3/11

Cooler Mud Boots

If you work or play in serious wet weather and mud, completely waterproof boots are the only choice. But in warmer weather, they can be torture—like walking in a swamp of your own sweat.

The Original Muck Boot Company has come up with an improvement. Its “Chore Cool” boots have a moisture-wicking lining to help keep your feet dry. We tried them last spring, and the wicking lining helped, especially on days that started cold (the boots are insulated) but ended warm.

Mostly, though, we love the regular features of Muck Boots: a soft top that doesn’t chafe your skin; aggressive Vibram soles; and stretchy, flexible insulation that keeps your feet warm without making you feel like you’re wearing buckets on your feet. Comfortable waterproof boots—what a concept!

You can find Muck Boots, including the new Chore Cool models online here.

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4/11

Freshen Up Work Boots

At the end of a long workday, fill up your boots with cedar chips. (Better yet, slide in an old sock that’s filled with cedar chips.) The cedar chips absorb moisture and eliminate odors. You can buy a bag of chips, sold as animal bedding, at a pet store. Change out the chips every month or so.

5/11

Protect Your Head

Nobody is a fan of hard hats. They’re just not very comfortable, and they tend to fall off unless you’re standing completely upright.

For those jobs where a hard hat isn’t required but there’s still some danger of whacking your noggin, try a bump cap instead. It doesn’t provide as much protection as a hard hat, but it’s not nearly as cumbersome, and it fits just like a baseball cap.

Bump caps can protect your melon when you’re climbing around a cramped attic, working in a tight crawl space, or whenever you’re near a clumsy coworker who has a bad habit of dropping tools while working off a ladder.

The Skullerz Bump Cap shown here is made by Ergodyne.

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