Let's face it: at least half of being a good rowing coach is having good tools…okay, maybe not "half," but we are one of the few non-winter sports where coaches do need tools at close hand. And once you have all the wrenches etc. that you need to tweak and tighten your whole fleet, the last thing you want to do is lose them, or have them "wander" into another coach's toolbox. The age-old solution, natch, has been that old hacker go-to electrical tape, but Rowing Hack reader Jennifer Nichols shared a tip that does the job a bit more neatly: nail polish.

As a Rowing Hacker, she may be on to something here: like most of us, she has tried the electrical tape technique, and found - as have we all - that the tape can rip, and when it inevitably does come off, leaves an annoying adhesive residue that eventually attracts all the dirt and sand in your boathouse.

Her solution is a good one: the polish is easy to apply, quick to dry, comes in a lot more colors than your average electrical tape, and is even pretty chip-proof, given its original purpose. Her set is going on a full year with nary a chip, and she hasn't lost one yet.

Of course, you get a similar effect with spray paint, if you don't mind reapplying periodically when that thin layer flakes off your stainless wrenches; or even regular paint, if you want to spring for a big can of paint and a brush. But, having heard this idea, we think a small bottle of chip-proof, "comes-with-its-own-mini-brush" nail polish - in a color no other coach in the world might also be using - could just be the best hack going to mark your wrenches once and for all.

So, find yourself a bottle and get to work now so you won't lose any vital tools this coming season. It is a great, quick project that you can tackle now while you wait for the ice to thaw, and might even take your mind off how much water time you might miss before spring well-and-truly arrives.

Got a great way to keep your tools marked as your own? Share your tips--and hacks--in the comments below.

Have a great rowing hack to suggest for future inclusion here? Send it to us!