Master of None- Adventures in a Hands-on Life
180 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 13 ratingsJoin me as we get our hands dirty. Whether it's farm and garden work, construction and carpentry, cooking and food preservation, or bushcraft and survival skills, you will find something that inspires your creativity. We learn from some true masters of their crafts. Other times we jump head-first into a project, figuring it out as we go. We explore an endless variety of skills, trades, and crafts using both traditional and modern tools and methods.
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Episodes
Episode 063: Winning Techniques for Art and Photography with Andrew Busch
July 12, 2020 06:00 - 1 hour - 54.9 MBAndrew Busch, artist and math teacher, joins us to discuss rules of composition as they apply to both painting and photography. We get into some of the science behind these rules and give you some easy ways to apply them to your everyday photography.
Episode 062: Pursuing a Healthy Mind, Body, and Spirit with Daniel and Katie Hackett (pt 1)
July 05, 2020 06:00 - 1 hour - 66.8 MBThis week, Daniel and Katie Hackett join us to discuss the use of essential oils to improve many aspects of our lives.
July 2020 Bonus
July 02, 2020 00:00 - 8 minutes - 5.84 MBHere's your July 2020 bonus episode! Pro-tip: Start your day with a win. Book: Sharpe's Rifles Series by Bernard Cornwell Challenge: Create a log/journal of your daily wins.
Episode 061: The Best Camping Tent for You
June 28, 2020 06:00 - 1 hour - 48.5 MBHere's an hour-long crash course all about tents. We cover some more traditional styles, and some more modern styles. If you're an experienced camper, you'll probably learn some fun facts, but this episode is geared toward those individuals who are just testing the waters of camping and are unsure what would make the perfect tent. Fear not, we go over all of the terminology that you need to be familiar with to make an informed decision, different tent styles, what questions to ask yoursel...
060: Finding Water in the Desert
June 21, 2020 06:00 - 1 hour - 61.8 MBLet's talk some real survival skills. The human body can only go about three days without water, making the ability to find water in any environment a critical survival skill. In this episode, I teach you how to build a "solar still," a device which literally pulls water out of the air even in the hottest, driest environments. I share all of my tips and tricks for maximizing the performance of your solar still. Can we actually collect enough water to survive, or are we just delaying the ...
Episode 060: Finding Water in the Desert
June 21, 2020 06:00 - 1 hour - 61.8 MBLet's talk some real survival skills. The human body can only go about three days without water, making the ability to find water in any environment a critical survival skill. In this episode, I teach you how to build a "solar still," a device which literally pulls water out of the air even in the hottest, driest environments. I share all of my tips and tricks for maximizing the performance of your solar still. Can we actually collect enough water to survive, or are we just delaying the ...
Episode 059: Boating Safety Tips
June 14, 2020 07:00 - 49 minutes - 34.4 MBIn this episode, I attempt to distill some of my experience on the water down to a few boating safety tips that you can put into practice immediately. Summer is fun, messin around in boats is fun, but let's stay safe out there.
June 2020 Bonus
June 11, 2020 05:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBIn this bonus episode, we cover our normal three topics: a pro tip, a book recommendation, and a challenge. Our pro tip for the month is how to keep your wooden kitchen implements- cutting boards, knives, spoons, cheese presses, etc. appropriately oiled. The book for the month is "The Omnivore's Dilemma," by Michael Pollan. The challenge for the month is to eat an invasive species; don't worry, I give you some ideas on this one. Invasive species are probably going to be easier to find th...
Episode 058: Installing Rain Barrels
June 07, 2020 07:00 - 1 hour - 53.9 MBWe installed our first two rain barrels! The amount of water we've already collected has been surprising. This totally transforms the runoff from the roof from a liability (creating mud and erosion) to an asset (watering our trees and garden). Additionally, we cover some pros and cons of installing rain barrels as well as our plans for the rest of the downspouts on the house.
Episode 057: Homemade Parmesan Cheese
May 31, 2020 06:00 - 1 hour - 56.9 MBWe're back into home cheese-making! We've worked our way through a process, beginning with some very simple cheeses, and gradually progressing to more complex cheeses. Parmesan is still considered an "intermediate" level cheese, but does have some very particular requirements to get it to turn out right.
Episode 056: Traditional Thai Cooking
May 24, 2020 07:00 - 1 hour - 78.2 MBIn this episode, I'm the student. We learn about traditional Thai cooking, essential ingredients, hardware, and methods. Additionally, we talk about what you could be growing in your garden, large or small, to add to your traditional Thai dishes.
Episode 055: We Have Rabbits!
May 17, 2020 06:00 - 1 hour - 51.2 MBYep, that's right, we bought three rabbits. These will be our initial breeding stock for our rabbit program. In this episode, we talk about our journey toward choosing to raise meat rabbits, deciding what breed to get, setting up housing for the rabbits, and our future plans.
Episode 054: Building Raised Garden Beds
May 10, 2020 06:00 - 1 hour - 63.7 MBLet's get serious about the garden area for our homestead. We have a large area designated as the garden area, but we're starting with two 4'x12' raised beds. We'll add more each year as we expand our home garden. Why raised beds? What are some of the pros and cons of raised beds? What materials did we choose to use and why? What factors determined the dimensions of our raised beds? What is the ideal height for a raised bed? What do we fill the raised beds with? What kind of plants ...
Episode 053: The Baby Trees Arrived!!!
May 03, 2020 06:00 - 1 hour - 56.4 MBLast week, we were doing all of the prep work for planting some trees. This week, we picked up our order of 85 trees and shrubs and actually planted them. In this episode, we cover some of the specifics about how we plant our trees to ensure their success, bigger picture habitat restoration, and some of the transformations that we're already seeing on the property. Additionally, we go for a little walk around the property to check on the condition of various areas and make plans for futur...
May 2020 Bonus
May 02, 2020 03:00 - 20 minutes - 14 MBThree things for your monthly edification- a pro tip, a book recommendation, and a monthly challenge. For this month's pro tip, I teach you how to make perfect Scotch eggs. If you really want to impress your brunch guests, this recipe will do it. Our book of the month is "The Demon in the Freezer," by Richard Preston. For everyone who has suddenly become an expert in virology or epidemiology, go read this book first. Finally, the challenge for the month is to learn and practice a new sur...
052: Planting Trees on the Open Prairie
April 26, 2020 06:00 - 1 hour - 59.1 MBMany people said it was impossible, but we have successfully gotten trees to grow on our homestead on the open prairie of southeastern Wyoming. This is one of the most challenging environments for growing trees, but we've done it! Of course, planting trees and shrubs is really just part of a much larger picture of habitat restoration on our property. In this episode, we discuss general principles of habitat restoration that can be applied in just about any environment, specific challenges...
Episode 052: Planting Trees on the Open Prairie
April 26, 2020 06:00 - 1 hour - 59.1 MBMany people said it was impossible, but we have successfully gotten trees to grow on our homestead on the open prairie of southeastern Wyoming. This is one of the most challenging environments for growing trees, but we've done it! Of course, planting trees and shrubs is really just part of a much larger picture of habitat restoration on our property. In this episode, we discuss general principles of habitat restoration that can be applied in just about any environment, specific challenges...
Episode 051: Stranded Overnight in Subzero Temperatures
April 19, 2020 06:00 - 54 minutes - 37.8 MBMany of us live in areas that get the occasional winter snowstorm. Any time you're on the road, there's always the possibility of getting stuck somewhere. Extremely cold temperatures can make this much worse. Making poor survival decisions can be deadly. In this episode, we discuss what you should and should not do in this situation. Also, I intentionally get myself stuck outside overnight in over a foot of snow with temperatures falling below zero. All I have with me is a tarp and a b...
Episode 050: Pressure Canner Basics
April 12, 2020 06:00 - 1 hour - 47.5 MBIn this episode, we jump into some of the basics of home canning. Do you need a pressure canner or water bath canner? Is home canning even safe? Aside from that, let's talk about some of the benefits of turning that perishable food in your freezer into non-perishable canned food that can sit on the shelf at room temperature.
Episode 049: Bone Broth at Home
April 05, 2020 06:00 - 1 hour - 51.6 MBInterested in stretching your grocery dollar, stocking up your emergency food supply, or boosting your immune system? If you're not, then you have your head in the sand. Making your own bone broth at home is an easy and cheap/free way to do all of the above.
April 2020 Bonus
March 31, 2020 23:00 - 9 minutes - 6.57 MBBonus episode for the month of April 2020. We talk basic shoe-tying skills, Dracula, and meditation.
Episode 048: Disaster Prep, Just in Time
March 29, 2020 06:00 - 1 hour - 50.9 MBI've been getting a lot of questions lately about general emergency preparedness. Without making this a Q&A episode, I'm going to lay out some general principles and specific action items to answer those questions and help you be more prepared for any type of emergency situation
Episode 047: Building the Hard-to-Kill Human; Stage 4- Psychological Warfare
March 22, 2020 06:00 - 1 hour - 46.5 MBIn this fourth and final installment of building the hard-to-kill human, we focus on mental preparation. This includes your knowledge base, interpreting your surroundings, and preparing yourself mentally to respond to a dangerous situation.
Episode 046: Three-Day Creole Gumbo
March 15, 2020 06:00 - 58 minutes - 40.2 MBJust what it sounds like! In this episode, I'll walk you through my method for making Creole gumbo. And yes, it does take a full three to four days. Don't worry though, most of that time, it's just doing it's own thing; this is actually pretty easy.
Episode 045: Building the Hard-to-Kill Human; Stage 3- Physical Conditioning
March 08, 2020 07:00 - 1 hour - 48.1 MBIn this installment of our series on becoming hard to kill, we continue our countdown of our top-10 skills. This week, our focus is largely on skills and training that revolve around your physical conditioning. We break down each skill as to why it is important, how it applies to your life, and actionable steps you can take regardless of your current level of physical fitness.
March 2020 Bonus
March 05, 2020 19:00 - 58 minutes - 40.4 MBIn this bonus episode, our guest, Ben Forester, provides us with his pro tip, book recommendation, and monthly challenge.
Episode 044: The Rabbit Hunt
March 01, 2020 07:00 - 1 hour - 66.1 MBToday we discuss a controversial topic- hunting. Whether you are vehemently opposed to hunting, or staunchly support it, let's discuss it in a way that focuses on what we all have in common, and maybe we'll come away understanding each other just a little better. We don't have to agree, but we're all stuck with only one earth to share and care for.
Episode 043: Building the Hard-to-Kill Human; Stage 2- Weapons Training
February 23, 2020 07:00 - 59 minutes - 40.8 MBIn this second installment of our series on becoming hard to kill, we begin our top-10 countdown of "hard-to-kill" skills. This week, we have a frank conversation about the role that weapons training can play in this. This topic almost didn't even make the cut for our discussion, but it's unavoidable in any conversation about survival, so let's get it out of the way right up front. As we discuss in the episode, I believe that any use of weapons should be the last and smallest piece of the...
Episode 042: What's in Your Tap Water?
February 16, 2020 07:00 - 43 minutes - 30 MBDo you know what contaminants are hiding in your tap water? If not, do you know how to find out? Once you find out, how do you remove them? In this episode, we discuss how to choose an RO/DI system that's right for you, what all of the numbers mean, and how to install it yourself. This is an easy DIY project that will only take between half an hour and a single afternoon, depending on your level of experience with tool use.
Episode 041: Building the Hard-to-Kill Human; Stage 1- The Tactical Mindset
February 09, 2020 07:00 - 1 hour - 62.6 MBLet's work on turning an "average" human into a "hard-to-kill" human. In this series, we take a very honest look at what the real dangers are in our world and in our day-to-day lives. In the next few episodes in this series, we'll get into some very specific actions you can take and skills you can learn to make yourself and your family safer. In this episode though, we're going to lay the groundwork for the discussion, identify some of the dangers we face, and talk about something that we...
Episode 040: Fighting Nazis, Arctic Commandos, and Winter Sports
February 02, 2020 07:00 - 1 hour - 43 MBIn this episode, I'll give you a crash-course in how to get started with Nordic Skiing. What are the different styles of Nordic skiing? Which style is the best fit for you? What is the essential gear to get started? Also, we talk about some pretty awesome Norwegian commandos from WWII.
February 2020 Bonus
January 27, 2020 20:00 - 12 minutes - 8.48 MBHere's your bonus content for the month of February 2020. If you feel like you've already failed at your New Year's resolution, this episode is to get you back on track.
Episode 039: Exploding Glass if I do this Wrong
January 26, 2020 07:00 - 1 hour - 41.8 MBHere's your handyman episode on starting to work with glass. In this episode, we're going to be cleaning glass, bonding/sealing pieces of glass, and drilling holes in glass. Drilling glass is always a little scary for me, but it's totally doable if you follow the correct procedure.
Episode 038: Firing Your Electrician
January 19, 2020 07:00 - 1 hour - 60.6 MBHave you ever thought about doing your own electrical work? Is it safe? Is it even legal? Do you need a bunch of expensive tools? How will you know if your work is even "up to code?" In this episode, I attempt to answer these and many other questions while I do a simple wiring project on my own house. If you've ever wondered if you could do your own electrical work, I'll lay out all of the steps to get started, do it right, and do it safely.
Episode 037: Life-Saving Knots you Must Learn
January 12, 2020 07:00 - 49 minutes - 34.3 MBWe wrap up our top-10 knot-tying countdown today. We cover the carrick bend, figure-8, clove hitch, sheet bend, and bowline. Additionally, I'll tell you what three knots you absolutely must know. What's my absolute, number-one, must-know knot? Listen and find out.
Episode 036: Practical Knot-Tying at Home and at Sea
January 05, 2020 07:00 - 1 hour - 53.3 MBIn this episode, we begin a countdown of my personal top-10 knots. We cover the sheep shank, prusik, Siberian hitch, taut line hitch, and alpine butterfly loop. For most of us, knot-tying isn't an interest in and of itself; it's a practical skill that benefits us in a whole variety of other activities- sailing, fishing, search and rescue, mountaineering, hunting, rock climbing, and many more.
Episode 035: Freediving, Coral Reefs, and Saltwater Aquariums
December 29, 2019 07:00 - 1 hour - 44.2 MBHow are we going to make $25,000 annually in 12 square feet of the house? In this episode, we "dive" into the start of a big project- setting up a saltwater reef tank. Specifically, we're going to be setting up a tank to house and breed sea anemones along with a colony of clownfish. Along the way, we'll be working on our glasswork skills, furniture refinishing, plumbing, electrical, automation systems, and a whole lot of biology, ecology, and chemistry. Better yet, we're going to make th...
Episode 035: Freediving, coral reefs, and saltwater aquariums
December 29, 2019 07:00 - 1 hour - 44.2 MBHow are we going to make $25,000 annually in 12 square feet of the house? In this episode, we "dive" into the start of a big project- setting up a saltwater reef tank. Specifically, we're going to be setting up a tank to house and breed sea anemones along with a colony of clownfish. Along the way, we'll be working on our glasswork skills, furniture refinishing, plumbing, electrical, automation systems, and a whole lot of biology, ecology, and chemistry. Better yet, we're going to make th...
January 2020 Bonus
December 26, 2019 07:00 - 28 minutes - 19.9 MBHere's your bonus episode for January 2020! New Year's resolutions! Financial coach Grayson Stalvey joins us this month to give us a pro tip, book recommendation, and monthly challenge.
Episode 034: Warning! What You Never Knew About Your Heater
December 22, 2019 07:00 - 1 hour - 73.3 MBFrom campfires to geothermal heat pumps, we're going to do a deep dive into a variety of residential heating systems. From a crash-course in thermodynamics to the mechanics of a variety of residential heating systems, I'll attempt to tell you what you really need to know. Also, find out why I chose to install a hydronic radiant heat system in my own home and some of the pros and cons of that particular system.
Episode 033: Christmas Special
December 15, 2019 07:00 - 47 minutes - 32.9 MBToday we're taking a break from our normal routine to work on some Christmas preparations and reflect on the Holiday and our traditions.
Episode 032: Apple Cider Vinegar
December 08, 2019 07:00 - 43 minutes - 30.2 MBIn this episode, we make our own apple cider vinegar at home. Listen to learn all about what makes vinegar, where it comes from, different uses, and different types of vinegar. Why does some balsamic vinegar cost hundreds of dollars for a small bottle? What are the key ingredients in vinegar and where do we get them from? What is distilled vinegar? How long does vinegar last? What gives vinegar its distinctive odor and flavor? What is the science behind the vinegar-making process, and...
December 2019 Bonus
December 04, 2019 16:00 - 8 minutes - 5.93 MBBonus episode for the month of December 2019! No guest this time, but we're going to start trying to make a habit of having guests on the bonus episodes more often. For this month, the pro tip is on how use time and temperature to your advantage based on the cut of meat you're preparing. Our book for the month is "Tribe" by Sebastian Junger. The challenge for the month is to do something truly kind for another person without that person or anyone else ever finding out what you did. Merr...
Episode 031: We Need More Tourniquets!!!
December 01, 2019 08:00 - 48 minutes - 33.7 MBIn this episode, we follow up on even more of our previous projects. How did the blackwater aquarium turn out? What changes have we seen to our three-acre pasture? Have our habitat-improvement efforts paid off? Are the mushrooms growing yet? How about our cheesemaking endeavors? Find out all of this and much more in this episode.
Episode 030: What Happened to My Worms?!?!
November 24, 2019 08:00 - 44 minutes - 30.4 MBIn this episode, we follow up on a whole bunch of projects from previous episodes. How did our refurbished cast iron cookware hold up over time? How is the vermiculture (composting with earthworms) project progressing? How did the cheese press work? Have we kept making yoghurt? Listen in to hear updates on all of these projects and more.
Episode 029: Cheese Making at Home; Dill Havarti
November 17, 2019 08:00 - 53 minutes - 37 MBWe are stepping up to some "intermediate" level cheese making. Let's put that cheese press to use. These cheeses make use of various active cultures, involve a few more steps, and often require aging for a prescribed period of time. Today, we're following a recipe to make a dill Havarti cheese.
Episode 028: Easy DIY Home Improvement; Pantry Can Dispenser (Part 2 of 2)
November 10, 2019 07:00 - 2 hours - 85.7 MBConclusion of the project where we began building a pantry can dispenser. In this episode, we go into detail on some of the tools we use in the project including jigsaws, measuring tapes, drills, and drivers. If you're overwhelmed when you walk into the hardware store, we're working to demystify some of the tools and materials (and many many options) you may encounter. Additionally, we actually build the prototype can dispenser, try it out, and discuss some of the changes we'll make when ...
Episode 027: Easy DIY Home Improvement; Pantry Can Dispenser (Part 1 of 2)
November 03, 2019 07:00 - 1 hour - 46.2 MBEver been overwhelmed by all of the options at the hardware store? Let's start to break it down and simplify it. In addition to building can dispensers for the home pantry, we're going to do crash-courses on all of our tools and materials. For this project, I'll cover everything I think you need to know about plywood, dimensional lumber, and screws. Tools that we talk about on this episode include the circular saw, measuring tape, jigsaw, drill bits, and driver bits.
November 2019 Bonus
October 29, 2019 20:00 - 13 minutes - 8.97 MBBonus Episode!!! Here's your bonus episode for November 2019. Shorter than the last bonus episode, but still fun. Want to start making scrambled eggs like a boss? Well, that's exactly what we're doing for this month's pro tip. Our book recommendation (and one that I've read several times and can't recommend highly enough) is "Extreme Ownership" by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin. Finally, our challenge for the month is to do some type of squats every single day of the month (heavy barbel s...
Episode 026: Easy DIY Home Improvement; Cedar Closets
October 27, 2019 07:00 - 1 hour - 61.9 MBThis is the first in a series of easy DIY home-improvement projects. In this episode we tackle installing cedar paneling in a bedroom closet.