — I dare say it’s our state’s most Oklahoma-y destination.

Daylight Computer Tablet. I’ve owned this for over a year now, and it’s become one of my favorite work tools. It’s an e-ink tablet, and I use it for reading Kindle books and PDFs. When I make notes on it, it feels like writing on paper. With no blue light, it’s easy on the eyes, and you can use it outdoors.

The Art of Thinking by Ernest Dimnet. I’m not sure how I stumbled onto this old book, but I’m glad I did. Dimnet, a French priest, wrote it in 1928, and it was a big hit back in the day. It sat on the bestseller lists right next to Dale Carnegie before sliding into obscurity. It’s jammed full of practical advice on thinking better. He’s got chapters on how to read and write for better thinking, how to deal with distractions, and how becoming who you are requires a “stiffening of attention.” Highly recommend. Kindle version is only $.99!

On our Dying Breed newsletter, we published Sunday Firesides: You Are Not the Exception and The Paradox of Skill.

Quote of the Week

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

It’s swimsuit season once again, and many men will find themselves lounging at backyard pool parties and hitting the beach.

Hanging out in just a swimsuit can make some guys feel self-conscious, for obvious reasons. You don’t have on any of the usual clothing and layers you can use to disguise or enhance certain aspects of your body, and you’re essentially standing in public wearing the minimum amount of fabric society permits.

Even if being out and about in a swimsuit doesn’t make you actively self-conscious, you likely want to feel optimally confident when you don yours.

Whichever category you fall into, today we’ll give you some tips on how to look your best at the pool or beach. Fortunately, looking swell in a swimsuit doesn’t require having the physique of an Olympic swimmer or Marvel superhero; the impression you make can be significantly improved by choosing the right trunks for your particular qualities and wearing them with style and confidence.

Choosing the Right Suit for You

Match the Suit to Your Build

The swimsuit you’ll look best in partly depends on your body type.

If you’ve got an athletic build, just about every style will look good on you, and suits in solid colors that fit closely without clinging will be especially flattering.

But if you’re on the thin or heavy side, you’ll want to keep a few special considerations in mind:

If You’re Lean and Skinny

If you’ve got a slim physique, you want your swimsuit to add a little substance to it.

Avoid extremely slim or tiny swim briefs unless you’re intentionally channeling a European water polo player.

Instead, choose tailored trunks with some visual interest:

• Horizontal stripes
• Bold patterns
• Bright colors
• Side pockets

Patterns and details add visual weight and help create the impression of a more filled-out frame.

If You’re Carrying Extra Weight

Many men respond to a thicker midsection by sizing up dramatically. But this is the wrong way to go.

An oversized swimsuit doesn’t hide weight. It simply adds bulk.

Choose a suit that fits comfortably at the waist and falls cleanly from the hips.

Solid colors generally work better than busy patterns. Darker shades can create a slimming effect, though there’s no need to restrict yourself exclusively to black.

The key is structure. A suit that fits properly will almost always look better than one that’s several sizes too large.

Choose Colors That Complement Your Complexion

In addition to matching a swimsuit to your body type, you’ll also want to make sure it complements your skin color.

Fair Skin

If you’re pale and burn easily, avoid colors that wash you out. So skip light pastels that match your skin tone and colors like pale beige, light yellow, and white.

Instead, try:

• Navy
• Forest green
• Burgundy
• Medium blue

These colors provide enough contrast to create visual definition.

Medium or Olive Skin

Medium and olive skin tones have the most flexibility when it comes to color. Few colors are off-limits, but medium and olive skin tones tend to look especially good in earthy colors and richer shades that complement the natural warmth of the complexion.

For example:

• Teal
• Olive green
• Coral
• Turquoise
• Burgundy
• Rust

This is the skin tone that can often pull off brighter colors without looking overwhelmed by them.

Dark Skin

Rich, saturated colors tend to look especially good against darker complexions.

Consider:

• Emerald green
• Bright blue
• White
• Orange
• Yellow
• Red

Darker complexions should feel freer to experiment with bold colors.

Guidelines for All

Skip the Extra-Long Board Shorts

Many men gravitate toward long board shorts that reach the knee or even extend below it. That’s understandable. If you came of age in the ’90s or early 2000s, that’s simply the length that swim shorts — and everyday shorts — came in.

The hemline of shorts has inched up in the past decade for both casualwear and swimwear, and that’s something to embrace.

Long trunks aren’t inherently bad, but they can throw off your proportions. Because they cover so much of the leg, they tend to make your legs appear shorter and your body appear heavier than it actually is.

The longer shorts of the 90s/00s were actually an anomaly in the history of male swimsuits; for most of the time men have been wearing swimsuits, they’ve been shorter — sometimes quite a bit shorter!

For most men, the sweet spot is a swimsuit with an inseam between 5 and 7 inches. This means the hem lands somewhere in the middle of the thigh, several inches above the knee. This length creates a more balanced and flattering silhouette.

If you’re under 5’10”, lean toward the shorter end of the range. Showing more leg creates the illusion of height.

If you’re tall, you can comfortably wear 7-inch trunks without looking disproportionate.

But unless you need long board shorts for a functional purpose, most men shouldn’t be wearing suits that fall below the top of the knee.

Skip the Novelty Prints

Swimsuits sometimes come in “fun” novelty prints — cartoon sharks, pineapples wearing sunglasses. But these read as jokey frat guy on spring break rather than a sharp, mature man — a poolside smooth operator.

Stick to solid colors and classic patterns and prints.

Mind the Waistband

Most men will look best in a traditional swim trunk with an elastic waistband and drawstring. It’s comfortable, forgiving, and works on a wide variety of body types.

The lace-up board-short waistband popularized by surf brands has its place, particularly for surfing and other watersports. But for everyday swimming and beachgoing, a classic elastic waistband is usually the simpler and more flattering choice.

You’ll want to keep the waistband sitting comfortably at your natural waist or slightly below it, rather than halfway down your hips; wearing trunks too low is one of the easiest ways to look sloppy in swimwear. When trunks ride too low, they shorten the legs and emphasize the stomach.

A properly positioned waistband creates cleaner proportions and makes nearly every body type look better.

The drawstring should be functional, not decorative. If the suit can’t stay up without being tied like a sailor’s knot, it’s probably the wrong size.

Don’t Forget What’s Above (and Below) the Waist

A swimsuit isn’t the entirety of your beach attire.

The man who looks best poolside is often not the man with the best physique but the man who understands the value of accessories.

Consider adding:

• A well-fitting linen shirt
• A polo made from lightweight fabric
• Classic sunglasses
• Leather sandals

These items provide structure and style while giving you something to wear when you’re lounging around the water and not actively in it.

They also help shift attention from your body to your overall presentation.

The Secret Advantage: Good Posture

If there’s one free upgrade available to every man, it’s posture.

Stand tall.

Pull your shoulders back slightly.

Keep your chest open.

Don’t cross your arms defensively over your stomach.

Most men at the beach unconsciously adopt a posture that communicates embarrassment. They hunch, slouch, and try to disappear.

Ironically, these habits make them look less appealing.

Confidence changes how clothing — and swimwear — hangs on the body.

A man with average genetics and good posture often looks better than a man with excellent genetics and poor posture.

When it comes to looking swell in a swimsuit, the right pair of trunks helps, but the secret sauce is simply exuding confidence and being comfortable in your own skin.

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

The modern idea of retirement was built on a bet that turned out to be wrong. It assumed people would spend most of their lives working and only a relatively short period of time retired. Instead, many Americans now reach 65 healthy, active, and with an entire third of their life ahead of them. Yet we’re still using a retirement model designed for a world in which old age was shorter and fewer people expected decades of life after leaving the workforce.

My guest says that outdated assumption creates some unfortunate unintended consequences. It causes people to stress excessively about money, postpone meaningful experiences with family and friends, and sometimes sacrifice the very things that make life worth living in the first place. He argues that by rethinking retirement — not necessarily eliminating it, but reimagining it — we can enjoy more of our lives now while actually feeling more secure about the future.

His name is Derek Coburn, and he’s a financial advisor and the author of Let’s Retire Retirement. Today on the show, Derek explains why the traditional retirement model came about, why it may no longer make sense for many people, and how working even a few years past 65 can dramatically change the math of retirement planning. We also discuss the surprising psychological challenges many people face after they stop working, why purpose matters more than leisure, and how thinking differently about retirement can free you up to spend more time on what matters most right now — whether that’s traveling, strengthening your marriage, or making the most of the limited summers you have left with your kids.

Connect With Derek Coburn

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

It’s summertime, which means a lot of you will be loading up the car and hitting the highway for vacation.

I love road tripping. I prefer it over flying because flying is for the birds. When you’re on a road trip, you’re in control. You’re not getting herded through a terminal like cattle, packed into a metal tube, and told you can’t use the bathroom because the seatbelt sign is on. You can be leisurely. You can watch the scenery change from plains to mountains to desert. You can pull over to see some Cadillacs stuck in the ground.

But a great road trip doesn’t just happen. Over years of driving my own family across the wide expanses of the United States, I’ve figured out a few things that separate a smooth haul from a miserable one. I also solicited some tips from a friend who’s done likewise.

To make your long drives this summer more enjoyable, here are 30 rules of the road to follow:

1. Do a pre-drive check the week before. Check the tire pressure, oil, coolant, and washer fluid and make sure they’re all good. You want to avoid those breakdowns and tire blowouts where you’re left stranded on the shoulder of I-40 between Amarillo and Tucumcari.

2. Start with a clean cabin. Declutter your vehicle, vacuum its interior, and wipe the dash. Sure, after 500 miles, the inside of your car will look like a tornado touched down inside a Love’s Country Store, but there’s something about starting a trip in a clean environment that makes it feel a bit more pleasant.

3. Pack a real paper map. Even in the cell-tower-dotted landscape of the modern age, you’ll still encounter dead zones along your drive. GPS is great right up until you’re crossing one in the desolate West. A Rand McNally Road Atlas never drops to one bar. Also, looking at it is a great way for your kids to pass the time instead of staring at a screen.

4. Stock an emergency kit. We’ve got a whole article on what every man should keep in his car, and a road trip is exactly the scenario that list was written for. Stock jumper cables, a flashlight, basic hand tools, flares, and a solid first-aid kit at the least.

5. Download what you need for entertainment and navigation, and charge devices completely the night before. From podcast episodes to playlists to directions, download everything you want to have access to, even when your phone hits SOS, before you depart. Make sure the kids have downloaded episodes of Bluey or Gilmore Girls, and that everyone’s devices are fully charged the night before.

6. Prep for quality conversation. A road trip is a great time to get in some quality conversation (QC). But QC doesn’t just happen. You have to prep for it. For the adults and older kids, send them an article or podcast to listen to before the trip so you can spend some time discussing it while on the road.

7. Bring more wet wipes than you think you need. The gas pump handle is filthy, hands will end up coated in Cheeto dust, and the public restroom soap dispenser will be empty exactly when you need it. There’s no such thing as too many wipes.

8. Take it nice and easy. One of the advantages of driving over flying is that there’s no pressure to leave at an exact time. There’s no worry about missing a flight. So take it easy. Sure, have a general time you’d like to leave and arrive by, but there’s no need to get stressed trying to stick to a strict agenda and lapse into little irrational bouts of Dad anger.

9. Drive while the little ones sleep. If you’ve got infants or toddlers, the dawn patrol and the late-night push are your best friends. A mile covered while a toddler is unconscious in his car seat is worth roughly three covered while he’s awake and restless.

10. Everyone gets a turn being the DJ. Either rotate through passengers’ respective playlists of choice, or take turns picking each song.

11. Gas up at a quarter tank. Around town you can ride the needle down to E and play chicken with the fuel light. When you’re out in the middle of nowhere and the next gas station might be 50 miles away, play it safe, and make a quarter tank of gas the minimum you’ll get to.

12. Stick to the mega travel centers for pit stops. When the family needs to use the bathroom and restock on snacks, look for the towering signs of a national chain like Love’s, Pilot, Flying J, or — if you’re blessed enough to be in their territory — a Buc-ee’s. You are guaranteed a high baseline of restroom cleanliness, an elite, wall-to-wall snack selection, and brightly lit spaces. Leave the sketchy, dimly-lit, one-pump stations as pit stops of last resort.

13. Clean the windshield at every fill-up. A smudge of bug guts might not bother you in town, but staring through a kaleidoscope of dead gnats while driving into the setting sun is a recipe for annoyance and impaired vision. Grab the squeegee while the pump is running; it takes 60 seconds and drastically improves visibility.

14. Everyone pees when you stop. Whenever you take pit stops, everyone must go to the bathroom. No exceptions. No “I’m good.” Because the kid who was “good” will announce 30 minutes later that he was, in fact, right on the cusp of being not good and now needs to go.

15. Everyone moves when you stop, too. Your bladder isn’t the only thing that needs attention when you pull off — so do your hips. Eight hours folded into a driver’s seat will turn your lower back into a rusted hinge. Walk a lap around the gas station, do a few toe-touches or squats by the pump — get the blood flowing again.

16. Run a dedicated trash bag. One designated bag for trash keeps the footwells from turning into a landfill by the afternoon. Empty it at every single gas stop. Replace with a new bag.

17. Pad the timeline. If the GPS says eight hours, plan for ten and a half. Kids move slow, bathroom stops run long, and the surest way to ruin the drive is to chain yourself to an arrival time you were never going to make.

18. Treat screens as a tool, not a crutch. While it’s tempting to just let your kids zombify in front of their screens the entire trip, resist the urge. All kids need to experience the boredom of a road trip and the pleasures that can come with watching the landscape move past them. Put them on a rotation, like two hours off screens for every one hour on.

19. Have an arsenal of games ready. Road trip bingo, 20 Questions, Shotgun, the alphabet game, magnetic checkers. Cycle through them throughout the trip.

20. Kids must play Mad Libs. At least once. It’s a kid road trip rite of passage.

21. The left lane is for passing. Treat this as an unbreakable law of the universe, obey it religiously, and teach it to your kids by example. If you’re not passing somebody, get over. The republic of the road depends on it.

22. Use cruise control. Ensures you keep a steady pace the entire trip and keeps you from drifting up to 90 without noticing, which is how you end up explaining yourself to a state trooper while your kids watch terrified from the backseat, thinking their dad is going to jail.

23. Take the dumb detour. See a brown sign for a state park, a roadside museum, or a giant fiberglass something-or-other, and you’ve got the time? Take the exit. The World’s Largest Ball of Twine may become a core memory.

24. The hotel pool is non-negotiable. If you’ve got to stop at a hotel for the night, picking one with a pool is essential — at least if you have kids. After being strapped into a seatbelt for eight hours, your kids will have the pent-up kinetic energy of a coiled spring. Throwing them into a heavily chlorinated rectangle for 45 minutes before bed is the absolute best way to ensure they actually sleep through the night.

25. Curate the snacks. Beef jerky, almonds, pretzels — elite road fuel. Anything powdered, crumbly, melty, or sticky will end in regret. Powdered donuts in particular are an interior-ruining liability, and you will be vacuuming that white dust out of the seat seams six months from now.

26. Embargo “Are we there yet?” Ban the question outright. We get there when we get there.

27. No farting. Have some decency. Passengers are locked in a confined space and can’t escape.

28. Find an audiobook for the whole cabin. Eight hours of screens will turn their brains to mush. A good audiobook the whole family can sink into — or even some vintage spooky radio shows — unites everybody and vaporizes a couple hundred miles.

29. Embrace the silence. You do not need a podcast, audiobook, or Spotify playlist pumping through the speakers for all 1,000 miles. Let the cabin fall quiet for an hour. It gives the driver a break from sensory input and often leads to the best, most organic conversations of the trip.

30. Remember the drive is the trip. If all you care about is getting there, you should’ve bought plane tickets. The arguments, the inside jokes, the gas-station weirdos, the Killers singalongs, that’s the vacation, too, and often the stuff you remember most.

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

Note: The following tips are excerpted from Survival Hacks: Over 200 Ways to Use Everyday Items for Wilderness Survival by Creek Stewart.

Having taught survival skills to thousands of individuals from all over the world for nearly two decades, I’ve come to one conclusion: the most important survival skill is innovation. Using what you have, to get what you need, is what will ultimately make the difference between life and death in a sudden and unexpected survival scenario. I often call this “survival hacking.”

Over the years, I’ve learned (and sometimes invented) some very interesting survival hacks that I think everyone should know. Why? Well, it’s like I always say: “it’s not IF but WHEN.” Below are a few survival nuggets for the when.

Framework Collar Connector

If you need a long pole, you’ll often have to lash together two limbs or saplings to get the right length. This is the case when making a dome framework for wigwam-style shelters, for example. If cordage is in short supply, using an energy shot bottle (like a 5-Hour Energy or similar product) from your trash may be the solution. After slicing off the top and bottom of the bottle, a very strong cylindrical tube remains. You can use this tube as a collar for connecting the ends of two limbs. Taper the ends of the limbs so they slide into the tube opposite each other and form a snug fit when wedged together. This collar will hold them surprisingly well and will not stretch with moisture, as many lashings do. If the collar is a bit loose, heat it over coals or a flame and it will shrink and tighten the fit.

Blanket Chair

Finding a good place to sit in an improvised survival camp can be very frustrating — especially when the ground is wet or snow covered. This hack improvises a very comfortable seat in just a few minutes. The only parts you need are four sturdy poles and a blanket or scrap piece of durable fabric. Cut three poles that are 6′-8′ long by 1″-2″ thick, and then cut a fourth that is the same thickness and 4′ long.

Connect two of the long poles together at one end using a bipod lashing. Fold the blanket or fabric in half, bunch the end together, and suspend this end with rope from the cross at the bipod lashing. Insert the 4′ pole in the unsecured fold of the blanket so that it sticks out at both ends, and rest it against the longer poles. Finally, kick lash the last long pole in the center as a support, and lean back to relax.

Condom Canteen

Many survivalists, including myself, suggest packing non-lubricated condoms in survival kits. They are small, compact, and inexpensive, and have a plethora of survival uses. One noteworthy function is as a compact emergency water container. Here are a couple tips I’ve learned from experience for using a condom as a canteen:

• Fill the condom in a sock to protect it during travel.
• Use any rigid hollow tube such as an ink pen, elderberry branch, or bamboo section as a spout and secure the base of the condom around it using duct tape or paracord.
• Carve a spout stopper from any dry branch.
• Add a sling, and you’re ready to make tracks with more than a liter of drinking water. 

2-Liter Rain Collector

The ability to collect rainwater, especially if stranded on an ocean island, is critical. Luckily, that task can be easily done with just a plastic bottle (be sure it has a cap; the mouth must be sealed). Start by cutting off the bottom of the bottle. Next, cut vertical slices 1″-2″ apart up the side of the bottle, starting at the bottom and going a little more than halfway. Fold the sections out, giving the bottle a flower-like appearance. (Using heat during this step makes the bottle more pliable and speeds up the process; it also helps keep the petals in place once finished.) Finally, plant the top of the bottle a couple inches into the ground and wait for rain.

This water collector is modeled after nature itself — the leaves on many plants and trees help funnel rainwater toward the main stem or trunk. These plastic “petals” help to funnel water into the central reservoir. The water can then be drunk with a straw or piece of hollow reed grass, or poured into a canteen.

Match Feather Stick

If you’ve studied survival or bushcraft very long, chances are you’ve heard of “feather sticks.” With a sharp knife, you shave long wood slivers down the side of a stick. Just before a sliver is completely shaved off, you stop and begin another sliver from the top. After several minutes’ work, you’ll have a stick covered in feather-like wood shavings. These shavings catch fire much quicker and easier than the larger solid stick. Consequently, feather sticks are an excellent and easy fire starter that’s found in nature.

Let’s take that concept a step further and apply it to wooden matches. In extremely difficult conditions, when you might need additional help starting a fire, use your knife to shave small wooden slivers just above the match head, creating a mini feather stick. When the match ignites it will very quickly catch these shavings on fire, which will create a stronger and bigger flame.

Jumper Cable + Pencil = Fire

Using a battery power source is a very popular firestarting method. There are many different ways to do it using many different types of batteries. This one involves using a car battery, jumper cables, and a regular No. 2 pencil. Start by shaving down an area on each end of the pencil to expose the lead. Then clamp on the positive and negative jumper cable clamps, one on each shaved area. Be sure the clamps are touching the pencil lead. Place the clamps and pencil on top of your tinder bundle, clamp the other ends of the cables to the car as you normally would, and turn on the engine. The electricity from the cables will turn the lead into a red-hot ember and the wooden pencil will erupt into flame in about 2 minutes’ time. Use the flame to ignite your tinder bundle.

9-Volt Razor Hack

As mentioned above, batteries can be used in all kinds of different ways to make fire. Another way is using the very thin blades from a disposable razor to short-circuit a 9-volt battery. A tiny spark will fly when a blade touching the positive terminal is crossed with a blade touching the negative terminal. The correct tinder at this intersection, such as char cloth or thin shreds of tinder fungus, can be ignited with little effort.

You can use nearly any metal or wire to short-circuit a low-voltage battery, but it must be extremely thin in order to deliver positive results. Also keep in mind that repeated attempts can drain the charge from your battery source.

Mylar Emergency Survival Blanket Lens

Yet another fire-starting method involves harnessing the sun’s rays using a Mylar blanket, a container with a plastic snap-on lip, and a hollow tube or ink pen. First, trim out the interior of the plastic lid so that it is just the rim that snaps onto the container. This circular rim will tightly hold a piece of Mylar placed over the top. Pierce a hole in the side of the container and insert a hollow tube or ink pen. This allows you to suck the sealed Mylar into a convex parabolic shape that can create a solar ember in direct sunlight on suitable tinders such as punky wood, agave pith, deer poo, char cloth, and tinder fungus (chaga).

The Fire Pick

Did you know that guitar picks make incredible fire tinder? They are made from a material called celluloid, which happens to be extremely flammable. For this reason I always keep a couple in my wallet as emergency firestarter. They will ignite when exposed to an open flame such as that from a disposable lighter or match.

However, you can also ignite them with just a spark. Start by carving a small divot in a piece of wood or stick about half an inch in from the end. Then, split the stick on that end, all the way into the divot. Next, using your knife, fill the divot with shavings from the guitar pick, which you make by scraping your knife at a 90-degree angle against the pick. Finally, slide the pick into the split until the edge of it is buried in the shaving-filled divot. Now you can ignite the small shavings using a spark from a flint rock or ferro rod (a manmade, flint-like metal), and they will in turn ignite the pick. Voilà — fire with a guitar pick!

Gum Wrapper Fire

A foil-backed gum wrapper (or any foil-backed paper candy wrapper) can be used to start a fire if you have a battery source, such as a AA battery from a flashlight or remote control. Start by trimming the wrapper to an hourglass shape. Simultaneously touch the positive and negative terminals of the battery with the foil side of the wrapper. The electrical current will converge on the thinnest part of the hourglass shape and ignite the wrapper to flame. If the battery is too weak to bring the wrapper to flame, consider adding a second battery for more electrical current. Be sure to have a good tinder bundle ready because you’ll only have about 3 seconds of flame!

Ramen Noodle Stove

I love items that do double duty. Ramen noodles are not only a lightweight pack food, but they can also serve as a great little cooking stove in a pinch. All you have to do is saturate the dried brick of ramen with a flammable liquid such as alcohol or HEET brand antifreeze and it will burn like a solid fuel puck for up to 20 minutes per side. The dried ramen noodles help to control the rate of fuel vaporization. Build a makeshift frame to balance a pot and cook away!

It helps to soak the ramen brick in one of the fuels mentioned above for a while before use, but it isn’t necessary. A standard yellow kitchen sponge also works in nearly the same way and makes a handy little impromptu stove when soaked with alcohol or HEET.

Paracord Fishing Fly

One of my students showed me this hack several years ago, and I’ve tested it time and time again in the fishing pond at Willow Haven. Slide a 1″ section of paracord over a bare fishing hook to make a very appealing fishing fly lure. Fluff up the end over the hook for disguise and then heat the other end with an open flame to melt and weld it just below the eye where the line attaches. Live bait is always best, but when live bait isn’t available you’ll never miss an inch of paracord from your shoelaces or bracelet. This improvised fly lure also floats very well for top-water bluegill and bream fishing.

Spoon Broadhead

Whether you’re hunting with bow and arrow or a spear, it’s always better for it to be tipped with a sharp metal broadhead. Believe it or not, you can use something to kill your food that most people use to eat their food — a spoon! As you can see in the illustration, the evolution of a regular spoon to a killer broadhead is a simple process. Pound the spoon flat with a rock or hammer. Next, file the edges down to a point, using a standard metal file that can be found in almost any auto repair shop or garage. Finally, snap off the handle at the base with repeated bending, and lash the finished point into a split at the end of an arrow with any kind of cordage.

Slingshot Whisker Biscuit

Any slingshot can quickly be converted into an arrow-shooting sling bow with one very simple addition — a paintbrush. Cut a .5″-wide depression from the bristles of a 2″-wide paintbrush to create a perfect whisker biscuit cradle for a full-sized hunting arrow. The cut notch in the paintbrush bristles will create an arrow rest, and the arrow fletching will slide through the bristles without hesitation. Pinch the arrow nock in the slingshot pouch, pull back, aim, and fire. Although the brush can easily be taped in place, a Velcro strap makes putting it on and taking it back off a breeze in the field.

Bra Cup Debris Mask

Toxic ash and debris can be a serious problem during natural or manmade disasters. Breathing in ash, pulverized concrete, and debris particles can slow you down as well as result in severe long-term conditions such as asthma and lung cancer.

Most women carry two emergency debris masks on their person at all times — a bra! The padded cups of most bras fit perfectly over the mouth and nose and can act as a crude debris filter in an emergency. The combination of foam, padding, and two layers of fabric is much better than most store-bought masks. You can even rework bra straps and ties to hold the mask securely on your face for hands-free travel.

Makeshift Butterfly Bandage

I learned this particular hack from an Army field medic while taking a wilderness first-aid class a few years back and thought it was great. Bandages are a luxury in a survival scenario, and you want to make the best possible use of them when necessary. And especially on the hands, fingers, and knuckles, traditional bandages just don’t work that well. To make them more flexible and adaptable, cut a center slice through each of the adhesive strips long-ways, from the ends up to the bandage portion. Now, with four adhesive strips instead of two, you can apply the bandage more effectively to stubborn body parts.

A Not-So-StrAWEful Tick Puller

Ticks are nasty critters and the bane of many a woodsman. The best way to rid yourself of ticks is to pinch the head with tweezers and pull upward with steady, even pressure. In the absence of suitable tweezers, make a tick puller from a plastic drinking straw. Using a knife or scissors, cut an eye-shaped hole toward the end of the straw, large enough to fit over the tick’s body. The outside tip of the eye cut (the side closest to the edge of the straw) should come to a very fine point. Slide the eye over the tick and pull from the side, wedging the tick’s head and neck in the corner of this fine-cut point. Steadily pull until the tick detaches, and then wash the affected area with soap and water.

Bullet Casing Whistle

Using just an empty bullet casing, a file (or sharp corner of concrete), and a branch, you can make one of the best makeshift rescue whistles in the world. File a groove .5″ from the opening of the bullet casing as shown in the illustration. Be sure that there is a flat 90-degree portion toward the open end. Next, carve off the top fifth or so of a branch that is the same diameter as the inside diameter of the bullet casing. Cut this piece so that it is the exact length from the opening to the 90-degree, flat-filed edge and insert it into the end of the casing as shown. This bullet will now produce a piercing whistle to signal for rescue.

Conclusion

Your imagination is your only limit when it comes to emergency survival scenarios. I am amazed every day at the creative survival solutions and ideas that I see from friends, students, survival enthusiasts, and fellow instructors. Remember, it’s not IF but WHEN.

With our archives now 4,000+ articles deep, we’ve decided to republish a classic piece each Sunday to help our newer readers discover some of the best, evergreen gems from the past. This article was originally published in June 2016.

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

MET-Rx Big 100. These are one of my four favorite protein bars, and my go-to when I’m on a road trip. I told Michael Easter about them, and they became his go-to on an 850-mile hike. Vitamin-fortified and hefty in size — they come in at 410 calories and 32 grams of protein — they’re more of a meal replacement than a snack. They’re pretty cheap, and for a protein bar, they taste good. My favorite flavor is the cookies and cream. Peanut butter pretzel is becoming a new favorite of mine. You can find them at most gas stations. 

Dad Brain by Darby Saxbe. Saxbe is a USC psychologist who’s spent more than twenty years studying fathers and families, from hunter-gatherers in the Congo to suburban dads at Little League baseball games. Her research shows that men’s physiology significantly changes when they become fathers. Your brain rewires and even your testosterone drops so you become more nurturing and better able to take care of little humans. The relationship with your kids becomes a two-way street: you have a huge impact on the well-being of your children, and your kids help you maintain a more youthful brain later in life. A great Father’s Day read to help you appreciate the joys and pleasures of being a dear old dad. For more about the unique nature of dads and their influence on kids, check out Podcast #998: Dad’s Essential Role in Making Kids Awesome and “The Importance of Fathers (According to Science).”

You’re probably taking the wrong painkiller. I’ve always been leery of Tylenol because of what it can do to your liver. OD on Tylenol, and you’re cooked. Advil? I’ve popped that stuff like candy during bad tendonitis flare-ups, figuring it was the safer and gentler option. This piece makes the case that maybe I’ve got it backward. Used as directed, acetaminophen is safer than ibuprofen for most people in most situations. That’s because ibuprofen acts on the whole body and can be rough on the stomach, kidneys, and heart, while acetaminophen has an overall gentler effect. It’s only dangerous if you take too much. Give it a read. It’s meticulously researched and provides some food for thought. Obligatory disclaimer: This isn’t medical advice. Talk to your doctor. 

“Rayando el Sol” by Maná. I’ve talked before about my love for rock en español. One of my favorite bands in this genre is Maná, out of Guadalajara, Mexico (they opened this year’s World Cup). They’ve been at it four decades and are huge across the Spanish-speaking world. They’re like Mexican U2. My favorite song of theirs is “Rayando el Sol,” their first hit, from 1990’s Falta Amor. It’s a love song about a guy whose girl won’t call him back. He looks for her everywhere (en el parque y el cine, for example) and can’t find her. Finally he gives up. It’s easier to reach the sun, he sings, than her heart. If you don’t speak Spanish, it sounds a lot like The Police. Think “Every Breath You Take.” 

On our Dying Breed newsletter, we published DB Dialogues: The Friendships, Rivalries, and Extraordinary Minds of the Emerson Circle and Sunday Firesides: In Your Element. 

Quote of the Week

The words that a father speaks to his children in the privacy of home are not heard by the world, but, as in whispering galleries, they are clearly heard at the end, and by posterity.

—Johann Paul Friedrich Richter

Looking for more quotes on dads and fatherhood? Check out our collection of them.

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

One of the 18 things every man should do in the summer is spend time in a hammock. On a warm, breezy, blue-sky day, hammocks are an incomparably relaxing place to read, nap, or just daydream. 

Initiating these idylls by hanging up a hammock is a fairly simple task. But it does require a little know-how. The right setup improves comfort, protects your equipment, and makes getting in and out much easier.

The guide above covers the fundamentals of an ideal hammock hang, including tree selection, strap placement, suspension angle, and height. Master these basics, and you’ll be ready to enjoy everything from spending a lazy afternoon at the park to sleeping out under the stars.

Illustrated by Ted Slampyak

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.