I set out to tackle a backyard full of weeds yesterday and bailed after just five minutes because of the variety of burrs and stickers accumulating on my shirt, pants, socks, and shoes. I spent the rest of the day rescuing my clothing. Is there anything fairly comfortable that I can wear that won’t turn me into a walking pincushion?
Cowboy gear, like chaps and vest. Here’s a set:
https://www.fancydressandparty.com/cowboy-village-people-costume/
Oh lord… I’m trying so hard not to post links to other “chaps” they could wear.
Yes, leather might help.
Tight, slick weaves would be better than loose or rough surfaced weaves. And there’s a reason why I never wear fleece in the fields.
A good slick rain suit will work; but if the weather’s hot it may not be comfortable for long. Some of them are more comfortable than others in heat – they tend to also be more expensive, because vents need to be designed in or one-way fabrics used.
Whatever you wear, if you have any hair I highly recommend covering it.
When I am in a situation like that I wear ratty old clothes that can be trashed afterwords. If you wear leather shoes the only burr-catching surface will be the laces, so just have a new pair for when the project is over.
Fleece and jersey knit (ie: t-shirts) are the worst thing to wear around burrs. Denim’s usually semi immune, and smooth leather gloves are a must.
If you do this kind of work frequently, consider looking at clothes made for hunters. I went turkey hunting with a buddy one time and he lent me a pair of heavy pants, made from some kind of thick canvas, that were completely impervious to brambles and jaggerbushes. Seriously, they were amazing.
They’re not cheap, but they’re probably exactly what you’re looking for. Cabelas would be a good website to check out.
Upland pants. The ones I have are made by Wrangler They make 'em in different base fabrics & colors.
I have some tightly woven “walking pants” or some such that are mostly nylon. A lot of companies make things in that category. But mine are light weight, which is nice. They aren’t thorn-proof at all – you want a thick fabric for that. But for avoiding burrs you want a smooth tight weave. (or leather, or vinyl.)
Out in the pastoral range lands of Australia my family wear bowyangs, (though we prefer the term sock tops) to prevent grass seeds, burrs, dust, sheep shit and other irritants getting into your socks and boots.
Wax jacket. Wellington boots. Jeans or canvas trousers - the sort builders wear.
I have a friend who’s a pro garden designer - she (and her gardening friends) seem to favour canvas jackets and these boots
I have a couple pairs of pants that I bought from The Duluth Trading Company about 6 years ago. I wear them every day when walking in the woods with the dogs. They still look like new. Pickers don’t stick, they’re water resistant (not waterproof) and comfortable. I think they were called Black Hills pants - I’m not sure, but they’d have a lot of good outdoorsy clothing that would be good for what you’re looking for.
Thank you for all of the suggestions. Leather and canvas would be too warm for this time of year. I think my obstacle is that “breathable” and “tight knit” are exclusive attributes in fabric.
Not really. A lot of modern “high performance” fabrics are both. They do tend to run expensive, though.
Disposable Tyvek pants and shirts are available. Pants are $60 for a 12 pack, about $70 for 12 shirts from Grainger. Not very breathable but probably burr and light-thorn-proof. There’s also coveralls but that would be like a sauna.