This post is a
bit of homage to Tim Budd’s blog at testedtodestruction.blogspot.com where he reviews
gear that he uses fell running and hiking about in the Peak District of
England.
I thought it
would be interesting to review the gear I use every day. Interesting for me, I can’t say what other
people will think, but then a bit of holiday fun never hurt, so here goes…
Arc’teryx Theta AR Jacket ($630)
OK, now I know I
have lost you. What orchardist seriously
wears a $600 jacket? This one, for
starters. Hang in there, let me
explain. I was a climber, skier and
hiker long before I was a farmer and having this jacket since becoming one has
been brilliant. Paired with an
Icebreaker shirt and a holey Icebreaker 260 pullover (if anyone knows why
merino shirts develop random holes send me an email, I really want to know) I
have been toasty warm in all but the coldest work conditions. When it gets really cool I add a Polartec
vest to the mix. The underarm zips allow
me to release a bit of heat if I have to chase the sheep in the rain, and the
pockets are big enough for a couple pairs of work gloves (I will get to those),
while the inner pocket is great for keeping my phone dry. I haven’t found a use for the sleeve ski pass
pocket yet, but I’m sure I will. Most
importantly, despite copping a beating from blackberries, barbed wire fences,
branches and lots of sharp edges, it looks as good as new. I know I could buy 3 jackets for the money
that will last just as long, but would they be as good and as versatile? I doubt it.
All I know is I am glad I had this before we got the farm, and I am
stoked to have it now.
Most of the time
I like to use the rubber-gripped work gloves that you can buy for $5 a pair in
the hardware shop, mainly because I know they won’t last, and I am not wearing
them for warmth. The Sealskinz come out
when it is cold and wet. With an index
finger and thumb that fold back for finding your keys, or picking up screws, or
any finicky jobs, these save you pulling them off and putting them back
on. The leather palm is good and hard
wearing, and only a little bit of water occasionally gets through where the
index finger folds back. The
nose-friendly fabric on the thumb proved great when the wind comes up and your
nose is running (not the nicest but there you have it, reality, not some ideal). I simply can’t recommend them highly enough.
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| I am trying to destroy them, but no luck yet |
Mountain Equipment Stretchlite Guide Pants (£70)
Another hangover
from my climbing days, these are the only item of Mountain Equipment gear I
have. They were recommended by Tim and
have proved great on the farm. Not
waterproof, but warm and pretty water resistant, plus when they get wet they
also dry quickly. The stretchiness that
is aimed at climbers has made scrambling under and over fences, onto tractors,
and through bush easy as pie. They have
a leg zip pocket and zip expandable calves which help when putting them into
wellies/gumboots. The only real downside
is they don’t have belt loops, so I have to carry my Leatherman in my pocket instead
of on my belt. They are a bit warm when
it gets over 20 degrees but then I go to cotton drill trousers anyway.
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| They also aren’t chainsaw-proof, but they slowed it down enough to save my leg! |
Under Armour Boxerjock briefs ($35)
What? Underwear?
Well you wouldn’t know it from his blog, but besides buying and destroying
outdoor gear and fell running, Tim (together with Rob) also has ongoing
obsession with finding the best pair of space-fabric travel underwear money can
buy. Well I think I have found
them. And yes, it is relevant on the
farm, because you never know when a bull might be coming at you flat out. When that happens, you need to know you have
some nice underwear on in case the ambulance officer is good looking.
In all (sort of)
seriousness, I travelled for 18 months with just 4 pairs of these (washing them
of course!!), doing everything from climbing to diving to hiking and farmwork,
in both hot and cold conditions. They
have been great for everything, and dry overnight when washed, keeping them on
a quick rotation. Unlike cotton boxers
or briefs, or even previously owned Nike Combat compression shorts, they
haven’t shown a single sign of wear. No
loose threads, no pilling, no wear patches.
Brilliant! Since arriving back in
Australia I have bought another pair. My
other Under Armour stuff has done pretty well, including my cap (which I can
always seem to wash grease out of somehow), but the boxers have been standout
performers.
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| Yes, this is me modelling my Under Armour (no not really but did you really expect a photo of that??) |
Mongrel SP Zipsiders Boots ($140)
As roundly
castigated as I have been for not supporting Tasmanian boot-maker Blundstone, I
have to say that I support whoever makes the best gear, not just where they are
based, and for me the new Australian company Mongrel are making the best boots
around right now.
The fact is that
Blundstone’s elastic-sided boots don’t provide any ankle support. After a friend was laid up for months with a
broken ankle after walking across a cow paddock, and having weak ankles myself from old basketball and football injuries, I decided to go with the Mongrel’s steel cap zip-sided
boots. The zips allow you to get them on
and off quickly but the laces allow you to get it tight around the ankle.
They are simply
one of the most comfortable work boots I have ever worn. They don’t leak water until completely soaked
and have good grip in the mud. They also
aren’t too heavy. When it is too wet for
these I go to the Blundstone wellies/gumboots which have also been great.
The steel caps
get cold in winter when left outside, making for cold toes when starting out in
the morning, but this can be combated effectively with a pair of steel cap
socks with the extra insulation in the toes.
I have dropped an apple bin on my foot and thanked my stars for steel
caps!
They don’t have such
a pronounced heel like Blundstones, which makes tractor work a little harder
(pushing the clutch on the tractor with the heel is easier), but modern
tractors don’t have a clutch like Dad’s old John Deere 2010 so that doesn’t worry me much.
The light colour
fabric has kept its colour, while the leather has darkened, leading to the
boots taking on an odd two-tone colour, but I don’t mind paying that price for
the best boots I have ever worn.
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| Yes, I was standing in my socks getting wet feet to take this picture |
Special Gear Mentions:
Stihl MS170 Mini-Boss chainsaw ($399)
Well apart from
the damage I nearly did to my leg with it, this chainsaw has been
brilliant. It punches well above its
weight and can drop big trees, but is light enough to handle pruning with one
hand. It isn't the biggest, manliest chainsaw going, but it is truly outstandingly versatile value that is a steal for four
hundred bucks.
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| It absolutely demolished this rogue silver wattle |
Leatherman Wingman ($50)
Always in the
pocket, able to open the razor-sharp blade with one hand, with handy pliers, screwdrivers and
the rest of the usual gadgets. No
tweezers though which is what always put me off getting one, but when my pocket knife was taken off me by airport security in Brisbane, I took the plunge. All I can say is the one handed
opening is bloody good, and it is cheaper than most other multi-tools. It even fits in my old pocket knife belt case.
Conclusion
So there you
have it, the gear I use. Not “true”
Tassie farmer style (where is the flannel, the Akubra hat?), but then we all
take our baggage with us into whatever new life we choose, and I am no
exception. Hope to see you down on Our
Mates’ Farm, whatever sort of underwear you choose to wear!
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| Wearing all the gear with a young Bob vying for attention |
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