# Using Chaps to Wrap the Bar



## PIPOGuy (Mar 2, 2017)

Hey All,
I'm hoping to get some advice here on how to properly chap the bar. Got a demo a while back but I can't find a YouTube video on this. Is it not necessarily the "best practice"?? 

I'm hoping somebody has a link to a video or some photos of how to correctly order the steps. I got it wrapped pretty well last night messing around in the garage, but it would be great to get some feedback from folks in the know.

Best, and thanks.


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## Westboastfaller (Mar 2, 2017)

Check this thread out from page 3 here.
If thats what you indeed mean.

Welcome to arboristsite.
http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/best-way-to-pack-a-saw.296567/


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## Scablands (Mar 3, 2017)

The True North bar cover you see on p3 of the above link works great, but obviously costs $$. If you're wrapping the bar to pack over your shoulder, you might find some padding if you want haul the saw some distance. It helps.


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## madhatte (Mar 4, 2017)

The USFS fire training guys seem to be the major fans of chaps over the bar. I am not too fond of that method. I usually use a leather pad on my shoulder for packing the saw, and it's stored in the truck with a length of 2 1'2" firehose over it. We have the True North covers in the cache but honestly they're more trouble than they're worth. I also have a True North saw pack, but I have only used it a few times. If you're not a suspenders guy (I'm not), you can hang the leather pad on a Camelbak. Everybody needs water.


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## mu2bdriver (Mar 4, 2017)

If I'm spending $100 on a pair of quality chaps I'm not about to wrap them around a sharp chain. A scabbard is fine for me unless
I'm missing something. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Scablands (Mar 4, 2017)

madhatte said:


> The USFS fire training guys seem to be the major fans of chaps over the bar. I am not too fond of that method. I usually use a leather pad on my shoulder for packing the saw, and it's stored in the truck with a length of 2 1'2" firehose over it. We have the True North covers in the cache but honestly they're more trouble than they're worth. I also have a True North saw pack, but I have only used it a few times. If you're not a suspenders guy (I'm not), you can hang the leather pad on a Camelbak. Everybody needs water.


The True North cover is really cumbersome until you put a plastic bar sleeve inside to slide the saw in and out easier. It's a time-waster as designed. I also put on a big, Home Depot carabiner in place of the Velcro strap to clip on to the bar quickly. 

The cover is only worth it if you walk significantly more than you cut. I'm not a logger or firefighter. I do volunteer trail maintenance. Today it's only 1 1/2 miles in to the blow downs, but I'll use the cover because of the comfort of the padding and it's easy to switch shoulders to share the load.


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## Scablands (Mar 4, 2017)

mu2bdriver said:


> If I'm spending $100 on a pair of quality chaps I'm not about to wrap them around a sharp chain. A scabbard is fine for me unless
> I'm missing something.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



For a pro, every less thing they bring is that much less they have to haul up steep ground then keep track of while working. Not wanting a bar cover in the field is totally understandable. I don't like mine until I carry the saw for miles. Then I like the plush padding.


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## Tenderfoot (Mar 4, 2017)

Scablands said:


> For a pro, every less thing they bring is that much less they have to haul up steep ground then keep track of while working. Not wanting a bar cover in the field is totally understandable. I don't like mine until I carry the saw for miles. Then I like the plush padding.


Less you carry, less you can lose. Only thing I never have enough of is wedges.


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## madhatte (Mar 5, 2017)

Tenderfoot said:


> Only thing I never have enough of is wedges.



Ain't that the truth. You can always use one more, no matter what.


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## Tenderfoot (Mar 5, 2017)

madhatte said:


> Ain't that the truth. You can always use one more, no matter what.


I could always use 6 more. I usually have 3 or 4 on me. Recently I had one of those days where I managed to pinch myself twice in the same tree. Thing had split down the middle and had different tension and compression on each side of the split, it was a twisty multi-stem oak that was blown down in a storm. It was not visibly split at the bark and it went from opening to closing on the bar rather fast, when I cut one side of the split it shifted on the bar and split again. Guess who made the same mistake twice (this guy!). Easily the worst tree I ever dealt with, but after that the thing went smooth as silk.


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## madhatte (Mar 5, 2017)

A trick I figured out awhile back is once you've got all of your wedges swallowed up and nowhere to go, you can bore under the center of the tightest wedges and slap another wedge in the bore. It buys you a whole nother wedge worth of lift. You can't do it twice, though. The bore will collapse and you lose your lift.


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## Tenderfoot (Mar 5, 2017)

madhatte said:


> A trick I figured out awhile back is once you've got all of your wedges swallowed up and nowhere to go, you can bore under the center of the tightest wedges and slap another wedge in the bore. It buys you a whole nother wedge worth of lift. You can't do it twice, though. The bore will collapse and you lose your lift.


I just grabbed another saw. By getting the first one un-stuck, I stuck the second though.  It was one of those Sundays.


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## 2dogs (Jan 9, 2018)

I ran across this thread searching for another. These guys make some good looking bar covers though I have no experience with them.

sawguard.com/


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## Drptrch (Jan 10, 2018)

2dogs said:


> I ran across this thread searching for another. These guys make some good looking bar covers though I have no experience with them.
> 
> sawguard.com/



And just happen to have a photo











Erik


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## slowp (Jan 22, 2018)

I took a foam sleeping pad (blue walmarche brand), cut it to size, bent it and duck taped a "seam". It is cheap, is more padding, and can be used to sit on or kneel on when touching up a chain or praying.


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## madhatte (Jan 23, 2018)

That's a good, cheap, functional cover. A length of 2" single-jacketed firehose works pretty well, too, if you have it laying around.


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## edwardo (Jan 29, 2018)

I like rolling my chain off the bar & onto the handlebar. it makes packing easy & the chains stay pretty tidy. that chain is not sharp........


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## madhatte (Jan 29, 2018)

Strikes me as a whole lot of extra work.


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## edwardo (Jan 29, 2018)

madhatte said:


> Strikes me as a whole lot of extra work.



How so? All you have to do is bow the bar out a tad & take the drivers out of the groove & roll your hand across the tip. I think 32, mahbe 30" is kind of the cut off. Any shorter & it is hard to gain slack


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## madhatte (Jan 29, 2018)

Definitely easier on longer bars. Still seems like an unnecessary step to me. But, y'know, different strokes and all.


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## edwardo (Jan 29, 2018)

madhatte said:


> Definitely easier on longer bars. Still seems like an unnecessary step to me. But, y'know, different strokes and all.



there is a fun factor involved on the east coast. they think it's magic lol.


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## chipper1 (Jan 29, 2018)

edwardo said:


> that chain is not sharp........


Really lol.
Glad I don't have to carry a saw to far, you guys are brutes.
I did carry a bunch up from the basement the last week as we had some nice weather and they needed to stretch their legs.
Great info though in case I ever need to.


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## Drptrch (Jan 29, 2018)

The manly way [emoji4][emoji4]


Erik


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## Drptrch (Jan 29, 2018)

But I’m thinking the new “Honey Badger” Saw carrier would be good




They ain’t bothered by nothing


Erik


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## madhatte (Jan 29, 2018)

edwardo said:


> there is a fun factor involved on the east coast. they think it's magic lol.



I can imagine! Even just the long bar probably looks like a unicorn.


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## chipper1 (Jan 29, 2018)

madhatte said:


> I can imagine! Even just the long bar probably looks like a unicorn.


Heck guys here mostly log with 20's.


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## Drptrch (Jan 29, 2018)

How we do it out west ...



Happy Camp style 


Erik


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## chipper1 (Jan 29, 2018)

Drptrch said:


> How we do it out west ...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That's a great pic, so realistic, you can tell it's a newer flippy cap saw .


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## fool skip (Jan 29, 2018)

When I first started cutting logs several older guys carried their saw with what they called a busheling strap. That was a piece of heater hose clamped to the top of the handle forming a loop. You stuck your arm through the loop up to your elbow and then grabbed under the bar in front of the dogs. Worked pretty good on heavy saws.


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## madhatte (Jan 29, 2018)

chipper1 said:


> That's a great pic, so realistic, you can tell it's a newer flippy cap saw .
> View attachment 629184



Here I was thinking "old-school green weenie"


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## chipper1 (Jan 30, 2018)

madhatte said:


> Here I was thinking "old-school green weenie"


I'm pretty sure that's a 461 if it's a picture from Erik


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## slowp (Jan 30, 2018)




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## madhatte (Jan 30, 2018)

Awwww, Benny, what a good dude.

(ain't a thing wrong with the saw, either)


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## Ryan'smilling (Jan 30, 2018)

slowp said:


> View attachment 629192



Good call, get the dog to carry the saw.


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