Best Way to Pack a Saw

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Scablands

Total Poser
Joined
Mar 28, 2016
Messages
142
Reaction score
192
Location
E WA
I'm planning to do some volunteer work at our nearby state park doing trail maintenance, which will inevitably mean packing a saw for some distance over my shoulder. What's the right way to do this? Use a fabric bar scabbard? Or get a leather shoulder pad? Duct tape and cardboard? Other?

I worry about slicing myself on a sharp chain, but I'm not sure if the extra weight of a fabric scabbard won't be a nuisance in itself.

Any advice from those who actually do this for a living?
 
A really good idea I've seen a few times is like a 6" or so lay flat chunk of fire hose your desired length, also saw some out of a leg off a pair of old jeans. I use a shoulder pad on my spenders as many many others do. I'll take the business end of the chain any day over the business end of the falling dogs, heard many stories of guys getting them and also the other stories of guys found with one buried in their neck severing the spinal cord as cause of death........so there's pros and cons and good luck with it boss. Oh also an aluminum scabbard visa that mounts to the rack of a 4 wheeler out of Madsen's also if a 4 wheeler is an option on your project
 
Packing your gear is the hardest part of the job IMO as when running the saw you are rotating constantly.
It can be dangerous packing on your shoulder. We are allowed to If we roll the chain off and wrap the rest around the handlebars then slip your wedge between the dogs.
It's safe and always throw it away when you fall.
 
Packing your gear is the hardest part of the job IMO as when running the saw you are rotating constantly.
It can be dangerous packing on your shoulder. We are allowed to If we roll the chain off and wrap the rest ground the handlebars then slip your wedge between the dogs.
It's safe and always throw it away when you fall.

I like this idea a lot. No extra stuff.

A really good idea I've seen a few times is like a 6" or so lay flat chunk of fire hose your desired length, also saw some out of a leg off a pair of old jeans. I use a shoulder pad on my spenders as many many others do. I'll take the business end of the chain any day over the business end of the falling dogs, heard many stories of guys getting them and also the other stories of guys found with one buried in their neck severing the spinal cord as cause of death........so there's pros and cons and good luck with it boss. Oh also an aluminum scabbard visa that mounts to the rack of a 4 wheeler out of Madsen's also if a 4 wheeler is an option on your project

For some of this I think is non-motorized. But I'm glad I'm worried about something that's real, not imagined.
 
Packing your gear is the hardest part of the job IMO as when running the saw you are rotating constantly.
It can be dangerous packing on your shoulder. We are allowed to If we roll the chain off and wrap the rest around the handlebars then slip your wedge between the dogs.
It's safe and always throw it away when you fall.
I never thought of a wedge to drop between bar and dogs, thanks for the info pard
 
I like this idea a lot. No extra stuff.



For some of this I think is non-motorized. But I'm glad I'm worried about something that's real, not imagined.
That's the best part.........you're always thinkin about safety and good on ya for it man. Sometimes the things like this a guy don't consider because the saw isn't running so no thought comes of it, but still a lot of hazard in it. This may sound funny and I might get tarred and feathered for mentioning but I got broad shoulders lol.......anyway check into or Google maybe how wildland fire fighters and hot shots carry their saws on long distance hikes to remote fires. I can't say what they use, but I know they can't carry over the shoulder unless the chain and dogs both are covered so there could be some ideas for you there. Safe cuttin sir
 
I have packed a saw a mile or so in to do volunteer trail work. I'm not sure, but I think we women don't have as much natural padding on shoulders. Mine felt bruised after packing in survey stakes at work. So, instead of the in place hooked to your suspenders pad, I went to the camping dept. at Wally World and bought a blue, closed cell sleeping pad. I cut it and duck taped it together so it would fit over the bar and more importantly, the dogs on the saw. The Forest Circus rules are that the dogs must be covered if carrying saws on the shoulder. With the bar padded, I could switch shoulders easily and the pad also makes a good seat to sit on for a break, or kneel on when filing the chain out in the brush.

I also tied a smaller oil jug to a small fuel carrier and had an acceptable to the agency gypo jug kind of affair. That way I could put the rope over the bar of my saw and the fuel and oil were carried in that way.

A small daypack held more saw stuff and more importantly---food and water. You can adjust that so the saw rests on it too, and that helps with packing in. There are some very nice packs made to carry saws, but their price is high.

If they let you take animal dogs along and you have a big enough dog, they can wear a pack and carry wedges, file and extra chain and other small stuff. That helps. They are also cheery hikers. Animal dogs should not be covered.

Those sleeping pads come in handy for a lot of things. I always have one handy to "mod".

I'll post a picture later.

Oh, I expect you know that it can be scary to work with other volunteers who you do not know. Be careful of them.
 
Amazon has these for somewhat cheap. A milk crate and and some 1"web will let you get the saw, oil, gas and even some lunch up into the trail.
91-3Jlw3csL._SL1500_.jpg
 
Amazon has these for somewhat cheap. A milk crate and and some 1"web will let you get the saw, oil, gas and even some lunch up into the trail.
91-3Jlw3csL._SL1500_.jpg
I wa gonna suggest one o these. Depending on your bar length you Co rivet on of those plastic bar covers to the pack to slip your saw into.
 
Thanks for the tips, Patty! I actually plan to work alone or with select friends. Not the best plan for safety I know, but better than babysitting. I take few chances these days. I want to live until retirement. :)
 
I have done some stealth work, alone. In fact, that's when my dog went along. What I found out was that the "organized" groups just seem to work in the wilderness so no chainsaws are allowed. One group does more out of wilderness work, but they do not allow volunteers to run chainsaws. Their paid people can be very scary to watch.

I also determined that it's too hot (for me) to work their schedule. You gather at 8 AM, introduce everybody, go over safety rules, and by the time you are out working it is mid morning and quite warm as the work is done in August, when the snow is sure to be gone. I'd rather get up and be working as soon as I could see and get done for the day before it gets hot. But, I realize I am in the minority. The last time we camped just outside of the wilderness boundary at a campground on a lake. It was hot and I'd find myself thinking how wonderful the cold lake would be, and it was.

The most productive chainsaw day was early in the year, with a few of us locals, and it was foggy and cool. We got a lot done. We did have to leave some trees across the trails for a contractor. They were too big 6 to 8 feet in diameter, for us and our saws.
 
I have Pack Shack bar covers for my fire saws. They are padded and have a leather flap that covers the dogs. I also use a pad on my shoulder. Combine these items with a wildland fire pack and you are good to go.

Patty do you still have that pic of the packboard you made?


No. But one can find old frame backpacks for cheap at the thrift stores. The one I made is kind of unreachable due to the boat project being in the way.
 
I'm going to try and get working as soon as the trails are accessible, so hopefully it will be cool to work. This is all state park work, so no worries about wilderness rules.

I really want to thank everyone for the good advice and feedback. It's been great being here and learning from those who do this for a living.
 
safety meh...

wedges go in wedge pouch, axe in axe scabard thing, chuck the saw over my shoulder and go, sometimes toss the gypo jugs over the other shoulder and carry my water jug, but I don't hike more then a 1/4-1/2 mile most times.

If I had to hike farther, a pack board that could hold 2 gallons of fuel, and a gallon of bar oil, along with wedges, axe, fud, water (lots of water) would be a necessity, for short hikes the wedge belt is enough.

My wedge belt is made from army surplus stuff, and the spenders have some heavy duty webbing that help pad the saw a bit, though I honestly couldn't care if it was there or not, except the whole holding up the wedges bit. Only been poked in the back by the dogs once, and it wasn't very deep, since my back gets in the way... Sometimes nick my neck with a chain but its never more than a scratch. cut my fingers more then anything really, in fact my thumb has a nice stripe on it now from doing this... (gloves, we don't need no stinking gloves)

I have gotten a little bit warm from the exhaust from time to time... but never been burned... much, at least not on the back (there is an unknown white blistery thing on my left middle finger that could possibly be from the exhaust... but I can't feel it so I don't remember when or how it happened). I've heard of guys tossing their saw on their shoulder sans shirt or anything after running for a bit and getting burned by the bar? Never seen a bar get that hot in normal use so? (Dull chain and stupid operators yes... normal use no)

Also when you plan on packing in more then a convenient walk back to the truck/crummy, bring an extra chain or two, and a bar if you have room, along with any necessary tools, and maybe a spare spark plug. The extra bar is a pain but its easier than carrying an entire saw, that way when, not if, you get pinched just swap bars and cut yerself free.

Not running a P pad as they are sometimes called will also play Hel on your shirts, I don't have many that don't have the right shoulder chewed up.
 
safety meh...

wedges go in wedge pouch, axe in axe scabard thing, chuck the saw over my shoulder and go, sometimes toss the gypo jugs over the other shoulder and carry my water jug, but I don't hike more then a 1/4-1/2 mile most times.

If I had to hike farther, a pack board that could hold 2 gallons of fuel, and a gallon of bar oil, along with wedges, axe, fud, water (lots of water) would be a necessity, for short hikes the wedge belt is enough.

My wedge belt is made from army surplus stuff, and the spenders have some heavy duty webbing that help pad the saw a bit, though I honestly couldn't care if it was there or not, except the whole holding up the wedges bit. Only been poked in the back by the dogs once, and it wasn't very deep, since my back gets in the way... Sometimes nick my neck with a chain but its never more than a scratch. cut my fingers more then anything really, in fact my thumb has a nice stripe on it now from doing this... (gloves, we don't need no stinking gloves)

I have gotten a little bit warm from the exhaust from time to time... but never been burned... much, at least not on the back (there is an unknown white blistery thing on my left middle finger that could possibly be from the exhaust... but I can't feel it so I don't remember when or how it happened). I've heard of guys tossing their saw on their shoulder sans shirt or anything after running for a bit and getting burned by the bar? Never seen a bar get that hot in normal use so? (Dull chain and stupid operators yes... normal use no)

Also when you plan on packing in more then a convenient walk back to the truck/crummy, bring an extra chain or two, and a bar if you have room, along with any necessary tools, and maybe a spare spark plug. The extra bar is a pain but its easier than carrying an entire saw, that way when, not if, you get pinched just swap bars and cut yerself free.

Not running a P pad as they are sometimes called will also play Hel on your shirts, I don't have many that don't have the right shoulder chewed up.

Yeah well...the rest of us don't have 3" long hair on our back to pad all that stuff.
 
Back
Top