Tools of the Trade, Part One

Congratulations! You've been hired to plant trees this summer and will now commit to spend two months in the middle of the woods somewhere far away from the rest of humanity. Now what are you going to pack? Here's a list of some of the important items that you'll want to take with you. I'm only covering the main necessities in this post, next week I will post a second list.

Left: Boots before 2014 season. Right: Boots after 2014 season

1. Steel-toe boots.  During a tree planting contract you'll be wearing them almost the entire time. They must have steel toes by law, since half of the job requires you to stomp on the base of your trees to ensure they are planted firmly and won't get washed away by rain. They should also be waterproof. Guaranteed you'll be walking through puddles or mud almost every day. The best boots I ever had were chainsaw boots, designed for lumberjacks. They're 100 per cent waterproof and will last the whole contract for sure. Below are the boots I bought in 2014, just steel toed hiking boots. By the end of week two the hole you see in the right photo had already started. When water gets in your boots your whole day is ruined. DO NOT CHEAP OUT ON BOOTS. They are your best friends in the woods.

My shovel and bags that I've used for two contracts

2. Shovel and bags. A tree planter's weapons. Virtually all planters use the same standard bags and shovels. The shovel is about 34 inches long, but can be shortened easily, which many veteran planters do. They come with either a wide spade or a thin one. I recommend the thin blade, but it really comes down to personal preference. The thin spade gives you a lighter shovel which is easier to make a hole with. The wider spade makes a bigger hole, which can be useful but I found it slows me down slightly.
The bags cannot be modified much. They are set up to have two shoulder straps and a waist strap to evenly distribute weight. There are two main bags, one on each hip, which are designed to hold your trees. A small back bag can hold your water bottle, bug spray, and whatever else you want to bring out with you.

Tent City, my home for my first contract. My tent is the second from the right

3.Tent. Yes that's right, you'll be living in a tent for two months. When told that, most people look at me like I'm insane. Maybe so, but I find it almost therapeutic. Either way, if you're going to buy a tent, I suggest buying a larger one. Sure, it takes up more room when you're packing, but keep in mind it's your home now. I've used a four man tent on both of my contracts and I love it. You can store all your belongings in it and there's still plenty of space for you. Again, it's up to you personally, but makes sure your tent is in good shape, and won't let the bugs in. Once the bugs are in, it's game over.

I hope this quick guide to the essentials helps! As I said earlier, I will be posting a second list next week which will cover clothing and other essentials.