Chainsaw pants

[Bergsteiger]

So I've been looking at trying some chainsaw pants like the SIPs, Stihl Hi Flex or Stretch Air but am worried they won't fit me well. I buy Arborwears in 34x36L (I'm 6'4) but all the chainsaw pants I've seen are right around 34L and I hate buying pants that are too short. Has anyone here who is around my height worn any of these pants? Thanks.

 

[stevebullman]

i believe the stretch airs are available in extra long leg. the last ones defintely did, so i guess the new design does too. as for the trousers themselves, they are the best trousers ive had by a long shot.
not tried the sips personally but anyone i know who has had those and the stretch airs say the stretch airs are better.
as for the stihls......well, they just look too gay

 

[treebear]

Stretch air have normally a leg length of 80cm but you can get them in 87cm or 94cm. That should cover it unless you´re all legs. Waist size is Medium 92cm, large 98cm and xtra large 104cm and "beer belly" xxl 120cm.
Svein

 

[Mark Chisholm]

I have Stihl and Stretch Air in that length. 92cm for me.

 

[Rookieclimber]

The stretch airs say that they are no chainsaw protective pants. so is this more a forum about whether or not wearing sips or stihl chainsaw pants in a tree is worth it?

 

[treebear]

They do have but they are not ANSI approved yet. I´m planning on putting a pair on Mark when he is coming to Norway in the end of may, if he love them (allthough being a Stihl fan) I consider them approved anyway.
Cheers
Svein

 

[Crazy_Jimmy]

I guess if your pruning and not using a chainsaw the stretch airs work great.

 

[treebear]

The ones you get in Europe have six layers of protective material and are approved for 20m/s. Slightly overkill for even a Sugoi. Cheer up, they will at some point come to US too.
Cheers
Svein

 

[Rookieclimber]

Now if only they came in company colors!!

 

[treebear]

Or safety and comfort had priority over company colour..
Svein

 

[Treespotter]

Maybe their company colors are orange or red. Heck, that's double the colour choice at Pfanner than other manufacturers have. Not even mentioning the "black tie like" grey (something for the new Bond Film

)
[ QUOTE ]
Yes, I like my pants grey, Pfanner grey not stirred...

[/ QUOTE ]

 

[Rookieclimber]

[ QUOTE ]
Or safety and comfort had priority over company colour..
Svein

[/ QUOTE ]


Easy buddy, I made no notion as to the comfort of these pants. I'm sure they are very comfortable and safe, I am just not sure I want to have half of my body look like I'm going deer hunting while I'm at work. Having my legs be Hi-vis is on my list of things to do, but not at work. No offense to any hi-vis pant wearers, just not my style... thats all.

 

[Mangoes]

http://www.stretchair.ca/en/?s=newsDetail&id=4

Conversations with the BC rep for stretchair outlined that they are only publishing to whatever the standard they are trying to pass. However 'Quickstop Extreme' reportedly actually stopped the saw at 4700fpm, without comprimising the fabric layer just above the skin. Remarkable when you consider that the current BNQ standard ALLOWS for 1/4 inch comprimise of the APPENDAGE!

 

[Treespotter]

[ QUOTE ]
Having my legs be Hi-vis is on my list of things to do, but not at work. No offense to any hi-vis pant wearers, just not my style... thats all.

[/ QUOTE ]

High visibility IS my thing....
I want the motorist that hits me to scare the s hit out of him at the moment of impact. I certainly don't want him to think that he just passed a speed bump just because he didn't see me jump in front of the car...

No no, this is my story.

The high vis is just another way not to get an unforeseen accident. The last 15 years I've been wearing during wintertime the red or orange HH fiberpile and during summer orange T shirts (with company logo).

Since a few years it's in Holland obligatory when working on or besides the road to wear High vis for half of our bodies.
That means either working in a (overcoat) high vis jacket

or just putting on a pair of high vis saw trousers on in the morning. This way you can wear any (funky) shirt you want and still comply to the safety standard.

 

[PurdueJoe]

I'm with treespotter. When working on the sides of busy roads every extra step that can hopefully keep me from becomming a soccer mom's SUV hood ornament is worth it. Granted getting a pair here in the U.S. is proving to be difficult.

 

[Tybrad]

quick question, are these stretch airs legal in canada then? or whats up?

 

[Mangoes]

Stretchairs exceed the BC regulations which are the most stringent in Canada. My answer is yes, in case of an inspection provide the documentation to argue your point. One sould never depend on the manufacturer of a product to communicate to your specific regulators. Mark B., Chris C. and Bernd (I don't know him well enough to use a more informal name)had a fantastic binder set up at the ITCC that documented everything they wanted to use. The name of THAT game............due diligence.

 

[Tybrad]

Im just thinking because im also from southern Ontario, and in the summers, i use the Safety Landry summer pants which are nice... but i think 12 or 16 layers of ballistic nylon which is still silly hot... they do cost about 140ish i think... 400 for the stretch airs, I am curious if they are worth it in the summer.

 

[Treespotter]

[ QUOTE ]
quick question, are these stretch airs legal in canada then? or whats up?

[/ QUOTE ]

I would say: follow your arborists gut feeling.

Years ago I started using American and British products and colleagues asked me; why do you use those products? They are not approved to be used here...

I thought that whenever the s hit would hit the fan and I had to explain why I was climbing with NON Dutch approved gear, that I had a strong case by explaining that the gear was approved but just not yet by the Dutch approval board.

It's a bit like the 22kN and 5000 pounds hassle. Stop fighting about a non existing issue. The minimal margin between both is not the issue here, it's the accepting of one and another's criteria. It's not that either criteria smell fishy, they are there to protect us and they're not there so you can't use an item if it hasn't got your country's rating on it.

If the product is approved (and the place where the product was approved doesn't sound dodgy) than use it...

 

[Rookieclimber]

Treespotter, we use the half body rule in my company as well, however this brings an issue to the table of maintaining a single "uniform" to be worn at work.
If I was not hastled constantly by the higher ups about wearing hi-vis pants, i would by all means wear them. I do not like the fact that the crewmen of my compant must wear Navy Blue/Navy Blue or Navy Blue/Gray. They think it give a more "professional" appearance to the customer if we are all in the same colors as opposed to showing up with some guys in jeans and a cut off Metallica t-shirt.
I would love to wear something hi-vis on my legs, since the neon green pull away mesh vest can get rather agrivating while clearing brush. BUT... as I said, unless I can get the uniform (which was only established in december) to take exceptions for safety, I am on a street with no sweet pants.