Wardrobe malfunction-less clothing for the contractor

By Bob “Hot Rod” Rohr

Providing comfort is what I do for a living. The older I get the more I realize comfort also plays a big part in my productivity when on the job site. I’d like to share some of the products and tips I have discovered along the way. There is a world full of products that can make your time on the job site safer, more productive, more fun, comfortable and even more fashionable.

Starting from the top down, hats play an important role in human comfort. Heat loss and heat gain are controlled at this point, to put it in hydronic terms. A great deal of your body’s heat is lost or gained through your head. Also, headgear provides protection from some common job site things like sawdust, rogue nail ends, etc.

Certainly ball caps are commonly seen on job sites. Virtually all manufacturers and suppliers have ball cap give-aways. I like the newer style fitted caps, as opposed to the high-dome-trucker-plastic-tab-adjustable types. Currently Lochinvar has some great looking stylish caps, if you shop that brand. Or consider getting a batch made with your company name and logo.

I’ve found I need a bit more protection from the sun these days if I plan on being out all day. I came across a nice, well-built, wide-brim hat from a company called Tilley (www.tilley.com). Made with pride in Canada since 1980, these are quality hats with a clever and interesting owner’s manual. The company collects Tilley hat survival stories. These tales are entertaining (one Tilley made it through an elephant!) and demonstrate the durability of the hat. This hat is great for mowing the lawn and sailing, also.

Cold weather work finds me in a fleece ski type hat. Patagonia builds great outdoor gear and is an environmentally friendly company (www.patagonia.com). I discovered Patagonia products in my ski-bum days. Their line is pricey and absolutely worth every dollar. Every detail adds to the comfort and functionality of the hat. For instance, the adjustable toggles are designed so that you can work them with gloved hands.

If your job finds you in the wind and cold a neck gaiter can help keep you warm and comfortable. Fleece or cotton work best for me.

It’s hard to beat Carhartt products (www.carhartt.com) for extreme contracting gear. They make some of the most durable clothing I have come across. Jackets, coats bib overalls…the selection continues to grow. Carhartts are often the top choice for manufacturer and supplier giveaway promotions. Hard for me to imagine any contractor who doesn’t own a pair of Carhartt bibs or coveralls for cold weather work. Keep a pair under your truck’s seat for winter time emergency work. (Like a flat tire change out!)

The cell phone poses an interesting challenge for the contractor. I’ve yet to find the ideal spot on the human body to carry this device. I’ve tried all sorts of holsters and belt clip apparatuses. The phone is forever in the way, either when walking, working or driving with a seatbelt in place. My best solution is a vest with a top phone pocket.

This seems to be the safest spot for the phone and I can usually hear it ringing even when working with power tools. (I prefer the ring vs. the vibrate. Numerous times, when working with electrical components, I thought I’d hit a live wire when my phone buzzed!) I currently have three different vests with different material weights for the various seasons.

By far the best selection of contractor friendly vest wear comes from Duluth Trading Company (www.duluthtrading.com). This company has spent a lot of time and energy designing worker friendly gear in all sorts of sensible fabrics. It is one of the nicest mail catalogs I have seen, also. The size, the artwork, the clever copy…I look forward to the latest catalog issue.

Gloves are another pet peeve of mine. It is best to have a quiver of glove styles for specific purposes. Brown cotton gloves are a mainstay for pipe trade contractors. They are reasonably priced and available most everywhere. They are good for soldering and cleaning up copper tube. Be sure to get the 100% cotton style. The blended materials tend to melt when wiping hot solder joints. Ouch!

I’ve taken a liking to some of the more high tech gloves on the market. I have a selection of full-finger and fingerless gloves built with a comfy gel pad on the palm. These are great when operating power tools, especially reciprocating or impact type tools like rotohammers. Try www.mechanix.com for some wild specialty gloves. Check out the pair with built in lights! I work with wire ties when doing tube installation on wire mesh. For this the lightweight leather gloves work well. My band-aid usage has dropped considerably since my glove fetish has started.

I discovered some clever gloves with magnets on the backside. Check out www.silverbackgloves.com. These are very handy for installing radiant transfer plates and Ultra Fin installations. I’ve found they will hold a few strips of staples for my Senco, zip sheet metal screws, pop rivets, or most any other nail or screw. You can also find magnetic wrist bands for this use. ACE hardware stores carry the Silverbacks and wrist band magnets.

If there is a better trouser than the blue jeans, I’ve yet to discover them. No question Wrangler, Levi and Lee are the big players. Check out Eddie Bauer and Land’s End for some more styles and options. I like flannel lined for cold weather and extended work in the kneeling position. Some brands offer pockets to slide knee pads into.

If you are into shorts for summertime work wear check out Duluth Trading offerings again. I like their “fire hose” fabric shorts for comfort and wear. I recommend the long style with deep pockets and work-friendly colors.

On to footwear! I switched to steel toed footwear a number of years back. I’ve put them to the test on numerous occasions since then. There are plenty of options in this area. Find a store that specializes in worker footwear. Winter time finds me in nice insulated leather. I like the wear and fit of the Doc Martins. A bit pricey but I have found a seconds outlet in a nearby town.

For summertime I wear a sneaker-type steel toe. Check out the Skecher brand titanium toed line-up. Look into the steeled toed offerings from Caterpillar, Michelin and Redwing. When I find a good buy and fit, I’ll grab two pair at the seconds store as inventory changes fast and some models get discontinued or upgraded. My current pair are Florsheim “Euro Casual Oxfords. Comfortable and good looking, with steel toes!

All of us need to dress up and step out from time to time. Years ago, I discovered a company that builds custom cowboy boots. (www.rocketbuster.com) I had a pair made to match my trucks!

 

Bob “Hot Rod” Rohr is particularly interested in “hybrid” radiant systems — systems that utilize solar and wood energy in addition to, or in place of, fossil fuel. Also, systems that incorporate different methods of heat delivery. He owns and operates Show Me Radiant Heat and Solar, Inc. in southwest Missouri. Reach Hot Rod at hotrodradiant@aol.com or by calling 417/753-3998.