Climbing with chainsaw protective pants/chaps

I do not, as I do not feel it is necessary. A saw cut to my legs is very unlikely, and I prefer to keep the flexibility of non-protective pants in the tree.

I’m in the minority here though, I think I’m the only one here who consistently climbs without protective pants.

Edit: By “here” I mean the tree service where I work, not here on TreeBuzz.
 
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Yes. Cloggers mostly here. Zeros in summer and Ascents in the winter. I dont find the flexibilty to be an isssue. I like the freedom/protectiveness of wearing saw pants vs using chaps...I can just grab a saw at anytime, no extra step.

I will fully admit I went from no saw pants/chaps to wearing the saw pants just a few years ago. I never liked putting chaps on and off (it used to be you couldn't chip with chaps on, and I still wouldnt recommend that). I am a firm believer in the fact you should't need chaps/pants to protect you, use your brain for that. I've had closer calls since wearing pants than I did in the 15 years before that...in my opinion.

I have other brands of saw pants, but so far I have found the cloggers the most comfortable and less bulky ones to wear and climb in. (SIP, Arborwear, Cloggers)
 
I climb in BDU pants. Comfy, non-restrictive and the thigh pockets are accessible. They last me for years. I'm not a full time climber and haven't justified the expense of a nice pair of protective pants. I'd wear them if I had them, but instead focus on minimizing risk. I rarely cut low relative to my body position, nor do I run big saws aloft. I always try to use techniques that limit my exposure to the chain. I work solo (not in a high production environment) so taking time to ensure I'm safe is not a problem.
 
Dan Cobb said:
I climb in BDU pants. Comfy, non-restrictive and the thigh pockets are accessible. They last me for years. I'm not a full time climber and haven't justified the expense of a nice pair of protective pants. I'd wear them if I had them, but instead focus on minimizing risk. I rarely cut low relative to my body position, nor do I run big saws aloft. I always try to use techniques that limit my exposure to the chain. I work solo (not in a high production environment) so taking time to ensure I'm safe is not a problem.
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Working solo is an even bigger reason to buy them, if you do mess up and cut yourself bad you're completely on your own.
 
I wear chainsaw pants from the moment I start my work-day until I'm in the truck driving home. Am I worried about cutting my leg while climbing? No, but the fact I'm always wearing chainsaw protection means at any moment, I'm ready to grab a saw and go to work, no matter what I'm doing and when in the day it is happening. My Clogger Ascents and Zeros have held up very well to the tough life they lead in my work, are very comfortable and I've never felt constrained by them one bit. And then when I'm done working, I can take them off and have a clean pair of 'normal' pants to put on.
 
Thanks for all the responses, I personally have never worn chainsaw pants while climbing. Also thanks for sharing the brands. My main concern has always been that it is always so hot and humid where I'm from in Hawai'i that I'm usually always drenched in sweat by 8am lol I would wear them if I could find ones that work and have never wanted to dish out the exuberant price tags for something Im not sure if I will end up using. Becoming a father sure has changed my thought process on safety a bit.
 
AlanKekoa said:
Thanks for all the responses, I personally have never worn chainsaw pants while climbing. Also thanks for sharing the brands. My main concern has always been that it is always so hot and humid where I'm from in Hawai'i that I'm usually always drenched in sweat by 8am lol I would wear them if I could find ones that work and have never wanted to dish out the exuberant price tags for something Im not sure if I will end up using. Becoming a father sure has changed my thought process on safety a bit.
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Wow, yes, if I were you I would definitely have some thin climbing pants while aloft and the thinnest chaps/ chainsaw pants I could find for ground work.

I think there’s a strong argument to be made for how difficult it would be to cut your legs while aloft, especially while using proper handling methods. In a hot humid climate there’s probably an inadvertent risk of heat stroke from wearing heavy pants.
 
I'm in Florida and use Clogger Zeroes. Heat exhaustion is the biggest concern and I feel my Zeroes are on par with other non-saw-protective pants I wear (arborwear carhardt-type pants). They also allow freedom of movement. There is currently no other pants that I will wear while climbing - even recreationally. The Zeroes get mauled up in the dryer and shrink a bit, so air dry only. They also get done in by the chainsaw exhaust, and occassionally get ripped by a saw tooth. My second pair has experienced no problems. My first pair are relegated to days when the client won't see me, or they have seen me in sharper clothing the day prior. Would love for saw pants pricing to come down so I can buy more.
 
AlanKekoa said:
Thanks for all the responses, I personally have never worn chainsaw pants while climbing. Also thanks for sharing the brands. My main concern has always been that it is always so hot and humid where I'm from in Hawai'i that I'm usually always drenched in sweat by 8am lol I would wear them if I could find ones that work and have never wanted to dish out the exuberant price tags for something Im not sure if I will end up using. Becoming a father sure has changed my thought process on safety a bit.
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If you shelll out for them, rec climb in them first ( minimize risk of incidental damage such as from a stationary saw tooth). If they aren't realistic, sell them as Like New.


Another thing to consider, what does the condition of your gear and jobsite say about you?

Never a knicked rope or lanyard, never unacceptable, unpremeditated damage, or routine incidents, or somewhere in the middle?

New fatherhood is a challenge, and a new fatherhood arborist and tree wrecker is a very big challenge!

Get a much rest as you can get.
Be ready to say that something can wait until you're ready to confidently and safely do it, or someone else can do it. They are just trees!
 
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