Gear

As a guy, I’m very concerned with gear. As such, we brought a lot of stuff with us from CA, some of which was invaluable and some of which never came out of the duffel bags.

Here are the primary systems we ended up with:

Chain Saw Kit

I recommend standardizing on one brand of saw and one size of chain. This simplifies spare parts and sharpening tremendously. We had fantastic results with our Stihl saws and recommend them highly.

I recommend standardizing on Stihl saws with 3/8” pitch chains as that makes sharpening simple with only one size file and power sharpening stone required.

Once Gary took his saws (026 and 440) home, our kit consisted of the following:

• 1 Stihl 440 with 25” bar (used for heavy work and cutting large trunks)
• 1 Stihl 361 with 20” bar (used for limbing and small trees)
• 2 Stihl plastic bar guards
• 3 440 25” bar spare chains – It’s a lot faster to swap a chain than to stop working and sharpen a chain after you hit a pipe, chain link fence, wire or nail.  I would usually sharpen all chains every morning or night.
• 2 361 20” bar spare chains - It’s a lot faster to swap a chain than to stop working and sharpen a chain after you hit a pipe, chain link fence, wire or nail.  I would usually sharpen all chains every morning or night.
• 1 Stihl 12-Volt Portable Chain Sharpener, features adjustable gauge to achieve proper filing angles. Clips attach to vehicle battery - 12 volt electric sharpener (clips to battery terminals and forces you to work under the hood, I only used this a couple of times as it tethers you to the pickup). I carried four spare grinding stones for this tool.
• 1 Dremel cordless rotary tool – (model #8000-01 Lithium-Ion Cordless) with chain saw sharpening kit (model #1453 Chain Saw Sharpening Attachment). This tool was fantastic and allowed me to carry a power sharpening tool with me wherever we were working. I could do quick touchups or full sharpening anywhere in the field. I bought a spare battery and used a 12V DC to 110V AC inverter in the pickup to recharge the spare battery. One battery could do two 361 and two 440 chains. I carried six spare grinding stones for this tool.
• 1 Stihl Complete Filing Kit, includes file guide, depth gauge, round file, flat file and two file handles in tool pouch for 3/8” pitch chain. The flat file was invaluable for smoothing the guide tabs after you spit off the chain and bung them up.
• 1 Stihl stump vise. Used for holding bar steady. I did not use this device.
• 1 Stihl bench vise. Used for holding bar steady. I did not take this out of the box and did not use it.
• 2 Gallons Stihl bar and chain oil. We carried one gallon jug with us and kept at least one in reserve.  
• 6 bottles Stihl two cycle pre-mix oil. I used about a gallon of pre-mix a day fo my two saws.
• 4 spare bar nuts. I lost one and we bought a few for spares. These nuts hold the bar on the motor head and are loosened to allow tightening of the chain.
• 1 spare chain guard. This small aluminum tab prevents the chain from whipping back into your body when you spit the chain off the bar. I chewed one completely up on the 440 and had the chain come back into my leg the next time I spit it off. I replaced it and carried a spare.
• 1 Stihl Torx tool. Used for removing all torx screws on Stihl motor heads.
• 2 Stihl bar tools. Used for loosening and removing bar nuts and adjusting chain tightness. I carried one with me at all times in my leg pocket of my overalls.
• 2 pair ear plugs
• 4 Stihl plastic wedges (used to spread cuts and keep the saw from being pinched by the tree) – we carried two with us in the field and kept two as backups.
• 1 8 lb. sledge hammer
• 1 6’ pry bar
• 2 25’ 3/8” log chains
• 3 100’ braided ropes
• 1 six pack cooler
• 1 1 gallon gas can for pre-mix
• 1 canvas tool bag for the field kit
• 1 plastic tote box for the entire kit contents for transport and storage
• 2 spare 3/8” log chain hooks and pins
• 6 spare log chain hook pin cotter keys
• 1 pair spare leather gloves (large)
• 2 five gallon gasoline cans

Things I would add to the chain saw kit:

•  1 spare spark plug for each model motor head

• 1 log Peavie (spike and hook tool used to roll logs)

Consumables:

• We went through 6 – 12 liters of bottled water per person per day.

• I used about a gallon of pre-mix saw fuel a day.

Tractor Kit

• 1 Kubota L series 30 HP tractor with hydrostatic drive

• 1 Kubota bucket loader

• 1 3 point hitch landscaping box / push blade (don’t show up without one of these)

• 1 5 gallon diesel fuel can

•  2 spare valve stems for front tires (you will tear them out on logs, etc.)

•  1 spare three point hitch pin

•  1 20’ trailer with ramps

•  2 3/8” tie down chains with binders/boomers

• 1 12V DC rechargeable & portable air compressor

        Consumables:

• We used about 1.5 gallons of diesel fuel a day in the tractor.

Clothing

• Overalls. I wore one pair of Carhart bib overalls for the entire month. They were about two years old and had seen light use. I hung them outside every night. They would usually still be damp with sweat the next morning. I washed them once a week in a bucket and once every two weeks in a machine after a pre-wash in the bucket.
• Gloves. I used one pair of Stanley cow leather work gloves in the month, although I’d worn through a couple of fingers by the third week.
• Boots. I wore one pair of leather steel toe boots the entire month. These were veteran boots and were at least 15 years old. By the end of the month the sole had started to separate from the right boot. I plan to get them repaired as the soles are still going strong. I don’t know the brand, but I think they are Red Wing.
• T-shirts, socks and boxers. I wore the same Ex-Officio t-shirts, socks and boxers that I wore when we explored the world by motorcycle. I’d wash them in a machine whenever I ran out.

Protection

• Sun screen. I used SPF 30 to 45 block out every day. I missed the back of my neck one day and suffered severe blistering burns.
• Bugs. I used 100% DEET bug juice every day.
• Hearing. I used plastic loop type ear plugs and found them very effective. The original pair were the best, as they articulated and were much easier to put in and were more comfortable. They mysteriously broke one night while I slept and were found the next morning next to the fresh ear foam inserts that came in their package. It is possible that during the night the “clean and organized” fairies unsuccessfully tried to put the new and clean foam inserts on them and broke them in the process. Don’t use a chain saw without hearing protection.
• Steel Toe boots. Don’t show up without them.
• Head. I brought two different types of hard hats but didn’t wear either of them. Working construction I found hard hats to actually be pretty comfortable and cool, but didn’t get the new one I brought out of the duffel bag. I also brought along a logging hard hat that included integrated hearing protection ear muffs and a face shield for eye and face protection. I didn’t take it out of the box. My grandfather Hackney was no doubt spinning in his grave on this one, as he was very safety conscious, especially about hard hats.
• Hands. I used cow leather work gloves, my old standby. Steph used modern fabric gloves, similar to Mechanix gloves, and they held up well.
• Eyes. I used my prescription sunglasses. Don’t use a chain saw without eye protection.
• Legs. I brought chainsaw chaps but didn’t use them. They are made of long strands of fiberglass type material designed to tangle and clog up the chain and stall the motor if the saw comes in contact with your legs. An excellent idea that I didn’t implement.