In the southern Appalachians, where I live, fall means primo mountain-bike conditions and car camping without the mosquitos. It’s the beginning of bouldering season and arguably the best time to take ...

There’s nothing cozier than a fireplace or wood-burning stove in the winter. Yes, it can be a pain to chop all that wood, but think about it like this: you’ll get ripped and cut your heating bill at ...

Splitting wood for the coming winter isn’t just great exercise. It can be a time for reflection and even meditation. There is something deeply satisfying in seeing the pile of split wood grow larger ...

A quiet look at traditional wood splitting in a rural setting using the Viking Wood Splitter. Follow Nicole Coenen as she ...

No matter how you slice it, chopping firewood isn’t easy, but a good splitting axe makes all the difference. Wood splitting tools come in a wide array of styles, lengths, and weights, so you have ...

It’s nice to picture yourself chopping firewood like a lumberjack–deftly swinging an axe through log rounds to cut perfectly sized pieces. That said, it's simply not how it happens. For most of us, ...

Splitting wood by hand is not exotic or efficient, easy or cost-efficient. One could label it anachronistic, something from nostalgic days of yesteryear. It’s not easy labor, even as it has largely ...

It might be the ultimate recession trick: splitting your own wood instead of paying someone else to do it. But how much work is involved? Wendy Bounds tries out several wood-splitting tools typically ...