# Wearing Shorts



## memetic (Jun 27, 2008)

Does anyone else wear shorts while doing treework? I never saw anyone around CT wearing shorts while working, but I love to. Am I just wrong. None of my partners will wear them either. I feel like I'm crazy - some one back me up. Otherwise scare the pants on to me.


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## TDunk (Jun 27, 2008)

To me, wearing shorts while doing tree work is like wedging a dead tree over and not wearing a helmet. NOT a smart idea. The chainsaw is only inches away from your leg, what the worst that could happen. Wearing pants isn't the only protection you should have one your legs though either, you NEAD to wear chaps too, saved me more than once. The only time i'm not wearing chaps is when i'm climbing. As soon as i'm on the ground the chaps are on. I definetly agree with your buddy's in the fact that i don't wear shorts, ever. One look at my ghost white legs and you'll understand.


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## ClimbinArbor (Jun 27, 2008)

i wear shorts all the time. if you dont mind the scratches and skeeters, they are fine for treework. mine are always below my knees(basketball shorts) so they dont give everyone a free show while im climbing, and they protect your upper legs soooo much better. other than that i have to very loose, very breathy, khakis.

as far as a pair of pant protecting your legs more than shorts from a chainsaw goes.... you should always where chaps while doing heavy sawing. a pair of blue jeans is not going to stop a saw any better than a pair of shorts though.


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## JeffL (Jun 27, 2008)

Pants, 100% of the time.


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## clearance (Jun 27, 2008)

*Define work*

I have seen ISA arborists wearing shorts.............sorry, this post is asking if any one does WORK in shorts, so no, I have never seen anyone doing treework in shorts.


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## JeffL (Jun 27, 2008)

clearance said:


> I have seen ISA arborists wearing shorts.............sorry, this post is asking if any one does WORK in shorts, so no, I have never seen anyone doing treework in shorts.


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## Adkpk (Jun 27, 2008)

I do tree work in shorts.


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## John464 (Jun 27, 2008)

I climb, run a bucket, and grind stumps in shorts. I got scratches all over. Not just on my legs, arms as well. Id rather let my nuts breathe then be worried about a few scrapes. Carhart and Diickies work shorts. They are longer than normal shorts. Real comfortable.

Im not the one bucking logs. If I was Id wear pants and chaps.


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## ray benson (Jun 27, 2008)

Steelmill electrician - 31 years. Long pants and long sleeve shirts year around. Cut and split wood since 1978 - long pants and long shirts. Shorts are for my bicycle rides.


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## memetic (Jun 27, 2008)

"Id rather let my nuts breathe then be worried about a few scrapes. Carhart and Diickies work shorts."

See, that's what I'm talking about. I'm the sweaty type, I'd rather get a nasty scratch AND a scrape then suffer all day in soaking pants. Damn, with pants on, by the time I get home I'd be pruned from the waist down. How's that visual?

I understand safety and all, I'm not going to go crazy with a saw in my shorts. Most of the time I'm making simple easy cuts and let my people do the crazy work - they're way more experienced than I am. 

I like the chaps idea - for safety and all. Is it ok to wear them without pants underneath? I could deal with that. I'm pretty fit, so maybe we could pick up some extra work from all the ladies that pass by. Did anyone read about the naked carpenter that works in California somewhere? Apparently they don't have anti-nudity laws, so he works naked, even outside. That's a little too risky for me, I wouldn't want to cut my own log off. Maybe the chaps solo isn't such a good idea.


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## ClimbinArbor (Jun 28, 2008)

John464 said:


> Id rather let my nuts breathe then be worried about a few scrapes.



yep.


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## bluebuddhist (Jun 28, 2008)

Not only do I wear pants, but ballistic pants when operating a saw-- Especially when I'm climbing, but also when on the ground. It's not that I like the heat (in fact just the opposite) but for me I would rather sweat my balls off than cut them off with a chainsaw.
Safety first is what my old man used to say...


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## pbtree (Jun 28, 2008)

Climbing or running a saw for any longer than a few minutes, I wear pants.

Working ground, or around my yard, etc., I wear shorts on hot days...


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## JeffL (Jun 28, 2008)

The best way to put it I think, comes from my experience riding motorcycles. I almost ALWAYS am in full gear, full face helmet, leather jacket and pants, both with appropriately placed hard armor, leather gloves, race boots. EAR PLUGS.

The saying goes........"dress for the crash, not the ride", and "sweat washes off, road rash doesnt". Or something like that. For those 150 times I'll be soaked in sweat, it pays off for that one time I actually do hit the pavement, take a slide, and can get up and walk away because I was wearing the proper protective attire.

And yes, I have crashed 3 times on a bike. With nothing worse than a few sore spots.


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## Bermie (Jun 28, 2008)

Trousers, regardless.

Now that its swimsuit weather, got to keep the scratches down to a minimum for the days out in the boat...scratches exposed to the sun leave a white scar, can't have that now! Not to mention the sock tan, had enough years of that landscaping.

I had a fellow a couple weeks ago on one of my courses, he wore shorts under his chaps, he never wears trousers, even in winter (he's French...) I reckon its fine, the chaps are what matters.


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## memetic (Jun 28, 2008)

"he wore shorts under his chaps"

Now that's an idea.


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## bendtrees (Jun 28, 2008)

Oooooh, I really like the chaps and shorts idea! Maybe longer chaps.

Lets face it, nobody makes an affordable, ventilated pant. Why not vent the crotch or back of the thigh? While there at it, get rid of stupid bulky pockets without tabs over them.

I do not wear shorts, for me, scars and scratches lost their cool factor when I turned 30. I do frequently turn my carharts or 5 brothers into "manpris" by rolling up the calfs when its hot out. The 200 bar still nicks my shin or calf while hanging off my saddle, but its quite rare. You still get thigh protection but the extra draft helps cool the whole leg. Just remember to unroll them outside when you get home.


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## hornett224 (Jun 28, 2008)

*i hate pants from april to october.*

i wear them sometimes to climb but that is it.only time i was even nicked by a chain,i was wearing pants.it was years ago,but it still is what it is.i have worn chaps over my shorts.hot but still cooler than chaps over pants.


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## Brush Hog (Jun 29, 2008)

My groundy did yesterday and he said "guess I should have worn pants" as he looked at his legs all scratched and bloody. I always wear pants doing tree work but will wear them when I'm landscaping. I like the idea of vented pants someone said. Run some breathable material up the back of the pant legs or something. Sure as hell could have used them yesterday.


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## ClimbinArbor (Jun 29, 2008)

i grew up in the country running through river bottums and woods with shorts on all summer long, sometimes barefoot lol. my legs are well trained in having lil baby scratches and such...

one thing i dont like about shorts is when the meet a hot muffler in a tree.... ive yet to burn a pair, but man your leg will get hot. i just flip the saw over on my leg.


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## treemandan (Jun 29, 2008)

I had a buddy give me a hand taking this dead oak down, it was hot and humid, hard to walk uphill. After that dat the next time I saw him he had made a pair of jeens into a vented crotch and pocket dream. He just cut out the crotch and pockets and sewed in mesh. Last I heard he was going for a patent.
For me? Good clothing and boots and I will jump into just about anything. When I say good clothing I mean jeans and long sleeves with NO holes.


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## Bermie (Jun 29, 2008)

bendtrees said:


> Oooooh, I really like the chaps and shorts idea! Maybe longer chaps.
> 
> Lets face it, nobody makes an affordable, ventilated pant. Why not vent the crotch or back of the thigh? QUOTE]
> 
> ...


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## Brushwacker (Jun 29, 2008)

ray benson said:


> Steelmill electrician - 31 years. Long pants and long sleeve shirts year around. Cut and split wood since 1978 - long pants and long shirts. Shorts are for my bicycle rides.



+1. Truth is in high heat and work, your sweat is a coolant to keep your body temperature from getting dangerously high. Leaving skin exposed allows more evaporation and you could dehydrate your system much easiar and have a heat stroke which is very serious. An old timer told me in the old days many wore long underwear through the summer to hold the sweat while doing physical work. I have worked through some pretty high heat in a tree nursery and many would keep a wet wash rag over their neck to help keep from getting to hot. On hot days I like light khaki pants and light colored, lightweight long sleeve . When done working it feels good to go to a clean shortsleave shirt which I generally bring along for the ride home . About the only time I wear shorts often is riding in a car long distance . I live in the outdoors most of the time and feel more protected from the enviroment in pants. Used to wear shorts a lot to my early 20's, now they sit in my drawers most the time.


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## ClimbinArbor (Jun 30, 2008)

thats funny.... my drawers sit inside my shorts.......


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## Brushwacker (Jun 30, 2008)

I have drawers in my dresser, I think, but ... that does sound funny.


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## memetic (Jun 30, 2008)

Nice one ClimbinArbor.

"An old timer told me in the old days many wore long underwear through the summer to hold the sweat while doing physical work"

That's not true exactly. They are holding the sweat, just not in their bodies. What is actually happening is you are just holding the sweat in your clothes. Here's how I know: Many of my buddies are ex-high-school and college wrestlers and now go to the same MMA gym that I have been going to for three years. Whenever anyone needs to drop serious weight (like all these wrestler kids do all the time apparently), they throw on a plastic suit and jump rope and seriously work out to sweat out all that extra weight in the form of yes, sweat/water. I'm not a physician, but I am guessing the reason more sweat is coming out fully clothed - especially in a plastic suit - is because it is not eveporating and the body is getting hotter and hotter and trying to cool by dumping more and more sweat. 

I can't believe the grief those old timers caused themselves, if only they had known a wrestler. 

I like the vented pants idea, I would definitely buy something like that. BUT, 
"He just cut out the crotch and pockets and sewed in mesh." doesn't that mean your undies are hanging out? I don't think I'd care to much, but clients and my guys might. Guess I'd have to see the venting. 

Anyway, I wore pants on a long job yesterday (with a long sleeve shirt too) because every tree had tons of poison ivy growing up it. Never seen anything quite like it. It was almost like a kudzu invasion.


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## Brushwacker (Jul 3, 2008)

memetic said:


> Nice one ClimbinArbor.
> 
> "An old timer told me in the old days many wore long underwear through the summer to hold the sweat while doing physical work"
> 
> ...



I do know a wet wash rag over your neck helps relieve heat from experiance, like thousands of hours working in heat. In the long run I feel I sweat less with 1 or 2 light layer of cloths, and the wet cloths from my sweat slow down the evaporation and run off of my sweat so in the long run my body does not have to produce as much sweat which lessens the chance of a heat stroke ( your body runs out of sweat, overheats, and is often fatal )
The old timers knew a lot more then most wrestlers about working in heat.
Wearing a plastic suit and trying to sweat more adding activity in a limited amount of time is altogether differant differant then working several hours a 
day in high heat temperatures which in the old days was very often necessary. The plastic suit traps everything and the heat cant dissapate so ya you sweat more and can you imagine the grief those wrestlers cause themselves trapping all the heat and water inside their clothing verses on their clothing. The wet clothing such as wool or cotton or silk which was what I believe they wore does breath and acts like a radiator in a car sort of I would guess. Moderate heat and lighter activities a layer of cloths I would think warm you up or get you hot to a point, after that sweat works to keep your body temperature from getting too high. If its hot already or you anticipate you will work up a sweat IMO light breathable clothing is an advantage. But in realality not every body works in those conditions especially these days.


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## joecool85 (Jul 3, 2008)

memetic said:


> "he wore shorts under his chaps"
> 
> Now that's an idea.



That's what I did last week, works well but the bugs love it.


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## memetic (Jul 3, 2008)

"The wet clothing such as wool or cotton or silk which was what I believe they wore does breath and acts like a radiator in a car sort of I would guess."

That's probably it kind of - that the layers help regulate body temperature somehow. Keeping it from going very hot to very cool (but probably not just cooling). I know that if I stop working on a hot day and my clothes are soaked I get really cold really fast and it is extremely uncomfortable. But, overall, I will be a lot hotter and a lot sweatier with long clothes or layers. Now, I bring a long a change or two so I don't get the freeze effect when I stop working. 

On the other hand, I (almost) always wear wool hiking socks. I do it because they wick away the sweat (and they're really soft). But, socks are tight to the feet so they can do this. It's the same with Under Armour it is tight to the skin so it can wick away the sweat. And I just realized that I should probably be wearing Under Armour when I work, instead of just to the gym. Oops.


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## arbor pro (Jul 3, 2008)

memetic said:


> But, socks are tight to the feet so they can do this. It's the same with Under Armour it is tight to the skin so it can wick away the sweat. And I just realized that I should probably be wearing Under Armour when I work, instead of just to the gym. Oops.



Obviously, you haven't seen the Sherrill bumper stickers called "Your Yard is My Gym". What the heck do you need to pay to go to the gym for? You get paid to work out when you do tree work! :lifter: 

The only business that profits from my daily workout is my chiropractor...


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## memetic (Jul 3, 2008)

You're absolutely right. I stay fit working, but my gym is an MMA gym we train Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai that sort of thing. Skills my friend. 

You can be the biggest, baddest dude around, but if you ain't got no real skill a 16 year old purple belt in Jiu Jitsu will kick ur arse. 

I don't know how many times a HUGE new guy came in to the gym expecting to whoop some butt on his first day only to get completely leveled by a 145 lb dude. It usely goes, "AHHHHH...STOP...TAP!, TAP!, TAP!!!!" 

ha ha. 

It's funny as shiiite to watch. It's even funnier to do it yourself.


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## treemandan (Jul 3, 2008)

memetic said:


> You're absolutely right. I stay fit working, but my gym is an MMA gym we train Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai that sort of thing. Skills my friend.
> 
> You can be the biggest, baddest dude around, but if you ain't got no real skill a 16 year old purple belt in Jiu Jitsu will kick ur arse.
> 
> ...



The ONLY self- defense anyone would need around me is to STAND BACK 50 FEET! And put you hard hat on. Whatever comes from this direction no fleshy body is going to stop.


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## memetic (Jul 3, 2008)

treemandan said:


> The ONLY self- defense anyone would need around me is to STAND BACK 50 FEET! And put you hard hat on. Whatever comes from this direction no fleshy body is going to stop.



ha ha great, I love it. Makes me wish I didn't live in an "urban" environment, if you know what I mean.


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## xxl (Jul 15, 2008)

i do but i have chainsaw protective pants on over them so on breaks i can cool off


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## Slvrmple72 (Jul 16, 2008)

Real men buck naked!:jawdrop: 












Seriously though I wear pants, chaps on the ground, and dont forget the steeltoe boots.


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## MARCELL8733 (Jul 18, 2008)

SOME OF MY GUYS WEAR SHORTS WHILE THEY CLIMB,I USE TO CLIMB IN SHORTS AND TENNIS SHOES AND I HAD MY SHIRT OFF TOO,I ONLY HAD A HAND SAW CLEANING OUT RED OAKS THEY LOOKED LIKE A PICTURE WHEN I WAS DONE.


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## fireman (Jul 18, 2008)

shorts all the way, on ground wear shorts with chaps when cutting keep coll and safe.


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## (WLL) (Jul 19, 2008)

only an fool would wear shorts working on our crew.


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## beowulf343 (Jul 23, 2008)

It's got to be alot of fun when your leg hairs get all clumped up with pine sap. 

Pants year around for us.


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## tree md (Jul 23, 2008)

I've always worn long pants while climbing and working on the ground. I did work with a very good climber in Atlanta several years ago who climbed in shorts all the time.

I am the owner of my tree service and call me old fashioned but I think it looks a little unprofessional for the boss to wear shorts.


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## (WLL) (Jul 23, 2008)

its nice when my tennis shoes fill up with saw chips after every cut....(tip) stop wearing socks and dont empty your sneeks after they fill and you will go home with corn-less feet so smooth the ol Lady will be jealous.:smoking:


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## Nacho82 (Jul 30, 2008)

Clear back at the nuts sweating off post. Just get some Under Armor underwear and that will cure it all. The sweat just gets pushed away and ends up soaking your pants. You can have soaked pants, but your sack is cool and dry. Don't ask me how they do it, but they are great. They are long lasting also. Also, you are crazy if your chipping brush in shorts.


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## memetic (Jul 30, 2008)

Nacho82 said:


> ...Just get some Under Armor underwear and that will cure it all...You can have soaked pants, but your sack is cool and dry...



Thanks for the tip.


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