Personal Protection

[Devonian]

Ok, S13's thread about the Lone Wolf got me thinking about protecting yourself from injury, I'm not thinking about protection against armed resistance/attacks, but more about protecting yourself from injury on a daily basis as you go about your business in a Post SHTF World.

So what I'm talking about is protecting yourself from serious cuts (which could get infected or sever a ligament for example); broken limbs; concussion etc etc.

All of which could seriously affect your ability to survive.

Its all too easily to seriously damage your body: slipping on a wet tree trunk; cutting your forearm open on a broken window; impaling yourself on a broken stick or steel bar; ripping your hands apart when trying to pry open a security door; slipping on spilt oil; falling through a roof or ceiling......there are many many ways that we can really ruin our day!

So without kitting ourselves out like this:



What special clothing or equipment do you have or are you planning on getting to help protect yourself and give yourself a better chance of surviving?

[CharlesHarris]

The standard protective equipment recommended for people doing storm damage assessment is a good start:

safety glasses with side guards, essential for moving through woods at night
hard hat
long sleeved shirt
long trousers
sturdy boots with good ankle support and traction sole
gloves
walking staff, for support
headlamp

[Steve]

As usual, Charles has nailed it. I have a "bump cap", that looks just like a normal baseball cap but has some protection built in, a bit less conspicuous than the normal site hard hat.

[Mortblanc]

Also the common wear of most working farmers, except for the bump cap and safety classes, which they have not usually embraced, although you might find them in use on commercial farms that H&S rules control.

[Devonian]

Yes I think CH's list is a good starting point, with Steve's bump cap substituting the hard hat.

For the safety glasses, I prefer these, they can be used with or without the elastic strap:



Also with the long sleeve shirt and trousers, I was going to start looking for more durable/protective layers that could (?) offer greater protection against possible cuts and puncture wounds ie: when gaining entry to buildings; walking through hedges and even crossing barbed wire fences etc. I was thinking possibly about the slash proof hoodies and some kind of durable snag proof trousers.

Also what about trousers that take knee pads?

And what about the use of shin pads again to give extra protection to the legs under your trousers.

Gloves are I feel very important, but also vary widely in their suitability, I've yet to find any that I'm comfortable with if anyone has any specific suggestions....

[Sunna]

the biker gear aldi have been selling lately , padded ,strong cheap/ scrambler biker kit same but more pricey

[Devonian]

Yes, not seen the Aldi stuff, but I was looking at MTB protective wear earlier, which I guess is a similar type of stuff but lighter weight/duty than the scrambling gear.

[CharlesHarris]

My everyday work clothes are the Duluth "firehose" canvas work trousers. Very abrasion resistant and durable. Lots of pockets for gear and tools, and they don't look military. Expensive, but long lasting.

http://www.duluthtrading.com/store/produ...92204.aspx

They make a long sleeved work shirt of the same material which wears like iron.

http://www.duluthtrading.com/store/produ...OgodwAEADQ

[Steve]

Like all protective gear, glasses and hats are no good at all when they're in your bag, so the No1 requirement is that they are comfortable enough that you won't be tempted to take them off.

Steel toecap boots can be made more comfortable with thick woolen socks and Sorbothane sole inserts, these really take the shock out, especially if you're carrying something heavy. I favour wrap around glasses from Dickies ( http://www.dickiesstore.co.uk/dickies-wo...8209#Smoke ) which are about £8 a pair in Jewsons, they don't steam up or cut into my face and the arms grip snugly which keeps them in place all the time without the need for a back strap. My bump cap is from B&Q, I like it, but it does have a reflective strip sewn in which might not be appropriate in all situations ( http://www.diy.com/nav/fix/protective-cl...d=11758793 ). My outdoor work gloves are by DeWalt, they are tough but flexible tan leather, but I can't find them online, perhaps they are discontinued. I find them much better than the cheap "rigger" gloves, which don't last and are too loose anyway. I keep them supple with neatsfoot oil. Another type I like are the thick leather chainsaw gloves with nylon backs, they are supple and have elasticated wrists to keep them in place, but are usually fluorescent orange which might be a problem.

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Charles, those trousers look excellent, I try to find a UK supplier.

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Found the gloves on the DeWalt site. I see they also do a goatskin version, I think I'll try to get a pair of those.

http://www.dewalt.co.uk/workwear/product...rchy/2759/

[bigpaul]

a lot of it depends on what work you are doing, if your using a chainsaw or other types of equipment it makes sense to wear some form of safety equipment, but for lots of work this simply isn't needed and would hamper or impede your work if you wore it.