Trail Mix

Hardware “trail mix” is the mechanic’s lifeguard—invaluable provision for the farm or anywhere that unpredictable and assorted repairs are made.

The best trail mix follows no organizational rules. All the “extra” hardware that inevitably accumulates around the shop is simply tossed into a container. Time spent in qualitative analysis of what should stay or go makes only needless complication, and in the end diminishes a mix’s value. (The only useful variation on the standard can-of-stuff version of trail mix that I’ve ever seen is to keep it on a tray, like an old cookie sheet, to facilitate perusing. But trays takes up more room on the shelf, so that may not even be an improvement.)

Trail mix saves countless trips to the hardware store, prevents repair delays, and most important, dissolves the frustration of being almost done with an essential repair.