The aim is always safety and comfort first. Requirements vary depending on the weather and the type of work.
- Loose cotton clothing is most comfortable in hot weather, but overalls or fitted work clothes are safer when using edged tools and are best for most work. Carry a pullover and parka or anorak since it can quickly become chilly when the sun drops and the wind rises. For dealing with sea buckthorn, really tough outer gear such as a ‘Barbour’ jacket is important to protect you from thorns.
- Boots. Heavy leather work boots with metal toe caps and spiked or deep moulded soles are best for construction, fencing, tree clearance and other jobs involving sharp or heavy implements and materials. Wellingtons are best in shallow mud and water if edged fools are not being used. Plimsolls or other light shoes are safe only for tasks such as marram planting which do not require sharp tools.
- Gloves. Bare hands provide the best grip when using tools, but for general protection wear heavy-duty leather-palmed work gloves. Other types may be required in certain situations, eg when fencing with barbed wire or using a power chain saw. Gauntlet-type hedging gloves are best when tackling sea buckthorn, since ordinary work gloves will not turn thorns and do not protect the wrists. Suppliers include W G Todd and Son, Rannock House, Crescent Green, Kendal, and The Smithy, New Invention, Bucknell, Shropshire. A pair costs about £24.00 (1986 price).
Rubber gloves are warmer and less slippery than other types when working in water, although they do not protect against sharp objects. When handling herbicides in concentrate or solution, it is best to wear disposable polythene gloves, since leather gloves are not waterproof and there is a danger with rubber gloves that you may not notice if small leaks develop. - Hat or helmet. An old cloth or leather cap is fine for general work. One with a brim will shield your eyes against sun. When felling trees or working near machinery wear a plastic or metal helmet. This must be internally adjustable to fit the head, and preferably should be fitted with a wire mesh visor, and with ear protectors when working near machinery.
- Sunglasses with polarised lenses are useful to protect your eyes from glare.
- Goggles or eye shields, for use when cutting sea buckthorn or other thorny scrub (alternatively you can wear a safety helmet with a visor). Eye protectors should be marked with the British Standard Kitemark and the number B52092. If impact resistance is required, they should be marked as Grade 1 or 2. When mixing herbicides in the field, or spraying with herbicide, wear chemical-splash-proof goggles (see Brown, 1975, for details). Goggles are also useful to shield your eyes from blown sand on windy days.
- ‘Chaps’, for use when cutting sea buckthorn or spraying regrowth. These are the only sort of overtrousers which let you bash into buckthorn stands without fear of a disabling thorn below the middle. Chaps of the design shown below have had many years of use at Braunton Burrows NNR, Devon. They are made up from tanned cow hide (‘back’ leather, not the softer ‘belly’ leather) by a local saddler. Although expensive (£22 in 1975), they should last for many years of heavy work. Note that the legs are separate, and each has a flap that goes over the fly with a popper stud. The slit on the outside of the leg is to provide ventilation and to allow you to take them on and off over boots. The straps fit over the wearer’s belt and should be adjusted so that the chaps sit well down over the tops of the boots.
