Climbing in bad weather..

[topnotchtree]

I know there are some line clearance guys/gals here on AS. What are your rules for workin in bad weather? Union rules and common sense prevents us from workin in the rain. Workin in the snow pretty much depends on what the foreman thinks is safe or not.

 

[jkrueger]

Drizzel OK, continued or heavy rain NO. Snow once up in the tree ok, unless it is with droping temp below 20 and heavy wind.

Summer is never to hot, only heavy rain is a short day.

Ground personel sometimes make it difficult to get the day to work. Such nutless ones at times.

Jack

 

[Husky288XP]

Hell I have climbed in single digit, below zero, snowing, rainy, and windy weather. It all depends on your motivation, I like to blow out jobs whenever possible because I like money, so this aspect keeps me climbing all the time. Sometimes you cannot feel your fingers or the tree may sway or you get wet. As soon as I get to the job I am focused on the job, most times not the weather.

 

[topndrop]

I'll climb in just abut any weather except high winds. My company is called by the city, etc. for hazardous trees all the time and we have walked away from a few jobs when the wind might have caused problems... The breaks of living along a coast-line I guess.

 

[PTS]

It usually depends on how much of a prick the boss is. I hate raking snow.

I agree only it depends on how big of a prick I am.

We will work in the rain too, to a point. I don't like being wet anymore then the next guy however when we are on the road. Time is definitely money so we work through most anything.

 

[Koa Man]

I have done many jobs in what could be called a torrential downpour. Last one was a job I had to get done before school opened after the winter break. It was the day before New Years and later the weather report said 11.4 inches of rain fell in a 24 hour period that day. The rain began about 1.5 hours after we started work. You should have seen the strange looks we got from about 3 different tree services who were apparently on their way back home.

 

[Tom D. Wilson]

being new to climbing the first time i climbed in the wind spooked me. it gets a bit unnerving when a gust catches me off balance and when the top is swaying about like a drunken jamaican.

 

[Old Monkey]

Back in CA, the best money making time of year is when its raining. We climbed in any weather. It used to be a drag until I ponied up the dough for some real rain gear. Forget all the stuff they sell at the hardware store or even the most expensive stuff in Bailey's catalog. I had a job one day next to marine supply store. Foul weather gear for sailing is perfect for cold, torrential downpour. Gill is the brand I chose, sailing overalls and something called a rowing bib for the top. The top has no hood(my wrap- around brim hardhat covers that territory), just a velcro sealed elastic collar. Someone could pour a bucket of water over your head and no water would go down your neck. It also has the velcro and elastic on the ends of the sleeves and around your waist. When I'm descending using my monkey knot, the muddy water runs off me instead of down my arm. Its tight at the waist so it doesn't get caught in my floating dee, like the occasional tee-shirt or stomach hair. Both the top and bottom breath so you don't end up a sweaty mess underneath. The whole package set me back about $300 and its in its third season of use. I'll look for a link later for those of you who have to climb whatever the weather. You can be comfortable even on the worst days. Besides its more fun being out and about in bad weather, seeing all the flooding and the trees down--its like a play day.

 

[jason j ladue]

i dont much care for a hood either- it just gets in the way. but i dont care what youre wearing, as soon as you reach up and that liquid sunshine runs down your arm it keeps right on moving all the way down to your socks. normally if i'm climbing in the rain i just tough it out and wear a longsleeved wool (long live pendleton)shirt. besides, i am usually working up such a sweat, that the raingear just keeps the vaopr trapped and i get wet ant how... and i think there is no work harder on clothing that climbing. i always wid up ripping my rain gear, so i dont bother (much). by the way, you old monkey... happy bday! jj

 

[Xtra]

I'll climb in a light rain/drizzle and I'll stay in the tree in a downpour just to finish, that is if there aren't any indications of lightening.

This past week it was really blowing here in NJ. The gusts got over 40mph . . . I decided that from now on anything over 35mph is my limit.
Also, if wind chill is under 10 below (or if it's so cold the diesels don't want to start), we don't work.

I can't wait for the snow to melt around here so we can finish stump grinding several jobs and get paid.

 

[greg carr]

I like a good wind, it keeps the mosquitos off me.

Makes cleanup easier too!

 

[Mike Barcaskey]

depends on the back log and right now its 4 weeks, will usually work some every day unless there's lighting


Hey tnttreeman glad to see someone else from STEELER Country
worked the last seven weeks straight, last weeks snow was the toughest, got in 6-7 hours each day

 

[Old Monkey]

Links to foulweather gear

Climbing eats up raingear. I used to buy raingear every winter but not now. Here is the link for the top I climb with http://www.sailnet.com/store/item.cfm?pid=30955
Here is the link for the bottoms http://www.sailnet.com/store/item.cfm?pid=30808
It's an investment but I'm certain they pay for themselves over the long run. Pay attention to the care instructions on them i.e. rinse them off don't put them in the washing machine and you're golden. Its fun being the only comfortable tree worker on miserably rainy days.

 

[Koa Man]

Real motorcycle raingear works good too. They are form fitting and have velcro to tighten sleeves and legs to keep rain out.