Real men don't wear ear plugs

[Iffykid]

I cannot stand to cut thick underbrush without my forestry helmet. I just lower my head and butt through all the brush that keeps me from getting to the lower parts of the plants I am attacking. Cutting your way in is a waste of time. I'll even put on a heavy denim jacket in the summertime for that thick, thorny stuff.

A couple of years ago, I got onto a job site to measure & evaluate how much brush & trees was needed to be removed for a billboard. As I attempted to walk off 450 feet from the sign, I discovered that it was nearly impossible for me to get through the thicket. With every step, the bark and branches was snagging up in my hair and trying to scalp me. Thick stuff! It was virtually impregnable.

So I went back to my car, put on the forestry hard hat, and head-butted my way through 450' of thicket, counting trees and surveying the terrain as I went.

This is the best hard hat for ground work, in my not-so-humble opinion:
View attachment 1131750

It is tougher than any other version, and the rain gutter on the back makes a huge improvement on rainy days. No other helmet has one, at least that I am aware of.

The Stihl hard hats are just junk, in my experience. The plastic shatters and the wire holding the ear muffs bends, leaving you with ear protection that doesn't do the job.

It does not have the rear rain gutter but I like my Protos, more streamlined profile does not get as hung up in limbs and brush in my experience but expensive at $300

I have tried the bug eyes eye glass frames with mesh but with the mesh being so close to my eyes they give me a headache trying to look through them.

 

[pdqdl]

I even wore earplugs when I went to the movies. Seems they crank up the volume for the deaf, while those of us with good hearing were assaulted with excessive sound volume.

Get a pricey pair of these: Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700
Shop around, deals do come around that are an improvement over the list price.

Turned on, the noise canceling is better than standard ear muffs. With a simple touch or two, you can turn the hearing protection down to any of 10 different levels of hearing protection. When set at zero, you can hear things pretty much exactly like you weren't wearing them at all. Set at 10, they are perhaps as good or better than full sound suppression ear muffs, although they probably aren't up to afterburner levels of noise.

Furthermore, you get great sound from whatever media you are playing. I use them for voice recognition on my computer, as well as listening to podcasts while driving. Yes! I wear them to the movies, too.

They kinda expensive to wear while out working hard, however. I try not to risk them on the job so much as just out by loud stuff and muffling noise in gentler settings.

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Forgot to update.

All is back to normal thankfully. The eardrum fixed itself as the doctor told be it would, just a tear.

good job! you got the thread rolling again....

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

I think one of the biggest surprises was when I discovered I could hear the stereo on my Goldwing better when going down the highway when wearing ear plugs as they blocked the wind noise which was counter intuitive for me at the time.

prob took out the low rumble of low level decibels...

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Just lead with a smiley icon to let us know. Some of us are well known to be sarcasm & humor-impaired.

and if that don't work, there is always the BLOCK button....

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

I cannot stand to cut thick underbrush without my forestry helmet. I just lower my head and butt through all the brush that keeps me from getting to the lower parts of the plants I am attacking. Cutting your way in is a waste of time. I'll even put on a heavy denim jacket in the summertime for that thick, thorny stuff.

A couple of years ago, I got onto a job site to measure & evaluate how much brush & trees was needed to be removed for a billboard. As I attempted to walk off 450 feet from the sign, I discovered that it was nearly impossible for me to get through the thicket. With every step, the bark and branches was snagging up in my hair and trying to scalp me. Thick stuff! It was virtually impregnable.

So I went back to my car, put on the forestry hard hat, and head-butted my way through 450' of thicket, counting trees and surveying the terrain as I went.

This is the best hard hat for ground work, in my not-so-humble opinion:
View attachment 1131750

It is tougher than any other version, and the rain gutter on the back makes a huge improvement on rainy days. No other helmet has one, at least that I am aware of.

The Stihl hard hats are just junk, in my experience. The plastic shatters and the wire holding the ear muffs bends, leaving you with ear protection that doesn't do the job.

good PPE hat. got one just like it, looks same... but for subtle diffs - Stihl

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

I became aware of noise when I served on an Aircraft Carrier. We had to be on standby near the launch catapults with the jets at full afterburners. With our noise protective muffs held as tightly to our ears as possible, the noise was still deafening. After that I started wearing earplugs in all situations where I felt the noise was a bit to loud.

I even wore earplugs when I went to the movies. Seems they crank up the volume for the deaf, while those of us with good hearing were assaulted with excessive sound volume.

noise and FOD are 2 of the more dangerous items on the ramp and/or carrier flight deck! 2nd only to cold cat shots or ramp strikes!! us pilots,(Naval) Marine Aviators in USMC (we all are Carrier Quald, sans the chopper guys) destructive noises usually held at bay... as flight helmets do a good job at noise reduction... and once the canopy comes down and slides/seals into place... pure quiet!! the PIC best have his mike wire in and Radios-ON! lol

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

I became aware of noise when I served on an Aircraft Carrier. We had to be on standby near the launch catapults with the jets at full afterburners. With our noise protective muffs held as tightly to our ears as possible, the noise was still deafening. After that I started wearing earplugs in all situations where I felt the noise was a bit to loud.

I even wore earplugs when I went to the movies. Seems they crank up the volume for the deaf, while those of us with good hearing were assaulted with excessive sound volume.

i have worn them in church! i see no reason to belt out songs and music at that level!!

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

I now use bug goggles -- goggles with a wire mesh in place of glass or plastic. When I'm dropping trees I have a separate helmet. My equipment is constantly evolving.

how about your hunting? i see you are an avid hunter....

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

WHAT DID YOU SAY? rofl OT

haha!
"WHAT?..." is a common way we start many conversations done here in my camp!!!

i keep telling miz QB ... hard to hear you when i am in shop and u are in other part of the house!! lol

 

[user 122190]

how about your hunting? i see you are an avid hunter....

Hearing is an essential part of hunting. I take the hit.

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Hearing is an essential part of hunting. I take the hit.

right, i mean when u squeeze the trigger. well, prob sometimes not much time...

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

@MontanaResident : Thanks for this thread (and the humor). I was looking for better PPE as blue industrial triple-flanged earplugs under Walker's Razor Slim Earmuffs weren't cutting it with the big RedMax EBZ8500 backpack blower.

Read the thread, ordered:
SureFire EP4 Sonic Defenders
Howard Leight Impact Pro (not pretty, but effective)

ProHear GEP02 Gel Ear Pads​

Thanks again everyone, I appreciate the info!

 

[user 122190]

@MontanaResident : Thanks for this thread (and the humor). I was looking for better PPE as blue industrial triple-flanged earplugs under Walker's Razor Slim Earmuffs weren't cutting it with the big RedMax EBZ8500 backpack blower.

Read the thread, ordered:
SureFire EP4 Sonic Defenders
Howard Leight Impact Pro (not pretty, but effective)

Thanks again everyone, I appreciate the info!

With both those purchases worn at the same time, you could be the reload guy for the front line combat Howitzer.

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

With both those purchases worn at the same time, you could be the reload guy for the front line combat Howitzer.

Reminds me I need to buy tighter underwear...

 

[OM617YOTA]

I have minor tinnitus, thankfully not to a point where it's bothersome, but if I stop and "listen" I can hear a squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee all the time. Can tune it out almost all the time. Taking one of those sound frequency you can hear vs. age tests has me over 10 years older than I really am.

The guy who got me started on chainsaws got a lot wrong. His idea of tuning a saw was leaning it out as much as you dare, and when a saw burned up, that's just how long a saw lasted. A saw that lasted two seasons was a really good saw! I attribute a good part of my hearing loss to his idea of hearing protection being to yell "WHAT?" to communicate for the rest of his life.

I never skimp on ear-pro now. Counterintuitively, ear pro is more important when you've lost some hearing already - have to protect what you have and not make any existing tinnitus worse.

Looking for a set of ear buds for working in the shop + shooting. Something specifically designed for blocking noise, not just listening to music.

 

[user 122190]

Reminds me I need to buy tighter underwear...

Reminds me of a book I read a long time ago. Was about the early exploration and global trade in the 1700s, and the ensuing naval wars over claimed and contested rights. Massive war ships would draw up on each other flanks and bombard each other with cannon fire. Winner was the ship with the least damage and didn't actually or nearly sink. Both crews suffered greatly -- near or complete hearing loss with blood flowing out of their concussed ear drums. Back in those days sailors were conscripts, seize off the streets in their home towns/cities and became essentially prisoners aboard their ships.

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

Reminds me of a book I read a long time ago. Was about the early exploration and global trade in the 1700s, and the ensuing naval wars over claimed and contested rights. Massive war ships would draw up on each other flanks and bombard each other with cannon fire. Winner was the ship with the least damage and didn't actually or nearly sink. Both crews suffered greatly -- near or complete hearing loss with blood flowing out of their concussed ear drums. Back in those days sailors were conscripts, seize off the streets in their home towns/cities and became essentially prisoners aboard their ships.

When one of those ships was along side and firing exploding cannonballs, I bet they needed new underwear.

 

[Iffykid]

@MontanaResident : Thanks for this thread (and the humor). I was looking for better PPE as blue industrial triple-flanged earplugs under Walker's Razor Slim Earmuffs weren't cutting it with the big RedMax EBZ8500 backpack blower.

Read the thread, ordered:
SureFire EP4 Sonic Defenders
Howard Leight Impact Pro (not pretty, but effective)

ProHear GEP02 Gel Ear Pads​

Thanks again everyone, I appreciate the info!

Running most saws the hearing muffs on the PROTOS helmet are adequate, when I fire up the 592XP I wear a set of ear plugs as well.

 

[JRM]

noise and FOD are 2 of the more dangerous items on the ramp and/or carrier flight deck! 2nd only to cold cat shots or ramp strikes!! us pilots,(Naval) Marine Aviators in USMC (we all are Carrier Quald, sans the chopper guys) destructive noises usually held at bay... as flight helmets do a good job at noise reduction... and once the canopy comes down and slides/seals into place... pure quiet!! the PIC best have his mike wire in and Radios-ON! lol
View attachment 1131782

My son just sent me this today.




And an early bday present for pops